Law Students

What Are the Odds?

Posted on June 20, 2008
Ok, Obama fans, here's some McCain-panders-to-his-audience fodder for you.The predictable lede [is] bound to irk some on the right:Republican presidential John McCain assured Hispanic leaders he would push through Congress legislation to overhaul federal immigration laws if elected, several people who attended a private meeting with the candidate said Thursday...

Brooks on Obama

Posted on June 20, 2008
It starts "God Republicans are saps" and ends with this:I have to admit, I?m ambivalent watching all this. On the one hand, Obama did sell out the primary cause of his professional life, all for a tiny political advantage. If he?ll sell that out, what won?t he sell out? On the other hand, global affairs ain?t beanbag...

Obama apologizes to Muslim Women

Posted on June 20, 2008
Tuco posted here about the shameful incident involving two staffers who excluded Muslim women from a special seating area behind Obama because of their headscarves.I'm still pretty interested as to whether these staffers have been found, fired, or blacklisted for their racism...

Obama's New Ad

Posted on June 20, 2008
Here's your morning video:Notable for where it's not playing: Minnesota and New JerseyAnd for where it is: Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Virginia...

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Great Campaign Poster

Posted on June 20, 2008
Obamawitz. Very Clever.

The Love Guru

Posted on June 20, 2008
Mike Myers has turned so establishment that there's not much left of the guy who entertained us with So I Married An Axe Murderer.It's like Darth Vader in Episode 6. You can tell there's still good in him, but he's more machine than man now.His latest, The Guru, just got slammed by the NYT:To say that the movie is not funny is merely to affirm the obvious...

Another Barack-track

Posted on June 19, 2008
I wrote here about Obama's very troublesome backtrack (let's call them Barack-tracks) on Israel. Apparently the result of naivete, Obama has upset both Israelis and Palestinians regarding Jerusalem.And here's another backtrack, this time on NAFTA:"Sometimes during campaigns the rhetoric gets overheated and amplified," he conceded, after I reminded him that he had called NAFTA "devastating" and "a big mistake," despite nonpartisan studies concluding that the trade zone has had a mild, positive effect on the U...

Double Rainbow

Posted on June 19, 2008
As people left Tim Russert's memorial service at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts today, a Double Rainbow appeared in the sky.

Baracktrack Number 3

Posted on June 19, 2008
Obama opts out of public financing, after indicating last year, and this year, that he would agree with McCain to enter into the system.I actually think public financing of elections is a terrible idea, and commend Obama for raising money only from supporters who want to give to him...

Is Public Financing Broken?

Posted on June 19, 2008
Obama says "Yes."In a video distributed to his supporters, Obama justified his decision by declaring that "the public financing of presidential elections as it exists today is broken."Feingold says "No.""While the current public financing system for the presidential primaries is broken, the system for the general election is not...

The Consequences of Opting Out

Posted on June 19, 2008
AP slams Obama.Your Democratic colleagues (Feingold) call you out.Even left-leaning commentators acknowledge your lack of scruples.Actually, the truth is pretty plain, as almost all of the reports today will reflect. Barack Obama did not pursue aggressive negotiations with the McCain campaign over the public financing system for the general election...

"Profiling We Can Believe in"

Posted on June 18, 2008
Politico is reporting that two Michigan Muslim supporters of Obama were barred from sitting on the podium behind Barack in order to hide their headscarves from the cameras. The campaign has denied this, instead stating that head gear of any kind, including baseball caps, are not allowed in the special backdrop section, and any request to remove the head scarves was not motivated by concern over the supporters' religion...

Prelude to a Beatdown

Posted on June 18, 2008
If you think this is bad news for John McCain, try this one on for size:Florida: Obama edges McCain 47 - 43 percent; Ohio: Obama tops McCain 48 - 42 percent;Pennsylvania: Obama leads McCain 52 - 40 percent. And a new age dawns.

Cheney Interviewed By Walters

Posted on June 18, 2008
Cheney should have known better than to leave McCain in the same position Nixon left him in in 1976.Also of note, but unrelated: at the time of this interview, Barbara Walters was messing around with Senator Edward Brooke (R-MA).Hat Tip: Tuco

Obama's Terrorist Ties

Posted on June 18, 2008
A member of the Tennessee Democratic Executive Committee said, regarding Obama, that:I'm not sure we know enough about him. He's got some bad connections, and he may be terrorist connected for all I can tell. It sounds kind of like he may be.My first instinct, like this HuffPo post, was to sort of gasp and express surprise...

1968 Election -- Nixon over Humphrey

Posted on June 18, 2008
We forget how close the popular vote was in 1968 because Nixon won the Electoral College by a landslide over Humphrey.Here's your video for the night:And here's the map of the election. A little under 40 years ago. (Nixon wins Illinois, California, Vermont, Wisconsin)...

Eye Roll for Israel

Posted on June 18, 2008
Obama told an AIPAC meeting a few weeks ago that he wanted to see an "undivided" Jerusalem. That was big news to Jews and Zionists, who recognize the word "undivided" to mean that a future Palestinian state, if it comes into existence, won't have its capitol in East Jerusalem (such that West Jerusalem would remain in Israeli hands)...

Don't Count the Lakers Out

Posted on June 17, 2008
Down 3-2, the Lakers have their backs against the wall in Boston tomorrow night. And if they win tomorrow night, they have their backs against the wall *again* on Thursday, again in Boston.But does not that mean the series is over? Not so fast.Like weary partygoers who awaken at last call, the Lakers and their fans lifted their heads Sunday night and together offered one last howling toast to the improbable...

Taking Russert Down a Notch?

Posted on June 17, 2008
Slate likes to take the opposite position of the Conventional Wisdom.Generally, that's a very entertaining and interesting starting point for their articles.But on the subject of the death of a great journalist, I think it's a little unseemly to write this...

Kick this Vendor Out

Posted on June 17, 2008
Racist vendors at the Texas Republican State Convention:At the Republican state convention, a booth hosted by Republicanmarket was selling a pin Saturday that says: If Obama is President will we still call it the White House.I hope this vendor has no actual ties to the party other than buying a booth at the convention, but it's critical that the vendor be removed immediately and strictly monitored at future events.

Ohio Poll 50-39 for Obama

Posted on June 17, 2008
Bad news in this poll for McCain. He's losing 50-39 in Ohio.McCain can lose Ohio and still win if he flips New Hampshire and holds onto the rest of Bush's states.The problem is that that probably won't happen. McCain's going to have a terrible time holding onto Iowa, where Obama got his primary boost back in January...

Totally *Do* Count the Lakers Out

Posted on June 17, 2008
Sorry, yesterday when I said don't count the Lakers out, I was incorrect. Go ahread and count them out.They're down by 23 at the half.

I Just Solved the Most Troubling Problem of Our Times

Posted on June 16, 2008
You long time readers know I get songs stuck in my head pretty frequently. Here's my experience with Neil Young, and here's the Jane's Addiction addiction.But I just solved the problem of earworm for our generation.I start with two premises:1. When a song becomes stuck in your head, you can usually push it out by putting a DIFFERENT song in your head...

Another Hillary E-Mail

Posted on June 16, 2008
Just got an e-mail from Hillary with a photo album from the campaign.I hope you'll take a moment to view our online album with some favorite photos from the campaign. Thank you so much -- I'll be in touch soon. Nice enough. But what was linked within the e-mail? A big "CONTRIBUTE" button...

"Yes We Can" Wins Emmy

Posted on June 16, 2008
The Will.i.am video won an emmy for "New Approaches in Daytime Entertainment."Uh, it's not clear why the video counts as "daytime" entertainment.But it *is* evidence that Obama doesn't want to just win the White House. He and his supporters will stop at nothing until they have the Oscar for Best Picture, the most improved little league player award for 1996-97, and the trophy for winning RedBook's annual best chili competition...

Hard to Run Away From Your Brother

Posted on June 16, 2008
McCain has a tough enough time dealing with Bush fatigue.But Bush mentioning his brother, Jeb, as a possible presidential candidate, certainly sounds like a pipedream right now.And I can hear Jeb saying here, George, I'm begging you, please don't mention my name as a possible candidate right now...

Obama Hires Solis Doyle

Posted on June 16, 2008
Obama has named Patti Solis Doyle the Chief of Staff to whomever his future Vice Presidential running mate may be.Solis Doyle was fired by Clinton back in February, in the string of those 12 primary losses in a row."'Who can blame Obama for rewarding Patti? He would never be the nominee without her,? one person who has worked for both Clintons and remains close to them said...

Russert's Last Interview

Posted on June 13, 2008
This morning.Msnbc: Do you think Lindsey Graham might be on the ticket with John McCain?Russert: I think he?s on the list. South Carolina is a solid state, but McCain really likes his passion and his ability to be on the attack against the Democrats on these foreign policy issues...

Tim Russert, Class Act

Posted on June 13, 2008
I am so sad. Tim Russert, 58, has passed away.In the competition for the political commentator who embarrasses himself most, Ezra Klein goes up a notch.Also, Tim Russert's dad apparently survives him. So damn sad.

Mark It Down, Redux: My Prediction for the 2008 Presidential Election

Posted on June 12, 2008
I'm predicting McCain, by the slimmest of margins.Looking to the states that were decided by 5 percent or less back in 2004, I say ...Obama picks up Colorado, Oregon, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire.McCain, meanwhile, takes New Mexico, Ohio, Missori, Iowa, and Florida...

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