Friday, February 13, 2009

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Chicago Unveils 2016 Olympics Bid, Pegs Cost At $3.3B Top
Chicago Olympic bid officials said Friday the cost of presenting a summer games here in 2016 would be $3.3 billion with a "safety net" of at least $1 billion against shortfalls. That safety net would be used before the city would be on the hook for $500 million if revenues fall short. Revenues are pegged at $3.8 billion in the Chicago group's bid book, submitted to the International Olympic Committee, which will decide in October if Chicago wins the right to host the games. More on Olympics
 
Jon Chattman: Best Way to Get Results From Politicians? Show up and Get Some Top
I think it's really nice that Henriette Hughes, a homeless woman who cried to President Barack Obama during a Florida Town Hall meeting the other day, has been offered a new home (reportedly by State Rep. Nick Thompson's wife). I wonder, however, if many like her will get the same opportunity. I doubt it. It seems all anyone really has to do to change their luck is to cry or call a politician out when the cameras are rolling. The results are immediate when you're featured all over the nightly news. Otherwise...not so much. Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher AKA "Joe the Plumber" knows exactly what I'm talking about. No one would've ever known who he was if news crews didn't capture him asking then-candidate Obama about his proposed tax plan last October. As we all know, Joe the Plumber would become a household name when Republican presidential candidate John McCain referenced him ad naseum during the third and final presidential debate. Wurzelbacher was last seen promoting the GOP and himself all over the place...milking that 15th minute of fame. While the future seems bright for Wurzelbacher and Hughes, most of us aren't as fortunate to get so up close and personal. I can't help but feel as if a precious few are being taken care of simply because they were at the right place at the right time with the right form of media around. If Hughes had written a letter to her local officials (she may well have), would she be awarded with a house the very next day? No way. If Wurzelbacher had taken Obama to task and the GOP never saw it, would we know who the heck he is? No way. I wrote a piece last week on an idea two Facebook members had regarding forgiving student loans in an effort to strengthen the economy. The article spawned a nice response (pro and con) on this site and others, but one wonders if one of those social networkers had posed the idea to politicos on video, and it caught fire online, it'd resonate on Capitol Hill faster. (The Facebook group now has over 30,000 members and the petition has 10,000 signatures anyway.) No offense to Hughes, who clearly was just looking for a little help, but her case isn't unique. She was just fortunate the media made it that way. I fear people in her situation and others in need of assistance will use forums like town hall meetings to ensure they're on camera and, as a result, will get the quick fix -- sort of like how those annoying contestants dress up, overact, and try out for "American Idol" to gain notoriety even though they can't sing. Let's hope not. We don't need William Hungs on the political circuit. More on Video On HuffPost
 
Vice President Joe Biden Attends Special Olympics, Awards Medals (SLIDESHOW) Top
***Scroll down for slideshow*** Vice President Joe Biden was in Boise, Idaho yesterday to attend a portion of this year's Special Olympics Winter Games. He caught five contenders in the freestyle pairs skating competition, then awarded medals to the athletes with the help of Olympic medalist Michelle Kwan. While in attendance, Biden announced that "Kareem Dale, a former member of Obama's campaign in charge of coordinating the vote of disabled Americans, has been named the special assistant to the president for disabilities policy." Biden, who has "been involved with the Special Olympics as a U.S. senator since 1973" was particularly touched by the experience: "What lives in the heart of every one of these young athletes - as my mother would say, lives in every heart - is the bravery, the tenacity, the grit, and determination," Biden said. "I want to tell you how proud I am to be here." Biden later visited the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes program, which provides vision and medical care to the participants as well as training sessions on how to stay fit and limber. And in true Biden form, he kept things light, joking that "this fulfills a dream of mine: To walk out on the ice with Michelle Kwan." Read the rest of the story here... More on Joe Biden
 
Kim Morgan: It's Always Trouble: "Harold and Maude" Top
This one is for that stupid thing called Valentine's Day: one of my favorite movies about love, Harold and Maude. Some films become such a cult phenomenon that, through time, increased popularity and critical appreciation, you wonder if they should be categorized as bona fide cult films anymore. If they, for instance, make AFI's top 100 greatest comedies, ranked in between My Man Godfrey and Manhattan , do they lose their (pardon the term) quirky appeal? When it comes to Hal Ashby's charming, funny, poignant, death-obsessed-yet-life-affirming Harold and Maude , the answer is no, gloriously no. The cult still stands. The next time the picture plays your local revival house, go see for yourself. The beloved movie still draws its own special audience, not an obvious one, not one dressed in costumes or yelling lines back at the screen, but a crowd of fans carrying a personal association with the picture. I once watched the movie in Portland, Ore., sitting next to a guy who cried his eyes out and cheered when Harold breaks the fourth wall (perhaps one of the most satisfying camera addressing moments in all of cinema). When the picture was over, I saw the broken up fella climb into his car -- a dog-catching truck. Though I'll see it solo, many bring friends, dates, neighbors, whomever, partially to watch a unique movie, partially to show a side of oneself, and partially to test a friend or potential boyfriend/girlfriend (in my case anyway). It's hard not to think that if someone close to you doesn't like Harold and Maude , then they might not like you. But a lot of people didn't appreciate the movie when it was first released. Viewers were weirded out, many critics didn't like it, and the studio was, no doubt, frightful of a May-December romance involving not just an older woman but an old older woman. And then there are those modern audiences that find it all so corny, hippie dippy hokum about flowers and peace and living life to the fullest. I never understand this. Since Ashby is such a sincere filmmaker, I can't read one false sentiment in one frame of this movie (and, honestly, when I think of Ashby's untimely death -- why not try to live life to its fullest?). Also, so many of the picture's moving moments aren't what is said, but what is filmed: Harold drinking an Orange Crush in a car wash, Harold waiting nervously in an emergency room, Maude with that yellow umbrella, Harold sticking his head out of the converted hearse window and letting the wind run through his hair. Ashby sees the beauty in the young, awkward and quiet, and the old, affirmative and loud, and it is, again, just so beautiful. I first took in my shyer Holden Caulfield-esque boyfriend Bud Cort as Harold, a wealthy, death-fixated 20-year-old who haunts funerals, on VHS as a girl. I watched it so many times that I didn't bother to return the video (sorry American Family Video).  Having once poured a gruesome amount of ketchup all over myself, and laid out on the living room floor for an hour, "dead," while my mother stepped over me to grab the vacuum cleaner, I could relate (I was five). I also pulled the Christmas tree on myself one year, after making my mother an alleged toy boat out of tampons and a paper towel roll (I was six; cut me some slack; and the presents were tossed -- I was upset). So, when Harold converts his nifty little sports car into a hearse and taxes his droll mother (Vivian Pickles) with such fantastic, elaborately staged fake suicide attempts, I was supremely impressed. And I adored Ruth Gordon as Maude, the 79-year-old free spirit who, like an elder screwball heroine, drives any car she sees, saves sick trees and, most importantly, believes in living. I firmly believe in trying out your supposed opposite not only because (as they say) "opposites attract," but because you never know if you've actually found your twin. Harold and Maude have something in common (a death fixation), but it's deeper, more complicated. When they venture past funerals and both revel in life, their differences complement one another and, in a unique way, mirror each other. The time is now, especially when one will soon end up cold, dead on a slab. So, fall in love. Fall in love hard and fall in love fast and fall in love with the wrong person. If they love you back, it's always worth it. Down with the consternation of society! And that could have been that, a picture created merely to shake viewers up with a coupling one never sees in pictures, much less in real life. But that soulful humanist Ashby (who on certain days, weeks, months, is one of my favorite filmmakers with his other perfect movies like The Landlord , The Last Detail , Coming Home , Shampoo and Being There ) showed that he had more on his mind by crafting a small masterpiece that blends black comedy with genuine  emotion without feeling cloying. And it's all so wonderfully acted, exquisitely filmed, brilliantly framed and edited (Wes Anderson had to have studied this movie) and beautifully scored (with now classic songs written and performed by Cat Stevens), that, no matter how many times I see it, I cannot resist. Yes it's about dying, but it's one of the sweetest, most life-affirming movies you'll ever see about death. And if you're alone on Valentine's Day, it might play even better. Below is one of cinema's most beautiful drives. If you haven't seen the movie, don't watch, but surely you know the end... Read more Kim Morgan at Sunset Gun and Pretty Poison .
 
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Simon Rosenberg: The Immigration Proxy Wars Continue Top
There are many good reasons to fix our broken immigration system this year. But there is one reason that may end up driving Congress to act this year more than any other: the growing weariness of lawmakers as the year moves on of battling over immigrants and immigration on issue after issue, something I call the immigration proxy wars . Our broken immigration system is a national disgrace, yet another terrible vexing governing challenge left over from the disastrous Bush era. Legitimate workers have a hard time getting legal visas. Employers knowingly hire and exploit undocumented workers. Our immigrant justice system is a moral outrage. And of course, the scapegoating of the undocumented migrant has become the staple for right-wing politicians and media, giving them something to rail against as the rest of their agenda has collapsed all around them. It is long past time to fix this broken system and replace it with a 21st century immigration system consistent with traditional American values and the needs of our modern ideas-based economy. This year we have seen how this national failure has infected debates about other vital national priorities. SCHIP was held up. The stimulus was loaded up with a provision to use our broken and dangerous worker verification system that would undoubtedly disrupt the orderly flow of money to the states. And now Judd Gregg withdraws in part over the coming battle over the Census next year, which we know will include an effort by the right to exclude undocumented workers from the every 10-year head count of those living in the United States. Any future legislative initiative at the federal or state level that confers benefits to a population could conceivably invoke a battle over immigrants: will states require schools receiving school construction money from the stimulus to validate that only legal kids are covered with it? Will families who want to weatherize their homes have to prove their legal status? Will kids getting a laptop in a demonstration project have to prove their legitimacy? And of course, moving on universal health care coverage will require the immigration system to be fixed first. Passing comprehensive immigration reform may very well be the key that unlocks progress on a wide variety of other domestic challenges. State judicial and law enforcement systems across America are already overwhelmed by the murky problems of our broken and irrational system. Schools and health care providers are desperate to not become an arm of the immigration police. Mexico's drug problems are growing in severity, and will raise the importance of a comprehensive solution to removing any illegal activity from the border region. Next year, the Census is likely to become one long and huge fight about undocumenteds and immigrants if the system is not fixed this year, perhaps even causing years of future battles over the legitimacy of the count if it includes the undocumenteds (which it clearly should). And the proxy wars in Congress and in the states will continue. There is simply no way to duck this one, wish it away. Inaction is not an option any longer. By the fall, the pressure on lawmakers and the President to address a very visible national problem, and the fatigue of battling this out in proxy war after proxy war, will create a climate in which progress on this tough issue I think will be more than possible. To talk more about this compelling national challenge, come join NDN next Thursday, February 19, for a forum, Making the Case: Why Congress Should Pass Immigration Reform This Year . For those not in DC, we will be Web casting it live and recording it for future review. Stay tuned to the NDN blog for more information about both. Cross-posted at the NDN blog .
 
John Krifka: The Lincoln Plan Top
Take one, leave one. So, why retire the penny? Why not celebrate it even more? Here's the only tender we recognize as community property. How appropriately tender that is. It's already a non-denominational charity all by itself. Something that honest, that do-good-able should not simply be dismissed from duty like the half-penny before it. Instead, how about we start thinking, 'don't take one ... just leave one . . . or actually just leave up to four, without really ever taking any at all'. If the expression is 'pay it forward' how easy then to do that with a coin we all love, not for its inherent value (for it has none), but for its symbol and potential (having much) -- even while unseen and, finally, light in the pocket. There have recently been proposals to round up and round down this beloved institution to the nearest nickel -- down when a purchase cost is less than the last 5 cents and up when more than the last 5 cents -- to eliminate the reason for the actual penny existing and to save the cost of minting it as well as the aggravation in spending it. Until now the presumed equal balance between up and down costing just meant no real loss to consumers, business, or government; although some arguments have been put forward that the evenness is a myth and the actual cost of doing this weighs heavily on the spender. So then, if that's the case, why not roundly make sure any reconsideration really puts us up against it. . . . and spend them all, out of sight, out of mind, but all the time, so the pennies are always still virtually here. It can't make us any more broke than we already are, having now no paper money to spend either. A discarded penny currently seems accepted as no sense of perceptible loss to the individual at all, even in this economy. Lots of us don't mind now to just un-pinch the penny whenever we can; and surely, every one of us wants it emptied from our overburdened household knickknack bowls anyway. So, to be bold, and risk the contradictory hoots of 'regressive taxer' and 'repressive spender' it's proposed here to consider only the continual spending of pennies, only the rounding of them up, never having them in hand but always having them in mind. The purchase cost of anything under the last 5 cents goes up to the nickel. The purchase cost over the last 5 cents goes up to the dime. This rounding up always occurs after local sales taxes have been applied, allowing for as much variable amount final penny-upping as possible. A new $20,284.46 car costs $20,284.50. A candy bar costing $0.84 costs $0.85. The rounding up applies to personal, business, service and all other purchases. Cash register computer technology can easily do the math. Millions and millions of purchases each day instantly pennied and parlayed. And here's where the ' all other purchases ' makes this penny ante pot grow significantly. The rounding up would also apply to each individual daily stock share and other similar monetary market item traded. If there is an average of 4.5 billion stock shares traded daily, that means having 45 million dollars daily from the stock market. If all other individual purchases total approximately 300 million per day that's another 3 to 8 million dollars a day. The daily penny revenue is over 50 million dollars. 50 million x 365 days (fudging for weekends) is close to 20 billion dollars per year. If the financial and business sector purchases are even more than the approximate allowances listed here the revenue is even greater. Anyway, that translates to something like a lot of healthcare. A lot of saving by spending. What if the fault of increased medical costs really wasn't the 'lawyers, doctors, insurance companies' -- what if it was really that copper minted in the penny. . . and then us having no way to unleash the potential of its spending power unless we tanked it. What if, as such, a new domestic Lincoln Plan was unleashed like the old international Marshall Plan? What if we all paid for our own well being in a small way all the time? What if we went to a single-penny plan? How better to still honor Mr. Lincoln's memory, still talk in common cents, and still help us all...by spending the little we don't have instead of the lot we don't have. A penny saved is not a penny earned. A penny spent is a penny wise. More on Stimulus Package
 
Jerry Weissman: A Tale of Two Rods Top
At just about the same moment Alex Rodriguez was delivering his mea culpa to Pete Gammons on ESPN about steroid use, I was stepping into a sound-proof recording booth in San Francisco with Christopher Springmann. Chris is the host and executive producer of a syndicated radio program called " Body Language [and] Life Love & Health," and he was about to interview me about The Power Presenter. (The program will be heard on Sirius XM Satellite Radio, CNN, Fox, ESPN, Bloomberg, and Public Radio affiliates. After the broadcast, the audio file will be posted here.) Chris' first question was, "Mr. Weissman, we're in the elevator together and you have 90-seconds to answer this question about health literacy . . . What do our listeners need to know / that you know / about to how to effectively communicate with their doctor about a personal health issue that concerns them?" My answer, "Two words, be truthful." That piece of advice is as valid for health literacy as it is for every station in life, especially business - which happens to be the focus of my business. The stations that seem to be exempt from this rule are politics and professional sports. Politicians slip, slide, and spin away from ever fessing up. (Please see my previous post on that other Rod, Blagojevich.) Professional athletes just stonewall. After years of enduring such conduct from the pols and the pros, we've learned to live with their evasions and denials, just as we do with inappropriate behavior from an eccentric relative. That's why, after all the equivocations from Roger Clemens, Rafael Palmeiro, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and Barry Bonds, Rodriguez' admission was so surprising: "I was young. I was stupid. I was naive, and I wanted to prove to everyone that, you know, I was worth, you know -- and being one of the greatest players of all time." Scott Ostler , the San Francisco Chronicle's sports commentator, had anticipated that "Rodriguez will have to deliver the Gettysburg Address of steroid mea culpa speeches." Except that A-Rod didn't quite do that - because of a loophole. His usage of steroids occurred during a penalty-free grace period granted by Major League Baseball, and so he was free to be truthful, and will not suffer any legal (perhaps commercial, but not legal) consequences. In business, however, there is no grace period. There is no room for equivocation. There is no exception. There are just two words, be truthful.
 
Joey Jalleo: Fashion Weak Top
It seems like only a couple of months since I last came to you with news of fashion week here in New York, but it has been five months almost to the day. The cyclical repetition of this particular industry has always amazed me. A designer shows their Spring/Summer collections in September. February brings with it the Fall/Winter collections, and May is all about Resort, that little placeholder of a collection for those who actually need warm weather clothes in the cold months, which I sometimes do, but for which I don't need a designer to create an entire collection from which to choose an outfit, but I digress... With this showing of the Fall/Winter 2009 season, the jubilation that usually accompanies the shows has been replaced by a bittersweet anticipation of an industry, a city, and a country marred by a failing economy. With widespread budget cuts and uncertain financial futures, designers are making drastic changes and cutting " couture " corners to ensure fiscal success. This season it seems to be Fashion Weak as opposed to Fashion Week. Beginning late last year, we started to see a shift in designers' plans. Peter Som canceled his show after ending his business relationship with Lord & Taylor's Creative Design Studio. Sari Gueron , who has been showing her collection since Spring 2005, canceled a mere 8 days before her show was meant to take place, opting for more intimate and cost-effective showroom appointments. Others who have chosen to show via presentation include Vera Wang , Carmen Marc Valvo , Reem Acra and Betsey Johnson . Most scandalously, Marc Jacobs , whose show is the ONLY one to attend every season, cut his show invites from 2000 people to just 700 of the top tier editors and retailers. Even Halston, the label that was brought back from the dead via a life line from The Weinstein Company has opted to forgo the traditional runway show and will feature a digital music video instead. The video focuses on a cool urban woman as she floats from uptown to downtown taking in multiple vignettes across the city showcasing Halston's fall collection. Editors, retailers and guests who would have normally attended the show received an email teaser for the video earlier this week and today, the video will be emailed in its entirety, officially debuting the collection and throwing Halston head first into the viral marketing arena. With more and more designers moving their shows out of the tents, where costs can exceed $500,000 for just one show, the rise of formal presentations displayed on static models or mannequins is inevitable. Fashion publicist David Gruning doesn't think that this is always the most cost efficient alternative. "A presentation can cost just as much as an actual fashion show in the tents if not produced with special attention to cost cutting. With a presentation, you have to accommodate for lighting, audio/visual, seating, backstage, rolling racks, tables, mirrors, bathrooms and so forth whereas in the tents everything is already provided you. If you don't have the proper financial backing or sponsorship, those costs can really add up." On the other end of the spectrum though, we are also seeing designers pumping large amounts of money into their labels to help keep themselves and the economy afloat in times of hardship. Yohji Yamamoto 's sportswear line for Adidas, Y-3 , has been known as one of the most expensive shows of the season since it started showing here back in 2006. This year is no different with close to 1000 people invited to Pier 40 to view a show whose production design is known to rival some of Broadway's greatest displays. Another great showman and well-respected designer, Tommy Hilfiger , has always put on an elaborate spectacle where no expense is spared...from endlessly flowing champagne to live performances by N.E.R.D. to exactly 100 models sent down the runway in celebration of his 20th anniversary. This season's economic eyes are on Hilfiger. With the complete rebirth of the collection just over four seasons ago, we saw an overhaul in the brand. Now, we are waiting to see just how the designer with a knack for flair and luxurious consumption will keep it current in a time of financial fortuity. Today, Friday the 13th, marks the beginning of this week, Fall/Winter 2009. Should you be scared? I'm not, so keep checking in with me all week long because I'll be keeping you abreast of all that's happening here in Manhattan. From the shows to the parties and to the rest of it all. I'll be here.
 
The Daily Show Does The Environment (VIDEO) Top
Waylon Lewis just blogged that what the world needs is a green Jon Stewart -- somebody to take on all of the green issues in an accessible way, but still getting to some of the important questions. Waylon's timing was great, as I had just been compiling this list of green moments on "The Daily Show," in which Stewart does get to just the sorts of issues we'd all love to see more of. I think it's just that Waylon would like to see it every night. Be sure to put who you'd like to see Jon interview in the comments and we'll make a poll out of the best options. Happy Friday! 1. BE PATIENT -- THIS GETS AMAZING: WHITE HOUSE WON'T OPEN EPA EMAILS The Daily Show With Jon Stewart M - Th 11p / 10c Be Patient This Gets Amazing - EPA E-Mail Daily Show Full Episodes Important Things With Demetri Martin Funny Political News Joke of the Day Jon Stewart talks about the totally amazing turn of events in which the White House ignored environmental policy for its first 6 years, then found a new, digital way to ignore it. (Jun. 25, 2008) Highlights: Stewart: "The White House avoided implementing the agency's recommendations by informing the agency they would not open the email. Amazing the WH is treating americans' env policy like a spam boner pill ad." Stewart: "So I guess King George III's big mistake was unscrolling the Declaration Independence." 2. APRIL 25TH DECLARED "F*** THE EARTH DAY" The Daily Show With Jon Stewart M - Th 11p / 10c Happy Earth Day Daily Show Full Episodes Important Things With Demetri Martin Funny Political News Joke of the Day Jon celebrates Earth Day, 2006. (Apr. 24, 2006) Highlights: Stewart: [as Bush] "And I believe that teenagers will borrow those hydrogen cars from their parents without permission and stay out past space curfew robo-necking with their android boyfriends." 3. DANIEL SPERLING The Daily Show With Jon Stewart M - Th 11p / 10c Daniel Sperling Daily Show Full Episodes Important Things With Demetri Martin Funny Political News Joke of the Day Daniel Sperling, author of "Two Billion Cars," has a really hard time getting over the giggles in this interview talking about the government's role in renewable energy and cars. Also, he kind of sounds like John Malkovich. (Feb. 11, 2009) Highlights: Stewart: "Oh, 15 years, well by then, we'll all be dead." Stewart: "You have a chapter titled "Corn Ethanol? F*** That." 4. SEN. INHOFE DENIES EXISTENCE OF GLOBAL WARMING The Daily Show With Jon Stewart M - Th 11p / 10c Back in Black - Denial Daily Show Full Episodes Important Things With Demetri Martin Funny Political News Joke of the Day Lewis Black is angry at people denying things -- starting with Senator James Inhofe, who at the time was the chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. (Jun. 29, 2006) Black: "That guy's in charge of the environment and public works? That's gotta be a hoax." Bible: "Go ye and get me an ice pop, for I am schvitzing like a Pharisee." 5. T. BOONE PICKENS The Daily Show With Jon Stewart M - Th 11p / 10c T. Boone Pickens Daily Show Full Episodes Important Things With Demetri Martin Funny Political News Joke of the Day T. Boone Pickens, oil
 
Russell Simmons: What Inspires You? Top
Valentine's Day is here and we are thinking about love. Not the passionate, intense, anxiety-producing am-I-worthy/are-they-worthy kind of love. Not the dim the lights, cue the Al Green music, heart pounding, getting lucky kind of love that can leave you electrified or electrocuted by the object of your desire. Today we are thinking about compassionate love. The kind that comes from empathy, affection, care, trust, and, above all, a shared respect for all people. This is the kind of love we are after, the kind you see when an elderly couple spend their time joyfully helping each other through aches and pains that escalate to terminal illness and end-of-life small gestures to insure that dignity and love are the last things they share. The kind of love that is everyday business as usual for teachers, physical therapists, nurses, well-diggers, and just about anyone of any profession who has the ability to be kind in handling their affairs no matter the chaos they may be living in. We are thinking about the question "What inspires you?" and we are inspired by compassionate love. With great love all things are possible. This is true. In Mahatma Gandhi's words, "love is the strongest force the world possesses, and yet it is the humblest imaginable." Mother Teresa spent her life working to give a voice to the poor and to promoting love as an essential ingredient to life. Her life devoted to the poor was among the richest in human history. Nelson Mandela spent 27 years imprisoned because of his actions to end the loveless and dehumanizing oppression of Apartheid. After surviving circumstances and abuses that would seem impossible to endure, this giant among leaders and humanitarians presided over the transition of South Africa to a post-Apartheid democracy with justice and compassion. In Long Walk to Freedom, Mandela wrote of love, "No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite." Mother Teresa and Nelson Mandela both were awarded Nobel Peace Prizes, and Gandhi sadly was overlooked for that honor, but we can safely say we believe these three know their stuff and that love is central to human rights, civil disobedience, ending poverty, and achieving peace. Compassionate love binds people together. It demands action. It's not idealistic and you have to be willing to free yourself of personal concerns for a time to get it. Granted, it's not easy for us to step outside of our material needs for a minute and show a true level of concern for the lives of others. We have to set aside what we think and how we'd handle a given situation, and instead meet people in their worlds with all of their unfamiliar mystery, horror and beauty. The love happens when we find ourselves bonding with people whom we feel a great connection to yet we maintain our own separate world of experiences, perspectives and obstacles. The love comes from us knowing their lives are not ours, but we want to put effort and movement behind understanding their problems and how they are asking for help. Compassionate love thumbs its nose at empty gestures. It's going to require a little bit of sacrifice and understanding you aren't in charge, but what you get in return will leave you feeling you've just robbed somebody. The compassionate love you give will get you things that are difficult to buy - purpose, creativity, genuine community, and maybe inner peace. It's with compassionate love that we are inspired by C.I.D.A. (Community and Individual Development Association) in Johannesburg, South Africa. It's the first beneficiary of the Diamond Empowerment Fund (D.E.F.), www.diamondmempowerment.org, founded in 2007 to raise funds for empowerment through education in African nations where diamonds are a natural resource. The Green Bracelet is the symbol of D.E.F.'s cause. C.I.D.A. started 20 years ago teaching free Transcendental Meditation for disadvantaged communities in South Africa. It launched CIDA City Campus in 2000 as the first virtually free degree-granting college for the huge population of bright high school graduates unable to afford the costs of higher education. CIDA's program combined the stress management and cognitive learning features of consciousness-based education with an academic focus on a business degree program. Vocational training programs for students who were not yet prepared for higher education were also offered. Equally important to the program was giving service to the school and to the student's own community as fundamental principles. The school has grown and we see CIDA City Campus graduates getting well-paying jobs that help them to support not just themselves but also their extended families. However, there's an overwhelming need to find more and better options and resources for young South Africans so expansion of the vision is now the goal. CIDA City Campus will focus on being a business college, and plans have begun for two new schools (the Maharishi Institute and the Eco-Campus for Africa) that will serve more students through a broader range of courses to build basic skills - computer, reading, communication and math courses and vocational education, as well as extensive courses on sustainability to train young Africans for the green economy. Service to the school/community and consciousness-based education will be central to the curriculum. The students at CIDA give us the chance to give, get and witness compassionate love. We see it in them in their focus and thirst for higher education knowing it will give them a way up and out of their current station. We hear the stories of their personal struggles that include extreme poverty, loss of parents, disease, and astronomical unemployment. We see their determination not to be pulled under by the weight of these obstacles, but to rise above not just for their own sake but to be part of the solutions for their communities. We see all the qualities of compassionate love hard at work making the impossible possible. This inspires us. This inspires us to call the blogging community to think about the importance of inspiration, and at Global Grind (www.globalgrind.com) we are featuring a special editorial theme around this fundamental question, "What inspires you?" The great Zora Neal Hurston said "Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place." Yet another reason to go for LOVE. Happy Valentine's Day. For More Info: Diamond Empowerment Fund Global Grind -Russell Simmons More on valentine's day
 
Paula Gordon: Evolving with Chuck 'n' Abe Top
Much as stars enthrall me, I don't expect them to "align" purposefully. So how shall we account for two of humanity's authentically great people -- Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln -- being born on this day 200 years ago? That's life! Both men loosed furies. Both were greeted with reactionary howls akin to what we're hearing right now from shameless right wing extremists. Where the adult Darwin's quiet life of study appears downright reclusive, Lincoln's long strides out into the world were as bold as his vision of "our better angels." But they're not the "odd couple" one might think. With eery parallels to evolution itself, Darwin's big idea -- "the Darwinian process" -- turned a kaleidoscopic collection of data readily at hand in Victorian England just enough so that the pieces fell into place differently. Lincoln did too. If one listens carefully to theoretical biologist Stuart Kauffman, this ceaseless and radically unpredictable unfolding is the very essence of life. What Darwin showed us is that change ITSELF is a mechanism for development. That resoundingly challenges every conceivable status quo. So it's no wonder Edward J. Larson, who writes widely on evolution and the clash in America of science and religion, says it accounts for 15 decades of historical and cultural opposition to the overall idea of evolution. (Darwin published The Origin of Species in 1859, another anniversary this year.) Oddly, those of us who like to think we're informed may well know even less now about evolution than Darwin's contemporaries did about what he was proposing. After all, Darwin was part of a great wave of enthusiasm across Britain and Europe for "natural history." Lots of people actually read his book in its entirety before agreeing with or attacking it. And secondly, the modern "neo-Darwinian synthesis" -- which science has accepted since the 1950s -- is not your great-grandfather's Darwinism. It takes nothing away from Darwin's genius to say he cracked open the door and much has been learned since. In fact, Ed Larson says, if we go way back to Darwin, we don't understand the theory of evolution. Remember, when Darwin demystified natural selection and the vital role environment places in that process, the concept of "genetics" did not yet exist. That revolution had to wait until the rediscovery of the work of Czech monk Gregor Mendel in the very late 1800s, and it was decades after that before mathematicians linked Darwin's original scientific work with Mendel's -- today's neo-Darwinian synthesis. What was Abraham Lincoln doing in the tumult that was 1859? More profoundly defying the status quo than most of us can even imagine, and in no uncertain terms. Lincoln Bi-Centennial co-chair Harold Holzer tells us that the Lincoln family has just released a letter Lincoln wrote to Senator Tom Corwin of Ohio the same year Darwin published Origin. Corwin had said to Lincoln, "All you do is talk about slavery, slavery and freedom. Why don't you talk about the tariff, why don't you talk about economics?" Mr. Holzer says Lincoln wrote back, using a word he used only this one time. "That is just stupid. Slaves is all that matters." It is as brave and radical as it is prosaic to declare, as the late great Herman B Wells often reminded me, "The only constant is a change." It is also correct. So here's my suggestions for a "birthday present" to Chuck 'n' Abe. Get -- and stay -- in the face of those who want to deny and pervert change. There's a world of possibility waiting to be born. --- You can access YouTube excerpts from many of our conversations our PaulaGordon.com website or go straight to YouTube.com/sunlightoxygen. Our Conversations with Ed Larson, Harold Holzer and Stuart Kauffman are available, in full, for your listening pleasure, on your own schedule -- yes, it's in MP3 and you can download it! -- at PaulaGordon.com where our archives include hundreds of "... Conversations with People at the Leading Edge"(sm).
 
Liz Neumark: Optics: The Great Party Pooper Top
So, what's it like in the party business now? Correction - EVENT business. Like the corporate jet, the "party" word has been banished for the moment. The regulars are not at the trough - and the database is updated weekly as names that were once stalwarts are now vanished from the party calendar. Lehman Bros, AIG, Merrill, and Citibank to name a few once familiar faces. As a taxpayer, I really don't want to see my dollars spent on Franks in a Blanket, however tempting that might be. (You know, at the end of time, more business will have been transacted with a little hot dog in hand than with anything else except perhaps a martini.) What lies ahead for a high-end business like ours? Adapt. Our customers are looking for simplicity and comfort; but with style and great taste. So at the start of the second month of the New Year in this new economic era - a few facts from the 'event' professionals in NYC. Corporations are lying low; but the smart ones recognize the value of bringing people together in effective schmoozing (the combination of wining and dining mixed with business in a comfortable atmosphere). More events are being hosted this season in homes away from the public eye. We experienced a 4-fold increase in private home parties this month. The cultural institutions as party venue are taking a hit as planners gravitate towards creative and less costly alternatives - galleries, showrooms or lofts off the beaten track. The industries we are cooking for range from media, entertainment, healthcare related, academic institutions (from early childhood through university level), boutique financial services, beauty and fashion to the vast range of non-profits. The fundraising world is reeling. Like everything else, the fundraising vehicle needs retooling. Optics is not the issue in terms of hosting events, but rather how they are constructed. Honorees are harder to recruit, as are corporate sponsors. Constituents want simpler events and organizations are working hard to redefine an elegant evening. The creative approach was evident in an invite I received to a very toney Sunday night event, but the dress code was strictly blue jeans. Then, the invitation to send money, but stay home is making the rounds. (My favorite was the one that came from a film festival organization with a bag of microwaveable popcorn.) We are hosting over four-dozen prominent NYC charities for a luncheon at the Plaza Hotel Grand Ballroom this week where three speakers will discuss new strategies for fundraising today. Naomi Levine, Karen Hopkins and Jayme Koszyn will present 3 different perspectives on how to navigate the challenges of fundraising today. I will share their comments after the luncheon. The best part of the task for us will be how to set an example for our guests - how to host a new style fundraiser in a venue as opulent and iconic as The Plaza. It is possible! Stay tuned for what each speaker shared as well as the unusual luncheon menu. (And a list of no less than 50 revenue saving ideas will accompany the post.) The challenge of adapting as a business includes changing not only how we do business but also how we look for new customers. Our cuisine reflects a demand for simpler food offerings while incorporating creative elements, our margins are reduced as prices are negotiated daily, our service staff is on their toes like never before to ensure that each guest experience is perfect and we are working very closely with our vendors to find collaborative solutions for our mutual clients. And on the business development front, we are exploring new frontiers of marketing via a combination of age-old selling techniques (more face to face time with our clients and potential clients) while pursuing new strategies via the Internet universe. The marriage of these strategies could not be more amazing. We have never been busier or harder at work. In spite of the economic gloom, deals being planned, opportunities for new ventures arise weekly, weddings and life cycle celebrations are being booked, fundraisers and project launches are being planned. WE find ourselves reminiscent of couples that planned families in the shadow of 9/11 when in the face of the absolutely unknown, a baby boom occurred. Life goes on. We find ways to inspire our co-workers and ourselves. Our economic trauma might be unprecedented but what are the options? Enjoy reading the new menus for Spring 2009! First Course: Pan Seared Diver Scallops Baby Artichoke Salad, Crispy Artichokes, Watercress Sauce Pan Fried Hudson Valley Camembert Morels, Rocket and Mustarde Fruits Tom Berry Tart with Thyme Nage Baby Aztec Spinach Salad and Balsamic Syrup Entree: Pan Roasted Black Cod Warm Salad of Candy Striped Beets and Cobalt Carrots, Coucous, Fresh Grated Horseradish, Citrus Beurre Blanc Roasted French Breast of Chicken Hen of the Woods, Sweet Pea Salad, Fresh Pea Leaves, Carrot Coulis Pan Roasted Rack and Loin of Lamb Sweet Corn Pudding, Haricots Verts, Zinfandel Demi-Glace Dessert: Peanut Butter and Chocolate Torte Chocolate Sauce and Fresh Raspberries Honey Lime Polenta Cake Banana Compote and Ginger Chantilly Cream Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Vanilla Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce More on Recession
 
Wednesday's Late-Night Joke Round-Up: Salma Hayek's Breasts, Nadya Suleman, And TARP Babies (VIDEO) Top
Jay Leno and Jon Stewart both focused on the economy last night taking shots at Wal-Mart and bankers respectively. Conan, on the other hand, discussed Salam Hayek's latest boob-related news story: The other day in Africa, true story, actress Salma Hayek breast fed a stranger's baby cause the baby wanted milk. Afterwards the baby admitted that he wasn't thirsty and he's 15-years old. More highlights from Craig Ferguson and David Letterman below. See yesterday's round-up here . WATCH: More on Funny Videos
 
Mike Smith: Hollywood Meets the Potomac: Political Video Awards Top
Washington has always been a rich vein of material for political commentators and late night talk show hosts. It seems our little town creates its own unique drama and humor. This year, political videos and documentaries are dominating the awards programs. It is interesting to note viral videos are leveraged with political advertising and music, current events and the foibles of our national candidates. Webcastr, (www.webcastr.com) a leading web video network for the best in online video, this week announced the 2009 Webcastr Awards winners: will.i.am, Tina Fey, and Obama Girl are among the top five winners in its online Pro-Video Awards The 2nd annual Webcastr Video Awards honor the top professional-quality online videos produced and distributed during 2008 and includes both straight-to-Web "viral videos" as well as short form material originally broadcast on television. Winners are selected through a combination of users votes and Webcastr's panel of editors. This is not "YouTube" which now posts a new video every 13 seconds. These news, entertainment and political programs are professionally shot and produced. "Much like the Grammys and the Academy Awards, we are driven to acknowledge works that are not just popular in nature, but productions in this new medium that make an impact on politics, culture and society as a whole," says Webcastr founder and CEO Tim Devine. This year's political finalists included: The Barack Obama "Yes We Can" video by will.i.am that caused an online sensation during the U.S. primary election campaign, Saturday Night Live's Tina Fey impersonating Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, and "I've Got a Crush on Obama" which snagged three of the top five for the 2009 Webcastr Awards. The other Poltiical Genre Webcastr Video of the Year Awards: "Bush Shoe Throwing Incident" (you can call this political commentary!) and "Time for Some Campaignin'," produced by JibJab, as well as "Barack Roll" by Hugh Matkin To view all of the winners, go to: http://vote-it.webcastr.com The Boulder International Film Festival (BIFF) will also show "Nothing But the Truth" tonight -- a film about Judith Miller's imprisonment over First Amendment issues. Miller refused to divulge her source in the outing of CIA operative Valerie Plame. The movie stars Kate Beckinsale (as Valerie Plame or as Judith Miller?), Alan Alda and Matt Dillon. AmericaFree.TV is a silver sponsor of BIFF www.americafree.tv. A personal note "What I Saw at the Obama Revolution" is a documentary I produced based on my time at the Democratic National Convention. From Ann Hathaway and Richard Schiff, to Sens. Mark Warner and Steny Hoyer, to Arianna Huffington and Craig Newmark - I tried to chronicle the hopes and ardent Obama support along the way. There is a short section in this 30-minute documentary of the final speech of Obama on the campaign trail. He spoke to 90,000 people at a fairground in Manassas, Virginia. There is also footage from the DNC party with the GooGoo Dolls and singer Johnny Reznick. Full disclosure - both Webcastr and AmericaFree.TV will be airing my documentary, "What I Saw at the Obama Revolution." I am also on the advisory council of Webcastr and the Board of Directors of AFTV.
 
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Phil Ramone and Danielle Evin: Dog Ears Music: Volume Fifty-Nine Top
The War On Drugs The War On Drugs is the Philly-based Americana-rock outfit founded by Adam Granduciel (vocals, keys, guitars) and Kurt Vile (guitar, vocals) in 2005. The current lineup includes David Hartley (bass), Kyle Lloyd (drums), and Charlie Hall (organ). After callousing their fingers on the East Coast club scene, The War On Drugs signed their first record deal in 2007, releasing the EP Barrel of Batteries . Can't stop hitting rewind on "Arms Like Boulders," from their 2008 release Wagonwheel Blues . Play it loud. Currently touring. Buy : iTunes Genre : Rock Artist : The War On Drugs Song : Arms Like Boulders Album : Wagonwheel Blues Lalo Schifrin Argentine composer, pianist, and conductor Lalo Schifrin was born Boris Claudio Schifrin in Buenos Aires in 1932, the son of a violinist father. By the age of 6 he took up piano, marking the beginnings of what would be a genius career of one of the great jazz masters of the 20th century. By the '50s, Schifrin was discovered by Dizzy Gillespie and nabbed the role as his arranger and pianist. Schifrin's works tally over 100 film and television scores, most notably the ageless Mission Impossible and the classic Dirty Harry themes. The maestro has collaborated with Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Stan Getz, Luciano Pavarotti, Diana Ross, Don Byron, and many others. Schifrin's accolades include four Grammys, the Cable ACE Award, the 1988 BMI Lifetime Achievement Award, and six Oscar nominations. Conducting credits include the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the National Symphony Orchestra of Argentina. In 1988, Schifrin received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The title "Rio After Dark," from his 1962 release Piano, Strings, and Bossa Nova , is outrageously breathtaking and stunning. Buy : iTunes Genre : Jazz Artist : Lalo Schifrin Song : Rio After Dark Album : Piano, Strings, and Bossa Nova Hélène Grimaud Classical pianist and author Hélène Grimaud was born in Aix en Provence, France. Her father descended from Sephardic Jews of Africa and her mother from Jewish Berbers from Corsica. At the age of 13, Hélène entered the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Paris and excelled. At 16, she won the Grand Prix du Disque (the French equivalent to the Grammy). Grimaud went on to earn a degree in animal behavior, and in 1997, she relocated to New York's Westchester County, bought a farm, and secured a license to raise her hybrid dog-wolves, eventually founding a wolf conservation center, according to her memoirs. Grimaud has performed with the Berlin Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, the Tokyo NHK Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and many others. Collaborations include conductors Claudio Abbado, Marek Janowski, Kurt Masur, and David Zinman. The title "Das Wohltemperierte Klavier: Book I, BWV 846-869: Prelude in C Major BWV 846," a.k.a. "The Well Tempered Clavier" by Johann Sebastian Bach, from Grimaud's 2004 release Credo , is completely exquisite. Buy : iTunes Genre : Classical Artist : Hélène Grimaud Song : Das Wohltemperierte Klavier: Book I, BWV 846-869: Prelude in C Major BWV 846 Album : Credo Jo Stafford Singer, radio star, and comedienne Jo Stafford was born in November 1917, one of four sisters in Coalinga, California. Young Jo originally set out to become an opera singer but instead fell in with her sisters' vocal group, The Stafford Sisters, who were regulars on Los Angeles radio in the late '30s. After the group dissolved, Jo joined The Pied Pipers, then Tommy Dorsey's band, and became one of Frank Sinatra's backup singers. In 1942, she cut her first single, "Little Man With a Candy Cigar." During WWII, Stafford was a USO diva darling of the troops dubbed G.I. Jo. By 1952, she enjoyed her first hit with "You Belong to Me," selling over 2 million units. Stafford and her husband, arranger/conductor Paul Weston, went on to success as the comedy lounge act Jonathan and Darlene Edwards, winning a Grammy in 1961 for Best Comedy Album. Her collaborations include Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Perry Como, Johnny Carson, and Milton Berle. She passed away in July 2008 at the age of 90, but her silky voice leaves us miles of music. Retro classic "The Gentleman Is a Dope" (1947), written by Rodgers and Hammerstein, from the collection Haunted Heart--Yes Indeed , transcends time. Buy : iTunes Genre : Jazz Artist : Jo Stafford Song : The Gentleman Is a Dope Album : Haunted Heart--Yes Indeed Notwist Notwist is the German electro unit of brothers Markus Acher (vocals, guitar) and Micha Acher (bass), Martin Gretschmann (programmer, keys), and Mecki Messerschmid (drums). Founded in the late '80s, the band has infused many styles into its sonic brew, including hardcore punk, pop, electro-alt ambience, and elegant string arrangements. The title "Where in This World," from Notwist's 2008 release The Devil, You + Me , combines epic strings and electro beats with a haunt. Buy : iTunes Genre : Electro Rock Artist : Notwist Song : Where in This World Album : The Devil, You + Me Jens Lekman Singer/songwriter Jens Lekman, Sweden's alt-pop man, was born in the port city of Gothenburg in February 1981. He became interested in music in his early teens, after schoolmates enlisted him to play in their band, leaving him so inspired, he started writing songs and never looked back. In 2003, his EP Maple Leaves generated a file-sharing explosion, propelling him out of secrecy. The title "If I Could Cry (It Would Feel Like This)," from his 2007 sophomore album Night Falls Over Kortedala , weaves a sense of imagination and humor, with deeper undertones. Buy : iTunes Genre : Alternative/Pop Artist : Jens Lekman Song : If I Could Cry (It Would Feel Like This) Album : Night Falls Over Kortedala
 
Congress readies final vote on $790B stimulus bill Top
WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid predicted Friday that Congress will finish its work on a massive, $790 billion economic stimulus plan, possibly by day's end, giving President Barack Obama a big victory. Speaking as debate resumed on Capitol Hill, the Nevada Democrat said the Senate would likely vote on the package of spending and tax cuts later in the day and that the finished product could be sent to Obama's desk soon thereafter. "We expect to be in a position to vote on adoption of the conference report," Reid said at the start of the Senate day. Obama, addressing a White House group, noted that lawmakers had a "spirited debate" and said the legislation is "only the beginning" of what he considers necessary "to turn our economy around." The president did not get all he wanted out of the bill. The 1,071 page measure _ eight inches thick _ was posted on an overburdened congressional Web site late Thursday, giving lawmakers just a few overnight hours to read it before debate resumed in both the House and Senate Friday morning. Just on Tuesday, the House voted unanimously to recommend that lawmakers and the public have at least 48 hours to read the legislation before a vote. The $790 billion plan combines $286 billion in tax cuts with $311 billion in programs funded by the appropriations committees and about $193 billion in spending for benefit programs such as unemployment assistance, $250 payments or millions of people receiving Social Security benefits, and extra money for states to help with the Medicaid health program for the poor and disabled. Obama's "Making Work Pay" tax cut would be scaled back from $500 for most workers to $400, with couples getting $800 instead of $1,000. Obama said Friday that "passing this bill is a critical step." He plans to announce a new housing initiative soon, perhaps as early as next week. "We have a once in a generation chance to act boldly, turn adversity into opportunity, and use this crisis as a chance to transform our economy for the 21st century," the president said. The plan is the signature initiative of the fledgling Obama administration, which is betting that combining tax cuts of just a few dollars a week for most workers with an infusion of hundreds of billions of dollars of government spending over the next few years will arrest the economy's fall. But the inclusion of a $70 billion tax break to make sure middle- to upper-income taxpayers won't get hit by the alternative minimum tax forced a reduction of Obama's signature tax break for 95 percent of workers. Republicans pointed out a bevy of questionable spending items that made the final cut in House-Senate negotiations, including money to replace computers at federal agencies, inspect canals, and issue coupons for convertor boxes to help people watch TV when the changeover to digital signals occurs this summer. "This measure is not bipartisan. It contains much that is not stimulative," said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., Obama's rival for the White House. "And is nothing short _ nothing short _ of generational theft" since it burdens future generations with so much debt, he added. Obama economics adviser Larry Summers cautioned against raising expectations too high. "I think this is a key part of what's going to be a multipart strategy to contain this decline," he said. But Summers added that the problems "weren't made in a week, a month, a year. It's going to take time to fix." He said it should not be considered a "silver bullet," or panacea for deeply rooted business woes. Much of the spending won't be delivered this year or even next, and Republicans pointed to studies by the Congressional Budget Office that say that adding so much to the national debt would cost the economy by the end of the decade. Republicans, lined up to vote against the bill, piled on the scorn. "This is not the smart approach," said Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader. "The taxpayers of today and tomorrow will be left to clean up the mess." It was clear that the measure was the result of old-fashioned sausage-making. Pet provisions were coming to light that had not been included in the original bills that passed the House or Senate _ or that differed markedly from earlier versions. Some appeared to brush up against claims of the bill's supporters that no pet projects known as "earmarks" were included.
 
Michael Conniff: CON GAMES: Capitalism -- The God That Failed Top
Conservatism across the fruited plain is religion careening perilously close to fundamentalism. Not only do many conservatives embrace the one true faith of the free market -- whatever denomination that happens to be -- but they are also dedicated to absolutes in all things. Aside from religion, that fervor makes them much like Marxists who wolf down the godless doctrines of communism with absolute certainty. They would never blame capitalism itself for taking it on the chin but would prefer to point to impurities discovered in the spit bucket. To their kind, whenever capitalism falters the failure is always because the free market has an arm tied behind its back. This circular thinking has to be likened to the abstract construct that has always been Marxism -- a stew that puts the working class at the center of the universe and preaches historical inevitability that never quite worked out. The intellectual dishonesty of such an approach among communists and conservatives inevitably leads to purification if not outright purges. To solve the woes of capitalism, circa 2009, conservatives have chosen to stamp down on any mechanism to steer business in a better direction. To say otherwise is free-market heresy. Or so the saying goes. The difference between the failure of capitalism and the wretched excesses of communism is found in The God That Failed , the 1949 book of six essays. The six contributors were Louis Fischer, André Gide, Arthur Koestler, Ignazio Silone, Stephen Spender, and Richard Wright. Lefties all, all six ultimately changed their minds about communism and had the wisdom to admit it. Expect no such conversions from the right about capitalism. Is it no accident that Adam Smith published Wealth of Nations , their free-market Bible, in the year 1776? Or that he foresaw the need for a firm hand from a sovereign government. All that has been hopelessly lost in conservatism's non-existent critique of capitalism, where all fingers point back in time to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac -- and never forward to overleveraged Wall Street firms, banks, and investors. Only Alan Greenspan, the former Fed chairman now vilified by both sides, is ready to admit that the greed of the Street confounded him. When it comes to capitalism under a putatively conservative administration, the emperor may have had no clothes but the God of the Free Market was buck naked. When the markets sneezed the whole world caught cold.
 
Cory Silverberg: Other Sexual Conversations Worth Having Top
Cory Silverberg will join Esther Perel, Amy Sohn, Leonore Tiefer and Ian Kerner for a conversation called "Sex in America: Can The Conversation Change?" The symposium is co-sponsored by the Huffington Post and Open Center and will take place in New York City on Friday, February 20th. Click here to register. Rbryanh wisely reminded me, in response to my post last week, that telling anyone to shut up is no way to start a conversation. Rbryanh's comment got me thinking about the question our panel is meant to be addressing. If the question is "can the conversation change?" I think we need to start by asking, which conversation are we talking about? After all, we're not all having the same conversation. In the U.S. our conversations shift based on race, class, gender, sexual identity and orientation, and any number of other ways we identify/separate ourselves from each other. I don't think we need to have quantitatively more sex conversations. I think we need to shift the content of these conversations to address the interests of individuals and not corporations or contrived political entities, and most importantly we need to start sitting down at each others' tables and getting involved in sex conversations that might, at first, not seem like they are about us at all. With that in mind, here are some conversations already happening that I wish more people would get involved in. Sex and Money . We desperately need more critical, and less politically charged, conversations about the intersection of sex and money in America. Ironically (I think it's irony) individuals who have the most grassroots experience of this, those who pay for sex and those who get paid for sex, tend to have the least amount of influence on public discourse about sex and money. That's changing, thanks in part to sex worker run projects like Bound, Not Gagged , writers like Audacia Ray and academics like Laura Agustin . But there's still a ways to go. Sex and the Family . Our families should be talking about sex. Sex education, sexual politics, sexual health, and when and how sex moves from something we need to be protected from to something that's supposed to be good for us. Conversations are happening , there are many excellent organizations trying to help, and thankfully those who are doing it occasionally offer guidance for the rest of us. Are We Sexual? It's a common refrain amongst my fellow sex educators that all humans are sexual. But there are some very thoughtful articulate humans who are arguing this point, not from a religious or moral perspective, but from their individual lived experience. The conversation asexuals are having ostensibly about themselves are really about all of us. Working Together Without Being Together . It's a huge problem that those who agree that sexuality can be a positive force in our lives find it almost impossible to engage in critical discussion with each other. For many whom identity as "sex positive" it feels as if the only people you can debate are those you identify as "sex negative". And honest discussions of race and class and the body are largely absent among the loudest conversations on the sexual left. We've got to work together to expose these binaries and not just chastise those who want to keep us chaste. And we've got to do it in public . Of course these conversations reflect my personal areas of interest and the lack of diversity in my own networks. If you've got conversations you want to start, or you've already started and you want people to join in, let everyone know in the comments section. More on Sex
 
Jerry and Joe Long: Don Knotts At Treasury Top
The late great Don Knotts used to do a character called "the nervous man". You can see it on display in 'The Ghost And Mr. Chicken' when Knotts addresses a Chamber Of Commerce picnic. The papers in his hands shake violently, his voice squeaks, and his every utterance begins with the phrase "let me clarify this". He's got nothing on Timothy Geithner. Watching Geithner's jittery announcement of the new public private partnership that will solve the nation's banking ills was to be left with only one thought...this is the guy that won the argument??!! How exactly did Axelrod and Emmanuel try to make the alternate case that bankers should be held accountable...by assuming fetal positions and weeping? Geithner of course was hailed by pundits as the indispensable man, whether or not he pays his taxes. It's the heralded Beltway tradition that once opposed Dan Rostenkowski going to jail on the grounds that he was the only one who understood how to jiggle the handle at the Ways and Means toilet. For all we know, the banks may have used the first 350 billion in TARP money to give 700 executives $500,000,000 bonuses. But, as is all the rage, let us not look back. Let us look ahead to the fruits of the public private partnership, where the public will shell out and the Robert Rubins of the world will cash in. Timothy Geithner trusts the people who write the fine print on your credit card statement. If Don Knotts was alive, he'd be nervous. More on Timothy Geithner
 
Disgrasian: Tila Tequila Likes to F*ck...with Free Speech Top
A little over a week ago, we received a takedown notification from Blogger telling us that Tila Tequila (and her legal team, presumably) has claimed DISGRASIAN has infringed upon her copyrights in a specific post written in April of last year. The post, coincidentally, was about the last Miley Cyrus flap , when she posed as pedobait for Vanity Fair , and it included the sage advice Tila had given Miley at the time as well as a screengrab from A Shot at Love (read it here before Tila "disappears" it). Here is a copy of the takedown notice: The day before we received this notification, a blogger at Nerve also received a cease-and-desist letter from Tila's people accusing the blogger of "unauthorized exploitation" of Tila's name and image. It sounds to us like Tila has begun a campaign to rehabilitate her image and become more mainstream. Perhaps she should have thought about that before she put titty shots of herself all over the internet, recorded crap songs like "I Like to Fuck," wrote crap rants about the "Fuck God" that she tried to pass off as poetry, and made her dating life into a base, prurient, lowest common denominator-game show. It also sounds a helluva lot like Tila Tequila believes in CENSORSHIP. Of the very same medium that made her, which, frankly, we find shockingly ungrateful. And while we don't know a ton about the law, we do know that: Free speech is constitutional. We're pretty sure that writing about and posting pictures of Tila Tequila is protected under Fair Use law. Just to be sure, we're consulting legal experts in internet law at Harvard and Stanford. Did somebody say "takedown"?! We love a good, old-fashioned takedown. In non-legalese, that means BRING IT, BITCH. More on Press Freedom
 
Strange Bedfollows Launch $10 Million Health Care Ad Campaign Top
A strange-bedfellows conglomeration of interest groups is launching a $10 million ad campaign to applaud lawmakers -- Democrats and Republicans alike -- for their vote to expand children's health care funding. Paying for the ads are the labor powerhouse Service Employees International Union (SEIU), advocacy groups Families USA and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, and the drug industry's major lobbying arm, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. The spots will thank 83 lawmakers (34 senators and 49 representatives) for backing an expansion of the SCHIP program. The positive-reinforcement ad campaign tactic is something that progressive groups also did for Republican Senators who crossed party lines in voting for the stimulus package. In this latest SCHIP example, one function of the ad is clearly to build broader support for the more extensive health reform legislation that is expected in coming months. "Tell [your member], thanks for standing up for our kids," the spot says, "and that now's the time to guarantee quality, affordable health care for all Americans." The television ad will also appear on major cable news outlets, according to an official with the SEIU.
 
Grayson Grills CItigroup CEO (VIDEO) Top
CEOs of the biggest bailed-out banks finally appeared before Congress. Over the course of a seven-hour hearing, there were remarkably few revealing moments. One, though, stood out. Rep. Alan Grayson, a feisty former prosecutor, dug his claws into Citigroup's CEO over a deal that could end up costing the taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars. More on CEOs
 
David Sirota: Our Addiction to Fake Outrage Top
It's outrageous that President Obama gets driven around in a limo ! It's outrageous that John McCain wore expensive shoes ! It's outrageous that Michael Phelps smoked some weed! Welcome, as I say in my newest newspaper column , to a nation now addicted to fake outrage - a nation that feeds on made-up controversies about total non-issues. And if we don't break our dependency, we're really not going to solve the huge challenges we desperately need to solve. I tied the column to the Phelps story because it was such a great example of the Fake Outrage Machine that warps our political discourse and ultimately our public policy. In a country where about half the population has smoked pot and most people believe it should be legal in some form, we're expected to be ragingly angry that Phelps went to a party and hit his friend's bong. What a sad joke on so many levels. At the public policy level, it's a joke that we can deify drinking in the way we do, but that marijuana is illegal - even for cancer patients. And it's not just illegal - there's a crackdown going on all over the country. Indeed, as public opinion becomes more tolerant of marijuana, arrests for marijuana possession are increasing in many parts of the country. But the even bigger joke is that a story like Phelps' is considered "big news" and worthy of "outrage" in a nation dealing with an economic, health care and national security crisis. That this passes for a "major controversy" at a time like this really shows how sick our political and media system is. And the first step toward healing that system is to recognize that we're addicted to something - fake outrage - that is hurting us. Read the whole column here . The column relies on grassroots support - and because of that support, it is getting wider and wider circulation (a big thank you to all who have helped with that). So if you'd like to see my column regularly in your local paper, use this directory to find the contact info for your local editorial page editors. Get get in touch with them and point them to my Creators Syndicate site . Thanks, as always, for your ongoing readership and help contacting local editors. This column couldn't be what it is without your help. ADDENDUM: Though my column delves into what a joke the Phelps "controversy" really is, nobody does it better than Saturday Night Live, whose Seth Meyers (a guy who I used to watch do improv as a fellow student at Northwestern) had related - though slightly different - point on the matter. Watch it here for a good laugh .
 
Joseph A. Palermo: Bipartisanship is Over-rated Top
President Barack Obama outsmarted Senator Judd Gregg and the Republicans by shifting the responsibility for the 2010 census from the Commerce Department to the White House. After realizing he would not be able to game the census for the political benefit of the GOP Gregg decided to pull the plug on his outpouring of "bipartisanship" and drop out as Obama's Commerce Secretary. Some corporate media pundits spun Gregg's action as being somehow evidence of an Obama failure. "Why can't Obama keep his cabinet together?" asked Chris Matthews. With "burrowed" Bushite career employees in all the departments and agencies of government and with prominent Republicans mounting a full-court press on Obama's legislative agenda I fail to see why the actions of Judd Gregg have so captured the media's imagination. And nowhere have heard any pundit mention the fact that some of the worst policies the United States government has enacted over the past forty years have been "bipartisan." For example: On August 10, 1964, Congress passed by a vote of 416 to 0 in the House and 88 to 2 in the Senate the "Gulf of Tonkin Resolution." It was a stunning show of "bipartisanship" giving President Lyndon Johnson carte blanche to take the country to war in Vietnam. The war cost the nation about $900 billion and after it was over the only thing the U.S. had to show for it was fifty-eight thousand dead Americans, over two million dead Vietnamese, and a bitterly divided and polarized nation. On October 15, 1982, President Ronald Reagan signed into law a bill that lifted most of the restrictions on the savings-and-loan industry. "All in all," the president said, "I think we hit the jackpot." The bipartisan bill allowed thrifts to jump into huge, high-risk real estate ventures and to compete with money market funds. Bolstered by federal guarantees they were now "too big to fail" and the ensuing corruption and criminality was so widespread that George W. Bush's younger brother, Neil Bush, and Arizona Senator John McCain were caught up in scandals relating to failed S & Ls. It was another "bipartisan" disaster that cost American taxpayers $160 billion. On November 12, 1999, President Bill Clinton signed into law the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Financial Services Modernization Act. This ingenious piece of "bipartisan" legislation that Wall Street spent millions on lobbying to get passed and Larry Summers and Robert Rubin supported, dismantled much of the New Deal regulatory apparatus that separated the FDIC-insured commercial bank deposits from the more risk-taking investment banks. It created a new consolidated system of "financial services" where brokerage firms, insurance companies, banks and other forms of organization of capital intermingled at will. This "bipartisan" deregulation scheme ultimately brought down the nation's financial system after the unregulated derivatives and mortgage-backed securities markets collapsed under the weight of fraud, abuse, corruption, and general recklessness. On June 7, 2001, President George W. Bush signed into law the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001. This "bipartisan" legislation quickly drained $1.6 trillion from the federal treasury and bestowed the biggest benefits on the wealthiest Americans and corporations. It turned a budget surplus into budget deficits as far as the eye can see and was the opening salvo of one of the most fiscally destructive periods in American history. On October 10, 2002, the House of Representatives in a show of "bipartisanship" voted 296 to 133 to pass the Authorization for the Use of United States Armed Forces Against Iraq, and the Senate followed with its own "bipartisan" vote of 77 to 23. Demonstrating their "bipartisanship" by voting for the measure was Joe Biden, John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, Chris Dodd, and John Edwards. This act has resulted in the deaths of at least 150,000 Iraqi civilians and 4,300 Americans. It has cost American taxpayers about $850 billion so far and our leaders thought it wise to throw all the costs of the war onto the national debt. This illegal war and occupation has "won" nothing for the United States other than the opprobrium of the world and a severely weakened the military. All told, these "bipartisan" wars and twisted economic schemes have so far cost the nation at least $5.2 trillion. So forgive me if I don't get excited when I hear the word "bipartisan" thrown around as if it possesses some kind of magic value. And I'm not too concerned about Judd Gregg's decision to pick up his marbles are go home. More on John McCain
 
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Jeff Danziger: GOP Ditch Plan Top
 
Giles Slade: Obama Fends Off Neighbor-Lady's Advances Top
The President will visit America's largest trading partner on Feb. 19th, but for the five hours he's in Ottawa, he'll barely leave Air Force One. This is an important diplomatic lesson that Canada had better understand. America's Canadian relationship is vitally important, but Canada's current Prime Minister needs to comprehend that America holds the best cards and will probably agree to very little until Canada's government stabilizes and America's economy is on more solid ground. Central to these discussions will be the future of oil and gas from Alberta's Tar Sands mega-project which produces 1.3 million barrels of gas daily. Canada's economy depends heavily on supplying America with most of its oil and gas. During the economic downturn American demand has decreased by 1 million barrels per day. In the New York Times recently, Andrew Nikiforuk, the author of a scathing expose,entitled Tar Sands claimed that declining demand has resulted in "the withdrawal of anywhere from $50 to $100 billion in capital".* Gleefully sensing a long-awaited moment of weakness, environmental groups across North America are quickly uniting under the slogan 'Dirty Oil vs a Green Economy'. 14 groups including Sierra Club , Toronto's Environmental Defence , and Washington DC's Earthworks are working together in a coalition called Obama2Canada arguing that the moment has come to stop Alberta's environmental devastation which produces more ghg emissions than the whole of New Zealand. Man-made lakes of liquid toxic waste (the Equivalent of 300 Love Canals) now cover 130 sq kmsnear Fort McMurray, Alberta. Among the world's largest dams, these poisonous ponds can be seen from space. But the author of Tar Sands wonders even if Obama listens to the environmentalists will he be able to refuse Canada's hardline Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Harper -- a George Bush crony, and, like Bush, the son of an oil executive -- rose to power with the support of his native, oil-rich Alberta. Harper needs American oil money to prop up his government. Still, what Harper thinks may no longer be very important. The country has tired of his manipulative brand of realpolitik, and many guess his term in office is finite. These days, Harper sustains a rickety minority government by adopting liberal policies that are completely foreign to his political nature. An awkward man at the best of times, these painful efforts are like witnessing the public performance of a country musician trying to learn reggae. The Canadian whose opinions are most likely to interest Barack Obama is Michael Ignatieff**, a former director of Harvard's School of Government, and a close personal friend of Obama insiders Lawrence Summers and Samantha Power. Ignatieff has taken up the reins of Canada's Liberal party. And it is Ignatieff who holds the future of Harper's embattled government in his hands. In addition to their pro-environmental stance, Ignatieff's party traditionally has very little sympathy with anything that makes one region of the country disproportionately rich and powerful to the disadvantage of the rest of Canada. And yes, throughout North America the time is also right for radical environmental change. We no longer have to worry about losing our prosperity for the sake of the environment. Our prosperity is gone. Let the clean-up begin. In a telephone interview with the HuffingtonPost.com, Andrew Nikiforuk says it's important to remember that Alberta's bitumen based oil is "dangerous, dirty and dwindling". Nikiforuk says now is the time to focus on a new approach to energy, one that includes smart grids and electric cars...Business as usual is just not going to work. He may well be right. A good crisis is a terrible thing to waste... PS a free .pdf download of the entire text of Andrew Nikiforuk's Tar Sands: Dirty Oil and the Future of a Continent will be available on this blog page on March 16th. *The full NYT interview with Andrew Nikiforuk can be retrieved here . ** A NYT profile of Michael Ignatieff (who contributes regularly to the paper's Sunday Magazine) can be retrieved here More on Barack Obama
 
Agnes Gund, David Lang and Nell Breyer: Put Art Works Back in Stimulus Plan Top
This week the Senate approved an amendment to the economic stimulus package that strips funds for jobs in arts and culture from the House bill. The Coburn amendment is a grave mistake. Our country's history illustrates why. In 1935, the Works Projects Administration established the Federal Art Project, The Federal Music Project, The Federal Theater Project and The Federal Writers Project and many other New Deal cultural programs. These programs employed over 40,000 artists, hundreds of teachers, and served over 22 million adults and children through community art centers in 48 states. They included weekly classes in rural areas and urban neighborhoods, theater and musical performances, concerts, opera, film screenings, national broadcasts, local guidebooks and stories. Under the Art Project, an estimated 2,500 murals for hospitals, schools and municipal buildings, 17,744 sculptures, 108,099 easel paintings and 240,000 prints were produced, many in turn, loaned to schools, libraries, galleries, and other institutions. Under the Music Project, orchestras, chamber, choral and opera groups, military, concert and dance bands offered over 5,000 performances before some three million people each week. Under the Theater Project over 1,200 plays were produced, introducing 100 new playwrights. Under the Writer's Project writers provided research, writing and editorial services to government agencies, produced 3.5 million copies of 800 titles, the historic American Guide Series -- comprehensive guidebooks for every state, Alaska, Guam, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C and some of the most important oral history archives and American folklore collections we have to date. Does it make sense to do the same thing today? Yes it does. Our national economic stimulus package must include the arts for three reasons. First, the economy benefits. Arts and culture-based jobs are labor intensive, often with little overhead required for production. Arts-funding would go directly and primarily towards job creation and labor, not infrastructure, bureaucracy or costly equipment. The same does not hold true for many of the capital intensive projects contained in the present stimulus bills. Furthermore, artists and artisans often have little savings. They are therefore more likely to spend what they earn directly on goods and services, funneling the government's investment back into the economy. The same does not hold true for bankers and businessmen who may have considerable other income and thus may save large portions of what the government gives them, through tax relief. Spend on the country's artists, designers, architects and craftsmen, and they will, in turn, spend immediately and directly on our country. Second, the community benefits. Arts and culture programming not only impacts a broad cross section of our country, it sustains and builds that cross section, enabling individuals to listen, reflect and speak to others in society through poetic and personal languages. There are exemplary cultural programs and artworks that provide financial opportunity and visibility for diverse communities, and others that provide inspiration and solace often when hardship is most acute. Just consider the: -Jazz artists and musicians across the nation who worked relentlessly in the wake of Hurricane Katrina to raise funds and awareness for its survivors -American quilt-making traditions such as the quilts made by the Women of Gee's Bend ("some of the most miraculous works of modern art America has produced." The New York Times ) or the 40,000 individuals across the country contributing to the AIDS memorial quilt -Innovative national and local arts education programs, such as SMARTArt's integrated media literacy, arts, and technology curriculum; Jacques D'Amboise's National Dance Institute serving public school children in low-income communities; or the Lincoln Center Initiative, among others. These efforts promote immersive learning, discipline, imagination and creative problem-solving -0.5% for arts in federal buildings and public arts programming for our subways, train stations and airports, continuing the tradition of the New Deal public murals -Philadelphia Museum of Art's "Cezanne" Exhibit (1996), generating $86.5 Million in city revenues in just 14 weeks with nearly 60% of its visitors from out of state, or Boston's Museum of Fine Arts responsible for $369 Million of additional spending by visitors to the region Successful arts-based initiatives and artworks engage people in critical exchanges every day. Sometimes these efforts mean learning, sometimes community pride, sometimes urban renewal. Often they produce empathy, insight and new resources that connect individuals from different backgrounds and communities with each other. This kind of awareness, imagination, and personal conviction are what lay the groundwork for increased civic engagement. Third, the future benefits. Alongside the Golden Gate Bridge, the Shasta Dam, and other construction begun in the 1930s, remains an equally important American cultural legacy created by thousands of artists: artists who include Ralph Ellison, Saul Bellow, James Agee, Walker Evans, Zora Neale Hurston, Orson Welles, Philip Guston, Jackson Pollock, and Mark Rothko (all participants in the federal arts programs). Unlike roads, bridges and dams, these pieces cost little to maintain. An artwork once produced requires little further injection of government funds. Instead, the New Deal-era artworks continue to give back to future generations. Our children and our children's children are still able to enjoy the fruits of this one-time investment. Investing in our nation's culture makes strong financial sense and will leave a lasting legacy far beyond the current crisis. More on Stimulus Package
 
Campbell Brown Ratings Don't Measure Up To Hype: "No Bias, No Bull, No Ratings" Top
Brown's show, Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull, debuted a year ago today, although it was several weeks before she was appearing on a nightly basis and several months before it found a name. No Bias was CNN's No. 1 show in total viewers last month, and it's one of the few prime time cable news shows to show ratings growth after the election. (It's up 35 percent in the key demographic of adults 25 to 54; The O'Reilly Factor, which airs opposite No Bias on Fox News, is also up marginally over the same period.) But slicing the numbers in a different way makes No Bias look more like a continuation of CNN's long-running problem in the 8 o'clock hour, where the network competes not only with O'Reilly but also with Keith Olbermann, arguably the second-biggest personality in cable news, and one who, like O'Reilly, has a built-in audience of ideological dittoheads. For the month of February to date (which for Nielsen's purposes actually began Jan. 26), No Bias is running not only behind The O'Reilly Factor and Countdown in its hour, but also behind Headline News's Nancy Grace, who's been surging in the ratings thanks to her coverage of Caylee Anthony. And while those other shows are all up year-over-year, No Bias drew 8 percent fewer total viewers and 20 percent fewer demo viewers than the network did a year ago. ("They should call it No Bias, No Bull, No Ratings," snipes a cable competitor -- you can probably guess which one.)
 
Chinese President Vows Increase In Aid To Africa Top
Chinese President Hu Jintao Thursday vowed to increase aid to African countries, cancel part of their debts, and expand trade with and investment in these countries. More on China
 
Elizabeth Goitein: Accountability...and Its Opposite Top
For the past eight years, Democratic members of Congress have been issuing pleas for greater transparency, accountability, and a return to the rule of law. At the same time, the administration has been throwing up a wall of secrecy around the government's policies to ensure de facto immunity from any legal or public reckoning. Against that backdrop, observers of the current political scene may be forgiven if they suffered a sinking sense of déjà vu this past Monday. The principle of accountability held sway at Georgetown University, where Senator Patrick Leahy lent his dignified voice to the growing chorus both inside and outside government calling for an independent commission to investigate the worst alleged abuses of the past administration. The members of the commission would be drawn from a pool of individuals "universally recognized as fair minded, and without axes to grind." They would be granted subpoena powers, if necessary, and possibly even the authority to confer immunity on witnesses. Their "straightforward mission" would be "to find the truth" -- the truth behind the administration's policy of extraordinary rendition, the truth behind the CIA's own interrogation practices, the truth behind the administration's program of warrantless wiretapping. The proposal is measured, modest, and eminently reasonable. No one can credibly dispute the need for fact-finding, since the administration was so successful in shielding the facts from the courts, Congress, and the public. The information that did make it into the public record, including information released by the Bush administration itself, is more than enough to raise the possibility that the administration acted outside the law -- a possibility that triggers not only the need, but the affirmative obligation to learn exactly what happened. This isn't about laying the groundwork for criminal prosecutions. Senator Leahy seems to have accepted Obama's political calculus that Americans will not have the stomach for such an approach. But, as the Senator appreciates, criminal prosecution is not the only tool that a democracy has for vindicating the principles of accountability and adherence to the rule of law. A public airing of the truth can vindicate these principles in any number of ways. To name just a few, it can highlight systemic problems that can be corrected through legislation; it can motivate voters to organize behind the issues in question and to demand better conduct by their elected representatives; it can serve as a message to the world about what the nation stands for; and it can serve as a warning to those who would stray from the rule of law in the future. One might hope that the themes of transparency, accountability, and the rule of law underlying Senator Leahy's proposal would be cheered by the Obama administration. After all, President Obama announced on the first full day in office that "[t]ransparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this presidency." But even as Senator Leahy was sounding these themes at Georgetown, administration lawyers were singing a decidedly different tune in a federal appeals courtroom in California. In that courtroom, Department of Justice attorneys stated that the Obama administration agreed fully with the Bush administration that "the very subject" of extraordinary rendition -- the alleged CIA practice of kidnapping individuals and flying them to other countries to be tortured -- is a "state secret." That means, according to President Obama, no court can even look at the question of whether this activity has occurred. Period. No transparency; no accountability; no rule of law -- just a blanket of secrecy draped around the subject matter, and an effective grant of immunity for any illegal conduct that took place. What's shocking here is not that the Obama administration invoked the state secrets doctrine. The Supreme Court has long recognized that evidence may appropriately be withheld in litigation where public disclosure of the evidence could jeopardize national security. But the notion that the entire subject matter of a lawsuit could be a state secret, such that a law-free zone is created for that subject matter, is a highly controversial one, for obvious reasons: it is a notion that is utterly toxic to the rule of law. And the district court decision that the Obama administration is now defending took this dangerous notion to an extreme. It concluded that the CIA cannot be held accountable in a court of law for any actions it takes in connection with its foreign operations. Since the entire purpose of the CIA is to conduct foreign operations, it is not too much of a stretch to say that the court's decision would largely remove the CIA from the reach of the law -- even if the CIA is doing something as illegal and reprehensible as outsourcing torture. Why did the Obama administration choose to defend this extreme position? A pessimistic explanation is that the administration intends to continue the practice of extraordinary rendition, and would like to do so free of judicial oversight. After all, the executive order putting a stop to "enhanced interrogation techniques" by U.S. personnel conspicuously failed to put a stop to the practice of rendering detainees to other countries for interrogation. But one need not conclude anything about the administration's substantive policy plans to be very worried about the position it articulated on Monday. At a time when many believed that the opportunity was finally at hand to obtain a public reckoning for extraordinary rendition and other abhorrent practices, the administration was presented with an important test case, and it cast its lot emphatically against transparency and accountability. Rejecting these dangerous ideas and restoring the principles of transparency and accountability is more important than any single policy the administration may choose to endorse or foreswear. The Obama administration should rethink its decision to continue the Bush tradition of "disappearing" certain subjects from the realm of public knowledge and judicial oversight. And the American people should rally behind Senator Leahy's call for a truth-finding commission. If we don't, we may be stuck with "déjà vu" for a long time to come. --- For more information, please click here .
 
Dan Sweeney: Judd Gregg Was a Bushian Appointment Anyway Top
One of the first signals I picked up on regarding the coming savagery of the Bush administration was the newly minted president's tendency to put people in charge of departments and administations that they had spent large portions of their careers working against. The examples are many. Mark Rey , a former timber industry lobbyist, was sworn in as the head of the Forestry Service soon after 9/11. Prior to his time as head of the USFS, Rey was known mainly for lobbying to kill environmental standards and enforce mandatory logging of forests. Then there's Mike Leavitt , who replaced Christine Todd Whitman as Bush's EPA Administrator and then became Secretary of Health and Human Services. Prior to his alleged pro-environment and pro-health positions, Leavitt had served as the governor of Utah, where he allowed US Magnesium to pump out 42 million tons of chlorine each and every year -- nine times the amount of any other state. When he refused to do anything about the toxic chemicals, the EPA stepped in and, in a $900 million lawsuit, forced US Magnesium to clean up its act. So, naturally, Bush put Leavitt in charge of the very administration that had shamed him in his time as governor. And don't forget about Paul Hoffman , the Deputy Secretary of the Interior in charge of fish and wildlife and parks, who had formerly worked for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in his attempts to open the parks to more drilling and mining. What about former mining-industry lobbyist Gale Norton , Bush's choice for Secretary of the Interior, who once argued that corporations have a "right to pollute"? And who could forget the you'll-laugh-unless-you-cry appointment of former coal-mining executive David Lauriski as head of Bush's Mine Safety and Health Administration? Lauriski bragged to mining-company colleagues about the brevity of his agenda at the MSHA and wanted to cut the number of mine inspectors by 25 percent. Hey, better mention J. Stephen Griles , the Deputy Secretary of the Interior who was that department's chief representative at Dick Cheney's energy task force. Prior to his time at Interior, Griles was a coal-mining lobbyist. After his time at Interior, he was sentenced to 10 months in prison, caught up in the Abramoff scandal. And a lot of you folks probably remember John "I Am The Walrus" Bolton , who spoke out early and often against the United Nations and was then, natch, named as ambassador to the United Nations. One last example, which should bring us up to speed with Gregg. Bush appointed Sen. Spencer Abraham , lately kicked out of office in Michigan by current senator Debbie Stabenow, to run his Department of Energy in 2004. While in the Senate, Abraham had co-sponsored senate bill S.896, which would have abolished the Department of Energy. So now, you probably see where I'm going with this. Knowing everything that I know about Bush's appointments, blood practically shot out of my eyes when I read that President Obama had named Sen. Judd Gregg, a man who in 1995 voted to abolish the Department of Commerce , to run the Department of Commerce. So, far from wringing my hands over a failed attempt at bipartisanship, I'm popping open the champagne this morning. Gregg was a phenomenally bad choice to run Commerce. The news of Obama's decision to name Gregg wafted in with the foul, acrid stench of the last eight years. The president, after this and the rancor over the stimulus bill, should accept that bipartisanship is merely a means to an end, not an end in and of itself. When a commitment to bipartisanship creates more problems than it solves, it should be abandoned posthaste. So celebrate with me, ace! Gregg's decision to withdraw from consideration for the post of Secretary of Commerce only corrects a very flawed and cancerous presence in Obama's cabinet. All that remains now is for Obama to avoid repeating the mistake, as Bush failed to do time and again. But then again, in Bush's case, these weren't mistakes. More on Barack Obama
 
Clinton's Trip To Asia Underscores Importance Of Rising East Top
The countries that Secretary Clinton will visit, beginning Monday, reflect the variety in the kinds of relations the United States has in Asia: There are longtime allies Japan and South Korea, bridge-building to the Muslim world represented by Indonesia, and management of China's rise as global power. More on Asia
 
Monster Destroyer: Play the Game! Top
Destroy monsters by creating lines of 3 or more monsters of the same kind. You can move the monsters by using the mouse to click and swap adjacent monsters. More on Games
 
Lorraine Forte: Career Education a Must in Today's Job Market Top
Here's a sobering scenario: Each year, about 7,000 seniors earn a diploma from Chicago Public Schools, but don't enroll in college and have no preparation for work. That is a road to disaster, given the state of the U.S. economy these days. Today's tough job market--with unemployment claims at a two-decade high and daily headlines announcing fresh rounds of layoffs--is no place for a teenager or young adult with no direction, few skills and no work experience. Meanwhile, a recent report on jobs in Illinois points out that thousands of jobs go begging each year, enough to put every one of those 7,000 graduates to work--if they had the right training. These jobs include nursing, fire-fighting and transportation, none of which requires a four-year degree. All too often, however, career and technical education in CPS is second-class. The district is successfully pushing more students into four-year colleges and universities but has ground to make up when it comes to career prep. Many students who begin career programs never finish. Those who do typically finish without any work experience or industry-recognized credential that could help them land work. In our latest issue, Catalyst examines the state of career education in CPS and what the district is trying to do to improve it. Two of the new Renaissance 2010 schools show promise in preparing students for high-tech manufacturing and construction trades. Four more career-prep schools are slated to open this year and next. The mayor's office is getting into the game, bringing together stakeholders to revamp workforce training, including programs in schools. More on Stimulus Package
 
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Feinstein Reveals Intel That May Embarrass Pakistan Top
A senior U.S. lawmaker said Thursday that unmanned CIA Predator aircraft operating in Pakistan are flown from an air base in that country, a revelation likely to embarrass the Pakistani government and complicate its counter-terrorism collaboration with the United States. More on Pakistan
 
Ari Bendersky: Who Wants (Sparkling) Wine? Top
Champagne is for Lovers -- and Everyone Else They say Valentine's Day is for lovers. It's a romantic day where people feel the need to express their love for each other. Me? I'm cynical and really don't care when I can say "I love you" any day of the year. That said, while many couples will fawn over each other across the table and give each other expensive jewelry or cheap heart-shaped chocolate treats, we'll be having fun with friends at a dinner party. Will we drink Champagne? Likely. Will we have wine and scotch? Definitely. But for those of you who want to toast your love and want to do it with a bottle of bubbly, here are suggestions of some of my favorites. They won't break the bank, but they will tickle your nose and make you happy -- even if you, too, are a cynic. Piper-Heidsieck Brut Cuvée, N.V. and "Baby Piper" With its bright red and gold label, this is one of the most easily recognized Champagnes around. This pale gold, fresh sparkling wine comprises Pinot Noir (55 percent), Pinot Meunier (30 percent) and Chardonnay (15 percent). The result leads to a palate of tart apples and ripe pear with hints of sharp citrus and pineapple. You can drink this bottle on a special occasion or just sitting around the house on a Sunday morning at brunch (mimosas!) with good friends. It also comes in handy individual sizes, so you can take it on a picnic, to a tailgate or sneak it into your nephew's piano recital. The 750ml size is available at Trader Joe's (3745 N. Lincoln), $34.99; the "Baby Piper" is at World Market (2844 N. Broadway), $9.99 each. Saint-Hilaire Blanquette de Limoux Blanc de Blancs Extra Dry 2004 If the length of the name has you exhausted, you'll be happy when you finally get to kick back with a glass of this delightful sparkling wine. Produced from the fairly obscure Mauzac grape (which is blended with about 10 percent Chardonnay and five percent Chenin Blanc), this is a dry but slightly sweet wine that goes great with dessert, especially rich fruit tarts and sorbet. However, because it's a complex bottle, it can be enjoyed with fish or even chicken. Not only is this smooth and not overpowering, it has a great history -- Benedictine monks first started making Blanquette de Limoux in 1544, more than a century before Dom Pérignon first made Champagne -- laying its claim to possibly being the oldest sparkling wine in the world. Available at Sam's Wines & Spirits (1720 N. Marcey), $11.99. Duval-Leroy Rosé de Saignée, N.V. Duval-Leroy has become one of the most respected Champagne houses, especially since Carol Duval-Leroy took the helm more than 15 years ago. The care that goes into her wine is obvious the moment it touches your lips. Produced in the traditional saignée method, the grapes are left to soak in the juice for 16-24 hours during the maceration period, allowing for just a bit of the color to blend with the wine. The result is a gorgeous pink hue erupting with bubbles, with a nose offering delicious red fruit and a taste combining berries and vanilla. This is truly a celebratory Champagne that's worth the splurge -- and it's one of my favorites around. Available at Sam's , $55.99. More on valentine's day
 
Michael Wolff: Gregg Mess: The GOP Is Back In Business Top
Something happened here that nobody's admitting to. Republican Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire declines his previously accepted nomination as commerce secretary and as the only Republican member of the Obama cabinet because....? Well, he says it's because he's suddenly not on the same policy page as the president regarding stimulus and now doesn't like it that the president wants the census chief to report to the White House instead of the Commerce Department. This could be the case if the man drinks a lot, or has no idea know idea how to do his job, or is generally a flake. But none of that seems to be true. That leaves an unreported tax, nanny, marital, sexual identity, or in-the-closet issue. Or, something more interesting: pressure. Assuming he has some reasonable level of professionalism and no lurking personal issues, then all that's left is that the Republicans got to him. The party decided they couldn't abide one of their respected members giving bipartisan comfort to the new administration; and, too, that they couldn't count on not being double crossed in the promise of the Democratic governor of New Hampshire to appoint a Republican and, therefore, head off handing a filibuster-proof majority of 60 to the Democrats. Maybe the Republicans had something personal on Gregg. It wouldn't be the first time. Or, only slightly less savory, some legislative point of pressure. That dam we promised the great state of New Hampshire... etc. Or... Continue reading at newser.com More on Barack Obama
 
Greg Mitchell: Coming on Sunday from 'NYT': Bill Ayers on His Talk Show With Sarah Palin Top
In an interview with The New York Times appearing this Sunday in its Magazine , former Weatherman and top 2008 campaign demon, Bill Ayers, reveals that he sent Sarah Palin a note after the November election. You will recall -- how could you not? -- that she had claimed on numerous occasions that Barack Obama was "pallin' around with terrorists," notably, Bill Ayers. Asked about these attacks, Ayers replies, referring to Palin, "I did send her a note after the election. I suggested that we have a talk show together called Pallin' Around With Sarah and Bill ." Alas: "I haven't heard back." He also claims that he was never contacted by Obama or his team during the campaign and asked to stay quiet. And he did not resent when Obama said he had committed "despicable" acts, saying this is not the "minority" view and "even people on the left" feel that way. Ayers, in the talking to Deborah Solomon, refuses to call Obama a liberal, instead describing him as "a moderate Democrat. If you look at his records, it's the record of a moderate, who indeed does know how to make compromises." He says he did not attend the Inauguration but like everyone else will claim he was there 20 years from now -- if the Obama "magic holds, and the magic will only hold if we don't burn it up in war." As for himself: "I think I am a radical. I have never deviated from that. By radical, I mean someone trying to go to the root of things." He says he wakes up happy eveyone morning, perhaps because he has a "genetic flaw" -- his mother was a "hopeless Pollyanna." He and his wife Bernardine Cohrn have a new book coming out, Race Course. Greg Mitchell's new book, " Why Obama Won ," has a good deal on the Obama-Ayers-Palin triangle. He is editor of Editor & Publisher. More on Sarah Palin
 
Conyers Subpoenas Rove, Again Top
Karl Rove has been subpoenaed again by House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-MI), who hopes to question the former Bush Administration official about his role in the firing of U.S. Attorneys, among other issues. Conyers asks Rove to appear February 23rd. The letter from Conyers to Rove attorney Bob Luskin, provided to the Huffington Post, is the second attempt to pull testimony out of Rove, who cited a scheduling conflict the last time he was subpoenaed, said a Conyers aide. Rove has sought to limit his testimony to his involvement in the imprisonment of Democratic Alabama Governor Don Siegelman. Conyers, in his letter, rejects that circumscription. Rove, in a recent paid speech in California, said that he was immune from the subpoena, according to a report in the Pasadena Weekly. "I will not comply with the subpoena," he said. "I want to be clear. I have no personal ability, no personal right that I'm exerting here. I'm not saying I have any privilege whatsoever, but the president of the United States has privilege with regard to compelled testimony from members of his immediate staff. Five times, now a sixth time, we have told the Congress we would be happy to provide them the information that they want, as long as it's done in a way that protects the form of the president's privilege, and six times they've refused to take us up on our offer of providing info to them on these questions." More on Karl Rove
 
Lieberman Will Walk To Work For Sabbath Stimulus Vote Top
Independent US Senator Joseph Lieberman, an observant Jew, planned to walk to and from any vote on the titantic economic stimulus plan that falls on the Jewish Sabbath, an aide said Friday. Lieberman, who keeps kosher and attends orthodox synagogue in Washington and his home state of Connecticut, will not miss the vote, which was expected to come well after nightfall, said the aide. More on Stimulus Package
 
Palinisms: Ask Sarah anything! Top
Ask Sarah Palin a question and see her response! After several public speaking gaffes, Vice President candidate of elections that passed Sarah Palin has decided to have her own "unscripted" meeting and allow the entire world to ask her any questions they want! (We can't guarantee you'll get the answers you want, but have fun trying!) More on Games
 
Lawrence Coburn: Five Tips for Using the Social Web for Free Marketing Top
The social web offers tremendous viral marketing potential for those that know what they're doing. Here are five easy, cost effective things you can do to leverage the social web to drive exposure, customers, and revenue: 1) Create a Facebook Page for your business. Whether or not you feel comfortable sharing your personal life on Facebook, your business should certainly have a presence on this hugely popular website. Facebook Pages are like profiles for businesses, and are an excellent way to engage your customers in a conversation. When your companies' customers / fans engage with your Facebook Page, this activity is pushed out to the friends of your company's fans, paving the way for viral growth. Facebook Pages also provides excellent tools for communicating with people that have signed up as fans of your business. 2) Set up a Twitter Account for your business. From celebrities like Shaquille O'Neill to brands like Zappos, Twitter is rapidly becoming a critical channel to enable communications between companies / public figures and their customers / fans. One simple Twitter strategy is to automatically follow any Twitter user who mentions your brand or business category (e.g. San Francisco Lawyer) -- this can be done through a service called Twollow.com . Even if you don't plan on using Twitter as a communications tool, I would strongly advice you to "claim" your company's Twitter nickname, to prevent others from profiting from the url " www.twitter.com/yourbusiness ." Claiming your company's name is as simple signing up at Twitter.com, and selecting a nickname. 3) Let your fans / customers review your business. Online reviews are a critical component of your business' reputation, and can do wonders for converting new customers. Services like RateItAll.com/Promote allow you to submit anything for review - whether it's a local business, a blog, a website, a product, or a brand. Other popular review sites include Yelp (local businesses), TripAdvisor (travel related items), and Viewpoints (products). 4) Hire a Social Media Optimizer (SMO). SMOs are experts in driving traffic through popular social media sites like Digg, Reddit, Facebook, and Twitter. A properly executed SMO campaign can not only deliver a burst of traffic, but also result in inbound links which will help your website's search engine rankings. Highly regarded SMO agencies include 10e20, Stuntdubl Online Marketing, and TopRank Online Marketing. 5) Don't forget about Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Search engines -- specifically Google -- still drive a tremendous amount of traffic. If your company has a website, make sure to make full use of Google Webmaster Tools to maximize Google's indexing of your site and to monitor any obstacles that may be preventing search engine traffic from reaching your site. Additionally, purchasing directory links from high quality Internet directories such as Yahoo! and BOTW.org are a good way to start building the inbound links required to improve your search engine rankings. If your business does not have a website, there are a number of services you can use as a proxy for your own site. For local businesses, Merchant Circle is a good place to start. More on Google
 
Jeff Madrick: All praise to Obama for a change Top
There is a lot of concern about this stimulus package. It isn't enough, yes. It has too many tax cuts, yes. But let's keep in mind how far and how quickly we've come. A few months ago, no one would hae guessed this was possible. And no one would have guessed a down payment on our infrastructure, energy, broadband and education needs could have been made. If we step back, we realize this is quite a start. I, too, wish Obama would give up the bipartisan attempts that backfire. I wish he attached only a hundred billion dollars of tax cuts to his original proposal, with the idea he'd then negotiate with the opposition, not turn them to his point of view. But I urge us to recognize the extent of this achievement and the good it will do for the economy. I also have lots of troubles wit the Geithner plan. But we've come a long way in a short time. Praise to Obama and his political team.
 
Byron Williams: Does America have what it Takes to end Black History Month? Top
Under the right conditions, I would support the elimination of Black History. I am quite certain that some are already asking themselves: "How can he possibly consider the elimination of Black History Month?" This is not the first time I raised this possibility in a column so do me the service by at least reading the piece in its entirety before sending the predictable scathing rants via e-mail. I recognize that it is a worthy tradition, but is it a tradition free from examination? Black History Month began in 1926 as Negro History Week by Dr. Carter G. Woodson, as a way to bring attention to the positive contributions of black people in American history. Woodson's achievements alone are of great historical value. The son of former slaves, Woodson worked in the Kentucky coal mines in order to put himself through high school. He graduated from Berea College in Kentucky in 1903, and then went on to Harvard for his Ph.D. Woodson was concerned that one was hard pressed to find the contributions of blacks, positive or otherwise in American history. In 1926 Woodson began promoting the second week of February as Negro History Week. In 1976, it became Black History Month. Woodson selected February because it coincided with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas. However, does the legitimate reasoning that necessitated the celebration of Black History Month still require that we maintain it today? Perhaps the more appropriate question, does America possess the collective maturity to end Black History Month? I come to these questions with mixed emotions. I suspect there are a number of African Americans who are quite comfortable with Black History Month remaining in its current state, which is becoming trite, stale, and pedestrian rather than informative and thought provoking. My reasoning for supporting the elimination of Black History Month is that it renders the achievements of African Americans to an adjunct status in American history. Among its many achievements, the Civil Rights Movement tested the elasticity of the Constitution. In doing so, it made America examine whether or not the Jeffersonian notion of equality had validity. Why are the names of George Washington Carver, Fannie Lou Hamer and David Walker almost exclusive property of the African American legacy? Furthermore, does not the concept of Black History Month suggest that other marginalized groups have a month of celebration as well? Thus, the solution would be to authentically integrate the achievements of African Americans as well as other marginalized communities into American history. Here is where I fear we do not possess collective maturity. An authentic integration of American history would require that all communities be honest about its high and low moments. A genuine incorporation of history would therefore demand that America become self-reflective in ways that it has managed to avoid. If the descendants of African slaves cannot receive an apology from the United States government for the obvious centuries of dehumanization, how can we realistically examine the mistreatment sustained not only by Native Americans, but also practically every group that has arrived on these shores? Sadly, America is not at this place. Any attempts to authentically integrate black history into that of dominant culture, I fear, would create further marginalization. Moreover, there are warring factions on both sides of this debate that would become strange bedfellows in maintaining black history to its current, predictable, 28-day format. There is a certain comfort that comes with being marginalized just as there is with those who are unwilling to view America beyond the superficial myth that has been conveniently constructed by poplar culture. Those who superficially suggest the emergence of Tiger Woods, Oprah Winfrey, and Barack Obama is proof that Black History Month has run its course ironically make the case for its preservation, even in its current hackneyed state. It is a mature nation that can look at itself authentically, not for the purposes of guilt, but rather to become better and stronger. When it is no longer necessary that February commemorate Black History Month, we may be well on our way to becoming that more perfect union. Byron Williams is an Oakland pastor and syndicated columnist. He is the author of Strip Mall Patriotism: Moral Reflections of the Iraq War. E-mail him at byron@byronspeaks.com or visit his website: byronspeaks.com
 
Steve Pristin: Artist Profile: Lykke Li Top
The bloggerati's favorite Swedish songstress on true love, touring and Tupac. --- Alone, dancing in front of a mirror singing Beyonce's "Single Ladies" -- this is how I find Sweden's Lykke Li . "Hi, I'm Lykke Li" When you see Lykke Li for the first time you'd think she's 16 (she's almost 23) but once you hear her songs of love, loneliness, frustration, and obsession you know her soul is that of a traveled and experienced veteran. A native of Ystal, Sweden, Lykke Li spent parts of her childhood in Portugal, Morocco, and India, ("a very spiritual country"); and is planning a move back to Stockholm soon ("that's my home"). She's a notorious workhorse currently touring in support of her debut, 2008's Youth Novels , before playing Coachella in April. With each continental pass her fan base has grown and it isn't a coincidence -- this lady knows how to perform! I caught up with her before a recent show in Williamsburg: Steve Pristin: How's the tour been going, any memorable moments? Lykke Li: It's always nice when things go wrong and I jump out into the crowd and freestyle. And I got to play with Q-Tip at the MTV Woodie awards. SP: What's next for you? LL: A break. Sleep. Wash my clothes and then I'm back on the road again. I have festivals this summer but at some point I have to start writing the next album. SP: How did you write the first one? LL: It was almost like a picture. Like a snapshot of a point in my life, like [makes camera noise], this is where I'm at. So it's not like I reflected on my whole life on purpose but I think that's what you do with the first album when you've kind of been a very lost person. It's a really amazing feeling to have gone through the first kind of hole. It's going to be very hard to write the next one but I still believe you have to think of it as a picture of time so you can't like plan to write masterpieces, you just have to make a reflection of what you're going through. SP: Dream collaboration? LL: Frankie Lymon but he's dead. SP: Prince or Michael Jackson? LL: How can you choose? I would say Prince and Michael Jackson. But if I had to choose just one I would say Michael Jackson. SP: Biggie or Tupac? LL: I love Biggie's songs but I think I like Tupac more as a person. SP: Who are you talking about on songs like " Breaking It Up " and " Little Bit "? LL: He can know but you can't. SP: Do you believe in true love? LL: I'm a romantic but I mean, what is true love? SP: Is there someone that everyone is meant to be with? LL: I don't think it's one person. I think life is about choices so if you meet an amazing person and both of you make the choice then it can be something. I don't think it's destined to be just one person though cause what if that person dies? SP: If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be? LL: My sex. I'm just kidding. Um, I would change my mind that never shuts off, you know? I think too much. --- --- All Photos Courtesy of Ben Rowland For more exclusive Lykke Li images click here !
 
Fellow Republicans Attack Florida Gov. Crist For Stimulus Support Top
Charlie Crist: statesman or sellout? Democrats may be lavishing praise on Florida's Republican governor for enthusiastically supporting the Democrats' economic stimulus package, but Republicans are questioning whether Crist damaged his future in national politics. More on Stimulus Package
 
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Plouffe: Palin "Was Our Best Fundraiser And Organizer In The Fall" Top
Speaking at a forum on presidential transitions, Barack Obama's campaign manager David Plouffe said that the Texas primary constituted "the biggest mistake" he made during the campaign, said if John Edwards had finished third in Iowa, Obama would have won New Hampshire, and scoffed at cable news for its knee-jerk coverage of anything "snarky." These reflections on campaign '08 were not deeply controversial. But Plouffe's appearance was, because it was insisted that the session be off-record for members of the press. When word came down about these ground rules, protest and histrionics erupted in the halls of the National Press Club, where the event was held. The Club wrote a letter registering strong opposition to Plouffe's decision. And the Washington Post 's Dana Milbank donned a sandwich board sign mocking Plouffe, before writing a scathing column about the incident on Friday. On Thursday, the event's sponsor, Georgetown University, said the decision to restrict reporting was Plouffe's alone. But, even it that's true, there was certainly time for advance warning. The contract Plouffe signed assuring the event would be closed-press was dated December 19. That nuggets of information would make become public anyway seemed inevitable. Milbank handed out pens and pads to non-media attendees, urging them to take notes and report back to him. What he got was mostly political milquetoast but, for those who lived through the past two years, worth a read. Here is Plouffe on Gov. Sarah Palin: "Vice presidential picks rarely but sometimes make an electoral difference. Our view was it probably wasn't going to matter that much. It's the most over-covered story in politics. This was the one exception to that. It did have an effect." "She was our best fundraiser and organizer in the fall." Here is Plouffe on the media: "What we were focused on... was really not what was coming out of the coverage every day, and our candidate was very good about it. ... The McCain campaign was much more focused on putting ads out to dominate cable chatter for a few hours. ... That was never what we thought was important." "You put out a snarky TV ad or something controversial, that's all NBC, CNN and Fox are talking about, but that's not how you win elections. I think that discipline paid off." And here is Plouffe on the general election turning point: "Probably the most important 72 hours of the campaign ... were McCain's suspension of his campaign right up through the presidential debate. One was steady, one was not. ... From that point on, people saw McCain as more unsteady and erratic. He was never really able to dig out of that." All of which is somewhat interesting stuff. But there was one anecdote that Milbank missed that seemed like truly new terrain. (Full disclosure: I was in the room but -- observing the ground-rules -- not taking notes. This comes via a friend who was also in attendance). Plouffe said that, "If Edwards had come in third in Iowa it would have helped us in New Hampshire. Almost all of his vote in New Hampshire would have gone to us... I remember getting on a plane and someone said, 'Oh, Hillary Clinton came in third in Iowa.' And I said, 'That's not going to help us at all.'" Following Plouffe's logic, Edwards' voters were more likely to go to Obama once they realized that their candidate was out of the running. Of course, Hillary Clinton's chief spokesman, Howard Wolfson, has basically insisted the exact opposite . He suggested that had Edwards' dropped out of the primary because of his affair, his boss would have won the Iowa Caucus and, likely, the nomination.
 

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