swimming freestyle

Torturous Detail

Congress recently passed the Intelligence Authorization Act, which contained a provision creating a single interrogation standard for the U.S. government that bans the use of waterboarding. CQ reports that President Bush will veto the bill next week:

“The president’s expected to veto it next week,” said Emily Lawrimore, a spokeswoman for the White House. “We received it today.”

Although the exact date for the veto is unclear, the president likely will not act until after Tuesday’s primaries, since numerous lawmakers will not be on Capitol Hill then. (Link)

A Picture for the Day

Senator Barack Obama, as seen through a television camera's viewfinder, during a town hall meeting with veterans at the American Legion Post 490 in Houston. Senator Obama was in Texas campaigning for the state's primary on Tuesday. (NY Times)

McCain and Hagee

Yesterday I posted about radical minister John Hagee's endorsement of John McCain.  John Hagee is every bit as much a nutcase and bigot as Louis Farrakhan and, given this weeks public grilling of Barack Obama for not repudiating Farrakhan's endorsement, it's reasonable to expect John McCain will receive the same kind of scrutiny over Hagee's endorsement.

This today from the McCain campaign:

"Yesterday, Pastor John Hagee endorsed my candidacy for president in San Antonio, Texas. However, in no way did I intend for his endorsement to suggest that I in turn agree with all of Pastor Hagee's views, which I obviously do not.

"I am hopeful that Catholics, Protestants and all people of faith who share my vision for the future of America will respond to our message of defending innocent life, traditional marriage, and compassion for the most vulnerable in our society."

This story is picking up steam and whether McCain is subjected to the same level of criticism as Obama received for his acceptance of Farrakhan's endorsement will be a measure of the medias willingness to be tough with McCain.  Catholic organizations are calling for McCain to retract his support for Hagee.  This will be an interesting test of McCain's character.

Disarming Republicans

A reader at The Daily Dish makes a suggestion:

Recall how football players shave their heads in solidarity with a teammate who's going through chemo? What the Democrats need to do, should Obama become the nominee, is to use Hussein as their adopted middle names. Ted Hussein Kennedy. Nancy Hussein Pelosi. Hillary Hussein Clinton. (Well, maybe not.) And his supporters, too. This is something that can easily go viral and backfire on the far right big-time.

The Sequel (Obama Obama)

"Nobody's Gonna Rain On My Parade"

Obama Responds to the Clinton Ad

Frida Kahlo Centennial

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is celebrating the centennial of Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) with an exhibit of 42 works by Kahlo.

Kahlo was a Mexican painter, who has achieved great international popularity. She painted using vibrant colors in a style that was influenced by indigenous cultures of Mexico as well as European influences that include Realism, Symbolism, and Surrealism. Many of her works are self-portraits that symbolically express her own pain. Kahlo was married to and influenced by the Mexican/Spanish muralist Diego Rivera and shared his Communist views. Although she has long been recognized as an important painter, public awareness of her work has become more widespread since the 1970s. (Wikipedia)

"Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird" (1940)

Wow. Clinton Grasping At Straws

From the Clinton campaign:

To: Interested Parties
From: The Clinton Campaign
Date: Friday, February 29, 2008
RE: Obama Must-Wins

The media has anointed Barack Obama the presumptive nominee and he's playing the part.

With an eleven state winning streak coming out of February, Senator Obama is riding a surge of momentum that has enabled him to pour unprecedented resources into Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont.

The Obama campaign and its allies are outspending us two to one in paid media and have sent more staff into the March 4 states. In fact, when all is totaled, Senator Obama and his allies have outspent Senator Clinton by a margin of $18.4 million to $9.2 million on advertising in the four states that are voting next Tuesday.

Senator Obama has campaigned hard in these states. He has spent time meeting editorial boards, courting endorsers, holding rallies, and - of course - making speeches.

If he cannot win all of these states with all this effort, there's a problem.

Should Senator Obama fail to score decisive victories with all of the resources and effort he is bringing to bear, the message will be clear:

Democrats, the majority of whom have favored Hillary in the primary contests held to date, have their doubts about Senator Obama and are having second thoughts about him as a prospective standard-bearer.

Let me get this straight.  Unless Obama crushes Clinton in all four primaries Tuesday, Clinton is the winner?

Superdelegate Update

I will post updates to the committed superdelegate list as they become available.  For the full list, go here.  For my post explaining the role of superdelegates, go here.

Superdelegate Summary:
        Clinton:  254
        Obama:   207

2-21-08 - Added DNC Jason Rae (WI) for Obama.
- Added DNC Margaret Xifaras (MA) for Obama
- Added Rep. Steve Kagen (WI) for Obama
2-22-08 - Added DNC Sonni Nardi (OH) for Obama
- Added Sen. Russ Feingold (WI) for Obama
- Added DNC Connie Borde (DA)* for Obama
- Added DNC Leon Lynch (PA) for Obama
- Added DNC Belinda Biofore (WV) for Clinton
2-24-08 - Removed DNC Lionel Spruill Sr. (VA) from Clinton and returned to uncommitted
2-25-08 - Returned DNC Lionel Spruill Sr. (VA) after deciding the article was too vague to warrant his removal.
- Added DNC Mark Mallory (OH) for Obama
2-26-08 - Sen. Chris Dodd (CT), Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (SD), DNC Steve Powell (IL) added for Obama
- Added "Shadow Senators" Michael Brown (DC) and Paul Strauss (DC) for Obama
2-27-08 - Added DNC Dennis Mehiel (NY) and DNC Sylvia Tokasz (NY) for Clinton
- Added Sen. Byron Dorgan (ND) for Obama
- Added Rep. John Lewis (GA) for Obama
- Added DNC Marianne Stevens (ME) for Obama
- Moved DNC Senfronia Thompson (TX) from Clinton to Obama
2-28-08 - Changed DNC Ken Curtis (FL) from Maine to Florida after confirmation from the DNC. Superdelegate total is now 794.
- Added Rep. John Barrow (GA) for Obama
- Added DNC Ben Jeffers (LA) for Obama
- Added DNC Renee Gill-Pratt (LA) for Clinton
2-29-08 - Added DNC Brian Melendez (MN) and DNC Donna Cassutt ( MN) for Obama
- Added DNC Renee Pfenning (ND) for Obama
- Added DNC Rep. Hon. Yvonne Davis (TX) for Obama