The DNC's Not Getting My Money

Clearly, they don't deserve it.

The Democratic National Committee takes another hit today. The Washington Blade has obtained a copy of DNC Chief of Staff Leah Daughtry’s deposition in the ongoing discrimination discovery hearings.

When asked about whether she supports gay marriage, Daughtry replied that she does not. The Pentecostal minister turned politico goes on to explain that same-sex nuptials go against her personal beliefs: “I believe, as the church believes, that marriage is intended for one man and one woman.” Daughtry goes on to insist that she keeps her religious beliefs separate from her duties at the DNC: “People know that I am a reverend but it is completely separate from the work at the DNC.”

The Blade also points out that Daughtry objected to requisite gay delegates because we haven’t faced “historic discrimination at the voting booth”. Girl must not remember all those anti-gay marriage initiatives.

Mind you, she's the Chief of Staff of the DNC... and has Howard Dean's full support.

Yo, Howard... love the 50 state plan... hate the homophobia.

Now That John's Out

I don't feel there's a voice for people like me - people who think corporate influence is too great and that people who work hard every day ought to be justly rewarded, regardless of whether they're a janitor or a CEO.

Obama's message is downright repulsive, in my view, because the US is never going to be hippy-dippy, let's-sing-kumbayah Purple America. The Republican Leadership just doesn't work like that. They'll obstruct, block and play to the greater devils of people's nature as they climb back to a majority status sooner or later, as they paint the Democrats as do nothing Democrats - even if it won't be true. The window to create important change through a super majority is almost always small, and only comes from the type of bold leadership that rejects the fundamental notions of our opponents. Someone who stumps on how we need to reform social security now isn't the kind of person who'll do anything to create an actual, long-lasting progressive movement.

I went from not being excited about any of the candidates a few months ago, to being heart broken John Edwards isn't at least carrying on his message through Super Tsunami Tuesday. Can I actually, in good conscience, vote for Hillary? I don't think so... and there's less than a week to decide. Ryan's not a happy camper.

Bail Out the MBTA, Already

I'm sick of reading stories like this. The MBTA provides a required service for the state of Massachusetts. Without the T, the city of Boston's ability to be a financial leader in the world is over in one breath. If Beacon Hill's worried that cutting corporate loopholes could lose jobs, imagine what all this MBTA crap is doing? People need to stop thinking of the MBTA as a bottom line - and start thinking of it in terms of its importance to society.

Unfortunately, the state burdened it with debt that the T shouldn't be required to pay - debt that's causing the MBTA to do stupid things, like raise rates astronomically in a short time, and now, apparently, do the same thing that's currently caused thousands of people to foreclose on their homes in the Bay State alone (take bad debt). Of course, the MBTA needs better management, but when someone's already in a 6 foot hole, no matter what they do, they're not going to be able to dig out of it.

Florida's Delegates

Anyone else having buyer's remorse over the delegate situation in Florida? The national party was right to penalize the state party for jumping their primary forward as it did, but on the other hand is it really appropriate to completely take away the voice of voters on an election day?

While party politics is different than actual elections, they don't call it the Democratic Party for nothing. Obviously, Ryan's Take is not to prod Hillary closer to actually winning this thing, but a full majority of Florida's Democratic voters felt that way. Should the party really be in the business of telling them otherwise - of party-sponsored voter disenfranchisement? Regular Democrats, after all, had absolutely no control over the state party's decision.

This could be the first time it's ever been uttered on this blog, but perhaps here's one instance where the Republicans had it right: penalize Florida by stripping them of half their delegates. Or, better yet, strip the state of it's Super Delegates - the people who actually pushed moving the primary up - but let the people still have their just votes. Either way, it's a stiff punishment that sends a message to state parties everywhere, yet still honors the will of Florida's voters. Anyone feel differently?

Ted's Obama Speech

I have to say I was excited to see the decency and respect that ABC News with Charles Gibson gave on Kennedy's speech and endorsement for Obama. If anyone didn't catch it, it's worth watching. I guess I'm so used to seeing the media dis Kennedy on a regular basis, that I was mildly surprised they gave him the respect and honor he deserves as perhaps this party's true Elder Spokesman - and a guy who's truly fought for the middle and working class all his life. The speech itself was rousing and grand, just as any Kennedy speech is prone to be, showing once again that Teddy is as good a speaker as any politician out there.

It's only too bad the media wasn't paying as much attention to Kennedy's criticism of the Iraq invasion before it happened as they did Obama's endorsement, because maybe it would have helped rally the nation to oppose the war before a single life was lost. Unfortunately, that's all bloody water under the bridge.

I'm still not going to vote for Obama for reasons I've made quite clear on this blog, but I hope the Senator is at least competitive in this state. He's been endorsed by the Big 3 - Senators Kerry, Kennedy and the Governor - and I respect all of them. I'd hate to see the projected Hillary landslide in the Bay State that most polls are suggesting, but unfortunately that's probably going to be what happens. Still, though, that shouldn't reflect poorly on any of the Big 3 at all - only the media still pretends that endorsements sway voters.

Scary Polling Data

There was some real scary polling data on MSNBC's Countdown last night. Keith Olbermann talked about a poll MSNBC commissioned, featuring the two top democrats versus McCain. Nationally, Obama vs. McCain was a 42-42 tie, while Hillary actually lost to McCain by about 2% (I think it was 44-46). As mentioned Wednesday, the two don't even fair well against McCain in Massachusetts! Hillary, in the Bay State SUSA poll, beat McCain by about 4% - Obama actually lost to McCain by a whopping 5% (a 9% swing in this state, compared to Hillary's number).

Now, polls are only a snapshot in time and there'd be plenty of moons for the two to shore up the Commonwealth, but if either candidate actually had to defend a state like Massachusetts from a Republican, it doesn't bode well for the rest of the country.

In fact, there's only two reasonable deductions to make from the MSNBC poll: we all need to hope John Edwards can actually make a race of this, as he's the only one who consistently defeats McCain in national polls. Secondly, let's all pray the Christian Right does the stupid right thing and helps the Grand Old Party nominate Willabee (either Willard or Huckabee, better yet - a ticket!). It'll be the Republican version of nominating McGovern - and they're actually stupid enough to be doing their best to make it happen (Romney's starting to take the lead in Florida). Otherwise, the prospects of McCain versus either Hillary or Obama is an utter nightmare few should dare to dream.

Romney Did Well in Last Night's Debate...

And who wouldn't, when you have someone to whisper you the answers?



Now, I'm not an expert on video technology, but if that's real, that's damning.

Eek!

This doesn't bode well for Obama: in Massachusetts, Barack Obama would lose to John McCain. MASSACHUSETTS! As I've said over at BMG a few times, and perhaps here, Clinton outperforms Obama among Democrats, while Obama has relied on Independents to overcome the fact that he loses the Democratic vote to his rivals. Clearly, I'm not alone in thinking Obama isn't exactly a proud Democrat - he turns off a lot of voters, even more so than Hillary.

In what shouldn't exactly be the shocker of shockers, given the previous two sentences, Barack Obama doesn't fare well against John McCain, who also appeals to Independents. In the poll, Hillary beat McCain by a 4% margin. Obama would lose by 5% - that's a 9% swing, folks. Glaringly missing in the survey is the fact that John Edwards isn't included. However, in matchups from other surveys, John Edwards consistently performs best among Democrats versus John McCain.

For years on this blog, I've been telling people to not vote based on their gut feelings of who they think is most electable. Barack Obama may appeal toward broader coalitions in Democratic Primaries, but those people clearly don't necessarily follow him over to the general election. They also don't vote as much. We can't take chances in '08, so people ought to be very careful about voting for Obama. He's not the best candidate out there by any measure.

Hat tip to Susan at Below Boston, who's the best Mass Blogger on the POTUS scene.

Update: Here's one of the reasons why I say Susan's election coverage has been the best. Read her comment on that blog, too.

Casinos Are Just Swell in Detroit...

Or not.

Dan Kennedy beat me to the punch, but there's a very important article in today's Herald (imagine that!) on casinos - titled Busted.

“There were a lot of promises made in terms of how the economy would improve and jobs, jobs, jobs,” Watson said. “But the circumstances in the aftermath of the casinos has been ‘Lord have mercy.’ The ballyhooed promise of prosperity has not occurred.”

Patrick’s controversial plan for two commercially operated casinos and one Indian gaming hall has been a reality in Detroit since voters legalized gambling more than a decade ago.

Oh - and I think I've talked about this phenominon on my blog before...

Detroit City Councilor JoAnn Watson said the casinos have “created social and economic devastation” that has led to 20 percent of the city’s small businesses going “belly up.”

You Go, Marc Solomon

MassEquality's rearing to go. Here's a blurb from an email they sent me today - their official '08 agenda.

• Our LGBT young people continue to be short-changed by the state in funding for safe schools and suicide prevention programs.
• Our seniors often feel the need to re-closet themselves when they enter nursing homes, fearing backlash and rejection.
• Our transgender brothers and sisters can still be fired from their jobs simply because of who they are.
• The rate of HIV infection for our young people is growing dramatically, particularly among people of color.

Don't forget to take action.

Oratory Skillz: Obama or Patrick?

Here's a fun conversation. I think Deval's the better speaker, more fiery and direct. Others love Obama. I'm curious what my readers think - Afertig posted a comparison, but feel free to poke around on Youtube and have some fun with it.

A Lesson in Commenting

Know even a little bit about what you're talking about, before you spew crap and get called on it, or it won't look pretty.

Oh, and telling people to "grow up" and abandon all the principals of democracy in the process isn't a good start, either. In a Democracy, no one is above the people. Every elected official is fair game and accountable to the public - and that's the way it should be.

Edwards Gets It

Compare this to Barack Obama.

The Gazette Journal endorsed Obama for the Democratic caucuses saying he "demonstrates the courage to stand his ground where necessary, willing for instance, to salute both President John Kennedy and President Ronald Reagan as agents of change in times when the country needed change."

Edwards got this crowd of between 200 and 300 people to rise to its feet by criticizing Obama. Edwards said Reagan "openly fought against the union and the organized labor movement in this country." Edwards said Reagan did "extraordinary
damage to the middle class and working people. . . . Extraordinary damage to the environment."

Edwards closed the attack by saying: "I can promise you this: This president will never use Ronald Reagan as an example for change."

While I've realized for months now that John Edwards gets it, it's only recently becoming clear that I have to work a lot harder to make sure Barack Obama doesn't win. We can't let this Reagan mythology continue, it's just not good for the country. America would be a far better place if Ronald Reagan was never its president.

My, How the Winds are Changing...

Good news all around.

After years of study, Hull officials are now seeking approval of state environmental regulators to install four wind turbines, each about 430 feet high, in ocean waters about a mile and a half east of Nantasket Beach.

Ian A. Bowles, the state secretary of energy and environmental affairs and a wind-power advocate, could approve the project as soon as Feb. 6 or order further environmental studies.

There's almost no resistance to Hull's proposal because, guess what, wind turbines make complete sense. Hull will be the first town in Massachusetts to power their entire town by wind-powered renewable energy.

Note Hull has a municipal electric company, something that has given Hull much more flexibility in deciding how it'll create it's electricity. Other towns with a municipal system have been aggressive in trying to create wind turbines, such as Rowley and Princeton, which is replacing their 1980s era wind turbines soon. I'm guessing these coincidences probably aren't really coincidences at all (never mind the fact that municipal electric companies tend to be much cheaper than buying private power).

Anyone keeping score? Cape Wind passed its biggest hurdle, while towns like Hull and Princeton are showing true leadership in regards to renewable energy. Meanwhile, the state's second large wind farm, the Dartmouth/Mattapoisett project, will hopefully soon follow Cape Wind's suit. Maybe Massachusetts will meet its renewable energy goals after all. Lets hope all these green projects - and many more - are built as quick as humanly possible.

Obama Can't Be Allowed to Win

This says it all:



Yikes. Listen to the whole thing - it's not long and is what I'd describe as a "train wreck."

At least some people get it.

Here's a hat tip.

My vote's going to John Edwards, but if I don't think he has a snow ball's chance in hell of winning come February 5th, I hate to say this, but I'll vote for Hillary. I'd rather vote for someone who refused to apologize for a very bad vote (Iraq) than someone who thinks Ronald Reagan 'got it.'

Talk About Bad Taste

The Boston Globe wants you to vote on which celebs you think are dead and which ones are alive.

And people wonder why I like to criticize the "Paper of Record."

Grow a Spine, Governor Patrick

I worked damn hard to get Governor Patrick elected, only to see him become a completely different Governor than he was a candidate. This is not acceptable.

Governor Deval Patrick will propose a gradual reduction in the state's corporate tax rate from 9.5 percent to 8.3 percent when he unveils his budget next week, a bid to win business support and jumpstart his stalled plan to tighten what he calls corporate tax loopholes, administration sources said.

As the Governor well knows, Massachusetts corporations and large businesses enjoy some of the lowest taxes in the country. We have tax policy that results in companies like Walmart costing us more money than we tax them. If I wanted a Governor who would cut corporate taxes, I would have voted for Kerry Healey.

It would have been nice to see Governor Patrick grow a coalition in the legislature to co-opt DiMasi's power, but instead we've only seen him introduce new policy after new policy, without the perseverance to stick with one. Now, we're seeing him bow down before DiMasi and plea for his proposals to pass, to the point where he'd actually give corporations a tax cut when our state faces a $1 billion dollar deficit. Like I said, this is not acceptable.

At the very least, if the Governor can't build coalitions, it would be nice if he had the guts to publicly spar with the Speaker, even if it meant shutting Government down. If that's what it would take to pass corporate tax loophole cuts and the Municipal Partnership Act, so be it. A huge percentage of the state would have enthusiastically supported him - and it certainly would have awoken the beast that was his army.

Yet, between his corporate tax cut proposal and casinos, I'm not sure if there's very many in his army left. He's supporting policies that are anathema to his base - why continue to support the home if it doesn't fit the foundation? Faith in the governor is quickly evaporating, like rain in the desert. Three years from now, Governor Patrick's seat is going to open up. If he continues along this path, Massachusetts will be welcoming Governor Charlie Baker. Sadly, at the rate things are going, I'm not sure if that's actually a bad thing.

Yo, Leg. We have a Deficit!

Usually, when there's a deficit, the government tries to do something about it. It would be nice if Beacon Hill got the memo. The first thing the leg should do is pass the Municipal Partnership Act, which would directly help cities and towns deal with whatever cuts could be facing them. It would also give them the additional funds they need to help firewall our schools and town services from the scary R word that's been floating around recently (Recession). Next, the state needs to end the unnecessary, unfair and improper tax loopholes that result in companies like Walmart actually costing this state more than we tax them. Then, unfortunately, the hard part begins - addressing health care affordability. However, it would be nice to know that at least we could come to the easy decisions fast, right? After all, the cities, towns and people of Massachusetts depend on it.

It's time to get on the phone to Beacon Hill and do something about it.

Barack "Hussein" Obama

If anyone ever hears someone refer to Barack Obama as "Barack Hussein Obama," there's about a 99% chance you should just stop listening to everything they have to say. I just read an email that's the worst kind of whisper campaign, trying to suggest Barack Obama is essentially a radical Wahhabi Muslim who's partaking in a conspiracy to take over America from the inside. Paranoia much?

Think those kinds of emails are trivial? My poor aunt was utterly shocked when she read it. She couldn't believe what it had to say and had to send me the email to get my expert opinion (ha!). She even called my phone to get my email address. Barack Obama isn't trying to lead a Muslim revolution in America.

Ryan's Take isn't for people to actually vote for Barack Obama on February 5th, but that's because Obama's stump speech pisses me off, not because Obama was raised Muslim until his first or second year on this Earth. Nor does it have anything to do with the fact that, for the rest of his life, Obama's been a practicing Christian. As if any of that actually mattered.

Religion shouldn't come into play in this election. Even people who refer to Mitt Romney's religion as "crazy" often bother me. Sure, they have magic underwear, but is that any more different than a priest's stole? Mormonism is certainly different than most of Christianity, but it's not any weirder. Barack's no more trying to take over America for Muslims as Mitt Romney is for Mormons. What we, as voters, need to pay attention to is the policies and goals of all the candidates. In both cases, Romney and Obama aren't up to par - which is why neither ought to be our next President.

Note: I created a new tag for this post. "Dirty Politics." Whisper campaigns are the worst kind.

Civilization Standing, Vermont Moves Foward

Since civilization's still standing in Vermont, debate on marriage equality is now noticeably more tame as the state moves toward becoming the second in the union to legalize marriage equality.

Perhaps, when Vermont makes the move over the next year or two, it won't even be headline news. Two people falling in love and getting married is no longer any big deal.

Hooray!

Cape Wind passed a major hurdle today. For those who don't know, Cape Wind helped this blogger decide Ryan's Take should primarily be a state blog, not based on some other premise. It's important that Cape Wind be built, sooner rather than later. It's even more important that the rest of the state follow suit.

Renewable Energy is here, today - affordable and ready to implement. We need to make sure this industry grows in Massachusetts and that this state becomes an international leader in confronting Global Warming. The climate tipping point quickly approaches, so it's good to know the Bay State is one step closer to making sure the Mass Bay won't be expanding any time soon.

We Live in a Beautiful World

While I know most Americans just don't have the time to become experts in particular policy areas, can't we at least educate ourselves on issues before we go off on tirades about them? Can't we at least resist bigotry when practicing apathy?

I'm speaking specifically about Patrick's decision to allow undocumented immigrants into Mass public colleges with in-state tuition, if they're seeking to become citizens.

It's been statistically shown that there would be such a small number of students - 20 per state school - that it would have no impact on student placement or educational quality. Furthermore, because schools wouldn't have to hire additional staff to account for a measly 20 students among thousands and thousands, it would actually be a net-positive revenue situation. That's why our state schools support the plan.

Yet, regular folks don't know any of that, because they can't read past the "Patrick to Give Undocumented Immigrants In-State Tuition" headline. Of course, the MSM does little to actually make the populace aware, all the while America continues it's history of bigotry and spite toward immigrants.

Did I ever mention that one of my favorite songs is Coldplay's "Beautiful World?" Somehow this belongs here.

Bones are sinking like stones
All that we fall for
Homes places we've grown
All of us are done for

And we live in a beautiful world (yeah we do yeah we do)
We live in a beautiful world

Oh all that I know is nothing to run from
Cause yeah everybody here got's somebody to lean on

Keller Cackles Antagonistic Sympathies

Anyone else a little suspicious when Jon Keller tries to give Democrats good advice? Ah, that concern trolling, it's one of Rightwingtopia's favorite hobbies. Apparently, Obama's New Hampshire loss wasn't his worst day, it was the day when John Kerry officially endorsed him. Anything you say, Jon.

This reminds me of a favorite movie scene: When the Wicked Witch of the West exploded onto the scene in Munckinland, Glinda told her, "you have no power here, be gone." If only Wicked Witches would listen to such sage advice.

My God Was That a Fun Night

Here's why NH tonight was great: no matter who's nominated in the Democratic Party, they're going to have to go through a much longer vetting process. My heart's in Edwards's camp, but I can't deny being a little excited seeing Obama go down. I'll tell you, even though I disagree with Democratic Party members very frequently, I'm a loyalist at heart: a movement needs a party and the Democratic one is the only one we've got. That's why I have such a hard time stomaching Obama's message. Sure, Deval Patrick spoke about reaching across partisan lines when he was getting elected, but it was never as important to his stump as it has been for Obama - and all Patrick's 'reaching across' to other interests, so far, have been exactly the sort of interests that really make me sick to my stomach.

So, here we are. Hillary won New Hampshire, pulling off what's probably one of the biggest political upsets I've ever seen. Now, we're heading for a long and drawn out primary season, just like the Republicans. It's a good day for Democracy.

NH Primary Thoughts Live!

Mike, Lynne and I are holding a very special LeftAhead podcast today at 2:30, focusing on the NH primary. We'll be live and fired up.

Among my LeftAhead topics:

• My support for Edwards has only grown. If I thought writing endorsements actually helped, there'd be a Ryan's Take "I [Heart] Edwards" post. Luckily, I know endorsement posts are next to useless, especially in a Democratic primary, so no one will have to pretend to read it. Suffice it to say, I want a fiery POTUS who gets what's wrong with DC (lobbyist money) and that guy has been John Edwards for almost this entire campaign.
• There's little that's pissed me off in this race more than Barack Obama. (Memo for Obama: you'll never, in a million years, bring the Republican Party to the bargaining table. With their Authoritarian Minds, compromise is only a sign of weakness. We don't need less partisanship; we need to keep the DINO Dems in line.)
• I've never liked Hillary more. I don't care what the pundits say, Hillary getting a little weak in the voice yesterday was one of her finest moments ever. For the first time, we genuinely know why she's in this race: she actually wants to improve America. If only she had the right vision, I'd switch my support. At this point, I'd much prefer Hillary to Obama. A Moderate Democrat is better than a Defeatist Democrat any day of the week.
• Frack "Change." If I hear that word one more time, my ears will bleed. Pundits, candidates - will it ever stop? Has there ever been a campaign theme that's been more vague and intangible? Worst. Concept. Ever. Hillary, Edwards (and Romney, for that matter), need to get off the bandwagon ASAP. All Hillary, Edwards and Romney have done for the past few days is sell Obama's message. Talking about a meaningless "change" is a sure-fire way to get Obama nominated by February 5th, in a breeze.

Beacon Hill's Worse, Not Better

When Deval Patrick came into office, he promised to bring change to Beacon Hill, but unfortunately that change has yet to come. All there is so far is more of the same, no matter what Adrian Walker thinks. Deval's very good ideas - the Municipal Partnership Act and cutting corporate tax loopholes - were never followed through on, while his terrible idea - casinos - is recieving the Governor's full support, complete with dirty tactics to succeed (so much for the Politics of Hope). Walker blames the legislature for Deval Patrick's problems - and, of course, that body deserves a lot of the blame. However, Patrick's decision to skip along to new ideas, when his good ideas were at first resisted by the legislature, represents more of the same, not the change the grassroots expected from Candidate Deval.

The grassroots is hard work - work that the Governor must become patient enough to engage in, lest his best speeches truly become "just words." Cozying up to the casino lobby may make things easier to pass, but it just doesn't represent the good governing we all are even still hoping for. When record numbers of people came out to vote for Governor Patrick, we truly expected something revolutionary. No matter how anyone looks at casinos, it represents absolutely none of the change Candidate Deval promised to bring to Beacon Hill - yet he's trying to bring it anyway and willing to engage in the kind of sleazy tactics to make it happen that he railed against as a candidate.

Why are Governor Patrick's casino tactics so sleazy? Well, let's count the ways.

1. Deval Patrick wants to include fiscal data without allowing for the proper vetting process. There hasn't even been an official hearing which could approve or reject the Governor's proposal yet. Despite what Walker thinks, a slow process or a lack of debate isn't an excuse this time - this process has been as fast as possible, with plenty of spirited debate.
   
2. At the (sham) hearing Governor Patrick went to speak at, held by a committee that isn't involved in the approval process of the bill, Patrick's aides said over and over again that licensing fees shouldn't be used in the general fund, because they're one time funds. According to Patrick's own administration, the funds should only be used for 1-time projects. Now Patrick wants to include the revenue in his budget proposal?
   
3. Let's get this straight: Governor Patrick is willing to ignore his own aides, screw the centuries-old legislative process and skip right to approval? This is something Patrick's supporters would expect from Mitt Romney, not the progressive champion Candidate Deval claimed to be.

Does the Governor think himself above the legislative process? Is he better than the Massachusetts Constitution, which established the way our government works? The legislative process, ingrained in that constitution, not only allows for vetting projects, it demands it. Will we ever get the man we were promised on election day? Many still hope Candidate Deval will reemerge from wherever he's been kept away, replacing this man behind the mask who could never have given hope to thousands with "just words." At the end of the day, Candidate Deval was about more than just words; he was about decency and conviction, the traits that gave him the ability to move mountains. Without the positive traits that drove the Patrick campaign, Governor Patrick is no different than anyone else who's occupied the Corner Office recently. Yet, the fact that Governor Patrick has so far failed to deliver on the promise of Candidate Patrick truly leaves a bad taste that didn't even exist when Romney was in charge.

Barack Obama: Practically Perfect in Every Way

When I was a kid, I absolutely, positively loved Mary Poppins. Along with Lady and the Tramp, Cinderella and a few other timeless classics, there was rarely a weekend that went by when I didn't watch one of those movies at least once or twice. However, at some point after my Step Mother actually had to buy a second copy of the movie, since the first wore out, I stopped watching it - until recently, when it was on TV. I figured, for old time's sake, I'd watch it again - and so I did. However, this time it wasn't nearly as good as I remembered it. It's funny, sometimes things can seem different than how you remembered it. For the first time ever, I realized that Mary Poppins may be nearly perfect in every way, but that doesn't mean I like her anymore for it. I'm beginning to feel that way about Barack Obama.

Like Mary Poppins, he's come out of nowhere, just without the talking, flying umbrella. Only a few years ago, he was a state legislator who couldn't get into the US Congress. He won an easy US Senate race, where his chief opponent was forced to leave the race early due to scandal. His eventual opponent, Alan Keyes, was no real opponent at all.

Like Mary Poppins, we barely know anything about him. Sure, Mary had Burt and Barack has Oprah, but does that really tell us anything about who they are? Barack's talking about change, but change for what? He says we need to unify the country, that we need Democrats and Republicans working together, but are these really problems? At least, are they problems we can solve? Barack Obama isn't going to be able to change conservatives - their inability to work for nonpartisan or bipartisan solutions is ingrained in their brains (and that's only the quickest link I could find). They strive for partisanship; working together is a sign of weakness to them.

The Democrats, on the other hand, haven't been partisan enough. Whether it's war funding or telecom immunity, too many Democrats have been willing to be 'bipartisan' and hand over all the loot - including this country's constitution - as if the Republicans were robbing a bank. Barack Obama thinks we haven't given away enough to that lot- as if the Republicans have given us any indication that they're capable of being reasonable in office. Obama either doesn't get it or is ignoring the problem, more interested in fancy slogans.

Either way, Barack Obama seems too perfect. He's proven to be too afraid to appeal to the real change this country needs (a true progressive vision), all in favor of capturing the low-information voters interested in an undefined "change," even if nothing Obama has advocated for represents anything revolutionary. When I was a kid who loved Mary Poppins, I fell in love with the message and spirit of things - and I still do. However, it's no longer enough to talk about change, there has to be something behind supercalifragelisticexpicalidocious, specifics that act as the change the campaign claims to represent. Otherwise, the whole campaign message sounds too much like a Spoonful of Sugar, forcing a most unnecessary medicine down.

Last Night's Late Night Too Funny

Last night's late night shows were all too funny without the writers. While some people scoffed at the late night shows coming back before the writers did, others suggested that it was the best thing possible for the striking writers - and they were right: there's no better encouragement for NBC to sign on to a new deal than Jay Leno unscripted. Viewers were gifted with the special treat of a Jay Leno 'free for all' where he (get this) took real questions from the audience. 'Hey Jay, would you ever do a show for me in Missouri?' 'Hey Jay, do you ever think you'll go to Daytona Beach?' Yes, these were the questions audience members were asking - and, I'm sure, the same questions that had producers crying.

Conan O'Brien's show wasn't nearly as bad. He was actually quite funny, but that's only because he has something Jay Leno lacks (talent). However, it's clear that the "man, this is delicious water" jokes can only go too far, as he was literally boasting toward the audience about how he was going to be wasting time, without his writers. It won't be funny again either tonight or tomorrow. Nor will Conan's efforts to spin his wedding ring on his desk, seeing how long he can make it go before it falls (38 seconds and 28 seconds each - and, yes, viewers got to see him do it twice.) We also got to see Conan with a beard, not shaving in solidarity with his writers - and spending about 5 minutes of the show's time talking his fire-red facial fur. As much as I think Conan O'Brien is a comic genius, it's clear his show can't last the test of time without his team of talented writers.

Further complicating matters is the fact that David Letterman has his own production company, which operates the show. Therefore, he was able to negotiate his own deal with the writers. That means Letterman's show won't completely suck - at least, any more than he usually does - which spells certain doom for at least Jay Leno. NBC, if it would like to maintain it's Late Night ratings edge, may want to think fast about how many more Jay Leno Audience Question Times it wants before it drags on this strike any longer than it already has been. If one of the major networks signs on to the writers' deal, then the rest will too, lest they have no original content while the other stations are producing Emmy-winning fresh episodes. The writers aren't asking for much and deserve high compensation for their work; it's clear that even the most talented actors and hosts can't keep up entertaining shows without their entertaining writers, never mind the Jay Lenos of the world.

Mike Huckabee Dot Com

For 30 seconds of fun, go check out Huckabee's website. For something extra special , do glance through Huckabee 101, on the main page (you don't have to click anything to get to it). His "grassroots goal" is to collect $200,000 by midnight, January 4th. Rather conservative, right?

Errr.... not so much. I'm almost shocked Huckabee 101 is still on the front page of his website, because Campaign 101 teaches not to put stupid things on the front page of your website. Out of Huckabee's $200,000 goal, he's so far achieved $30,961.09 of it. That's a whopping 15.5% of his goal (I'm rounding up). Woot!

To put that in perspective, any of the top three Democratic candidates can sneeze more grassroots support than that.

A Little Perspective

We may be witnessing some serious Iowa madness, but at least we don't live here.

For more on what's going to happen in Iowa tomorrow, click here. For more on avoiding the apocolypse or something, click here.

One Way to Pay for Mass Health Care...

Create exorbitant penalties! Woot! Now, not only have we failed to accomplish our goal (to get more people insured), but we're penalizing the people who can't really afford to buy it.

Penalties for Massachusetts residents who can afford health insurance but do not purchase it in 2008 could quadruple compared with the maximum penalty in 2007, according to draft regulations released by the Department of Revenue yesterday.

Call me cynical again, but I doubt it's a coincidence that we're facing a huge shortfall on the health care bill and the state is contemplating quadrupling next year's penalties for those who don't buy it. What better way to pay ourselves out of this mess than kicking people when they're down?

The question becomes, of course, what is Massachusetts going to do about health care costs? Using the current model, HMOs are only all-too-happy to provide "cheap" insurance options that are still too expensive for tens of thousands of residents. Furthermore, despite the great cost, the "cheap" options come at great expense: stratospheric deductibles, lousy care and a maximum payout of 50-100k, which isn't going to help much if someone comes down with something like cancer. (Not to mention annoying Blue Cross/Blue Shield commercials every 45 seconds.)

If the state is serious about fixing health care in Massachusetts, we can't wait to reform this mess. With slimy HMO tentacles smothering and clinging their every inch on our every attempt at health care reform, I'd say our current efforts at fixing the state's health care problems are quickly nearing FUBAR. The first thing I'd suggest the state do, instead of having a "personal mandate," is to create an actual mandate: create a public option. Then give people a choice - either they get private insurance or public insurance. For those who don't get private insurance, automatically sign them up for the public option - and create a fair rate given personal income. Also, make sure employers are paying their fair share when they don't offer private options. There. Done. Fixed.

We can create health care that people can afford - and that won't make this state go bankrupt. It shouldn't cost people who don't have insurance upwards of a thousand dollars a year, all the while continuing to prevent them from having affordable health care. That's the kind of policy that just doesn't make sense. But until we make Beacon Hill willing to take on employers and the health care lobby, nothing's going to get fixed and we'll continue to see scary headlines like today's: a New Year indeed.