Quinny Comes Calling

We won the political polling lottery yesterday. Quinnipiac University called our randomly selected phone number looking for fresh meat. To keep things randomized they asked to speak a the voting age person who has the soonest birthday. That was my wife and I made her take the call although she didn't look too thrilled at first even though I was chanting " do the Quinny". They went through about five minutes of questions including who she intended to vote for on March 4th. I'm guessing there should be a new poll out soon.

Turkey and Timetables

The current military invasion of that sovereign nation known as Iraq has taken a surreal turn. I'm of course talking about theTurkish invasion not the U.S. invasion. As Turkey has moved into Kurdistan to turn up the heat on P.K.K. guerrillas they have carefully employed the same rhetoric as the administration when it comes to getting out of Iraq.

In an implausible ironic twist Turkey is arguing with the U.S. about timetables on troop withdrawal from Iraq. Secretary Gates met with Turkish officials in Ankara today and the best he could get from the Turkish government was "A short time is a relative term.", and something like if you can say screw timetables so can we. Is it considered chutzpah when the U.S. President says "The Turks need to move, move quickly, achieve their objective and get out," about military involvement in Iraq?

The blowback from the Iraq invasion continues to take on new form every day and will only get worse if the situation in Kurdistan doesn't cool off. Do you think the Kurds are watching what is going on in Kosovo and wondering if the same gambit would pay off for them?

Please Russ No More Mailers

We received what seems like the 500th mailer from the Keep Russ Pry campaign today.

Rusty I'm begging you no more mailers please. You already have my vote. I wouldn't think about voting for Joe Finley, a man who has been arguing with himself for the good part of a decade. Maybe think about greening up your act and cut back on the paper usage.

Post Debate, Message to Prospective Nominee

No live blogging of the debate here but it was cool to see a room full of local bloggers going at it in WKYC headquarters. Also great exposure for CSU, the City and Ron Paul supporters with big signs. The large chunk of time spent on health care was impressive but getting one last lok at the iteraction between Hilary and Barack was the real draw for me. I have nothing else to say about it that hasn't been floated in the MSM or blogosphere other than what follows.

Message to the Prospective Democratic Nominee - When Russert Attacks

I'll admit I wasn't overly impressed with both candidates responses to this question about Iraq from Tim Russert:

RUSSERT: I want to ask both of you this question, then. If this
scenario plays out and the Americans get out in totality, and Al Qaida
resurges and Iraq goes to hell, do you hold the right in your mind as
American president to reinvade, to go back into Iraq to stabilize it?

Barack and Hillary answered the question thoughtfully but they were not direct enough on the Al Queda threat posited by the Russert question. The question of Iraq will undoubtedly be a central issue in the general election campaign, it won't be the last time that question is asked of a Democratic candidate. In addition McCain will have to tout his support of the surge and will also be directing that same challenge to his opponent. What would you do pull out? You would let the terrorists win? The assertion that there is a possibility that Al Queda will take over Iraq has to addressed head on. Doing so will redirect the focus to the actual problem of the Iraq occupation and cut the terrorist hysteria off at the knees.

The Democratic nominee should never address questions of Iraq and redeployment (semantics are important) and Al Queda taking over without mentioning:

There was no Al Queda presence in Iraq before the invasion.

Al Queda in Iraq's (Mesopotamia) creation was a response to the U.S. occupation.

The security vacuum resulting from this policy failure provided fertile ground for AQI to take hold in western Iraq.

We have to begin withdrawing forces anyway because the surge is unsustainable in the long term.

What ever happened to when they stand up we'll stand down?

The actions of the current administration on Iraq have let us no good options.

No way in hell is a predominantly Shia nation going to allow a group of foreign Sunni Salafists to "take over" their country.

To address a semi-moronic question like the one posed at last night's debate without driving these points home would be well, the beginning of silly season.

Thanks to Ohio Daily Blog for posting the debate transcript.

Give McCain Some Credit

McCain faced another "how do we beat the bitch" moment and this time made the right choice. It started when righty talker Bill Cunningham was warming up the crowd at a McCain rally in Cincy today. The rant which targeted Obama, Clinton and even Madeline Albright sounded like a cry for attention in the style of Ann Coulter. Really just standard fare for this species of bloviator.

To his credit John McCain disavowed the whole incident and even went as far to apologize to the media that were present. Yes, apologize for what we have come to know as a common right wing psychopathy. Now I'm sure part of the reaction from McCain was inspired from the constant hits he's taken from the ghouls on right-wing radio but it still showed some altruistic purpose. With both Obama and McCain lobbing snippets of admiration at public gatherings they are at least giving the impression that this general election could be decided mostly on policy questions.

That idea of course minimizes the threat of political hatchet jobs from outside players. You just know lapel pins, patriotism and the pledge will eventually be thrown into the mix from somewhere out in 527 land.

The Ameritrust Tower is Like a Bad Penny

That seemingly too good to be true offer the Cuyahoga County Commissioners got to buy the asbestos ridden Ameritrust building was just that. The Plain Dealer's Joe “I can't find my notepad” Guillen has a story on the Cuyahoga BOCC's intent to the reject the bid from K&D Group. It's nice to see the PD is finally printing a story on the something that has been known for over a week now.

Apparently the private developer offered a bid that requested the purchase price be financed by the County. Kind of like a reverse mortgage but less palatable. Now the commissioners have to continue the next phase of the “I meant to do that” strategy and go out for another round of bids. Of course K&D was the only bid the first time around. Maybe old man Jacobs is interested in getting the building back? Looks like the County is going to polish this turd (euphemism for creatively manage the results of poor decision making) on their own.

I have a hot tip for Joe Guillen and the PD. You may want prepare for a story on the Medical Mart project negotiations falling through.

Nader In, Race Just Got Greener

Ralph Nader has just announced he is running for president on Meet the Press. Russert is already playing up the 2000 election scare tactic as a response to Nader's announcement.

I just heard a collective scream from Dems everywhere. A mass panic is completely unnecessary. Let's face it the political landscape has changed a great deal since 2000. Nader's appeal to Democratic voters has reached a nadir in my view. If anything he may get the Democratic nominee to stay focused on issues like Iraq, corporatist influence, universal health care and a slew of other issues that we all value. He gets a little face time in return, so what.

I'm not concerned, really.

Dennis, Not Dead Yet

We've gotten a good dose this week of what the congressional race for the Ohio 10^th district is about. The challengers all tried in earnest to get their best shots at Dennis the Kucinich and make a case for a change in leadership.

After listening to the debate on Wednesday and the serious interview Q&A session with Dennis and Joe on 90.3 WCPN on Thursday I'm thinking Dennis will survive this one.

The real challenger, Joe Cimperman almost comes across as Dennis-lite and in fact sounded kind of over his head or naive at times. As for the other candidates (O'Grady, Ferris, and Palmer) I'm not sure what makes them particularly more qualified than Kucinich other than the fact they are not him. And that is certainly what the race for the Ohio 10th is about this year. Although it's probably going to take more than an endless supply Kucinich jokes to unseat him from his congressional perch.

For the voters the real test will be that if they are so turned off by the antics and ego of the boy mayor are they willing to take a chance on Cimperman? I don't see the other candidates peeling away enough votes to make a difference in the end. This one will come down to a one on one contest between an incumbent and the main challenger. I'm glad I don't live in that district anymore.

Howlin' At The Moon

Thought I'd try to take few pix of the lunar eclipse. I don't have what you would call professional grade equipment but it got the job done.


I gotta get me one of them there SLR cameras so when the next one comes around the moon will look bigger.



This was taken around 10 PM tonight. The red effect is caused by that spy satellite the U.S. Navy is trying to shoot down.


That cold air is no joke. Does a lunar eclipse mean spring is on the way?

Hynde and People for the Ethical Transport of Akronites

Chrissie Hynde a Rock Hall inductee, Restaurateur and friend to all animals was in town today to cross promote with Akron METRO. Ever the impresario Chrissie came back to Ohio to to ride a METRO bus and deliver a message on the vital nature of public transit and good vegan eats. The ABJ reports that Hynde is also “rail thin” and that she believes in the health benefits of public transit, “other countries have lower obesity rates because of their high quality public transportation systems.” says Hynde. It appears that the elimination of the free transfer is also a sticking point. Whatever happens with the tax increase I don't see that one coming back.

I admire Hynde and her stance on the importance of a well funded and well run transit system but something tells me she will forget our plight once she's back in London minding the gap . Next time she's back in town to check up on VegiTerranean she should float the idea of a state-wide gas tax to develop a truly regional approach to public transit.

One more thing. If you are going to charge $23 for gnocci you shouldn't make your patrons sit on cheap-ass patio furniture. Other than that the food was pretty good.

Is Obama Like Blu-Ray?

The writing is on the wall and it appears that Blu-ray is about to be declared the victor it the DVD format wars. With Best Buy and Walmart announcing they will only carry the Blu-ray format and Netflix phasing out HD DVD it looks as if this one is over. A cottage industry of reusing worthless HD DVD disks is already taking shape.

A caller to the February 12^th edition of CNET Buzz Out Loud (CNet's podcast of indeterminate length) had a great comparison of Hillary and Obama to the DVD format wars:

1. They've got the same initials! It's H. vs. B.
   
   
2. There are no significant differences in policy/features between H. and B.
   
   
3. H. appeals to people with less money, but B. has won the support of a broad constituency of high-profile names.
   
   
4. H. has name recognition and might seem like an extension of what we've had in the past, whereas B. is a "fresh face", a new (kinda funny sounding--but catchy!) name on the scene.
   
   
5. At this date and time, it looks pretty rough out there for H., as B. is riding a wave of momentum.

Next up, a comparison of the two GOP candidates with VHS and Beta Max.

Are The Blue Dogs Yellow?

If Al Queda is in your favorite five now would be a good time to call them. With House Dems holding their ground on FISA, the Protect America Act of 1984 expired at midnight. The Prez. Has told us we are now vulnerable to the “enemy” and our intelligence services don't have the "tools” to protect us. We're supposed to depend on that tool to protect us? This is all a load of crap since FISA itself has been and still is in effect.

I don't know what's worse, the hefty amount of false acrimony from the GOP or the pliable Blue Dog contingent of House Dems. The Republicans, well I can understand their hapless obstructionism in the FISA follies. Are there Democratic House members actually petrified by the lame threats from the President? Are they that afraid of a thirty second spot accusing them of being soft on terrorism? Is amnesty for telcos that important that it requires crossing party lines and refusing to debate the Senate version of the FISA update?

The EFF website has been doing a great job at covering the FISA stuff if you're interested.

The FISA Sell Out of 2008

My person, house, papers and effects don't feel so secure thanks to the 67 U.S. Senators who felt it was more important to protect telcos from legal prosecution than hold them accountable. Today the more deliberative of our legislative bodies approved a FISA bill that preserves legal immunity for AT&T and others that may have been complicit in the government's warrantless wiretapping plans.

Apparently only 31 Senators,all democrats save one (Bernie Sanders I-VT) were willing to risk being accused of comforting the enemy in order to take a stand for the 4^th amendment. Our own Sherrod Brown was part of the group that voted against amnesty while the other guy was okay with leaving it in the final bill.

With this legal roadblock out of the way giant telco's can get back to the business of devising a plan to create a tiered Internet. Or better yet maybe AT&T would be willing to drop those plans as a trade-off for this little favor.

Hollow Government Comes to Akron

Don't do it Mayor Don.

I am flummoxed over the Mayor's announced plan to privatize the City of Akron's sewer system.
The lure of easy money no matter how good it looks will come with a price. Calling it an" tuition plan" doesn't make it anything else other than a privatization plan.

Mayor Plusquellic is one of the last people I could imagine embracing a Friedmanite ponzi scheme like selling off a public asset. Slapping the education label on the the thing and avoiding the greater debate of what happens after the transfer is made is a worrisome sign. Is this more about the City bracing for future cash crunches than free college? What happens to the sewer rates when a foreign entity takes over? Is the water system next?

Much more on this later.

Where's My Stimulus Check?

As predicted by briefcase radical Senate Republicans resorted to filibustering the economic stimulus plan rather than allowing additional benefits to be incorporated into the final product. The proposed spending increase would have broadened the reach of the plan by getting dollars into the hands of people who would spend it. From the AP story,

The fate of $600-$1,200 rebate checks for more than 100 million Americans is in limbo after Senate Republicans blocked a bid by Democrats to add $44 billion in help for the elderly, disabled veterans, the unemployed and businesses to the House-passed economic aid package.

With no chance of surpassing the sixty vote limit Harry Reid and Company will have to compromise with the Republicans and get something approved soon. The flip side is that the GOP caucus takes some heat for yet another mean spirited power play, not a stretch.

The Chinese connection to the stimulus plan, also highlighted in these pages, was not lost on Sen. Byron Dorgan. According to an article on Politico the North Dakota Democrat wants to remind rebate recipients to divert the flow of stimulus dollars away from China and other U.S. Creditors,

In fact, Dorgan has offered an amendment to the Senate economic stimulus bill that would require millions of rebate checks to have the slogan "Support Our Economy - Buy American."

I plan to heed the good Senator's request. Although with that limitation I'm not sure what I will purchase with my stimulus dollars. So much for a new laptop or stylish clothes from the Gap. Is anyone up for a trip to Amish country?

It's Here:Super Tuesday Prelim's

Our primary election hydra sprouts new heads tonight as the returns come rushing in. The (insert superlative here) Tuesday primary bacchanal promises to deliver all sorts of surprises and open up the next phase in the presidential contest. Here are a few observations as we anxiously await for the carnage to begin.

Us and Them
The governing style of each party are characteristically ingrained their primary rules. Dems divide state delegates proportionally and the GOP use a winner take all method. Democratic primary voters living abroad can vote while their GOP counterparts do not have that right. A move I haven’t been able to answer is why the polls in the W.Virginia GOP-only primary close at 12:30 in the afternoon (according to a spread in the Wall Street Journal).

Don’t Bother Parsing Yet
With 24 States and a whole slew of polling data pouring in over the last few days it’s not worth trying to divine any certainty from the numbers. Yeah Barack Star has momentum but there’s way too much going on to be sure of the results. I’ll opt to wait for the dust to clear some time after midnight before I am willing to trust what I see.

Ron Paul Wins AK?
Can the this libertarian in GOP clothing pull off a lone primary win in Alaska? This seems to be his only even remote chance at wining a state.

Right Wing Radio Melts Down – Again.
When McCain wins big tonight I expect the sound of Republicans eating their own to fill the airwaves tomorrow. Rush, Hannity and company have been apoplectic over McCain’s appeal and if he puts Mitt down for the count tonight expect the shrieking to get louder.

Ohio Matters
They like me, they like me, they really like me.

If you believe the conventional wisdom (smart money?) then the democratic race will not be decided tonight. That means the good ol’ buckeye state will land a top spot on Tim Russert’s little white board when the March 4^th primary rolls around. It’s good to relevant.

Where to watch
Aside from the bountiful content available on the internets I plan to watch MSNBC. Chris Matthews can be hard to digest and Russert comes across as way too serious when paired with Keith O. but it works. CNN’s coverage is overly contrived and they still think Bill Bennet makes a good addition to their panel.

Record Setting Rudy

Rotten Rudy 2008 the presidential candidate may have dropped out of the race but not before accomplishing something of note.

As reported in the LA Times and carried by TPM Rudy spent an eye popping $48.8 million for his one prized delegate. Now that's sound fiscal management we could have used in the White House.

SCO: Hey This Home Rule Thing is Catchy

I was actually surprised when I heard about the Ohio Supreme Court's ruling in favor of traffic cameras. This case looked like it was going to be one the more contentious issues revolving around the rights of larger cities to implement the cameras. In the end the Court actually invoke the home rule provisions of the Ohio Constitution. Per the GONGWER report,

Justices said in a unanimous opinion that municipalities have the power under home rule to enact civil penalties for traffic signal light or speeding violations, provided the city does not alter statewide traffic regulations.

A ruling with some balance in it. The irony of course is that this centers around red light and speeding cameras. As important as the ruling was for cities like Akron and Cleveland it is likely to ruffle the feathers of citizens and state lawmakers alike.

Next up in the home rule show is the residency requirement. Are the rumors of residency requests untimely demise unfounded?