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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/13/AR2008051302719.html
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https://web.archive.org/web/2008051519id_/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/13/AR2008051302719.html
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Phobia at the Gates
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2008051519
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Twelve countries ban HIV-positive visitors, nonimmigrants and immigrants from their territory: Armenia, Brunei, Iraq, Libya, Moldova, Oman, Qatar, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sudan and . . . the United States. China recently acted to remove its ban on HIV-positive visitors because it feared embarrassment ahead of the Olympics. But America's ban remains.
It seems unthinkable that the country that has been the most generous in helping people with HIV should legally ban all non-Americans who are HIV-positive. But it's true: The leading center of public and private HIV research discriminates against those with HIV.
HIV is the only medical condition permanently designated in law -- in the Immigration and Nationality Act -- as grounds for inadmissibility to the United States. Even leprosy and tuberculosis are left to the discretion of the secretary of health and human services.
The ban can be traced to the panic that dominated discussion of the human immunodeficiency virus two decades ago. The ban was the brainchild of Sen. Jesse Helms (who came to regret his initial hostility toward people with HIV and AIDS). President George H.W. Bush sought to drop the ban, but in 1993, after a scare about Haitian refugees, Congress wrote it into law.
I remember that year particularly because it was when I, a legal immigrant, became infected. With great lawyers, a rare O visa (granted to individuals in the arts and sciences), a government-granted HIV waiver and thousands of dollars in legal fees, I have managed to stay in the United States. Nonetheless, because I am HIV-positive, I am not eligible to become a permanent resident. Each year I have to leave the country and reapply for an HIV waiver to reenter. I have lived in the United States for almost a quarter-century, have paid taxes, gotten married and built a life here -- but because of HIV, I am always vulnerable to being forced to leave for good. After a while, the stress of such insecurity gnaws away at your family and health.
I am among the most privileged non-Americans with HIV. Others live in fear of being exposed; many have to hide their medications when entering the country for fear of being discovered by customs or immigration. Couples have been split up and torn apart. International conferences on HIV and AIDS have long avoided meeting in the United States because of the ban, which violates U.N. standards for member states.
This law has lasted so long because no domestic constituency lobbies for its repeal. Immigrants or visitors with HIV are often too afraid to speak up. The ban itself is also largely unenforceable -- it's impossible to take blood from all those coming to America, hold them until the results come through and then deport those who test positive. Enforcement occurs primarily when immigrants volunteer their HIV status -- as I have -- or apply for permanent residence. The result is not any actual prevention of HIV coming into the United States but discrimination against otherwise legal immigrants who are HIV-positive.
Would treating HIV like any other medical condition cost the United States if such visitors or immigrants at some point became public dependents? It's possible -- but all legal immigrants and their sponsors are required to prove that they can provide their own health insurance for at least 10 years after being admitted. Making private health insurance a condition of visiting or immigrating with HIV prevents any serious government costs, and the tax dollars that would be contributed by many of the otherwise qualified immigrants would be a net gain for the government -- by some estimates, in the tens of millions of dollars.
In the end, though, removing the ban is not about money. It's a statement that the United States does not discriminate against people with HIV and does not retain the phobias of the past. That's why repeal has been supported by a bipartisan group of senators, including Republicans Gordon Smith and Richard Lugar and Democrats John Kerry and Barack Obama, in an amendment to the reauthorization of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. They know that immigration and public health policy should not rest on stigma or fear. For the Bush administration, removing the Helms ban would be a final, fitting part of its admirable HIV and AIDS legacy.
It's also worth remembering that we are talking about legal immigrants and visitors, people who go through the process and seek to participate and contribute to this country. Making HIV the only medical condition that legally prevents someone from immigrating or even visiting is a signal to people with HIV that they have something to be ashamed of. That stigma is one of the greatest obstacles to tackling HIV across the world. The United States has done much to reduce this stigma; it makes no sense to perpetuate it in its own immigration policy.
People with HIV are no less worthy of being citizens of the United States than anyone else. All we ask is to be able to visit, live and work in America and, for some of us, to realize our dream of becoming Americans -- whether we are HIV-positive or not.
Andrew Sullivan is a senior editor at the Atlantic magazine and former editor of The New Republic.
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It seems unthinkable that the U.S. would ban HIV-positive visitors. But it's true.
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Moral Scales in the Senate
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2008051519
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Eyeing them -- Tom Coburn, Jim DeMint, Jeff Sessions, Saxby Chambliss, David Vitter, Jim Bunning, Richard Burr -- I'd guess they probably come in at about 1,300 pounds. These are the Republicans who have signed a hold letter, preventing action on the reauthorization of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
Now, how much do 3 million HIV-AIDS-infected people -- the treatment goal of a reauthorized PEPFAR -- weigh? This is a more difficult calculation. Adults with advanced forms of the disease can weigh about 60 pounds. Children with AIDS are like shadows falling on a scale. Maintaining weight becomes difficult with vomiting and diarrhea, with tuberculosis and fungal infections, with cancers such as Kaposi's sarcoma and lymphoma.
Even so, you'd think that a few million of these wasting bodies would weigh more on the moral balance than seven senators. But so far, you'd be wrong.
It is the nature of the Senate that the smallest of minorities can impede the work of the majority. But it takes a conscious choice -- an act of tremendous will and pride -- for members to employ these powers against an AIDS bill with overwhelming bipartisan support.
The seven, led by Coburn, complain that the reauthorization is too costly. They object to "mission creep" -- the funding of "food, water, treatment of other infectious diseases, gender empowerment programs, poverty alleviation programs" -- as though people surviving on AIDS treatment do not need to eat, work or get their TB treated. And the senators are concerned that AIDS funds might be used for things such as abortion referrals and needle distribution, though the legislation doesn't mention these possibilities. So they are pushing for the extension of a superfluous spending mandate requiring that at least 55 percent of PEPFAR resources be used for treatment, on the theory that this will starve "feckless or morally dubious" prevention programs.
For all of conservatism's evident virtues, it can have one furtive, seedy vice: A justified suspicion of government can degenerate into an anti-government ideology -- rigid, stingy and indifferent to human suffering. Conservative concerns on family planning and abstinence in the PEPFAR reauthorization are not imaginary, but they could be resolved through good-faith negotiations, as they were in the House of Representatives. A generalized hostility toward AIDS prevention, however, is destructive. Given that there are about 2.5 new HIV infections for every person starting on AIDS drugs, there is no way to control the pandemic through treatment alone. And because treatment is less expensive than it used to be, PEPFAR is meeting its treatment goal for less money. The 55 percent treatment floor would force the program to waste money in pursuit of an arbitrary, nonsensical spending target -- the worst kind of congressional earmark.
Other members of the Senate Republican conference seem content to stand by and watch Coburn undermine the bill, since they have their own, quiet concerns about PEPFAR's price tag. But the legislation is an authorization, not the appropriation (which comes later), so the $50 billion figure means little. These Republicans are objecting to a placeholder, taking a baseball bat to a vapor.
President Bush has yet to push for PEPFAR's reauthorization as his top legislative priority, so Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell feel little pressure to roll over Coburn's objections -- which they could do, since there are more than 60 "yes" votes.
Reid supports the legislation but seems uninterested in scheduling floor time without assurances from Republicans that the debate will be short and the number of amendments limited. If it passes, after all, Bush will get much of the credit. The political calculation must be tempting: Why not allow seven white Republicans to discredit their party by blocking a lifesaving bill for Africa? And there is a bonus: Coburn is an adviser on health issues to John McCain.
Given these obstacles, supporters of the PEPFAR reauthorization now estimate a 50 percent chance it will be shelved until next year. Without a five-year U.S. commitment on AIDS funding, other countries would be reluctant to put new people on treatment. And lives would be lost.
Each of the Coburn Seven counts himself pro-life. If a bill came to the Senate floor that would save millions of unborn children, one assumes that pro-life members would push to improve it, accept a few necessary compromises and then enthusiastically support the legislation.
It is difficult to imagine why pro-life legislation involving millions of Africans should be viewed differently.
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Do seven pro-life senators weigh more than 3 million people with HIV-AIDS?
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/blog/2008/05/14/BL2008051401929.html
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Bush's Idea of Sacrifice
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2008051519
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The nation is in despair over the war in Iraq and the toll it is taking on our troops and their families. But President Bush shows no outward sign of inner pain.
He is chipper in his public pronouncements. His weekly bike rides and daily workouts have put a perpetual spring in his step. He's always ready with a wisecrack. He just hosted his daughter's wedding at his multi-million dollar estate in Texas. He takes more vacations than any president in history. He has made clear that he doesn't lie awake at nights.
And yet now it turns out that Bush has indeed made a personal sacrifice on account of the war. According to the president yesterday, his decision to stop playing golf five years ago wasn't just an exercise in image control or a function of his bum knee -- it was an act of solidarity with the families of the dead and wounded.
Here's the relevant exchange in an interview Bush gave to Mike Allen of Politico:
Allen: "Mr. President, you haven't been golfing in recent years. Is that related to Iraq?"
Bush: "Yes, it really is. I don't want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the commander-in-chief playing golf. I feel I owe it to the families to be as -- to be in solidarity as best as I can with them. And I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal."
Allen: "Mr. President, was there a particular moment or incident that brought you to that decision, or how did you come to that?"
Bush: "No, I remember when de Mello, who was at the U.N., got killed in Baghdad as a result of these murderers taking this good man's life. And I was playing golf -- I think I was in central Texas -- and they pulled me off the golf course and I said, it's just not worth it anymore to do."
This is the latest in a series of statements by Bush, the first lady and Vice President Cheney illustrating how far removed they are from the consequences of the decision to go to war -- and stay at war.
Not only is it a hollow, trivial sacrifice at best, Bush's story doesn't hold water. While he dates his decision to abjure golf to Aug. 19, 2003 -- the day a truck bomb in Baghdad killed U.N. special representative Sergio Vieira de Mello and more than a dozen others -- the Associated Press reported on Oct. 13, 2003, that he'd spent a "cool, breezy Columbus Day" playing "a round of golf with three long-time buddies.
"Bush played at Andrews Air Force Base with Clay Johnson, Office of Management and Budget deputy director, Richard Hauser, Department of Housing and Urban Development general counsel and another friend, Mike Wood."
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The president says he gave up golf as an act of solidarity with the families of the war's dead and wounded.
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2008/05/11/DI2008051101872.html
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White House Watch - washingtonpost.com
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2008051519
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Dan is also deputy editor of Niemanwatchdog.org.
Click here to read past White House Watch discussions.
Dan Froomkin: Hi everyone and welcome. Today's column (out very shortly) is about President Bush's declaration that he has given up golf in an act of solidarity with the families of the dead and wounded in Iraq. It's an assertion so redolent with inappropriateness and insincerity and cluelessness -- so close to self-satire -- that I didn't really know where to start. I still don't.
One thing we possibly can do today: Help me come up with a list of other things Bush should give up.
Also: Am I being uncharitable? Is there some reason I'm missing to waste priceless one-on-one Bush interview time asking him who he thinks will win on "American Idol," or who does the best Bush impression?
Richmond, Va.: Looks like President Bush is taking on a kind of farewell victory lap around the Mideast, but is also there to "beg" the Saudis again to help out with the price of oil. Is anyone in that region really paying attention to him, or are they, like many people here, waiting for the new president?
Dan Froomkin: Well, in yesterday's column, I called it The Opposite of a Victory Lap. I think the timing is awful. And no, I don't think anyone's paying much attention to him, with a few notable exceptions. I think everyone's watching to see if there are any overt signs of military action against Iran, either by us or by Israel.
And his possible successors are watching. See, for instance, Massimo Calabresi, who writes for Time: "For Barack Obama, whose candidacy is built on change, it's a chance to remind some voters what they want change from. For John McCain it's test of his strategy of backing Bush in theory, while edging away from him in practice."
Calabresi also adds, somewhat ominously: "Bush's missteps in the region have tied his successors hands, committing the U.S. to a stabilizing presence in and around Iraq and strengthening Iran to the point that it does not need to deal. But in negotiating a long-term military relationship with Baghdad and backing Israel's redrawing of its borders, Bush has committed the U.S. to positions it will be difficult, if not impossible, for his successor to change. Privately, administration officials admit they are trying to lock in some of their policies. Which means by this time next year, Bush's successor will be the one struggling to address public discontent with the U.S. approach to the region."
Oakland, Calif.: Although Bush is considered a lame duck by many, he and his subordinates still wield incredible powers through the bureaucracy. A rule change here, a few lines deleted from a regulation over there, and things like torture or mountain-removal mining can be made legal. Are journalists increasing their oversight of what's happening in the Federal Register and other bureaucratic areas? Reading the Federal Register and working their sources would probably a better use of the White House correspondents' time than going to content-free briefings and gaggles.
Dan Froomkin: I couldn't agree more. But no, I see no sign of this, at least not yet. See my April 30 chat for further discussion of Bush's presumed attempts to lock things in for his successor. See the Calabresi quote above.
And stay tuned: I'm working on a bigger piece on this very subject.
Questioning Bush: In terms of asking Bush irrelevant questions, I guess if you know that he's not going to answer anything relevant, at least asking all the stupid superficial questions gives a stark demonstration of how completely irrelevant and shallow the man is.
Dan Froomkin: Thanks -- I knew I was forgetting something.
Albany, N.Y.: From your column on Tuesday, Bush cried at his daughter's wedding. I'm confused -- if he cries, then how will he be able to face down (insert antagonistic foreign leader here)? And still with the optimistic rug? Jeez, enough already.
Dan Froomkin: Bush actually cries a lot ... but am I sensing some Bush Exhaustion setting in?
Dan Froomkin: My column is up! Bush's Idea of Sacrifice. Go read it and come right back.
Arlington, Va.: For a rich man of leisure like Bush, perhaps giving up golf really is a big sacrifice.
Dan Froomkin: Well, I'm sure he'll take it up again as soon as he leaves office.
Incidentally, Mark Knoller, the CBS Radio White House correspondent who keeps the most amazingly meticulous records of such things, tells me that Bush played seven sessions of golf in 2001; eight in 2002; and nine in 2003, ending on October 13, 2003.
And according to New York Times reporter Don Van Natta, who wrote a book in 2003 called "First Off The Tee: White House Golf Tales," golf was a pretty big deal for Bush (and his dad, and most presidents.)
Falls Church, Va.: I admit this is a very selfish and impractical wish on my part, but I would like President George W. Bush to give up talking for the rest of this year. I would like to hear him say nothing at all until the American people replace him.
Dan Froomkin: Not very practical indeed.
Boynton Beach, Fla.: I'd like to see Bush give up his use of fear of emboldening the enemy. He's the one who can be accused of aiding and abetting al-Qaeda, by taking us into Iraq when the war needed to be fought in Afghanistan.
Dan Froomkin: Well, I'd like to see the press bring up your very salient point as often as he brings up his. And see my July 27 column, Al Qaeda's Best Publicist.
Olney, Md.: It looks like the Pentagon may have been behind "planting" retired officers as analysts for news outlets. Do you think this can be tied to the White House? Is their any evidence of White House involvement?
Dan Froomkin: There's no question at all that the Pentagon organized it. As for White House involvement, that's a very good question. There's no hard evidence thus far, but I'm not sure anyone's really digging for it -- and it's hard to imagine they weren't plugged in to some extent.
Salon blogger Glenn Greenwald lays out the case for journalists to aggressively enquire: "Was Karl Rove involved in the military analyst program?"
Ocala, Fla.: Good to have you back. I know that there was a lot to catch up with after even a brief hiatus, but this story seemed to scream for a mention.
washingtonpost.com: Ex-officials: Bush administration ignored Iraq corruption (AP, March 13)
Dan Froomkin: Thanks. Yeah, even taking three days off creates a ferocious backlog.
Northvile, N.Y.: Dan, I must admit that Bush has totally baffled me this time on this Middle East jaunt -- a peace plan by the end of his term? Why not a cure for cancer by the middle of November? If he wanted a distraction from his disastrous record, I thought that's what Iran was for. There must be more economists who are enthusiastic about suspending the gas tax than there are diplomats who think that this initiative has a chance of accomplishing anything, aside from scoring public relations points with people who have limited attention spans.
It just makes no sense, unless there's something secretly going on in the background -- perhaps the Egyptians brokering a deal that can be announced soon, with us leaping in to take credit? Perhaps Bush just wants to get out of town? Maybe he's just dumb enough to believe his own PR? I don't understand it. Do you?
Dan Froomkin: I think he believes there is a outside chance that he can press Olmert and Abbas to come to some agreement about at least the outline of a plan, which would be a very nice addition to an otherwise sorry Middle East legacy. But I'd say the chances are nearly nil.
Even more cynically, however, one has to wonder if he's not laying the ground for military action against Iran. That seems like the more likely Bush finale.
France: Bonjour, dear Dan. After seven years of false promises, Bush is off to the Middle East for a peace plan, we are told. He'll be meeting the discredited and crook Olmert, and a Mahmoud Abbas who isn't even the shadow of himself. Isn't the Bush trip rather the preparation of a joint Israeli/American attack on Iran before leaving? Your column yesterday stressed this point. By doing so, he shatters all hopes for change (Obama), create tension and fear, and allows McCain an easy access to the White House. Is it a possible scenario? Merci.
Dan Froomkin: I think attacking Iran, like almost everything else Bush has done in the Middle East, likely would backfire spectacularly -- but Bush probably doesn't think so, which is worrisome to say the least.
(Incidentally, Alistair Lyon of Reuters raises the possibility today that the new, troubling crisis in Lebanon was the result of White House intervention gone awry.)
That said, fear is definitely a fertile climate for Bush and his fellow travelers. Sure beats contempt, which is where they're at right now.
Farmington Hills, Mich.: Dan, you aren't being uncharitable at all. If something is inane it should be called out as such. One question I really would like to see asked to Bush/Cheney is, considering the precedent they have set for presidential power and secrecy, how have they handicapped their party's ability to challenge what looks almost certain to be a Democratic President who will be teamed with a Democratic Congress?
Dan Froomkin: That would be a good one. Thanks.
New York: We have seen many presidents appear dark and gloomy in the worst of times -- especially when the press turns on them. Do you think President Bush is so ebullient because the press (and TV opinions shows, and political Web sites) are so harsh and vicious that they have lost their potency? E.g. -- a backlash from Walter Cronkite is a whole lot more painful then a backlash from Olbermann or O'Reilly.
Dan Froomkin: No, I don't think that's it. I think it's a variety of factors, among them:
Richmond, Va.: What's next for top Bush aides? It seems likely that the president will ride off into the sunset, secure in his own mind that he did what he thought best for the country, never to play a meaningful role in our national politics again. But which of his top advisors are we likely to see playing prominent roles in national politics? Condi Rice? Karl Rove -- nah, he's retired into commentary. Will any of them escape unscathed by the debacle of Bush's presidency? Thanks.
Dan Froomkin: Washington is a town full of second acts; I wouldn't write off any of them. Consider, for instance, who was briefing reporters on Air Force One yesterday on its way to Tel Aviv: Elliot Abrams!
St. Paul, Minn.: I know this president has no shame, but do you suppose he gave up golf because he saw how obnoxious he was in the clip of him on the golf course in the move "Fahrenheit 9/11"?
Dan Froomkin: I wondered about that myself, but the timing is a bit off. The movie came out in June 2004; Bush quit golfing in October 2003 (and says he quit in August 2003).
One of the most memorable scenes in that movie, as you point out -- it's at the very end of the trailer -- shows Bush saying: "We must stop the terror. I call upon all nations to do everything they can stop these terrorist killers. Thank you. Now watch this drive."
Incidentally, Sheigh Crabtree writes in the Los Angeles Times: "Michael Moore is plotting a follow-up to his 2004 documentary 'Fahrenheit 9/11.'
"Although the film is being kept under wraps, it is said that Moore plans to pick up where he left off four years ago, to examine the fallout from eight years of the Bush administration's policies."
Winnipeg, Canada: I'd like to see Dick Cheney sacrifice hunting trips -- and I'm betting his friends would, too.
Dan Froomkin: Funny. He did give them up for a while, after shooting his buddy. But then he started up again.
Springfield, Va.: The golf comment is bad enough, but from the way the question was asked, it sure seems like Mike Allen already knew the answer. Did the White House think this was something they needed to get out there?
Dan Froomkin: Funny you should mention that. It did seem awfully convenient -- like Allen already knew the answer. That doesn't mean it was intentionally leaked, though -- it might have been something Allen just picked up along the way. But it would be nice for Allen to address that directly.
New York: There were no pronouncements or press releases, but the president quietly decided to give up golf, and you verbally crucify him. It was a gentlemanly gesture for very valid reasons, so why do you make this story something that it is not (that President Bush is looking for accolades for his self-defined huge sacrifice)? It was a quiet, gentle thing to do, and admirable. But you whip on the shrill high school newspaper column, and for what reason? Blind, abject hatred?
Dan Froomkin: Well, you're right that Bush didn't call attention to it, at least not until now.
But giving him credit for this would require assuming that he's telling the truth; that there's a huge difference between golfing and, say, biking or fishing; and that it came amid other gentlemanly gestures appropriate to someone leading a country at war; etc.
Washington: Dan, your's is the chat I look forward to most on The Post! When it comes to media critique, you outshine The Post's supposed expert, Howard Kurtz. That all said, here's what I want to know: Did Deadeye Dick Cheney's trip earlier this week to Mississippi help or hurt the candidate there? The Republican candidate, that is. You know, the one who lost (yet another heavily Republican-leaning district). My guess is that it couldn't have helped, but did it really hurt?
Dan Froomkin: Thanks. And that's an excellent question. Adam Nossiter kind of implies in today's New York Times that it didn't help: "Mr. Davis had been hoping for a large turnout in his home of DeSoto County, where roughly 15 percent of the district's voters live, and which is solidly Republican and mostly white. But a last-minute appearance for him by Mr. Cheney on Monday apparently failed to rally his base sufficiently; indeed a modest room at a local convention center was hardly packed."
But did it hurt? Did it inspire anti-Cheney voters more than pro-Cheney voters? Hard to say. Signs certainly aren't good for the GOP right now, though, and if I were McCain and the GOP leadership, I might well decide it's time for Bush and Cheney to lay low.
Omaha, Neb.: The smirk -- wipe that off Bush's face and replace it with something more sincere. I cringe every time I look at the man.
Dan Froomkin: It's the ingratiating smile I see with greater frequency these days, for what it's worth.
Menomonie, Wis.: Good morning, sir. You colleague, Dana Priest, has an excellent story about how the U.S. is drugging up deportees. Not even suspected terrorists, just deportees. Why is The Washington Post the only news outlet reporting this? This is a big story, and it violates international law. Why don't stories like this get as much play as trivial issues such as Pastor Wright or Bush's golf score or Barack's bowling score? I'm so old I remember when big-issue stories were covered for days. Thank you.
Dan Froomkin: The Post's series on medical care in immigrant prisons, Careless Detention, indeed is essential reading.
In other news outlets' defense, it's impossible to match a story of this caliber and breadth quickly. (CBS's 60 Minutes did a segment -- in collaboration with The Post.) But let's hope that others try to advance the story, rather than just give up on it.
Washington: I am disgusted by this golf thing. It's not just another example of our president making a mockery of his time in office, it is an insult to Americans that he would equate sacrificing golf to the sacrifices our armed forces and their loved ones and friends must make. If the president wants to send a message about his support for the troops, end stop-loss, provide better mental health benefits for returned servicemen and women, increase leave times as Webb's legislation proposed, etc. I don't see how you are speechless ... I have a lot of words for the president on this one...
Dan Froomkin: Thanks. I'm also reminded of Bush's response when asked by a German tabloid in May 2006 to name the most wonderful moment of his presidency. He said it came while he was on vacation, fishing on his private lake. I asked at the time: "Is it possible that President Bush doesn't really enjoy his job?"
San Francisco: Seems like Bush is being steered willingly into the role of National Court Jester. Maybe he feels like the only thing he has left to offer a deeply disgruntled nation is the hollow ability to mock himself on occasion.
Dan Froomkin: Yeah, no. While it reads almost like satire, I don't think Bush was in any way being self-mocking. I saw no self-awareness on display at all.
Brooklyn, N.Y.: Bush's pledge to give up golf is the most unbelievably offensive, asinine thing I've heard. He shows solidarity with the troops by giving up golf? Wouldn't giving up war be a more worthy move of solidarity?
Sun Prairie, Wis.: Dan, I'll grant your point about President Bush's rather limited concept of sacrifice during wartime. Can you name another major national politician with a different idea? I'll give you John McCain, who paid his dues in this respect a long time ago, and at least is donating royalties from the books he's been involved with to charity. Anyone else?
Dan Froomkin: That's a good question. Obviously, the next president's first obligation is to be the president -- and take whatever action he or she thinks is best for the nation and the troops. But it would be good to ask the candidates what sorts of sacrifices they think are appropriate in wartime for the public -- and for themselves.
Alexandria, Va.: How easy will it be for a Democratic president (because if McCain wins I don't see him doing this) to negate any executive order that Bush issues in his last months in office?
Dan Froomkin: Technically, it's easy. No executive order, signing statement or any other presidential directive is binding on the next president, unless he or she chooses to keep it in place. That said, the next president isn't likely to overturn things willy-nilly. It's a careful and possibly time-consuming process.
Dan Froomkin: Okay, thanks everyone. Gotta run. See you again here soon, and every weekday afternoon on the home page (and at washingtonpost.com/whitehousewatch).
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
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White House Watch columnist Dan Froomkin takes your questions on the latest White House coverage.
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Clinton and the Dead Parrot
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Every once in a while a little piece of satire finds its way into the newspaper and becomes a runaway hit with our readers who comment. That is the situation this morning with Dana Milbank's Washington Sketch, in which he suggests that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential prospects are as dead as that Norwegian blue parrot in the famous Monty Python bit.
The occasion, of course, was Clinton's victory last night in West Virginia's Democratic primary. This was a resounding triumph the pollsters had predicted and that almost every political prognosticator called totally irrelevant because of the assumption that Sen Barack Obama has already locked up the nomination.
Most of those who comment on the sketch are either amused or furious, although there are the usual other conversations -- some of them relevant -- that follow most political stories. The Post (known as WaPo) is accused, of course, of being firmly in the Obama camp. How else could the existence of this outrage be explained? Others cheered its humor.
Some insisted on sticking to substance, pointing to the fact that exit polls in West Virginia underlined the race issue. As Dan Balz reported in the main story, "about half of West Virginia voters said they think Obama shares at least some" of the views of the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., Obama's former pastor. Those voters went for Clinton about 7 to 1.
We'll start with Shabash79, who clearly understood the spirit of the column in writing, "Surprised Milbank didn't also compare her to the Black Knight in "MP & the Holy Grail" -- ineffective, but still acting scrappy."
But AugustWest1 asked, "Is everyone at WAPO om Obama's payroll or does WAPO have no journalistic intergrity?"
While zaustin observed that "Dana Milbank, you're a sick puppy." afellow1 wrote, "I am not a fan of Bill O'Reilly but he said something yesterday very astute yesterday. He said the most despicable thing in the United States is its media... The media have done this country a disservice by not investigating Obama... But the liberal wing of the Democratic Party which brought you McGovern, Mondale, Dukakis and Kerry are at it again. Another November loser if it is Obama..."
DonJulio said, "No comments required. The bird is dead."
But RegisUrgel offered that "She is not dead. But, she is the shadow nominee. If something were to happen to Obama, like some terrible thing the press would find-out about him, she steps in. Like an insurance policy..."
Ciolajr wrote, "Just one minute! Are they none so blind that they cannot see? Barrack Obama is only winning in predominently black states..."
And VPaterno corrected, "...Was there some bizarre racial changeover in all those states Obama has won, including many in the Plains and West? Did all those white voters suddenly turn black...?
svreader [I love that screen name] asked, "...Why is the Washington Post so afraid of the Cintons that makes the WP willing to violate every known code of journalistic ethics to stop Hillary Clinton from being elected..."
shirleypettaway wrote, "I LOVE this article but I am biased. I hate Hillary loved Bill never liked Hillary..."
laurenr1 said, "This article is insulting! Dana you are rude!"
malafry wrote, "A nice little bit of cynicism, but its the democratic party that's the dead parrot and Hillary who has the grit, experience and intelligence to be president..."
Tirade1 said, "The WaPo election coverage is making Fox News look like the more "fair and balanced" news source every day... It's disappointing. And the truly sad part is that I fully expect an editorial this Saturday from Ombudsman Deborah Howell [whose column appears on Sunday] blaming the readers for the decline in quality reporting."
fly66 said, "This is probably the most Anti-Clinton article I have ever read in any newspaper, and that includes the AzRepublic, NY Times, and the LA Times."
ellisconsulting wrote, "Huge blind spot here if the Democrats can't see what this means for the general election."
bostonpaper said, "...An inspired satirical piece, soemthing increasingly lacking in American journalism... So hats off to you - and a hope that America can one day become more educated and inspired, not less."
cms1 said, "Well, I think it's time for all these reporters covering the Clinton campaign to just skip it... They should be assigned to the social pages of their respective newspapers where they can dish, and drink, and throw food, and have just the best time of their lives."
Last word today goes to J_thinks who wrote, "Hey - Regardless of whether you like the Dana or not, it was funny, lighten up. Not elite, sexist or anything else, it was funny. But I like Monty Python."
All comments on Dana's sketch are here.
By Doug Feaver | May 14, 2008; 9:00 AM ET Clinton , Obama , Presidential Politics Previous: No Rx for Detained Immigrants | Next: Obama's Candidacy and Racism
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When i finished reading all the comments,i came to a conclusion that the democrats are their own problem.Instead of finding a solution issues arising from the long primaries,allowed both Obama and Clinton supporters continued to make comments that are detrimental to its hoped electoral success come November,2008.You should be thinking of talking to Senator Clinton,and not to say she is finished.The press is campaigning for John McCain and the Republican Party and not supporting Senator Obama
Posted by: Daniel | May 19, 2008 11:39 AM
Why are you all still talking about Hillary she is no longer in the race is she? I do think it's dumb to follow a person who is no longer in the campaign just because her opponent is and to put such foolishness ahead of the needs of this country. This is not a game it is reality. Your idea is definetly a sign of low self esteem, immaturity and lack of cofidence and leadership. Other words needy. Hillary will move on.
Posted by: Eleanor,Illinois | May 16, 2008 5:40 PM
It is time we put the egregiously awful Clintons behind us.
Posted by: candide | May 15, 2008 10:10 AM
The Clintons have rewritten their own epitaph. It reads "Sang the last song after the audience had left". When Hillary got up on a stone to give a celebration speech for winning W.Va. there were hardly anybody there to listen. It was just a high-5 amongst the Clinton clan. Not even her so called surrogates were there. Well the message she conveyed had the following ring to it.
Here is Hillary's speech to the mountain people.
"Hello, hard working red necked white americans with pasty white thighs who do not earn more than $50,000, thank you very much your vote. When I go to the white house, I will pass law that will let you buy gasoline on weekends for your pickup trucks without paying tax. Nobody has won the white house without the blessing from pasty white thighed people like you."
Posted by: Jim Troubagh | May 14, 2008 10:52 PM
What is really sad about this whole situation is that in the beginning Obama had managed to put the "racism" genie back in the bottle. People were looking at him as a person and not as something other than. I guess everyone knew the Republicans would play the race card sooner or later, but I don't think anyone expected the Clintons to be the culprits. To me it is sad that the Clintons would apparently sabotage Mr. Obama's campaign, in hope of some future gain, rather than lose gracefully. Unfortunately I don't think they realize that even if they are successful in this ploy people will not forget and forgive. Hillary is dead in the water politically, for many people, no matter what office she runs for in the future. I hope it was worth it, Senator Clinton.
Posted by: Harvey | May 14, 2008 3:38 PM
NEW YORK (AP) -- Democrat Barack Obama has won the endorsement of NARAL Pro-Choice America, a leading abortion rights advocacy organization that has supported rival Hillary Rodham Clinton throughout her political career.
The organization announced the endorsement of its political action committee on Wednesday.
Posted by: | May 14, 2008 3:38 PM
"...the Paul v Clinton civil fraud suit has now been cleared by the judge to proceed with discovery which will include sworn depositions from Bill, Chelsea, Hillary (after the election) Al Gore, Howard Wolfson, Ed Rendell, Larry King and many other notable personalities...
Posted by: | May 14, 2008 2:52 PM
Los Angeles Superior Case Number: BC304174 PETER F PAUL VS WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON
Filing Date: 10/14/2003 Case Type: Fraud (no contract) (General Jurisdiction) Status: Pending
08/08/2008 at 08:31 am in department 47 at 111 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 Further Status Conference
Documents Filed | Proceeding Information
CLINTON HILLARY RODHAM - Defendant/Respondent
CLINTON WILLIAM JEFFERSON - Defendant/Respondent
D. COLETTE WILSON ATTORNEY AT LAW - Attorney for Plaintiff/Petitioner
DOYEN MICHAEL R. - Attorney for Defendant/Respondent
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON FOR U.S. SENATE - Defendant/Respondent
KREEP GARY G. - Former Attorney for Pltf/Petn
MACHTINGER LEONARD A. - Attorney for Defendant/Respondent
NORMAN JAN B. - Associated Counsel
NORRIS STERLING E. ESQ. - Attorney for Plaintiff/Petitioner
PAUL PETER F. - Plaintiff/Petitioner
WILLAMS & CONNOLLY - Attorney for Defendant/Respondent
Posted by: | May 14, 2008 2:47 PM
Nope, Sharpton has never said he supports anybody, but:
Does Al Sharpton have an agreement with the Clintons to help them handle their Barack Obama problem? Obama's camp thinks so. "It's no state secret that he's with Hillary, and that's fine," says a source close to Obama. Often critical of the centrist Clinton White House, Sharpton was far from Lincoln Bedroom material--and the Clintons weren't regulars at Sharpton's House of Justice in Harlem either. Now, according to a Sharpton source, the Clintons have enacted "a full-court press" peppered with "personal touches" to win Al over. (Bill called Sharpton to offer condolences after James Brown's death, the source says; Obama only wrote a note.) Sharpton insists he's not with anyone yet and is eager to hear from the star-studded lineup of candidates (Obama, Hillary, John Edwards, Bill Richardson, Dennis Kucinich) slated to speak at his National Action Network Convention this month..."
Posted by: | May 14, 2008 2:40 PM
Attention Hillary supporters: we need to start showing up at Obama rallies with bowling pins like the clever guy in WV did! To show our lack of support for NObama. Even if he is the nominee. Do not vote Obama if you support Clinton. They haven't wanted our vote, so don't give it to him!
Posted by: Joyce | May 14, 2008 2:31 PM
"Al Sharpton, a Clinton supporter, "
what?? Are you smoking crack? Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are Obama supporters! Being kept quiet until Obama gets the nod, if he does in November. Then watch them swarm the whitehouse. Sharpton has NEVER said he supports Clinton!
Posted by: | May 14, 2008 2:30 PM
I think Dana and the rest of the media should keep it up and half the democratic party will away from Obama if he is the nominee. He's already lost me and many others, but the unsportsmanlike conduct seals the deal.
Posted by: carol | May 14, 2008 2:28 PM
Also to the person who said that Obama would be indicted in the Rezko trial, he wasn't mentioned but Hillary and Bill are certainly on trial for fraud. That's LA Superior Court case number BD304174 if you want to look it up.
Posted by: | May 14, 2008 2:28 PM
after years of preparation, rodham was not ready ( iowa) on day one.
Posted by: commonknowledge | May 14, 2008 2:25 PM
Hillary compared to the famous "dead parrot". Jay Leno says she wanted to be a coal miner, but was forced to attend Wellseley and Yale. Al Sharpton, a Clinton supporter, compares her to the entertainer who doesn't know when to leave the stage. Now the tasteless but funny Hitler as Clinton parody on YouTube.
When everyone starts making fun of a politician, they've had it.
Posted by: | May 14, 2008 2:20 PM
Seriously, even Obama knew that HRC was gonna win West Virginia. Almost all of the black americans in the US knew that also. Why waste the time and money on trying to bail water out of the Titanic with a plastic cup. Think about it: White, non college-educated, working class, hmmmmm. Basically, she can tell them anything and they would believe it. WV didn't really make any impact on the delegate count and i'm tired of hearing her say that this is a turning point in the campaign. he only needs less that 150 delegates and its over. she needs way more. I'm sorry, i don't like the race card and everyone knows that she can't beat McCain and the republicans know this as well. how can people actually be this stupid. Plus McCain would be lucky to last 2 yrs in the White House anyhow. i'm voting OBAMA, because we definitely need change. Let all of the Hillbillies of the US unite and vote HRC if you want, maybe she might give you a brick-tax so that you all in WV/Kentucky can brick up your mobile homes.
Posted by: WIGGS | May 14, 2008 1:53 PM
Hillary Clinton has demonstrated her disaffection for the Democratic Party. She has shown she would rather destroy the Democratic Party than allow the Obama campaign and the Democratic Party its victory and her comments last evening was like watching an accident in slow motion. Howard Wolfson, Lenny and Terry are monstrous, duplicitous and shameless. If Obama does not change his mind about being President given the nonsense, this nation would be very fortunate to have him. He will be a great President.
Posted by: Robbie | May 14, 2008 1:42 PM
Posted by: plamonica | May 14, 2008 1:41 PM
OBAMA'S SUPPORTERS "MOONIES", ULTRA LIBERAL -- HAVE NEVER UNDERGONE HARD WORK OR SACRIFICES, THEY LIVE IN WONDERLAND AND THINKS THIS PRESIDENTIAL RACE IS "AMERICAN IDOL" WAKE UP "LOONIES" FROM YOUR SLUMBER BEFORE THIS GREAT NATION IS DRAGGED INTO A PATHETIC STATE. INEXPERIENCED OBAMA RUNNING ON SCRIPTED SPEECHES WON'T SOLVE OUR NATION'S PROBLEMS. OBAMA IS DECEITFUL, DISHONEST, WITHOUT JUDGMENT AND UNPATRIOTIC.
And you, Sir or Madam, are a complete MORON!
Posted by: lori | May 14, 2008 1:41 PM
The satire is great but pointedly accurate. Hillary ... exit is stage left. Goodby Clintons, Goodbye!
Posted by: buddychan | May 14, 2008 1:34 PM
If Billary is elected president and reelected for a second term that would equate to 26 YEARS OF NOTHING BUT BUSH'S AND CLINTON'S RUNNING THIS COUNTRY! That thought really scares me. It seems to me our politics would be very narrow minded and our leaders will be following the same lines of thinking to solve problems. Granted the Bush's and Clinton's bring very different approaches to their leadership styles and likely even balance each other out but that would mean no net gain in moving our country forward. Clinton=stalemate. This is why I think Obama would be a great president - he can bring the change of thinking needed to fix many of our problems and thinking outside the box and not stay down the same old lines.
Posted by: jimmy | May 14, 2008 1:28 PM
Judging from the responses to your levity about Hillary, she and you have both opened a poison can of acidic human relations. The country does not need a catalyst for divisiveness, either in its newspapers or its candidates. Too many people are too ready to lick up any poison they see, substantiated or not. Watch out Pandora.
Posted by: Iris | May 14, 2008 1:25 PM
If I'm not mistaken, folks with a sense of humor tend to live longer than their perennially angry counterparts.
On a more serious note, the concern about white working class voters is misplaced and has at it's core the fact that rednecks and their allies have been in power for eight years now. It is time for change and it appears that educated voters are finally uniting behind a candidate that not only has a sense of humor but will not pander to the anger, fear and phony patriotism professed by coercive conservative think tank bimbos and their media representatives.
Perhaps the funniest part of this election season has been the degree to which the dead parrot has embraced the angry and uneducated at the expense of others. Are we really expected to believe this is change?
It is no wonder so many of HRC's supporters claim they will vote for McBush in November. Let's hope for the best!
Posted by: LH | May 14, 2008 1:11 PM
In some worlds, everybody is familiar with M Python and everybody likes him. Can't imagine anybody not in that world, can you?
Posted by: Cris | May 14, 2008 12:52 PM
Obama could get nominated, but he never gets elected. Black people alone is a very serious problem to get elected to serve almost 90% white. He also has a lot more other serious problems : his pastor Wright, his wife never proud to be American, brain-washed for years in Muslim school, never show his interest in US symbols, like flag, no experience in anything, but talking, ... How can people trust him to serve them as Prez with such a lot problems ?!?!?
Posted by: Duy Kyng | May 14, 2008 12:41 PM
Great article -- the parrot sketch juxtaposition, yes, but most especially the behind-the-curtain look at Clinton, the actress. I've been impressed with her showmanship ever since the "gee, I don't know" weepy scene in New Hampshire. She knows that what the camera catches creates its own reality. Pointing to and waving to an aide in 'surprised' recognition -- Fabulous.
Posted by: LNR | May 14, 2008 12:41 PM
I don't know about Clinton being dead but she sure has dug herself a very deep grave. How could we possibly use her as VP now? Her "obliterate Iran" comments destroy any chance to use her in a diplomatic position. She is highly unpopular in the Senate so how could she bring about bipartisanship if the Dems won't even work with her? Even her coalition is doubtful because those blue-color whites will vote Republican in the Fall so how could she help Obama get elected? I'm actually in favor of her long goodbye to the end of the race if for no other reason than to show her supporters that she lost fair & square!
Posted by: klynnrn | May 14, 2008 12:38 PM
After seeing the photos of the female HRC WV supporters holding their "Hussain" signs it makes me wonder if these gals are still stuck in the 70's & 80's. I can almost hear "Stand By Your Man" playing in the background. My bet is that HRC got their sympathy vote.
Posted by: Not Barefoot & Pregnant | May 14, 2008 12:32 PM
Posted by: MontyP | May 14, 2008 12:21 PM
Obama just can't seem to win over the redneck racist demographic.
Posted by: bb | May 14, 2008 12:04 PM
That is good to be rich and unaffected by the Housing Bubble Burst... And that is good to see that the Clintons finally found their public: White-Racist-White Carmelia Knights, Hillbillies from the country, illiterate high school dropouts, that is the only people still supporting HRC hate speech... It is not my fault that you, illiterate hillbillies, had to drop high school to work on a mine when Cindy Lee or Sarah Jane got pregnant when she was 16. It is your fault! So, you may get bitter and cling to guns, religion and HRC, I really don't care. Me, I just rise my champagne glass, from this beautiful millionaire resort I am in, and celebrate Obama's nomination! Go back to your Trailer-Park, Hillary Hillbillies racist suporters! Oh, I forgot, the Hillary Hillbillies are all Sub-Prime so their houses got foreclosed...
Posted by: Go home hillbillies | May 14, 2008 11:55 AM
Hillary does not need to go home. She needs to make sure that she can look at and say she did her best. What is wrong with that? She has many supporters, even if not enough to win the nominee, she still had enough supporters to stay in the race and should be able to. I am happy to vote for Obama. He just ran a campaign that ended in a win.
Posted by: Shannon Michigan | May 14, 2008 11:45 AM
OBAMA'S SUPPORTERS "MOONIES", ULTRA LIBERAL -- HAVE NEVER UNDERGONE HARD WORK OR SACRIFICES, THEY LIVE IN WONDERLAND AND THINKS THIS PRESIDENTIAL RACE IS "AMERICAN IDOL" WAKE UP "LOONIES" FROM YOUR SLUMBER BEFORE THIS GREAT NATION IS DRAGGED INTO A PATHETIC STATE. INEXPERIENCED OBAMA RUNNING ON SCRIPTED SPEECHES WON'T SOLVE OUR NATION'S PROBLEMS. OBAMA IS DECEITFUL, DISHONEST, WITHOUT JUDGMENT AND UNPATRIOTIC.
Posted by: UTWO | May 14, 2008 11:35 AM
West Virginia: Country's Most Racist Voters Huffington Post, NY - 58 minutes ago According to the exit polls, West Virginia's voters revealed that they are the most racist in the country so far in the Democratic primaries. ...
Posted by: jy2008 | May 14, 2008 11:32 AM
Except for Obama's "bitter" comment, he ran a picture perfect campaign while Clinton had a campaign that was not very effectively manged. It is, in many ways, better that Obama is the candidate: can you imagine Bill clinton peddling lectures at millions of dollars a piece to middle east interests while Hillary is the president? Cankur
Posted by: Cankur | May 14, 2008 11:17 AM
SEN. CLINTON'S victory in West Virginia is a reminder to Obama and the black community that their playing RACE card in the presidential election is NOT A WISE thing. What if everyone votes on RACIAL lines. Obama is dishonest, without judgment and calculating. He coddles corruption in Illinois but wants to change Washington. The liberal media, ESPECIALLY, MSNBC -- CHRIS MATTHEWS, TIM RUSSERT, OLBERMAN -- who has no respect and integrity for journalism -- have tried to hijack this election without vetting Obama's record. He has no past achievements but runs on SCRIPTED SPEECHES. OBAMA WILL BE INDICTED IN REZKO'S SCANDAL. HE HAS TRIED TO SHUT THE MOUTHS OF REZKO AND WRIGHT SO THAT HE CAN CONNIVE LIBERAL MEDIA AND YOUTHS INTO VOTING HIM. CHECK THIS OUT, OBAMA'S INDICTMENT IS NEARING!! http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0805/S00185.htm
Posted by: UTWO | May 14, 2008 11:12 AM
People keep talking about how a large number of people who voted for Clinton in W. Va. said that they wouldn't vote for Obama in the fall, but what the press isn't saying is that those same polls show that a large number of people who voted for Clinton also said that they wouldn't for for CLINTON in the fall!! About 25% of the total Clinton vote in W. Va. was McCain supporters!!!!
Posted by: Jeff | May 14, 2008 11:06 AM
That's why America is in a down spiral situation now, people would rather vote for more of the same BS just because they can't let go of their racial issues but little do they realize in the end we are all in this together. If McCain is ellected blacks will most likely blame it on racism and that my friends is a civil was in the making.
Posted by: Inplanesight | May 14, 2008 10:58 AM
The resounding victory of West Virginia was PEOPLE POWER, which has brought down governments and changed governments in other countries. PEOPLE POWER trounced the pro-Obama biased media. PEOPLE POWER proclaimed Sen Clinton is the Democratic presidential nominee.
Posted by: crat3 | May 14, 2008 10:48 AM
Could the Post provide little labels for stories indicating whether they are Dead Serious, Serious But Not Deadly, Interesting, Snarky, or Humorous? Not to mention a designation of News, Opinion, or Opinionated News? (Opinionated News might be appropriate for reports from Burma).
Posted by: Dave of the Coonties | May 14, 2008 10:41 AM
Well, W Va demonstrates Hillary DOES seem to pull in a much larger slice of the Redneck vote than Obama.
Hm, I wonder why that is?
Posted by: New MexiDem | May 14, 2008 10:40 AM
Everyone has gone home. I wonder when the prom queen will wake up and realize that she and her date are the only ones left at the party. In a way, it's very sad to see her smiling and waving at the "crowd." Sort of like a wannabee star who's just been voted off American Idol smiling at her "fans" in the audience. As someone who has been appalled by her lies and arrogance for a long time, I still feel a slight pang of sympathy for her desire to cry out, "Wait. It's not over. PLEASE listen to me." But it is over. Go home, Hillary.
Posted by: eleanor,california | May 14, 2008 10:03 AM
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http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/susan_brooks_thistlethwaite/2008/05/sermon_chop_shop.html
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Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite
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Like thieves who steal a car and cut it up in order to sell the parts, the radical right is now chopping up the sermons of Rev. Otis Moss, III, incoming Senior Pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ, and trying to peddle the parts to generate new controversy.
First, Newsmax.com's staff ridiculed a Moss sermon, objecting to ways in which the young pastor was plainly trying to make his message appeal to the younger generation and their cultural images. Then other right-wing pundits like Sean Hannity used those same spare parts this past weekend to attempt a further political spin.
Yet, the weekend before these new attacks began, what were the topics of Rev. Mossâ sermons? Love.
On May 4, 2008, he preached, in succession, âThree Sonnets on Love: Sonnet 1: Wider Than Any Ocean, Sonnet 2: Search Me O God, Sonnet 3: Homemade Love.â Moss told The Chicago Tribune that the prior week he had spent most of his time searching for a scripture that would speak to that difficult time. He said he found the answer in the First Epistle of John and the answer âwas simply one word: love.â Did any of these right-wing media outlets report that? Of course not.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us, âBut I say to you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.â (Luke 6:27-28) I am assuming this teaching also includes right-wing pundits, but I can tell you I personally am finding this teaching mighty hard when good, solid preaching is chopped up in order to try to make it sound like something shameful.
Moss has been hired because Trinity, like the majority of mainline churches, needs to reach out more to young people and the way you do that is to preach the gospel in a way they can hear it and understand it. The right wing chop shop focused on the fact that Moss quoted the late rapper Tupac Shakur and Shakurâs song âThugz Mansion.â
In this sermon, Moss is using the word âthugâ as a synonym for âsinnerâ and showing how in the great love of God through Christ, even sinners can be part of Godâs plan for salvation. There you have it, the sum total of this so-called controversy.
I know Rev. Moss personally and he is a wonderful and caring pastor; he is also studying at Chicago Theological Seminary in our Doctor of Ministry Program. He has invited me to preach at Trinity United Church of Christ on May 25, 2008 as part of our United Church of Christ launch of a âSacred Conversation on Race.â
I certainly expect that the right wing Sermon Chop Shop will be open for business that morning. Thus, I will be sure to post the full text of my sermon at Trinity on the On Faith website here. I would hate to have our sacred conversation on race in the United Church of Christ become just that many more spare parts peddled out of the chop shop to generate false controversy.
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On Faith is an innovative, provocative conversation on all aspects of religion with best selling author Jon Meacham of Newsweek and Sally Quinn of The Washington Post. Keep up-to-date on global religious developments with On Faith.
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When Presidents Deceive
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One might think that everything a president needs to know about honesty was learned in Sunday school. Yet, as in so many areas of leadership, this would be slightly misleading. To be sure, we as a people have memorialized presidents like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln who have been seen as leaders of candor and complete integrity. In modern times, Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower stand out as men of character, as do many others who served them during World War II like George Marshall. In his writings about Truman, historian David McCullough concluded that character is the single most important asset a president must have.
Even during the cynicism of the Watergate period, I saw personally how much trust was still the coin of the realm. As recounted by Jim Cannon in his memoirs of the period, Richard Nixon was in search of a new vice president after Spiro Agnew resigned in scandal. Nixon wanted John Connally as Agnew's successor and called in the two leaders of the Democratic Congress, Senator Mike Mansfield and Speaker Carl Albert, to run his choice by them. They both adamantly refused, arguing that they didn't trust Connally. Well, who would you support, then, Nixon asked. Carl Albert suggested only one man, Jerry Ford, and Mansfield seconded the idea. âWe gave Nixon no choice but Ford,â said Albert later. And so it was that Nixon chose Ford -- a man universally trusted for his honesty.
Ford's tenure was the shortest in the 20th century and his pardon of Nixon brought a storm of controversy, but in the rear view mirror of history, he looks better and better. A few years before he died, the John F. Kennedy Library presented him with its profile in courage award for the Nixon pardon. Introducing him at the Kennedy School, former Senator Alan Simpson said, "If you have integrity in politics, nothing else matters; if you don't have integrity, nothing else matters." Most of us would like to believe that, and most of the time we do. Yet candor compels to recall historical examples when that was not quite true. Think of the contrast in our historical memories between Herbert Hoover and Franklin Roosevelt. Hoover was a complete boy scout -- a man famous for his many personal virtues -- but he went down as one of our worst presidents. By contrast, Roosevelt could be a deeply devious man who kept everyone guessing about what he really meant or what he was really doing. And the press often went along with him: throughout his presidency, reporters and photographers cooperated with him as he misled the public into believing that he had conquered polio and could walk again. When war came, he expressed his approach very directly: "You know I am a juggler, and I never let my right hand know what my left hand does... I may have one policy for Europe and one diametrically opposite for North and South America. I may be entirely inconsistent, and furthermore I am perfectly willing to mislead and tell untruths if it will help win the war." Roosevelt today is almost universally remembered as the greatest American president of the 20th century -- one who stands in the same pantheon as Washington and Lincoln.
What can one conclude from our political history? Personally, I continue to believe that trust and honesty remain central to presidential leadership. Indeed, they are even more important to leadership today than in the past because our presidents can no longer count on deference from the public but must rely heavily upon persuasion and influence. Yet there are moments when the public expects a president to be tough and crafty -- even manipulative and deceptive. They recognize, for example, that the world can be a rough place and they want a president who will protect them in the jungle.
If there is any line to be drawn, perhaps it is this: the public is much more prepared to accept deception in the White House if they think the president is acting in the national interest but not if they think he is acting in his self interest. Even though the press was in an uproar over Nixonâs lies about bombing Cambodia, for example, the general public seemed more accepting as a price of war. But when the public saw him lie over Watergate in order to protect himself, they turned against him.
As a general proposition, voters want a president in the White House they can trust, but they also want someone who is effective as a leader â and once in a while, Machiavelli may trump the Marquis of Queensbury.
David Gergen is a professor of public service at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government and director of its Center for Public Leadership. He is also editor-at-large for U.S. News & World Report and a Senior Political Analyst for CNN. In earlier years, he served as a White House adviser to Presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Clinton.
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A conversation on religion with Jon Meacham and Sally Quinn. Visit http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/
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Priests Working Part-Time, Short-Term
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Concerned The Christian Now Liberated:
Scientology- a small cult based on the generalities of 1950-1960 sci-fi.
Christianity- a huge cult based on the first century CE embellishments of a simple preacher man.
The Jesus Seminarians: Contemporary NT exegetes specializing in historic Jesus studies. Requirements to join, typically a PhD in Religious History or Religion with a proven record of scholarship through reviews of first to third century CE scripture and related documents.
Added information and suggested readings:
1. Historical Jesus Theories, earlychristianwritings.com/theories.htm -- the names of many of the contemporary historical Jesus scholars and the titles of their over 100 books on the subject.
2. Early Christian Writings, earlychristianwritings.com/ -- a list of early Christian documents to include the year of publication
30-60 CE Passion Narrative 40-80 Lost Sayings Gospel Q 50-60 1 Thessalonians 50-60 Philippians 50-60 Galatians 50-60 1 Corinthians 50-60 2 Corinthians 50-60 Romans 50-60 Philemon 50-80 Colossians 50-90 Signs Gospel 50-95 Book of Hebrews 50-120 Didache 50-140 Gospel of Thomas 50-140 Oxyrhynchus 1224 Gospel 50-200 Sophia of Jesus Christ 65-80 Gospel of Mark 70-100 Epistle of James 70-120 Egerton Gospel 70-160 Gospel of Peter 70-160 Secret Mark 70-200 Fayyum Fragment 70-200 Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs 73-200 Mara Bar Serapion 80-100 2 Thessalonians 80-100 Ephesians 80-100 Gospel of Matthew 80-110 1 Peter 80-120 Epistle of Barnabas 80-130 Gospel of Luke 80-130 Acts of the Apostles 80-140 1 Clement 80-150 Gospel of the Egyptians 80-150 Gospel of the Hebrews 80-250 Christian Sibyllines 90-95 Apocalypse of John 90-120 Gospel of John 90-120 1 John 90-120 2 John 90-120 3 John 90-120 Epistle of Jude 93 Flavius Josephus 100-150 1 Timothy 100-150 2 Timothy 100-150 Titus 100-150 Apocalypse of Peter 100-150 Secret Book of James 100-150 Preaching of Peter 100-160 Gospel of the Ebionites 100-160 Gospel of the Nazoreans 100-160 Shepherd of Hermas 100-160 2 Peter
3. Historical Jesus Studies, faithfutures.org/HJstudies.html, -- "an extensive and constantly expanding literature on historical research into the person and cultural context of Jesus of Nazareth"
4. Jesus Database, faithfutures.org/JDB/intro.html--"The JESUS DATABASE is an online annotated inventory of the traditions concerning the life and teachings of Jesus that have survived from the first three centuries of the Common Era. It includes both canonical and extra-canonical materials, and is not limited to the traditions found within the Christian New Testament."
5. Josephus on Jesus mtio.com/articles/bissar24.htm
6. The Jesus Seminar, mystae.com/restricted/reflections/messiah/seminar.html#Criteria
7. Writing the New Testament- mystae.com/restricted/reflections/messiah/testament.html
8. Health and Healing in the Land of Israel By Joe Zias
9. Economics in First Century Palestine, K.C. Hanson and D. E. Oakman, Palestine in the Time of Jesus, Fortress Press, 1998.
10. 7. The Gnostic Jesus (Part One in a Two-Part Series on Ancient and Modern Gnosticism) by Douglas Groothuis: equip.org/free/DG040-1.htm
11. The interpretation of the Bible in the Church, Pontifical Biblical Commission Presented on March 18, 1994
12. The Jesus Database- newer site:
13. Jesus Database with the example of Supper and Eucharist:
14. Josephus on Jesus by Paul Maier: mtio.com/articles/bissar24.htm
15. The Journal of Higher Criticism with links to articles on the Historical Jesus:
16. The Greek New Testament: laparola.net/greco/
17. Diseases in the Bible:
18. Religion on Line (6000 articles on the history of religion, churches, theologies, theologians, ethics, etc. religion-online.org/
19. The Jesus Seminarians and their search for NT authenticity:
20. The New Testament Gateway - Internet NT ntgateway.com/
21. Writing the New Testament- existing copies, oral tradition etc. ntgateway.com/
22. The Search for the Historic Jesus by the Jesus Seminarians:
23. Jesus Decoded by Msgr. Francis J. Maniscalco (Da Vinci Code review)jesusdecoded.com/introduction.php
24. JD Crossan's scriptural references for his book the Historical Jesus separted into time periods: faithfutures.org/Jesus/Crossan1.rtf
25. JD Crossan's conclusions about the authencity of most of the NT based on the above plus the conclusions of other NT exegetes in the last 200 years:
26. Common Sayings from Thomas's Gospel and the Q Gospel: faithfutures.org/Jesus/Crossan3.rtf
27. Early Jewish Writings- Josephus and his books by title with the complete translated work in English :earlyjewishwritings.com/josephus.html
28. Luke and Josephus- was there a connection?
infidels.org/library/modern/richard_carrier/lukeandjosephus.html 29. NT and beyond time line:
30. St. Paul's Time line with discussion of important events:
31. See www.amazon.com for a list of JD Crossan's books and those of the other Jesus Seminarians: Reviews of said books are included and selected pages can now be viewed on Amazon. Some books can be found on-line at Google Books.
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On Faith is an innovative, provocative conversation on all aspects of religion with best selling author Jon Meacham of Newsweek and Sally Quinn of The Washington Post. Keep up-to-date on global religious developments with On Faith.
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The Earthquake's Chinese Meaning
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"hat is possibly why I consider wise the person who once stated that anyone who begins a sentence by âTo the Chinese, howeverâ¦â evidently does not know China and the Chinese people."
Oh, that is clever. I spent three years living in China, and I was probably less clever when I said "China has a billion people, and anything you can say about the Chinese will be true of some Chinese in some place; and if you say the complete opposite about the Chinese, that will also be true of some Chinese in some place." You yourself are a good example. You choose to believe that the Chinese do not study natural disasters for signs of the future, and that may be true of some Chinese, in some places; but if you really don't understand who the four faces on the Chinese hundred reminbi bill are, and you never heard a speech about the Tangshan earthquake or the Dragon Pavilion, then you are living in a China of your own choosing.
Let me give you an example. As the wise man said, "Travel rewards the scholar. If you would find the riches of India, you must bring the riches of India with you, and you will never understand a land if you don't learn something about it before you go there." When I went to China, I was very interested in history and politics, and I already knew the names of all of the Chinese dynasties and the identities of the foreign tribes who invaded China; and I had a good understanding of the ins and outs of the Communist regime. So, wherever I went, I met Chinese who were impressed with my knowledge, and those Chinese were eager to give me a lecture or an argument about politics. I was able to improve my knowledge of Chinese history and politics every day. For me China was a nation that was obsessed with surviving its brutal past and trying to understand if the future would be better.
I was always ready to learn something new. However, I simply did not get into any conversations about Feng Shui and the complex world of Chinese mysticism. For years I never really wondered why; I had heard the National Geographic documentary say that the ordinary Chinese was enveloped in a world of spirits and rituals, but I rarely saw these things myself, and when I did see the lantern festival or children putting up posters for the Chinese new year, the children looked more like American children celebrating Halloween than they looked like people involved in something sacred or powerful.
And then I met another American teacher, who was interested in Feng Shui. And this teacher told me "The Chinese are obsessed with Feng Shui. They can teach me about it for hours. But the Chinese don't care about politics!"
I told her that we lived in two different Chinas, and she agreed. The Chinese were willing to talk with me about history and politics because I showed them that I knew enough to give them an intelligent conversation. The Chinese never talked to me about Feng Shui because they realized that (back then) I had no idea why the statue of the horse must always be entering the door the statue of the horse must never be leaving the door; and (back then) I never understood why the cash register has to be on the left side of the counter. This teacher did know; and because she showed the Chinese that she was able to have an intelligent conversation about Feng Shui, the Chinese would spend hours talking to her about it.
Of course, I have learned more since then. When a Westerner makes a statue or a painting of a horse, the statue or the painting is always running out the door to great the visitor. The Chinese do it the opposite way. I have done my research, and I know that the horse is a symbol of success, so the statue or the painting of the horse must never be pointed out the door, because then success will run out the door as well. Instead, the statue or the painting of the horse must always be coming in the door, so that success will enter the lives of the inhabitants and not run away from them. By the same token, the Westerner always allows his statues of fish to leap like rainbows across the wall, but in China the fish is a symbol of prosperity, so the Chinese hangs his statues of fish so their faces are pointed straight up like the noses of rockets, ensuring that his prosperity will also rise.
Now I also understand the cash registers. I have read the Tao Te Ching, and I know that 'in times of peace the man of calling take his place always at the left hand of the throne.' Thus, the left is the place of wisdom, the place of the dragon; and the cash register must be put on the left so that the money will be conserved and spent wisely. If the cash register were place in front, it would block the Phoenix aspect of the storekeeper, and keep him from advancing successfully; and if the cash register were placed on the right it would take on the aspect of the tiger, strong but passionate and hard to control; and the money would be spent on fits of fury or passion. In short, most Chinese buildings and public places are built with Feng Shui in mind, but you would never know it unless you already had some training in the field.
I will also admit that some Chinese reject the world of Feng Shui completely; sometimes, because these Chinese 'reject superstition,' and at other times these Chinese think that worrying about Feng Shui will simply make them too afraid of the spiritual world which engulfs them.
Anyway, those are my Chinas -- the political China, which I came prepared to explore, and the mystical China, which I did not discover until I had already been in China for two years. What about you, "Katrina's American Meaning?" Can you teach us anything about Chinese history or culture or anything else? Or will you just give us satires on Cultural Relativism which sound like they came from National Public Radio? If you have anything of substance to offer, I am eager to hear it.
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Pomfret's China features China expert John Pomfret as he deciphers what's behind the latest news from China.
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PostGlobal on washingtonpost.com
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When most people log onto Facebook, the thought of fomenting revolution is pretty far from their minds. But in the Middle East, and most recently in Egypt, Facebook has become an important platform for dissent in countries that routinely clampdown on liberal activists, and where the mosque has traditionally been the only outlet for venting political frustration.
Last month saw the arrest of Esra Abdel Fattah, 27, after she formed a group on Facebook calling for protests against the high price of food and other commodities in Egypt. Strike action was already planned by factory workers in the Nile Delta city of Mahalla al-Kobra, and the Facebook group, which attracted 64,000 members, tapped into a national mood of unrest. During Fattahâs incarceration, police clashed with protestors in Mahalla, killing three; some 500 people were detained.
By the time Egyptian police freed her two weeks ago, Fattah, an active online activist and member of the liberal al-Ghad political party, had become something of a cyber folk hero, feted by Middle Eastern bloggers and tech-minded students. A second Facebook group began calling for the release of Fattah and the other detainees, and for further protests on May 4th. A Cairo University student even heckled the Egyptian prime minister as he gave a speech at the campus on role of the internet as a communication tool:
âPrime Minister, release all the⦠detainees,â he said. âThey are the same young people who used the Internet to express their opinions."
But on her release, Fattah gave a press conference in which she admitted her Facebook activities were a mistake, and that she would no longer take part in protest networking.
Itâs not difficult to imagine the level of intimidation she must have faced from the Egyptian regime, one of the more thuggish in the region. Last week, another Facebook activist Ahmed Mayer Ibrahim was arrested by Egyptian police for his membership of May 4th protest group (the protest led to some shops closing, and a subdued mood on the streets, but on the whole protestors stayed home). The 27-year-old civil engineer was stripped naked and beaten intermittently for 12 hours before being released without charge.
All of this has left Egyptian bloggers and other Facebook activists taking stock of their sudden elevation to the forefront of cyber protest, and the governmentâs brutal response. Some, like Mohammed Nabil, a Cairo University student and Facebook activist, remain undeterred and point to a glorious new era of online activism.
âThe people who are signing up to protest on Facebook arenât the sort of people whoâd normally get involved in politics. In the past the activists have often been Islamists, but now the Internet is reaching out to a new generation,â said Nabil.
He added that the government would find it impossible to police the internet.
But others are not so sure that Facebook activism isnât just window-dressing for the more the more important task of âon-the-groundâ activism. What scares the government, they say, is not the activities of the privileged middle class who have internet access, but the millions of impoverished laborers, factory hands, and the unemployed. So far the jury is out on Facebookâs ability to mobilize the masses: the April protests that Fattah called coincided with pre-arranged strike plans among workers, but the more purely Facebook phenomenon strike called earlier this month largely petered out.
The popular blog 3arabawy has been keen to play down the role of Facebook:
âI hope our peers in the activist community will wake up and realize now the limitations of online activismâ¦â writes Hossam el-Hamalawy, the blogâs author. âLetâs get back to organizing on the ground, fellow bloggers, and leave behind these cyber-fantasies.â
But although Facebook activism may not be able to spark protest â at least not yet â it has succeeded in advertising and amplifying Egyptian unrest. It may also succeed in aligning radical workers with the dissenting voices in the middle class.
The Egyptian government is certainly worried enough by Facebook to take action against the likes of Fattah (two other online activists who were detained at the same time are still in custody). But in a country where the average age is just 24, and more than 20% of the country lives below the poverty line, the government faces an impossible task in trying to stifle protest. And it may be that Facebook, like the mosque, provides an essential pressure valve for frustration and discontent.
Editor's Note: An editing error left a misspelling in this article's first paragraph that has since been corrected. Thanks to our commenters for pointing it out.
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Islam's Advance on PostGlobal; blog of politics and current events on washingtonpost.com. Visit http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/islamsadvance/
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Clinton Handily Defeats Obama in West Virginia
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Clinton's resounding victory in a state that has slipped away from Democrats in the past two elections added fresh ammunition to her claim that she is better positioned than Obama to capture critical swing states in November. But the primary win may have come too late to have a significant impact on the trajectory of a nomination battle in which Obama has an almost insurmountable lead in delegates.
Clinton advisers hoped the size of Clinton's victory and signs of dissatisfaction with Obama among West Virginia voters would reopen a conversation about who is the stronger Democrat to take on Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, in the general election. They also hoped the results would tamp down talk that Clinton should consider dropping out of the nomination contest before the primaries end on June 3 to speed the process of uniting Democrats.
Clinton was winning with a margin of better than 2 to 1 in the popular vote in West Virginia. With 28 pledged delegates at stake, that margin would produce a net gain for Clinton of an estimated 12 delegates. That would only partially cut into the gains Obama has made in superdelegates since he easily won North Carolina and narrowly lost Indiana a week ago.
Former Democratic Party general chairman Roy Romer, who was handpicked for that job by former president Bill Clinton, announced his support for Obama yesterday.
Hillary Clinton claimed victory shortly after the polls closed last night.
Saying the nomination battle "isn't over yet," she told cheering supporters in Charleston that, as a result of her victory, "I am more determined than ever to carry on this campaign until everyone has had a chance to make their voices heard."
Clinton argued that, by winning in states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, New Hampshire and now West Virginia, she has demonstrated strength where it counts. "The White House is won in the swing states, and I am winning the swing states," she said.
Clinton also renewed her call to seat the delegations from Florida and Michigan and to include those delegates in the overall count for the nomination. "Under the rules of our party," she said, "when you include all 50 states, the number of delegates needed to win is 2,209, and neither of us has reached that threshold yet."
Obama did not appear publicly after the polls closed, but he pointedly looked past his expected defeat by holding a campaign event in the general-election battleground state of Missouri, saying it was a place "where we will compete to win when I am the Democratic nominee for president."
Campaigning in Cape Girardeau, Obama called this election "a chance to build a new majority of Democrats, independents and Republicans." He delivered pointed criticisms of McCain's record on taxes, Social Security and the Iraq war, asserting that the Republican's election would create four more years of "the Bush-McCain program."
Obama's campaign has said in the past that he has a greater ability than Clinton to expand the electoral map in November. But the results in West Virginia, coupled with exit polls that showed Democratic primary voters there with significant reservations about him, suggest that he could have a difficult time winning the Mountain State in the fall.
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Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton routed Sen. Barack Obama in the West Virginia primary yesterday, scoring one of her most lopsided victories of the long campaign even as she continued to battle overwhelming odds in her bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.
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This Is an Ex-Candidate
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Pet-shop owner: "No, no he's not dead, he's -- he's resting! Remarkable bird, the Norwegian blue, isn't it, aye? Beautiful plumage!"
-- From "Monty Python's Flying Circus"
11:45 a.m., Melrose Hotel, Foggy Bottom: It's Day 7 of the Clinton Campaign Death Watch -- a full week since the official arbiter of the Democratic primary, Tim Russert, declared the campaign over and Barack Obama the nominee. Hillary Clinton's advisers continue to insist that the candidate's prospects are very much alive, but the press isn't buying it. Exhibit A: There are two press buses waiting at the hotel here for Clinton's trip to her victory rally in West Virginia, but the entire press contingent doesn't quite fill one. It isn't until the entourage arrives at Dulles Airport that Clinton aides learn that the second bus is still idling, empty, at the hotel.
If there is importance in the results of the primary in West Virginia, the press corps isn't letting on. During the security sweep at Dulles, some play Hacky Sack with a cigarette carton. Awaiting the candidate on the tarmac, two guys from CNN toss a football. Aboard the plane, one member of the press corps entertains his colleagues by flopping down the aisle on his belly, like a fish.
But Clinton, wearing a salmon-colored jacket and dark sunglasses, is all smiles as she boards the jet. She hugs and kisses her campaign chairman, Terry McAuliffe. Still grinning, she helps herself to a cracker with spread from the snack tray as the plane taxis to the runway. And why shouldn't she be happy? Within minutes, Clinton has crossed the Blue Ridge and is over the green hills of West Virginia, home of what she calls the "hardworking Americans, white Americans." This is Clinton Country.
Customer: "That parrot is definitely deceased, and when I purchased it not half an hour ago, you assured me that its total lack of movement was due to it being tired and shagged out following a prolonged squawk."
Pet-shop owner: "Well, he's, he's, ah, probably pining for the fiords."
2:57 p.m., Yeager Airport, Charleston, W.Va.: A steep descent brings Clinton's plane to Charleston's hilltop airport. After an appropriate wait, she steps from the plane and pretends to wave to a crowd of supporters; in fact, she is waving to 10 photographers underneath the airplane's wing. She pretends to spot an old friend in the crowd, points and gives another wave; in fact, she is waving at an aide she had been talking with on the plane minutes earlier.
On the way into town, she makes an unscheduled stop at an upscale farmers market, but about 30 Clinton supporters, several wearing AFSCME T-shirts and waving Clinton campaign signs, have
somehow gotten wind of it. Clinton works the crowd, signing autographs and making small talk ("Is that your dog?"). She makes her way past rows of geraniums and marigolds.
But even among the blooms, Clinton is reminded of her troubles. She stops at Ellen's Homemade Ice Cream and orders a scoop of espresso Oreo and a scoop of butter pecan. "Ooh, that looks good," she says after taking the confection, then pauses. "Now, let's see. Who's got my money?" asks the woman who has lent her campaign $11 million to keep it afloat. She laughs. "Where -- where'd they go, the people with my money?" Finally, two aides arrive to retire Clinton's dessert debt.
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Customer: "Look, matey, I know a dead parrot when I see one, and I'm looking at one right now."
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Man With Alzheimer's Fights 'Family Disease'
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For decades, he'll say, most of them knew it only as the "family disease." It struck them almost always at young ages. Jackson's mother was 44 when she said, "I'm not right in the head anymore," and her son, barely into his teens, became the default caregiver on their small farm in the Oklahoma Panhandle. He will tell the Special Committee on Aging about the sometimes bizarre symptoms, the inexorable losses.
He will also tell the panel how Alzheimer's overshadows his own life. His illness was diagnosed four years ago, when he was 50. His generation is at least the fifth to bear such a burden. "Enough generations," he said.
Jackson is speaking out as few of his relatives ever dared to do. He is part of a nascent self-advocacy movement in Washington and other cities, an assertion of courage, even defiance, given the stigma attached to dementia. For most people, Alzheimer's is a synonym for fear and despair.
"I'm not going down without a fight," said Jackson, who often pleads for more money for research and treatment. "It's time to find, if not a cure, at least better medicine so people will live through this better."
His voice carries an urgency. This week's trip to Washington is his third in three years, and he expects it to be his last because of the disease's continued trespass of his brain. Back home in Oregon, there are more and more mornings when it saps his concentration, steals his words, throws him off balance. Mornings when his head is crowded with a grainy, rolling static, like a bad picture on an old black-and-white TV.
"It's stealing my time," he said.
The Lineage of a Disease
More than 10,000 people in the Washington region have Alzheimer's, and as many as 5 million nationwide. There are people like Chuck Jackson everywhere, men and women confronting the disease during years they had anticipated being at the top of their lives and careers. Indeed, one of the first people to speak as the Alzheimer's Association opened its annual public policy forum in Washington on Monday was a Falls Church woman. Patty Smith, a former bank consultant, was diagnosed at 51.
The association, which was founded by a business executive whose wife's symptoms had surfaced in her 40s, estimates that 500,000 Americans fall into the pre-65 "early onset" category. In the past three years, the group has tried to help them find their voice and address the problems they face.
Most are still working when their confusion begins; their children haven't finished college or even high school. Many have trouble getting an accurate diagnosis, and once they do, they find that many programs are geared mainly toward older people. Some retreat in denial or embarrassment. Others are like Jackson and Smith. For as long as they can, they insist they will be heard.
"They're doing a huge service," said Stephen McConnell, vice president of the national association, which this year seated its first board member with dementia. "Their importance is disproportionate to their numbers, because people see them and say, 'That's not supposed to happen.' . . . People look at them and say, 'That could be me.' "
The first time Jackson contacted his local chapter for help, the person on the other end told him that he could only come in with a caregiver. As if his diagnosis rendered him incapable, he said.
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When Chuck Jackson takes his seat this morning before a U.S. Senate committee, he'll not lack for names or faces as he talks about the devastation that a disease called Alzheimer's has visited upon his family. His grandfather John. A dozen aunts and uncles. His mother, Rachel; a brother, Danny. P...
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Some Detainees Are Drugged For Deportation
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The U.S. government has injected hundreds of foreigners it has deported with dangerous psychotropic drugs against their will to keep them sedated during the trip back to their home country, according to medical records, internal documents and interviews with people who have been drugged.
The government's forced use of antipsychotic drugs, in people who have no history of mental illness, includes dozens of cases in which the "pre-flight cocktail," as a document calls it, had such a potent effect that federal guards needed a wheelchair to move the slumped deportee onto an airplane.
"Unsteady gait. Fell onto tarmac," says a medical note on the deportation of a 38-year-old woman to Costa Rica in late spring 2005. Another detainee was "dragged down the aisle in handcuffs, semi-comatose," according to an airline crew member's written account. Repeatedly, documents describe immigration guards "taking down" a reluctant deportee to be tranquilized before heading to an airport.
In a Chicago holding cell early one evening in February 2006, five guards piled on top of a 49-year-old man who was angry he was going back to Ecuador, according to a nurse's account in his deportation file. As they pinned him down so the nurse could punch a needle through his coveralls into his right buttock, one officer stood over him menacingly and taunted, "Nighty-night."
Such episodes are among more than 250 cases The Washington Post has identified in which the government has, without medical reason, given drugs meant to treat serious psychiatric disorders to people it has shipped out of the United States since 2003 -- the year the Bush administration handed the job of deportation to the Department of Homeland Security's new Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, known as ICE.
Involuntary chemical restraint of detainees, unless there is a medical justification, is a violation of some international human rights codes. The practice is banned by several countries where, confidential documents make clear, U.S. escorts have been unable to inject deportees with extra doses of drugs during layovers en route to faraway places.
Federal officials have seldom acknowledged publicly that they sedate people for deportation. The few times officials have spoken of the practice, they have understated it, portraying sedation as rare and "an act of last resort." Neither is true, records and interviews indicate.
Records show that the government has routinely ignored its own rules, which allow deportees to be sedated only if they have a mental illness requiring the drugs, or if they are so aggressive that they imperil themselves or people around them.
Stung by lawsuits over two sedation cases, the agency changed its policy in June to require a court order before drugging any deportee for behavioral rather than psychiatric reasons. In one instance identified by The Post, the agency appears not to have followed those rules.
In the five years since its creation, ICE has stepped up arrests and removals of foreigners who are in the country illegally, have been turned down for asylum or have been convicted of a crime in the past.
If the government wants a detainee to be sedated, a deportation officer asks for permission for a medical escort from the aviation medicine branch of the Division of Immigration Health Services (DIHS), the agency responsible for medical care for people in immigration custody. A mental health official in aviation medicine is supposed to assess the detainee's medical records, although some records contain no evidence of that happening. If the sedatives are approved, a U.S. public health nurse is assigned as the medical escort and given prescriptions for the drugs.
After injecting the sedatives, the nurse travels with the deportee and immigration guards to their destination, usually giving more doses along the way. To recruit medical escorts, the government has sought to glamorize this work. "Do you ever dream of escaping to exotic, exciting locations?" said an item in an agency newsletter. "Want to get away from the office but are strapped for cash? Make your dreams come true by signing up as a Medical Escort for DIHS!"
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The U.S. government has injected hundreds of foreigners it has deported with dangerous psychotropic drugs against their will to keep them sedated during the trip back to their home country, according to medical records, internal documents and interviews with people who have been drugged.
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Immigrants Suffering in U.S. Custody
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Read the series here: Careless Detention
Amy Goldstein: Hi everyone -- this is Amy Goldstein. Thanks for joining us today and being interested in our series. I'll be answering your questions for the next half-hour, then Dana will take over. So, let's get started.
Bethesda, Md.: How concerned were you that your reports would be viewed as sympathetic to pro-immigration advocates and unsympathetic to anti-immigration advocates?
Amy Goldstein: Thanks for your question. In reporting and writing these stories, Dana and I were not trying to serve anyone's agenda. Instead, we wanted to take readers into a world that not many people know about: what happens inside the increasing number of prisons and compounds and jails all around the country where the federal government houses foreigners it is trying to deport -- places that an estimated 311,000 people will be in this year alone. Specifically, we were looking at what happens with people inside this detention system get sick. And we were incredibly fortunate to have thousands of pages of internal documents that gave us, and enabled us to give all of you, an inside view.
Washington: If the directors are so aware of the problems, why aren't they improving things? They don't seem to understand that reviewing records after the tragedies does not change anything.
Amy Goldstein: One of the really striking thing we noticed in internal emails, memos and meetings of minutes is that some people who work in the Division of Immigration Health Services -- the small agency responsible for detainees' care -- are worried about what it happening but feel unable to fix problems. Senior officials in the Agency's Washington headquarters have warned repeatedly about the dangers of staff shortages. Doctors who work as clinical director in the field have written that they are worried they could be sued because they are not providing a proper standard of care. As your question implies, that awareness makes the persistent problems -- and especially deaths inside the system -- particularly harrowing.
Washington: It seems like providing care for ill detainees places a significant financial and staffing strain on the Department of Homeland Security. Did you find any records detailing whether or not ICE was willing to release seriously ill detainees into alternatives programs (such as are available in the criminal justice system)?
Amy Goldstein: You are right that health care for this number of detainees is expensive, and the budget, while increasing, hasn't kept pace in recent years with the number of people in detention. We didn't find written evidence of consideration that ill detainees be sent to alternative programs. What we did find, though, was evidence that some people have suddenly been released from custody at the point when their care was becoming really expensive. This is what happened in early 2006 to a detainee in California named Francisco Castaneda, whose cancer had gone unconfirmed for months. As a result, he was late getting treatment. Sadly, he died in February.
Boston: Are Public Health Service personnel staffing the medical units of local and county jails as well as federal facilities?
Amy Goldstein: Good question -- who exactly is supposed to be providing the care. It's a patchwork. The U.S. Public Health Service provides the staff at several big immigration detention compounds that are run directly by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, which part of the Department of Homeland Security. PHS workers also are at some of the largest private prisons that house detainees under federal contracts -- and at one county jail. In many cases, contract health agencies provide the staff. In all these circumstances, the Division of Immigration Health Services is responsible for overseeing the quality of care.
Silver Spring, Md.: You talk about the detainees who become sick while in these facilities, but what about the ones that come into the U.S. sick already? What about those nurses and doctors who take care of those detainees so that if they are put out into the U.S. they don't cause an outbreak? What about all the detainees who get through the system and are living in the U.S. after being detained? Some of them are getting better care than most Americans.
Amy Goldstein: You raise an important point. People who come into detention sometimes are unhealthy and often have not gotten good care before they were taken into custody -- either in their native countries or because some have lived illegally in the United States. So catching medical problems, including infectious diseases, early is especially important. The rule is supposed to be that all new detainees are given a health screening soon after they arrive. But we found that sometimes doesn't happen -- or happen well. Translators can be in short supply. Medical records are not always filled out accurately. And sometimes there are simply too many new detainees for the staff on hand. We did find the kind of outbreaks your question suggests -- chickenpox, tuberculosis. In at least one case, we found that health workers had missed a case of meningitis of someone who had AIDS -- and died -- though we don't know if it spread.
Washington: What recommendations do you have for Congress to address these problems? Are there laws that need to change, or is this largely a problem of mismanagement on the part of ICE and DIHS?
Amy Goldstein: Congress is just started to look into the problems of health care for immigration detainees -- and it seems too soon to know how fast or far the issue will grow. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), convened a hearing on this issue last October. One witness was Francisco Castenada, months before his death from penile cancer. Another was Edwidge Danticat, an award-winner author whose uncle, the Rev. Joseph Dantica, died in ICE detention a few days after he arrived in Miami from Haiti, asking for asylum because he feared the violence that had damaged his church. The hearing was sparsely attended. Rep. Lofgren has this month introduced legislation that would require DISH to give more information to Congress, including when detainees die. A Senate companion bill has been introduced this week.
Boston: What is the stated level of health care that ICE, DIHS and the USPHS is charged with providing to detainees? Have any of the cases that you investigated for the series resulted in the licensed health care providers being disciplined by their respective professional state boards? If not, have you forwarded relevant documentation to the respective state boards? Is any member of Congress investigating this travesty? What is the USPHS and the Centers for Disease Control response in light of the promulgation of communicable disease as a direct result of detainee treatment and handling? Have the presidential candidates been queried about their stance and planned action about the treatment and healthcare of detainees? If so, what have they opined?
Amy Goldstein: Good question. One interesting thing we discovered in our reporting is that standard of care in this system is simply to keep people healthy enough that they can be deported. That is not the same as keeping them completely healthy. In fact, a manual for a managed care system that is part of DISH says that, if detainees have medical problems that "would cause deterioration of the detainee's health or uncontrolled suffering affecting his/her deportation status," treatment is not guaranteed. Instead, the manual says, they "will be assessed and evaluated for care."
Princeton, N.J.: Are any of the victims suing the government? It seems to me that this is a good place for a tort attorney to do something in the public interest and make a bundle at the same time.
Amy Goldstein: Yes. There are several individual lawsuits, and the ACLU also filed litigation last year on behalf of a number of detainees it alleged got improper care. At the same time, one reason that immigration detainees are especially vulnerable in the system is that, unlike criminal defendants, they do not have a right to free legal representation. As a result, only about one in 10 detainees has an attorney.
Cumberland, Md.: Why is involuntary drugging of dangerous detainees for deportation an effective way to export democracy?
Amy Goldstein: Thanks for your question. Something we wondered in reporting this morning's story, the one that is about sedation of detainees during their deportation, is why -- even if a deportee was combative -- the government uses such strong drugs, rather than milder sedatives. We found that 50 people in fiscal 2007 who were not mentally ill were given a potent anti-psychotic drug called Haldol for their deportation. Going back to 2003, we found more than 250 people were given some kind of drugs to sedate them, even though they had no psychiatric history. Some had no history of violence, either.
Dana Priest: Hi Everyone. This is Dana Priest. I'm joining in now as Amy slides off to work ... nice to be here. Series is done. Weather is fab. And I'm just back from the gym so I'm roaring to go!!!!!
Dunn Loring, Va.: What options are available to these detainees? Can they return to their home country to receive better treatment?
Dana Priest: Most of them don't want to do that, which is why they are here. For those from European countries where medical care is virtually free, I suppose they will get care there. As a generalization, most immigrants come here to better themselves and their families--and have for generations--and that applies to the medical care as well.
Corvallis, Ore.: You mention the need for translators; I have worked as a translator and interpreter for many years (Indonesian/English) and always have wanted to help the Indonesian diaspora more, but have had a hard time finding the right agency in the maze of bureaucracy. Do you happen to know which agency to enlist with if one would like to be an on-call translator (i.e. on stand-by should they need someone with certain language skills)?
Dana Priest: I would recommend you start with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They have an employment Web site, as does the Division of Immigration Health Services.
Indianapolis: It saddens me that in this country there was a big uproar when cows were being mistreated, and yet the mainstream media ignores how human beings are being treated. As an EMT, I know it's considered assault if you treat someone without their consent; why is it that the government can inject people with a drug not prescribed to them and not suffer any consequences?
Dana Priest: Wait a minute: I am the mainstream media! So how can you say we are ignoring the treatment of human beings. This series was the longest one I've worked on in my 22 years at the paper and every editor involved thought it was worth doing. On the second half, well, they decided after all that they should not be doing it. The rules in the years prior seemed less guided by existing laws and more a reaction to the new deluge of immigrants and the desire to get them home ASAP.
McLean, Va.: I loved your article. It expresses an urgent need for more social workers, psychiatrists and mental health care professionals. Do you expect a heightened awareness on detention will turn into more jobs?
Dana Priest: It has to if they want to fix this. On the other hand, there are many, many vacancies right now in this area. So maybe it will turn into more openings in universities for students interested in mental health professions.
Silver Spring, Md.: You have painted a one-sided report on this subject without fully understanding all the issues, and have "muddied the waters" so that if appears that DIHS is responsible for all the negative outcomes. Many times detainees refuse to cooperate with ICE to be interviewed in order to obtain their travel papers in order to be deported; their home country refuses to take them back because the medical care would be too expensive for that country; the 9th Circuit Court in California is extremely liberal and takes an immense amount of time to finalize a case decision. Jails are selective about the type of cases they will accept, as they do not want to incur increased medical expenses or accept detainees who would require too many hours of care. What do you think the answers are to these issues?
Dana Priest: The answers are not to dump it all on the laps of DIHS employees. There has to be responsibility at the top, starting at DHS, whose office of health affairs also seems to be asleep at the switch here. throughout these stories we chronicle efforts made by DIHS employees to get the attention of their managers at ICE (which is under DHS), but to no avail.
Washington: Have any professional medical groups made statements or recommendations for how professionals in these positions/circumstances should approach the problems they are encountering? And would it make a difference if they did? This seems to be yet another example of the close relationship between government and medicine resulting in a biased view of public good, substandard treatment and a lack of emphasis on the rights of individuals.
Dana Priest: I think it's a case of a virtually closed and cut-off system that doesn't mix and debate enough with professionals outside its own. I'm sure there are many good ideas, solutions, etc. floating around in their professional circles. Not sure how open ICE is to such co-mingling though.
Cumberland, Md.: You aren't suggesting that the U.S. not deport an alien just because they have a serious illness that could not be treated in their home country if they were deported? Isn't that rather unfair to U.S. taxpayers?
Dana Priest: No. The fact is there are laws on the books about the government's responsibility to care for people in its custody. So when these people are in U.S. custody, as they are inside immigration detention centers, they should be treated humanely and appropriately. that's about it. It seemed to the judge hearing the Francisco Castenada case, for example, that not only was the government not doing the minimum for him, but its actions were "miles" beyond negligence.
Iowa City, Iowa: Your first article stated that there was a director who had a criminal background and was not eligible for a position in Washington, but who was now in a federal agency. Has this man been fired? Has Congress looked into why he was hired? When I was in the Navy, such matters were taken to the judge advocate right away.
Dana Priest: Not criminal. LaMont Flanagan was fired from his position in the criminal justice system in Maryland, and his candidacy for a spot in the DC youth justice system was nixed when advocates made a stint about his record. But now he is the "unit head" for immigrant health services, he's the top dog there, the liaison between DIHS and ICE.
Boston: I am so impressed with the volume and quality of documents you were able to obtain! (I think you called it a "treasure trove" on NPR yesterday!) How did you get them? Was it through a Freedom of Information Act request? How long did it take to receive them, and will the entire set of documents be made public at some point?
Dana Priest: I am not at liberty to address this. I hope you understand. There are currently no plans to make the entire set publicly available.
Richmond, Va.: Hi Dana and Amy. First, I want to commend you both on another excellent investigative piece -- thank you for your work. I have two questions, please feel free to answer one or both. What gave you all the idea to do this piece? Also, to what extent do you see the problem being the delayed process of deportations and the prolonged appeals process? Thanks!
Dana Priest: Speaking for myself, I seem to be attracted as a journalist to those things that the government is trying to hide, that go contrary to what most people might think of as good-government, and involve people who are powerless to speak for themselves to remedy the situation. This series fits that description.
Washington: Thanks for the chat. At any point will you compare ICE/DHS detention and the regular prison system? The problems focused on in the pieces so far do seem to be common throughout the criminal justice system (inmate suicide, lack of proper mental/physical health treatment, etc.).
Dana Priest: I'm not sure it's a valid comparison, although I may be wrong. My thinking is this: U.S. prisons house most people for years. These immigration facilities are supposed to be a fairly quick turn around so the two systems were "built" differently. Second, prisons systems were built for criminals. Half the people in ICE detention have never committed a crime. And those who did served their time already. That is not to say that there are some really bad actors inside, it's just not the majority of detainees. Point being, it's a different kind of population. Anyway, those are my thoughts on this for the moment.
Tysons Corner, Va.: Dana, during the "60 Minutes" piece, I noticed that some of the facilities had a "CCA" flag (Corrections Corporation of America?). How much of this is outsourced to them? Does that contribute to the health care problem?
Dana Priest: There are eight big private immigration centers. Outsourcing is increasing at every level.
Atlanta: Having just seen this article on "60 Minutes" this evening, I must say that I am absolutely stunned. In the U.S. today where millions upon millions of legitimate taxpaying citizens cannot afford health care, here we are being sued by an illegal immigrant who on top of that committed crimes to give him free cancer care. Get real! If we cannot give our own citizens free health care, how and why on Earth can we give it to everyone else? By all means we can be compassionate toward his situation, but I'm sorry, there are far more worthy recipients of my tax dollars. Bottom line, get real and focus the tax dollars on those who deserve it -- we the taxpayers are not a bottomless pit !
Dana Priest: Passing this on...
Chicago: It is truly sad and distressing what happened to Ghana native Yusif Osman. Believe it, it could happen to any one of us Africans in spite of our care to abide to the mores and constraints of a new society. Nevertheless, we must not be too self-righteous in our remarks and commentaries about this particular incident. The honest and painful truth is, the Western culture, governments and peoples treat us much better and civilly than we and our governments treat ourselves. Truly sad!
Dana Priest: This one too...
Dana Priest: Okay, I've got to leave you now. Just wanted to mention, in case you had not already picked this up, that the subject of immigration (and by extension immigrant detention) elicits a very wide range of opinions, mirroring the discussion of immigration in general. I so welcome the mix, and appreciate the respectful tone most of you take here (as opposed to the flaming wackos who are spewing venom-posing-as-comment at the end of the articles on the Web site. Yuck. What a waste of space and time!)
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
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Join live discussions from the Washington Post. Feature topics include national, world and DC area news, politics, elections, campaigns, government policy, tech regulation, travel, entertainment, cars, and real estate.
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In Israel, Bush Speaks Of Hope
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Bush, beginning a five-day visit to the Middle East, was welcomed warmly during his appearances with Israeli leaders. Speaking at an elaborate evening ceremony celebrating 60 years of friendship between the United States and Israel, Bush told a crowd of 3,000 well-wishers that he is looking forward to "the day when I believe every child in the Middle East can live in peace and live in freedom."
Four Palestinians were killed in Gaza during clashes with the Israeli military. Medical officials said that two of the dead were civilians. Later, a rocket fired from Gaza slammed into a busy shopping mall in the coastal city of Ashkelon. Sixteen people were wounded, three of them seriously, including a mother and her daughter, according to Israeli hospital and police officials. A group affiliated with Hamas took responsibility for the attack.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert called the attack "entirely intolerable" and said Israel will "take the necessary steps so that this will stop."
The violence was a reminder of the obstacles facing negotiators as they attempt to cobble together a peace deal -- one that Bush has said he wants completed by the end of his term in January.
The negotiations, dormant for seven years, were relaunched with great fanfare in Annapolis last November. At the time, Israeli and Palestinian leaders announced that they were committed to reaching a deal on all the fundamental disagreements at the heart of the decades-old conflict, and that the ultimate outcome would be a Palestinian state next to Israel.
But since then, Israel has moved forward with plans to build more Jewish settlements on the West Bank. It has also added to the number of roadblocks on the West Bank and has kept up a tight economic embargo in Gaza.
Hamas and other groups committed to Israel's destruction, meanwhile, have launched a daily barrage of rocket and mortar fire from Gaza. Israel has charged that the Palestinian Authority, which holds sway in the West Bank, is not doing all it can to crack down on such groups.
The peace negotiations have been widely discounted by a broad cross section of the population in both Palestinian and Israeli society.
"I don't think Palestinians believe there is going to be a deal," said Ali Jarbawi, a political science professor at the West Bank's Bir Zeit University. "And if there is a deal, the overwhelming majority don't think it would be favorable to the Palestinian position."
Galia Golan, a professor emeritus of Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a Peace Now activist, said the negotiations appear to be headed nowhere despite a consensus on the basic issues. "Everybody supports the two-state solution. Everybody believes there should be negotiations. Nobody believes anything is going to come of it," she said.
Avraham Cohen, a 22-year-old ultra-Orthodox settler, said Bush is "the best president that the Jewish nation has ever known." But he said he sees little prospect for a peace deal, and wonders why Bush bothered to come: "What's the point of the visit? I don't know."
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JERUSALEM, May 14 -- President Bush arrived here Wednesday with a message of hope for Middle East peace prospects, despite fresh violence, scant signs of progress and deepening skepticism among both Israelis and Palestinians that there can be an agreement.
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Hopes for Calm in Battered Indian City
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The toll rose to at least 80 killed and 200 injured in Tuesday's attack, India's deadliest since train bombings that killed nearly 200 people in Mumbai in July 2006.
Authorities arrested at least a dozen people and issued a sketch of a suspect said to have a strong accent belonging to the largely Muslim Bengal region, which straddles eastern India and Bangladesh.
Early Thursday, a group calling itself the Indian Mujahideen asserted responsibility for setting off the bombs. In e-mails sent to police and a Hindi news channel, they said they chose to attack Jaipur to target the tourism industry. They also said they were able to target economies around the world, including the United States and Britain.
Bombings always lead to fear of Hindu-Muslim riots of the type that have plagued India off and on since 1947, when what are now Pakistan and Bangladesh were split off from India by British colonial authorities amid horrendous communal violence.
But many people were confident Wednesday that Jaipur would remain calm, noting its long tradition of intermarriage and happy coexistence between members of the two faiths. "There may just be no rioting at all over this and Jaipur can heal," said Aril Mishra, a prominent historian in Rajasthan state, which has Jaipur as its capital. "But both communities are worried."
Vasundhara Raje, chief minister of Rajasthan, said Jaipur's people were "limping back to normal." K.L. Charuvedia, publicity chief for the Rajasthan wing of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, called the blasts "the handiwork of Bangladesh immigrants" whom he described as living unlawfully in Jaipur as laborers and putting pressure on the local economy. Most Bangladeshis are Muslim.
Muslim leaders called for calm. "We can't play the blame game so quickly," said Iqbal Ansari of Muslim Human Rights, a nonprofit group. "Our communities also have to live long-term in trust. We are praying for peace."
Lawmakers, anti-terrorism activists and some ordinary Indians said Wednesday that with attacks of this kind on the rise, the government must form a single agency to coordinate investigations.
"We have a structural problem in dealing with terrorism in India," said Prakash Singh, a retired police official. "When a terrorist crime is conceived in one place, details hatched in a second place and executed in a third place, then the need for a central federal instrument to handle this is critical."
Wednesday's curfew ended at 6 p.m.; the streets were largely back to normal by 6:15 p.m., save for the presence of police and other security forces. Fruit sellers pushed carts of summer mangoes into markets. Beggars shook tin cups in traffic. Thousands thronged the city's Hanuman temple to pray, as sharpshooters stood watch on rooftops.
In the winding alleys of the old city, family members lifted wooden coffins sprinkled with rose petals. Mourners wailed as they carried the dead through crowds.
"We don't want to lose everything when the politicians will start blaming each other and sparking tensions," said Vipin Godha, 28, a jeweler who was at a hospital visiting a friend injured in the bombings. "We must maintain brotherhood."
Buying fruit from a Hindu mango seller, Abu Thahir, 46, said he was Muslim but wasn't angry with his Hindu brethren. He said he, too, wants tougher laws and a better fight against terrorist attacks.
"It's Jaipur which has suffered," said Thahir, wearing a Muslim prayer cap. "They are not religious people if they want to shatter our city and our nation."
Special correspondent Ria Sen in Jaipur and correspondent Rama Lakshmi in New Delhi contributed to this report.
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JAIPUR, India, May 15 -- With a dawn-to-dusk curfew stopping everything but funerals a day after seven bombs exploded in this ancient walled city, police and community leaders were hopeful they could prevent an outbreak of communal violence between the local Hindu majority and Muslim minority.
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Innovative Mind Found Art in the Unwanted
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Driven by poverty in the 1950s to use castoff objects of everyday life, including soda bottles, newspapers, furniture and stuffed animals, Rauschenberg created outrageously original works called "combines" that expanded the very definitions of art. His work exerted a strong influence on at least two generations of artists, including the Pop Art of Andy Warhol, who considered him a visionary.
Rauschenberg also had a formative hand in creating such later styles as minimalism and conceptualism, and in reviving figurative painting. His imagination went across the visual spectrum, from painting and printmaking to photography, sculpture and graphic arts. He also designed costumes, lighting and sets for theater and dance, in which he occasionally performed. Painter Jasper Johns said Rauschenberg "invented more than any artist since Picasso."
"There has never been anything in American art," art critic Robert Hughes has written, "to match the effusive, unconstrained energy of Rauschenberg's generous imagination."
After growing up in a Christian fundamentalist household in Texas, Rauschenberg visited an art museum for the first time when he was 19. Even though he had little training for it beyond sketching portraits for Navy buddies, he was determined to be an artist.
His fitful schooling took him from Kansas City, Mo., to Paris and to Black Mountain College in North Carolina before he settled in New York in 1949. Surviving on peanut butter, day-old bread and milk, Rauschenberg lived in an apartment without running water and sometimes had no money for canvases.
In 1953, he made his first "combines," in which he mixed painting and items collected from New York streets, such as tires, radios, cardboard boxes and discarded library books. He made one of his best-known works, called "Bed," in 1955 by slathering paint, toothpaste and fingernail polish over his bedspread, sheets and pillow. "I had just literally run out of things to paint on," he later explained.
In 1959, Rauschenberg bought a stuffed angora goat at a taxidermy shop, encircled its midsection with a tire and stood it on a horizontal canvas littered with a collage of urban detritus, including a police barricade, a tennis ball and the rubber heel of a shoe. The resulting "combine," which he called "Monogram," became one of Rauschenberg's signature works, symbolic of a new freedom in which almost any everyday item could be turned to the service of art.
"He can work with anything -- blue light bulbs, scraps of cloth, shaving mirrors, sheets of shiny copper," Washington Post critic Paul Richard wrote in 1986. "Everything he makes, even when he merely snaps a photograph, comes out looking like a Rauschenberg."
A decade before the 1960s arrival of the minimalist movement, Rauschenberg was making paintings of solid black, red or white, enlivened by the texture of crumpled newspapers and other found objects. By the late 1950s, he was inserting Coca-Cola bottles into his canvases, inspiring Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and other Pop artists.
Never content to linger long in one artistic style, Rauschenberg soon discovered a method of soaking pages from magazines and newspapers with a solvent, causing the words and pictures to be transferred to a canvas. He then sketched and painted over the images, creating a ghostly effect that made the works appear to occupy a fleeting space between the sleek present and the dusty past.
When Rauschenberg won first prize at the Venice Biennale in 1964, his fame spread through the art world and never waned. He had expanded on the Abstract Expressionism of Jackson Pollock and other artists of the 1940s and '50s to make a new kind of art that deliberately did not take itself seriously. By picking up trash in the streets and attaching it to his canvases, Rauschenberg was giving an ironic, self-knowing wink, as if to say art could be anything at all but was not necessarily serious.
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Robert Rauschenberg, whose feverish inventiveness made him one of the most widely influential artists of the past half-century and whose work erased the borders separating painting, sculpture and printmaking, died Monday at his home in Captiva, Fla. He was 82 and had been in failing health since a...
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Housing Legislation - washingtonpost.com
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About Pearlstein: Steven Pearlstein writes about business and the economy for The Washington Post. His journalism career includes editing roles at The Post and Inc. magazine. He was founding publisher and editor of The Boston Observer, a monthly journal of liberal opinion. He got his start in journalism reporting for two New Hampshire newspapers -- the Concord Monitor and the Foster's Daily Democrat. Pearlstein has also worked as a television news reporter and a congressional staffer.
Pearlstein was honored with the Pulitzer Prize for commentary for his columns about mounting problems in the financial markets. His award was one of six Pulitzer Prizes won by The Washington Post this year.
Owings, Md.: When Bush announced in 2001 that he was directing Treasury to pursue a weak dollar policy I wondered what Treasury would do to achieve that goal. The lessons of the 70's convinced me that turning on the printing presses to produce more paper money was the root cause of inflation. The FED no longer publishes the M3 (total money supply) as they claim it is unnecessary, I respectfully disagree. Is not this new bail out of speculators ultimately inflationary? Where else will this money come from if not from overtime shifts in the pressroom?
Steven Pearlstein: I don't have a degree in economics, but one thing I have become convinced of is that inflation, in the current world, is not everywhere and always a monetary phenomenon, in the sense that it is only about the supply of money. I think it is about the supply of both money and credit and the amount of demand that determines, in part, how quickly money circulates. So while I'm sure the loose money policies of the Fed and other central banks is a factor in today's inflation, just as big of a factor is the pegging of the Asian and Middle Eastern currencies to the dollar.
New York, N.Y.: When do you think the Frank/Dodd bill is going to pass? Do you think the final bill after approvals will be effective? Do you see a split in support between those who preside in states with housing issues versus those who have been less affected?
Steven Pearlstein: The problem is -- and the reason I wrote this morning's column -- is that I don't necessarily think it will pass. I'm not even sure it will be allowed to be taken up in the Senate.
Corona del Mar, Calif.: How would the proposed "profit sharing" between the homeowner and the FHA on the sale of a home work? Why shouldn't lenders that are being asked to reduce the mortgage be allowed to share in the profit sharing?
Steven Pearlstein: Actually, I agree with you on the lenders having some upside. If you think about it, the new mortgage will actually create, from thin air, some "equity" for the homeowner in that he will own the house with no more than 85 percent of the value being mortgaged. That's a good thing. But it also means that the equity was essentially coming out of the hide of the former lender.
Now you wouldn't expect most lenders to hold on to this lien on a portion of future capital gains. You'd expect them to want to monetize it immediately by selling it at a steep discount, since the actual value won't be known. And you can imagine some clever investment bank buying these, packaging them and selling them. That was my suggestion back last August, when I first proposed this, thinking it was an original idea (actually, others had it too). The idea would be to incentivize more lenders to adaopt this workout approach with more homeowners facing default.
Frank's view is that, to avoid the political problems, it would be better to use the value of the liens to reduce the government's costs. I won't second guess his political judgment on that. From a pure policy perspective, however, it would have been better to have a bigger program and leave the upside lien with the former lender.
Northwest, D.C.: What corporate interests are against this bill in addition to the political games?
Steven Pearlstein: Here's the thing: NONE. In fact, many are in favor of it and would actually like to lobby harder for it, except that they fear that in doing so, it will give ammunition to those who want to call this an industry bailout.
Washington, D.C.: We hear so much talk about the impact of falling housing prices on the economy. Why has nobody been talking about the negative long-term impact of artificially high housing prices? Is it really productive for younger generations to tie up twice as much of their income on housing than previous generations? Won't that discourage more productive investment?
Steven Pearlstein: I'm with you on that one -- been writing that for months now. The purpose here isn't to stop the repricing of residential real estate so it gets down to levels that are economically sustainable and justifiable. It is to get there more quickly and in a more orderly fashion, without creating the downward spiral which will cause the market to radically overshoot on the downside the way it did on the upside. That's why the FHA refinancing proposal is a good idea. It accepts the inevitable decline in house values, sets the new mortgage amount to the current level of depressed prices, and then some, and encourages lenders to do their workouts quickly.
Columbia, S.C.: Posting early because of a meeting. I know that housing values have dipped (to say the least), but are we really saying that for many mortgages may be more than the worth of the house over the term of the mortgage? Housing prices only matter when you sell. Thus, while houses may be worth less then the amount owed on the mortgage today, they may rebound at the end of the mortgage term. Gasp, that means people should look at housing as a long term option. Notice I did not say investment. A house was never intended to be an ATM. I fear that current legislation will encourage people to think that way.
Steven Pearlstein: I agree too much attention has been put on underwater mortgages. But in the case of these refinancings, reducing the principal is necessary to make the new mortgage affordable to the people in the house (if they could afford something more, then we wouldn't have a problem). You can do that with rate reductions, but only up to a point. If you want to get these people into a new, fixed rate, 30 year mortgage (or even 40, which would lower the monthly payment even more), then you are going to have to reduce principal. And under the rules of good underwriting, you want that principal amount to be no more than 90 percent, which is where the Frank bill puts it, plus allowing for certain fees and insurance premiums, that effectively bring it down to 85 percent.
Silver Spring, Md.: Housing crisis, housing crisis... but personally, as an upper middle class worker with a graduate degree, I can ALMOST afford a small condo finally. Sure, I could have had a 4 bedroom house on an interest only loan 3 years ago... but I've been responsibly holding out, and prices are just now STARTING to head in the general direction of reality. The old 2.5x your salary mantra is an absolute joke at this point - most families of 4 would live in studio apartments if they followed conventional guidance. Yes, yes.. I've read enough of your online chats to realize that letting the bubble just BURST has broader effects on the economy and is not a good solution. But my question is this... will this legislation at least still continue to let the hot air out, if only slowly? If it doesn't then we're just pushing the problem off for half a decade, not solving it.
Steven Pearlstein: Yes, yes, yes, this bill would be part of the process of letting out the air. That is why reducing principal to the lower value of the houses is so important.
Richmond, Va.: Do you mind if I diverge from the topic? I was just wondering this: Last week I read that Alan Greenspan said the worst of the economic downturn has passed, but last night on the News Hour With Jim Lehrer, George Soros said the exact opposite. In fact, he said we are in real trouble. So who's right?
Steven Pearlstein: Nobody can really say for sure, but I would say that even if the worst of the financial market crisis is passed (which may be true, although barely), it is certainly not true that the worst of the economic crisis has passed, since the impact of the financial market crisis is only now just beginning to hit the real economy.
Great Falls, Va.: I take your point, and I think you're largely right, but there's nothing that says that homeowners and speculators must be mutually exclusive.
Steven Pearlstein: No, but as it is used in political discourse, a speculator is thought of as someone who is a house flipper, not a house liver.
Vienna, Va.: My teen children's college savings funds have been ravaged by low interest rates and high inflation, as have my retirement savings.
We are unfairly paying others to save their homes. I don't think this is right. Neither me nor my children can recover these lost savings.
Why should we be punished to help others? Who will help us,and how?
Steven Pearlstein: While there is some unfairness there, as you describe it, it is not the fault of legislation like this one. It is the result of there being excess investment capital in the world right now (lots of causes of that, from macroeconomic imbalances to demographic bulge of baby boomers at the height of their earning and saving). You need to look for investments that pay reasonable dividends but have some upside potential, and then wait for markets to turn up.
This legislation confounds me. Of course, the whole industry is so complicated and confusing that even myself, a CPA, can't understand it (always use firm experts on FAS 133). A few questions.
First, is there any good reason that Fannie and Freddie (the difference between the two I don't understand either) should be public companies when their whole purpose of existence is for the public good (well, capital markets and banks - so maybe they should be wholly owned by the banks)? The fact they have permanent backstops by the Feds (tax dollars) makes no sense to me when no other industry (save farming, but that's a whole different discussion) has this guaranteed minimum and existence as a business?
Second, you fail to make the argument stick for those people who bought more than they could afford that they deserve relief. I suffered in cheap, crappy apartments for many years to save up enough money to afford what I really wanted. In the end, I still couldn't afford everything I wanted so I sacrificed a number of things but I worked my tail off to save that 20% plus another 15% for cushion, repairs and such. My wife and I do well, but we live far within our means. To see people buying houses that are 10 times their annual salary (with little hope of expected raises beyond inflation) drives me up the wall - and these are also people who bought million dollar homes. I don't get why I should have any sympathy for people who act irresponsible in homeownership.
Third, the banks themselves seem to be sticking it "to the rich" by creating a new "conforming jumbo" interest rate that is somewhat equivalent to the old non-conforming jumbo rate, in terms of premium over conforming rates. For myself, who was excited to refinance (even with my 30 year fixed rate), this took the incentive away - those 40 basis points make all the difference in the world. I'm a much lower risk of default than most people, with plenty of savings and solid income. Why should I be penalized for working hard and being successful?
Steven Pearlstein: Okay, so let's go through a couple of those points.
Fannie and Freddie are hybrids. They allow for the raising of private equity capital at reasonable rates, supplemented by lots of debt (as you'd expect) that is raised at preferable rates because of the government guarantee. That allows for cheaper mortgages and a steady supply of mortgage money in bad times.
Obviously, because of the government involvement, there has to be regulation to make sure that the entity doesn't take excessive risks with the governemnt's backing, and to make sure that they don't merely use the advantage of lower cost funding to buy up the entire mortgage market.
Its unusual, but it works, as we are seeing now. If the regulation is not strong enough, which it wasn't in the past, then you get abuses and excessive risk. So there is the need for a strong new regulator who insists on a good balance between the need to provide shareholders with a fair return and the public needs to limit public risk while providing steady liquidity to the secondary mortgage market.
Your second question about helping people whom made bad decisions is often heard. There's nothing wrong with the concern, except that, in my opinion and the opinion of many, you sometimes have to put aside your moral outrage to help prevent a market dynamic from getting so bad that it drags the entire economy down with it and causes all sorts of hardship for hundreds of millions of people who had nothing to do with any bad judgments. The bailout, as you'd call it, is not really for the individuals, although that is how it is delivered, in very small doses. The bailout is for the rest of us.
D.C.: In relation to the GSE bill, the basic question is, why do we regulate financial institutions, such as banks and GSEs, in the first place. In order to protect the financial system and the taxpayer. Dodd's bill is a "sham" as it limits capital and portfolio regulation to the protection of the GSEs themselves. Please name me any other public company we regulate primarily for the benefit of their shareholders, and not for the public?
Steven Pearlstein: That is just not true. No other safety and soundness regulator -- including bank regulator -- is tasked with protecting the entire financial system from systemic risk. That is why Hank Paulson, the Treasury secretary, has called for a super-regulator (the Fed) to assume that responsibility. The task of a safety and soundness or prudential regulator is to simply make sure the regulated institution is managed in a safe and sound manner. And that should apply to Fannie and Freddie's regulator.
Now, having said that, I have to say that I can't imagine there being a very big difference between preventing Fannie and Freddie from getting into financial trouble, and preventing Fannie and Freddie from getting the financial system into trouble. Call me uncreative, but I can't imagine a way in which you get the systemic problem while Fannie and Freddie remain safe and sound. And if that is true, then simply providing for safety and soundness of Fan and Fred should be plenty of protection for the system as a whole.
So really, I don't think your point -- which is taken right out of Sen. Shelby's talking points -- is really very valid. Because they are a hybrid, we have to regulate Fan and Fred in a way that allows them to raise private equity capital but still requires them to be run in a safe and sound manner that does not abuse their government backing and serves the larger public purposes of making housing more affordable and assuring a steady supply of capital to the mortgage market. Are there tradeoffs involved in running and regulating such a company? Of course. Which is why you want to make the regulator very powerful and give him broad discretion, without prescribing too much in the legislation. Sen. Shelby wants to micromanage this through legislation rather than letting a regulator do his job.
Houston, Tex.: In your estimation, what are the chances that we see Fannie or Freddie nationalized before this is all over?
Washington, D.C.: There seems to be an odd dichotomy where on the one hand politicians are talking about stabilizing the housing market (a.k.a stopping price declines) and on the other hand talking about the need for affordable housing. Considering the still unaffordability of housing in the D.C. area, aren't these two mutually exclusive?
Steven Pearlstein: I think we've talked about that today. Yes, let prices decline, but don't let it get to the point where you get this uncontrolled, downward spiral that overshoots badly on the way down and takes the economy with it.
Arlington, Va.: OK, how does Fannie Mae losing $2.2 billion help to solve the mortgage crisis?
Steven Pearlstein: Who said it does?
Corona del Mar, Calif.: What is the status and prognosis for this legislation? How can I keep track of it?
Washington, D.C.: Minority rights groups are rightly concerned about the higher rates of foreclosures in their communities. However, these same minorities are still much more likely to be renters than owners. Do they not see that propping up the market is really a wealth transfer from the haves (current owners) to the have nots (priced out renters)?
Steven Pearlstein: They don't, and maybe they should.
Washington, D.C.: Will there be a mortgage 'amnesty' brokered by the Feds if foreclosure keeps up?
Steven Pearlstein: No. Bad idea. Only Hillary thinks about such things.
Washington, D.C.: Why were the politicians so silent during the boom years when it was clear that problems were brewing? Were they really blinded by all the good times? They really had an opportunity to avoid this disaster even if it would have been unpopular. Being a leader means doing what is best not what is most popular.
Steven Pearlstein: Blame investment bankers, brokers, mortgage bankers, regulators, rating agencies even the press. But this is not something that politicians are charged with, except to the extent that they kept beating the drums of deregulation.
Arlington, Va.: How long does it typically take for a housing bubble to completely deflate? Will proposals in Congress that provide taxpayer assistance to homeowners who agreed to loans beyond their means simply prolong the housing recovery? In other words, rather than housing prices adjusting within a year or two due to the glut of foreclosed homes for sale, will these proposals stretch that time frame out to 5 years or more?
Steven Pearlstein: I believe the bill now backed by Frank and Dodd will actually accelerate the necessary adjustment and repricing process. That's why it is worth doing.
Columbia, Md.: You say in your article the housing bill isn't a bailout. I say it is and am very unhappy about bailing out most people who made bad decisions. I wonder what the bill does about the people down the block who cashed out and bought themselves two $30,000 SUV's and now have a hard time making payments?
And if we do bail out enough people before long we will need another bill to finance first time homebuyers who can't afford new homes because the last polices kept the prices up too high.
We have simply over invested in housing in this country.
Steven Pearlstein: We have overinvested in housing. But what you are really saying is that we should just let the markets work this out and let the chips fall where they may. Normally, that's right. But when you get bubbles and mass dislocation, you get bad dynamics often that take down innocent people. That's why a bit of well-structured, targeted intervention, as distasteful as it may be, is on balance a better idea.
Anonymous: I just do not see how this really helps a person that could not afford their base note and taxes. It's more than just interest rates isn't it? How do you reconcile those that possibly overspent in the foreclosure dilemma and others that wisely avoided the $600-800K mega house on a household income of $125-150K? Maybe I don't get it, but I guess in layman's terms it seems like those that overspent are going to be allowed to keep their homes. Admittedly, I wanted the $600K home too, but the $4K mortgage note turned me away, also knowing the $300 electric bill or $400 gas were not far away.
Steven Pearlstein: Again, you have to stop moralizing about this and look at it in a very practical way. Yes, they overspent, but since they borrowed most if not all of the money for the house, what we can really say is that the lender overlent. And in this case the lender is going to take a pretty significant haircut that, in the end, foregoes foreclosure and allows the owner to remain in the house with a long-term mortgage he can afford. He probably didn't have any equity in there in the first place, so there is really no way to "punish" him financially anyway. He could just walk away. This way, you avoid the social costs of large numbers of foreclosures in a single place.
Upper Marlboro, Md.: What is being done to help those of us who are struggling but choosing to forgo food and gas and luxuries in order to make the house payments. I have not missed a payment, but my house is worth $125K less than when I purchased it. If a lender would reduce my mortgage to that amount and I could make THOSE payments, I could actually contribute back to the economy. Wouldn't a plan like that actually help the economy overall instead of just focusing on those in trouble?
Steven Pearlstein: If you were facing foreclosure, the lender would have to make a very practical judgment: will he wind up with more money foreclosing or by reducing principal or interest charges? And if he will be better off renegotiating the deal, he will. Will that be unfair to you, who didn't overpay and overborrow? I suppose so. But looked at from another angle, it doesn't concern you. That's his deal and that his lender doing what is in the best interest of the lender. Let's tone down the judgmentalism, shall we? Life is unfair in all sorts of ways. This one is relatively minor.
Arlington, Va.: Why should my tax dollars help to bail out a home owner who over extended himself to buy a house he could not afford? How would you sift through the owner occupied foreclosures to weed out those who falsified incomes in order to buy those houses? Maybe if we let the market work prices will drop and this rational, hard working, law abiding, savings in the bank tax payer will finally be able to afford a house in the city I work in.
Steven Pearlstein: There is very little, if any, tax money involved here. It will depend on lots of factors that are unknowable at this point, but let's just say that the amounts of taxpayer money involved are de minimus. And the margin of error on the estimates is so large that it could just as easily wind up being a GAIN for the government as a LOSS on the cost of insuring these refinanced mortgages, since there is a bigger insurance fee paid by the homeowner along with refinancing exit fees and upside if the house is sold.
House-Flipper vs. House-Liver: As a loan officer I know that many house-flippers have taken out loans that they represent as "owner-occupier" to qualify for the lower interest rates. It's much more common than you realize. What's to stop them from getting the benefit of this proposal as well? The FHA will have to staff WAY UP to perform its due diligence or a lot of "owners" will get a nice reduction in their debt and then can refinance the house again or flip it at a lower price and make a nice profit. How naive can Washington be?
Steven Pearlstein: Look, anyone who buys a house and lives in it in expectation that the value will go up and it is a form of equity building is, by some definition, a speculator. That's most of us who buy homes. But that's not the speculator that is in the mind of people when they hear politicians talk about "bailing out speculators."
Vienna, Va.: Suppose I have a mortgage that's about 100% LTV of the property value. Suppose that I'm keeping current with all of my mortgage payments, but I'm strapped and many of my other bills are falling behind. I just make sure the mortgage gets paid, and everything else is secondary, so my credit is taking a hit.
Do I understand the proposed legislation (and the other programs already in existence) not to provide assistance to me because I'm not delinquent on my mortgage? If that's the case, isn't it economically rational for me to let my mortgage payments slip for a couple of months?
Steven Pearlstein: You'll hurt your credit score and you'll not live up to the standards you set for yourself in life. You'll also lose some of the upside as the value of your house increases, which it will, eventually. This is not such an attractive deal that people will do that. And the FHA is actually empowered to set standards to filter out people who do that.
Richmond, Va.: While I agree that much of the administration's opposition to the House legislation is rubbish, it nevertheless seems to resonate with some segment of the population. The blogosphere seems awash in schadenfreude mixed with self-righteousness and indiscriminate condemnation of those being caught up in foreclosures. The notion that if no action is taken we run the risk of a kind of real estate death spiral seems to have escaped their consciousness.
Steven Pearlstein: The blogosphere includes this web chat, apparently.
Atlanta, Ga.: The reason I am angry with the GOP stance on foreclosure assistance is that it effects me, too! I just heard on the news today that for every foreclosed home in a neighborhood, it knocks off $5000 in value on the other homes. So, even though I am not part of this mess, I am, as I watch my home value drop.
Steven Pearlstein: Voila! Thank you.
Anonymous: SP: "you can imagine some clever investment bank buying these, packaging them and selling them"
Don't we have enough mortgage-based derivatives of unascertainable value floating around? Won't another one just be throwing good money after bad?
Steven Pearlstein: Not all securitization is bad. In fact, much of it is very well done and benefits investors, lenders and borrowers by spreading risk and lowering cost of funds. Let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Life is unfair in all sorts of ways. This one is relatively minor. : Mr. Pearlstein, I must disagree with you. When the dot.com bubble burst we didn't find a away to prop up share prices or help investors who had bought high and were stuck with worthless stock. We let the chips fall and those who had made poor investment decisions suffered the cost. Billions in paper profits were wiped out and the country survived. This is no different. Those who bought more than they could afford should suffer the same fate!
Steven Pearlstein: They will suffer plenty.
Troy, N.Y.: So banks (and their shareholders) have lost a lot of money. Bear Stearns was given away in an arranged marriage to JP Morgan. Now the government wants to help people keep their 'homes.' Or are they really the banks' homes? Many people actually own their homes. I'm a student, so I rent. Having to rent is not a crime. According to the CPI 'equivalent' rent has not risen much during the housing asset price bubble. Maybe making renters of these people is a better idea than prolonging their pain and loading this risk on taxpayers for the sake of their home 'ownership'.
Steven Pearlstein: I agree. More people should be renters and we should stop equating owning a home with the American Dream. We also subsidize owner-occupied housing to much, which bill is paid in part by renters. Not fair. Not economically efficient.
Steven Pearlstein: That's all the time for today, folks. "See" you next week, I hope.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
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Washington Post business columnist Steven Pearlstein discusses the Congressional proposals that would rescue homeowners at risk of foreclosure.
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Ivan Carter: I'm here as well fresh off a fun game of pickup ball where I was rolling like Bimbo Coles. Let's do it.
Michael Lee: I've arrived. I'm on time. And I'm ready to roll. These playoffs are becoming both baffling and predictable at the same time, since the home teams are completely dominating the conference semifinals. Fire away, I hope my answers are more on target than LeBron James against the Celtics defense. Or better yet, more on than David West was last night against San Antonio. Anyway, let's go. . .
Mt St Joseph High School, Baltimore Maryland: Detroit Pistons:
6 trips to Conference Finals
2 Trips maybe a third to FINALS
1 NBA Title ( maybe a 2nd )
When are they gonna get some R-E-S-P-E-C-T?
Michael Lee: When they win another T-I-T-L-E! I think they get the right amount of respect for a team that gets to the conference finals and doesn't win a championship. Does Ben Howland's UCLA team get praised just for making the Final Four every year? No. Kansas got the Sports Illustrated videos and limited edition basketballs because the Jayhawks won the championship. You've got to win it all to get the glory. That's why Coach Wooden is the man at UCLA.
Amsterdam,Holland: Do you see the Wizarsd being able to pick up a contributor with there draft pick this year ?
Ivan Carter: It's possible but not likely. The Wiz hold the 18th pick and traditionally, that means you're taking a player who has potential (Nick Young for instance) but may not be a steady night in, night out contributor and certainly not a starter for a playoff contender. There are exceptions of course and that's why scouts spend thousands of hours canvassing the states and the world for the right player.
Barno, Md: In your opinion, is David Stern the biggest publicity hound involved in pro sports? To me, it seems like he cares way more about being seen and heard on tv than anything else associated with his job.
And I don't see Bud Selig or Roger Goodell out there giving his opinion on this trade or that trade or this coach or that coach. Yet time after time, Stern throws in his two cents.
I'm sure he's done a lot of great things for the league, but the publicity he seeks and the opinions he gives on issues in which he should get involved seem very unprofessional, and this has been going on for years.
Michael Lee: I wouldn't go that far and call him the "biggest publicity hound involved in pro sports." Pro sports is a pretty big animal and we could be here all day making a list of people who love the limelight. But I will say that in comparison to the other commissioners, Stern is certainly more visible and vocal. But I like that, to be honest. The NFL and MLB take themselves too seriously, in my opinion.
Germantown, Md.: Wouldn't it make more sense for Gilbert to honor the last year on his contract, prove he is still healthy and then go for free agency?
Also, are the Wizards a little embarrassed as far as how this season ended AGAIN?
Ivan Carter: It could but I get the feeling that Gilbert wants that long term security right now. And that makes sense given that he's coming off of the first two injuries of his basketball life and has two kids. I could be wrong here but I could see Gilbert taking a little less right now in exchange for that security.
New Orleans: As we have seen in most of these playoff series, home court is a big advantage. Do you think home court/field is as big an advantage in the NBA compared to NFL, NHL, and MLB?
Michael Lee: I don't have the numbers to make a really sound argument at this time, but I will say that there hasn't been a situation like these NBA conference semifinals, where home teams are 17-1. That is ridiculous.
But I think homecourt advantage is huge in every sport. Otherwise, teams wouldn't be so concerned about getting it - and it wouldn't be referred to as an "advantage."
New Orleans: Who would you draft with the first pick: Rose or Beasley? And Why?
Michael Lee: I'd take Rose. I love Beasley, but this is almost like the Oden/Durant debate last season. In the case of Durant and Beasley, you have two awesome forwards who can score and rebound, but in the case of Oden and Rose, you have the opportunity to solidify one of the two most important positions on the basketball court - center and point guard. Anytime you get an opportunity to draft a franchise changer at either one of those positions, you do it. At least in my opinion.
Oakton, VA: With this being the last big offseason in the Abe Pollin regime, I am seriously worried.
Resigning Jamison, as solid a player and person he is, would be a typical Abe Pollin move. Character and leadership are important qualities, but being blinded by that alone is a recipe for disaster. Too much money, too many years... I can see it now and am shaking in my boots.
Do you think Ernie has enough say to make sure a reasonable contract is given to Jamison, and no more? And if some other team wants to give him more, please, please Abe, let him go!
As sad as it may be to say, the truth is, Abe Pollin has lucked into mediocrity the past few years... let's hope he stays out of the way this Summer.
Ivan Carter: You are right in saying that Abe Pollin has a soft spot in his heart for Antawn Jamison but I get the strong feeling that Ernie Grunfeld is calling the shots around the Verizon Center. That's not to say that Abe doesn't sign off on things and have the final say but if Ernie comes to him with a strong opinion, I don't see Abe throwing down a veto. And here's the thing: I truly believe that Antawn wants to be back so I see the sides coming to an agreement that works for everyone. Unless I'm way off base, I could see Antawn taking something like a four-year deal with a first-year salary of $10 million. He may ask for five and the Wiz may ask him to take three.
Arlington, Va.: Why does Doc Rivers get such a free ride in the media? And no, the Celtics did not win 72 games so far because of Doc. They won 72 DESPITE Doc. Come on, Doc. Put Posey on LeBron. Play Pierce at the 4 with KG at the 5 (since no one on Cleveland can exploit them). Bench World B. Cassell. It's not that hard. If only Danny would panic and fire Doc before he blows this series.
Michael Lee: You can't win that many games in spite of the coach. Doc did a great job keeping that team motivated and focused through the regular season, but he hasn't proven that he can make the right adjustments - ON THE ROAD in the playoffs. At home, he hasn't made too many mistakes. Maybe he'll take your advice for Game 5. I don't think the Celtics should panic until or if they ever lose at home in the playoffs.
Falls Church, Va.: Is there a player you despise getting quotes from?
Michael Lee: I'd rather not answer since there is a good chance that I will have to ask that(those) individual(s) another question.
Falls Church, Va.: Which free agents would you guys target if you were in Ernie's shoes?
Ivan Carter: Great question. From where I sit, this team could really use another veteran front court player - a rugged rebounder type, and a young backup point guard - someone who came enter the game and change the tempo by pressuring the ball defensively and pushing it offensively. The issue is that I don't seen many free agents taking a long look at the Wizards unless Ernie moves some pieces. Right now, assuming that Gilbert and Antawn are back, this team has three vet guards plus a talented Nick Young who is going to be pushing for more PT and several veteran big men in Haywood, Thomas, Jamison and Songaila plus Olekisy Pecherov, whom Eddie Jordan likes as a potential weapon if he can have a great summer. Not a lot of roster spots and/or playing time there.
Washington, D.C.: Am I right to question the game of Kevin Garnett now? I'm not hating either. The ATL series, I just gave Josh Smith his due for having young legs and challenging the big fella. But for all the hype and $20M salary KG should be able to carry the load more. He has no unstoppable move except for a 15-18 foot jumper. that's not right for a 7-footer. I know if Boston does not win Doc will get a lot of blame, but I don't see KG on the block demanding the ball either. I see typical NBA basketball, the lane is empty and 3 or 4 guys stand around the arc.
Michael Lee: You have every right to question Garnett's game now. He is on the best team he has ever played with and he is allowing Anderson Varejao to push him out of the paint and force him to take fallaway jump shots. I know Ivan loves KG, but The Big Ticket has to more than sell wolf tickets and pump his chest when the Celtics are dominating some team at home. He has to deliver when his team needs it most. I know that is not his nature to score in the clutch, but if doesn't want the ball, he can also do a better job of making it easier for Ray Allen and Paul Pierce to do damage by commanding a double-team in the low block. I think he did a great job of taking control in Game 1 and his energy on defense has been contagious most nights, but you're right. If you're the franchise guy and Bill Russell is singing your praises, you have to step up. We'll see how he responds now that he's been called out. KG hasn't been in this position too often. This is only the second time in his career that he's been on a team that's favored to do something in the playoffs. Been a long time coming, so he has to make the most of it.
Washington, D.C.: I'd say it's more likely than not that the Wizards could get a contributor (but no star) at 18: Previous picks at the spot include David West, J.R. Smith, James Posey, and Quentin Richardson. Often, it's a good place in the draft to grab steady-but-overlooked upperclassmen with limited ceilings.
Michael Lee: I would have to disagree with you that David West is not a star. He is an all-star and he showed it last night when he dropped 38 and 14 on the defending champs. But I will agree that the Wizards can get a solid future pro at No. 18. Based on some of the pre-draft boards, there could be a good player or two available this year. The question you have to ask yourself, though, is: Do the Wizards have room to get any younger? Can they use the pick to get some veteran help - preferrably with size and to off the bench? I don't know if there is an immediate impact rookie at No. 18.
Ivan Carter: To add to Mike's point: that's why I see Ernie trying to package the pick if it will get some team to bite on Etan Thomas or perhaps, Antonio Daniels. Thomas is going to be very hard to move and I'm not even sure the team would want to move Daniels given the way he played this season but this team does not have many pieces it can use in a trade. The 18th pick could make something happen.
Washington, D.C.: Hey Mike, being a former Atlanta guy, any thoughts on the tenure of Billy Knight?
Michael Lee: I really enjoyed working with Billy. He wasn't the most talkative or friendly with most of the media but I thought we had a decent relationship. As for his tenure with the Hawks, I think he had the right idea about blowing up the franchise in 2004. He gutted the team from the ground up since the franchise was still struggling to recover from the J.R. Rider experiment (if you don't know how much he set back the franchise look at what happened to the organization immediately after he joined the team). But I think his obsession with getting "long and athletic" players really caused him to make arguably the biggest blunder in NBA draft history.
The Hawks needed a point guard and he passed on not one, but two potential Hall of Fame point guards in Chris Paul and Deron Williams. I know Marvin Williams was rated as one of the top two prospects at the time, but Paul or Deron Williams would've filled a definite need - and expedited the rebuilding process by at least two years. They also would have that franchise set for a long and fruitful run in the East. That was bad enough, but he made the situation worse when he passed on Brandon Roy the next year to draft Shelden Williams.
I like what Billy did to get the organization back into the playoffs (thanks to a dreadful Eastern Conference). He made the right choice in getting Al Horford with the No. 3 pick last summer. They have a nice young team that should only get better, but some of his other draft missteps will cost the franchise for some time - especially as Paul and Deron Williams continue to build on their burgeoning legends.
Washington, D.C.: Great season of coverage.
Saying we fall anywhere from 14th-20th in the draft, if a team comes to Ernie and says we will give you BLANK for the pick, any team or player off the top of your head.
Ivan Carter: Again, I could see Ernie using the pick to get some team to bite on one of his contracts like Etan Thomas, Antonio Daniels or maybe Darius Songaila. Thomas is signed through 09-10, Daniels is through 09-10 and Songaila has player option in 10-11. Those are not easy contracts to move.
A couple of questions regarding the Celtics -
Why doesn't Doc Rivers put Posey on Lebron to free up Pierce on the defensive end? He seems to be running out of gas on the offensive side guarding Lebron.
What is the deal with Ray Allen? He looks horrible out there.
Michael Lee: Doc might start doing just that, with regards to Pierce. He much to valuable on the offensive end to not have him at full strength in the fourth quarter. Pierce has been great on LeBron but that merely forces LeBron into being a facilitator, something he prefers to do anyway. Playing tough D negates Pierce's natural scoring ability in the clutch.
As for Ray Allen, he's been a bit of mystery most of the season. Rivers once blamed himself for not creating enough offensive opportunities for Allen. He's the one who has had to adjust his game the most to being part of the so-called Big Three. You want to believe that he can still get it done, but you also have to wonder if he joins the list of former all-star shooting guards who hit the wall after turning 32. Check out Mitch Richmond, Allan Houston, Eddie Jones, Michael Finley, Jalen Rose and so on and so on.
What stories have you heard about Worldwide Wes? Have you interacted with him?
Michael Lee: I've met him before and I see him everywhere but we haven't had too many interactions.
Washington, D.C.: The official Wizards Web site has been counting down the top 10 moments from the season. What are the top 10 moments -- or at least, top three -- for you guys? Alternatively, what were the two or three stories that each of you were especially proud of?
Ivan Carter: Butler's dunk on Kevin Martin was No. 1. Nick Young's dunk on LeBron was No. 2. Caron's game-winner in the playoffs is 3 following by Stevenson's game winner in New Orleans. At five, give me the win at Boston. At six, I'll take Haywood's classic response to LeBron James being a crybaby. At 7, I'll take the dunk Andres Nocioni threw down over Oleksiy Pecherov. When Chicago's game operations folks put a picture of Stewey from Family Guy over Pecherov's face on the replay, I lost it.
At 8, I'll go with the game itself and Butler's 40-point performace in Milwaukee on Jan. 27 (just an incredible game to see live). At 9, I'll go with two games in Miami when I got to watch the Heat dancers perform from only a few feet away. (The Miami Heat dancers: where amazing happens). And at 10, give me the Nov. 2 game in Boston when Kevin Garnett and the new-look Celtics made their first regular season appearance. Just a great atmosphere.
Washington, D.C.: How did the NBA lose sight of it's most fundamental rule - traveling? I can accept how some fouls are missed and the make up call the next trip. But these NBA guys skip, hop, step every time they catch the ball or shoot. I can see given the big men the benefit of the doubt when they shuffle their feet for a move more so than Lebron or Tony Parker getting three steps on their drives to the hole. I love basketball and my personal team is out, so i am not some biased lunatic, but as a fan i see my self crying for calls just to make the game real and they are never called.
Michael Lee: I remember my first year covering the Hawks, we had a sit down session with the referees to go over the rules and how they call the games. One of the first questions asked was, 'Why don't you ever call travels?' There was a loud eruption of laughter in the room and an awkward explanation about they call that play. The officials told us that calling the NBA is very difficult because of the athleticism of the players and that they often have to keep their eyes on contact instead of feet. Then they added that they take into something called "athletic drives" to the basket. The ref didn't really explain it, but I guess that was his way of saying, 'We're okay with them traveling so long as its entertaining to the fans.' I could be mistaken, though.
Crystal City VA: Assuming that Etan Thomas is healthy and ready for next season how do you see him getting along with Brendan Haywood; considering his improved play and increased playing time? Can/will they bury the hatchet or will their relationship continue to be a distraction (like the Wiz need another one)?
Ivan Carter: They'll both say that it won't be a distraction and Etan will chalk it all up to the media blowing things out of proportion but if Etan starts cutting into Haywood's minutes, there is going to be a huge problem, believe me. That's how I see it.
Gaithersburg, Md.: Did you ever get a chance to ask Ernie about the Wizards' medical staff? Generally, I don't pay attention to medical staffs unless they are really good or really bad. With a lot of misdiagnoses for initial injuries, the medical staff should be looked at. Especially when signing a guy like Gilbert to a long term, big money deal.
Ivan Carter: Ernie made it clear that he doesn't see a problem nor does he believe that any changes need to be made.
Washington, D.C.: Given how he played this season, is it time to write off Andray Blatche as just a role player and not diamond in the rough any more. He had some big games, but lacks consistency. Would he be a good trade piece?
Ivan Carter: Tough question. On the one hand, he's the youngest guy on the roster, he's brimming with talent and he has a very cap-friendly contract. On the other, he's consistently inconsistent with his performance and work habits and has a very tradeable contract. I don't see him going anywhere but it's clear from Ernie on down that Andray needs to have a strong summer, stay out of trouble and dedicate himself to realizing his potential. Will it happen? I have no idea. I'll say this: giving the kid a five-year deal last summer removed any financial desire to get better.
Anonymous: How do you rate Chris Douglas Roberts out of Memphis? Is he a lottery pick?
It seems the NBA gets enamored in upside, meanwhile this guy can just plays ball. He played solid defense in the Final Four too.
Michael Lee: I like Douglas-Roberts. I didn't watch a lot of college ball but every time I saw him play, I thought he was a lock to go in the lottery. Then I looked at a number of the draft boards that have him going between 19 and 22. That seems extremely low for me. He was arguably the best player on the nation's best team for most of the season. He can score and he was a really solid defender. I'm not sure what NBA scouts are looking for, but I'm stunned that so many seem to be so enamored with "potential" and "upside" to overlook somebody who's proven that he can play at a high level. I think Derrick Rose will be the best pro to come from that Memphis team, but I think Douglas-Roberts can have a solid career. But I'm just a lowly sportswriter.
DC: The Wiz need a PG like Devin Harris, a guy we traded the rights for to Dallas. What would it take to get him back?
Also, plan B...can we get Jose Calderon?
Ivan Carter: I don't see New Jersey letting Harris go anywhere and yes, the Wizards can sign Calderon - as long as they let Gilbert Arenas walk should he opt out.
Washington, DC: Ivan, do you and the other luminaries who've had the Bullets/Wizards beat--including J.A. Adande, Ric Bucher, David Aldridge, and Richard Justice--ever get together for happy hour? The Washington beat must be the most-coveted in the league given that it's a springboard for an ESPN career, right?
Ivan Carter: My springboard must be broken.
Roy Hibbert: I might still be around at the 18th pick. Do you think Ernie should draft me? If not, what about Robin Lopez?
Ivan Carter: No. And I'd take a long look at Lopez. Hibbert may long regret not coming out last year. Someone gave that kid some very bad advice.
Rockville, Md.: Is there any team besides the Wizards that would gamble and give Gilbert a max deal? If you were the Wiz, would you go max in terms of money and years? Their medical staff worries me, they always misdiagnose injuries.
Ivan Carter: I seriously doubt that some team is going to offer Arenas the max given that A) Very few teams have that kind of money and B) Arenas is coming off of two knee injuries. Big risk. The kind that gets a gm fired.
Washington, DC: So with all this talk about the Celtics, do you think they can win this series?
What do you think the keys to their winning would be? LeBron is shooting terribly, but is still being effective and is not getting visibly frustrated, except when he was telling his mom to sit down and shut up, that he could handle his own business! And the series is tied. What do the Celtics have to do to win this series? LeBron is clearly his team leader; do you think that KG or the other members of the Big Three have really stepped up the way he has?
Michael Lee: It's really on KG to step up and inspire his teammates the way LeBron James has. I'm with you. LeBron has shot poorly, but he continues to encourage his teammates and give them great opportunities to score even when he can't. That's what makes him a great player and a pretty good leader - he can win even while not playing at his best.
The Celtics appear to only be comfortable when they are up 13 or 25. When the game is tight, they start getting tight and look for places to hide. Say what you will about LeBron, he doesn't do that. KG, Paul Pierce or Ray Allen - one of them or all of them - has to step up if the Celtics are going to win this series. They also have to do a better job of defending the James gang. They are keeping James in check, but they cannot allow Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak and Daniel Gibson to get comfortable and get off.
Woodbridge, Va.: Mike and Ivan:
The Wizards presently constructed have a nice team but it doesn't appear they have what it takes to get beyond the first round and eventually the finals which is everyone's goal. In your opinion, honestly, would you keep this team together and why.
Ivan Carter: I'll say this: I'd at least consider making a run at Calderon, who is a restricted free agent, and allow Arenas to walk if he opts out. Then, I'd resign Jamison if it's reasonable (no more than a four-year deal with a first year salary around $10 million) and build around those three, bring Nick Young along as a super scorer off the bench and maybe see if I could get some drunk gm bite on a deal that would package the 18th pick with Etan Thomas or Darius Songaila in order to free up future cap space.
Not saying I'd do all of that but I'd think about it. Then again, Arenas would probably go somewhere else, become a star again and I'd get fired. Maybe that's why Ernie Grunfeld is a gm and I'm not.
Washington, D.C.: As NBA writers, what's your take on the alleged scandal with O.J. Mayo? Business as usual, and we should just deal with it, or do there need to be changes made to the college game? (I remember Mike's coverage of overseas basketball academies for young players, which don't muddle the student-athlete distinction).
Michael Lee: I know nothing has been proven at this point with regards to O.J. Mayo, but I am not surprised that something like this could happen in the current environment of youth basketball.
I think Mike Wilbon's column today really hammered home the problem and also brought up how there is no easy solution. I'm not sure what can be done other than finding a way to pay these players, especially if the college institutions are going to make money off of their "free" labor. I think they have to do something innovative and creative because it seems that everyone associated with the NCAA - the colleges, the athletic departments, and the coaches are allowed to profit - gets to make bazillians but the reason for those profits (the "student" athletes) are criminalized for getting the crumbs. It pretty backward to me.
Maybe they need to set aside some of the profits from TV, jersey sales and tickets to provide something that amounts to a salary for these star athletes. This isn't the old days when you couldn't make huge dollars for your athletic talents. You can't sit back and try to hold on to the past. The reality is, kids can get $100 million shoe contracts before they sign in the NBA. There is BIG-TIME money to be made. The system now leaves the door open for corruption. I've always had problems with the "sanctity of the NCAA" because you'd have to be pretty naive to think that this doesn't happen A LOT in "amateur sports."
When I was in Europe, I was relieved that those programs don't try to hide behind any false veils. They are open that these are professional athletes, even at 14 or 15. They pay them, train them with the hopes that they will make money off of them eventually.
I think it's terrible that the NCAA gets to sit back, make all of this money, then come crashing down on anyone who dares get a car or a flat-screen TV out of this. Total hypocricy.
washingtonpost.com: It's a Guided Path Toward Professionalism (Post, Dec. 18, 2006)
Michael Lee: Here's the story I wrote about the European system about two years ago.
Let LeBron score 40 and clamp down on everyone else: Hi, Ivan and Michael,
When will the Celtics finally win a road playoff game this spring?
And... why don't they just let LeBron score his 40 points but clamp down on everyone else? It's not like the Cavaliers are a bunch of All-Stars.
Shouldn't the Celtics' defense be able to put shut down everyone NOT named LeBron? So let him score his 40, but then the C's wouldn't let up more than 80 to Cleveland for the game and have a great chance at winning Games 5 and 6.
Michael Lee: If the Celtics don't win a road playoff game this spring, they can be assured a rough, ringless summer.
As for your other point, I might have to agree with you. I think the Celtics should try to make sure James takes more jumpers, but they can't give the other four guys wide open shots.
The Cavaliers are more effective when LeBron is engaging his teammates. You look at his high assist games and the Cavaliers are winning. His low assist games - no matter how many points he scores - generally result in losses. You might be on to something.
Falls Church, Va.: Which LeBron dunk was better, his dunk over Tayshaun or KG?
Michael Lee: I'd actually have to go with his dunk over Rasheed Wallace in the conference finals last year. That sent a stronger message to me and actually had an impact on the outcome of the game. The dunk over KG came when the Cavaliers had already secured the win.
Falls Church, VA: Which new coach will make the biggest impact next season?
Michael Lee: Mike D'Antoni. He has a lower bar to rise from.
Washington, DC: Which young team in the East has more reason to hope going forward--the 76ers or the Hawks?
Michael Lee: That's a tough call. I like both of those teams going forward, especially if the Sixers can keep Andre Miller, Andre Iguodala and find a low post scorer. The Hawks need to add more veteran depth and keep both Josh Smith and Josh Childress.
Bethesda, Md.: Why did Kobe insist on controlling the ball and shooting in the overtime on Sunday when Fisher and Odom were hot and Kobe's setting up people with passes was working so well?
Michael Lee: I don't know what Kobe was thinking on Sunday. Not only were the Lakers rallying back when he was passing, but he had a bad back, too. I think Kobe simply got into attack mode and moved away from what was working. I was surprised that the Lakers didn't utilize Gasol and Odom more in overtime and used Kobe as a decoy.
Michael Lee: Whew. I'm tired, people. This was a great chat. I had fun, but I've got to go get ready to do Washington Post Live. We'll convene in a week. Peace.
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Sports: A Family Driven to Succeed
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Patrick Morrison: Hi, Pat Morrison here. Looking forward to your questions today.
Bethesda, Md.: If your kids are doing this because this is what they really want, then the more power to them! I hope they get into great schools and are very successful in life. My younger sister was a competitive gymnast and spent about 30 hours a week training. Her meets were all over the country, and my parents never once thought about withdrawing their support or financial contributions since they knew she was just following her dreams. She did not end up with an athletic scholarship; however, her extreme dedication to sports and academics did get her admitted to some very good schools and she ended up at Duke.
But the important thing is that she chose that lifestyle because she wanted to, not because she was trying to buy her way into an elite school. If your children were involved in other activities which would increase their chances of getting into an elite school, but did not come with scholarship money, would you still have supported your child's choice?
Patrick Morrison: Absolutely agree with you that this needs to be the children's choice. If they were interested in band, art or any other activity we would definitely support them. Sports is a means to an ends. It should help open doors to opportunities - not be the opportunity itself.
Anonymous: The one thing I don't think came across was you also do this because it makes your kids happy! I have 4 kids with 2 girls in soccer. My second youngest just starts t-ball this year. The schedule can be amazing. I figure some folks might slam you for this, but I really salute you.
Do you note how much more responsible your kids are in response to your approach?
Patrick Morrison: Thanks for the compliment. We're no different than thousands of other parents around the country, sacrificing for our children to learn and make themselves better. I really do believe it's helped the kids learn to manage their time, make decisions and sacrifice for what interests them. It also teaches them that there is a consequence - good or bad - with every decision. You choose sports and you may miss out on some social time or vice versa. Good life lesson.
NW, D.C.: Apparently someone in the house if not both were good athletes. How did your kids get so into sports?
Patrick Morrison: We let them decide. My wife and I have always enjoyed athletics, but if they had chosen art or music we would have been just as supportive. I'm sure the older kids rubbed off on the younger ones, so the interest for them may have been more from exposure.
Summerville, S.C.: I am the mom of a tenth grader (my youngest) who plays varsity football at his high school. It is a very large (AAAA) school with a relatively succesful football program. My other two children were music and academic nerdlings -- not an athletic bone in their bodies, so how do I help my very bright very athletic kid do as well as he can? I know there are "tricks" or secrets if you will that really great "football moms and dads" know and I want the best for this amazingly sweet yet really huge and strong young man I have found myself raising....any tips will be appreciated. Patriotmom in S.C.
Patrick Morrison: The beauty of having multiple children is that they have such different interests and personalities. As with any interest, exposure, support and positive feedback go a LONG way. Making sure they enjoy what they are doing, and learning to sacrifice social time for activities that will advance that interest always helps. Not easy to do when the kids are exposed to so many things. The fact that you're asking how to help tells me you are doing the right things - supporting and loving your child. Not sure if that's the answer you're looking for.
Annapolis, Md.: You have a brother-in-law who is also a fine athlete as well as a prominent local attorney. What impact has he had on your children's success?
Patrick Morrison: We have GREAT family members and friends who've been nothing but supportive. We couldn't do what we do without them. And we love my brother-in-law despite his shady profession. :)
Annapolis, Md.: Some say you were the finest athlete ever to attend St. Mary's High School. Do you think any of your kids will surpass your accomplishments?
Patrick Morrison: You must be speaking to my wife. She is the athlete and brains. I am simply the competitive spirit in the family. My kids have already FAR surpassed anything we could have hoped for in terms of academic and athletic success.
Washington, D.C.: In cartoons like the Flintstones, whenever Fred had a plan to get ahead in life, cartoonish events held him back. This is not true of very successful people in life who build from one success to another, literally relaxing by volunteering, exercising or working on a hobby instead of sitting in front of the TV. When discussing this article this morning, the reaction was overwhelmingly negative and coworkers suggested that the kids would be better to sit on the couch playing video games for fear they might "burn out" by getting too much happiness and achievement. Needless to say, I reject the Flintstones theory, that everyone must end up a failure when grasping for the brass ring. So my question to you is, amongst people who know you in real life, do they suggest you "take it easy" or suggest you are doing the right thing?
washingtonpost.com: A Family Driven to Succeed ( Post, May 14)
Patrick Morrison: Everyone has to choose what's best for them. Our children's interests center on athletics. Other families interests center on music or art. Still others embrace technology. It's not for me to pass judgement on their choices. We simply do what's best for each individual in our household. Very often what's good and interesting for one family member isn't the same for others. We try to accommodate all tastes and interests while providing the appropriate guidelines. It's not about sports here. It's about learning life lessons. Sacrifice. Organization. Perseverance. Lessons that can be learned when anyone gets involved in their passion.
Annapolis, Md.: As a proud uncle, I can vouch for the fact that these are very well-adjusted kids -- family-oriented, humble and bound for success in life, not just in sports!
Patrick Morrison: Thanks. That means a LOT coming from someone we love and respect so much.
Washington, D.C.: Where does your philosophy about life come from?
Patrick Morrison: Quality guidance from great parents and grandparents. And choosing friends wisely. My Dad has always said that you are a reflection of the friends you keep. I hope my wife and I - and our children - are representing our family and friends well. They've been terrific and are the true reason we've been able to do what we are doing.
Honolulu, Hawaii: Aloha! The article mentions two younger boys. Are they involved in lots of sports, too? Do you think they'll follow in the footsteps of their older siblings?
Patrick Morrison: Yes, the younger boys are involved in lots of sports and activities too. We try to get them exposed to as much as possible athletically, academically, musically, community service-wise etc. It's hectic, but very positive. By the way, my wife is from Kauai. We have relatives in Ewa Beach. Can't wait to get back there soon.
Fairfax, Va.: There are a lot of critical comments on the story that's posted on washingtonpost.com. I think some people are somewhat intimidated by the spotlight on your family and its "success" or possibly something else. Have you read any of the comments? If so, what do you have to say?
Patrick Morrison: I don't read those things. Too much negativity. It's easy to criticize. And by no means do we think we're anywhere close to be a "model" family. We simply do the best we can and hope we are guiding our children properly to make the right decisions. I hope there's not any intimidation. We didn't ask for the attention. The uniqueness of our situation - 5 kids, with 3 at different high schools - I guess grabbed someone's attention. We are fortunate to live in an area that provides quality options for school. If people want to criticize us, so be it. I welcome constructive feedback. I want the best for my kids.
Fairfax County, Va.: Dear Mr. Morrison,
I'll play devil's advocate. My older son, now age 22, was a student athlete so I know well what that involves. However, as my younger son (age 7) develops his interests, I am finding it more difficult to justify all the time spent in the car that a serious sports commitment would entail. Traffic, gas expenses and the hassle factor have gotten bad enough over the years that it is definitely impacting my outlook. I find myself secretly hoping he will focus on sports or other interests that can be pursued as locally as possible. I don't want to hold him back, but I worry that as he advances in any particular sport/activity, we will give in to the time and travel demands without any thought to the psychic costs to all involved.
Have you thought about this, and if so, how do you resolve it? Have you ever had to make a decision where the answer was "less is more"?
Patrick Morrison: Absolutely we've had to make decisions where less is more. Not always popular with the kids, but appropriate in our minds. The shame of it all is that sports have evolved into year-round activities. It's not like the good old days when we were growing up when you could play 3 sports a year without having to play select this or tournament team that. Each sport improves a childs overall proficiency and perspective. I often wish for the old days. And we hold out against deciding on one exclusive sport. It's not healthy. Most of the travel and select decisions are for the parents, not the kids. I struggle with that. Let the kids decide their interest and level of commitment, then determine to what extent you can help them fulfill that interest.
washingtonpost.com: A Family Driven to Succeed ( Post, May 14)
Reston, Va.: How much do you spend on gas a week, and how much time do these activities leave you to spend time together as a family?
Are you encouraging your children to participate in any school-sponsored groups such as band or choir?
Patrick Morrison: Absolutely we encourage our kids to participate in band, choir, and community service activities. Unfortunately, I have absolutely ZERO musical or artistic ability, so their skills are not sharp. However, I love art, music and reading, so the kids have a healthy love and respect beyond just athletics. As for expenses - A LOT is the answer. I keep detailed records, but don't total them. I think I'm afraid to. At some point I'll go back and organize them in detail - but not until they are all grown and I can look back and laugh about it. It might make me cry the way fuel prices are going right now.
Arlington, Va.: I just hope the parents reading this understand the reality when it comes to athletic scholarships at Division 1 schools. When you hear that someone is going to a Divsion 1 school on a scholarship (unless it is for foortball or basketball) the likelihood is that the student is getting a few thousand dollars and not a full ride. In sports like soccer, lacrosse, baseball and softball, coaches have to spread a small number of scholarships across 20 to 30 players. So what the scholarship actually means is that a player might get a few hundred dollars for books, a few thousand for room or board, etc.
Families should not be doing this as part of some grand financial plan to pay for college. You also have to watch out for the choices that need to be made -- Do you go to a less prestigous school in order to have the chance to play sports? People need to look at Division III schools more.
Other than that, I agree that sports and other activities kids love can be a great addition to their lives.
Patrick Morrison: I agree with you 100%. Athletics should be a means to open academic opportunities, nothing more. We never approached this as a way to pay for college. We were just fortunate it's worked out - for one. Who knows what will happen with the others. We stress their grades just as much. The academic money helps too. We need all the help we can get.
Farifax, Va.: I appreciate you constantly bringing up art or music along with athletics. However, there are many more scholarships for athletics than the arts. Did this ever cross your mind? Comments?
Patrick Morrison: I love music and art - even though I'm horrendous at both. We never looked at this in terms of scholarship opportunities. We just let the kids find their passions and follow them. Ultimately, the sports is a means to open academic opportunities they may not otherwise be afforded. If there interest had been in art or music or writing or science we would have gone that path. It's not about athletics. It's about finding your passion and chasing it. It just so happened our children love sports. Would we be getting the same feedback if this article was about artists and in a different section of the paper? Not so sure. And that's a shame.
Arlington, Va.: I'm sure if all goes according to plan, your children will be very successful in life. I know that driven personalities and kids that excel at their activities are what I look for when I conduct alumni interviews for my alma matter.
But two very important questions beg to be asked: What happens if one of your kids gets injured and is out of his/her sport for an extended period of time? And what if the economy sours to the point where this lifestyle no longer is financially feasible (or some other personal financial emergency occurs, such as loss of a job)? I certainly do not wish either of these things upon anyone, but do your kids have a backup plan in case something suddenly has to change?
Patrick Morrison: Academics have always been our TOP priority. Our children all carry a 3.5 GPA or higher. They would not be participating in sports - or any other activity - if they were not working as hard as possible academically. And yes, we do discuss the possibility of injury almost daily. Sports is a means to open doors academically - nothing more. And they have interests in many other areas - foreign language, writing. We try to teach life lessons, not sports lessons.
Virginia: Your family is pretty remarkable and you should be proud of them!
Have you read the NYT series on sports scholarships and how much they actually give out to student/athletes? And how hard these student/athletes have to work?
(P.S. I was wondering with the price of gas; it might be cheaper to bank that $75/$150 a day for college tuition (smile).
washingtonpost.com: Expectations Lose to Reality of Sports Scholarships ( The New York Times, March 10)
Patrick Morrison: I haven't read the article. I'm sure it's quite informative. And yes, gas is getting VERY expensive. But we don't make our decisions based on scholarship opportunities. The kids are young and only get to do this once in life. We make our decisions based on interests and passions. If it was in sculpting we'd be doing the same thing - as long as we are able.
Washington, D.C.: How old were your kids when they started sports? Did they express particular interest in playing one sport over another or did you just try different ones until they find ones they liked?
Patrick Morrison: Our kids started in sports at various ages, from 8-10 years old. And we let them do as many as possible. We can't decide what they like best. And they can't make an informed decision until they've participated. Our only rule - finish what you start. No quitting mid-season. After the season is done, then you make your decision whether to return the next year or not. We've done ice hockey, field hockey, soccer, tennis, golf, football, lacrosse, basketball and volleyball. All of the kids have also taken music lesson, been a part of the Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts and all have participated in some sort of community service like Rebuilding Together.
McLean, Va.: What is you and your wife's occupations? How do you have time to fit all of this in?
Patrick Morrison: I'm in sales. My wife is a child care director part time. Not really sure how we find the time - we just do. A LOT of help comes from family and friends. We couldn't do it without them. And fortunately the kids TRULY enjoy going and watching each other no matter what the activity. That's a blessing. We've been EXTREMELY lucky to have very few conflicts over the years. I hope that continues.
Patrick Morrison: I really appreciate everyone's comments and questions. I hope one thing is clear - we do not push our children into any of these activities. And we are not focused on getting scholarships. Our goal is to allow our children to enjoy a happy childhood participating in the activities they enjoy. Over the years that's included Scouts, music, art, talent shows - - - and yes sports. Ultimately, it's been their choice to become a part of the sports they currently enjoy. And make no bones about it - academics comes first. It's the key to everything. And if their athletic good fortune opens academic doors that would otherwise have been closed - then I am a HAPPY CAMPER. Finally, thanks to all of the family and friends who have helped - and will help - us manage our schedule over the years. You are the true success story and the reason we can do what we do for the kids. We are very lucky to have such terrific - and unselfish - children. I couldn't be more proud of how they are turning out as they grow. I am TRULY going to miss this time we've enjoyed together.
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Dirda on Books - washingtonpost.com
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Prize-winning critic Michael Dirda took your questions and comments concerning literature, books and the joys of reading.
Each week Michael Dirda's name appears -- in attractively large type -- in The Post's Book World section, where he writes about new novels, neglected classics, fat biographies, European literature, fantasy, science fiction, thrillers, poetry, works of scholarship, the occasional children's book, almost anything under the rubric of "arts and letters." Although he earned a Ph.D. in comparative literature from Cornell, Dirda has somehow managed to retain, well into middle age, a myopic 12-year-old's exuberant passion for reading.
As he has for the past 40 years, Dirda says he still spends inordinate amounts of time mourning his lost youth, listening to music (classical, jazz, oldies, country and western), and daydreaming ("my only real hobby"). He claims that the happiest hours of his week are spent sitting in front of a computer, writing. His most recent books include "Readings: Essays and Literary Entertainments" (Indiana hardcover, 2000; Norton paperback, 2003), his self-portrait of the reader as a young man, "An Open Book" (Norton, 2003) and a collection of his essays and reviews titled "Bound to Please" (Norton, 2005) Last year he brought out "Book by Book: Notes on Reading and Life" (Henry Holt, 2006) and last fall Harcourt published "Classics for Pleasure."
Dirda joined The Post in 1978, having grown up in the working-class steel town of Lorain, Ohio and graduated with highest honors in English from Oberlin College. His favorite writers are Stendhal, Chekhov, Jane Austen, Montaigne, Evelyn Waugh, T.S. Eliot, Nabokov, John Dickson Carr, Joseph Mitchell, P.G. Wodehouse and Jack Vance. He thinks the greatest novel of all time is either Murasaki Shikubu's "The Tale of Genji" or Proust's "A la recherche du temps perdu." In a just world he would own Watteau's painting "The Embarkation for Cythera." Dirda is a member of several literary associations, including the Baker Street Irregulars and The Ghost Story Society. Despite a penchant for quiet and solitude, he enjoys giving talks, teaching, and traveling. People tell him that he can be pretty funny for a guy who usually has his nose in a book.
(He also thinks he can be pretty funny at times...)
An archive of his reviews is available here.
An archive of his discussions is available here.
Dirda was online Wednesday, May 14.
Michael Dirda: Welcome to Dirda on Books! The sun had been shining here in Silver Spring, but the clouds are back this afternoon. And, no, I'm not talking about my psychological state. I'm actually in a pretty good mood. (Cheers go up all round the internet.) In fact, after this chat, I think I'll go to the gym and pump some iron.
You know, I was telling someone the other day that, despite a lifetime spent reading and writing about books, I've never thought of myself as really bookish. I see myself as an adventurer. Okay, a very low-key adventurer. I can't travel everywhere in the world, or live all the excitement of a James Bond, or bet it all on red in Monte Carlo, and lose. So I turn to books for what I can't actually pack into life itself. But I don't agree with Borges about preferring books to life. They are just a complement to life. Lately, I've thought I might have let things get skewed a little too much toward the studious and introspective, which is one reason why I take two months off in the summer from reviewing. I need other things besides the pleasures of turning pages or typing words at a computer.
Now, where was I going with that? Who knows? Just passing thoughts. And enough of them.
Let's look at today's questions and comments. Stay with me, people. Call your friends.
New Lenox, Ill.: Thanks to last week's conversation here I was prompted to reread The World of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter (all twenty-three tales, which I have in individual small volumes, in two handled carrying cases), one of my favorites is "The Tailor of Gloucester," which begins: "In the time of swords and periwigs and full-skirted lappets - when gentlemen wore ruffles, and gold-laced waistcoats of paduasoy and taffeta - there lived a tailor in Gloucester." (It is traditionally read to children on Christmas Eve, just before bedtime.) I think her illustrations are charming.
washingtonpost.com: Ooooh, nostalgic Beatrix Potter fans -- click here. Enjoy!
Michael Dirda: Many thanks. I do believe my wonderful producer Elizabeth is on the job this week. This isn't to say that Paul, my other producer, isn't just as wonderful.
As for The Tailor of G: I think most Potter readers find this her greatest prose triumph. I still retain a fondness for the more child-like stories. Frankly, I can hardly imagine a more exciting title than The Story of Two Bad Mice. The heart virtually palpitates with anticipation. Just how bad can they be? Oh, that naughty--one can hardly imagine.
Minnetonka, Minn.: I enjoyed your piece about the Camus notebooks. As a reader, won't you want the notebooks of all your favorite writers?
washingtonpost.com: Dirda on Camus (Book World, May 11)
Michael Dirda: Well, I do love notebooks and diaries and collections of letters and all sorts of workbooks and scrapbooks, as well as lists and marginalia. One feels that here is as close as one can get to the working imagination--plus, there's usually lots of good gossip.
I mean, after a while, one picks up Fitzgerald's The Crack-Up more often than the Great Gatsby, and one enjoys Henry James's or Virginia Woolf's letters and notebooks even more than the novels.
But then I'm a guy who keeps a commonplace book, so I would like such things. The inside scoop. L'envers de l'histoire contemporaine.
Woodlawn, Va.: I came across this nugget from the late Eudora Welty in an essay she wrote on Jane Austen and wanted to pass it along. Welty pointed out that Austen's critics have always complained that she wrote too much about matters of the heart and ignored what goes on in the wide world. "Her detractors have declared that even the Battle of Waterloo went by without her notice, so remote was her life." To which in reply Welty mentions that Austen dedicated Emma to the Prince Regent soon after his victory. "It might be that dedication page that will puzzle the far future," Welty writes in her gently pointed way. "Readers of Emma may wonder what it was that the Prince Regent had done that was so deserving." Would that we could all have someone like Miss Welty standing up for us.
Thanks for letting me share.
Michael Dirda: Many thanks. Welty was very wise--but I sometimes like to think about her mad passion-it is said to have been consummated--for the detective story author Ross Macdonald. She even dedicated her collection of essays, The Eye of the Story, to him, under his real name, Kenneth Millar.
If I may, I'd like to chime in belatedly on last week's discussion of children's books with questions on three books with a Canadian connection:
(1) Have you or any of the chat participants ever read "The Happy Time" by Robert Fontaine? It's set in Ottawa, but it's about a Franco-American family. I came across it accidentally when I was working in a second-hand bookstore in Ottawa and I loved it. I only recently learned (because the Washington Post reported on a local small-stage revival) that it was made into a play and a major musical, so it was presumably a big deal at one time.
(2) Probably the second most-beloved Canadian children's book (after "Anne of GG", of course) is W.O. Mitchell's "Who Has Seen the Wind?" Are this book and its author well-known in the U.S.?
(3) Are any of you familiar with the Jacob Two Two books by Mordecai Richler? I've never read them myself and I'm wondering whether I should.
washingtonpost.com: Review of and feature about "The Happy Time" (The Washington Post)
You know, I think I may have read the Richler book, but have no recollection of it--which means that my memory is totally shot or that I didn't really. The other two books are just titles to me.
It's interesting that so many children's classics don't become international. I have friends from Canada and Australia who speak about kids titles I've never heard of, but that are beloved by children in those countries. I wonder why that is. I think Americans only read British children's classics, outside of their own.
Lenexa, Kan.: I just finished an unabridged audio of Michael Crichton's "Next"--a novel with genomics as the focal point. An author interview was included. I suspect some people read Crichton to learn about general scientific areas like self-replication and nanotechnology similar to the way people once read Michener to learn overview geography and history. Have you read much Crichton? Reviewed him (early books)? Know him personally? Thanks as always.
washingtonpost.com: I met him once and he was extraordinarily tall. - Elizabeth
Michael Dirda: What a lovely sentence, Elizabeth. What more does one really need to know about Crichton?
I've never read him. My guess is that the early novels, like The Andromeda Strain, are fine thrillers, but I think from Jurassic Park on he's gotten too commercial and hackish. But this is strictly an impression, based on reviews. Still, he seems to have staying power in both publishing and Hollywood. Very tall indeed.
Incline Village, Nev.: Several years ago I read a discursive but captivating novel, "The Horrors of Love" by Jean Dutourd. Have you heard of it, or of him? I once saw it recommended by John Lukacs but apart from that, nothing. It is sort of Proustian, ruminative, about an affair that begins ecstatically and ends disastrously; in other words, the inevitable arc, but still it was extraordinary.
Michael Dirda: You know, I see the book a lot in second-hand bookshops, but have never read it. In my mind I associate Dutourd with novels that tend to be vies romancees--kind of souped up historical novels, with lots of sex. But this must be wrong. The inevitable arc--I suppose so, at least in fiction. But surely in life some affairs must end in happiness--the right people finally find each other, lives are renewed as well as ruined? Till recently, of course, one could never actually write a novel in which adultery ended in happiness for the lovers.
Arlington, Va.: Have you read this year's PEN/Faulkner award-winner "The Great Man" by Kate Christensen? Was there a review in the Post that I missed?
washingtonpost.com: No Post review, but here's a piece on her winning the award.
Michael Dirda: Nope. Can't read'em all. What I like about the Pen Faulkner is that it often goes to unexpected books.
To the Honorificabilitudinitatibus Dirda: Critics don't pump iron, they pump irony! I've enjoyed you pataphysical remarks the last few weeks. Will you favor us with another hapax legomenon?
Michael Dirda: Half-Ax Legomenon--wasn't he the Viking who started that company of little plastic blocks?
Hey, I don't pump irony--Tony Kornheiser will accuse me of stealing his book title.
Actually, I don't like lifting weights, though I do like running. What I've been thinking of getting back to is the world's greatest cardio exercise--skipping rope. I doubt I could go for more 40 seconds. Even if I didn't get tangled up on the second or third loop de loop.
Dirdanimals: I think you have mentioned here the name of your dog. And I recall once you said you could see "The Wonder Cat" through the window and it wanted to come in. Just wanted to ease your mind, in case you thought you were being stalked!
Michael Dirda: Okay. Just for the record: Seamus, the Wonder Dog, aka The Mayor of Woodside Park. Cinnamon, the Wonder Cat, aka The Mighty Huntress.
I apologize for how broad this question is, but I was hoping you could help. I'm a stay-at-home mom of two small children. There are many days when I feel my brain turning to mush! I love reading fiction but when it comes to non-fiction, I just don't know where to begin. I check out books at the library that look interesting, but often find them written for experts or way too dense.
What are some of your top picks for non-fiction? Any subject matter will do.
Michael Dirda: Now that is broad. Really, I'd need to know your interests to recommend anything intelligently. What I would do, though, is think: What am I interested in? Not what you think you should be interested in, but really what attracts you. Why try to make your way through a history of philosophy when you'd rather be reading about, well, collecting antiques, or learning about children's psychology, or studying the art of India. Who knows what your interests are?
For instance, I've been reading lots of psychology lately--Jung, Karen Horney, et al. For various reasons, I've become interested in the mind, in the development of the self, of how one understands neuroses or lives an authentic life in tune with what one truly is. I've had a longtime, off and on, interest in such things. But I've never written about this stuff. I'm no authority It just interests me personally. Similarly, I went through a period when I read a dozen or more books on mean's health and fitness, and an equal number of men's fashion and style. I wanted to lose weight and get in better shape and when I had done so, I wanted to buy some new duds. So these things guided my reading. Let your life choose your books for you.
Not so admirable Crichton: I gave up on Michael Crichton after his weird, xenophobic "Rising Sun" -- did you read that hysterical rant he included by way of an afterword on how the Japanese were out to get us? He's gone off the deep end.
Michael Dirda: No, I remember the book was lambasted in the press. Unfortunately, or fortunately, I also remember the incredibly erotic scene from the movie--gorgeous blonde, ripped clothes, conference table, strangulation for sexual pleasure (which, unfortunately, goes too far).
Arlington, Va.: Where would you recommend someone who is unfamiliar with Camus start? The Stranger?
Michael Dirda: Yes, there. I'd then recommend his play "Caligula," followed by "The Myth of Sisyphus." For many people, his greatest novel is The Plague; my favorite is that astonishing monologue, The Fall.
Columbia, S.C.: Hello Mr. Dirda,
You recommended "A Canticle for Leibowitz" a few months ago and I loved it. I am amazed that this is Miller's only novel. Do you tend to see many "one-hit novel wonders" in the sci-fi genre and literature more broadly? Isn't quality positively correlated with fecundity?
Another question for you. I am sad to say that I have read almost everything by Gene Wolfe and Jack Vance, with few unread books left to explore. I was hoping you could recommend another author who resonates with the Wolfe/Vance style of writing.
Michael Dirda: All genres have their one-hit wonders: Think of Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man; Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird.
As for Vance/Wolfe cousins: Try Michael Shea's homage to Vance The Quest for Simbilis or his own Vancean fantasy Nifft the Lean, which won a world fantasy award. You might also enjoy some of R.A. Lafferty's early stories. I'd also look into John Crowley's Little Big and Steven Millhauser's short stories and novellas, eg. The Barnum Museum or the recent Dangerous Laughter.
Latin passages: I just finished An Instance of the Fingerpost and was pleased that author Iain Pears followed each Latin quotation with the English translation.
Michael Dirda: Always a help.
Washington, D.C.: I also like the acronym "ISOLT." If you spend a sad year reading Proust would it be a triste an en ISOLT?
Michael Dirda: Ooh, you clever boy, you! Or girl.
Austin, Texas: I will be traveling to Kenya soon on a medical mission. Could you recommend any novels or histories on this part of Africa? Thanks for the chats.
washingtonpost.com: I loved Elspeth Huxley's "The Flame Trees of Thika" so much as a kid I designed my college senior essay around it. It's an autobiographical novel about an English girl growing up in Kenya in the pre-WWI era. - Elizabeth (producer)
Michael Dirda: Well, there's an answer for you. I don't know any histories of Kenya, per se, but Basil Davidson is the great historian of Africa and a fine writer. He's got lots of books and I'm sure one will suit your need. You might also enjoy Isak Dinesen's memoir Out of Africa, or the sexy White Mischief (made into a fabulous, but not very well known film, featuring an incredibly hot performance by Gretta Scaachi--sp?).
For the mom: Can you manage some time to read book reviews, either in print or on line? That's where I get a LOT of my non-fiction book suggestions, especially because reviews usually make clear whether the book is written for the lay reader or not.
New Lenox, Ill: Re: Skipping rope for cardio - sounds like a good idea. (Isn't that what boxers also do to get in shape?)
Also, I think you have a good idea in writing a book about the children's books that all adults should read. I'd buy it. (And I haven't read any of the children's titles that WpgManCDA asked about.)
Michael Dirda: Oh, yes, I'd forgotten about that book idea. Maybe I should send it to my agent. Don't any of you steal that from me--I've already copyrighted every word that flows from my pen on this site. Or, more likely, The Washington Post Company has.
Bethesda Maryland: In your Book World column last week you confirmed your continuing interest in things French. I join you in that appreciation. However I lack the ability to characterize what it is about things French which are so enthralling. Would you help me out here? Food, Architecture, and Literature are all fair game.
Michael Dirda: I think it has something to do with sophistication, savoir-faire, worldliness. We Americans do tend to feel like bumpkins, even those of us in big cities like Washington. Europeans, and the French in particular, seem to look at the world through the cool eyes of reason, understanding all, forgiving all. Wine, love, beauty, art, two hour lunches, six week vacations, conversation--these are the good things in life, and the French seem to manage to make them integral with their lives. We Americans just exhaust ourselves in work, and wonder why we are such dull sticks.
Non-fiction: The Ashburn mom who likes fiction and wants some less-dense nonfiction might look for biography or memoir or narrative nonfiction. Ones I've read recently that I enjoyed include Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder; The Rescue Artist: A true story of art, thieves, and the search for a missing masterpiece, by Dolnick; A Jesuit Off-Broadway, by Martin; and (reading now) Reinventing the Bazaar: A Natural History of Markets, by McMillan.
Michael Dirda: Very various, as they say. Many thanks.
Ashcroft, B.C. (BR): Children's books: Is Mitchell's "Who Has Seen the Wind" the second most beloved children's book in Canada, after the immortal "Anne"? I'd have cast my own vote for one of Farley Mowat's books for younger readers: probably "Owls in the Family", although "The Dog Who Wouldn't Be" is a strong candidate, and "Lost in the Barrens" used to be read a lot. Pierre Berton, best known for making Canadian history popular to regular readers, wrote "The Secret World of Og", a novel for kids that was popular in its day, and Richler's "Jacob Two-Two" books are still popular. My own favourite amongst Canadian children's books is Catherine Anthony Clarke's classic "The Golden Pine Cone", which is one of the best fantasy books I've ever read, full stop, and deserves to be much better known than it it.
Michael Crichton: I read his "The Great Train Robbery" last year, and thoroughly enjoyed it, although I don't think it's typical of his work as a whole. Lots of wonderful background details about early Victorian London, and some incredibly rich and descriptive cant and slang terms from the period; only George MacDonald Fraser does it better.
Michael Dirda: Many thanks. Yes, I'll second The Golden Pinecone, which I own in a treasured copy.
Perhaps what is needed is a list of great children's books from around the world.
Nonfiction: May I suggest? Book World's 2007 nonfiction best-of list
Michael Dirda: You may, you may.
Non-fiction for the Fiction Reader:"The Mighty Huntress" - that's cute. My kitty is "The Mighty Lays Around on the Bed All Day Unless Someone's in the Kitchen Preparing a Meal Involving Meat or Cheese."
I used to never read non-fiction, but got interested in it after reading "Wild Swans" for my book club. That led to me read "Dragon Lady" (another book about China), and then some random true adventure type books, then some stuff about explorers. Maybe the woman looking for some interesting non-fiction should hunt around in the biography section of her bookstore to see what inspires her. Biographies can often read like a fiction novel, since there's a main character, and I find that more digestible than other types of non-fiction.
Michael Dirda: Good advice. Cinnamon is an indoor/outdoor animal, and clearly of vampire blood: she sleeps by day and hunts by night.
Washington, D.C.: For the woman in search of nonfiction: This is the perfect opportunity to seek the help of your local librarian.
Michael Dirda: It is always a perfect time to ask your local librarian. There is no better starting point for any book search. We're dealing with professionals, and they know and love their business.
Lenexa, Kan.: There is certainly a less admirable side to Crichton. The divorce from his fifth wife--involved a 12-year-old child I believe-- was said to be quite acrimonious. Like Richard Rorty, I always thought cruelty to be man's worse quality.
He is also known for having been invited to the White House by our current president to help confirm there is no global warming. Crichton being such an intelligent, gifted person (Harvard degree in medicine, of course) one wonders what that was all about.
Still, you can't argue with his kind of success or being such a handsome, 6'10" marvel to look at (as Elizabeth implied).
Michael Dirda: Hmm. I don't think being 6-10 makes one a marvel, unless one plays basketball.
Lakewood: Over the past few years, I have been reading (or listening to the fine unabridged audio books narrated by Simon Vance) the Brochette books by Anthony Trollope. I know you are a big fan of Trollope's autobiography. He had keen insight into human nature and had a subtle way of mocking what on the surface his books celebrated, i.e., the importance of "blood" and "breeding" and "rank" in society. It is hard to believe that he was writing at the same time (and for the same audience) as Dickens, whose work was so melodramatic.
Michael Dirda: They're both fine writers, but Trollope was a realist/satirist, and Dickens was a visionary/satirist.
Non fiction suggestion: If I might, I'd like to make a broad suggestion to the broad questioner. Biographies can, in my humble opinion, be a great way to get back into reading non-fiction. Pick a person you're interested in and go for it. A biography, to me, can read like fiction when done well, but is full of non-fiction and may stir the mental juices with regard to other non-fiction topics that are relevant to the subject of the biography. I have mentioned before the Patrick O'Brien biography of Picasso that I think is excellent. Here is a novelist who has delved into non-fiction, writing also about Sir Joseph Banks (no, not the clothier you wags). So, that might help. Its that or Spinoza and lots of fish in the diet.
Michael Dirda: I reviewed that Joseph Banks biography for Smithsonian, many years ago. Just the other day I began reading Simone de Beauvoir's Old Age, and noticed that it had been translated by O'Brian. He did a lot of translating at one point, including some of De Gaulle's memoirs.
RE: one-hit wonders: Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. One of my favorite books because I can always count on it to give me a good laugh. I know he had another novel, but does anyone ever read the other one?
Michael Dirda: I think the later book was something cobbled together out of a draft or something.
Re Vance/Wolfe: The reader might also look at Matthew Hughes, e.g. Majestrum or The Gist Hunter. Vance is now on my TBR pile because I enjoy Hughes and I keep reading reviews comparing him to Vance.
Michael Dirda: Many thanks. I've not read Hughes, but I too had heard he was like Vance. As if anyone could be like Vance.
Well, in fact, some of Clark Ashton Smith and Dunsany clearly influenced Vance, so we should add both of them to the recommended list.
Crichton's height: It's been shown by study after study that tall people have more authority simply by virtue of their height. And unfortunately Crichton appeals to the sort of person that he ...well, is. I guess I could have left off that last sentence.
Michael Dirda: Yes, I remember John Kenneth Galbraith saying something like that. Personally, I think a manly 5 foot 10, with round glasses and dark tousled hair, is the ne plus ultra of authority and seductive charm. Let those tall guys bend down to hear my whispered bons mots and words of wisdom.
Rockville, Md.: Another comment about Crichton. I stopped reading him after "The Lost World" and "Timeline," both of which read as if they were purposefully written to be made into movies, but I can tell you that his earlier books were, for me, quite enjoyable. His books from the 1970s and early '80s were much more thoroughly researched than his later work, and I particularly enjoyed "The Great Train Robbery", "Eaters of the Dead," a retelling of Beowulf, and "Congo," a rather intelligent and perhaps even affectionate take on those old jungle adventure stories from the days of pulp.
Michael Dirda: Haven't all his books been made into films of some sort? I remember seeing Congo.
One-hit wonders: Proust, I suppose, novel-wise at least, though his hit was a ten-run homer.
Michael Dirda: Hey, some of us think Jean Santeuil is where it's at. And certainly Les Plaisirs et les Jours has its decadent fans.
Thank you, that was perfect:"They're both fine writers, but Trollope was a realist/satirist, and Dickens was a visionary/satirist."
I've been trying to figure out why I think of them as alike but different. (I'm the person who read "Bleak House" after you praised it.)
Michael Dirda: Thanks for the compliment.
Crichton: I think I've read most of his books, and would consider myself a fan. Until now, anyway! I didn't know anything about his personal stuff. I've always enjoyed his books between more serious reads. Something to cleanse the palate, so to speak.
Michael Dirda: I can understand that. One doesn't always want to eat caviar or climb Mt. Everest; sometimes a corndog and a visit to the carnival are more in order.
Who would you rather have a beer with - Hemingway or Bukowski? Or some other rogue?
Michael Dirda: Some other rogue, I guess. But if had to choose it would be Hemingway. Most of the writers I'd like to drink with would probably prefer wine, or maybe ale. Or even mead. But for beer drinking writers, I think I'd enjoy sharing a few with Irwin Shaw and James Jones. Big guys, hearty appetites for liquor, women, life.
Rockville, Md.: A specific suggestion for the woman in search of nonfiction: Carl Sagan's "The Demon-Haunted World," a marvelous and non-technical defense of scientific thinking.
Rockville, Md.: Congo: The movie was horrendous. For those interested in the genre, the book is far, far better.
Michael Dirda: Thanks. That's nearly always the case, of course.
Friendship Heights: Hi Mr Dirda,
Great idea about writing that book!
re: dogs and cats--woke up last night to hear a light thwock coming from the kitchen--it was our cat on top of the fridge, knocking off spilled dog biscuits to the scottie waiting below...
I love your chats, they're the highlight of my week.
Michael Dirda: What a great story! And what nice thing to say! Now, if only there were, oh, 300,000 more like you, I could have had at least one best seller.
Bethesda Maryland: Incanabula is defined by a very specific date. Who chose that date and why?
washingtonpost.com: Definition of Incanabula (Encyclo.co.uk)
Michael Dirda: What is this, the 64,000 dollar question? Elizabeth has supplied the answer, so I don't have to. Thanks, E.
washingtonpost.com: When I met Crichton
Michael Dirda: Check it out.
Writers to Drink Beer With: Flann, of course: A pint of plain is your only man!
Michael Dirda: Oh, you're absolutely right. A pint of plain really is your only man, and perhaps we could have Kavanagh and Behan along with us, too.
One-hit wonders:"Isn't quality positively correlated with fecundity?"
Good heavens, no. Look at not only Michael Crichton but John Grisham (who cheerfully admitted in an interview that his books get worse, and his first was his best) or any other hack. Harper Lee, Thomas Heggen, Ross Lockridge, et al might have had only one novel in them because they were autobiographical.
Michael Dirda: Most first novels tend to be autobiographical, so you're probably right about why some people only write one: They only had one in them. That does mean the test of a real novelist is the ability to build and sustain a body of work, after having exhausted the strictly personal. In general, I do think that great writers tend to write a lot.
re: both of which read as if they were purposefully written to be made into movies: I know what you mean! It's one thing to have a good novel turned into a movie. But sometimes you can just tell the writer was already thinking about the blockbuster movie that was going to be based on their novel, and they quickly got the novel out to try and get to the blockbuster. What is it about these books? I can't quite put my finger on what it is, but something in them is missing. Lack of details, dialog that is too simplified...
Michael Dirda: No texture, just surface.
washingtonpost.com: Oh sorry. I was going to explain more about meeting Crichton. It was when I was a producer of the Diane Rehm Show and I had read his book to prepare for the interview. He was so tall it kind of freaked me out. - Elizabeth
Michael Dirda: Many thanks, again, E.
it was our cat on top of the fridge, knocking off spilled dog biscuits to the scottie waiting below: Maybe we CAN all get along. If cats and dogs can work together...
Michael Dirda: Hmmm. I don't see this sort of thing happening very often. I wonder what the dog does for the cat.
re Treasure Island: As discussed last week, I'm delving into Treasure Island for the first time in 20 years. I've had to restrict my reading this week for a number of reasons and have forced myself not to lie in bed reading it all night. Leaving aside the fact that as I was typing the subject line to this post I wrote, "Treat" inadvertently, I will say that I'm loving it as much as I did as a kid. I'd forgotten how good the writing is, how evocative and how well paced the plot. I approached with trepidation because of another chatter's (another host of a Post webchat) disdain for Kidnapped. I was afraid that I might not enjoy it as much as I did as a child. Happily this is far from the case, but does bring to mind the reasons why that other person may have had difficulties with Kidnapped. The heavy brogue that is employed seemed overwhelming and tedious to that other reader. I can understand that, although for me its just more delicious color. In reading other "adventure" novels, like those of Marryat, I do find the prose a bit ponderous. Even some passages of Sabatini can be heavy with description and light on action. It seems clear that some of this is a function of how people communicated at the time the books were written. Again, happily for me, that is part of the joy of the story for the most part. I wonder, is it a matter of taste or mood? I can lose myself in Austen's acute and detailed meanderings on personal behavior, but be turned off completely by another author's navel gazing. The very next day I'll be craving Hemingway's stripped down writing, while finding dull another's simple declaratives. I suppose part of it is the skill with which the author uses these styles and part of it is indeed the place, mentally, from which I approach the book. Do you experience this sort of variation?
Michael Dirda: No, never. I am as steadfast and permanent as Mount Rushmore, a rock of steadiness and equanimity, solid, unchanging, immutable.
Just teasing: Everyone has these moods, which is why books appeal most at different times.
Silver Spring, Md.: Nonfiction - best way is to pick a broad category (history, science, etc). Then either go ask a librarian about popular classics in that field or go to the library shelf where the "general" books are stored. I.e. 500 for science, 400 for language, etc.
The books you find there will lead you to others.
Freising, Germany: Have you ever considered any Western novels as being classics? This genre seems to embody the concept of Pulp Fiction, like the Kung Fu or even the Science Fiction genres, but at least Science Fiction has had some talented practitioners. What about Westerns?: Do the likes of Louis L'Amour and Zane Grey approach classic territory, or do they ride off into the sunset of pulp fiction?
Michael Dirda: There are western classics: Guthrie's The Way West; Berger's Little Big Man; McCarthy's Blood Meridian, etc. The two you mention are commercial writers, good reliable entertainment.
Michael Dirda: Well, folks, there are some more questions, but I've run out of steam. Time to head over to the gym. In the meanwhile, while I'm sweating to the oldies, you guys keep reading! There will be tests next week.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
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Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Michael Dirda takes your questions and comments concerning literature, books and the joys of reading.
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Post Politics Hour - washingtonpost.com
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Don't want to miss out on the latest in politics? Start each day with The Post Politics Hour. Join in each weekday morning at 11 a.m. as a member of The Washington Post's team of White House and Congressional reporters answers questions about the latest in buzz in Washington and The Post's coverage of political news.
Washington Post national political reporter Anne E. Kornblut was online Wednesday, May 14 at noon ET to discuss the latest in political news.
Get the latest campaign news live on washingtonpost.com's The Trail, or subscribe to the daily Post Politics Podcast.
Archive: Post Politics Hour discussion transcripts
Anne E. Kornblut: Hi everyone! Thanks for joining on yet another post-primary Wednesday. I look forward to everyone's questions.
Washington: Did you catch the article in the Hill this week in which a number of GOP Senators explain that they wouldn't be interested in the vice presidency because they are "too old"? I don't think any of the senators making that comment were much older than McCain.
washingtonpost.com: Senators say whether they'd agree to be vice president (The Hill, May 12)
Anne E. Kornblut: That was a great piece. I think at least one of the respondents who said he was too old -- Pete Domenici of New Mexico -- is at least 76, which is actually older than McCain (who is 71). But it's a good point. Maybe the trick is how old the candidates feel, not how hold they actually are?
Brooklyn, N.Y.: Is Sen. Obama planning to make any concrete overtures to appeal to Sen. Clinton's supporters, other than constantly talking about "party unity"? Also, considering The Post has done an article about the racism Obama has faced on the campaign trail, when is there going to be a similar article about the sexism Clinton faced on the campaign trail, such as Rep. Steve Cohen comparing her to Glenn Close's character in "Fatal Attraction"?
Anne E. Kornblut: Very good questions, thank you for them. I do expect Sen. Obama will make very direct overtures to Sen. Clinton's supporters if he winds up winning the nomination -- it seems like an obvious next step. As for the sexism/racism question, it is always worth exploring further. Both Obama and Clinton have benefited from their so-called "natural constituencies" -- African American voters and women -- but I haven't seen data backing up the theory that people aren't voting for Clinton because they don't want a woman president. Most of it is anecdotal, like the incident you mention. A very good story idea; thank you for it.
Chicago: Thanks for taking my question. People keep saying that Obama has a problem with "working, hard-working, white voters" but it seems that his real problem is with voters who live in Appalachia. If you look at the states that have counties in Appalachia, all of those counties went heavily for Clinton. Since all of West Virginia is in Appalachia, it does not come as a big surprise that Clinton won big last night. What is it about voters who live in Appalachia that makes them so pro-Clinton or anti-Obama? It is a race thing, a class thing or an education thing (or some combination thereof)?
Anne E. Kornblut: This is a very good question, and it's something we've started to look at as well -- the geographic component, as opposed to the demographic one. That's one (fun) challenge in trying to sort out what is happening in this election -- looking at the various cross-sections and trying to figure out which means what. Stay tuned...
Fairfax, Va.: Wasn't Obama winning states with high percentages of white voters (Iowa, etc.) before he began losing them (West Virginia)? Was it the media playing "The Clip" over and over and over again, or was it Clinton chiming in to say she wouldn't have stayed with a pastor like Wright that turned white voters against Obama? Has anyone at The Post or in the mainstream media written about why white voters, once for Obama, are now deserting him?
Anne E. Kornblut: Here's another one on this subject. It is, in my view, hard to say that "white voters" are deserting him en masse; I think we'll see in the Oregon election next week that they are not, if the outcome is as the polls suggest. There appear to be other demographic factors -- or perhaps more accurately economic and geographic factors -- that are making the difference.
Madison, Wis.: Anne, we keep on hearing that Obama has a problem right now with working-class white voters, but as of now Obama leads McCain in virtually every general-election poll -- including your Washington Post poll by 7 points. If Obama is having such a problem with these voters, wouldn't him getting any of them to come home just increase his margin over McCain?
Anne E. Kornblut: Again, those are national poll numbers, and we're seeing the working-class white voter question play out at the individual state level. But yes, if Obama were to make gains among those voters in the particular swing states we've seen -- Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia -- it easily could start to shift the equation further.
Arlington, Va.: Maybe those Senators are thinking ahead to how old they would be in eight years if, goddess forbid, McCain were to win two terms. Except for Cheney, it seems most vice presidents take the office with an eye towards running for the top job themselves when the time comes.
Anne E. Kornblut: A good point...
2012: Hi Anne. When the pundits speak of 2012 and Hillary Clinton's chances of securing the nomination, the assumption is that Obama loses to McCain. I think Clinton may run even if Obama beats McCain if Obama's popularity is not soaring. What do you think?
Anne E. Kornblut: It's funny, I hadn't even thought of that. But I'll file it under "What to Think About the Next Four Years." Right now I am trying to figure out how we get through June 3...
The sexism story: should mainly be about the media -- it's much more easily and consistently found there than among voters (but it has certainly perpetuated the sexism among voters), found most especially (but not solely) among the bloviators on cable's gossip-fest channels ... which ironically include the word "news" in their titles. Who's writing that story -- no, that book?
Anne E. Kornblut: It's a really good question (to sound like a broken record here today). I have to admit I'm much less of a punditry consumer than many of you -- given that I'm on the road so much -- but I have seen some of the most incendiary remarks and talked to a number of my (female) colleagues about it, and opinion is divided on whether the commentators have been sexist or just generically obnoxious. I hope it's something we get to look into more deeply.
Washington: After now three GOP districts have voted for Democratic representatives, if you were a Republican House members running for re-election this year, do you think you would continue to support Bush's agenda, or would you maybe think about working across the aisle? I keep waiting for this to happen, but those GOP folks are really disciplined.
Anne E. Kornblut: I think you make a really good point -- and in some ways, the down-ticket races this year will be as interesting as the presidential race, as a reflection of what is happening nationwide. I would expect to see these Republicans trying to distance themselves from Bush if his numbers stay as consistently low as they have for all these many months.
Avon Park, Fla.: My question is regarding Florida and Michigan. Even though the Clinton campaign is advocating that they be counted now, they weren't advocating that when they were ahead. Harold Ickes and Terry McAuliffe voted for the Democratic National Committee rules to strip those delegates. Why aren't the media challenging the Clintons on that?
Anne E. Kornblut: Oh believe me, they are being challenged on that, and have been for months. They just don't really respond to the challenge in a direct way.
Princeton, N.J.: I am sick and tired of the constant nattering (thank you Spiro) on the Clinton-Obama race. McCain recently has made a number of deeply troubling speeches (on economics, foreign policy and the environment) which haven't received nearly the coverage of the horse race. For example, McCain proposes to keep the Bush tax cuts, increase defense spending in addition to funding the war forever, and make even more expensive tax cuts (Alternative Minimum Tax). All of this will cost trillions. He proposes to pay for his programs by eliminating $18 billion in earmarks. This is much more important than the entertaining horse race.
Anne E. Kornblut: This is a concern I hear from many Democrats, even some Clinton supporters who want her to stay in the race. We are, in fact, covering McCain ... and I expect that soon we will be back to covering the Democrats and Republicans in direct contrast.
Sterling, Va.: John Edwards got 7 percent of the vote yesterday. What is that about? West Virginia residents don't know he dropped out, or they disliked both of the other choices so much that they preferred to throw their vote away? (Then why not just stay home?)
Anne E. Kornblut: Well, his name was there on the ballot, so that made it easier. He must be feeling pretty good about that little nugget today; let's not forget, Edwards has made poverty the center of his persona, and few places feel the issue more than West Virginia. So it may be less political than gut instinct.
How to get through June 3: With the nonsense going on in the Democratic primaries, the best way it would seem is with a bottle Jack Daniel's and a fistful of Oxycontin.
Anne E. Kornblut: I'll take that under advisement.
Painter, Va.: We've had several special elections now where the GOP has tried to tie the Democratic nominee to Obama as a handicap and it has failed. I'm wondering, do you see any down-ticket races out there where the candidate could be hurt or helped by being on the ticket with their party's nominee? For example, I think Gilmore is helped by being on the ticket with McCain. I don't think Warner is particularly helped or hurt by being on the ticket with Obama.
washingtonpost.com: Democratic Victory May Be a Bellwether (Post, May 14)
Anne E. Kornblut: This is another good question on this point. I've been so focused on the presidential that I haven't scoured the congressional landscape well enough to know how the race is affecting everyone else. But I will make it a mission to find out soon....
New York: A friend of mine works at the Clinton Foundation and they don't give him (or several of his co-workers) health care. Do you believe the Clinton Foundation's practices should be viewed as part of Hillary Clinton's record?
Anne E. Kornblut: That's really fascinating. I can't say what I think the foundation's policies should be, and without knowing the particulars of your friend's case (is he part-time, on contract?) it's hard to say what it would mean in the context of a campaign. But feel free to have him call me....
Why the GOP lost Mississippi: Americans can't abide by this stuff. Most of us over 35 took classes in school that told us that the evil Soviet Union did things like this and torture, kangaroo courts, domestic spying, etc., etc. Regardless of what GOP-apologist windbags say, this is not an America any real conservative, liberal or otherwise wants or imagines!
Anne E. Kornblut: Thank you for this observation...
Applying history: I know you have to grasp at whatever straws are left for you, but it's a little ironic to hear Clinton say "history shows no Democrat has ever won the presidency without winning West Virginia" when history also shows that no woman has ever won the presidency, period. No black candidate, either. Based on history, the Democrats should just concede now.
Anne E. Kornblut: Very true, although there are certain mathematical realities to the electoral college. I think a more problematic question for Clinton is why voters should believe she will be better able to game the electoral college out than she did the primary -- given that she basically didn't consider that Obama could win the post-Feb. 5 states and did not take into account proportional allotment of delegates, which is why Obama is in the lead now.
Skip the Oxycontin: But there are really nice bourbon distilleries in Kentucky, and if you are fortunate enough to also visit Oregon, they make the best Pinot Noir in the country out there ... and they don't ship much of it back to us on the East Coast, so enjoy yourself!
Anne E. Kornblut: And I hear they make margaritas in Puerto Rico, too...
Atlanta: Hi, Anne. I just got back from vacation where I had no access to political coverage (imagine!) and now I am playing catch-up. So, how exactly does Hillary have one-half of a superdelegate? I don't get it.
Anne E. Kornblut: Some Democrats abroad count as half a delegate, I know that much; there may be other places where an odd number of delegates makes that possible as well. Sorry for the imprecise answer. Better question is: Did you vacation on Mars?
Dryden, N.Y.: Kudos to Senator Clinton on West Virginia, but she still seems to waging a quixotic battle. Can you share any scuttlebutt about her campaign finances? Who is paying for what now appears to be a vanity campaign? That you for the help.
Anne E. Kornblut: She's at least $20 million in debt, perhaps more. Today, in fact, she is meeting with her fundraising folks (as well as superdelegates) to figure out how to proceed. She could loan herself more money, and also try to hold more fundraisers, though that presumably will get more difficult if she continues to look like she is (or in fact is) losing.
Franconia, Va.: Any idea what Bill Richardson has been up to in terms of campaigning for Obama since the big endorsement? I suspect quite a bit, but it seems to be underreported. Whatever the events so far, I am hoping Richardson can make a real difference in Puerto Rico, so that is why I was curious. I know he is not Puerto Rican, but it can't hurt to have total fluency in Spanish. I thought of this because I saw an (amateur) photo of Richardson schmoozing at the Kentucky Derby recently. Of course he is a horse guy, but I think being at the Derby may still have had something to do with the upcoming Kentucky primary.
Anne E. Kornblut: I heard him on NBC, but that's about it of late. I'll check into it.
About Clinton as veep: How silly is it for the Obama-ites and Dem elites to even think that someone like the mostly unknown Sebelius (or any other generic woman) could be substituted in place of Hillary Clinton to appease her supporters? To follow that reasoning, why not substitute any other black candidate who doesn't have the "Wright/bitter/failure to reach white working-class voters" baggage? Do they really think Clinton supporters are that stupid?
Anne E. Kornblut: A salient point....
Long Island, N.Y.: Anne, a congressional question: Seeing how the GOP can't seem to win a special election this year (0-3 after last night, all in districts you would think they would win), do you think its in their best interest to ask "Vino" Fossella to serve out his term in New York's 13th District? In my opinion, if they have any intention to hold the seat, they probably are better off taking their chances in November with a new candidate who will have the summer to get ready. I know there's talk of him running again, but the Democrats had targeted this seat prior to his problems. As a former Staten Islander (and a classmate of his from high school) I can't see him winning an election where he will be the entire focus of a campaign.
Anne E. Kornblut: And another good question on this. I hate to be a pass-the-bucker here today, but I'm better off holding my tongue than talking about specific races I haven't studied yet; make sure you ask this question again when my colleagues Shailagh Murray and Paul Kane do their chats.
St. Paul, Minn.: Hi Anne -- thank you for taking my question and for chatting with us today. Put on your journalist/psychologist hat for a moment -- what does Sen. Clinton want? Did you see anything in her speech last night to lead you to believe that she's working on a graceful exit, or is she going to take this thing all the way to August, no matter what the impact might be on the Democrats?
washingtonpost.com: Video: Clinton Victory Speech (washingtonpost.com, May 13)
Anne E. Kornblut: Bingo! You have asked the $64,000 question that all of us are dying to know the answer to. In the meantime, we speculate (with the help of guidance from advisers around Clinton, many of whom are reading tea leaves as well).
It appears that Sen. Clinton really does want to finish the race, by her own account out of deference to the people who have voted for her and want to. If you watched her speech last night, you saw her reference an elderly lady who voted for her absentee in South Dakota, and later passed away; that gives you a sense of how committed she is to continuing until that primary (June 3). Some people believe she's trying to leverage her way onto the ticket, or prod Obama into helping her retire her debt. That said, it does not look like she's heading all the way to the convention (at least right now). Her advisers have more or less said they expect it to end in June.
Fallon, Nev.: Several great Democratic candidates entered the race for the White House but eventually dropped out for various reasons; I like to think it was because it was obvious the race would be between two novelties, not who might be the best Democratic candidate and the best person to lead our country out of the mess that the worst government in our history has brought upon us. I wonder -- what would the Democratic race have been like had Obama and Clinton entered the race on an equal footing? Obama has come out of nowhere, challenged the candidate many thought would be a shoe-in, and has outdone her!
Anne E. Kornblut: An interesting hypothetical ... thoughts?
Arlington, Va.: I saw a story yesterday that said Bob Barr announced his candidacy for president. Will his entry into the race have even less impact that Ralph Nader's?
washingtonpost.com: A Spoiler, by Way of the Dairy Case (Post, May 13)
Anne E. Kornblut: That is probably hard to measure at this stage. I would suspect so, but bear in mind that there are a lot of disgruntled conservatives out there.
Chicago: Hi Anne. If it's now clear that -- even with Michigan and Florida counted -- Hillary can't win the delegate count, then what reason does she have to keep exacerbating the wound felt by the voters of Michigan and Florida? At what point will the press declare that she is now effectively working for McCain by hurting Barack's November prospects?
Anne E. Kornblut: It's not really up to the press to make that assessment, but certainly there are people at the periphery (and not-so-periphery) of the Obama campaign who are arguing that already. Officially, though, the Obama position is that Clinton has a right to stay in the race through the final voting on June 3.
Washington: Hi Anne! Thanks for taking the time to do these chats. So does the Democratic win in the Mississippi special congressional election (combined with Illinois and Louisiana) prove that down-ballot Republicans can't count on Obama's baggage to rescue them from the anti-Republican mood in the country? The GOP ran ads in Louisiana and Mississippi featuring Obama and Rev. Wright, and it didn't seem to make any difference.
Anne E. Kornblut: And another ... a very good point, and one that the Clinton folks were not happy to see, because it undermines their central case -- that she is more electable (and he is a drag).
Anchorage, Alaska: How many Republicans who bailed out of their congressional careers (in either the House or Senate) early last December in order to feed at the trough are now doing so? So much for wanting to spend more time with their families and loved ones (unless lobbyists and high rollers are loved ones). Good session today.
Anne E. Kornblut: Who doesn't love a lobbyist and/or a high roller? Let me pass on this idea. I'd love to read this story.
Washington: Re: Republicans in their 70s being too old to be vice president -- to be fair, this isn't the same as saying that being in your 70s is too old to be president. vice presidents are ideally people who could run for president after a successful eight-year run by their party's president. So this may just mean that these Republican senators are saying that 78-plus is too old to be president. Although I suppose this may be moot given that John McCain is 8,000 years old.
Anne E. Kornblut: All I know is that after about a year and a half on the campaign trail, I am, at 35, also too old to do the grueling work of running for any of those offices.
Ashland, MO: When you run a horse race, the winner isn't declared until the first horse crosses the finish line. As the Kentucky Derby illustrates, unfortunate things can happen. Why is the media in such a hurry to declare the Democratic presidential primary over when no one has reached the finish line?
Anne E. Kornblut: I'm actually not so sure we're angling for it to end (despite my previous post on the grueling travel). We had a great poll in yesterday's paper showing that more than 60 percent of Democrats are fine with seeing it go on. It is mainly Democrats -- specifically Obama backers -- who are eager to get it over with, for obvious reasons, and the press (largely, in my view) is reporting the mathematical probability of how it will end. But you are right, that does not take into account potential disasters, though the Kentucky Derby analogy this year may not quite help Clinton.
Portland, Ore.: Hi Anne, love your chats! A quick report from Portland -- everyone is talking about the primary. On the train every night, people are talking about it. At work, people are talking about it. In the bars too. From my ears and eyes, it seems that Obama supporters outnumber Clinton supporters easily, at least here in PDX. Not news to those following the polls, but I thought I'd give you an on-the-ground update.
Anne E. Kornblut: Love the update! We'll see you guys out there soon. This is one of the great things about this primary ... seeing people absolutely everywhere engaged. It was not, I can attest, like that in the past two presidential races I covered.
Applying history addendum: No Democrat has won the presidency without carrying the District of Columbia, and Clinton did not win the District. Want phony comparisons? I can give you a dozen.
Anne E. Kornblut: Another point ... thank you for this.
Herndon, Va.: Re: Your comment earlier that Hillary Clinton "did not take into account proportional allotment of delegates" -- I've seen the Newsweek report attributing this mistake to a Mark Penn comment to Clinton staff in October (which, of course, he denies). But in any event, I find it hard to believe that no one among her campaign strategy planners considered the impact of proportional allocation. Can you elaborate more on what you know in this regard?
Anne E. Kornblut: We're still reporting it out -- and will be for some time I suspect -- but I know for certain that the campaign did not take the full measure of how things would work after Feb. 5, when the proportional allocation became so important. That's not to say that no one knew -- Harold Ickes, for one, did -- but the focus of the campaign was winning a lot up front, sweeping Obama out of the race fast, and not having to worry about it. When that failed to happen, they were caught flat-footed.
McLean, Va.: Anne: I think in many ways the best news of the night for Obama came from Mississippi. If he needed further validation of his argument that the old electoral map no longer applies, he got it in that congressional race. The superdelegates have to look long and hard at that when considering him.
Anne E. Kornblut: And another...
Mt. Lebanon, Pa.: So Vice President "Deadeye Dick" Cheney went to Mississippi and got the Democrat elected in a special election for Congress. Wow! When was the last time a Wanted-Poster Republican was credited with driving the opponent into office? Perhaps the Democratic National Committee or the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (Rahm's outfit) should hire Cheney for public speaking events (when/if he leaves office) ahead of state and federal elections. In a weird year of campaigning, it's getting weirder. Thank goodness. Thanks much.
Anne E. Kornblut: Thank you...
Floris, Va.: "Fact -- Hillary Clinton got 67 percent of the vote last night in West Virginia." Fact: Obama has received 65 percent or more of the vote in ten different states.
Anne E. Kornblut: And we definitely are hearing about Obama's earlier victories today, from his staff, as a reminder. Thanks for mentioning.
Don't Skip the Oxycontin: You can substitute the bourbon for Jack or even a Pinot Noir (although the Rogue Brewery in Newport, Ore. is awesome), but by skipping the Oxycontin you won't be dulling sufficiently the inanity of the continued horse race...
Anne E. Kornblut: So many suggestions!
Chicago: Is there any chance John Edwards or Al Gore will endorse before Hillary drops out?
Anne E. Kornblut: Of course there's a chance ... I would say Edwards is likelier than Gore, but neither is tremendously likely.
San Diego: Why on earth would Clinton want to be vice president (or, maybe, why would Democrats really want Clinton to be vice president)? The vice presidency is largely ceremonial. Clinton could do much more and have much greater impact on the next four or eight years of an Obama presidency if she remained in the Senate. Personally, I think it would be a waste of talent for her to be vice president. Two quick notes: Puerto Rico is famous for rum, not tequila, so I'd skip the margaritas and go for rum-based drinks. And since 1912, no Democrat has won the presidency without winning Minnesota.
Anne E. Kornblut: Rum, rum -- I will have to remember that. Thank you. I think Sen. Clinton would consider the vice presidency for a number of reasons -- it would be historic for her to serve in the role, it is a powerful job even in non-Cheney times, and she would be able to speak on behalf of the U.S. in foreign policy -- and of course she would be second in line to the presidency. But obviously we don't know her exact thinking on this yet.
San Diego: Do you believe there will be a large number of superdelegates making their decisions after Tuesday's Oregon results (the mathematical wrap up of the majority of nonsuperdelegates) or do you think most will wait until June 4 and allow Hillary to play out the race (in order to not offend her supporters)? Also, what is you suggestion on showing non-college-educated blue collar workers that he is a champion for them and one of them?
Anne E. Kornblut: Very hard to say. So far the superdelegates have proven that they are none too eager to get ahead of things, so it would not surprise me if they waited as long as possible. As for Obama, I would expect to see him talking about his personal history a lot more -- can anyone say "single mom on food stamps"?
Anne E. Kornblut: Thank you so much, everyone, for joining in today! It is always a pleasure to hear from you all. Keep it coming. And talk to you all soon.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
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Washington Post national political reporter Anne E. Kornblut discusses the latest political news and The Post's coverage of politics.
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Ask Tom - washingtonpost.com
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In a city loaded with diverse restaurants, from New American chic and upscale Italian to sandwich shops and burritos on the run, finding the best places to eat can be a real puzzle. Where's the best restaurant for a first date or an anniversary? Father's Day? What's the best burger joint? Who has the best service?
Ask Tom. Tom Sietsema, The Washington Post's food critic, is on hand Wednesdays at 11 a.m. ET to answer your questions, listen to your suggestions and even entertain your complaints about Washington dining. Sietsema, a veteran food writer, has sampled the wares and worked as a critic in Washington, Seattle, San Francisco and Milwaukee, and can talk restaurants with the best of 'em. You can access his Postcards from Tom to read his recommendations for other cities, read his dining column, First Bite and the Dish or read transcripts of previous "Ask Tom" chats. Tom's Sunday magazine reviews, as well as his "Ask Tom" column, are available early on the Web.
Falls Church, Va.: Tom, My daughter needs help. Her 6th grade Girl Scout troop is going to New York for the weekend. (Thanks to everyone who bought cookies!) They could use your advice for places to eat that would fit their age and budget (which is quite modest) the trip will include some site seeing, a show and shopping. Any suggestions for any meals would be great but anything near the theater district would be especially helpful.
Tom Sietsema: Fun and good and (relatively) cheap: Prime Burger near St. Patrick's Cathedral; Katz's Deli on E. Houston; Hill Country for barbecue -- a big trend in NYC right now -- in Chelsea; and Becco in the West 40s for solid Italian.
And good morning, everyone. What a beautiful day it is. Where's everyone lunching after the chat?
Thanks for your postcard on Amsterdam! I'm headed there in a few months and will certainly keep your guide handy. One thing I noticed though -- in previous postcards, you typically provide a good range of prices -- one expensive, one semi-expensive, and one moderate-cheap. This postcard seemed to lack the moderate-cheap option. Can you provide other suggestions for places in Amsterdam that fall into this category that didn't make the postcard?
Thanks and keep up the great work!
Tom Sietsema: I do, I really do, try to include a bargain in my Postcard columns! But the exchange rate is awful for Americans with dollars right now, and previously "moderate" restaurants are moderate only for people who live in Amsterdam (in this case).
I always eat in more places than I write about, just in case I experience a bad meal, in which case I wouldn't write about the restaurant. One place that didn't make my list this time was a small wine and tapas bar called La Oliva, at Egelantierstraat 122-124 in a cute shopping area. You might also try Tempoe Doeloe for Indonesian (detailed in an earlier column from Amsterdam).
washingtonpost.com: Postcard From Tom: Amsterdam
Raleigh, N.C.: A D.C. transplant here, hoping you can help me with a Seattle restaurant recommendation. I pulled your Seattle postcards from the past few years, but I'm not sure any of the restaurants fit what I'm looking for. The reason -- my parents. I'm going to be in Seattle with my husband and parents and we need a place for dinner. My parents are not adventurous eaters, and get sticker shock easily. I need a place with entrees in the $15-25 range, and primarily American food. Something like Carlyle in Shirlington, but in Seattle. Any ideas? Thanks!!
Tom Sietsema: Matt's in the Market should fit the bill: Great food, local flavors, relatively light on the wallet -- and a water view to boot. It's listed in a recent Postcard. Go, go, go.
Inn at Little Washington experience: Good morning, Tom - my husband and I went to the Inn for dinner and overnight Saturday, and we agreed that had we just gone down to dinner we would have been very unhappy with the ILW experience. We were left to cool our heels in the lobby for 10-15 mins. before being seated, our glasses sat empty until we could snag someone to pour our wine (repeatedly), our second bottle arrived after we'd finished our main course (we didn't do the tasting menu) - everyone was very pleasant, calling us by name, and afternoon tea and the overnight stay were lovely, but we expected service at dinner to be smooth if not flawless. We had the definite impression that the service is geared to bringing out courses in tandem for everyone at the the x o'clock seating, rather than to give attention to the needs of individual tables. To be sure, each of the courses was delicious, but the service really detracted from what should have been a very special evening, never mind the expense. Too bad.
Tom Sietsema: Too bad indeed -- especially at the prices charged by the Inn.
You say you waited 10 minutes for your table? That doesn't sound like the Inn I know. I'd be upset, too, if my second bottle of wine was delivered AFTER I'd eaten my main course. Are you sure about those times? As for your comment about not having the tasting menu -- multiple courses are the only way to eat at the Inn.
2 Amys 2-Step: Hi Tom. Based on your enthusiasm, my family decided to try 2 Amys this Saturday. We arrived at about 5:45 p.m., thinking that the lines shouldn't be intolerable at such an early hour. We found mobs of people at the door, however, and I overheard someone say the wait was an hour. I stood in what appeared to be a line to get in for a while, hoping to ask someone on the staff what the wait would be. A woman in restaurant-employee garb came out of the restaurant and called out a group's name. As she was leading the group in I said, "Excuse me, do you know how long the wait is?" She shrugged and said, "No." So I said, "Is there someone who does know?" She responded in a snotty tone, "Well, you could ask the hostess." The words "you idiot" were not uttered but were clearly implied.
We left and enjoyed a nice meal at Cactus Cantina. I must confess, after that experience, I do not feel like trying 2 Amys again. Is it really worth the wait and the rudeness?
Tom Sietsema: I dropped by Two Amys recently, concerned about reports from readers who complained about "soupy" pizza. What I found was terrific charcuterie, good wine by the glass, really good (nicely crisp and billowy) crusts -- and a mob of diners. A pal and I waited 20 or so for a stool at the bar in the rear, where a server told us Saturday afternoons and early evenings were among the busiest times of the week.
In my book, Two Amys remains as delicious as ever. You should definitely try the place -- early in the week and early at night. However, unlike when it opened, Two Amys is no longer one of only a few places to get memorable pizza. Given the pizzeria's popularity, the joint should post a sign for would-be diners, telling them there might be a wait and instructing them how to register their presence.
And finally, shame on the curt woman in "restaurant garb."
Arlington, Va.: For Seattle-bound reader:
I have to second Tom's recommendation for Matt's at the Market. I headed there on Tom's recommendation last month and was treated to not only a fantastic meal (pan-seared salmon on spring pea and fava bean risotto - yum!) and good wine, but outstanding company. I sat at the bar as I was there by myself, and I had no lack of dinner conversation from my surrounding diners. The biggest question I got was "How did you find this place?" GO GO GO!
Tom Sietsema: Thanks for the support, Arlington. I love the fact that Matt's is situated in the Pike Place Market, one of the best public venues in the world, I think.
Mother's Day Rant: So we attempted Mother's Day brunch (I had written to you last week regarding Cafe du Parc and Poste -- we wound up choosing neither because we couldn't get a convenient reservation time). So we decided to do Le Pain Quotidien in Georgetown. BIG MISTAKE!
When we first walked up, the manager (I think) told us it would be a 10- or 15- minute wait. The hostess then told us 15 to 20 minutes, but we thought that would be okay. We have two small children who are not good waiters, but they can handle 20 minutes. So we waited, and waited, and waited...all told 40 minutes!!! This was after numerous assurances that we were next, it would only be five more minutes, etc. No apology from anyone during this, just very dismissive attitude.
So we finally got seated at the communal table where we waited at least 10 or 15 minutes for anyone to even acknowledge us. I got the menus myself from the upstairs host stand, which finally prompted our waiter to say he'd be with us in a few minutes. So when he finally got there we placed our order and then waited some more. After another 10 or 15 minutes without even coffee or water or juice brought to us, we got up and left. I couldn't find the waiter anywhere so told the hostess to cancel our order because our kids were starving basket cases at this point. I received nothing but a rude response and rolled eyes from her. Wow -- happy Mother's Day to me.
Tom Sietsema: I sympathize with you -- to a point. Mother's Day is one of the busiest days of the year for most restaurants and you really should have had a confirmed reservation *somewhere.* (The inconvenient times offered by Cafe du Parc and Poste must have looked pretty appealing after your hour-long wait for a table and service attempt at LPQ.)
That doesn't excuse LPQ's poor attempt at hospitality, however. Rolled eyes are a definite no-no.
Dupont Circle, DC: My husband and I dined at Firefly the other night, and learned from the hostess that the restaurant has not been reviewed in the Post for something like three years, during which time it has changed chefs. Our experiences there have been stellar, and we think it definitely merits a new review - so why the wait?
Tom Sietsema: Maybe because of all the competition out there? If you haven't noticed, hardly a week goes by that some interesting new restaurant doesn't open. (Not that I'm complaining!)
I began doing re-reviews of previously reviewed restaurants several years ago. But I'm just one mouth and I only have so much space. I'm well aware that Firefly has a new chef in its kitchen, however.
Silver Spring, Md.: In your Amsterdam piece, you said "But it was lust at first bite when the food started showing up; the pastas and fish were equal to what I've enjoyed in Italy."
Do you feel like that about any local places?
Tom Sietsema: I sure do! Most recently, the feeling came over me at the bar at Palena in Cleveland Park, where I introduced my significant other to the joys of Frank Ruta's amazing hamburger. I've had similar "wow" moments at Komi, La Canela, Central, Thai Square and Rasika, among other excellent area restaurants.
washingtonpost.com: 2007 Fall Dining Guide: Palena
Chevy Chase, Md.: Are you supposed to tip a manager/Maitre'd if they work you into a table in a pinch at a small but well-regarded local restaurant? We gave the wait staff a big tip on the bill, but are unsure whether an additional tip was necessary. If we should tip, what kind of tip is not insulting on a three-figure dining bill?
Tom Sietsema: Are you a regular? Known to the house? And what was the occasion? Tipping for a table is not mandatory, but I can't imagine a manager who wouldn't appreciate a "thank you" in the form of $10 or $20, depending on the situation.
Do restaurant patrons expect too much? The gripes, (e.g. we had to wait for 10 minutes, etc). I think many expect perfection and set themselves up for disappointment. That or some people -love- to complain (I know the type). Thanks!
Tom Sietsema: You know what I think? I think too many people find it all too easy to take out their frustrations -- a bad relationship, a miserable job, a terrible commute -- on the places they dine in. Restaurants are in the hospitality business, after all. I think they're easy targets for some people.
Corduroy:: Well, how is the food in the new digs, I know you've been...
Tom Sietsema: How do you know I've been in? Because ... I haven't!
Washington, D.C.: Tom, I'm not looking for you to post this but as a faithful reader sometimes your comments come out very testily - occasionally downright rude which can be very off putting considering the valuable knowledge you share every week. Do you feel that perhaps its simply due to the lack of face to face expression when using a computer? Maybe you could use a bit more caution when replying? For example, your recent reply of "Maybe you haven't noticed how many new restaurants open every week." That just sounds so rude and condescending even if you didn't mean it to be so...
Tom Sietsema: I'm posting this to thank you. But there was no slight intended with that earlier post. I'm just reading and responding as quickly as I can here -- and doing so without a safety net, you know?
Washington, D.C.: Just a little mini-rant here, but what are your thoughts of people ordering items not on the menu? I don't understand why someone would demand a green salad or some pasta when it's not listed. I know people do this for kids sometimes, or just because they want to, and it just seems...rude. And very presumptive. The menu is there for a reason. Use it.
And for that matter, what's with vegetarians getting all up in arms when restaurants don't have a dozen choices for them? It seems like someone mentions this every week now. If you do a little research, you can find out what's on a restaurant's menu pretty easily. If they don't have a bunch of vegetarian choices, maybe don't go to that restaurant. If you do go, and they create some dish WHICH ISN'T ON THE MENU just for you, maybe you could be grateful that the chef took extra time for you. Everyone else is stuck ordering from a list of pre-selected food.
A restaurant isn't your house, you can't have whatever you want! Someone took the time and had the imagination and skill to create a selection of food items for you to enjoy. If you can't, won't or don't want to eat any of it, don't go there. I'm not saying don't be a vegetarian or a vegan or a carnivore or whatever. But what's with the sense of entitlement? "I'm the customer, I'm always right, make me what I want to eat!" It just seems disrespectful...
Tom Sietsema: Lots of questions -- and thoughtful admonishment -- there!
I tend to agree with you: Diners shouldn't go into a restaurant expecting to eat what's not on the menu. But there are exceptions to keep in mind (dieters and other special needs customers) and some chefs say they don't mind whipping up a dish that's not on the menu as long as the ingredients for said dish are available. Advance notice helps, too. A diner shouldn't waltz into a busy restaurant on a Friday night and insist on X, Y or Z when none of them are offered.
As for vegetarians and vegans ... man, we seem to cover their concerns and issues a lot in this forum. (Not that there's anything wrong with that, but ...) Again, it pays for those diners to do a little homework in advance of visiting a place. But I also think restaurants should keep in mind balance and offer a few interesting non-meat dishes. I'm a die-hard carnivore, but I still like to go green now and then.
This post gives me an opportunity to share an email I received last week from the co-owner of Restaurant Eve in Old Town. Here it is:
Just wanted to offer my view point as a restaurateur in regard to the vegetarian from last week's chat. Hope this makes it in public forum. It may assist us all in the future and eliminate confusion.
Making reservations at Restaurant Eve is an in depth process. It begins with the first question: In which room would you care to dine? (An explanation of each room, menu descriptions and prices then ensues.)The call then continues with: Are you celebrating a special occasion? You'll find parking across the street etc. And prior to logging the actual reservation information the final question is: Are there any dietary needs we may accommodate?
If one informs us of their vegetarian status, the explanation is this: "We recommend dining in the Chef's Tasting Room as one menu item in each of the 5 courses is a composed, vegetarian dish. If you choose to dine in the bistro we happily accommodate vegetarians. We will be sure to make the appropriate notes to ensure your waiter and kitchen are aware and create something special for you."
The way I see it, if 14, separate, vegetarian items which include vegetables, risotto, grains, potatoes, custards, velouté, and greens, cut from our own back garden, which are then are prepared à la minute, in 14 individual ways is not acceptable to one with a vegetarian diet, then I am afraid, we really cannot meet one's expectations in the way of accommodating vegetarians in the bistro.
We understand the needs of diners and we go to great lengths to try and make people happy. Between The Bistro and the Tasting Room menus we have a total of 64 dishes that are our deliberate focus and are on our menu for our specific reasons.
Our daily staff meetings consist of this on a normal basis: "We have 3 vegetarians joining us this evening, table #31 in the bistro and tables, 83 and 92 in the Tasting Room. Table #31 also has a nut intolerance-Please be vigilant and aware."
We get "it," and because we get "it," vegetarians dine with us often. We even make it a point to include this detailed information specifically for vegetarians on our website so they know that we are happy to "accommodate" in our own way.
For "multiple" vegetarian items, if not dining in The Tasting Room, perhaps, join us at The Majestic where Shannon, prepares two vegetarian, hand-made pastas daily!! Or, may we suggest one of our favorite restaurants; Duangrat-their vegetarian 'dishes' always make us happy.
Thanks Tom, we also appreciate the opportunity to voice our opinions too.
Under Restaurant Eve's Menu navigation tab:
While our bistro menu does not reflect vegetarian / vegan options, we happily accommodate and serve vegetarians / vegans regularly. All one needs to do is let us know ahead of time.
If you are a Vegetarian: We recommend the Chef's Tasting Room as there are five selections under each menu heading. There is always one, composed, vegetarian option under each heading that are also very popular to non-vegetarians.
In the Bistro -- We will create one special dish for you that reflects what is available and in season.
When you call to make the reservation. (It's best to do so late morning.) Please make sure you inform the reservationist of your request. She will then make the appropriate guest notes under your reservation.
If you are a VEGAN:
One day prior to your reservation, please call or email-Brande@restauranteve.com to confirm your reservation in regards to the Vegan menu arrangement.- Then, leave the rest to us!
In the future, when you dine with us, be sure to instruct the host to look up your name in our system as all the information regarding your dietary needs will be logged.
Please follow the links below to view 'samples' of our menus. Click on the orange arrows below to view.
Tom again: Thanks, Meshelle, for your detailed response. You set a good example for other restaurants to follow.
Re: lust at first bite: I think the poster wanted to know more about this part of the quotation: "the pastas and fish were equal to what I've enjoyed in Italy." I'm curious too, do you think any of D.C.'s Italian restaurants live up to the simple, fresh cuisine in Italy? Over the weekend I had some pretty good gnocchi at Sette Osteria, but none of D.C.'s Italian restaurants seem to live up to what I've had in Italy.
Tom Sietsema: Funny, some of the Italian food I've had at Tosca and Palena has actually been BETTER than the food I've eaten in Rome, Venice or Florence over the years.
Chevy Chase, Md.: Regarding my earlier question about tipping the manager for squeezing us in -- we are a regular at the restaurant, and have been for years. Does that change whether we should tip?
Tom Sietsema: I think you did what was appropriate by tipping the waiter well. On the other hand, a complete stranger is going to be remembered if he or she rewards the host or manager for the swift and thoughtful gesture.
2 Amys: By the way, 5:45 on a Saturday night is prime family time. There are lots of kids with their parents who arrive even earlier, so by then you're waiting for the first round of tables to turn over.
Manchester, N.H.: Hi Tom, I just wanted to chime in regarding a post in last week's chat. The person was complaining about being shushed at a vegetarian restaurant in Boston. The restaurant, Veggie Planet, resides in a music club, much like the kitchens at Iota or The Birchmere. And just like at the Birchmere, people are there to listen to the music, not two people catching up. It's a small space, and yes there -are- some tables separate from the main room, however, sound carries both ways. I'd suggest next time the reader get his or her food to go if they're more interested in conversation than the performer.
That said, the food from Veggie Planet is -very- good, and this is coming from a card-carrying carnivore.
Tom Sietsema: Gotcha. Thanks, Manchester.
In all seriousness what has happened to people's expectations nowadays? The Mother's Day poster admitted she had no reservation for brunch on Mother's Day of all days and then expects the place not to be a mob scene? That is the equivalent of someone whining over not receiving first class service for a Valentine's Day dinner with no reservation. Get a clue people; as we in the Navy say "Poor planning on your part does not consitute an emergency on mine"!
Tom Sietsema: You'd be surprised at the number of people who expect to find business as usual in restaurants, even around the holidays.
Re: Corduroy:: Okay then, any reports?
Tom Sietsema: Food friends seem to be lovin' the space but disappointed to find a menu that is, or appears to be, the exact same stuff chef Tom Power was making before he moved (and with the same staff).
Good grief: Your response was not "testy." In fact, you could argue the question was pointed/accusatory. Instead of asking, "Is Firefly on your radar?" they asked essentially, "What gives?"
Please don't soft-touch every answer you give. It would be exhausting to read, "Thank you for that insightful question/observation. I suggest you consider..." for every response. I think the majority of us know to read these chats (1) with the knowledge that inflection is absent and, (2) that they are to be a great and quick source of information, not an intimate conversation.
And for the record, I can't imagine the comments you don't post...
Tom Sietsema: Some day I might share a few (dozen)!
Thanks for your back-up there. I want this forum to be lively and fun and informative.
Vegetarians : I'm a vegetarian. I always check menus when I go out and yes, if they don't have any veggie options (or an option I don't like -- hello, vegetable plate), I don't go there. But my biggest complaint is when I get stuck dining at a restaurant (i.e., one I didn't choose) with NO options. It's 2008, people. People don't eat meat, people diet, people just don't feel like meat sometimes. If you're going to run a respected restaurant in a big city, it's time to acknowledge that. It's -this- situation that frustrates me. We all have business lunches, birthday dinners, etc. and I should be able to eat at them - and not just eat a plate of side dishes. So I am not "whining" about not getting a four-star meal made just for me. There should be ONE respectable option. That's all I'm asking for.
Tom Sietsema: I totally agree with you. And you sound open-minded and reasonable. Thanks for piping up.
Washington, D.C.: For the girl scout troop going to NYC: the Shake Shack at Madison Park. Great burgers, fries, shakes to die for and you eat outside in the park.
Tom Sietsema: Ah, a great idea.
Bethesda: What's your take on restaurants that don't take reservations? I can understand the restaurant's point, because they lose time due to no-shows and late parties, but it is horribly inefficient for customers to wait 40+ minutes for a table, especially if the cusomter has young kids and/or there's no bar (both true at 2 Amys).
My family never eats out without a reservation unless we show up when the place opens. Your take on no-reservation establishments?
Tom Sietsema: I hate 'em. I hate being unable to plan for an activity before or after eating. In fairness to Two Amys, however, it has a (wine) bar in the back.
Tipping the Manager: Tom, I understand the sentiment, but there is a fine line between tipping the manager for special effort and people being seated in sequence by the thickness of their wallets instead of the time of their arrival or whether they have made a reservation. I don't care to compete with others who are willing to drop extra cash, on top of an expensive D.C. high-end restaurant meal, to get a seat.
Tom Sietsema: I totally get what you mean. But I was thinking the recipient of the table in the busy restaurant could thank the manager AFTER the meal rather than BEFORE the seat was made available. There's a difference, as I'm sure you can see.
Bethesda, Md.: Seems like lots of people are complaining about wait times today. I don't work for a restaurant but I thought that it was common knowledge that you get your table when the previous diner has left. A hostess can only give you an estimate of when they think that diner will be done. If they take 40 minutes instead of 20 is the hostess supposed to kick them out early because you've been inconvenienced? Of course not. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.
Tom Sietsema: Estimates are just that -- estimates. But I like knowing the true wait periods rather than the fantasy wait periods.
Washington, D.C.: What is your advice if you wait a really long time for a dish that's inedible? Those two things really do go hand in hand sometimes so much so that I wonder why they bother bringing it to the table at all.
Tom Sietsema: Can you give me more specifics, such as what you ordered?
With just this information, if I waited a long time for a dish that I couldn't eat, I'd send the item back and ask for something else that wouldn't take long to prepare, in part because I wouldn't want to keep my companions from eating *their* meals, but also because I wouldn't trust a second attempt at the original request.
Washington, D.C.: Based on your recommendation, some friends and I have a reservation at Le Timbre in Paris next weekend. Any suggestions for what to order? (In a prior chat one of your readers raved about the "fried hogshead terrine." Though we're not vegetarians, a couple of us lean to the vegetarian side of fried hogshead terrine.)
Tom Sietsema: You got into Le Timbre! Good for you. The place is very, very small. But also very, very delicious. I can't help you with yor question, since the menu changes almost daily.
washingtonpost.com: 2006 Postcard From Tom: Paris
I submitted early but haven't seen my question. I'm sorry to be pushy, but this is for tomorrow. Which restaurant should I go to: Vidalia or Acadiana? Which do you think has the best food? Thanks!
Tom Sietsema: Why does it have to be either/or? I haven't been to either restaurant in awhile, and just yesterday I got another complaint about the cooking at Vidalia.
More-or-less interesting places to eat right now: Mio, Marvin, 701, Cork (if you can squeeze in), Buck's, Locanda, Tosca, Proof, Westend Bistro...
Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C.: I love how this has turned into let's bash the chatter/chattee chat. I posted the question re: Firefly to honestly see if it was on Mr. Sietsema's radar. I though his response was a little terse, but chalked it up to the electronic medium. First he was told he was rude (I didn't think he was, but then felt like I'd gotten the smackdown). Now I've got another person jumping on board to tell me how rude I was. Seriously. I agree that chats don't leave a lot of room for pleasantries, but come on people! Let's not heap insult onto (basically nonexistent) injury.
Tom Sietsema: Can't we all be friends?
(Tom shakes anonymous poster's hand.)
Alexandria, Va.: Good Morning Tom,
I just booked a table for two at a popular, upper-class (if a little touristy) restaurant for Friday night. The first time I called they offered me 5:30 or 6 p.m. I checked with my companion and called back to reserve the 6 p.m. spot. I was put on hold and then someone new got on the phone, who told me, "I can give it to you but you absolutely must be out by 8:30." First, I'm surprised it needed to be said, two and half hours for dinner? Second, is this standard? It put me off enough that I'm already calling around to see what my other options are. If they're that unhappy about the reservation, how good could the service be?
Tom Sietsema: I, too, hear "We'll need your table back by 8:30" on occasion, but mostly from places that are insanely popular (and mostly in New York). It's not very welcoming, is it?
Here's the deal: Most high-end restaurants expect two turns (changes) of their tables a night. And in reality, two and a half hours for two diners should be plenty of time to eat even a three-course meal.
Amsterdam restaurants: My family spends a lot of time in Amsterdam, and for anyone heading there, a favorite place with traditional (hearty) Dutch food and a great beer list, is Kop van Jut, at Leidsekruisstraat 24, just off the Leidseplein (http://www.kopvanjut.com/). Despite the location, this is not a tourist-trap. I would call the prices moderate. I think our last meal for two (March 08), with 2 drinks and one dessert was about $60.
Tom Sietsema: Good to know. Thanks for sharing.
Springfield, Va.: Tom, I'm a level 5 vegan -- I won't eat anything that casts a shadow. Why can't restaurants be more accommodating to my needs?
Tom Sietsema: Now THAT'S snarky!
Washington, D.C.: For The Girl Scouts: We're big fans of John's Pizzeria at 260 W 44th Street -- right in Times Square, the restaurant is an old church (complete with a still-standing choir area), and the wood-fired pizzas are absolutely affordable.
Tom Sietsema: I think we now have a week's worth of suggestions for "the girls." (And no, I'm not slighting the troops.)
RE disappointed in Corduroy: Why should they be disappointed that the food (and the staff) are the same? Didn't he move to get better digs, not specifically to change the menu?
Tom Sietsema: Yeah, but a chef of Power's calibre is expected to offer more than food as usual. I think a fresh start should be accompanied by . . . well, fresh ideas.
Vidalia or Acadiana: It has to be those two because I need a restaurant near either the convention center or the vicinity of New Hampshire and M; nice but doesn't break the bank; and I have reservations at both of those for tomorrow and want to know what to keep. Thanks.
Tom Sietsema: Vidalia is really pricey. My vote goes to Acadiana then.
Silver Spring, Md.: Hi Tom. Any further updates on Gillian Clark's soon-to-be new restaurant in Forest Glen? I drive by there everyday on my way to work, and there are NO signs of life! I've heard of construction delays, but this one is moving at an unbelieveably glacial pace. Any updates would be appreciated! Believe me, we in the neighborhood are very much looking forward to this opening!! Thank you.
Tom Sietsema: Wassup, Gillian? Maybe she'll see this and we'll have an answer by next Wednesday.
In the meantime, enjoy the rest of your week and be sure to come again May 21.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
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The Reliable Source - washingtonpost.com
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In today's Reliable Source: Even more details from Jenna's wedding (from the menu to the Charlottesville country band to who got to be flowergirl).Remy Ma's busted wedding-behind-bars plan. Radiohead dines out. O'Meara's ABC problems.
In recent columns: Josh Brolin IS George Dubya. A place for insufferable hipsters to stay when they visit. A new toddler daughter for Laura Ingraham Mike Huckabee mesmerizes us with talk of diabetes, weight-loss. Weather Channel sex scandal!And did you hear about the wedding yet?
Amy Argetsinger: Good morning everyone. Looking forward to your questions. I have to apologize for two things though.
First, for our print readers, it was my intention to run a photo of the Duke Merrick Band, the group that played the Bush-Hager wedding-eve bash, INSTEAD of yet another photo of Jenna and Henry. I wanted to do this so we could begin to wean you Jenry obsessives off of this story -- and also to signal to those of you who are tired of wedding stories that the end is near. But something went wrong and we ended up with another Jenry photo (but a very pretty one, isn't it?)
Also, as you'll see in a correction in tomorrow's paper, we erred on some details of the top-secret guest list. Karen Hughes was NOT at the wedding, nor was David Lauren. My bad, and I apologize. This is the first top-secret wedding I've ever covered. I'll hit my marks better when Barbara gets hitched.
Wedding Belles: I'm so glad that this all ended on a good note. No one crashing the party or anything. Everybody seemed like regular people, which it should be for the president and his family, not some hoity toity affair.
Amy Argetsinger: Indeed, it all ended on a good note... so far as we know! Maybe some day we'll hear insane stories about who crashed, who embarassed themselves on the dancefloor, who hooked up (would it be a wedding without that stuff?)... but thus far it seems as normal as it could have been.
Shirlington, Va.: I am almost positive Steven Spielberg walked right by me on Sunday in Shirlington Village in Arlington. Is there any reason he would be in town or does SS have a body double?
Amy Argetsinger: This past Sunday, or a week ago Sunday? He was indeed here a week and a half ago for the Kennedy Center Gala. Still, Shirlington? I doubt it.
Clarendon, Va.: I just found out that Gary Sinese, Robert Duvall and James Franco will be in town for the GI Film Festival. Any sightings yet? How long will they be in town for? Any chance in bumping into them?
Amy Argetsinger: Oooh, James Franco! I missed that name in the press release. That's a good one. No disrespect to Gary Sinese and Robert Duvall, but they're here an awful lot (Duvall living out in Virginia horse country). I thnk the festival gets underway tonight.
Kudos: Have loved how you covered the wedding. Good information, no hype, pleasant and positive, yet felt like I was getting some first-hand scoop. Thanks!
Baltimore, Md.: Dana Milbank writes that when Hillary was stepping off the plane and seemingly waving at supporters, she was actually waving at about a dozen photographers. When she pointed to someone she knew in the crowd and smiled, it was to one of her aides.
washingtonpost.com: This Is an Ex-Candidate ( Post, May 14)
Amy Argetsinger: Isn't it the photo that goes with the story? Here's the link.
Arlington, Va.: Hello -- Care to comment on all the nasty comments about you two that pop up regularly on dcrtv.com? What's up with that guy anyway?
Amy Argetsinger: I'm not very familiar with that blog -- haven't glanced at it in about two years, but yes, as I recall, the author did seem to have a curious level of animosity towards us. I'm almost certain that I've never met or talked to the author. Is he the one who called us "ladies" or "gals" in a really sneering tone? I can honestly say that I don't have a clue what he's had to say about us lately -- and no, you don't need to tell me. As always I urge any blogger, reader, non-reader or otherwise who has a complaint to contact us directly at reliablesource@washpost.com.
Jenry obsessives: There are such things? We must move in different crowds.
Amy Argetsinger: Two Americas, I tell you.
Arlington, Va.: Good Morning; the Internet is blazing that Jessica Simpson and Tony Romo are done and over with. Is she the new Jennifer Aniston or what? She can't seem to hold onto a man for more than a few months. Although it appears Aniston is grabbing up her leftovers in the form of John Mayer. What's up with that relationship and what's the age difference between Jennifer and John? How long do you give them?
Amy Argetsinger: True, the Internet is ablaze, but thus far it's the wilder and woollier parts of the Internet, most of which seem to be springboarding from a report in Star. Thus far, we have no confirmation from the gold standard of celebrity reporting (People), nor from the silver standard (US).
John Mayer is 30; Jennifer Aniston is 39. You know, the same healthy age difference that worked so well for Cameron and Justin, for Naomi and Heath.
Huck: Even though I'm not a Republican, I have to say that Mike Huckabee is one of the more appealing figures to emerge in this loopy campaign season. While I wouldn't want him to be associated with anything too science-based (doesn't believe in evolution?), maybe he could be on the next cabinet as HHS Secretary? Think how he'd liven up those meetings with his one-liners? (I'm assuming those meeting are ghastly dull because they always showed Cheney napping.)
Amy Argetsinger: The guy just needs his own talk show. He's massively entertaining, weirdly charismatic, and pretty funny. NBC should have thought about hiring him instead of Jimmy Fallon to replace Conan.
Jenry: What a perfect mashup name! It's as good as Bennifer or Brangelina!
Amy Argetsinger: Anyone remember Vaughniston? That was my favorite.
Woodbridge, Va.: Did I read you all correctly a couple of months ago -- the newlyweds paid $440K for a TWO bedroom place?
We paid $380K a few years ago and managed to get FOUR bedrooms.
Amy Argetsinger: The real-estate market, she's a fickle mistress.
Bush Family Wardrobe: Jenna's dress was better suited to a 40-year-old first-time bride who still has a decent figure. Lace hides so you don't need to have a knockout figure. I thought it was an old look. Let's remember that she is really young -- she could have worn almost anything. Lace and intricate beading don't translate well in photos. Smart brides (like I was) focus on a great shape and overall look of a dress.
Mrs. Bush looked gorgeous IMO but misplaced at an outdoor wedding.
Weddings -- especially at the Bush family level -- should be formal affairs. However, I will admit that it is sweet that they will be able stroll the ranch 10 years from now and remember. Other than that -- I thought the event was a bit jumbled and did not have a clear vision. Cost -- $115K.
Amy Argetsinger:"I thought the event was a bit jumbled and did not have a clear vision. Cost -- $115K."
Wow -- were you there? Anyway, thanks for your thoughts.
Veiled Dislike: Enjoy the veil. There is only one day in our modern lives that one can wear a veil. That day is the first or only (as the case may be) wedding.
Veils look great in pictures and men are drawn to them. Choose wisely.
Washington, D.C.: Okay, so my boyfriend dumped me. (I know, he's crazy, right?) Now that I'm through the staying in all weekend and eating Chinese food doldrums (sorry, I don't have a sweet tooth, but kung pao shrimp takes the edge off a depression!), what local male celeb or quasi celeb should I set my sights on? I had a thing for that cute Sam Brooks when he was running for City Council. He still around? Any others that I should put in the running? Single only please!
Amy Argetsinger: I'm sorry, that's terrible news. Good luck... Now, trying to be proactive for your sake -- I'm putting this one out to the rest of the chatters (in part because I don't want to slow down the chat by trying to come up with names -- I'm terrible at making these "most eligible bachelor" lists -- and Rox is on vacation today.)
So, tell us -- who do you think is the demi-celeb she should hit on?
Washington: I think John Mayer is like the Negroponte of the dating starlet world. Any time some actress is recently single, he is linked to her. Kind of like how Negroponte kept getting moved around to every job opening available in town.
Amy Argetsinger: Thank you very much for raising the erudition level of the John Mayer/Jennifer Aniston discussion. Excellent metaphor.
Washington: How close were you to the actual wedding while down in Crawford? Far enough away where you could have done all your reporting from your desk at the Washington Post?
Amy Argetsinger: Honestly, I sometimes wondered this. From bustling downtown Crawford, I was either five or ten miles away from the ranch, supposedly -- one quickly learns that it is not even worth one's trouble to drive down that road. However, the White House press secretaries did come out regularly to deliver information, and it would have been harder to hit them up for deets from afar. And the whole media scrum down there was part of the story. Also: It was exceedingly important that I get to do first-hand reporting of sales of Jenna and Henry mousepads and hand-tooled leather coasters at the souvenir stands in Crawford.
Burke, Va.: Query: who's got the best all-time list of "dates" -- John Mayer or Derek Jeter?
Amy Argetsinger: Oh, good question... I think this might be an eye-of-the-beholder thing. Are you a Jessica Simpson/Jennifer Love Hewitt kind of guy? Or more of a Jessica Biel/Jordana Brewster kind of guy?
Logan Circle: How about Celeb Chef hottie Barton Seaver?
Amy Argetsinger: I've seen him around with a cute girlfriend.
Weather Channel sexcapades: Wow -- who knew? I watch them all the time and other than Jim Cantoro, have never seen any sparks fly (and he does that alone). BTW, message to Stokes -- if you have to ask the question (do you find me attractive?), you may not want to hear the answer.
Cleveland Park, Washington, D.C.: Amy and Rox --
I finally had a chance to listen to that "Soft Rock" LP. Keeping in mind that these were high school kids, it's not bad.
Dede Thompson is the real star of the thing -- she has a haunting voice that's perfect for the material. However, when the band members start to jam, it loses a lot. They just don't have the chops for it.
There's a whole market out there for this type of small label release, and I expect this would prove pretty popular if people knew about it. Too bad about the stupid band name, though.
Amy Argetsinger: Thanks, Cleveland Park! For those of you who don't remember, CP last week bought an album by White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten's old band and had to get up the nerve to listen to it.
Washington, D.C.: We saw Dan Snyder, his wife, Tom Cruise and his wife, (Katie?) at the Dulles Airport Signature Service private terminal last week. Why were the Cruise's in D.C.?
Amy Argetsinger: They were here a week and a half ago for the Kennedy Center gala -- same as Spielberg.
U Street, Washington, D.C.: In response to your Reliable Source column today, NO! I haven't heard enough about the wedding. She didn't have a photo spread in Us Weekly and she's not selling her pictures to People magazine. My voyueristic nature is not satisfied...can we get a direct quote from twin Barbara?
Amy Argetsinger: If we get a direct quote from Barbara, then we should get a substantial raise.
D.C. Hunt: Are you participating in the Gene Weingarten-Dave Barry-Tom Shroder hunt on Sunday? If so, how will we recognize you?
Amy Argetsinger: No, alas -- I'll be on a plane for Costa Rica.
Logan Circle, Washington, D.C.: So who do you think will win "American Idol"?
(sorry, it seems a little slow here today with questions)
Amy Argetsinger: Yes, but picking up, happily... I'm still betting on Archuleta. Not my cup of tea, and I still can't stand to look at him, but the little girls like him and he has the more distinctive voice than the harder-working David Cook. Of course, we're working on the universal assumption that Syesha is history tonight. I also think that Archuleta is more likely than Cook to pick up Syesha's voters -- the little-girl bloc and the R&B bloc.
Washington, D.C.: I realize this is way after the fact (sorry). But I ran the Race for Hope (to benefit Brain Cancer and Brain Tumors) two Sundays ago and I swear I saw Ellen Pompeo running in the crowd. And in my twisted mind it makes sense since Meredith Grey just started up a clinical trial to help brain tumor patients. What do you think?
Amy Argetsinger: I... doubt it. I think the organizers would have let us know if she were involved.
Alexandria, Va.: Hi ladies. Do you know if Oliver Stone is planning on releasing the "Dubya" movie before the November elections (I heard that they planned on doing that). Wouldn't it be better to release after the election so that the movie stands on its own merit rather than as a product of this election cycle? There might be a backlash.
Amy Argetsinger: Good questions. Apparently they are trying to get it out in time for the election or the inauguration -- but that's a very tight schedule in which to turn around a major motion picture. (I love the phrase "motion picture" by the way -- it's so old school.)
Age differences: Don't knock it. My brother is 9 years younger than my sister-in-law; they have been together since 1982, when he was in his mid-20s and she was in her mid-30s. My sister is also 9 years older than her husband. They have been together for 6 years, since he was in his late 20s and she in her mid-30s. Both marriages are quite happy. I did the boring thing of marrying a man 3 years older than I am.
Amy Argetsinger: Good news! Thanks.
Still, Shirlington? I doubt it.: Hey! You owe all of Arlington an apology. The Village at Shirlington has some mighty fine dining. And a nationally renowned regional theater in Signature. Wouldn't surprise me to see any celeb in Shirlington.
Amy Argetsinger: No disrespect. I've spent many a happy evening in Shirlington over the course of my life.
Bush wedding: Jenna looked lovely, everything looked lovely and understated. I can find nothing to criticize here. Shame on all those people who commented on the initial article blasting the Bushes for having the audacity to have a wedding. It's not like they had it at the WH and invited Saudi oil barons.
Amy Argetsinger: Thanks for writing.
Charlotte, N.C.: Is there any truth to the rumor that Beyonce and Jay Z are expecting a baby?
Amy Argetsinger: Oh, probably not. Who knows? The celebrity-pregnancy-rumor-machine always churns into high gear within a week or two of a celebrity wedding.
Celebs to set your sights on: Watching Brian Williams on the Daily Show a few months ago, I said to my husband, "If anything ever happens to you, I think I'll go after Brian Williams." He said to me, very seriously, "If you think you have a shot with Brian Williams, you shouldn't wait for me to be out of the picture." I love my husband.
Amy Argetsinger: Oh my god, he gave you PERMISSION! Wild. I'm under the impression that a lot of couples have agreements about who they'd get a free pass with.
American Idol: I can't even look at David Archuleta anymore without immediately thinking of the Style section's name for him, "Baby Elmo"! Perfect!
Amy Argetsinger: He'll never shake that. Though David Cook may have beat the "Coroner Munchkin" title via good styling.
Rockville, Md.: Why wasn't Karen Hughes at the wedding?
Costa Rica: Heading down there for the super-secret wedding of Barbara Bush and that guy she has been seeing/not seeing for years?
Amy Argetsinger: Uh, yeah, that's it. So I can put everything on the expense report, right?
Annapolis, Md.: Doesn't 41 know that only the bride wears white to the wedding?! I was in a friend's rather subdued daytime wedding, and a guest arrived in a backless and plunging-in-the-front white number so as to feature some "work" she'd had done. It's been 11 years and we still laugh about it.
Granted, the former prez likely had no sinister intentions, but wearing white is on an ever-dwindling short list of 'no nos' as far as weddings go these days.
Amy Argetsinger: I'm sure he made it look okay. Maybe. But yeah, sounds like the guest at that wedding did not. Hilarious.
Sighting!: I saw Tom Cruise, Dan Snyder, Katie Holmes and Steven Spielberg -- IN SHIRLINGTON! They were picking up their shirts from the dry cleaners there and had Subway to-go bags.
Amy Argetsinger: Subway? I would think high-class folks like that would prefer to get carryout from Charlie Chiang's.
Great White North: That poor girl! But it is obvious that she should pursue Tom Sietsema!
Amy Argetsinger: I think Tom is doing just fine, thanks.
I want to know more abo, UT: Ali Wentworth -- Mrs. George Stephanopolous. She was on Oprah last week and she was a hoot. They live here, right? Would love to hear her takes on D.C.
Amy Argetsinger: Oh, she's always writing essays for one women's mag or another about D.C. You can probably google your way to some of them. And she is a hoot.
Not hearting Huckabee: Just in case suggestions from this chat make it straight to the powers that be -- please, HHS is supposed to be a very science-based department. It's the home of FDA, NIH, and CDC.
Weddings are supposed to have a "vision"? You mean, something other than the vision of two people getting married? FWIW, while not a Jenry fan, I thought Jenna's dress was beautiful, but Barbara's not so much.
Amy Argetsinger: On your latter point, this was echoed by many in Monday's special all-Jenry web chat.
Near the White House: How much did you get on ebay for the last leather coaster celebrating the wedding of Jenna?
Amy Argetsinger: Ha! Actually, I brought it back for a friend. I'm a fool not to auction it off, aren't I? I'm also told that I should lock up my Jenna and Henry mousepad every night when I leave the office.
David Cook's Twin is.....: Do a side by side and look very carefully....Mr. Cook bears an uncanny resemblance to.....HOMER SIMPSON!! Do you see it?
Washington, D.C.: My brother was frat brothers with Henry and refuses to ask his friends who were there for details. I think he's afraid of seeming "uncool" for asking! I am beyond frustrated with him.
Potomac, Md.: Why weren't the Cheneys, Rumsfelds, Condi Rice and some close Bush associates invited to his daughter's wedding? Yes, the president knows a lot of people, but some of the people he's closest to apparently either weren't invited, or weren't at the wedding. What gives?
Amy Argetsinger: I don't have an answer to this. We can only speculate. My guess is that, as close as the Cheneys and Condi may be to the family, once you start bringing people of that magnitude into the wedding, it stops being a normal wedding. There are possibly security concerns as well that prevent those folks from socializing outside the office a whole lot.
Also: Anyone who has ever put together a guest list for any party knows about the slippery slopes you encounter -- "I'd like to invite Friend A, but if I invite Friend A then I also have to invite their Friends B and C..."
washingtonpost.com: Texas Sidestep: The Jenna and Henry Wedding Discussion ( washingtonpost.com, May 12)
Washington, D.C.: In the W movie, I don't think they have said anything about anyone playing his daughters. But with all this talk of Jenna, who should play her?
Amy Argetsinger: Oh, that is a fantastic question, and I can't believe this hasn't come up before. Anyone? Or should we save this for next week, when I'll be gone and Rox will be manning this chat by herself?
Shirlington, Va.: Has a really nice new public library. That's probably where they all were -- or the Signature Theater.
Amy Argetsinger: Yes. They were probably at the library.
Arlington, Va.: How many weeks are you willing to wager on for the longevity of Mariah Carey's new marriage?? She seems happy but I think she is a little mentally unstable at times.
Amy Argetsinger: I think she and Nick Cannon have a pure and lasting connection and they will be together until the day they die.
Wheaton, Md.: Is James Franco doing a panel discussion at the GI film fest? I'm 35 -- but think he's adorable. I'll come to the festival if there's a chance I can get a pic.
Amy Argetsinger: He's accepting an award at their Friday evening whatever-it-is..
The Bachelor (yes, I still watch...): Do you have any scoop on the latest Bachelor "romance" that wrapped up this week? It doesn't look like there will be an 'After the Final Rose' show, which is different. Anything to read into there?
I haven't had time to troll the gossip board on this; hoping that you have, though!
Amy Argetsinger: Are you kidding? I've barely had time to unpack from Waco or write this darned column. History would suggest that Matt and Shayne are already dunzo, but i haven't heard a word.
Huck: I saw Huck twice during the Iowa caucus campaign and found him to be one of the most appealing and decent politicians I've ever seen. No anger, no vitriol, no attempt to demonize people who disagreed with him (as I did). I thought, this guy is either a new breed of politician that will take over the system one of these days, or he's the antichrist.
Amy Argetsinger: Always so hard to tell the difference!
Amy Argetsinger: There's a good one!
George H.W. Bush: I have to disagree with the criticisms of George Bush Sr. and his wearing white to the wedding. When you get passed 75, white seersucker goes with anytime and every occasion. I can't wait until I turn 75.
Amy Argetsinger: Thanks for your vote.
Washington, D.C.: Did you read President Bush's interview with Politico where he said he had given up golf in solidarity with the war effort. I was wondering, what have you given up for the war?
Fairfax, Va.: What's with all the haters today?
"Jenna's dress was better suited to a 40-year-old first-time bride who still has a decent figure. Lace hides so you don't need to have a knockout figure."
"Is she (Jessica Simpson) the new Jennifer Aniston or what? She can't seem to hold onto a man for more than a few months."
Who the heck are you people to judge? I know this chat can lean towards the snarky, and I'm not even a Bush twins fan, but please, give the girl a break and don't insult 40-year-old women while you're at it. And I HATE that "hold on to a man" comment that people make about women.
Have a little heart, people!
Amy Argetsinger: Thanks for that.
Wedding musings: I still find it odd that such a preppy, old money, East Coast-based family opted for a Texas ranch ceremony. BTW, any good stories about Grandma Babs, who seems like she might add an astringent quality to any semi-formal event, or at least some colorful side commentary?
Amy Argetsinger: Well, these particular generations of the family have spent most of their lives in Texas -- it's home. Alas, no Grandma Barbara stories yet...
GI Film...: All this talk of the "GI Film Festival" and I can't help but keep having images of colonoscopies and barium enemas, ugh!
Amy Argetsinger: That's pretty funny.
THE wedding: Okay, I am so disappointed that the guests were not allowed cell phones or cameras. I wonder if they searched everyone before they got on those buses?
Still can't believe that no one got a pic of Bush walking down the street in Salado with the band.
Amy Argetsinger: I know, I know...
Bush wedding: Jenna looked lovely, everything looked lovely and understated. I can find nothing to criticize here.: Oh, I can find things to criticize -- those pew bows, Barbara's floral head wreath...
Amy Argetsinger: Were you here for Monday's chat? You'll want to read the transcript. We've got a link here somewhere.
David Cook: Can someone tell him that the Miami Vice pushing your coat sleeves up thing was OVER 20 YEARS AGO?!
Amy Argetsinger: Maybe he's bringing it back?
Alexandria, Va.: Speaking of W -- the movie, are there any good movies that I should totally not miss? That Speed Racer looks awful, and I had never heard of Iron Man.
Amy Argetsinger: I've heard great things about "Iron Man." It's about time Robert Downey Jr. got cast as a superhero.
Fairfax, Va.: Great job on the CBS News morning program the other day. Any chance your friend Super T will be coming here anytime soon? Would love to see his show.
Amy Argetsinger: Thank you! I would love to see Super T perform sometime. However, if I ever get married, I think I'll hire the Duke Merrick Band to perform instead. That's some cool music.
Weingarten, CR: Amy, you made the right choice. Costa Rica is wonderful.
Amy Argetsinger: Thanks for your vote. I'll be surfing again, finally, thus taking care of one of those New Year's resolutions.
Westerly, R.I.: I don't think I've seen any reports on this burning question -- who was buying the Jenna/Henry mousepads and hand-tooled coasters? Having been there, I think you're in a good position to fill us in.
Amy Argetsinger: At first I thought this stuff just existed for us journalists -- every time I went into one of these stories (and I was drawn back to them again and again, like moth to flame), there was a TV camera guy setting up. On the big wedding day, however, there were huge lines of tourists at each place, and I thought I was going to get into a fight with a nice gentleman over the last hand-tooled leather coaster.
Wedding question: One thing I was unclear about with all the coverage. For the way before the wedding, there was a rehearsal dinner away from the ranch with a marching band and the President of the U.S. wandering down to a restaurant -- and the press knew nothing about it?
Amy Argetsinger: The pool reporters were taken out to Salado to follow the president -- as is supposed to be done whenever the president travels somewhere or ventures out into public -- and informed that he was indeed here for the rehearsal dinner, etc. Those events were private, though, so they were not allowed in, as is also standard. That's why there was a bit of a fuss later when it was learned that in between the two events, the president *walked outside* from one venue to the next -- according to press corps regulars, they were supposed to be allowed to see this and to photograph it.
White at weddings...: I think that rule applies much more to women than men. Does anyone really think that a man wearing white is going to upstage the bride? I mean unless he's wearing a white, plunging neckline, low-back halter dress that is.
Amy Argetsinger: And I'm pretty sure the former president's seersucker outfit did not involve a plunging neckline or low-back halter.
Charlottesville, Va.: Why the venom from whoever runs DCRTV when you two report stories that he allegedly broke earlier? Doesn't he/she realize that not everyone reads his site and therefore, you ought to run a story that may still be news to others?
Amy Argetsinger: If you're talking about the O'Meara story... I learned about the ABC violations from the website of the Potomac News (insidenova.com), which had done all the due dilligence reporting; I confirmed the facts with the ABC reps, though still gave the Potomac News full credit for having the story, which I believe they ran on Monday. I do not know about any other publications that had it before or since (the News didn't mention any prior reporting) -- doesn't mean that no one else had it before or since. Again, I urge any readers who have questions or complaints to contact us at reliablesource@washpost.com -- don't assume that I've had a chance to see the love letters you've publicly posted for us on your blog.
Southern Wedding Veteran: What's wrong with a blue seersucker suit at an outdoor, Southern wedding? My husband has worn his a bunch of times and usually there is at least two or three other gentlemen wearing similar suits.
Amy Argetsinger: Ronald Kessler of Newsmaxx.com reports that the seersucker suit was white.
Nationals Park: I was at the game the other day and James Carville, Tim Russert, and Bob Schieffer were all in the front row near the dugout. That a lucky coincidence and the luck of the draw?
Amy Argetsinger: Well, I guess that depends on your definition of "luck"... however it's my understanding that Carville and Russert, anyway, are big Nats fans and attend a lot of games.
Amy Argetsinger: Okay, I have to let you all in on a little secret: Last week we answered EVERY single question you sent us (except for those that our censors deemed vulgar -- you know who you are!). This week, though, you gave us a ton we didn't have a chance to get to. And I don't even think it's raining outside or anything. So thanks so much. I've enjoyed it, and I'll miss you all next week, but please be nice to Roxanne while I'm gone. Stay in touch all week long at reliablesource@washpost.com.
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Reliablle Source columnists Amy Argetsinger and Roxanne Roberts talk about more details from Jenna's wedding (from the menu to the Charlottesville country band to who got to be flowergirl); Remy Ma's busted wedding-behind-bars plan; Radiohead dining out and more.
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Beyonce's Bootylicious Kid Ads: Over the Line?
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Yep, we know Beyonce Knowles is bootylicious, but suddenly the pop diva turned designer is at the receiving end of a torrent of criticism for marketing that image to the second-grade set.
The latest from Beyonce's House of Dereon -- the fashion label she runs with mom Tina -- is "Dereon Girls." And while the clothes themselves may be innocuous enough (if trite and trendy), it is the advertisements featuring seven-year-olds in full makeup and high heels that has critics lining up to charge Beyonce with contributing to the delinquency of minors.
Though the ads debuted last fall, they've been the target of a resurgent flurry of comments in the blogosphere:
Asks (NSFW) blog PopGumbo: "What is the next ad going to look like? Babies wearing gold metallic bikinis while five-year old boys throw Monopoly money on them."
Conservative critic Michelle Malkin, invoking JonBenet Ramsey's image and dubbing the child models "Little Girls Gone Wild", writes that Knowles "launched a girls clothing line that makes Miley [Cyrus]'s bare-backed glam session look like a Shirley Temple photo shoot." She was referring, of course, to the Vanity Fair pix that took the Web (and newsstands) by storm a couple of weeks back, causing a nice bump in sales of Vanity Fair and garnering Cyrus plenty of PR, though possibly spawning a hairline fracture in her status as a tween idol.
And, asks Ryan Tate over at Gawker, "However will Annie Leibovitz take edgy pictures of them when they reach the next break in the celebrity pipeline if they've already been dressing like this for ten years?"
By Liz | May 14, 2008; 10:42 AM ET | Category: Celebrities , Highbrow , Miscellaneous Previous: Morning Mix: Oops, Britney Rear-Ends SUV | Next: Morning Mix: Twins For Brangelina
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Please, for the love of all that is holy, do not ever, EVER, put you child in this crap!!! I am truly nauseous.
Posted by: | May 14, 2008 10:54 AM
Hey, kids! Get your "dress-up" pimp hat here at Dereon, the exclusive brand for people with more money than sense!
Posted by: m.a.t. | May 14, 2008 10:54 AM
Posted by: m.a.t. | May 14, 2008 10:56 AM
well, for starters the clothes are RIDICULOUS! (sorry for shouting.) I don't think those pics look sexual, per se, but they definitely made me think of JonBenet Ramsey and that was prior to seeing the Michelle Malkin quote.
Posted by: methinks | May 14, 2008 10:58 AM
God help me, I am about to agree with Michele Malkin -- these pictures do resemble those beauty contest photos of JonBenet Ramsey.
I am not sure what I think of several inch high heels being sold to kids.
Posted by: skm | May 14, 2008 11:00 AM
I didn't agree with the poll selections--these photos are vampy and ridiculous, but they don't 'oversexualize' the kids. Everyone is well covered. I agree, however, that while the boas add to the 'dress-up' idea, the makeup, hair, and postures of these pint-sized models aren't cool or edgy; they're overdone, too adult, and sad. Kids should look like kids, not urban street thugs and club-hoppers.
Posted by: second look | May 14, 2008 11:02 AM
This is pretty much the end of decent civilization. Hopefully, this is the end of Beyonces career as well. And I kind of liked her before just now finding out she is a pervert.
Posted by: DW | May 14, 2008 11:05 AM
That's a good way to ensure your kid gets the crap beat out of them at school. I mean...wow.
Posted by: rocklin | May 14, 2008 11:07 AM
The adult clothes from House of Dereon are shiny and tacky, so why should the kids' line be any different? The little girls' outfits look more like costumes than something a kid would actually wear to go to school or play in. Feather boas and mardi gras beads? I can get them cheaper at Toys R Us, and the quality would seem about the same.
Posted by: JanetK | May 14, 2008 11:09 AM
Actually, they look more like they are trying to be the Millenial version of the Pink Ladies than anything else. Like a little kids' gang trying to be tough -- and failing miserably.
Tacky, yes. Hilarious, most definitely. Dangerous view of children, not hardly.
Posted by: ep | May 14, 2008 11:11 AM
Normally, I want to b*tch slap Michelle Malkin. However, I agree with her. Girls are under tremendous amount of pressure to grow up fast.
Besides, these clothes look too complicated to wrestle your kids into, then take them to the playground.
However, I guess if I lived in LA, I would take the kids clubbing with me. Being short like that the kids more more easily navigate to the bar to get mommy's cocktails.
Posted by: | May 14, 2008 11:12 AM
Who buys 4in heels for their kid to play "dress up" in?? The point with dress up (back in the day..hee) was that you'd try your mom's much too big on you high heels on and look goofy and have momentary little kiddish fun. Those hooker pumps appear to be what the kid is seriously planning to wear to kindergarten that day..not ok!
Posted by: erm | May 14, 2008 11:12 AM
Ditto Methinks. I don't think they are oversexualized though, tacky, yes.
Posted by: | May 14, 2008 11:15 AM
You can bet that Beyonce's daughter will never be seen wearing to tacky clothes to a $25,000 a yr pre-school.
Posted by: Lisa1 | May 14, 2008 11:16 AM
"However, I guess if I lived in LA, I would take the kids clubbing with me. Being short like that the kids more more easily navigate to the bar to get mommy's cocktails.
Posted by: | May 14, 2008 11:12 AM"
Dina Lohan, is that you?
Posted by: | May 14, 2008 11:17 AM
...and the worst thing is, these girls are nowhere near as hot as JonBenet was.
Posted by: byoolin | May 14, 2008 11:20 AM
Yes, yes, yes, I know. Tasteless. And the Lindbergh baby was killed too.
Posted by: byoolin pleads guilty to Felony Schadenfreude. | May 14, 2008 11:23 AM
Well, I just typed a big-ol' rant of my own about how hard it is to buy basic playclothes for little girls that don't look like streetwalker wear, and my post disappeared. (I blame Beyonce for the technical difficulty. Stupid grrl.)
Posted by: td | May 14, 2008 11:26 AM
Granted the clothes look tacky but it's Beyonce's mom so that's in line with what I'd expect. While I don't think oversexualized when I see them, my first thought was that the little girls were playing dress up. I take issue with the use of heels and make-up. Although I know little girls sometimes get into mom's make-up and heels something about these shots go over the line for me.
By the by, I sense another BKD in the making.
Posted by: petal | May 14, 2008 11:32 AM
Is it bad that I really like the little girls' red heels for myself (26 year old female)? I feel like the Wicked Witch who wants Dorothy's ruby red slippers.
Posted by: unmute | May 14, 2008 11:35 AM
Is it wrong that I find the bigger issue to be that that darling little Asian girl looks utterly miserable? I just want to take her home and give her some better clothes and burn that hat. And those jeans.
And I don't even like kids!
But really, if you're trying to sell clothes that make your models cry, you're doing something wrong.
Posted by: MB | May 14, 2008 11:38 AM
It is a crying shame that Deborah Jane Palfrey chose suicide instead of life. She could have made a mint from within her cell at Club Fed by outdoing Beyonce with the Escort Line of young girls' clothing.
"Be the classiest 'ho in yo' preschool class with Deb's Escort Line of young girl glamor."
Such a shame......Deborah Jane Palfrey could have made a strategic alliance with Verizon Wireless to show little girls dressed in Deb's Escort Line making booty calls via Verizon Wireless.
"Can you do me now? Good!"
Posted by: Sasquatch, racing Byoolin to the botom of the barrel | May 14, 2008 11:45 AM
whenever i see kids tarted up like that i always get the feeling that they're not doing it because they enjoy it, they're doing it because mommy enjoys it. or enjoys the cash, more likely.
i guess what i see is four future therapy patients....
Posted by: b | May 14, 2008 11:49 AM
Some weird guy is going to get off on these pictures. That's all there is to it and if Beyonce and her mom don't understand that, they need to go back to school.
Posted by: possum | May 14, 2008 11:53 AM
is that boy in the top left photo or just a girl with really short hair? i can't tell and it's really throwing me off. well that and the tack-tastic clothes. they make a Vegas street walker look like the church lady.
Posted by: melissamac1 | May 14, 2008 11:55 AM
Tacky, whorish, and a pedophile's dream.
Posted by: jelo | May 14, 2008 12:04 PM
Possum, unfortunately, creept gets off on them just being kids, running around in regular kid's clothing.
Posted by: | May 14, 2008 12:04 PM
I first saw the ads in "Cookie" magazine and was really appalled. Provocative poses, sexy getup all have their place- in the ADULT world. This is nothing more than soft porn pedophilia,IMO.
Posted by: plamar1031 | May 14, 2008 12:08 PM
God help Beyonce & JayZ's kid when it arrives if this is what they're gonna dress him/her in.
Posted by: | May 14, 2008 12:14 PM
Really, really tacky stuff, and as someone else posted, this just looks like 'way too much trouble to even get your kids into these clothes. I don't think they look oversexualized (except for the make-up) ... they just look ridiculous. And like the rest of the House of Dereon line, they don't rate qualification as "designer wear" ... Poor Mom just has no talent.
Posted by: tootsumi523 | May 14, 2008 12:32 PM
It's the $90 high heels (that's two things wrong!) that get to me.
Posted by: SaraBeth | May 14, 2008 12:33 PM
NEVER would I purchase House Of D for myself, let alone for any child I know. They should be ashamed, but they aren't because some idiot out there is buying it and they are making millions a year off our stupidity. Hell to the NAH!
Posted by: Never | May 14, 2008 12:34 PM
It is a dam shame!!!!! I agree some creep is going to get off on the pictures.
Posted by: wind | May 14, 2008 12:37 PM
I thought the models WERE wearing 'adult-size' heels...as if they were playing in mom's closet...the whole thing just struck me as a staged group of little girls playing dress-up. Certainly, the outfits and makeup are no worse (actually, probably MORE decent) than the outfits little girls dress up in at that awful Club Libby Lou place at the mall...or, as others have pointed out, typical beauty pageant/dance recital wear. Honestly, I have no problem with this ad - I think it's the natural result of giving baby girls Barbies and "Bratz" dolls for years - this is the image most little girls they think they are *supposed* to adopt to be beautiful/popular/a 'big girl'. MC, on the other hand...well, IMO that's an entirely different story. Long story short - this ad is not corrupting or titillating anyone more than they already have been. Parents, caregivers, siblings, etc. need to consciously set forth positive examples if they disapprove of this sort of thing - not just rail against pop culture!
Posted by: KS8284 | May 14, 2008 12:44 PM
Much as I hate to admit ANY common thoughts with Michelle Malkin, my first thought when I saw these was also JonBenet Ramsey. Ick.
WTF is Cookie magazine? Sounds skeevy.
Posted by: Californian | May 14, 2008 12:46 PM
Little girls in denim is oversexualized! Please! Although, I don't care for the line there is nothing out of order here. The little girls are in oversized heals. I'm sure those who have daughters have seen their child put on their shoes. Folks are really reaching.
Posted by: renee | May 14, 2008 12:47 PM
It's not so much the clothes but the attitude. The clothes themselves aren't "sexy" - not revealing, though pretty tacky. It's that these children take the "back off" poses/attitudes of adult model, even as they are portrayed to be dressing up with feather boas and too-big shoes. As mother of a daughter that age, trust me when I tell you that you could put together those SAME outfits from the clothes at Wal-mart, Kmart or Target. Sorry, but this ad doesn't shock me. There's a lot of terrible stuff out there now, since children and tweeners are marketed to more heavily than ever before. It's up to the parent to turn off the tap. *stepping off my soap box now!*
Posted by: rachelt | May 14, 2008 1:06 PM
It's not so much the clothes but the attitude. The clothes themselves aren't "sexy" - not revealing, though pretty tacky. It's that these children take the "back off" poses/attitudes of adult model, even as they are portrayed to be dressing up with feather boas and too-big shoes. As mother of a daughter that age, trust me when I tell you that you could put together those SAME outfits from the clothes at Wal-mart, Kmart or Target. Sorry, but this ad doesn't shock me. There's a lot of terrible stuff out there now, since children and tweeners are marketed to more heavily than ever before. It's up to the parent to turn off the tap. *stepping off my soap box now!*
Posted by: rachelt | May 14, 2008 1:06 PM
This is the second Cookie magazine reference I've come across today, which is fascinating because I've never heard of this magazine. Slate gives a good idea of what the magazine is all about.
Posted by: michael | May 14, 2008 1:06 PM
"Parents, caregivers, siblings, etc. need to consciously set forth positive examples if they disapprove of this sort of thing - not just rail against pop culture!"
Posted by: KS8284 | May 14, 2008 12:44 PM --------
Clearly you have never tried to buy simple, decent clothes for children, girls especially. If you had, you would know that finding "positive examples" is an exercise in futility sometimes.
Much as I would like to pull out my sewing machine and whip up some 1950s clothes so my kids don't look like prostitutes or criminals, life just ain't that easy.
Posted by: give me a break | May 14, 2008 1:10 PM
Well, either every girl in my son's second grade class is a tomboy, or nobody is wearing anything remotely close to this in the real world.
Besides, if a seven-year-old girl had the balance to wear those heels, she should be getting exploited by the US gymnastics team rather than by the fashion industry.
Posted by: 44west | May 14, 2008 1:11 PM
Whatever happened to Polly Flinders and Osh Gosh? These kids look younger than 2nd grade and way too adult. As others have pointed out, not overly sexualised, but way too adult. I am sick and tired of the commercial world out there taking away childhoods. It's nearly impossible to find children's clothes that don't look like shrunken adult clothes. Shame...
Posted by: expat51 | May 14, 2008 1:18 PM
These clothes are hilarious, if only because Beyonce's mother thinks they are actually cute clothes to put little girls in. The kids look very unhappy. If that's the best pro photographers can coax out of these kids, they must be pretty bad.
Are those adult heels or little girl heels the Asian child is wearing? The made up little boy is cracking me up. (I know it's probably a girl, but it's funnier to think it's a boy.)
Posted by: atb | May 14, 2008 1:24 PM
They just look like Bratz dolls to me and although I personally loathe that line of toys; someone is buying them for their little girls. God help anyway who digests anything the ever hateful and mean-spirited Michelle Malkin has to say.
Posted by: dcet | May 14, 2008 1:25 PM
I was buying my son some Toughskin jeans over a decade ago and saw the skimpy outfits being sold to 8-12 year old girls and was very glad I don't have a daughter.
Posted by: yellojkt | May 14, 2008 1:28 PM
What's with all the unusual posters? Has Celebritology been mentioned by Ms. She-Whom-Must-Not-Named herself?
MM is just a failed Kimora wannabe. Had she been more business savvy and married more successfully, those could be her clothes modeled above. Sounds more like a case of sour grapes.
Glad to see registered sex offenders need look no further than the KMart catalog mailings, soon featuring Dereon for Girls.
Posted by: From Texting Tweeners to Malkin Drones? | May 14, 2008 1:40 PM
Normally, I want to b*tch slap Michelle Malkin.
I love her. She tells it like it is!
Posted by: | May 14, 2008 1:41 PM
The clothes for kids are just as tacky as the clother for adults. I am really wondering who is buying this stuff since all I hear about is how the clothes fit poorly and are overpriced.
And we must remember Beyonce has not always been the fashion diva that she is now. Remember the Destiny's Child days and the Tina Knowles' originals before she started wearing designer clothes that her mother did not make.
Posted by: yanni1976 | May 14, 2008 1:54 PM
Your disparaging remarks about M. Malkin have been noted and reported back to the hive queen. The Malkin Republic will not accept such impunity!
Leaving the Malkin Mind has made me weak, I must watch M. Malkin in her cheerleader uniform again: http://wonkette.com/politics/michelle-malkin/malkins-site-now-requires-adult-id-check-255240.php The mind of Coulter, the body of a Goddess... Malkin for President?
Posted by: Malkinoid 1138 | May 14, 2008 1:57 PM
I am against children as models and now that cgi has gotten so good I believe that children should not be allowed in movies or t.v. either. I am not for over-regulation but damn all these kids been fed into the meat grinder for entertainment, It cannot be right.
Posted by: what? | May 14, 2008 2:10 PM
I'd leave my wife and kid for Malkin. Methinks has nothing on Malkin.
Posted by: byoolin | May 14, 2008 2:13 PM
I'd pay good money to see someone *1tch-slap Michelle Malkin.
Posted by: Sasquatch | May 14, 2008 2:19 PM
With all the preproduction advertisement work that goes on in ad campaigns what bothers me most is that a room full of people sat down, came up with this and approved it.
I would love to know how they came up with dressing little girls like video vixens and I would love to know what made Beyonce agree...
Posted by: GLT | May 14, 2008 2:20 PM
"I would love to know how they came up with dressing little girls like video vixens and I would love to know what made Beyonce agree..."
1. Visions of getting young girls to watch commercials, want to dress up like them, and tug on their Mom's purse.
2. Money. (See "Mom's purse" above)
Posted by: ... | May 14, 2008 2:24 PM
Please, for the love of all that is holy, do not ever, EVER, put you child in this crap!!! I am truly nauseous.
Posted by: | May 14, 2008 10:54 AM
I hope you meant that you are NAUSEATED.
(Sorry, this is a pet peeve. But, if you are nauseous, you induce nausea. Think of poison/poisonous/poisoned. Class dismissed.)
Posted by: dictionary, please | May 14, 2008 2:25 PM
I'd leave my wife and kid for Malkin. Methinks has nothing on Malkin.
Posted by: byoolin | May 14, 2008 2:13 PM
Listen, just because I make jokes about the Lindbergh baby doesn't mean I think just anything is funny. Michelle Malkin's one of the reasons I think there can't possibly be a loving, caring God in the Universe.
And Evgeni Malkin is one of the reasons I think the Penguins will advance to the Stanley Cup finals.
Posted by: byoolin | May 14, 2008 2:32 PM
Why don't you like her? Is it because she is tough on illegals? Really, I am just wondring.
Posted by: | May 14, 2008 2:36 PM
And Michael Milken is why we have a market for a high-yield bonds.
And Milkman is who knocked up my mom, but dad still thinks I'm his.
Posted by: | May 14, 2008 2:36 PM
As for the diss on methinks, that was also uncalled for. Utterly beyond the pale.
Here's an example of the depth of my contempt for Ms. Malkin: I'd sooner spend a weekend locked in a room with Paris Hilton.
Posted by: byoolin | May 14, 2008 2:37 PM
good taste byoolin. Id rather spend a weekend locked ina room with paris hilton too!
Posted by: TAG | May 14, 2008 2:42 PM
Milkman gets around. (Although he is much more conspicuous nowadays, what with nobody really still delivering milk anywhere.)
Posted by: byoolin | May 14, 2008 2:46 PM
The most important thing here is not the clothes or the ads themselves but rather that parents don't choose to buy the clothes for their daughters or allow them to dress like Sesame Street Walkers.
We need to remember that while many parents have been up in arms about the highly sexualized Bratz dolls, as the CEO of Bratz doll manufacturer, Isaac Larian, reminds us that his company has sold more than 125 million worldwide in the seven or eight years the dolls have been on the market.
While the ads are ridiculous and offensive, we can't control what the media does-- they're protected under several US rights, whether we like it or not. However, parents can step in and control the media that comes into their homes. They can also control what walks out of their homes. It's not the media itself but how parents choose to react that is most critical.
Dr. Robyn J.A. Silverman http://www.DrRobynsBlog.com
Posted by: Dr. Robyn Silverman | May 14, 2008 2:57 PM
The Milkman wouldn't happen to be the infamous Milkman Dan, would he?
Posted by: Sasquatch | May 14, 2008 2:59 PM
Milkman Dan is The Best. (And consequently, blocked here at the FSCFWIW.)
Posted by: byoolin | May 14, 2008 3:00 PM
All the milkmen are disappearing into a house in the London suburbs. That is why they are so scarce.
Posted by: possum | May 14, 2008 3:02 PM
Perhaps its connected to Colony Collapse Disorder? Does the loss of milkmen in London have any connection to the loss of honeybees worldwide?
Posted by: | May 14, 2008 3:07 PM
Actually, the Dead Milkmen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Milkmen) are the best.
And it's OK, byoolin, Michelle's pretty hot. If you were to leave me for anyone, I'd prefer it be Ms. Malkin.
Posted by: methinks | May 14, 2008 3:10 PM
Just to throw a historical note in here, back in the Middle ages/Rennaissaince, children wore smaller versions of adult clothes. Right down to the stomacher for women and other uncomfortable things. They were also betrothed at young ages. The concept of childhood, teenage years, etc. is a fairly modern concept.
NOt saying forcing kids to grow up too soon and dressing them like Sesame Street Walkers is a good thing, just noting the history.
Posted by: ep | May 14, 2008 3:12 PM
It's the hair and makeup that creep me out. I guess I dismissed the shoes as obviously unreasonable without even thinking about it. I have a daughter in school, and there's always tussling about belts and long enough skirts and wide enough straps, etc. But no middle schooler ever looks sexy to a sane person. It's that weird, plastic wig-and-mask look that these kids have that's disturbing, much more than the actual icky, overpriced clothes.
Posted by: other liz | May 14, 2008 3:17 PM
The only hits I get when I google FSCFWIW are self references to Byoolin's blog. So what is FSCFWIW? ....For What Its Worth?????
Posted by: NFC Sasquatch | May 14, 2008 3:18 PM
All the milkmen are disappearing into a house in the London suburbs. That is why they are so scarce.
Posted by: possum | May 14, 2008 3:02 PM
I love the voiceover: "Some of them -[pause]- are very old."
'Squatch, FSCFWIW = Financial Services Company For Which I Work.
Posted by: byoolin | May 14, 2008 3:25 PM
"Michelle Malkin's one of the reasons I think there can't possibly be a loving, caring God in the Universe."
byoolin, that makes me think of one of my favorite Far Side cartoons, where God is sprinkling salt-shakers of various kinds of people on the planet (tall, short, etc.) and is in the process of sprinkling on "Jerks". The caption says: "And just to keep it interesting ... "
Don't know about loving and caring, but certainly has a sense of humor.
Posted by: Californian | May 14, 2008 3:27 PM
And Byoolin, when are you going to update that old trebuchet with a more modern weapon...like this one, for example?
Posted by: Sasquatch | May 14, 2008 3:28 PM
byoolin, keep the trebuchet, I keep a miniature version of one on my desk.
Posted by: michael | May 14, 2008 3:36 PM
'Squatch, while I can't help but admire the crosshairs - something about aiming at a specific spot in a big blue sky amuses me - I'm keeping the trebuchet.
My ancestors came to Canada via trebuchet and even though they never walked again, they never forgot how important it was in getting them there.
Posted by: byoolin | May 14, 2008 3:43 PM
Let me guess, the FSCFWByoolinW uses a trebuchet in lieu of EFT.
Posted by: Sasquatch | May 14, 2008 3:44 PM
I'm waiting for Beyonce to market this to little girls:
What this means is that all those who we thought misheard the lyrics to Benny & the Jets were correct all along.
She DOES have electric boobs. And her mom does, too.
Posted by: Sasquatch | May 14, 2008 3:47 PM
byoolin, did i do something to make you angry?
Posted by: methinks | May 14, 2008 3:55 PM
There is nothing sexualized about these clothes. They are just dumb. These products are intended for mommies who want to treat their daughters as large dress up dolls. No child would ever want to wear these clothes.
Posted by: | May 14, 2008 3:58 PM
OK, now since we've brought up milkmen and "Benny and the Jets" I have a totally off-topic question for Elton fans (i am not one of them) But this is driving me bonkers. On my favorite "cool jazz" radio station (actually sucks...the only station audible in my office), I heard this song: "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues." Does Elton REALLY sing this: Loving like children Living like lovers Rolling like wombats Under the covers I guess that's why they call it the blues.
Posted by: possum | May 14, 2008 4:25 PM
I heard about these ads...not as bad as I thought. However, the girls still look a little grown. The make-up, the clothing...not oversexual but still enough to get a pedo off if you get my drift.
Posted by: WhereDidTheSunGo? | May 14, 2008 4:26 PM
Possum, c'mon... just google it...
And I guess that's why they call it the blues Time on my hands could be time spent with you Laughing like children, living like lovers Rolling like thunder under the covers And I guess that's why they call it the blues
Posted by: methinks | May 14, 2008 4:31 PM
this from the woman who didn't take the time to google ashley tisdale. my bad.
Posted by: methinks | May 14, 2008 4:33 PM
You already answered this, but it is very clearly rolling like thunder. I don't think the word thunder could be any more clear in that song. Now if someone could just explain "like a douche in the middle of then night."
Posted by: dw | May 14, 2008 4:44 PM
I think the poses are what bother me the most: the arms akimbo, blank stare poses, and the vamp poses are just not natural for kids, and I think that's what gives the children's pictures a sexualized overtone.
To me it would convey "little girls playing dress up" if there were natural, kid-like gestures involved. For instance, kids playing.
The problem being, the clothes themselves are overly ornate and fussy. And silly. I mean, a feather boa?
I don't know what it's like to shop for little girls clothes these days, but 'bootylicious' wouldn't be on my list of desired qualities.
Posted by: NW DC | May 14, 2008 4:45 PM
Jack Black breaks the news: Angelina Jolie expecting twins
How soon before the Jolie-Pitt kids do an ad for Benetton?? LOL...
Posted by: WDC 21113 | May 14, 2008 4:50 PM
byoolin, baby? you never did answer me. did i do something to make you angry?
if it'll help, i'll wear dereon girls jeans and a boa
Posted by: methinks | May 14, 2008 4:53 PM
"Does Elton REALLY sing this: Loving like children Living like lovers Rolling like wombats Under the covers I guess that's why they call it the blues.
Possum, you have added an excellent Mondegreen to the catalog. For more on Mendegreens, see:
Friday List suggestion: Best Mondegreens of All Time
"Actin' funny And I don't know why. 'Scuze me While I kiss this guy"
Posted by: Sasquatch, lookin' for a bathroom on the right | May 14, 2008 4:56 PM
dw, the Mondegreen aritcle I cited contains an entry on "wrapped up like a douche."
Differences in actual lyrics aside, I'm guessing that Manfred Mann''s command of English as a second language gave rise to the mispronunciation of deuce as "douche."
Posted by: Sasquatch, cuttin loose like a deuce | May 14, 2008 4:59 PM
shoot. the handle-thieves are at it again. i will refrain from posting for a while to let it die down.
Posted by: the actual methinks | May 14, 2008 5:03 PM
Though I did post the Elton lyrics for possum and write the 4:33 post.
Posted by: the actual methinks | May 14, 2008 5:05 PM
Ah, the Dead Milkmen. I am suddenly transported to my middle school days.
Whitney Houston: "'Cause I'm shavin' off my muff for youuuuu...."
The Rolling Stones ("Beast of Burden"): "I'll never leave your pizza burnin'"
The Ramones ("I Wanna Be Sedated"): "I wanna piece of bacon..."
And I always thought the Dire Straits were singing, "Money for nothing and your checks for free." My roughly six year-old brain wondered why banks didn't leap at using the song to advertise free checking.
Posted by: musicgeek | May 14, 2008 5:15 PM
Musicgeek, your Whitney Houston Mondegreen has ruined my productivity for the rest of the day. I can't do much except laugh...and wonder if Whitney really did go Brazilian.
Posted by: Sasquatch | May 14, 2008 5:18 PM
It must have been my tiny, tinny radio w/static. Still, "wombats" might in fact be a better lyric than "thunder". Aren't they marsupials? I guess I could google that, too....
Posted by: possum | May 14, 2008 5:50 PM
Yes, Angelina needs to stop having/adopting children (she is like an animal hoarder, IMO) and I think that those pictures need to be taken down for the pure fact that Beyonce and her mom make ugly clothes.
Posted by: VAtoLA | May 14, 2008 5:51 PM
I thought you were kidding around when you wrote that wombat lyric because I think they are, indeed, marsupials. Just like your namesake. And though I thought I knew it without googling, I googled just to be sure.
Posted by: methinks to possum | May 14, 2008 5:58 PM
My favorite Mondegreen (thanks for the Wikipedia link) is when my niece used to sing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star:"
"Up above the world so high Like McDonald's in the sky."
And I swear (even though no one believes me) that when Go West sings "King of Wishful Thinking" and there's that one time without accompaniment, the guy sings:
"I'll pretend my sh*t's not stinking."
Posted by: td | May 14, 2008 7:27 PM
I consider myself a pretty progressive, open-minded person, but this garbage Beyonce and her hanger-on mom is pushing is truly vomit-inducing. I hope this line fails, miserably. Shame on you, Beyonce!
Posted by: vegasgirl | May 14, 2008 8:00 PM
Whoever did the hair and makeup on the tykes ought to be shot.
Posted by: Curmudgeon | May 14, 2008 9:17 PM
Anyone remember Eddie Money and "Two Chickens to Paralyze?"
and I seem to remember that Aerosmith had a line in "Walk This Way" that I swear sounded like "put your titty in the middle"...
Posted by: Angela | May 14, 2008 10:36 PM
Check out www.kissthisguy.com - all about misheard lyrics, with entries like what you heard, when you heard it, when your misheard lyrics were "outed" (in the car on a first date), and if you like your lyrics better. Prepare to waste lots of time!! The name is in reference to the misheard Jimi Hendrix song lyrics, "'scuze me while I kiss this guy" instead of "kiss the sky" (cause I just realized the web name looks like a joke!).
Posted by: rachelt | May 14, 2008 10:51 PM
Michelle Malkin is what we in Alabama call sick-in-the-head (a well-earned label when the creepy commentator stalked and harassed a family that was lobbying for better health care).
But, I digress. I saw the Beyonce article on Malkin's blog and I have to say that even a broken clock is right, well, once in this case.
Posted by: Samir | May 14, 2008 11:14 PM
@give me a break - actually, my mom has managed to dress my 12-year-old sister (and me, but that was back in the late 80s/early 90's) in totally non-skanky clothes. In fact, we actually give my baby sister a hard time for not being more fashionable - she can't stand Abercrombie kids, and is usually found in solid-colored (striped if she's feeling adventurous) Old Navy t-shirts and jeans or track pants. Sure, there's a lot of tacky junk out there, but to quote Tim Gunn...'edit' :) T-shirts, jeans, and athletic-type clothes are always available at every price point.
Posted by: KS8284 | May 15, 2008 2:14 PM
"I'd pay good money to see someone *1tch-slap Michelle Malkin"
From the WaPo's "Post a Comment" guidelines, second paragraph, first sentence: "User reviews and comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site"
If this isn't a personal attack I don't know what is.
What is it with you WaPo editors? Do you tolerate threats of violence when those threats are made against Conservatives?
Posted by: paul a'barge | May 15, 2008 2:34 PM
Someone please b*tch slap the above commenter for being a thin-skinned whiner.
Mean-spirited conservative bloggers can dish it but they sure can't take it!
Posted by: Samir | May 15, 2008 8:21 PM
Sorry, but I don't find anything wrong with the outfits themselves. I would let my daughter wear that minus the ridiculous hats, the shoes, and the overdone hair and makeup.
Posted by: Candace | May 16, 2008 7:38 AM
3 words: HOT GHETTO MESS!
I'm B's age and frankly, there is nothing cute about these clothes, not for me, and DEFINITELY not for a pre-schooler.
No wonder our young girls want to grow up to be "Video Vixens" instead of doctors and lawyers.
As a young, professional, black woman, I have to say I'm disappointed in Beyonce and her mom. This is absolute trash!
Posted by: Jazmin | May 16, 2008 12:03 PM
Posted by: | May 17, 2008 5:03 AM
I can't believe Beyonce is being so heavily critized. The theme for the was supposed to be a little girl playing "dress up" and wanting to resemble an older female figure in her life: the House of Dereon collection. The collection won't supply 6" heels to seven year old girl. It's just trying to say that if you wear the line that you can be as cute and trendy ad your older sister or your mom. It's not saying that the sultry or sensual design of some of the House of Dereon clothes will be present but it's hoping to capture girls at a young age as consumers and hopefully keep them into adult hood. There isn't any disgrace to these ads, the kids aren't exposing themselves and the kid who buys the clothes won't go around wearing heels and makeup just because the girl in the add wears it because we have parents there to teach them and if the parent can't step up and be a parent and explain to the the child the difference between the fantasy of ads and the reality of real life then it's not Beyonce that needs to be reviewed it is the parents of America.
Posted by: | May 19, 2008 6:00 PM
I don't see what the big deal is yall flipping out over something that's nothing.If u don't want your kids to wear it then don't let them.Now I'm 11 about to be 12 and I'm into fashion I love fashion but anyways I wear Derion but I'm tall so I don't wear the that line for the lil kids and beyonce is my idol and i don't apprecate yall calling her perverts or hookers and all that I know beyonce personally and I'm sure she don't appreciate it either.Don't think oh because she is young she don't know what she's talking about because believe me I surely do I'm very very very smart and when I wear Derion I don't look like a hooker or none of that I wear name brand clothing all the time and like i said I'm tall so i wear them the actual house of derion line instead of the kids.Don't get mad at me because I voiced my opinion but like i said if u don't like it so much then don't look at,buy it for your kids,or call beyonce perverts and hookers because she not.
Posted by: Kiara | May 19, 2008 6:29 PM
I feel that everyone is being over sensitive. As a parent of two, I would not allow my daughter to wear 7 inch heals to school, but she may wear them playing dress up around the house; I would not send her out doors like that, its pretend it's innocent. The girls in this picture are all covered up, nothing is reveling, there is a bit to much make up but its a photo shot lighten up and stop being so critical...If we are going to criticize anything lets criticize Barbie's and the message of beauty they send to our daughters, or the Brat Dolls on how provocative there clothes are, or Hannah Montana and how much make up she wears or how short some of her skirts are when she jumps around on stage. I bet half the parents that posted comments would run and get a Hannah Montana CD even after the permissive photos that were released with her and some boy. Trust me our kids have been influenced by things worst then clothes. As parents we determine what they wear and honestly I do not see anything wrong with the clothes these girls, have on it is defiantly more then what some of our children see on TV. I agree with Candace. I think the clothes are cute if you take away the makeup, feathers, and heals. It is a little over done. We get so caught up in the little things that we do not see the message, and the message is not to teach girls to be vixens or prostitutes. Who do little girls look up to? There MOMS or woman that leave an impression in there life. Beyonce's is a person that has left an impression on some of our little girl's life. These clothes represent her and little girls wanting to be like her. "Dress Up"
Posted by: Mom of 2 | May 19, 2008 10:54 PM
Perhaps she should have debutted in Japan!!!
Posted by: Alice | May 21, 2008 10:53 AM
I must agree with all the other bloogers, I don't see anything sexual about these ads. A little over-the-top, yes, but it is clearly the sign-of-the-times. This line is going nowhere folks, so stop hating which a LOT of you are doing. If you don't know what is happening around you, please read and listen and see. Beyonce didn't start it. How many of you who criticized her give your daughters Barbie dolls??? The mainstream media has your mind all messed up. Those who feel its sexual need to stop, your ignorance is overwhelming. And you my friend are the most dangerous. Those people who make molehills into mountains for the sake of destroying others. Hope you're having fun, but you really need to find something useful to do instead.
Posted by: Alice | May 21, 2008 11:10 AM
I must agree with all the other bloogers, I don't see anything sexual about these ads. A little over-the-top, yes, but it is clearly the sign-of-the-times. This line is going nowhere folks, so stop hating which a LOT of you are doing. If you don't know what is happening around you, please read and listen and see. Beyonce didn't start it. How many of you who criticized her give your daughters Barbie dolls??? The mainstream media has your mind all messed up. Those who feel its sexual need to stop, your ignorance is overwhelming. And you my friend are the most dangerous. Those people who make molehills into mountains for the sake of destroying others. Hope you're having fun, but you really need to find something useful to do instead.
Posted by: Alice | May 21, 2008 11:10 AM
This is all so subjective, but it's definitely a lightning rod for controversy.
Of equal concern to many is how tweens are being marketed to: http://responsiblemarketing.com/blog/?p=284
Posted by: Patrick Byers | May 23, 2008 12:00 PM
Hello dear ladies and gentlemen! I would like inform you that Scarlett Johansson (actress) actually is a clone from original person, which has nothing with acting career. That clone was created illegally by using stolen biological material. Original person is very nice (not damn sexy), most important - CHRISTIAN young lady! I'll tell you guys more, that clones (it's not only one) made in GERMANY - world leader manufacturer of humans clones, it is in Ludwigshafen am Rhein, North Bavaria, Mr. Helmut Kohl home town. You can not even imaging the scale of the cloning activity. But warning! Helmut Kohl clone staff 100% controlling all their clones spreading around the world, they are very accurate with that, some of them are still NAZI type disciplined and mind controlled clones, so be careful get close with clones you will be controlled as well. Think wise.. Apparently those clones is very actively shown on your website . This is just a warning, because original person is not happy about those images and video, rumors and etc., in that way it would be really nice if you try slow down that ''actress'' career development on your website, original Scarlett's parents will really appreciated that. Please do that, do not wait until FBI agent give you a call with questions. Please remember that original family did not authorize any activity with stolen biological materials, no matter what form it was created, it all need to be return back to original family control to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Original Scarlett is not engage! Her close friend Serg J.-G. P.S. H.R. 534, the Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2003, was introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives on February 5, 2003. After discussion, it was passed on February 27 by a vote of 241-155. It now moves on to the Senate for consideration. This bill makes it unlawful for any person or entity to perform or participate in human cloning, or to ship or receive embryos produced by human cloning. The penalties are imprisonment of up to 10 years and fines of $1 million or more. These now join other nations as diverse as Norway, Australia, and Germany, which had already added cloning for any purpose to their criminal code. And in Germany where it carries a penalty of five years imprisonment they know a thing or two about unethical science.
Posted by: Serg J.-G. | May 25, 2008 2:21 PM
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Washingtonpost.com blogger Liz Kelly dishes on the latest happenings in entertainment, celebrity, and Hollywood news.
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Zoning Plan Stirs Uneasy Questions In Arlington
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Many longtime residents are voicing fears that a new zoning proposal will bring an influx of immigrants and poor people. Support for affordable housing initiatives is almost an article of faith in the Democrat-dominated enclave, but the proposal to allow rental units in single-family neighborhoods is challenging that orthodoxy.
At issue is an effort by housing advocates to amend Arlington's zoning ordinance to allow homeowners in single-family neighborhoods to build rental units on their properties. The additional housing would be limited to 750 square feet and permitted only on properties occupied by their owners and would presumably rent for less money than stand-alone housing.
"This won't solve the housing crisis, but it will help," said architect Susan Retz, former chairman of the county Housing Commission. She chairs the Alliance for Housing Solutions, a nonprofit advocacy group.
The issue won't reach the County Board for the first time until Tuesday, but an increasing number of residents are up in arms about the proposal, which they say they think would worsen parking problems, traffic congestion and crowding and increase the number of absentee landlords and illegal immigrants. A parade of residents has appeared at recent county meetings to protest the concept, still in the planning stages, even as county officials tweak the measure.
Retiree Rick Barry, 75, said that he considers the plan a wrongheaded assault on Arlington's way of life and that he fears it would attract immigrants displaced from Prince William County, which has enacted a crackdown on illegal immigrants.
"You work hard to get your family into a single-family neighborhood," Barry said. "We have a very nice neighborhood character, and we should do whatever it takes to keep it as it is."
Merryl Burpoe, a government relations consultant, said Arlington's "beautiful, stable" neighborhoods are at risk.
"We moved here for the quality of life Arlington affords," she said. "We paid a lot for our homes."
When homeowners in the Arlington Ridge Civic Association were surveyed about the proposal, 92 percent were opposed, said Larry Mayer, president of the Arlington County Civic Federation.
"A lot of single-family homeowners believe these [rental units] will proliferate all over Arlington," Mayer said.
Housing advocates, on the other hand, say they think the idea makes obvious sense. Such accessory dwellings have provided affordable housing in many other places, including Georgetown, Dupont Circle, Capitol Hill and Mount Pleasant in the District; in Montgomery and Fairfax counties; and outside the region, such as in Santa Cruz, Calif., they say.
"Everywhere that people need a place to live, these things are happening," Retz said. She said she has been disappointed by the opposition of critics, some of whom she thinks are worried the units will attract more immigrants.
"I don't think Arlington is that liberal sometimes," Retz said. "It's more conservative than we thought. . . . No matter how you explain it, people find it threatening."
The Housing Commission deliberated over the idea for more than two years. Under the current plan, the units would probably be limited to two residents, would require an annual inspection and would need to meet parking standards. They would not be detached units, and the properties would need to meet all lot size requirements for approval. In addition, the larger unit would need to be occupied by its owner.
This is not the first time Arlington has debated accessory units. In 1983, a similar proposal was floated, and the concept was rejected almost immediately by irate residents.
"It didn't even get to a vote" and soon after "sort of died," said Fran Lunney, coordinator of housing planning for the county.
But this time, the concept appears to have substantial political support among county leaders. J. Walter Tejada (D), the County Board chairman, cited consideration of the zoning amendment as part of his "Agenda for Progress" on Jan. 1, when he presented his legislative priorities for the year. He named board member Jay Fisette (D) to lead the effort.
The board is not expected to make a final decision until July.
Barbara A. Favola (D), vice chair of the board, who is running for reelection, said that only a third of the county's rental stock was affordable last year, down from more than half in 2000. She said she thinks it is possible to reconcile the conflicting points of view by setting careful standards.
"We hope people will realize this is not a bad idea, that it won't change life as they know it in their single-family neighborhoods," she said. She said she will watch how the "conversation evolves" but will not be influenced in her political decisions by what she called "pockets of anxiety."
The controversy is a challenge to the vaunted "Arlington Way," the civil but often lengthy manner in which the community resolves problems by finding common ground.
"It seems to be very polarized," Mayer said. "Very few people are neutral."
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Arlington County, which prides itself on racial tolerance and economic diversity and has sneered at anti-immigrant policies in nearby jurisdictions, now finds itself facing some of the same questions.
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Pr. William Schools Join to Design Regional Science/Technology Magnet
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The Prince William, Manassas and Manassas Park school systems recently won a $100,000 state grant to design a regional "governor's school" that would open by fall 2010 and specialize in math, science and technology.
The yet-unnamed school, which would have rigorous admissions requirements, would differ in key respects from Thomas Jefferson, a full-day governor's school in the Alexandria section of Fairfax that draws students from across Northern Virginia. Students would still attend neighborhood schools, traveling to the new magnet campus only for high-level classes.
The school would serve, at least initially, about 300 juniors and seniors from the three school systems.
Launching a governor's school in Prince William would raise the profile of the state's second-largest school system and answer complaints from families whose children don't apply to Thomas Jefferson because of the long commute.
Experience has shown that a governor's school appeals to many Prince William parents, no matter how long the drive. Almost 200 Prince William students applied to Thomas Jefferson this school year, and 12 were admitted, said Gail Hubbard, Prince William's supervisor of gifted education and special programs.
Michaelene Meyer, deputy superintendent for curriculum and instruction in Manassas, said the new school could hold classes at the George Mason University campus in the Manassas area or at a centrally located campus, such as Osbourn Park or Osbourn high schools.
"We're looking at partnering with George Mason to make sure our curriculum is aligned to upper-level college courses," Meyer said. "Down the road, [their professors could] serve as instructors and mentors."
Meyer said she hopes the three school systems can complete the planning and win approval from the state Board of Education by summer 2009. Virginia has 18 governor's schools with a traditional academic year. They receive state funding, have tough admissions requirements and specialize in such subjects as the humanities or math, science and technology. The new Prince William school, if approved, could resemble the partial-day Mountain Vista governor's school that recently opened in Fauquier County.
Martina Boone, a Prince William mother, said she would consider a new governor's school for her eighth-grade daughter, Hailey, a budding engineer, who in the fall will attend Battlefield High School in Gainesville, which specializes in technology.
"Battlefield is good enough for a number of kids, but you need to provide a more in-depth and enriched environment to build the science and technology leaders that this country is going to need," Boone said. "It's very difficult to do that in classrooms and schedules where everything is so packed in."
Hailey, 14, succinctly described the value of a governor's school: "This would be perfect for my college application."
Others are skeptical of the prospect of a new governor's school. Some parents worry it would lure top talent from Prince William's existing schools -- each of which has a specialty -- and make it harder to fill high-level courses at those schools.
"You can only have so many programs going before you start feeding off one to feed another," said Michelle de Stefano, whose 11th-grade daughter, Rima Janusziewicz, attends Potomac High School in Dumfries, which offers the college-level Cambridge curriculum. "As it is now, there are courses at Potomac that the school can't offer. If they have a governor's school, then all those kids get lost there."
Gail Drake, an information technology teacher at Battlefield High and member of a governor's school planning committee, said parents should not worry about possible reductions in upper-level courses at their base schools. The governor's school, she said, would promote strong teaching methods, which would influence instruction at the base schools and make their toughest classes more enticing.
"Students are more likely to sign up for a class where they know they'll be successful," Drake said.
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Prince William County, after years of longing, may finally get a selective magnet school to serve as a mini-rival to Fairfax County's prestigious Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.
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It's Finals Time For Student Superdelegates
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In a YouTube video posted shortly before midnight yesterday, Lauren Wolfe and Awais Khaleel, who as president and vice president of the College Democrats of America are among the youngest Democratic superdelegates, endorsed Obama. In the two-minute video, Wolfe said: "We've received over 5,000 e-mails . . . hundreds of YouTube comments. . . . We support Senator Barack Obama."
More than two weeks ago, Wolfe and Khaleel did what no superdelegate had done before: They posted a YouTube video asking college students to tell them whom to endorse.
"Guess who might decide the next leader of the free world?" asked Khaleel, 23, a junior at the University of Wisconsin in Madison: "Me!" Added Wolfe, 25, a law student at the University of Detroit-Mercy, "As the Democratic Party's two superdelegates who represent college students, we want to make sure that our vote belongs to you."
Promises were made. "We're more accessible than your governor, your senator, or really any other superdelegate out there," Khaleel said. Then Wolfe delivered the kicker: "We will absolutely listen to what you have to say."
And listen, listen and listen.
This is, after all, the year the youth vote exploded. Young voters have turned out in record numbers -- doubling in New Hampshire, tripling in Iowa and quadrupling in Tennessee, according to Sujatha Jahagirdar of the the nonpartisan group Student PIRG's New Voters Project. Just as significantly, they've also pushed for more accountability in this protracted campaign. Hence Wolfe and Khaleel's video.
"It was our way to take the mystery off what superdelegates, at least superdelegates like us, are supposed to do," Wolfe explained.
Their YouTube video has been viewed nearly 21,000 times, receiving more than 500 comments. Some posted video responses. A Temple University student named Josh, in a serious, somber tone, urged them to endorse Sen. Hillary Clinton, "by far the more experienced candidate." Karla, a student at San Diego State University, excitedly said this was her first time uploading a video on the site -- "Can you believe that?" -- and recorded arguably the longest 44-second video on YouTube.
The end goes something like this: ". . . please, please, please vote for Obama. Vote Obama. Pleeeaaassse. It would mean a lot to me and trust me when I say this: a lot, a lot, like, hundreds of thousands of people would thank you for it. Like, seriously, okay I'm making this too long. Bye. Thank you. Please vote Obama. Obama. Bama. Bama. Barack Obama."
That was just on YouTube.
Last Thursday, Students for Barack Obama, which began as a Facebook group but became so successful that it soon became a part of the campaign, sent Wolfe and Khaleel a letter. Essentially it read: Young voters have flocked to Obama -- "in contests where demographic data are available," the letter noted, "Obama has won an average of 62% of the youth vote compared to Clinton's 34%" -- so it's your responsibility to represent those young voters. Soon, a Facebook group was created to petition Wolfe and Khaleel to back Obama. It now has 436 members, including Hani Omar Khalil, 29, a lawyer in New York. He volunteered for Obama in New Hampshire, Rhode Island and New York.
"When I saw their YouTube video, and then when I joined the Facebook petition, I felt like there was something powerful really going on here," Khalil said, "and it's not really about Obama but about the process -- how transparent it's become."
But Wolfe and Khaleel have been in a tough spot. College Democrats of America is a part of the Democratic National Committee; Wolfe and Khaleel, in turn, are officers of the DNC. And like Howard Dean, its chairman, officers of the DNC haven't endorsed. "DNC rules require officers to withhold endorsements until the last primary or until there is a presumptive nominee," said DNC spokeswoman Stacie Paxton. Officers don't want to be seen as biased toward a candidate. The DNC declined comment on the endorsement.
Here's another complication: Wolfe is from Michigan. Her endorsment, then, won't count until what happens to Michigan's delegation is decided.
"It's been so mysterious, this whole superdelegate process," said Wolfe, who's serving her second term as president of the College Dems. It's been an intense, grueling period, she said. Finals, of course. Then all the phone calls, instant messages, YouTube comments, Facebook wall posts. And the call from Chelsea Clinton.
Added Wolfe: "I just wanted to do what I was elected to do, and that's to represent college students. We're participating. We're turning out. We're helping change the process."
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All that online pressure, all the instant messages on AIM and Gchat, all those YouTube comments and Facebook messages and wall posts added up to something: Two more delegates for Sen. Barack Obama.
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The City of Angels, and Its Demons
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Because I've been on a fool's errand the past four years writing a history of the novel, I paid little attention to the big publishing scandal of 2006, when James Frey's "A Million Little Pieces" was exposed as being closer to fiction than to the heartfelt memoir it was marketed as. I couldn't be bothered with the legal and moral issues because the history of this lawless genre is filled with such dodges. In the 2nd century, a fantastic fiction by the Greek satirist Lucian was cheekily titled a "True History." Both "Robinson Crusoe" and "Gulliver's Travels" were first marketed as nonfiction accounts, and even included prefaces by their publishers swearing to their veracity. More recently, we've had autobiographical novels, the nonfiction novels of Truman Capote and Norman Mailer and some historical novels with more documentation than you find in scholarly tomes. There's always been a blurry line between fiction and nonfiction, and Frey isn't the first or last writer to conga on that line.
In his newest novel -- or, rather, his first book to be marketed as a novel -- the unrepentant author blurs the line further. The first line of text is a disclaimer: "Nothing in this book should be considered accurate or reliable." But in point of fact, this sprawling novel about Los Angeles, where Frey lived in the 1990s, is very accurate and can be considered a reliable guide to "the most diverse, fastest-growing major metropolitan area in the United States," as he writes near the end. I did some spot fact-checking, and nearly everything checked out: There is actually a black gang that calls itself the Harvard Gangster Crips, Californian Glenn Martin did design and fly an airplane as early as 1909, and 1930s L.A. mayor Frank Shaw did literally bomb his critics. There may be others, but the only error I noticed involved a wedding date: An L.A. secretary named Jannene Swift married a large chunk of rock in 1976 (part of the pet rock craze?), not in 1950 as Frey states.
"Bright Shiny Morning" is both a capsule history of Los Angeles and a fictional census of hundreds of its current citizens. The novel alternates between brief milestones in L.A. history, moving chronologically from its founding in 1781 to the year 2000, and countless episodes set in the present (and related in the present tense, which gives them a nervy energy). Some current Angelenos get only a few lines: Allison, an aspiring model, "moved to Los Angeles at 18 to become a Playboy Bunny. Now 19, she works in porn." Some get a paragraph or two, and others a few pages. We get the extended stories of only four representative characters, endlessly interrupted but never intersecting, which gives the novel just enough cohesion to keep it from looking like a kaleidoscopic collage.
Dylan and Maddie, for example, are childhood sweethearts from Ohio, now 19, who drove out to L.A. to avoid their abusive parents. Their nest egg is stolen during their first week there (welcome to L.A.), and we watch as these sweet kids doggedly pursue the American Dream. Old Man Joe, who looks 80 but is only 38, is a bum addicted to Chablis. Amberton Parker is a box office action hero and closet homosexual. Esperanza, the child of illegal immigrants, grows up smart but too poor to attend college, and works as a maid for a tyrannical rich white widow. Only one of these stories turns out well; this isn't a novel with a Hollywood ending.
Structurally, the novel is interesting: It moves simultaneously through time (the historical vignettes) and space (the characters spread all over L.A.). There are lists and other modernist devices, including the unconventional layout, punctuation and telegraphic sentence style of Frey's earlier books. His ambition may have been to write the definitive novel of L.A., to do for that city what Joyce did for Dublin, Dos Passos did for Manhattan or Durrell did for Alexandria. If so, he may have succeeded; Joyce boasted that if Dublin were to disappear, it could be reconstructed from his "Ulysses," and Frey could make the same claim for "Bright Shiny Morning" -- though after reading his grim depiction, most wouldn't think it worth the effort to reconstruct such a place.
But he's not in the same class as those modernists. There's some sloppiness to Frey's writing: We're told twice that the Los Angeles International Airport is called LAX, which most readers don't need to be told at all, and twice that Lincoln Boulevard is nicknamed the Stinkin' Lincoln. In too many places he drops the narrative's impersonal tone and indulges in wisecracks that mostly fall flat. Some sections, like the one on L.A.'s Skid Row, read like magazine pieces, and he has an annoying habit of repeating phrases for poetic emphasis: "It's the American way, the American way." He sacrifices depth for breadth, for a CinemaScopic view of the city that both exemplifies and exploits the cliches about the mythological lure of the West and L.A. as the Land of Dreams.
But "Bright Shiny Morning" reads quickly, has great dialogue and some expertly paced dramatic moments, teaches you more about L.A. than you ever knew, and makes the case (posited by an artist near the end) that Los Angeles is the new New York, on its way to becoming the cultural capital of the world. Or it could all be a stinging satire of the most violent, corrupt, polluted, pretentious, money-mad place in America. Works either way.
I understand that Mr. Frey currently lives in New York.
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Search Washington, DC area books events, reviews and bookstores from the Washington Post. Features DC, Virginia and Maryland entertainment listings for bookstores and books events. Visit http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/print/bookworld today.
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You've Done This: Now Try This
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Once known as the Bull & Finch Pub, this Beacon Hill bar changed its name to Cheers after the TV show made it the most famous bar in America. The catch: No one will know your name here; the only regulars are tourists.
Irish pub Matt Murphy's, in contrast, has built a real community in Brookline Village, the first town outside the city limits. The draw: a proper pint of Guinness, greaseless fish and chips and, most important, no cheesy leprechaun paraphernalia. For music lovers, there's a nightly lineup of local and up-and-coming national bands. The bar even has its own record label, Pub Records, so you can take a piece of your trip home with you.
· 14 Harvard St., Brookline, 617-232-0188, http://www.mattmurphyspub.com.
TOURIST: Museum of Fine Arts
The MFA has long been considered one of the country's top art destinations, with a notable collection of Monets. But in recent years, curators have staged more populist exhibits. (Ralph Lauren's designer cars, anyone?) They've also upped prices. It's $17 for general admission and $23 for special exhibitions.
Brainy Bostonians head to the Fogg, Harvard University's oldest art museum. Opened in 1895, it's about to be renovated, so visit by June 30. The Italian Renaissance courtyard, based on a 16th-century Tuscan facade, is surrounded by galleries that trace the arc of Western art from the Middle Ages to the present, including its own terrific collection of impressionist paintings, plus a mighty number of Picassos. Special exhibitions are thoughtful, not crowd-pleasers, and often highlight contemporary art that far outshines that at the newer, buzzier Institute of Contemporary Art downtown. Note: If you can't visit before the gallery closes, a selection of works from the Fogg and its sister museums, the Busch-Reisinger and the Arthur M. Sackler, will be on view across the street at the Sackler during the closing.
· 32 Quincy St., Cambridge, 617-495-9400 , http://www.artmuseums.harvard.edu. Open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 1 to 5 p.m. Admission: $9.
TOURIST: Swan Boats in the Public Garden
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We present a dozen Boston tourist traps paired with their lesser-known equivalents that locals treasure.
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Ireland's Dingle Peninsula: How Fetching
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A blustery breeze buffets the terrace of what is undoubtedly the westernmost cafe in Ireland, in all of Europe, really, presuming you don't count Iceland. Which I don't.
Atlantic Ocean waves are crashing into the majestically craggy coast. There is not the slightest break in the pillowy gray clouds that are so low you can almost touch them, and so enveloping they almost embrace you. The salt air is mild, and the Irish mist sweet. The expanse of grass being scarfed down by the sheep grazing across the way is archetypal Kelly green.
A palpable sense of history emanates from the landscape. And from the people, too. Their thick brogue hints at an ancient language that is making something of a comeback these days.
I'm on the patio of the Tig Slea Head cafe, playing fetch with a dog named Banshee. Banshee belongs to Marlene Tomasy, a 50-year-old woman from Germany who immigrated to Ireland earlier this decade. Tomasy, who bakes the cafe's delicious cookies, pies and pastries on the premises, tells me she rescued the brown Lab-collie mix a little more than two years ago. Somebody had abandoned him in the surf on a local beach, in a plastic bag, with six canine siblings. They appeared to be about 3 weeks old. The others were dead, drowned. He was still breathing. She took him home.
Now, Banshee is as excited as I am relaxed. He'll go on retrieving his slimy, fluorescent green tennis ball as long as I go on tossing it into an adjoining field.
"He loves the tourists, and they love him," Tomasy says. "I happen to think he is the most-photographed dog in Ireland at the moment -- and he knows it."
Somehow, playing fetch with a reclaimed dog owned by a German woman amid the humble antiquity of the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry, about 140 miles southwest of Galway, feels right. It seems to embody the island nation today. After all, Ireland, which just 30 years ago was still backward and poor, has experienced a remarkable economic revival and an influx of immigrants in recent years. Yet it remains a simple, traditional, outdoorsy, carefree place -- carefree as a game of fetch.
My wife and I ended up at the cafe because Barbara Carroll, co-owner of the Milestone House B&B in Dingle town, told us that the Slea Head Drive west of town is one of the most beautiful circuits in all of Ireland. "It's only 22 miles, or 35 if you take the longer loop," she said, "but give yourself three hours."
The short loop took us six hours.
Not by design, but simply because everywhere we stopped we found ourselves lingering. We lingered at the ruins of Dunbeg Fort, which sit on a sheer seafront promontory and date from 800 B.C. We crawled into a small opening in the rampart that led to a primeval room -- a man-made cave, really -- roughly seven feet high and six feet across. It was big enough to stand in. But what was it for? What was life here like then?
We lingered more than once at the side of the road just gazing, as if in a dream, at the verdant pastures delineated by ancient stone fences and realizing that the stone fence is to this part of the world what the white picket fence is to New England.
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The humble antiquity of the Dingle Peninsula contains some of Ireland's most beautiful tracts and vistas.
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What's the Deal?
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· Orbitz is offering a sale on hotels throughout North America and the Caribbean. Savings range from 10 to 50 percent for stays through Sept. 30; book by July 6. For example, rooms at the Hotel Cozumel & Resort in Mexico start at $71 a night, including taxes; rate through hotel is $114. Request promotion code SUMMERSALE10 when booking at http://www.orbitz.com.
· Exclusive Island Hotels & Resorts is offering free nights at a dozen of its properties in such far-flung destinations as the Seychelles, Maldives, Madagascar and Thailand. Requirements vary. For example, stay five nights at the Vanila Hotel in Nosy Be, Madagascar, from June 1-July 11 and pay for four; rate starts at $150 a night. Or pay for two to five nights at the Pimalai Resort & Spa in Koh Lanta, Thailand, and receive an equal number of free nights through Oct. 31; rate starts at $250 per night. Info: http://www.eihr.com.
· Norwegian Cruise Line has renamed its Pride of Aloha as the Norwegian Sky and repositioned it from Hawaii to Miami. Starting July 14, it will begin three- and four-night cruises to the Bahamas and is offering an introductory Kids Sail Free package for departures between July 14 and Sept. 26. Prices vary by date and cruise length. For example, a three-night cruise in early September starts at $760 for a family of four staying in an inside cabin, a savings of $198; taxes and fuel surcharges are included. Book by May 31. Info: 866-234-0292, http://www.ncl.com.
· Azamara Cruises is offering shipboard credits of up to $750 per cabin on its Europe and transatlantic itineraries with ocean-view-or-better cabins; book by May 11. Cruise for at least 14 nights and receive a $750 credit; cruise 13 nights or less and receive $500. Price varies by itinerary. For example, a 16-night Western Europe cruise on the Azamara Journey departing Copenhagen on Aug. 14 starts at $2,299 per person double, plus $226 port charges and fuel surcharges. Info: 877-999-9553, http://www.azamaracruises.com.
· Cruise Masters Travel is offering free adult airfare on select Regent Seven Seas Cruise itineraries in Alaska this summer. The promo can be combined with the cruise line's kids-sail-free deal on four departures in July and one in August. Price per adult starts at $4,195 per person double, plus $399 port charges and fuel surcharge. Children pay airfare, and cruise taxes and surcharges; one child can be accommodated in least expensive cabin. Airfare value averages about $705 per adult. Deal also includes $200 per adult shipboard credit. Book by May 19. Info: 301-983-9417 or 866-268-1111, http://www.cruisemasterstravel.com.
· Book a round-trip ticket on JetBlue by May 16 for travel by June 11 and receive a $50 voucher for travel Sept. 3-Oct. 31. You must register at http://www.jetblue.com/50 to qualify. JetBlue flies nonstop from Dulles to Boston, New York, Las Vegas and cities in Florida and California. Info: 800-538-2583, http://www.jetblue.com.
· Singapore Air has sale fares from Los Angeles to Tokyo. Round-trip fare on nonstop flights is $685, including taxes. Add a round-trip ticket to L.A. from Washington (fares are currently about $300 on several carriers), and total fare is less than $1,000. Ticketed directly from Washington, flight starts at $1,392. Depart Monday-Thursday by May 31, and return within 30 days. Purchase at http://www.singaporeair.com.
· Book round-trip airfare to London on British Airways and receive two nights' free lodging at any of nine three- and four-star hotels. Round-trip high-season fare from Washington is $951, including $173 taxes, for travel May 26-Sept. 3. (Save $20 more if you register at http://www.ba.com.) Seven-day advance purchase required; cheapest fares are available for Monday-Wednesday flights. Free hotel deal applies for May 26-Oct. 30 travel; two people receive two free nights, and a single traveler gets one free night. For example, a six-night stay for two in mid-July costs $2,460, including airfare and accommodations at the Jurys Inn Chelsea (hotel savings are $372). Purchase by May 13; Saturday night stay required. Info: 800-247-9297, http://www.ba.com/london.
· QueensLander Tours is offering free airfare from New York to Venice, with return from Naples, and $200-per-person discounts on its Italy's Great Cities Tour. The escorted tour also includes eight nights' accommodations in Venice, Florence, Cortona, the Amalfi Coast and Rome; daily sightseeing tours (admission fees included); motor coach and/or rail transport; and guide. For the $200 discount, you must pay by check and in full at the time of booking. After discount, the price for high-season departures (June and July) starts at $4,355 per person double, including $382 air taxes and fuel surcharge. Priced separately, air costs about $722 excluding taxes and surcharges. Deal applies to departures through October; book by June 15. Info: 877-865-6711, http://www.queenslandertours.com.
Prices were verified and available on Thursday afternoon when the Travel section went to press. However, deals sell out quickly and are not guaranteed to be available. Restrictions such as day of travel, blackout dates and advance-purchase requirements sometimes apply.
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The week's best travel bargains around the globe, by land, sea and air.
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Post-Crucible Clinton
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With Barack Obama having effectively secured the Democratic presidential nomination, it is hard for the Clinton camp to focus on her successes in this contest. But Clinton now possesses strengths she did not enjoy when the campaign began.
She is, more than ever, her own person, having emerged decisively from the shadow of her husband. Indeed, she did far better when Bill Clinton played a supporting role than when he was out front, notably during the disastrous South Carolina primary. There is now a Hillary Clinton constituency in the Democratic Party distinct from the one the former president built.
Cartoonists and satirists mocked Hillary Clinton's incarnation as a fighter for blue-collar voters. Yet those who know her well think the fighting Hillary is closer to her self-image -- that of someone who has had to overcome many blows in life -- than the inevitable nominee who wove a web of entitlement around herself and ran on experience, much of which was derivative of her husband's.
The Hillary Clinton of the late primaries dispelled this portrait, campaigning more on empathy than on résumé, and more on the problems of today's economy than on her husband's economic achievements.
And Clinton did her party and Obama a favor by focusing on the Democrats' potential weaknesses among blue-collar whites. This problem is not unique to Obama. Both Al Gore and John Kerry underperformed with these voters, particularly among men. That Obama has been pushed off his oratorical pedestal and encouraged to connect with disaffected whites will save him trouble in the fall. Clinton, widely seen as the champion of older, well-educated feminist women, could be remembered as the politician who brought the party back to its working-class roots.
Yet these achievements have come at a high cost for Clinton, and a $20 million campaign debt may be the least of her troubles. To consolidate her gains while repairing the damage to her standing from a bitter contest, she will have to abandon efforts to block Obama's nomination. She can keep fighting, or she can become a powerful figure in the Democratic Party. She cannot do both.
In particular, where Clinton was once a largely unifying force within her party (that, after all, was why her nomination had been seen as inevitable), she is now far more divisive. Polling by the Pew Research Center, for example, found that while Clinton enjoyed a 67-32 percent favorable-to-unfavorable ratio among Obama supporters in January, she is now viewed favorably by only 51 percent of Obama supporters and unfavorably by 46 percent.
Especially striking is the ground Clinton has lost among African Americans, whom she once saw as a bulwark of her candidacy. In August 2007, Pew found that Clinton was viewed favorably by 86 percent of African Americans, including 44 percent who viewed her very favorably. In its most recent survey, her favorability rating among African Americans was down to 56 percent, including only 22 percent who viewed her very favorably.
For both Clintons, one of the most painful aspects of this campaign has been their alienation from so many black voters. Any moves that risk further divisions in the Democratic Party -- Hillary Clinton's comment last week about Obama's weakness among voters who are "hard-working" and "white" didn't help -- will aggravate a problem she wants to go away.
So would an orchestrated campaign by Clinton supporters to push Obama hard to make her the vice presidential nominee. An aggressive "Clinton for vice president" campaign would simply reopen fights that are just ending and offer Obama two bad choices: either to look weak by capitulating to pressure from the defeated wing of the party or to look spiteful by refusing to take Clinton on.
On the other hand, choosing a Clinton supporter as a running mate -- the obvious possibilities are Govs. Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania and Ted Strickland of Ohio or Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana -- could serve Obama's interest while assuaging a certain sourness that lingers in the Clinton camp.
But the best antidote to this melancholy is for her supporters to see that the Hillary Clinton who has emerged from these primaries is a stronger and more independent figure than the candidate who once hoped she could parlay the past into the White House. Her future depends on discovering a new role, even if it is not the one she had originally hoped to play.
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Hillary Clinton still has a lot to win this year, but not the presidency.
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A Spoiler, by Way of the Dairy Case
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As a Republican candidate for the House in 1994, he rose to national attention when reports alleged that he had licked whipped cream off the breasts of two women at a charity event.
As a congressman from Georgia, the thrice-married Barr returned attention to the whipped-cream episode when, speaking in support of the Defense of Marriage Act, he argued that "the flames of self-centered morality are licking at the very foundations of our society."
As one of the managers of Bill Clinton's impeachment, Barr gained enough prominence to attempt a run for the Senate in 2002. But that effort fell apart at about the time Barr accidentally fired a .38-caliber pistol through a glass door at a fundraising reception.
As an elder statesmen, Barr returned to the public eye when, appearing in the film "Borat," he made a pinched expression after being told that the cheese he had just sampled came from a woman's breast milk.
Now beyond whipped cream and cheese, Barr is taking on his next role: John McCain's spoiler.
He made his debut in the role yesterday at the National Press Club, where he announced that he would run for president on the Libertarian Party ticket. And he made no secret about his disdain for the presumptive Republican nominee, who would probably suffer most from Barr's entry in the race.
"What's your problem with McCain?" one of the reporters asked after Barr's announcement speech.
Barr turned to his campaign manager, former Ross Perot adviser Russ Verney. "How long do we have here, Russ?"
Barr took issue with McCain's Iran policy. "I'm not going to go around making up songs about such a serious matter as going to war with a sovereign nation, as Senator McCain did," the former congressman said, tut-tutting McCain's "Barbara Ann/Bomb Iran" episode.
He quarreled with McCain's Iraq policy. "These troops need to be brought home," he offered.
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In his career in public service, Bob Barr has performed many important roles.
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Blog Readers, Why Be Haters?
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Georgiason: I actually agree with much of the first part of your post, but a little perspective from a regular on this:
"Go to any other blog on On Faith, like Eboo Patel's. Show me where any of them ever deign to engage in a dialogue with their commentators. That, too, violates the spirit of free and open dialogue and debate."
In Mr. Patel's case, if I don't much misremember, he started out doing that, but certain people have turned every thread under his columns into exercises in cut-and-paste-spamming general attacks on Islam and, for a long while, calling him to his face 'Boo boy.' The great irony about it being that this is often in the course of demanding just the kinds of 'reforms' of Islam that Mr. Patel's actively a voice for, ..just not in the way they'd like.
"And how about the censorship practiced on this blog? I and others have protested having our responses blocked, even though they met the standards for this blog."
Much of what people claim is 'censorship' is simply *automated filters* intended to try and keep out 'fighting words' and maybe keep the debate a little more elevated. It doesn't always work, but it seems you've gotten plenty of offensive things through, yourself.
As for this, William, if you want to talk about 'hate,'
"Atheism brings out the worst in people⦠the banal and nihilistic view of the individual who has nothing to believe in renders him jealously afraid of men and women of faith. It is natural that an atheist/agnostic would react with such hate."
This is at *best* a sampling error: most atheists are profoundly-humanistic and have a live-and-let-live attitude. Atheists that talk about *religion* or who *oppose their own disenfranchisement by religion in politics* will have a tendency to be dismissive at best of, shall we say, 'extra-rational' claims of 'fact.' Especially when it comes in aggressive packages.
I have certainly met plenty of atheists such as you describe, William, but even the most of *those* are no more arrogant than *anyone* who thinks they have the 'One Truth' by dint of their belief.
In fact, a whole lot of atheists are disbelieving in a *very specific religion,* ...yours, if I'm not much mistaken, but still live under the same fundamental assumptions about reality: they've just taken a different 'side' in essentially the same worldview. Christians constantly pose the 'question' of 'Which would you like? Our God as we say, or nothing?'
No, it's not 'natural' to atheism, never mind *agnosticism* to 'jealously hate' religion... those that come out with the childish comments are either still in a process of defending themselves, and/or believe they're going to 'save' people with 'the real truth.'
You just don't *hear* from the rest, cause they don't really care. Till, maybe, you threaten their rights as Americans or assault their dignity. Then you see more attacks... at the very bases which the political-religious *use to try and disenfranchise them.*
It's kind of like a then-atheist friend said, in the course of a classic internal intellectual struggle someone posed as difficult: "Does altruism exist?"
After much talk, I said, "If altruism doesn't exist in us, why are you spending all this time *worrying if people are being fooled by the notion in the first place,* instead of *using* it in some way? If you were wrong to believe there's some good in the world, *who or what do you believe would be there to judge the 'purity' of your motivations? Would an 'altruist' *care* where that good comes from? Or just encourage the good?"
Sure, there's a number of 'banal and nihilistic' atheists out there, but in a way, ironically, many of them are not actually 'atheists...' Some still seem to believe in a judging intelligence to the universe which is first and foremost concerned with what people *believe.* In this case, one which scorns *our natural subjectivity.*
Just as do those who scorn our natural subjectivity and instead substitute playing games with written words for 'Reason.'
Still believing in very similar ways that the Universe cares more what you *believe* than what you *do* or *experience.*
Sometimes, this is more a cult of 'rationalism' than a way of *rationality,* I think, and they naturally lock horns with people who *rationalize* certain rationalisms as though they were *reason.*
Certainly, they rightfully go after people who try to claim anti-knowledge *is* knowledge, try to pose Scripture *as* science, or somehow just as good at being science as is science. In that case, it's not 'jealousy,' ....it's rightfully identifying a tyranny over the human intellect that authoritarian religion is too-often allied with.
In many ways, the 'debate' is set up *by religion* to frame such thoughts in just that way, ensuring that it goes nowhere in particular. To *enlist* people's very creativity and intelligence to spin people eventually right back into that authority, after much important-seeming effort.
The Net is, when you really look at it, a realm of nothing but words, ...though subjective things certainly happen here. If you believe that it's a 'fight' over something with 'verbal might,' then, that's all you'll get.
Don't assume that all atheists are like those who come to places like this with a chip on. Many just don't need it.
And most of the reasonable ones, like anyone else, get tired of the BS.
One of my best friends in this life is an Ayn Rand-loving atheist who, if someone wanted to have a Good People contest, I'd put up without question. No nihilist, to be sure. But, he's hung around me through enough adventures to greet certain things I attribute to 'Spirit' with true reason. He does *not* operate on a level of, 'If anything different from what we call 'rationalistically acceptable' happens, then what monotheists beat into me must be real, so I must lash out at anything I can't feel that I control.'
Just *confident in his humanity.*
He's not unique, that way.
Come to think of it, I've had a good friend who was a Scientologist, too. Kinda hard to characterize, briefly, but he could be a stand-up guy when he wanted to.
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On Faith is an innovative, provocative conversation on all aspects of religion with best selling author Jon Meacham of Newsweek and Sally Quinn of The Washington Post. Keep up-to-date on global religious developments with On Faith.
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A Place To Pump
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For many new mothers returning to work, one accessory is essential: the breast pump.
But the pump, used to express milk so a working woman's eight-or-more-hour separation from her baby need not stop her from breast-feeding, has a limitation: It's helpful only if there's a conducive place to use it.
Washington area women have hooked up electric or manual versions in parked cars, restrooms, a telephone booth and the basement storage room of the National Zoo visitors center, where a box of panda costumes doubled this spring as a table on which one woman set her pump, bottles and other equipment.
Not perhaps what the D.C. Council had in mind when it passed a law in December requiring employers to provide female workers a private, clean space, outside a restroom, to express milk. The Child's Right to Nurse Act also gives a woman the right to breast-feed, covered or not, in any place, public or private, where she has a right to be.
Complying with the law has proved to be a challenge for some local employers, especially those with limited space. Many voice support for the law but say they need time to adjust their facilities or operations. (Women who feel their employer is not following the law can file a complaint with the D.C. Office of Human Rights.)
The law grew out of a national movement aimed at encouraging women to give their children breast milk until age 1, as medical experts recommend. A breast-fed infant is 21 percent less likely to die in the first year than one who is not breast-fed, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and breast milk helps protect babies against a long list of infectious diseases. Some studies suggest it decreases their chances later in life of problems such as diabetes, asthma and cancer. It also appears to improve cognitive development, according to a study published this month in the Archives of General Psychiatry.
For moms, benefits include a lower risk of breast and ovarian cancer as well as protection against weight gain.
But pumping at work can pose so many challenges, including time, space, storage and refrigeration, that some women simply give up.
Unsuitable conditions "have been a major problem," said Ruth Lawrence, a physician who chairs the executive committee of the AAP's breast-feeding section.
Laura Viehmann, a physician who is the breast-feeding coordinator for AAP's Rhode Island chapter, agreed. "If you don't have a private office, this can be a huge thing to negotiate. It's well-documented that there are decreased rates of breast-feeding among working moms. Employment is the biggest obstacle to gains in breast-feeding rates."
The new District law joins protections in Virginia and Maryland for nursing moms. Virginia exempts breast-feeding women from indecency laws and allows women to breast-feed on state property but doesn't address the use of breast pumps. In Maryland, a woman may breast-feed her infant in any public or private place, but again the law does not mention pumping. Under federal law, any woman who has a right to be on federal property has a right to breast-feed on that property; there's no word on pumping.
Legal protections for women pumping milk are needed, say breast-feeding advocates, because any disruption in expressing milk could sink a woman's chances of being able to produce enough for her child. If she doesn't have a chance to pump, her supply dwindles.
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For many new mothers returning to work, one accessory is essential: the breast pump.
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Everything You Never Wanted to Know About Basements
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The rains came. The gutters backed up. The drains clogged. So the basement flooded. Yuck. Now what?
If your basement took a hit, speed is of the essence in minimizing damage and saving possessions. We sought the counsel of experts, from home inspectors to Smithsonian conservators to public health specialists. Here is their collective wisdom.
-- Electrical risk: Before you enter a basement that has been flooded to several inches or more or above the outlet line, you need to turn off the power. If the circuit breaker box is out of reach in the basement, call an electrician.
-- Remove possessions from the flooded space as quickly as possible. Mold and mildew start to work their way in within hours. Rescue things in order of importance, financial or sentimental: family photos, tax records, artwork, computers, documents. Putting valuable or cherished papers in the freezer will stop mildew growth and deterioration until you can attend to them.
-- If you have less than a couple of inches of standing water, a wet vac usually can handle the job. For basements with deep water and no drains, you may need to call in a professional. Look in the Yellow Pages under Fire and Water Damage Restoration. Major companies include ServiceMaster ( http://www.servicemaster.com/ ) and Servpro ( http://www.servpro.com/ ).
-- As soon as possible, get air circulating. Turn on fans and a dehumidifier or two. Open doors, windows and closets. Keep the air conditioner running at a low temperature to pull additional moisture out of the room.
-- Deal with soaked flooring. Large rugs or wall-to-wall carpeting may have to be pulled up entirely; some can be wet vac-ed, then dried on a driveway or other outdoor area. Or get them cleaned as soon as possible to get rid of mold and odor. Wet padding should be discarded because it will start to rot and mildew and cannot be cleaned.
-- Vinyl tile, linoleum and other hard surfaces can be scrubbed with a solution of no more than one cup of chlorine bleach to one gallon of water (a ratio of 1 to 16). Never mix bleach with ammonia. Keep windows and doors open, and wear gloves and protective eyewear.
-- Examine indoor and outdoor basement drains for debris buildup. You may be able to unclog them with your hands (wear rubber gloves), a plunger or a plumber's snake. Also check for blocked downspouts and gutters.
-- Inspect damage to walls. Those made of cinder block or brick can be scrubbed with the bleach solution. Damp or wet drywall, baseboard molding and the insulation behind the wall are ideal breeding grounds for mold. You may have to remove the wet drywall and insulation up to the water line and discard it. Let the inside of the wall dry out before replacing the damaged materials.
-- If the water has snuffed out the gas water heater's pilot light, call a plumber or your gas utility to ask about relighting it or replacing submerged parts to avoid disaster. Depending on the damage, the entire heater may have to be replaced.
-- Separate what can be salvaged from what is now trash. Put the trash in plastic bags closed tightly to contain mold. Put salvaged items somewhere safe to dry out. Do not stack dry boxes on top of wet ones because the moisture will wick upward.
-- If there is a large amount of soggy trash, you (or friends with a van or truck) can haul it to a dump; or call or check out the Web site of your local jurisdiction to ask about bulk trash pickup. You can also call a bulk trash company such as 1-800-GOT JUNK?, which will show up with a truck and two haulers starting at $129.
-- How did the water get in? If you can't tell, call a roofer or a home inspector (one source is the American Society of Home Inspectors Web site at http://www.ashi.org/ ).
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Washington DC, Virginia and Maryland home and garden news/headlines, including build/fix and furnishing/design, garden/patio tips. Resources and coupons for homes and gardens, DC, MD, VA contacts. Guides for organizing, cleaning, planting and caring.
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Olympic Torch Relay Celebrations Scaled Back
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BEIJING, May 13 -- The Olympic torch will be carried through quake-ravaged Sichuan province on schedule next month, but China is scaling back celebrations along the route out of respect for earthquake victims and will observe a minute of silence each morning before the torch relay proceeds, officials said.
Olympic organizers said the first minute of silence would be observed Wednesday morning in Ruijin city in Jiangxi province. The death toll from the earthquake stands at more than 12,000 and is expected to rise further as rescue crews assess the hardest-hit areas.
In a statement posted on the Web site of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games, officials said the committee "has decided that beginning with the relay in Jiangxi Province, it will simplify procedures, emphasize simplicity and efficiency while putting safety first during the relay."
Donation boxes will also be set up along the relay route to help provide relief for victims of the quake, the statement said.
"To reduce the scale, we will cancel all the performances on the celebrating ceremonies," said Wang Hui, a spokeswoman for the organizing committee.
The procession of the torch through Europe and the United States earlier this year was marred by controversy and protests from demonstrators trying to draw attention to China's human rights record.
In London, Paris and San Francisco, as well as other stops, demonstrators tried to snatch the torch, at times forcing the procession to seek refuge on buses and travel through back streets.
Despite the disturbances, organizers declined to change the planned route of the torch.
Not everyone agreed with the decision, announced Tuesday, to make the relay less showy in the wake of the earthquake.
"There is no connection between the earthquake and the torch relay," said an orange farmer in Ruijin who gave his surname as Zhou. "China is so big and this accident is inevitable, so it's unnecessary to make adjustments."
Olympic organizers sought to reassure potential foreign visitors that they would be safe during the Aug. 8-24 event, despite the devastating quake. Zhang Jian, director of the organizing committee's project management department, stressed to reporters in the capital that the quake area is a long way from Beijing and would have no effect on the games.
In any case, Olympic venues have been constructed to withstand earthquakes with an intensity of up to 8.0 on the Richter scale, according to Li Zhanjun, deputy director of the Olympic media center.
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World news headlines from the Washington Post,including international news and opinion from Africa,North/South America,Asia,Europe and Middle East. Features include world weather,news in Spanish,interactive maps,daily Yomiuri and Iraq coverage.
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Election 2008: Racist Incidents Rattle Obama Backers
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Fairfax County, Va.: Your article has unleashed more than 2,100 comments online so far. Many are racist or at least racially tinged. Others are from people of good will or at least some thought who are getting drowned out by the voices of anger. So I'm wondering how you feel when you see all that. Do you read the comments when you write a story? Do you think The Washington Post is doing a service to the community when it opens the door to unfiltered commentary on such a subject (and supplies the bandwidth and software to host it)? Is it a good thing to know what's out there, or a bad thing to give these people a megaphone? I'm confident some are on a regular program of posting to such articles, either on a self-assigned "mission" or as political operatives. But I think a lot of others are one-time posters.
Kevin Merida: Hello -- thanks for joining this discussion, all. Let's get started.
Fairfax raises a provocative series of questions. Race is one of those subjects that exposes raw nerves. We have not settled on a comfortable mode of discussing it publicly. The online world, by its very nature, is the unfiltered world. I think washingtonpost.com tries to police the most egregiously, vile kinds of comments while not squelching free speech and the honest commentary that often goes with that. Sometimes that task is extremely difficult to carry out.
Fairfax Station, Va.: I volunteered for the Obama campaign in my North Carolina hometown and also found racism and anger with a few people. Those few who made racist comments, including one white woman who knew me and said "I'd never vote for a [racial slur]," are really a fringe element. Many of these people never vote anyway, and in any event never would vote for any Democrat for president. In North Carolina, they sometimes register as Democrats because their parents did and almost all local officials are Democrats in the rural, eastern portion of the state.
I found many Obama supporters among both minority and non-minority groups. Almost all white voters I spoke with were exceptionally polite and usually invited me to come into their homes. While the degree of outward Obama support among white voters was noticeably less than among African Americans, almost all were curious about the senator and what he would do as president. They will be open-minded, in my view. On the other hand, African American voters are overflowing in their zeal and hope. Turnout was phenomenal.
Kevin Merida: I think your experience is reflective of what many in the Obama campaign have experienced.
Arlington, Va.: I doubt you will answer this because it goes against the nature of your story, but there are people who just dislike Obama and are not racist. For every uninformed person who thinks that Obama is a Muslim (and then hates him for that), there are also people who believe his ties to racists like Rev. Wright make him a bad candidate. I already can see the media trying to guilt people into voting for Obama by saying "if you don't vote for him, you're probably racist."
Kevin Merida: There are certainly people who dislike Obama and are not racist, just as there are people who don't support Hillary Clinton but are not sexist, or who won't back McCain but are not ageist. I think when it comes to how people really feel about a candidate, what they are thinking is not always what they voice.
Denver: Kevin, great, great piece. What worries me about the potentially vicious 527 campaigns to come, and the McCain campaign's unwillingness to referee them (see Mark Salter's comments in Newsweek) is that somewhere on the campaign trail an idealistic kid will be waving an Obama sign, and he won't have the n-word thrown at him, he'll have a bottle thrown at him. I think 2008 can and should force us to confront what constitutes appropriate political discourse and the potential effects on people on the front lines, especially volunteers. Is there anything the campaigns can do about it?
washingtonpost.com: The O Team: A Response (Newsweek, May 11)
Kevin Merida: Thanks for the kind words about the piece. Both Obama and McCain have said publicly they want to run a different kind of campaign in the fall, one that does not traffick in negative advertising. How successful they will be may be determined by how vigorous they are willing to hold accountable and publicly call out those who do out-of-bounds campaigning on their behalf. It is true that some of the independent expenditure groups have interests and consciences beyond, perhaps, the control of the candidates.
Centreville, Va.: Thanks for taking my question/comment. I'm pretty surprised that these reports are just now surfacing -- particularly the vandalism to one of Obama's campaign headquarters and the bomb threats. What's your take on the underreporting of these incidents?
Kevin Merida: These kinds of episodes and experiences are occurring away from the media spotlight, which typically is trained on the candidates: what they're saying on the trail, how much money they are raising, what their strategies for advancing are. Most of what this story dealt with today is told through volunteers and others who work out of small field offices, who knock on doors, staff polling locations, man phone banks. This is the campaign on the ground that exists beyond the big campaign that most Americans tune into.
Washington: I am as jaded as the next person, but wow, I never even thought that people would run into this. I mean, we all have our own biases, but it would never occur to me to say them out loud. I'm not surprised that people wouldn't vote for Obama because he's black; I am surprised at people who actually would say this out loud to a campaign worker.
Kevin Merida: Regrettably there are still racist attitudes that exist in communities across America. Fortunately, there also has been enough progress in the country that the last two candidates standing for the Democratic nomination are a woman and an African American. In particular, many senior citizens who have been interviewed during this campaign have expressed surprise and gratitude to live long enough to witness this.
Wilmington, N.C.: We are all for Obama, but voted for him worrying for his life if he were to win the nomination and the presidency. Are we wrong to worry?
Kevin Merida: Obama himself has told people along the campaign trail not to worry, as has his wife, Michelle. They believe, based on their experience and how they've been received, that this run for the presidency is not a safety risk.
Tuscaloosa, Ala.: Your definition of "racist" behavior seemed to me to be overly broad. I'm sure plenty of people have slammed their doors in the faces of campaigners for white candidates -- it's rude, but not racist. I also don't understand this statement: "Susan Dzimian, a Clinton supporter who owns residential properties, said outside a polling location in Kokomo that race was a factor in how she viewed Obama. 'I think if it was somebody other than him, I'd accept it,' she said of a black candidate. 'If Colin Powell had run, I would be willing to accept him.' "
How does that indicate that race is a factor, other than demonstrating a willingness to vote for a black candidate? Your meaning wasn't clear. I also wish you had discussed more the implications for the general election, and I hope you're planning an article on Clinton and sexist voters. Tarring Clinton as the candidate for racists is unfair and prejudicial.
Kevin Merida: Susan Dzimian told me race was a factor in how she viewed Obama. The quote about accepting an African American if it were Colin Powell was a response to a question on whether any black candidate would be acceptable to her.
I agree that sexism in the campaign is ripe for exploration. As for the general election, I don't think this is the last time we will be exploring race in the campaign.
Poplar Bluff, Mo.: Kevin, thanks for taking questions. Do you believe more people could vote for an African American named John Smith instead of a Barack Obama?
Kevin Merida: It's a fascinating question. I have run into a number of people who have cited Obama's name (all parts of it -- first, middle and last) as a barrier to them or those they know. How much of that is racial code language, we don't know. But clearly the name is one that conjures up "unknowable" and "strange" in some people, and Obama himself has pointed out it is a hurdle for him. But it is obviously not too big a hurdle, as he is on the brink of capturing the Democratic nomination, winning 30 of 50 contests so far and running competitively in national general election polls.
Natick, Mass.: Although instructive, I hope stories like these don't become a focal point, with "pundits" repeating them over and over again. It takes only few people to be racist and the whole conversation is off-track. The vast vast majority of us don't want this to be a election about race. Do you think the media (as if it's one entity -- but there is herd mentality) will keep these things in perspective?
Kevin Merida: I hope we don't overblow any aspect of coverage, but I recognize that sometimes we do -- we, collectively. I think campaign coverage is a daily amalgam of bits and pieces. You hope that the pieces in combination give the public an authentic portrait of the full reality of a campaign.
Los Angeles: Thanks for writing this provocative story. I've always thought this was a story just waiting to be written, and I wonder why it took the mainstream media so long. Another issue I wanted to address was the nature of the Obama campaign's response today. It was a neutral, politically correct statement, but it seemed to underscore his dilemma -- that he has faced real, visceral racism, but can't really address it forthrightly because it'd make him look like a whiner, or like he was playing the race card. It is a new brand of racism, in which victims of racism aren't given any room to complain, because if they do, they're simply accused of being paranoid or overly politically correct. This certainly is reflected in the comments on your Web site today. Your thoughts on this?
Kevin Merida: Thanks for the insightful question. It is very tricky to address race as a presidential candidate seeking to represent the entire country. It is trickier for a black candidate, I believe. In the past two months, Obama has been in and out of this subject repeatedly because of the controversial comments of Rev. Jeremiah Wright and the huge volume of coverage about his former pastor, much of it uninformed and unnuanced. It is not surprising that there might be a sensitivity on the part of the campaign about a story that focuses on the uglier sides of the discussion about race.
Washington: Hi Kevin -- great article! I think Obama's candidacy is a kind Rorschach test for America. I've thought this all along. I think the election will demonstrate Americans' true feelings about race. The comments on your article are very telling. This country has a lot of unresolved issues with race. By the way, people forget that the man is half white.
Kevin Merida: Thank you for your comments. I ran into a federal judge in Pennsylvania, appointed by JFK, the third-longest-serving federal judge in the country, who said he wished Obama would emphasize his white roots more.
Atlanta: I am surprised by the people who are "surprised" that people would use epithets at Obama campaign workers. Perhaps it is because I have been black my whole life (35 years), so I see it as normal. My question is, why don't Clinton and McCain have to speak to racial issues? After all, McCain's family has been subject to racial behavior, but no one asked him or Sen. Clinton to comment on the Sean Bell shooting case in New York. It seems as if only the press and black people are required to referee the racist element of this campaign.
Kevin Merida: Good question, Atlanta ... others have asked the same thing, especially after Obama's speech in Philadelphia. McCain did embark on a tour of the "forgotten" in Katrina-ravaged New Orleans and other poor communities, and Clinton spoke at the State of Black America conference commentator Tavis Smiley convenes each year, but neither has given a major address on race. I think black political leaders in general -- not necessarily Obama -- feel that the burden of carrying the discourse on race often falls to them.
Dunn Loring, Va.: Why is it that you (or your moderator) allows a question regarding how this race will demonstrate America's views on race -- thereby implicitly supporting the idea that if you vote against Obama, you're racist -- but you refuse to address the fact that a McCain supporter likely would be treated worse in many areas where Obama has his strongest support?
Kevin Merida: I think that is a fair question. If you're speaking of some of the black neighborhoods where Obama drew heavy support, traditionally those are places where a Republican presidential candidate would not campaign. Maybe McCain will be different. As I said in an earlier post, the Arizona senator was in New Orleans's 9th Ward.
Fairfax County, Va.: Kevin, were you surprised there has been that level of racism and incidents -- or surprised there haven't been more? As a fortysomething white woman, it sounds about like what I would have expected, and a quantum leap forward from what things were like when I was growing up. We have a long way to go, but these stories now come across to me like the remnants and last bastions of racism, not typical of the whole country any more.
Kevin Merida: I think there has indeed been tremendous progress in the nation. It was only 40 or 50 years ago when people blacks were blocked from going to the polls at all, hosed, beaten, etc. ... The young people who have been inspired to work for Obama are undeterred by racial intolerance, not defeated.
Kevin Merida: Thanks all for coming to this discussion. It has been a pleasure. Catch you next time.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
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Join live discussions from the Washington Post. Feature topics include national, world and DC area news, politics, elections, campaigns, government policy, tech regulation, travel, entertainment, cars, and real estate.
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For Obama, the General Election Is Calling
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Looking past what is expected to be an easy win for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in the West Virginia primary, Obama (Ill.) will embrace a two-track strategy that assumes she will continue to campaign aggressively in the remaining five primaries but allows him to increasingly shift his focus to the presumptive GOP nominee, Sen. John McCain (Ariz.).
Determined to silence any remaining questions about whether he will be the Democratic nominee, Obama will also make a push in Michigan and Florida, two swing states where Democrats did not campaign this year because of a dispute over the primary calendar. Next week, Obama will spend three days campaigning, raising money and meeting party activists in Florida.
His campaign is eager to begin engaging McCain more directly, hoping to etch his profile with the broader electorate before the Republican candidate does it for him.
But in Michigan and Florida, Obama also hopes to begin the process of cleaning up the mess that followed the state parties' decision to schedule early primaries in violation of national party rules. He signaled support Monday for a compromise solution to seating Michigan's delegates that Clinton (N.Y.) firmly opposes. Obama aides hope that a resolution to the delegate impasse in those two states will neutralize another of her dwindling arguments for staying in the race.
The sense of campaigns heading in different directions was stark on Monday, as both candidates appeared in West Virginia. Obama spent barely four hours in Charleston before heading to Kentucky; Clinton campaigned full steam and planned a victory rally here Tuesday night. Although senior aides conceded that her path to the nomination becomes more uncertain every day, she stuck to her message that she is more electable than Obama.
"It's a fact that Democrats don't get elected unless West Virginia votes for you," Clinton said in rural Clear Fork.
Even with what is expected to be a big win here, Clinton will remain far behind in the number of pledged delegates awarded in primaries and caucuses. Obama continued on Monday to extend his lead among superdelegates, but Clinton was in no mood to heed the suggestions of some party leaders and soften her approach.
"My campaign is about solutions, not speeches," Clinton said, criticizing Obama for opposing a summer suspension -- which she and McCain back -- of the federal gasoline tax. "I happen to believe that when you're a leader, you should lead on behalf of the people you represent."
Obama's campaign assumes that he will lose in West Virginia on Tuesday and split a pair of May 20 contests, losing in Kentucky and winning in Oregon. The three primaries, strategists say, will give him a firm majority of pledged delegates, excluding Michigan and Florida, and the right to declare victory. A top Obama aide said the senator will probably hold a rally in one of the pivotal general-election states that evening.
Obama and his team, increasingly viewing Clinton as an afterthought, are anxious to engage McCain with less than six months until Election Day.
"He's shooting free throws," Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said of McCain.
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CHARLESTON, W.Va., May 12 -- Sen. Barack Obama will make it clear on Tuesday that he has turned his attention to the general election, traveling to the November battleground states of Missouri and Michigan.
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Post Politics Hour - washingtonpost.com
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Don't want to miss out on the latest in politics? Start each day with The Post Politics Hour. Join in each weekday morning at 11 a.m. as a member of The Washington Post's team of White House and Congressional reporters answers questions about the latest in buzz in Washington and The Post's coverage of political news.
Washington Post chief political reporter Dan Balz was online Tuesday, May 13 at 11 a.m. ET to discuss the latest news in politics.
Get the latest campaign news live on washingtonpost.com's The Trail, or subscribe to the daily Post Politics Podcast.
Archive: Post Politics Hour discussion transcripts
Dan Balz: Good morning to everyone and happy primary day. West Virginia is voting. Polls close at 7:30 p.m. tonight and Sen. Clinton is poised for a big victory. Lots of questions about the road ahead, so we'll get to work.
St. Paul, Minn.: Hello Dan -- thanks for taking my question and for chatting with us. Your poll out today shows discontent with the direction of the country and our current leadership at an all-time high -- and yet Sen. McCain -- the candidate who, rightly or wrongly, most represents the status quo -- seems to have a good shot at winning the presidency. For those of us outside the Beltway, can you explain this? Will this change once the Democratic race is settled definitively and McCain gets half the scrutiny, instead of a third?
Dan Balz: That's a good question. Sen. McCain has been running competitively with both Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton for some time -- either slightly ahead or slightly behind depending on the poll and when it was taken. The main reason is that, while he carries the tarnished Republican brand and has been a strong supporter of President Bush's current policy in Iraq, he also has had enough disagreements with the administration and enough scrapes with members of his own party that he has developed an identity as a somewhat atypical Republican.
His maverick identity was forged during his 2000 campaign against Bush. Since then, in his bid to become the leader of a party rather than the leader of a movement -- as his aides have put it -- he has done more to embrace Republican orthodoxy. His strong support for Bush during the 2004 election campaign was one step in that direction. His recent embrace of big tax cuts was another. And certainly his support for the troop surge policy was a major one.
Once the Democratic race is over, we could see some change in the polls. Sen. Obama already has made clear that, if he is the nominee, he'll make this campaign as much as possible about his contention that McCain represents a third term for Bush policies. McCain, however, continues to do things to put distance between himself and the president. The latest was his speech on climate change yesterday.
It has been said repeatedly that McCain may be the only Republican who could win the White House, given the public's disaffection with the president and the GOP. Both he and the Democratic nominee will get renewed scrutiny once the general election really begins.
Roseland, N.J.: From your article on the latest Washington Post-ABC poll data: "In a hypothetical general-election head-to-head, Obama leads McCain by a slim 51-to-44-percent margin..." Respectfully, can you think of another political race in which a seven-point lead was characterized as "slim"? George Bush Sr. beat Dukakis by about seven points ... Bill Clinton beat Bob Dole by about seven points ... I don't recall anyone characterizing those as "slim-margin" victories.
washingtonpost.com: U.S. Outlook Is Worst Since '92, Poll Finds (Post, May 13)
Dan Balz: We characterized it that way because this is a poll, with a margin of error, and not real votes. A seven-point win would not be considered particularly close, but at this point in an election, a seven-point margin in a poll is not at all a comfortable or secure lead. We have seen seven-point leads disappear in a matter of days, depending on events, and we have seen these general election match ups move quite a bit already. So we prefer not to turn an early poll in a race that hasn't quite begun into a definitive statement about where the race stands -- or may be heading.
Cambridge, Mass.: Hi Dan -- thanks for taking questions. What does a "big win" in West Virginia actually do for Clinton?
Dan Balz: Sen. Clinton anticipates a very, very big win tonight in West Virginia. We ran some numbers this morning on one of our delegate allocation spreadsheets. A 70-30 victory would give her a net of 12 delegates. A 65-35 win would give her a net of 8 delegates. A 60-40 win, which seems too close given the polls and demographics of the state, means she would pick up a net of 6 delegates.
She hopes a couple things might happen: One, that her popular-vote margin makes it possible for her to overtake Sen. Obama in that measurement by the end of the primaries -- including the results of the Florida and Michigan primaries, which of course sets off an argument with Obama supporters. Second, she hopes that this will give superdelegates another reason to think twice about the choice of nominees. They are moving steadily toward Obama at this point, and she needs something dramatic to change their thinking. West Virginia was once a solid Democratic state, but it has been trending Republican in recent elections. She wants to make the argument that in a general election she could once again make it competitive, but Obama could not.
All that said, she and her team know that the value of a victory, even a big victory, is less important now than it would have been a month or two ago.
Arlington, Va.: Does Nationwide polling really mean very much? It's state-by-state that is going to matter come November. How does that breakdown? Until we get rid of the electoral system, I don't see that Obama vs. McCain nationwide numbers amount to much of substance.
Dan Balz: National numbers have obvious limitations when we're dealing with the electoral college, but they are a pretty good proxy for the popular vote, and -- with the obvious exception of the 2000 race -- the winner of the popular vote generally wins the electoral vote as well. These national numbers offer clues as to which groups in the electorate are most critical, how the two candidates are faring with core supporters and swing voters, and any regional patterns that might be important. Certainly state-by-state numbers are valuable, and we pay attention to them as well, but we've found through the years that national numbers provide very useful information as we chart the direction of the race. What national numbers cannot do at this point, is predict the outcome of a presidential race -- but neither can state polls this far before the election.
Denver: Great article from Kevin Merida today on an underreported story. Reminds me of the time on "Meet the Press" when Gwen Ifill said we were happy to talk about race, but uncomfortable talking about racism, and everyone else on the panel shifted awkwardly in their chair. I've seen a lot of reports that voters aren't voting for Obama because of class rather than race, but what's the difference? It's prejudice no matter how you slice it. Are too many reporters letting voters off the hook by calling it "class" instead of race/racism? If Obama were the white son of a single mom who pulled himself up by his bootstraps, a lot of those same voters would be proud of him, not voting against him.
Dan Balz: For those who haven't read Kevin Merida's, please do -- it's a very revealing piece. The question you raise is one we constantly are looking at. To what extent is racism a factor in Obama's inability to win more votes of white, working-class voters, and to what extent is it simply that those voters cannot relate to him for reasons that have less to do with race than with class? We have run a variety of pieces on this in the past two months, from analysis of polling data to conversations with voters.
There's no question that the press can and should do more to explore the issue of race in this election. I don't think, however, this is a matter of letting voters off the hook, as you suggest. What truly motivates voters is sometimes hard to discern, but worth continued efforts on our part.
New Map: Is part of the problem Obama has in casting himself as electable that he's working on a fundamentally different map than Democrats have the last two presidential elections? Clinton clearly is adopting the Gore/Kerry map where you carry New England, the Rust Belt, and the West Coast plus either Ohio or Florida. Obama, though, seems like he could play in Virginia, North Carolina, and maybe even South Carolina -- given the significant black population and wealthy liberals -- and out West could take Colorado and Nevada (although he lost the caucus, he showed strength outside of Vegas).
Dan Balz: We'll see if that's the case. Certainly Sen. Obama's team is looking at a new map -- although Democrats would be targeting Virginia, Colorado and Nevada no matter the nominee. Obama might have a better chance to win those states than Sen. Clinton, but the flip side is whether she would have a better chance in Ohio and Florida. The Mountain West appears to be in transition from solidly red to partially purple. Perhaps Obama can put some Southern states in play, but if he make South Carolina competitive, he's likely to win a pretty handsome landslide in November.
Asheville, N.C.: Both Obama and Clinton have been remarkably reluctant to state how they will leave Iraq -- if they do -- or to take any discussion of it beyond whether talking to an enemy can be wise or foolish. This despite an election where opposition to the war was central to their party's return to prominence, and repeated polls that show how strongly the American people have turned against the war. To what do you attribute that?
Dan Balz: I think both have been pretty explicit about their intention to start withdrawing troops early in their first term. Obama has suggested removing about brigade a month and Clinton has said she would do it expeditiously, but didn't provide specifics. Neither will commit to an end date for getting out all the troops.
Panama City, Fla.: Sen. Clinton keeps repeating the factoid that no Democratic presidential candidate has won the White House without having won the West Virginia primary (or at least not since 1916), but has West Virginia typically been competitive, or has its primary typically occurred late -- as it does this year -- after the nomination already was decided?
Dan Balz: I think she has suggested that winning the White House generally has required Democrats to win West Virginia in the fall, and that winning the primary is the first step toward that. The West Virginia primary generally comes late and often isn't that important. The most significant West Virginia primary was in 1960, when John F. Kennedy defeated Hubert Humphrey, essentially destroying Humphrey's chances of winning the nomination.
Houston: Dan, I really think the Democratic Party is going to have a wake-up call when November comes and they see that the Hillary Democrats went for McCain. The white-haired Chris Dodds and Ted Kennedys have done great harm to the sexism issue in this election, and I really think it is going to backfire on them big time. Don't you agree that the polls are not truly reflective of this at this particular time in the primary election?
Dan Balz: I would agree that polls are not predictive of what will happen in November, but I don't know whether your prediction will turn out to be correct. At this point there are Clinton supporters who say they won't support Obama in the fall, but we are in the heat of battle right now, and passions are high. That's particularly the case with supporters of Sen. Clinton because her route to the nomination is so difficult. What you don't raise in your message is the extent to which Obama may be able to attract voters who have backed Republicans in the past. Will he be able to do that in November, if he is the Democratic nominee?
Dan Balz: We are out of time today. Thanks to everyone who sent in questions, including those I did not have time to answer. We appreciate your interest.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
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Washington Post chief political reporter Dan Balz discusses the latest buzz in Washington and The Post's coverage of political news.
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U.S. Outlook Is Worst Since '92, Poll Finds
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Americans are gloomier about the direction of the country than they have been at any point in 15 years, and Democrats hold their biggest advantage since early 1993 as the party better able to deal with the nation's main problems, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
Despite more than eight in 10 now saying the country is headed in the wrong direction, coupled with growing disaffection with the Republican Party, Sen. John McCain, the GOP's presumptive presidential nominee, remains competitive in a hypothetical general-election matchup with Sen. Barack Obama, the favorite for the Democratic nomination, and he runs almost even with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Those findings indicate that McCain continues to elude some of the anger aimed at his party and at President Bush, whose approval ratings dipped to an all-time low in Post-ABC polling. Maintaining a separate identity will be a key to McCain's chances of winning the White House in November. Overall, Democrats hold a 21-percentage-point advantage over Republicans as the party better equipped to handle the nation's problems.
As the Democratic race nears the end of its primary season, with the next round of voting happening today in West Virginia, this new national poll shows Obama with a 12-point advantage over Clinton as the preferred choice for the nomination.
More than six in 10 Democrats now say Obama is the one with the better shot at winning in November. Although Clinton retains her wide advantage as the more experienced candidate, for the first time Obama has the edge on being considered the stronger leader.
But there is no groundswell of public pressure for Clinton to quit the race, despite trailing in pledged delegates, the popular vote and now superdelegates. Nearly two-thirds of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents said she should stay in the race.
One reason is that few Democrats seem concerned that the protracted nomination battle will hurt the party's chances in November. Only 27 percent said they thought it had done the party long-term damage. Most said the drawn-out contest has had no impact on the party's prospects (56 percent) or that it has been helpful (15 percent).
And most Democrats said they are confident that the party would rally around Obama should he become the nominee, although fewer than half said they are very confident. African Americans are somewhat more confident than whites, and nearly a quarter of Clinton supporters expressed doubt that the party would find unity once the nomination is settled.
In a hypothetical general-election head-to-head, Obama leads McCain by a slim 51-to-44-percent margin, with the public split 49 percent for Clinton to 46 percent for McCain. Against McCain, Obama does better than Clinton among voters who are African American, college-educated and younger. Clinton draws more support than Obama does against McCain among white voters who are older or female and those whose family incomes are less than $50,000 a year.
Age could be a significant obstacle for McCain. Only three in 10 said they were "entirely comfortable" with the prospect of a 72-year-old new president, about half as many as those who said they would be similarly comfortable with an African American or female president.
McCain romps against Obama among the 16 percent who think the country is headed in the right direction, but among the near-record 82 percent who hold a pessimistic view, Obama runs more than 20 points ahead of McCain. Similarly, about seven in 10 of those who disapprove of Bush said they would back Obama over McCain, while McCain picks up most of those who are still behind the president. The trouble for McCain is that Bush's approval has slipped to 31 percent, and has been lower than 50 percent for 38 consecutive months.
The economy remains the biggest issue on Americans' minds, although its importance dipped for the first time since last fall. In the new survey, 36 percent cited the economy and jobs as their top voting issue; 21 percent named the Iraq war. All other issues remained in single digits, including health care and the price of oil and gasoline.
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Americans are gloomier about the direction of the country than they have been at any point in 15 years, and Democrats hold their biggest advantage since early 1993 as the party better able to deal with the nation's main problems, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
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Bombs Kill at Least 60 in India
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JAIPUR, May 14 -- Seven bombs exploded Tuesday night in a crowded and ancient section of the northwestern Indian city of Jaipur, killing at least 60 people and seriously injuring scores of others, officials said.
No group immediately asserted responsibility for the attacks, which occurred in a span of 12 minutes, and the motive remained unclear.
Such attacks have become more common in Indian cities in recent years and are frequently attributed to disgruntled Muslim youths, aided by groups in Pakistan and possibly Bangladesh. The attacks are intended to deepen divisions between Hindus and Muslims, counterterrorism analysts say, and often occur in mixed neighborhoods near temples or mosques.
Officials differentiate between these sorts of attacks and those attributed to Islamist extremists from the disputed Kashmir Valley or Pakistan, such as the 2006 railway bombings in Mumbai, the financial and cultural capital, that killed more than 200 people.
Tuesday's bombings occurred just over a week before India's foreign minister, Pranab Mukherjee, is to visit the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, to review the peace process. It will be his first visit since a new government took over in Pakistan.
There has been recent fighting in the disputed and divided Kashmir region. India alleged this week that Islamist fighters had been trying to sneak over the border.
Television images from Jaipur showed police holding back crowds of angry onlookers from the blast areas, where blood darkened the pavement amid mangled rickshaws and motorcycles.
"I saw a small baby with his features charred. There was so much blood. It was total pandemonium," said Ram Rattan, 37, a driver for one of the jewelry shops in the old city, who was at the site of a Hanuman temple where a bomb exploded. "I rushed to the hospital to give blood because I had seen so many children suffering. Everyone was rushing into their homes."
The body of a newlywed woman dressed in a red wedding sari and marriage bangles lay on the road. The Press Trust of India reported that doctors were using mobile phones of the dead to inform their relatives. There was a shortage of ambulances, and witnesses said not all of the victims received treatment.
The local hospital appeared to be in chaos, witnesses said, with people screaming for doctors and blood for transfusions. One Hindu priest was weeping after his elderly father, wounded in the attack, had died. Television also showed bodies of the dead being dragged on the hospital floor as the injured were carried in with shrapnel wounds. A man in protective gear was seen disabling bombs as the Muslim call to prayer sounded in the background.
"India has 1 billion people, and we don't know when and where these terrorists will escape the police's watch. But it is clear that this blast was a conspiracy and a preplanned attack," Sriprakash Jaiswal, deputy home minister, said at a news conference. He said the government had increased security across the nation, with a high alert in cities including New Delhi and Mumbai.
National Security Guard officials have been dispatched to Jaipur, Jaiswal said.
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JAIPUR, May 14 -- Seven bombs exploded Tuesday night in a crowded and ancient section of the northwestern Indian city of Jaipur, killing at least 60 people and seriously injuring scores of others, officials said.
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Markets Approaching Normality, Bernanke Says
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Financial markets are starting to work better, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said yesterday, but they are still not functioning normally despite Fed intervention. Meanwhile, new data on retail sales suggest that American consumers, though stressed, are not cutting their spending in a dramatic way.
The pieces of news reflect an apparent easing of the financial crisis in recent weeks. Money is flowing again through markets for debt that had seized up in March. And data on the economy, including yesterday's, suggest that the economic downturn is, so far, at least, not the severe recession many had feared.
Bernanke, in a speech delivered by satellite to a conference of the Atlanta Fed in Sea Island, Ga., noted that safe mortgage-backed securities are now trading at more normal prices and that companies that borrow money are able to get more favorable interest rates. Those are indicators that some healing is occurring in the complex network of debt markets that grease the gears of a modern economy.
But Bernanke, taking a more dour tone than Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. and some Wall Street executives about the prognosis for an end to the financial crisis, said that "conditions in financial markets remain far from normal."
"Ultimately, market participants themselves must address the fundamental sources of financial strains," Bernanke said, "through de-leveraging, raising new capital and improving risk management, and this process is likely to take some time."
Markets for packages of loans "remain moribund," he said. And he noted that the rates at which banks lend to each other are still "abnormally high," a reflection of banks' desire to hoard cash.
"He's saying that it ain't over," said Doug Roberts, chief investment strategist at Channel Capital Research. "He's trying to make very, very clear that this is a continuing issue that will take a while to resolve."
Bernanke was not trying to signal any new direction in policy, however. The Fed, at its last policymaking meeting, on April 30, gave signs that it was not inclined to cut interest rates further anytime soon. Economic data in recent weeks, and the improved conditions in financial markets, have supported that view. Options markets now price in an 81 percent chance that the Fed will not make any change to the federal funds rate at its June 24-25 meeting.
Part of the reason that financial markets have been healing and that the Fed is likely to refrain from further interest rate cuts is that the economy is not performing as badly as had been suggested by economists' most dire forecasts over the winter. That was underscored yesterday in a report on April retail sales.
The Commerce Department said April sales declined 0.2 percent from March. But when the volatile motor-vehicle segment is excluded, retail sales rose 0.5 percent. Sales were solid in most categories of spending, excluding automobiles, gasoline and furniture.
"The April retail sales figures overall were not too bad in view of widespread reports of extremely grumpy consumer sentiment," Brian Bethune, an economist with consulting firm Global Insight, said in a report. "Overall, consumer spending continues to chug forward, albeit at very slow rates."
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Financial markets are starting to work better, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said yesterday, but they are still not functioning normally despite Fed intervention. Meanwhile, new data on retail sales suggest that American consumers, though stressed, are not cutting their spending in a...
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Foul Weather Adds to Burma Misery
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BANGKOK, May 13 -- As yet more drenching rain battered survivors of Burma's deadly cyclone, foreign relief supplies continued to arrive Tuesday at a pace aid workers said was still far too slow to help most of the suffering.
Two U.S. cargo planes Tuesday delivered supplies including drinking water, blankets and mosquito netting, a day after the first U.S. aid flight to Burma, which included a high-level military and diplomatic delegation.
As of Tuesday evening, no further American flights had received approval from Burma's military government, despite intense international pressure to move quickly to approve visas for aid workers and accept new shipments. U.S. officials said there were indications further flights could take off in coming days.
The government of Burma, also known as Myanmar, raised its tally of the cyclone dead to 34,273, along with 27,838 who are missing. But the death toll estimates of diplomats and aid groups range far higher, to 100,000 or more.
Because aid supplies have yet to reach much of the heavily populated Irrawaddy Delta, where the cyclone struck first and hardest, health experts warn that more than a million Burmese are at risk of disease and starvation.
Forecasts suggest that foul weather could continue for much of this week, complicating relief efforts that have been hamstrung by the country's damaged roads and lack of logistical equipment, in addition to the government's intransigence.
New voices Tuesday joined the chorus of world leaders imploring Burma's ruling junta to accept more international help.
European Union development ministers called on "the authorities in Myanmar to offer free and unfettered access to international humanitarian experts, including the expeditious delivery of visa and travel permits" and "to facilitate the flow of aid to people in desperate need, who should benefit in full from the relief offered by the international community."
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, whose country dispatched a cargo plane Tuesday laden with 31 tons of relief supplies, told a session of Parliament that "the response of the regime in Burma to this crisis has been absolutely callous and those paying the price of this callousness have been the long-suffering Burmese people."
The United States has offered to reassign for disaster relief some of the 11,000 troops currently training in Thailand, and has dispatched three warships full of supplies to international waters off Burma's southwestern coast. American officials have alternately condemned the Burmese government's response to the crisis and urged critics to be patient.
Meanwhile, others have suggested that with 11 days having passed since the cyclone struck, the time for patience is running out. France's junior minister for human rights, Rama Yade, told reporters in Brussels that if the Burmese government continues to bar aid, France, Britain and Germany will soon press the United Nations to authorize shipments without permission, under a rarely invoked principle of international relations called "responsibility to protect."
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BANGKOK, May 13 -- As yet more drenching rain battered survivors of Burma's deadly cyclone, foreign relief supplies continued to arrive Tuesday at a pace aid workers said was still far too slow to help most of the suffering.
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Some Juicy Details Trickle In, but We're Still Waiting On the Menu
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A White House spokesman on Saturday assured reporters in Crawford that heavy winds and hail caused no damage to the Bush ranch. In fact, Mrs. Bush told a luncheon of Senate spouses that "all the catering ovens were turned over and the sides were ripped off the tent." But it all got fixed "and you couldn't even tell the next night."
Also: Just as the new Mr. and Mrs. Henry Hager exchanged vows, "the sun dropped and the moon came up." And while the old folks went to bed, the kids stayed up dancing until 3 a.m. (What the first lady didn't say is that she herself was heard urging bandleader Tyrone "Super T" Smith to "Pump it up, Super T!" We had to hear that from Super T himself, who shared a split screen with us on the CBS "Early Show.")
Warning: If you're burned out on Jenna news, move on to the next item. The rest of you, come sit by us.
Guests? No, the Cheneys weren't there; neither was Condi Rice, we've learned. The only D.C. power players we know of: Karl Rove and Karen Hughes. Other notables: Jenna's fashion-model cousin Lauren Bush and boyfriend David Lauren, according to the Houston Chronicle; Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan and wife Peggy, according to the Rocky Mountain News (their daughter Krystal roomed with Jenna at UT).
Menu? The White House still hasn't released one. However, there are reports of steak and potatoes, and we have learned that the towering appetizer you saw in photos was tomato, guacamole and crab meat. Was there a groom's cake? Oh, yes: a rich chocolate-on-chocolate.
The Chronicle reports that midway through the reception, Jenna changed out of her Oscar de la Renta gown and into a short Lela Rose frock suitable for dancing. They also report that guests were prohibited from carrying cellphones or cameras -- so we may never see it.
THIS JUST IN . . .
· Swedish police said yesterday they arrested American rapper Spliff Star on suspicion of -- you guessed it -- drug possession early Sunday. And don't just take the Swedish police's word for it that there is an American rapper named Spliff Star! He's a member of Busta Rhymes's crew, with whom he performed in Stockholm. A drug squad also raided Rhymes's hotel room but came up empty-handed. If convicted, Star faces up to six months in jail, the Associated Press reports.
HEY, ISN'T THAT . . . ?
· Ian McKellen in a front-row balcony seat at the Shakespeare Theatre's Harman Hall Sunday for "Antony and Cleopatra." The noted Shakespearean/"Lord of the Rings" star was there with fellow Brit thespians Jonathan Hyde and Frances Barber to support pal Suzanne Bertish, who stars. Then they all walked across the street with director Michael Kahn to Clyde's. Yes, Sir Ian at Clyde's !
· Rex Linn dining Sunday with three friends at Mie N U in Georgetown (martini, pupu platter, hanger steak). Who? One of those faces you know like a relative's if you watch "CSI: Miami" (he's Detective Tripp), but otherwise . . . . Turns out he was a presenter at the National Association of Police Organizations' "Top Cops" awards here last night, along with all your favorite cop-show supporting players (Morris from "24," that blond prosecutor from "Law & Order: SVU," Nick from "Cold Case," etc., etc.)
"I believe in this experience. . . . I believe in the show. How can they go around America, find 25 amazing guys and me not fall in love in that situation?"
DeAnna Pappas, star of the upcoming season of ABC's "The Bachelorette," talking to People about the roses-and-hot-tubs romance reality series. Has she never seen this show before? No, wait, she was actually on the last season of "The Bachelor" -- as one of the two finalists who were both dumped by the guy at the end. Oh, DeAnna.
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Laura Bush speaks! The first lady broke her official silence yesterday on the topic of Jenna's wedding, divulging that the storms that whipped through central Texas Friday night almost disrupted the nuptial preparations.
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Book World: 'Wiser in Battle'
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Sanchez served as commander in Iraq from June 2003 to June 2004. At the time of his retirement in 2006, he was the highest-ranking Hispanic in the U.S. Army. In Wiser in Battle, he speaks candidly about Saddam Hussein's capture, the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal, and the tensions between the White House, the Pentagon, and commanders on the ground over war policy and strategy.
Join Book World Live each Tuesday at 3 p.m. ET for a discussion based on a story or review in each Sunday's Book World section.
Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez: Good Afternoon! I am LTG (Ret) Ric S Sanchez- Look forward to your questions. Wiser in Battle was written in an attempt to document what transpired in Iraq during the Occupation period from the perspective of the Ground commander.
Austin, Texas: Gen. Sanchez, Why are we still fighting in Iraq? What do we gain by another 4,000 dead and 40,000 wounded? Is stability in Iraq really worth the U.S. spending billions of dollars over there while our roads, and schools are deteriorating and China and India are surging past us?
Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez: The US has a moral and legal responsibility to ensure that Iraq is capable of providing its own internal/external security before we can withdraw completely. According to international law we incurred that burden when we occupied the country. Furthermore the country must be a functioning member of the region and the international community.
Seattle, WA: Why didn't you say anything when it might have made a difference? It seems to me that it is very easy to cast blame after the fact, but it requires a lot more guts to stand up and object at the time, especially if it means risking future advancement. Can you see why the American people might see books like yours as evidence of moral cowardice?
Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez: You are absolutely correct about the perception that exists that the general officers did not say anything while in uniform. America must understand that under the concept of civilian control we are bound by our oath to obey the Pres and furthermore we are prohibited by the Uniform Code of Military Justice from speaking out against the civilian leadership -- that is exactly the way it ought to be! That is one of the foundations of our democracy! Every general officer provides his best judgments within the existing decision making process and everyone of us involved engaged actively in that process. Because the public does not hear the screams it doesn't mean we were not engaged.
Atlanta, Ga.: It seems to me that in deciding to invade Iraq, Bush grossly underestimated the difficulties the military would encounter after toppling Saddam Hussein. Yet most of the pitfalls were not that surprising and could have been foreseen to a certain extent. Did he simply ignore the advice of military advisers, or were the military advisers just too intimidated to speak frankly, or what was the problem?
Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez: We lost sight of history or just plain ignored the tremendously successful post major combat actions of WWII. We were victims of our success over the course of the last 15 years or so! We had launched contingency operations into Panama, Kosovo, Bosnia, Haiti, Grenada, etc... and had been quite successful with minimal investment in time, lives and money. The key point is that America underestimated the commitment that would be required of our entire government not just the military -- in order to rebuild Iraq it required much more than military power. The entire capacity of our nation - economic, political and diplomatic had to be synchronized and applied in coordination with our military in order to achieve victory. We have failed over the last five years - we were not able to achieve unity of effort.
New York: In his review of your book in today's Washington Post, Max Boot suggests that are being disingenuous when you deny having any knowledge beforehand of Bremer's decision in May 2004 to request an additional two divisions of troops in Iraq, citing your admission elsewhere in the book that Bremer had discussed with you the issue of additional troops. However, Bremer has publicly acknowledged that although he generally discussed with you the subject of additional troops, he did not apprise you of his decision to send a memo to Rumsfeld requesting additional troops. He also criticizes you for not issuing an appeal to Rumsfeld and the White House yourself.
I have two questions: first, was it apparent to you by May 2004 that any request for additional troops was futile and would be met with hostility from the Pentagon and White House, and second, what did you think of Boot's review of your book?
Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez: The review by Max is not at all surprising and I accept it. What one must recognize is that the totality of decisions and actions during the course of a war is what produces success or failure. It is extremely difficult if not impossible to state unequivocally that a single person was responsible for this failure -- the totality of the decisions we make politically and militarily must be documented, assessed and learned from. That was my intent with the book -- and my failures are documented more than just in passing. I have never shied away from the errors made by CJTF7/VCorps or Ric Sanchez.
The two division question - I state that the Ambassador and I had a discussion about what I would do with 2 additional divisions during the toughest fighting in April 2004. At this point in time it is clear to the military chain of command that we have sufficient forces - We had about the same or maybe a greater number of forces on the ground because of the rotation that is ongoing than what the Surge achieved last year. Also we know very clearly that the nation has NO forces available to deploy at that point in time - they are either inbound or redeploying!
Jackson, Mississippi: Hello. News reports have indicated that more counselors will be sent to the combat zones in Iraq to help soldiers sooner rather than later when they return to the U.S. Do you think more can be done to help soldiers heal their emotional scars?
Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez: Absolutely -- every initiative will be welcome given the nature of this war. When we leave for the war zone we say goodbye to the person that we will never be again -- every soldier will return as a changed person. We have made great strides in understanding these invisible injuries but we have a long way to go in taking care of them. The VA is struggling and so is our Active medical system in providing quality timely care for these injuries.
Fairfax, Va.: Hi General; Greg Soter here, I worked for you while you were the J3/5 at SOUTHCOM. My question is: If our mission was to take over and change an entire country, why did Gen Franks pursue a strategy that was basically a "capture the flag" operation that was overly focused on rushing to and seizing Baghdad, after which it appeared that no one knew what to do next. Shouldn't we have used a more methodical strategy designed to take over the entire country and change it?
Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez: Greg - God Bless you and thanks for all of your sacrifices. The planning is hampered by a belief that the DOD can/should have responsibility for the entire war effort -- The rest of the Interagency, all of our departments (DOS, CIA, etc) are excluded from actively assisting and integrating their capacity. Inside of the DOD the planning is fractured when LTG Garner is given responsibility for the post major combat operations phase and CentCom is left with the mission to destroy Saddam's Army -- They never come together and in fact there is an overt effort to separate the two--A formula for failure. Once again we ignored the history of warfare and the responsibilities that we would incur under the laws of war.
Philadelphia, Pa.: What are your thoughts on the prison abuse scandal? How would you recommend that we can build the confidence of a large segment of the population throughout the Middle East that now views us negatively over how these prison photographs?
Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez: The prison abuse scandal was a grotesque, shameful event that became a strategic defeat for America. There is no question in my mind that the root causes are the elimination of the Geneva Conventions and the subsequent lack of implementation instructions from the Service Headquarters that may have mitigated the loss of the foundation of our interrogation training, policies and procedures. We leave the soldiers and commanders in the field to fend for themselves with a totally unconstrained interrogation approach environment that has no safeguards and oversight mechanisms. Rebuilding Americas image will have to begin with an acceptance that we unleashed abuse and torture with the publication of those policies. It will be very difficult to communicate the realities of what happens to us in Bagram and Abu Ghraib - the combination of MPs punishing detainees who were never interrogated and the abuse of detainees that occur in those pictures will forever hound us as a country.
Denver, Colo.: Sir- Thank you for your service; I served on your staff in Iraq, and was always struck by your willingness to meet troops, take pictures with them, and take a few moments after activities for this.
I do have a question about why Mr Rumsfeld would say what he did about the staffing and lack of knowledge- as one who BUILT staff models for you/Casey, how could he NOT know? What was the reasoning behind this, and yours for releasing it?
Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez: Wolf - The reason for the statements by the SECDEF are unknown to me but I can surmise that it was part of an effort to build firewalls around the decisions made by our political leadership. My reason for release these discussions was simple - future military leaders must understand that the toughest challenges for them will not lie on the battlefield but in the politics of war. I struggled with this decision but in the end it was about loyalty to America and about learning the lessons of this war.
Pentagon - Recently returned from deployment: Not being disrespectful and having only read reviews of your book, are you surprised that no one (though we can stretch and say Secretary Rumsfeld) has been fired? Not necessarily for incompetence, but for failure to complete the assigned mission. And, maybe yes for incompetence. I haven't heard of anyone, except some junior troops accused of pulling triggers in Iraq and prisoner abuse in Afghanistan. No leadership personnel seem to have been affected by "not completing the mission," and if anything, many have been promoted or reassigned to more senior positions.
Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez: I believe that the answer to your question lies in the way that America fights modern wars. In spite of the perception that is commonly advocated - the Military Commander on the ground has never been responsible for all aspects of this war! He has been responsible for only the application of military power as we seek to stabilize and advance security. But as any military leader knows that has experience in post major combat operations there is no military solution to this problem -- the answer lies in a synchronized "grand strategy" that leverages all of our elements of power.
Richmond, Va.: Will you be endorsing a presidential candidate?
Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez: At this point in time I have not had any discussions with any presidential candidate about possible endorsements.
SE Washington, D.C.: General, Thank you for your service to our country. Why was your criticism of the handling of the war more vocal when you became a civilian than when you were on active duty and actually had legitimate input? I believe you once stated something to the effect that it was not your position to question senior defense department decisions while on active duty... if so, please elaborate... Thanks and God Speed...
Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez: Basically - if America wishes to have its Generals opposing the decisions and judgments of our political leadership then we are moving down a very slippery slope. Civilian control of the military is a basic strength of our democracy and I do not believe that we should erode what has made our country great. This is not a new issue for military leaders -- throughout history military leaders have been faced with these challenges and unless illegal or immoral we are bound to obey.
NYC: Sir, I was listening to Fresh Air and heard your interview with Terry Gross. I realize as a professional and soldier you are trained to make decisions based on information and knowledge that will first help the men under your command and execute the strategy/mission you have been given. How does one work under the conditions you had to endure knowing that what you were handed was jello to nail to a tree? And how do those that follow you continue to function within that environment?
washingtonpost.com: NPR interview with Lt. Gen. Sanchez (Fresh Air, May 7)
Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez: I believe that history will show that it was the ingenuity of the American Soldiers and our Coalition partners that keep Iraq together during the first year. The leaders at all levels must do what is right on the ground and not be concerned with personal consequences -- many of our soldiers and leaders did just that on the ground and turned a very difficult strategic/operational environment into tactical successes. Sometimes doing what is right means taking risks.
Given the transcript of General Franks' confirmation as CENTCOM commander below, do you feel he carried out the promise he made to the Senate Armed Service Committee?
SEN. WARNER: -- and then take your question period and conduct the hearing. Gen. Franks, Eisenhower once was asked, I think on the tenth anniversary of D-Day: General, where will the next war happen and what is likely to occur? He said: I have no idea, but it will probably come from a direction that none of us anticipate. Well, I do not presume to have a fraction of the wisdom that he did, but it seems to me your AOR is probably the area in which we face the greatest number of challenges, and you can be called upon to render quick decisions and quick advice to the President, the SECDEF, and the Chairman, and I hope that you are prepared to make those assessments and give them your best professional advice, and if that advice is that now is not the time for the U.S. to intervene that you will give them that advice.
GEN. FRANKS: I will give that advice, Mr. Chairman.
Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez: It is my belief that our senior military leadership, at different points in time during this war, provided judgments that were in line with what the Administration was advocating. In the end there is no way that I can unequivocally state that he fulfilled his responsibilities as required. But one must look at the context of the decisions to thoroughly understand the dynamics at the time - All the decision makers believed that the war was over and they all believed that we would be treated as liberators - this completely tainted our judgment.
Camden: The President repeatedly said he would listen to and follow the guidance of the commanders on the ground. Did he honor this, from your perspective?
He fired many who apparently had a different military point of view (including a CentCom commander). How does this fit the White House story?
Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez: The acceptance of the advise of military commanders was often disregarded or ignored. I describe multiple incidents where our reports and recommendations are ignored leading to a significant loss of opportunities on the ground - the building of Army and police capacity, the Battle of Fallujah, the Muqtada AlSadr mission etc... One must also understand the political considerations that lead to the decisions that are made to fully understand what is happening to us in America and in Iraq. But bottom line is that often military judgments are listened to when it is politically expedient.
Potomac, Md.: Why haven't the contractors involved in the torture of prisoners at Abu Ghraib been held responsible? Is the Army now at the same point as the State Department -- they cannot function without the private contractors?
Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez: There are a series of issues with accountability from the abuses that occur in Iraq - Three interrogation authorities were operating - The conventional forces which I command and have authority over, the Special Operating forces and the CIA -- We have fairly good insights into the actions, responsibilities and accountability of the conventional forces based on all of the investigations. Not on the others and the contractor issue is complicated by the lack of any jurisdiction when they are serving in a foreign country. To this date we have not fixed this problem.
Potomac, Md.: My frat had a semester-long discussion about what happened, and we came up with this. President Bush and Secretary Rumsfeld had a brilliant plan for Iraq, to "shock and awe" the Iraqis into submission. However, the Achilles Heel was the troops. As the Secretary said, "You don't go to war with the Army you want, you go to war with the Army you have". When you keep hearing about soldiers playing Nintendo and watching the Super Bowl, you have soldiers who can't do the job. What do we have to do to make the troops work harder at, you know, winning the war?
Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez: America would be amazed at the enormous sacrifices of our military and the tremendous work that they are actually doing. All one has to do is look at the multiple windows of opportunity that the military has provided for the political, economic and diplomatic elements to advance within Iraq and the region. Over and over again we have failed to take advantage -- the military can not win this war --Victory lies in our ability to impose a synchronized grand strategy.
Madison, Wis.: Gen. Sanchez: For the benefit of those who have not yet read your book, could you characterize your relationship with Amb. Bremer while you were in command in Iraq? What level of contact have you had with him since?
Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez: My relationship with Amb Bremer has been grossly mischaracterized -- We talked every single day and I had/have tremendous respect for the Amb!! He was given an impossible mission by the Nation and America failed to give him the resources he needed to succeed. He had great vision for the country but at the same time his leadership style depended upon absolute control at his level which became problematic. The basis for the perceptions that exist have our tremendously contentious discussions and debates that occur during the Abu Ghraib aftermath, during Fallujah, during the Muqtada Al-Sadr operations and in the structuring of the follow-on agreements for the military after transfer of sovereignty - Professional discussions and disagreements that are inevitable during wartime.
Army you have: Sec'y Rumsfeld has consistently refused to acknowledge that he MADE the Army he had, by his "streamlining" efforts. And this administration chose to go to war with the army they had. To call those troops an Achilles heel is shameful.
Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez: America has to be proud of our military -- our soldiers and in fact all of our servicemembers, are definitely not the Achilles heel. They are the reason that we have managed to keep Iraq together and they have given us some hope for progress.
Basking Ridge, N.J.: Re Abu Ghraib, an honorable general officer might have resigned at the time of public release so as to avoid the embarrassment rising to the President and the nation. Why didn't you? Why didn't others in the chain of command up to the President do so?
Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez: The resignation of a general officer or anyone in the civilian or military chain of command for the purpose of avoiding embarrassment to the Pres or the nation might have served to HIDE the fact that America was on the wrong path with our interrogation techniques! We will never know the full extent of accountability until the Nation is willing to have an Independent Commission look at this problem.
If you could draw a "pie of blame" for our situation in Iraq and divide the pie into pieces, how would you divide the pie? Who would get the biggest piece(s)?
If you could turn back the clock on our Iraq situation to Jan. 1, 2003, and do one single thing differently, what would it be?
In retrospect, do you feel that Gen. Janice Karpinski was treated fairly in the Abu Ghraib scandal?
Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez: General Karpinski was treated no differently than any other general officer or senior leader even remotely linked to Abu Ghraib. As I understand it, her demotion was not as a result of any issues directly related to Abu Ghraib.
The one lesson that we must learn as a nation is that when we choose to go to war the entire power of our country must be mobilized -- our military alone can not win this type of war.
Arlington, Va.: General Sanchez, I have not yet read your book. We went into Iraq with a conventional "heavy" force. After easily dispatching Saddam's traditional forces the insurgency started. In 20-20 hindsight how should our invasion AND follow-on forces have been better structured to not only win the war but also to win the peace? Thanks.
Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez: The conventional forces were transitioned into motorized forces over a period of time after the occupation began in order to adjust to the evolving battlefield requirements. What was needed on the ground was political expertise, economic initiatives, strategic communications etc... In other words everything that is needed to stand up a country that has had all of its bureaucracy, its technocrats, its political system, its security forces (police and military), its teachers, its public servants eliminated from their jobs. Besides the nation did not have sufficient low density high demand special skill forces to sustain the demands that we were generating.
Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez: Thank you for the opportunity to answer your questions today. I am now signing off. God Bless RSS
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What's Cooking With Kim O'Donnel
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A graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education (formerly known as Peter Kump's New York Cooking School), Kim spends much of her time in front of the stove or with her nose in a cookbook.
For daily dispatches from Kim's kitchen, check out her blog, A Mighty Appetite. You may catch up on previous transcripts with the What's Cooking archive page.
Kim O'Donnel: Hey folks, am I glad to see the sun today! Here in the mid-Atlantic, we sure did have our share of water falling from the sky -- although it pales in comparison to what's happened in China and Burma...and now Oklahoma and Arkansas. The list just keeps getting longer, no?
For the local readers who've been interested in the Harris Teeter store opening in Capitol Hill, here's the 411: Tonight is the grand opening, starting at 5:30. Just got confirmation from HT's press office. The store is located at 1350 Potomac Ave SE, at the corner of Pennsylvania Ave SE. For Capitol Hill residents, this is a big deal.
How was Mother's Day, by the way? And what are you cooking this week? Do tell.
I have a whole lot of leftover smoked jalapeno peppers in the fridge. Any suggestions other then black beans and mixing them with sour cream to top tacos with? Boy, are they hot!
Kim O'Donnel: Are you referring to chipotle chilis in adobo sauce? If so, I agree, they're hot mamas. I love using them as part of a marinade for pork or chicken...and into a pot of chili, as you allude to. They could be fun in a dip -- I'm thinking roasted red pepper puree and white beans or chickpeas....or eggplant! other ideas?
Terp Mama: Apologies if this hits twice -- first time I got an error.
I'd like to roast broccoli with garlic tonight (can you remind me of temp/timing?). Challenge: my 10-month-old will try and/or eat just about anything, provided it's small enough, soft enough pieces -- 6.5 teeth can chew some stuff, but... if I roast it "regularly," how soft will it be? Should I maybe steam/boil some first, for her, then roast? I'm getting to the point where I don't really want to make separate meals for her, as she is adventurous so far.
Kim O'Donnel: Hey Mamacita, here's a link to my roasted broccoli pick-up sticks. Oven at 400 degrees. You can roast a wee bit longer to make softer -- won't take much more than 15 minutes. I think it's great you're game to try this with your tot. Nice going.
Tangy Beans!: Kim, you are my bean cooking heroine and I wanted to share an old family method with you (made the beans last night). Red beans cooked with plenty of onion, with salt and pepper, dried coriander, dried dill, a dash of paprika. Then shortly before beans are tender and perfect (so, with about 15 mins left to go) stir in some white vinegar (start with a tablespoon, I love anything tangy so I am up to 1/8 cup), a dash of sugar and a tablespoon of minced garlic. Let cook until the beans are down on very low heat, then let sit for a while. Good cold, warm or hot.
I love this over rice with a blander protein side -- anything from a simply sauted chicken breast to a couple of hard boiled eggs. Also, a splash of red wine, pomegranate juice or pomegranate molases is wonderful.
Kim O'Donnel: Thanks darlin'. Sounds pretty darn tasty. I've not made a pot of beans in a few weeks, and I've got a hankering. I bet your beans would be good with apple cider vin as well...
My mixer came with a small recipe book including some orange ginger bars. Can you recommend a good pair for ginger other than orange? I'm not a big of orange in baking. Thanks!
Kim O'Donnel: Cherries! Cranberries! Pears!
I wrote in a couple of weeks ago about a French-themed anniversary dinner I was planning. I took your suggestion for the lemon tart which was a huge hit with my husband. Thanks!
Kim O'Donnel: Fantastique! And major kudos to you for being creative and keeping the luv alive, Vienna.
Boston, Mass.: Green beans! Really cheap this week at the grocery store but I'm at a loss for what to do with them besides eat them raw (yum!) or steam them lightly and put them in oil/vinegar/garlic. Any other thoughts?
Kim O'Donnel: oh, here's a goodie: Szechuan-style green beans from Paulette Mitchell's "Vegetarian Appetizers." I've made these a zillion times, and they're always a winner. Great at room temp, for a cocktail snack, or with supper.
Chipotles: Two ways to keep those chipotles. They can stay covered in the fridge in their liquid for about six months. Or you can freeze them on a cookie sheet and transfer them to a freezer container. No need to defrost before using.
Kim O'Donnel: Nice. Didn't think about the freezing, good call.
Breezewood, Pa.: Hi Kim, I'm a former faithful reader who has lapsed because of too much work, but now I'm back with a question. I want to make pie shells out of meringue. I want them tender and just thick enough to support the ingredients. And not too sweet. I thought before I experimented I'd ask the expert: in your opinion, how many egg whites, how much sugar, baking temp and time? Thanks, as always.
Kim O'Donnel: Hmm. I've made a meringue shell and filled with berries -- is that what you're thinking? I've got a recipe from Peggy Knickerbocker, will have to dig it up. Let me know.
S. Rockville, Md.: Kale, kale everywhere! And plenty from my CSA. How should I cook it, and with what? Is there a traditional way I should enjoy it? Every time I look at it in the fridge, I harken back to that Cheers episode where Woody hawks a health drink, "You can really taste the kale."
Kim O'Donnel: My producer Rocci just remarked how much he loves Portuguese-style kale soup -- caldo verde -- with potatoes and sausage. I've done vegetarian versions as well. A broth zipping with garlic and chiles is how I like it. As many readers know, I'm a big fan of roasting kale and serving it with white beans. What else should S. Rockville do with kale?
Washington, D.C.: Kim, what can be done to save Thai curry sauce, when too much red curry paste has been added? I added extra can of coconut milk, but I had to throw the whole thing out as it was just too hot. Such a waste of can and veggies.
Kim O'Donnel: I would have probably done the same thing, adding coconut milk. Some might argue adding a quartered potato would help, but I don't think so. How much paste did you add, by chance? I recently made shrimp and added 5 tablespoons of homemade red curry paste -- and it was medium heat. Holler if you can.
CSA radish rescue: Kim, my CSA is lovely! Last week, I received four pounds of strawberries, beautiful lettuce, a nice little cauliflower, and spring onions. I am clearly in heaven. However, my radishes are stressing me out. What can I do with radishes besides eat them on salads? I'm not a fan of crunching on them whole, find them a bit much in salad. Please give me a few suggestions -- they are just hanging out in the fridge, waiting to be loved!
Kim O'Donnel: I like radishes sliced thin, with coarse salt, a smidge of butter and sliced baguette. A little watercress to the sandwich is nice, too. They're also pretty great, also sliced thin, with goat cheese. Radish-y ideas?
Arlington, Va.: What's the best way to photograph food? I have a food blog and have added pictures and would like to add more. I have a digital camera and would like to know how to spruce up these photos. Thanks!
Kim O'Donnel: I'm still very much a student of photography, but recently upgraded my gear to an Olympus Evolt 510. It's a SLR (single lens reflex), a lot more complicated than my Leica point and shoot, but the results, bit by bit, are sharper. The one bit of advice I can offer to you, hands down -- no flash. Natural light, please, even if you think it doesn't make sense. There are some great food blogs out there with terrific photography; Heidi Swanson's 101cookbooks, La Tartine Gourmande, Smitten Kitten, Delicious Days, for starters.
Arlington, Va.: Hi, Kim! Wanted to share my take on your roasted broccoli. The recipe is also great with carrots and cauliflower. (I buy a 12oz bag of the three at Giant and it's the perfect amount for the two of us.) Roasting a few cut up potatoes for 20 to 30 minutes before adding the veggies makes for a great one-dish side.
To the poster with the small child, I roast my veggies until the edges JUST start to darken. Fairly soft and very flavorful. I make this at least twice a week now. Always a hit.
Kim O'Donnel: Wonderful! Thanks for chiming in, Arlington.
Re: CSA kale: I love kale with white beans. A nice pot of great northern, or to be truly Italian about it, cannellini beans, cooked with some garlic and onion. Saute the kale with some hot pepper flakes and olive oil, and serve them together with a healthy drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, salt, pepper, and a little chopped fresh rosemary. I made this last night with CSA chard and I can't wait for lunch for my leftovers.
Kim O'Donnel: You got it! That's how I like it, too.
Green beans: A killer warm salad is blanched green beans, shallots and avacado (shallots are key to this flavour, but be creative for othhers). Serve with a lemon vinagrette -- very delish, light and summery.
Kim O'Donnel: Interesting -- tell me more about the avocado, how it works in the salad.
Mighty Appetite link: Kim, why is there no link to your blog on the Food and Dining page? It's so hard to get to. Also, do you have any new videos up? If you need suggestions, I would love to see how a souffle is done (preferably something veggie for dinner).
Kim O'Donnel: Actually, there's a link at the very top of the Dining page, thanks to some whiz-bang designer folks and producer types. I haven't done a video in a few years, alas. However, I do have one for cheese souffle if you're interested:
Upstate, N.Y.: Radishes: I haven't tried this yet, because my CSA doesn't start up until the first week of June, but I've read that roasting radishes brings out the sweetness in them. I hope it does, because it's going to be tough to get my kids to eat them any other way!
Kim O'Donnel: Interesting. I'd like to give this a try.
Kale, D.C.: Kale is wonderful just microwaved for 3 minutes, then tossed with olive oil, some salt and (optionally) some lemon juice or vinegar. Or you can make a salad with raw or lightly cooked kale with garlic, romano, breadcrumbs and so on -- great recipe in the New York Times in October.
Kim O'Donnel: More kale-licious ideas. Thanks much.
Brooklyn, N.Y.: I was completely inspired to make my own hummus again after your post last week. I picked up some tahini, but am curious as to the best way to store it. Whenever I've bought it int he past, it goes rancid, even in the fridge.
Also, during my tahini shopping trip, I got some sumac -- do you have any favorite uses for this beautiful red spice?
Kim O'Donnel: It goes rancid in the fridge? I've never had this problem. Hmm. Anyone else? Sumac is wonderful with spinach and pine nuts - a little dab will do you...I use it whenever making spinach pies.
Re: curry paste: The recipe on the can of curry paste said one can curry paste plus one can coconut milk, with a few spoons of fish sauce.
I thought I would be smart and start with only half a can. I should have started with 2 spoons (or maybe even 1).
Kim O'Donnel: Yep, go easy...and cook the paste in oil to mellow out the flavors,too. Are you adding fish sauce and some sugar to your mix?
Great Green Beans: I'm a huge fan of crunchy veggies, so I never imagined slow cooked green beans could be soooo good....but my favorite recipe for green beans is from Cooking Light: saute some chopped up bacon; remove it from the pan and saute onions in the drippings; then add green beans, bacon, chicken broth and water (1 cup each)and salt and pepper. Simmer for about 35 minutes (!) then finish with a drizzle of cider vinegar just before serving. Yum!
Kim O'Donnel: I hear you, but slow-cooked beans are divine, I agree. Makes me wanna make some.
Courthouse, Va.: Hi Kim -- I will be traveling down south to attend a funeral for a family member of my boyfriend's. I will be staying with the family and would like to cook a couple of meals for them. Can you recommend a couple of good and fairly easy recipes while I am down there and trying to help as much as I can? Thanks so much
Kim O'Donnel: Hey Courthouse, find out from your boyfriend what they like to eat, for starters. Once you get down there, you'll be able to suss things out -- how the family is coping, if they're eating, if they'd like stuff that freezes well, if they're hankering for something sweet...plus chances are neighbors have been sending food over to the house and you may want to find out to avoid duplication. I would say, go with an open mind -- and you've already got an open heart -- so all will fall into place. Your kindness is a gift in itself.
Raleigh, N.C.: I made a big dish of lasagna this past weekend and have a lot of left over meat sauce. Besides the usual bolognese, any other suggestions on what to do with it?
Kim O'Donnel: You could mix it with beans and make some chili. You could fill up some tortillas and a have an ad hoc taco or burrito...
With barbecuing season nearly upon us (c'mon warm weather!) and your expertise with all things beans, do you have suggestions for kicking up baked beans as sides to typical grilled foods? We're not wild about the sweetened kinds -- maple brown sugar, etc. -- so we typically buy the "classic recipe" and then tinker. I am interested in your thoughts.
Likewise, ways to tinker with sauerkraut.
Kim O'Donnel: I tend to shy away from the sweet version of baked beans myself. A little bit of the chipotle chiles mentioned earlier would be lovely in some baked beans. I also like to pair my baked beans up with something piquant -- like minced sweet onions, or chopped scallions...and something herby, like parsley. Who's got a fave baked bean idea to share?
Video library: Are the videos in the video library not working, or is it my computer? I go back to your pizza video time and time again to watch your kneading method. I seem to forget every time. I have to repeat to myself, up together , fold together, up together, fold together.
Kim O'Donnel: They are working, but thanks for asking. Maybe it's time to clear your cache?
Green Beans:2 of my favorite veggie ways. Sauteed with a little stock, garlic, salt/pepper, served over rice with chick peas.
In the summer when everything is fresh, a nice salad with red potatoes, green beans, cherry tomatoes, chick peas (can't get enough!), lemon vinaigrette.
Kim O'Donnel: Man, I hear you! I love sauteed green beans with mint, lemon and parsley...and some lemon zest. Yes!
More on kale:: Kim, several weeks ago you featured an amazing chickpea and spinach pie. I have made that many times, combining the kale with spinach. Love it.
Kim O'Donnel: Hey there! I think you're right, the kale would be a great sub in that pie...just make sure you remove the stems that run through the middle...
Our farmer's market opened on Saturday and -- as was expected -- was loaded with asparagus. Would you please refresh my memory about roasting it so I can eat it for dinner tonight? The stalks are thick and about 8-10 inches in length, if that will affect timing.
Thank you! Get out there and enjoy that beautiful weather today!
So easy -- 400 degrees -- brush the 'gras with olive oil (or sesame oil)...we just did this over the weekend. You can add a splash of soy sauce or squeeze of lemon or orange...and salt. Cook until desired tenderness.
Fran: Lots of radishes sliced thin make a great addition to red potato salad dressed with olive oil instead of mayo.
Kim O'Donnel: Oh nice! Thanks Fran, always with the plan.
Breezewood again: Yes, Kim, to go into the meringue shell I'm thinking of berry or other juicy uncooked fillings, mostly fruit, but also a sweet pudding or sauce like chocolate or lemon. Hey! Upside down lemon-meringue pie!
Kim O'Donnel: Okay, let me dig that one up today. Maybe in tomorrow's blog space? I don't a pic,I'm afraid, but I have tested the recipe. Stay tuned.
More on green beans: Green beans actually work fine in stir-fries. Just cut into about 1" pieces and toss in with other items. If you add them in late, then they add a nice crunch (instead of water chestnuts)...
My Chinese mother taught me to make braised Szechuan-style string beans, which even my wife (who hates legumes) will eat...
Cut smaller, mix with diced carrots and potatoes and random cooked meat and gravy and put into a pie shell for pot pie. Since I always keep frozen duck fat in the freezer, duck gravy is easy to make and can use leftover chicken, frozen or fresh veggies to make this easy meal.
Green beans to great in soup. If you are lazy, you can add them to canned soup and it makes them seem fresher. Otherwise, chopped veggies sauteed and added to canned broth is an intermediate amount of work.
Green bean casserole (with cream-of-mushroom soup) is always popular...
That's what I can come up with off the top of my head, but there's probably plenty more...
Kim O'Donnel: And you, my dear, are inspiring me to write an ode to the green bean in a blog post near you!!
Using up those radishes (well, kind of): I made an awesome radish top soup last night -- spring onions, radish tops, garlic, salt, pepper and water. Pureed the whole thing -- so easy, and I love feeling like I got the most bang for my buck out of the bunch of radishes.
Kim O'Donnel: Wow! What a grand idea. You go!
Spinach Pie question: Eyeing the recipe right now -- can I just sub whole wheat floor for regular floor or should I look for another dough recipe?
Kim O'Donnel: Try white wheat flour-- it's lighter than whole wheat but more wholesome than regular AP.
East Coast USA: RE: COURTHOUSE. If you are traveling to the "SOUTH" for a funeral... please note, in the South, that Neighbors, relatives and church members bring Food in that will last for days and days. YOUR help around the kitchen, cleanup, and assisting in any house chores would be greatly appreciated in the Family Member's Home. Having bags of ice, is always a necessity. Your presence with your boyfriend..... will be greatly appreciated. Southern hospitality is the Best. Sorry for your loose.
Kim O'Donnel: good advice. Thanks much.
Roasting asparagus: Balsamic vinegar too!
Kim O'Donnel: Excellent idea...egads, I learned this weekend from my mother that her new favorite way of eating 'gras is with French dressing!!
Radishes: Grated radishes can be added to chopped cabbage and carrots for slaw. I use the bottled vidalia onion dressing and get a great slaw that is not dairy based and can sit outside for a while and not have to be thrown out (unlike mayonaise-based dressings). It's much lighter too and very popular.
Kim O'Donnel: Oh grated, good idea. Just be careful with your knuckles...
I thought you used to put out new video recipes each season. Maybe what I had seen for Fall, was from a previous year?
Kim O'Donnel: For a bunch of years in a row, I did. But money dried up. Would love to do more, it's been a while.
Baltimore, Md.: Greetings. How much trouble can I get in if I take up canning strawberries? Thanks.
Kim O'Donnel: Hmm...you mean, by the state of your kitchen after an afternoon of canning? Canning is so much fun, I have vowed to do it again -- and I've recently promised teaching a writer friend who's always wanted to know.
Kim O'Donnel: Time to run already. Thanks for stopping by! I just looked at the calendar and I can't believe it, Memorial Day weekend is just days away. Stay tuned in blog space: A Mighty Appetite for tips from a barbecue master in Richmond, Va. Hang onto your hats! All best.
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The War Over the War
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More coverage of The War Over the War | War Over the War discussion transcripts
Ricks has covered the U.S. military for The Washington Post since 2000. Until the end of 1999 he had the same beat at the Wall Street Journal, where he was a reporter for 17 years. His book, " Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq" was published in July 2006.
Thomas E. Ricks: Hello to the few and the proud. The number of questions dwindles with every chart we do -- but the war isn't going away, so thanks for paying attention.
Let's turn to your questions.
Washington: Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez will be answering a questions here at 3 p.m. If you could get him to answer a few questions, what would you ask?
washingtonpost.com: Upcoming Discussion: Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez (washingtonpost.com, 3 p.m. today)
Thomas E. Ricks: I haven't yet read his book, but the question I heard from soldiers in Iraq when he denounced the war awhile ago was: "If you felt like this, why didn't you say so when you were in command?"
Fort Bragg, N.C.: I'm not sure if you or Karen DeYoung are the correct person to ask, however I found the following, written by Washington Post staff writer Kari Lydersen (May 11) interesting, regarding selling of copper bullet casings from a munitions factory. They apparently stole 1.5 million rounds of ammunition and "one of the men now faces a sentence as severe as 245 years in prison for military-related theft during wartime."
I may be naive, and I know that some people still talk of the Long War (the "Global" War on Terrorism, as we know, has been reduced to a War on Terrorism), and I know that a military theft is significant, but it would appear that almost anything now can be paint-brushed with "wartime" even though not a heckuva lot of people are involved with the war.
washingtonpost.com: Thefts Rise With Copper Prices (Post, May 11)
Thomas E. Ricks: Well, even if not a lot of people are involved, the country is involved in two hot wars -- but you're right, the nation isn't mobilized for war. On the other hand, that may be the only way this country can fight at war that is likely to go for many more years.
Amherst, Va.: Shouldn't any such discussion begin by referring to the conflict in Iraq as something other than "a war"? Wars are declared and fought between nation. This is rather a seizure and overthrow of a foreign power. Since the subsequent occupation, the British officially have barred the use of the "war" to refer to the ongoing conflict in Iraq.
Thomas E. Ricks: That's an extremely narrow definition of "war." Many wars -- perhaps most -- aren't declared, and the notion that they only are fought between states is a recent one. They have been fought between cities, tribes, regions and countries. For example, the Mongols didn't declare war, and hardly could be considered a nation at the time they showed up on the Russian steppes...
Arlington, Va.: I just recently finished "Fiasco" and found it fascinating, and my breath was taken by the thorough lack of planning and acceptance of reality by so many of the planners. From what you see now in Iraq, to what degree have things been corrected? (I know that's a very general question.) Do you have any optimism for some sort of positive outcome there for the U.S. and the Iraqi governments, or does it all seem as big a tangled, tragic mess as it has been since soon after the invasion? Thank you.
Thomas E. Ricks: Thanks. Yes, I think the U.S. military's performance has improved in Iraq. Also, the "surge" has led to tactical improvements. But I remain pretty pessimistic about the long term. Thomas Powers has an article in the new issue of the New York Review of Books that says what the surge has done isn't change Iraq, but rather put a longer fuse on the same powder keg. I think he is probably right, unfortunately.
Pentagon -- recently returned from deployment: As one who has not yet read Lt. Gen. Sanchez's book, are you surprised that no one has been fired (though we can stretch and say Secretary Rumsfeld)? Not necessarily for incompetence, but for failure to complete the assigned mission (and maybe for incompetence). I haven't heard of anyone except some junior troops accused of pulling triggers in Iraq and prisoner abuse in Afghanistan. No leadership personnel seem to have been affected by "not completing the mission," and if anything, many have been promoted or reassigned to more senior positions.
Thomas E. Ricks: Thanks for your service, and welcome home!
Yes, I am surprised that there has not been more accountability at higher ranks. There was a great tradition of holding commanders accountable -- some 17 division commanders were relieved during World War II, I am told -- that we seem to have lost...
Sorry for the pause -- Bob Woodward just dropped by to chat. That's part of the fun of working at The Post.
Angers, France: Mr. Ricks, I realize that you may prefer not to respond to this sensitive question, but is it true, as has been reported, that you have made a decision to leave The Washington Post? If so, where are you going and what will you be doing? I will follow any future work that you do, wherever that may be. As I've told you before, I trust your reporting more that most any other reporters on military matters. Thank you for the work you do.
Thomas E. Ricks: Hey, thanks. Yes, I can answer this.
I have indeed decided to take a "buyout" from The Post, but there is less to that than meets the eye. I had told my bosses a while back that I planned to focus more on writing books and less on daily journalism, and I will indeed do that as planned -- I expect my next book on Iraq to be out early next year. That said, I plan and hope to retain some kind of "of counsel" relationship with the newspaper, which has been very good to me.
Orlando, Fla.: Was the administration naive or stupid not to think Iran would be involved in Iraq if the U.S. removed Saddam? Why are they shocked now?
Thomas E. Ricks: I don't think they are shocked, but they do believe they have evidence that Iran has provided weaponry that has been used to kill American troops. That is serious.
Richmond, Va.: Thanks for taking our questions. Who are the Iranians really backing? They seem to be backing anyone who isn't Sunni as far as I can tell (including both the Maliki and the Sadrists). Are they having as much trouble getting a handle on things in Iraq as the U.S. is?
Thomas E. Ricks: I've got a ton of questions today on what Sadr is up to, what his relationship is with the Iranians and who Iran really is backing. To begin with: I don't know -- and I am not sure any American really does.
With that caveat, here are some guesses:
Washington: Tom, is it possible the latest Hezbollah flair-up in Lebanon could be a diversion set up by the Iranians to divert attention from a new or growing operation in Iraq (that is, shipping Iranian-made weapons and trained fighters into Iraq)?
washingtonpost.com: In Lebanon, a Call for U.S. Action (Post, May 13)
Thomas E. Ricks: I don't think so. Rather, I think what is going on in Lebanon increases the U.S. government's perception of Iran as a threat across the region.
Charleston, W.Va.: I have read "Fiasco," as well as Woodward's last book on Iraq. I'm curious to know, does the military still want to be involved in Iraq? Do you get the sense whether there is any animosity directed toward the White House or the Pentagon for going into Iraq?
Thomas E. Ricks: I don't think the U.S. military ever particularly wanted to be involved in Iraq. And yes, there is tension -- the Army fears that continued deployment of a large number of troops could lead to strains that break it, while the Bush administration wants to be able to say (I think) that it left Iraq in as good as shape as possible when it turned the situation over to the next administration.
Pacific Palisades, Calif.: A fairly large number of Americans are concerned that a rapid withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq (say within 16 months) could lead to dangerous chaos and maybe regional war. What is your opinion?
Thomas E. Ricks: Yes, I think it is a real concern. Those who call for a swift drawdown should be able to explain why they think that a humanitarian disaster or a regional war won't happen (or why we shouldn't care if it happens).
The strongest argument I have heard for just getting out was from an officer in Iraq who argued that a big Iraqi civil war is inevitable, and that we just were postponing it. On the other hand, an advisor to the American effort in Iraq said to me: "Just because you invade a country stupidly doesn't mean you should leave it stupidly."
Fishersville, Va.: Thank you for your service. Were you in the position to see soldiers who had been adopted by someone or a group of people receive monthly packages in the mail? If so, what affect do you think "care packages" have on the soldiers morale? Thank you.
Thomas E. Ricks: I think personal packages really help -- books, magazines, letters -- but soldiers who just get candy seem to pass it along to Iraqis. Not a bad thing, but probably not what the sender intended.
Here is a Web site for a unit now in Iraq (but leaving this summer I think) that offers some thoughts about care packages.
Washington: If you got to ask the candidates one question during the debates, what would it be?
Thomas E. Ricks: "How long do you think U.S. troops will be fighting and dying in Iraq, and why?"
New York: You "remain pretty pessimistic about the long-term" in Iraq, but what about the Iraqi Army's recent stepped-up success in Basra? Any hope in reading those tea leaves?
Thomas E. Ricks: Not that much. I think the basic question of who leads the Shiites remains unresolved.
I also may be getting old, but how many times have we seen cities "taken"? Basra first fell to the coalition back in 2003.
Dallas: Mr. Ricks -- aw, rats. My jaw and heart just dropped a bit (my I.Q. is no doubt soon to follow) when I read you will be moving on from The Post. I have enjoyed your books and articles thoroughly, but mostly I've enjoyed these chats. You are at once very critical but very passionate about our military, and as someone with two brothers overseas (multiple times) during these conflicts ... I always sort of imagined you watching out for them in a small but significant way. Please do continue the important work you do in some regard, and head to your next venue with my heartfelt thanks and respect. (Too much?)
Thomas E. Ricks: Thanks very much! I like these chats too. Maybe I will continue to do them when I am "of counsel."
At any rate, I don't plan on walking away from all this. I talked for three hours last night with a guy I know from the 1st Cavalry Division. All these issues remain fascinating to me. It is just that I want to write about them more in book form than in daily journalism.
Fairfax, Va.: Have you read Doug Feith's book? What do you think? I was there in Office of the Secretary Defense, and it seems like Doug was in a parallel universe.
washingtonpost.com: Ex-Defense Official Assails Colleagues Over Run-Up to War (Post, March 9)
Thomas E. Ricks: I read a pre-publication version of it. I was surprised at how much it was about meetings in Washington, and how little it really had to do with the conduct of the war. I also am surprised by his assertion that his book is authoritative because it uses some official documents and memos. I actually think I used more than he did -- I had tens of thousands of pages of investigations, affidavits, memoranda, after-action reviews and such.
But it's a free country. People who are interested should read his book and make up their own minds -- or watch his appearance last night on "The Daily Show" (which is posted at one of my favorite Web sites, Small Wars Journal).
Baltimore: The female medic who won a Silver Star: Tom, I was staggered by the story of the 18-year-old medic who performed with consummate bravery saving wounded soldiers in Afghanistan while under fire (and while munitions from an exploding U.S. vehicle rained down). She gets the Silver Star pinned on her -- by Vice President Cheney, no less -- and the Army reacts by pulling her out, saying "uh, women shouldn't be doing combat medic duty." She went on the mission because she was the only medic available, and evidently this was not an isolated occurrence. You would think that a military that made up the tale of Private Jessica Lynch out of whole cloth would welcome a truly heroic woman soldier. Guess not.
washingtonpost.com: Woman Gains Silver Star -- And Removal From Combat (Post, May 1)
Thomas E. Ricks: The fact of the matter is that women are in all sorts of combat. I no longer am surprised when I see female pilots, and "support" ground units get hit all the time, because there is no safe "rear" area in Iraq. In fact, for years, probably the roughest place to be in Iraq was in a convoy from Baghdad up to Taji, just north of the city. (That's where that ABC anchorman got hit.)
Myrtle Beach, S.C.: What are you hearing in the halls from the people wearing birds and single stars on their collars about strategy in Iraq and Afghanistan vs. what we hear from the administration?
Thomas E. Ricks: I am not hearing a lot, but lately I have been spending more time in Iraq than in the Pentagon.
Generally I think there is relief in the military that we finally seem to have a strategy that works, at least tactically. (It beats having no strategy at all, which is where we were at the beginning. Hey, that might be another question for Lt. Gen. Sanchez: What was your strategy in Iraq?)
San Clemente, Calif.: I was amazed to read Gen. Petraeus was very much in favor of building a skateboard park to open this summer just outside of the Green Zone. I have many friends who have served in Iraq -- some of whom are "skaters" -- and not one ever has mentioned anything about Iraqi skateboarders. With very little clean drinking water and just a little more electricity in Baghdad, all these grandiose plans our military unveiled for the Green Zone and vicinity this week seem surreal and very CPA-like to me.
Thomas E. Ricks: Well, with all the cement walls we've put up across Baghdad, devoting a little cement to a skateboard park can't really hurt, I guess.
I was just thinking about an officer who said to me that a thousand years from now, some archeologist would be digging in what is now Baghdad, and come across a 10-foot layer of cement ... and he would say "this is the 2003-2013 era."
Wokingham, U.K.: Should the whole arc of conflict from Gaza to Karachi be regarded as one big thing, with the forces of civilization and barbarism (whichever is which) fighting it out?
Thomas E. Ricks: I don't think so, for three reasons. First, it isn't all aflame. Second, there are huge differences between the people there -- I used to live in Afghanistan, and the people there strike me as very different from those in Iran, let alone Iraq or Jordan or Saudi Arabia. Finally -- and perhaps most importantly -- we should remember Andrew Krepinevich's law of the conservation of enemies: Don't make any more than you need to have at any given time.
Seattle: As a former Army sergeant with many friends who have been wounded in Iraq (both wars), most of us still fail to understand why U.S. taxpayers should be paying our hard-earned taxes to prop up an Iraqi Army that spends most of its time pursuing age-old grudges against one tribal faction or another, when so much of our money goes to bribes and the Iraqi oil dollars disappear into the pockets of "government" officials over there. What makes you think -- five years on -- that any of this will change?
Thomas E. Ricks: I am not sure I do think it will make much of a difference. That's one reason I said I was pessimistic in the long term. Does that mean we should just pull out? I have doubts about that too. As I have said before, the beginning of wisdom on Iraq is to understand that there are no good answers.
On the subject of friends being wounded, I recommend the very good piece that was in yesterday's Los Angeles Times, by Michael Hastings. It was about four platoon leaders from the 10th Mountain Division. To find out what happened to them ... go read the article.
And thank you for your service. Please give my best to your friends.
New York: The Post is hosting a live chat with Gen. Ricardo Sanchez later this afternoon to discuss his recently published book, "Wiser In Battle." The book was reviewed for The Post by Max Boot, a choice I find very dubious indeed. Boot suggests in his review that Sanchez is being disingenuous when he claims to have been unaware of Bremer's decision in May 2004 to ask Rumsfeld for approximately 30,000 troops in Iraq. However, Bremer has acknowledged that he did not share with Sanchez his decision to ask for more troops. This is just one of many instances in Boot's review in which his agenda seems to take precedence over his obligation to The Post to fairly appraise Sanchez's book. Why did The Post elect to have Max Boot review Sanchez's book in light of Boot's record of harsh criticism of Sanchez?
washingtonpost.com: The General's Chain of Blame in Iraq (Post, May 13)
Thomas E. Ricks: I dunno. The Post's Book World is walled-off from the rest of the newspaper, so I heard about the review when you did. I thought it was a good review, though.
Pinole, Calif.: Thanks for all your hard work -- looking forward to your next book. Do you think the Marines are dealing with both Iraq and Afghanistan re: manpower issues, etc., better than the Army? If so, is there somebody with the Army command who could adapt the USMC plan to theirs?
Thomas E. Ricks: You're welcome!
The Marine Corps is a very different institution than the Army -- it is younger, more focused on the infantry, and is able to leave a lot of support functions (medical, educational, religious) to the Navy and even (in the case of artillery education) the Army.
That said, I think the shorter tours that the Marines were doing in Iraq were much less of a strain on families than were the 12-month tours the Army has been doing -- which then were extended to 15-months. On the other hand, one way to succeed is to keep people in place and develop relationships with the locals.
Winnipeg, Canada: There was a moving article in the The Washington Post Sunday about how precarious life is for Iraqis living in post-invasion Baghdad. It seems that every decision, from what type of car you drive to how you choose to be addressed, has potentially life-or-death consequences. I find this hard to reconcile with President Bush's repeated statement that Iraqis are enjoying their new-found freedoms. Is there really any hope for the future, given that millions of Iraqis are coming of age in a time when every act has the potential of being fatal, and every stranger on the street is a potential assassin?
washingtonpost.com: Quietly Surviving in A Not-So-New Iraq (Post, May 11)
Thomas E. Ricks: Well, eventually the war will end -- I just don't think it will anytime soon.
Vienna, Va.: Tom: I'm a great fan of yours and gained much insight from reading "Fiasco." My question is about Sadr. While I don't think he's in control of the situation, can't he make the strongest moves by deciding when and where to fight? If he agrees to a cease-fire that keeps him in power (not to mention alive), doesn't that show his strength against the government? If the government proceeds with attacking him, they then look even worse. I believe he is and will continue to be the biggest winner in Iraq so far.
Thomas E. Ricks: Thank you! I pretty much agree.
Richmond, Va.: I haven't heard much lately in the news about Turkey and the Kurds in the north. Is Turkey still on the verge of invading the north, or has that cooled down? Isn't Iran having issues with the Kurds as well? Thanks.
Thomas E. Ricks: I see news of occasional air strikes, but I think that the United States must have told the Kurds to cool it with actions inside Turkey. That is just a guess.
Chicago: Do you have any actual military experience, or are you another chicken hawk journalist?
Thomas E. Ricks: Feeling a little hostile, are we?
Washington: Hi Tom -- love your work -- especially the old ten-steps article about military life. Can't seem to find it right now, but I agree 100 percent about buying good shoes. In Sun Tzu's "Art of War" knowledge of the enemy at all levels is paramount to success. It's clear we didn't know the Iraqis as well as we should have. To what extent do we understand the Iranians and what's the U.S. doing to make sure we don't repeat that mistake if and when.
washingtonpost.com: Tom Ricks's Inbox: Ten Life Lessons the Army Has Taught Me (Post, Aug. 10, 2007)
Thomas E. Ricks: I don't think we have a good understanding of Iran now.
I've traveled a lot inside Iran, but not lately. To brush up on my knowledge, about a year ago I watched a lot of Iranian films. (You can get them by Netflix.) There are some great ones.
I agree with you on Sun Tzu -- in fact, the epigraph to "Fiasco" is a quote from him about that.
Marianna, Fla.: I am just an eighth-grader doing a school project about the war in Iraq, and I was wondering, what do you think about the war? Which side do you take on the issue of the troops? Do you think we should take them out or leave them in? Thank you.
Thomas E. Ricks: I think these are all harder questions than you might think. I think that Iraq is a much bigger problem for this country than was getting out of Vietnam.
Good luck with your project!
Peaks Island, Maine: How does the building of walls bisecting Sadr City and air attacks on targets therein comport with the Petraeus counterinsurgency doctrine? What is the purpose of the Sadr City operation? What do your sources say as to whether the Sadr City tactics are winning more hearts and minds than are being alienated?
Thomas E. Ricks: Hey Peaks Island! Hi to the gang at the general store.
Actually the Sadr City operations do seem to me to be consistent with counterinsurgency doctrine, which isn't just about holding hands and singing "Kumbaya."
Thomas E. Ricks: Thank you for another week of good questions. I appreciate your continued attention!
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
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Join Washington Post associate editor Karen DeYoung to discuss the latest developments in Southern Iraq and the debate in Washington among government, military and intelligence officials about what course to follow in Iraq.
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Station Break - washingtonpost.com
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If it's on the dial, over the air, on the cable, or just plain Out There, it's fair game for 'Station Break with Paul Farhi.' Bring your comments to the conversation on America's Fastest Growing Pop Culture Chat.
Farhi was online Tuesday, May 13, at 1 p.m. ET.
Farhi is a reporter in The Post's Style section, writing about media and popular culture. He's been watching TV and listening to the radio since "The Monkees" were in first run and Adam West was a star. Born in Brooklyn and raised in Los Angeles, Farhi had brief stints in the movie business (as an usher at the Picwood Theater), and in the auto industry (rental-car lot guy) before devoting himself full time to word processing. His car has 15 radio pre-sets and his cable system has 500 channels. He vows to use all of them for good instead of evil.
Paul Farhi: Greetings, all, and welcome again...I noticed this AP story yesterday (link coming) saying that the networks' primetime ratings have fallen yet again, this time by a humbling 9 percent since the conclusion of the writers strike. Awful, but this is, of course, an old story, and not just for network TV. All of us mainstream media types are watching our readers and viewers and listeners scattering like so many winter leaves. My question: Where does this all end? One possible answer: A friend--I'll call him "Bob" (because that's actually his name)--has a theory. He calls it the chaos theory, and it goes (more or less) like this: At some point, no one in the "mass" media is mass enough anymore. Once-large audiences/readers/listeners of all mainstream outlets have fallen to tiny little audiences. Then, chaos. Advertisers can no longer reach a mass audience. Not only is the mainstream media a historical memory, but so much of the mass market is, too. The economy grinds down since companies can't really advertise to the masses any more. The theory has many more wrinkles but that's its essence. And it's scary. Thought you hated advertising? Just you wait.
And on that happy note, let's go to the phones...
Floris, Va.: How is Chris Core's replacement doing in the ratings? Higher or lower than CC? I guess that my real question is: was it cost-efficient to replace CC with a lesser known personality?
Paul Farhi: Well, let's see: I don't have direct ratings for Core's replacement, Chris Plante, because Plante's show runs from 9-11:45 a.m. and I only have ratings from 6 am-10 am and 10 am-3 p.m. numbers). But I can tell you that WMAL is off, but only slightly, during those two time periods. So, at least for one ratings "book," it looks like Citadel Broadcasting's gamble is paying off. They got rid of a 33-year veteran and have taken only a slight hit. I'm sure they're happy.
Cleveland Park, Washington, D.C.: Paul --
Commercial currently bugging me: the one where the women asks, "You know that song, 'Time In A Bottle'?" I think it's for Zyrtec.
What, they were too cheap to purchase the rights to the song, so they just reference it? And they're counting on a bunch of Jim Croce fans to buy their product?
Paul Farhi: I think they still gotta pay Jim Croce's widow, though. And they might as well have run the whole dang song while they were paying for it...Incidentally, my favorite all-time bad song-commercial song tie in was Ex Lax's use of "City of New Orleans" (the lyric they used, I think, was "Good mornin', America, how are you...?") but I think Steve Goodman, the writer of that song, never could have imagined how it would eventually be exploited..
Alexandria, Va.: What do you think of the Mike O'Meara show on WJFK? I'm kind of enjoying it, though it's probably not quite as funny as Don and Mike.
Paul Farhi: This is the third chat in a row that the new O'Meara show has come up, so here goes my third (new) opinion on this subject: I've stopped listening to it as the successor to the "Don & Mike Show" and now consider it as its own thing. And it sounds better as a result. I mean, it's a different show, with familiar elements, sure, but different. And in and of itself, it's pleasantly entertaining. It's "gentler" than the old show, but that's fine--it's developing its own personality and not trying to be "Don & Mike II." Good on them.
Bowie, Md.: Is anyone else a little creeped out by the Inova Hospital commercials I keep hearing on WTOP, where people are told about these horrible medical calamities that will soon happen to them by the nice people at Inova who will be treating them? Maybe it's just me.
Paul Farhi: Funny, but much of hospital advertising seems to be moving in this direction. They've gotten bolder and franker and more scary. Not very long ago, it was taboo to even say the word cancer on the air. Maybe that's hypocritical and Victorian, but it was a fact. Now? Hospitals all but say, "See us for your life-threatening illness or you'll be sorry."
Richmond, Va.: Worse than the hospital ads are the OnStar ads that air actual 911 calls with all the fear and desperation ... I can't stand them!
Paul Farhi: Well, at the risk of being inconsistent, I kind of like those. Very gripping real-life dramas. Great product demo. And all the stories turn out to have pretty happy endings. I'm not sure why else you'd want OnStar (maybe the remote unlocking service), but the safety-call thing is a pretty compelling sales proposition, don't you think?
Reston, Va.: Hi Paul: So, two major logistical nightmares for Clearchannel this past weekend -- DC101's Chili Cookoff and Radiohead out at Nissan. I had the distinct pleasure of being caught in both of them. What's up with them selling off their D.C. holdings and getting out of town?
Paul Farhi: Selling off their D.C. holdings? Are you breaking news here, Reston? Far as I know, Clear Channel intends to continue being THE radio behemoth in the Washington area. Yes, they're undergoing a rather troubled LBO back at HQ in San Antonio, but so far, that's been neither here nor there here...
XM or HD?: The boom box in my kitchen finally died and I'm looking for a replacement. Should I take the plunge into HD or just head over to XM? I enjoy local radio but want to hear a greater variety, including more real jazz. Thanks!
Paul Farhi: This is an evergreen question on the ol' Station Break. Without selling anyone's service, I'd say the following: HD radio looks like a bust (so far). Very few people have the receivers, and the local audio offerings aren't particularly diverse, deep or interesting. XM vs. Sirius? Well, with the caveat that they may get approval from the FCC very soon to become XM-Sirius (or Sirius-XM, or whatever), the choice now depends on what your big favorite kind of programming is. The musical choices are fairly similar, but the special programming is where the sales are probably made. For example, you like Howard Stern? You want Sirius. You want baseball or NFL football? That choice would determine which one you go to.
Washington, D.C.: With ratings dropping fast (and thus advertisers not willing to shell out as much cash), at what point does network television no longer become profitable?
Paul Farhi: The networks' owners don't break out their operating results, so it's hard to know. But various experts believe that the networks HAVEN'T been profitable, from time to time. But that's really an accounting question. The networks' owners are conglomerates that own various assets (local TV stations, production studios, etc) that wouldn't be profitable WITHOUT the networks. So, in some respects, it almost doesn't matter if the networks make money as long as the rest of the company's TV ecosystem is healthy. And so far, that ecosystem seems to be doing quite well.
washingtonpost.com: TV viewers still down after strike ( AP, May 12)
Paul Farhi: This is the link I was talking about (thank you, maestro...)
Baltimore, Md.: Jimmy Fallon going to late night on NBC: Paul, your colleague Lisa de Moraes quotes Jimmy Fallon saying that he wanted to do TV because it takes six months to make a movie and then there is another six months before people go see it and, you know, TV is much more immediate.
But isn't it a fact that people don't go see Jimmy Fallon movies? If they did, he would be a movie star, which ranks higher on the entertainment pecking order than "host of a show that comes on at 12:30 a.m."
Paul Farhi: I like Fallon and think he's a pretty good choice for the post-Conan chair. But, yes, he was an abject failure as a movie actor. No one bought him in that role (and he's not the first TV guy to fail to make the leap to movies). But hosting a late-night talk show is a pretty good fallback position. If his show works, he'll be employed (and extremely rich) for a very long time.
Alexandria, Va.: Love the chats, Paul. It seems like the "Mike O'Meara" show came out of the gate with a damn good start, but is is waning a little bit. Do you think that the fact that it's the elements of the "Don and Mike Show" without Don could be the reason behind the loss of luster? I love hearing Buzz more often, especially the hourly "Buzzcasts", but Beth Ann and Robbay are pitiful as sidekicks/producer!
Paul Farhi: See, the BethAnn and Robbay bits are the essence of the thing, the real point of departure from the old show. The strategy, it appears, is to develop Mike's chemistry with the other regulars. If those bits don't "work" for you, the show fails. Me, I kinda like. Different, yes, but not different bad.
RE: OnStar Ads: Have you heard the OnStar parody "BlondStar," in which the blond calls in a panic because she is locked inside her car ("Ohmigod, I'm starting to sweat..")? Quite humorous, in a non PC sort of way.
Paul Farhi: Never been too much of a fan of blonde jokes (the new-ish Polish jokes, I guess, because Polish people took offense, and blondes are the last people we can get away with insulting, I guess), but I kinda like the concept. Where would one find this golden nugget?
SoundExchange:"I think they still gotta pay Jim Croce's widow, though."
As do you, since your chat just referenced his song!
But that would be insane. And thus, no royalties are paid when a work of music is mentioned, only when the music is played is a royalty owed.
Paul Farhi: I defer to you on this, SoundExchange. My understanding of copyright law is stuck in the pre-Napster Neanderthal era...
Scary Hospital Ads: Reminds me of the life insurance ads about all the horrible things that are going to happen to your family after you die, because you didn't have enough life insurance.
Paul Farhi: Yes. Exactly. Big change in insurance ads, too, some years ago (maybe the '80s?). Used to be, they'd never exactly tell you what the heck life insurance was for. Now, of course, it's all about potential tragedy and guilting you out about not "being prepared."
Say, we ought to have a name for this kind of fear mongering advertising. The floor is open...
And: even worse than the OnStar is the auto insurance where the friends are happily talking and the WAMMO! Huge car wreck sounds! Too real and scary for me. Just tell me you'll give me good service, no need to scare the pants off me.
Paul Farhi: Car advertising went this way last year, in a big way. VW ran a series of ads in which they showed actual (and quite frightening) crashes. It was a step up (or down) from the traditional controlled crash-lab test thing; these were actual people in actual (though somewhat staged so as not to kill the actors) crashes. And I have to say: They certainly got MY attention.
RE: Jimmy Fallon: So no Taxi 2? Who's bringing the giant bucket to catch the river of Queen Latifah's tears?
Paul Farhi: And what was that movie in which he played a big Red Sox fan who ignored his girlfriend, played by Drew Barrymore? I forget. Then again, so did everyone else.
Time in a Bottle: Actually, it's fitting because Jim Croce suffered from terrible pollen allergies, and he wrote this song because the allergies were keeping him from enjoying the time he could spend with his newborn son.
If I could save time in a bottle
the first thing that I'd like to do
is to save every day
just to spend them with you....
Paul Farhi: Rework "sinusitis" to "leaf mold and ragweed" and I think we can work with you here at Zyrtec Corp...
Digital TV: Paul, I see a huge problem on the horizon with the transition to digital TV -- the weakened signal. And not necessarily the over-the-air broadcasts, but the digital cable. For instance, on Saturday night I tried to watch the digital signal of channel 5 (5-1) over my Comcast cable to a digital set and I could barely get anything (because of the bad weather somehow?). But the analog signal over cable channel 25 was perfect. This isn't the first time I've seen digital signal strength become a problem in bad weather.
Paul Farhi: I think you're right. There are a number of complications coming, and this is one of the big ones. The FCC, to its credit, is testing out the DTV system in an actual place (Wilmington, N.C.) about six months before the whole country makes the transition. I'll bet if they turn up major problems, there will be a delay in the implementation date. On the other hand, it IS time American got with the digital TV program, it being the 21st Century and all...
Insurance/Hospital Ads: You all make a good point about the inappropriate fear mongering of these ads. Nevertheless, I prefer them to the old Metamucil commercials talking, in great and earnest detail, about the many facets of constipation (how it's caused, why it's bad, etc.)
Paul Farhi: Oh, we've still got those...And speaking of which, those Jamie Lee Curtis commercials for that digestive yogurt (or whatever that is) make me just a little bit nauseous.
Sarasota, Fla.: I'm disappointed that Jimmy Fallon was the best they could come up with. Fallon was very funny on Saturday NL but I think Lou Dobbs would be a better choice (kidding). I don't think Fallon will last 6 months, but I'm getting old and nobody seems very funny anymore.
Paul Farhi: Well, I'm getting old, too, and I'd hate to think I'm turning into a curmudgeon (Hey...what are those kids doing out there?...Hey, you! Yes, you!...Get off my lawn...!)...Late-night hosting isn't just about comic skills. You need some kind of likeable personality. This is why Jimmy Kimmel fails for me (not a great comedian; not likeable) whereas Craig Ferguson kind of works (fair comedian; winning personality).
Fallon: The Red Sox movie was Fever Pitch, a very poor adaptation of a very good British memoir and film about being a fan of Arsenal, a major London soccer club.
Paul Farhi: Thanks for the research. And now I wanna know the name of the original flick, which sounds like it might be good...
What's worse : is the radio ads that start with a siren sound. Every time I hear it while driving I think an ambulance is behind my car and I need to get out of the way! It ought to be against the law to use siren sounds on the radio: could cause an accident.
Paul Farhi: Yes, when we rule the world (and I can feel that it won't be long now), those will be banned.
They certainly got MY attention. : Yes, but I don't remember what company was advertised. Whereas I sure as heck know that cut little gecko works for GEICO.
Paul Farhi: They were for V.W. And maybe they didn't work, not really, because they came and went. Hard to build an entire long-running ad campaign around smashed up cars, I guess. Cavemen and gekkos--well, that's another story...
Speaking of commercials: There's an Aleve commercial (playing every 10 minutes on CNN) where some middle-aged woman is happy to be able to dance to Motown because she took her pain reliever. You have to make her stop. Now.
Paul Farhi: I will not. It would only free up more time for 1) Jamie Lee Curtis' ads (whose product, according to the Maestro, is Activia), and 2) the mysterious Head On ads.
You need some kind of likeable personality.: Oh, you mean like Dave Letterman?
Paul Farhi: Good point. Letterman is the anti-talk host. He's sour and grumpy and snarky and ironic and, frankly, kind of a fascinating guy. He's likeable for NOT demanding that you like him (the way Jay Leno, at his smarmiest, begs for it). Letterman broke the mold, but he's really the only one.
Washington, D.C.: About Nissan Pavilion: Much of the traffic and transit chat was taken up with the nightmare of getting out of Nissan this past weekend. One person wrote that it took them two hours just to reach the main road. Is this sustainable? Won't folks just eventually stop going if it is that nightmarish?
Paul Farhi: Nissan is usually nightmarish to get out of, but the rains really brought the whole joint to a stop. Sounded like a nightmare. But even in good weather, they have a problem that they've never seemed to be able to solve. Makes going there unpleasant. But I guess people will put up with anything to see something they love (c.f., FedEx Field after Redskins games)....
Fallon redux: The original film was...Fever Pitch, with Colin Firth.
Paul Farhi: Thank you, redux.
And Other Commercials: The Aleve commercial is annoying, but at least I can watch it with my 10-year-old without cringing (yes, Viagra and Levittra, I'm looking at you)...
Paul Farhi: I'm sure the cringing goes two ways. Viagra, et al, are but this generation's Summer's Eve and Tampax commercials. I used to feel extremely uncomfortable watching those with my folks around back in the day...
Here's a commercial I like: There's one for some skin treatment thing for women. I don't care about the product but Diane Lane is in it. I'm buying whatever she's selling...
Paul Farhi: Saw that one the other day. No idea what she's selling but, wouldn't you know?, I stopped and watched the whole darn thing. I guess the ad must be aimed at me.
Sarasota, Fla.: Curmudgeon -- that sounds like me. Jimmy Kimmel has talent telling jokes etc., but his gutter humor shouldn't be plastered all over the airwaves. Craig Ferguson is about as funny as income taxes, but you're right he does work hard.
Paul Farhi: I think we can break this down this way:
XM vs. Sirius: I'm mildly interested, but I'm sure they are one day going to phase out the current equipment of one or the other. (Hey, do any of you get support for old computer software or hardware?) I'm waiting until the company is merged and gets out a single, unified, perhaps ala carte device... and I'm sure I'm not the only one waiting to see what happens.
Paul Farhi: This will be one of the big question after the merger, if there's going to be a merger. They have made assurances that they won't let their current equipment become obsolete, immediately post-merger, but you'd have to imagine the goal would be to offer one unified receiver.
Bossy pants!: Sheesh, Paul, you want the BlondStar parody, you want the name of the English movie about the Arsenal fan, would you like a ham sandwich while I'm up?
Paul Farhi: Now that you mention it...(And with that spicy brown mustard, please)
Calvert County, Md.: I listen to a radio station that broadcasts out of Easton, Md., which shall remain nameless. Comes in really clear since it's only about 6 miles across the Bay from me. They have a good music format which I like (was really getting tired of golden oldies) and their morning DJ sounded somewhat professional. A couple weeks ago they did a staff change and got somebody who doesn't know how to operate the controls. Lots of dead air recently and stupid contests. They also have a 'news reporter' who is by no means a trained professional announcer. She has a horrible accent and stumbles through the news report, stammers, repeats herself. Annoying as all get out. Oh, and then they have a 'traffic announcer' who mumbles and you can't understand half of what she says.
Is there a rule that on-air announcers have to be professionals or at least union members? This is the same station that has that annoying Delilah syndicated stuff in the evenings. I turn of that station at 8:00 p.m.
Paul Farhi: I almost long for that kind of "authenticity." It sounds local and spontaneous and, yes, crummy, but in a good way. Radio's plenty slick enough now. I'd listen to something that was, at least, earnest if not "professional."
Night Owl: So when Conan moves to L.A., will the Max Weinberg 7 go with him? Most of those guys have roots in NY/NJ. And even more important, can they get Andy Richter to come back?
Paul Farhi: Good question. Unresolved at this time (Leno, btw, is still kind of bucking to keep the Tonight Show)...And the MW7 is a really good band. The horn section guys played at a Southside Johnny show I saw a year-plus ago. Spectacular!
Paul Farhi: Folks, I see by the ol' clock on the wall that it's time for me to goof off in a different way. So, reluctantly, I'm blowing outta here. But let's discuss Activia and Summer's Eve again next time. In two weeks. Be there. Meantime, regards to all...Paul.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
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If it's on the dial, over the air, on the cable, or just plain Out There, it's fair game for 'Station Break with Paul Farhi.' Bring your comments to the conversation on America's Fastest Growing Pop Culture Chat.
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Microsoft Executive To Run Gates Foundation
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Raikes replaces Patty Stonesifer, who announced in February that she is stepping down after serving as chief executive since the foundation's inception in 1997.
The Seattle foundation has more than 500 employees and an endowment of $37.3 billion. It has awarded billions of dollars in grants to U.S. education programs and global health and development initiatives. The foundation has shaped a new approach to giving by using a business investment model and is a closely watched trendsetter in the philanthropy world.
Raikes, 49, joined Microsoft in 1981 and most recently served as president of Microsoft's business software division, which is responsible for the company's Office software suite, server software and other business applications. Raikes will begin his new job Sept. 2.
Bill Gates, Microsoft founder and co-chairman of the foundation, said he has known and admired Raikes for more than 25 years. "He's a smart, independent thinker who's passionate about using innovation to help people change their lives," Gates said in a statement.
Melinda Gates, foundation co-chair, said she and her husband considered "many extraordinary candidates from around the world."
"Jeff is the right CEO to lead the strategies we have in place to help reduce inequities in the United States and around the world," she said in a statement.
At Microsoft, Raikes helped expand its business-productivity line. In January, he announced his retirement from Microsoft.
Raikes called the new job a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to focus on improving the lives of others."
"I'm convinced that through strong partnerships, ambitious goals, and a commitment to impact, we can transform people's lives," Raikes said in a statement.
Raikes, a longtime resident of the Pacific Northwest, established the Raikes Foundation to focus on children, education and community issues. In 1992, he joined other Seattle business leaders to buy the Seattle Mariners baseball club.
He earned a bachelor's degree in engineering and economic systems from Stanford University. A native Nebraskan, he is also a trustee of the University of Nebraska Foundation.
Raikes's Nebraska roots are important considering that the Gates Foundation's third-largest donor is Warren Buffett, president of Berkshire Hathaway of Omaha. In 2006, Buffett signed over nearly $31 billion of his company's stock to the Gates Foundation.
"We have chosen a leader who embodies the characteristics essential to continuing this work: an extraordinary mind and an uncompromising commitment to getting the job done," Buffett said in a statement.
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The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation yesterday tapped veteran Microsoft executive Jeff Raikes as chief executive of the world's largest charitable foundation.
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Google to Connect Friends Across the Web
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To socialize these days, hundreds of millions of people every month visit networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook.
But what if the Web itself operated as a social network?
Google announced yesterday another step in what its engineers see as that inevitable evolution. A new, free service from the Mountain View, Calif., tech giant will allow any Web site to become a social site.
Any Web page, whether it is devoted to curling or pizza or a folk singer, could allow visitors to meet and connect with "friends" who visit that site. Like any such major network today, a Web page using the service could present users with the names and pictures of friends and potential friends. Those people could then post messages to one another.
The announcement from Google comes at a time of ferment and speculation over how people will meet and fraternize on the Web.
While large social networks such as Facebook and MySpace have grown rapidly and are judged to be worth billions of dollars, they have also drawn criticism for being "walled gardens" -- places that allow members to connect easily, but only while the members are at that site.
The new Google service, known as Friend Connect, raises the possibility that the kind of kibitzing that has been largely contained on a handful of mega-sites could spread across the Web.
"We're in the middle of a huge change," David Glazer, an engineering director working on Google's social initiative, said in an interview. "Wherever people go on the Web, they want to have their friends with them, and this makes it possible."
Some analysts described the service as a way for Google to gain a better foothold in an area of Web services that it has been slow to exploit.
"The fact that so many people were using Facebook made Google nervous," said Danny Sullivan, editor in chief of Searchengineland.com, an industry site. "They watched this site have explosive growth, and they don't have a competitive product. It's not that Google is thinking, 'Gosh, all these people need help.' They're thinking, 'We're behind on social networks.' "
Friend Connect is aimed at the millions of Web sites that could benefit from having members interact but can't enable such connections because of a lack of technical expertise or hardware.
With Friend Connect, the owner of a Web site would add a snippet of code to its page. Google's servers would handle the rest.
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Stay updated on the latest technology news. Find profiles on different sectors of the tech industry. Learn about new developments in tech policy. Read technology reviews for PCs,laptops,cell phones,and other new gadgets.
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Sprint Loses Money, Users
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The good news, chief executive Daniel R. Hesse said, was that subscriber loss had slowed.
In addition, the company said it may sell some "non-core assets" to alleviate its financial burden. That prompted analysts to question whether a sale might include the Nextel business, as was widely rumored last week.
Shares of Sprint fell 1.5 percent, to $9.24.
Hesse said that the company's recovery "would take many quarters," but during a conference call with investment analysts, he said that he expected lower churn rates of subscribers in the second quarter.
"We are still far from where we ought to be," Hesse said, "but the focus is beginning to pay off."
Hesse said the company was trying to hold on to subscribers by offering better customer service and being more selective about the customers it signs. He said, however, that post-paid subscriber losses -- a measure of customers dropping service -- "will improve only marginally from first-quarter levels."
Sprint, the nation's third-largest wireless carrier, after AT&T and Verizon Wireless, reported a loss of $505 million (18 cents a share) in the first quarter, compared with a loss of $211 million (7 cents) in the corresponding period a year earlier. Revenue dropped 7.5 percent, to $9.33 billion.
In the conference call, Hesse did not directly address rumors about the sale of Nextel. The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Sprint was in talks to sell the business to a group of investors who would use it as a nationwide public safety network.
"Nothing," he said, "is off the table."
He pointed out that the company recently invested in marketing and new phones for Nextel's walkie-talkie-like service.
Since Hesse took over in December, the company has taken several steps to overhaul itself in the wake of its $35 billion merger with Nextel Communications in 2005. Hesse revamped the executive ranks this month by bringing in Robert Brust from Eastman Kodak to be chief financial officer and flattening the bureaucracy to remove management layers.
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Sprint Nextel yesterday reported first-quarter losses of 1.1 million subscribers and more than half a billion dollars.
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Indecent Exposure, and Arrested Development
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After the blow-up doll controversy in the Chicago White Sox' clubhouse last week, a number of women's groups and social engineers predictably weighed in on the issue. In defense, it doesn't take just an activist to summon emotion when an unidentified player props up two nude, inflatable dolls in an American workplace -- dolls with bats strategically positioned around them and one holding a sign that read: "You've Got to Push," a juvenile reference to the White Sox hitting slump.
Anyone with a wife, daughter or sister, or, heaven forbid, a relative who has been sexually abused, has a right to feel offended.
But it's the backlash over the backlash -- men outraged by the outrage -- that should make our gender quiver.
After Newsday's Barbara Barker took aim at baseball and the White Sox in a column, Jack from Chicago responded via e-mail: "Get back in that kitchen, barefoot and pregnant, like you should be."
After printing this tamer response, I have to ask: As a species, are we subhuman?
Because that is the defense of purported real men everywhere, that: a) we're male, therefore we are cretins; and b) they're male baseball players , tobacco-dippin' Neanderthals. What did you expect, decency? Respect in the clubhouse, a workplace subject to the same laws of discrimination and sexual harassment as IBM or Chipotle? Hah.
And it's not just louts on the Internet or on Miserable Suburban Guy radio taking up arms over this cause; it's naturally producing testosterone people everywhere -- friends and colleagues in my own business, who have decided to make White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillén's warped clubhouse their own Skull and Bones, a don't-ask-don't-tell fraternity where misogynists will be misogynists.
"Everybody, please, just shut up," wrote a flummoxed Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle. "Of course it's stupid and ugly and not funny. It's the clubhouse, where players can do anything they please."
Said Chicago Tribune columnist Rick Morrissey, who hinted the dolls need names last week at the end of his column: "The baseball clubhouse is the last place where boys can be boys or idiots can be idiots, as if a distinction can be made."
Look, an illusion exists that locker rooms are private in professional sports. They are not. For long periods of time, often three hours or more, baseball clubhouses are places of business -- open to any credentialed member of the media. Women. Men. Straight. Gay. Black. White. Hispanic. Asian. Everyone.
And yet the suspension of basic civility often ends the moment a player or reporter passes through the door. Locker-room culture is a vacuum, where amnesia sets in quick.
This week in particular makes Bud Selig come across as a huge hypocrite. That's right, Major League Baseball, the people who gave you pink bats in support of breast cancer awareness on Mother's Day, were also the people whose commissioner called propping up a bat in a doll's rear end "a team issue."
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As insulting to women as the White Sox's blowup doll controversy was, the male backlash to it has been even more disgusting.
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Old gas pumps can't handle ever-rising prices
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REARDAN, Wash. -- Mom-and-pop service stations are running into a problem as gasoline marches toward $4 a gallon: Thousands of old-fashioned pumps can't register more than $3.99 on their spinning mechanical dials.
The pumps, throwbacks to a bygone era on the American road, are difficult and expensive to upgrade, and replacing them is often out of the question for station owners who are still just scraping by.
Many of the same pumps can only count up to $99.99 for the total sale, preventing owners of some SUVs, vans, trucks and tractor-trailers to fill their tanks all the way.
As many as 8,500 of the nation's 170,000 service stations have old-style meters that need to be fixed _ about 17,000 individual pumps, said Bob Renkes, executive vice president of the Petroleum Equipment Institute of Tulsa, Okla.
At Chip Colville's Chevron station in this eastern Washington town, where men in the family have pumped gas since 1919, three stubby, gray pumps were installed when gas was less than $1 a gallon. They top out at $3.999, only 30 cents above the price of regular gas at Colville's station.
"In small towns, where you don't have the volume, there's no way you can afford to pay for the replacements for these old pumps," Colville said. "It's just not economically feasible."
The problem is worse in extremely rural areas, where "this might be the only pump in town that people can access," said Mike Rud, director of the North Dakota Petroleum Marketers Association.
Demand for replacements has caused a months-long backlog for companies that make or rebuild the mechanical meters _ and that's just for stations that can afford the upgrade.
For many station owners _ who, because of relatively small profit margin on gas, aren't raking in money even though gas prices are marching higher _ replacing the pumps altogether with electronic ones is just not an option.
"The new ones run between $10,000 and $15,000 apiece," Colville said. "It's an expense that's not worth it."
Mechanical meters can be retrofitted with higher numbers when pump prices climb another dollar. The last time that happened was in late 2005, when gas went over $3 a gallon, and owners of the older pumps installed kits that went to $3.999.
This time around, owners of the old pumps will need to install another kit that can handle prices up to $4.999, and possibly higher. Industry experts say those changes could cost as much as $650 per pump.
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REARDAN, Wash. -- Mom-and-pop service stations are running into a problem as gasoline marches toward $4 a gallon: Thousands of old-fashioned pumps can't register more than $3.99 on their spinning mechanical dials.
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Pakistani Party Quits Cabinet Over Justices
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Nawaz Sharif, leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-N, announced that his party would leave all federal posts after talks broke down with the Pakistan People's Party over how to restore the country's former chief justice and 60 other judges who had been fired in November by Musharraf, Pakistan's military ruler at the time.
Sharif, a former prime minister, said his party would remain in Parliament and had no desire to damage the government or the country. Looking grim and exhausted after days of negotiations, he told journalists that his decision was a "bitter pill, but we had to do it . . . we do not want to destabilize the democratic process."
The split was seen by analysts as a significant blow to Pakistan's progress toward mature democratic rule and a deep disappointment to the public, which ousted Musharraf's party at the polls in February and had demanded the restoration of the judges during months of unprecedented civic protests.
Analysts also said the judicial dispute -- and by extension, the question of Musharraf's future -- would now likely drag on, distracting the new government from addressing more important national problems, especially battling radical Islamist fighters and rebuilding the badly ailing economy.
"This is a huge setback for the government," said Shuja Nawaz, a Pakistani security analyst based in Washington. He noted that Sharif's pullout may give Musharraf a chance to reassert his political strength. "This crisis will distract attention from critical issues, and the real losers will be the people of Pakistan," he said.
For the past month, Pakistanis watched with sinking hopes while Sharif and his archrival, Pakistan People's Party leader Asif Ali Zardari, held three rounds of negotiations over the judicial dispute.
Sharif set Monday as a final deadline for Zardari to agree on a plan to restore the dismissed judges and bring the matter to Parliament. But Zardari, who took his post after the December assassination of his wife, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, has been more ambivalent about the judges. He has said that the courts had failed to help him when he spent a decade in jail on unproven corruption charges.
A final round of talks between the two in London broke off with no agreement over the weekend, even after the top U.S. regional diplomat met there separately with both men and privately urged them to reconcile. Sharif, who was overthrown by Musharraf in 1999, insisted on a plan to bring back the ousted judges and demote those who took the oath of office under Musharraf's rule; Zardari, who benefited politically and legally from Musharraf's court purge, insisted that the president's appointed judges keep their full powers.
Public opinion here has tended to blame Zardari for being intransigent. Sharif, despite the potential damage from his cabinet pullout, is widely seen as having taken the moral high ground on an issue that drew an unprecedented public outcry here last year and quickly became a first major test for Pakistan's new government.
"This is a defining moment for Pakistan," said Ehsan Iqbal, a top aide to Sharif and one of nine cabinet members from the Muslim League who will leave his post Tuesday. "Without the rule of law, without an independent judiciary, the country cannot move ahead democratically or constitutionally."
In Washington, the State Department said the makeup of the Pakistani government would not affect bilateral cooperation. "How they arrange themselves politically, the platform of the government, those are going to be decisions for the Pakistani government to make," spokesman Sean McCormack said.
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ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, May 12 -- Pakistan's fragile governing coalition cracked open Monday as one of its major parties withdrew from the cabinet, less than three months after elections that had united rival factions opposed to President Pervez Musharraf.
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In Lebanon, a Call for U.S. Action
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At the same time, President Bush, who will visit the Middle East this week, vowed continued support for the Lebanese government and its military, which announced that it would take a greater role in containing violence.
Christian, Sunni and Druze politicians -- members of a coalition known as March 14 -- said U.S. statements on the crisis have been too weak and called for more pressure on Hezbollah and its Syrian backers. The politicians said they felt abandoned by the United States.
The coalition members also want the United States to take the initiative in broadening a U.N. resolution that would place Beirut's airport and harbor in the hands of international peacekeeping troops.
"We need the U.S., but we are hearing nothing substantial from them," said Nayla Mouawad, a cabinet minister and leading member of the March 14 coalition.
Hezbollah is ideologically inspired by Iran, which backs the organization financially and militarily. "Iran is turning Lebanon into a Mediterranean forward post," Mouawad said.
Bush, in a statement Monday, promised continued U.S. support for Lebanese President Fouad Siniora and Lebanon's military. "The international community will not allow the Iranian and Syrian regimes, via their proxies, to return Lebanon to foreign domination and control," Bush said.
In an earlier interview with the al-Arabiya television network, Bush said he personally admired Siniora. "We will help him," Bush said.
One March 14 politician, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, called for "tactical strikes" against Syria to pressure the government to rein in Hezbollah.
Bush, in the interview, offered a stock reply to a question about the possibility of U.S. military action: "There's always that option."
The Pentagon denied reports that the USS Cole, a U.S. warship that appeared off the coast of Lebanon in February, was again on its way to the Lebanese coast. A U.S. Navy official said the Cole is in the eastern Mediterranean.
A Hezbollah spokesman said the Shiite movement had detected no meaningful international support for the government. "Foreign embassies did not come to their help," Hussein Khalil said during a televised news conference Monday, referring to the March 14 politicians. Siniora "is under the illusion that he can disarm us, to fulfill the American dream of a Lebanon without resistance, in which Israel has a hand."
The United States and other Western nations strongly supported the March 14 coalition, which in 2005 organized huge anti-Syrian demonstrations after the assassination of former prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri. The demonstrations, in combination with international pressure, led to the departure of the Syrian army and other institutions from Lebanon..
A political crisis erupted in 2006 after Shiite ministers resigned from the cabinet, and it has left the country without a president since last November. Last week violence broke out after Hezbollah and allied fighters took over West Beirut to protest government decisions that Hezbollah saw as infringing on its rights.
According to figures provided by the Lebanese internal security forces, at least 58 people died and 198 were wounded during the clashes that started Wednesday. The fighting is considered the worst sectarian violence since Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war.
Lebanon's army, one of the very few nonsectarian institutions in the country, has announced that, beginning Tuesday, it will use force to stop the violence. Until now, the army has largely stood by as members of different sectarian and political groups fought in northern and eastern Lebanon and in Beirut, the capital.
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BEIRUT, May 12 -- Politicians in Lebanon's Western-backed governing coalition criticized the United States on Monday for not doing enough to counter the opposition Hezbollah movement's recent takeover of West Beirut.
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Cheney Makes Appearance for House Hopeful
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Cheney campaigned on behalf of Southaven Mayor Greg Davis ahead of a special election Tuesday in Mississippi's 1st District. He sought to tie Davis's opponent, Travis Childers, to Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (Nev.), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and other congressional Democrats.
"What we need in Washington is a strong conservative congressman from Mississippi, not another Democrat going to bat for Nancy Pelosi," Cheney said to a crowd of several hundred at the DeSoto Civic Center here.
That Cheney would travel so far for a special election underscores the extent of concern within GOP ranks over recent losses in districts long considered Republican strongholds and whether they portend bigger problems in November. Democrats won the Illinois seat vacated by former House speaker Dennis Hastert and, last week, a Louisiana seat that had been Republican since 1975.
Childers came within a few hundred votes of winning the seat outright in a special-election ballot in April. He and Davis are vying for the seat previously occupied by Roger Wicker, who was named to the U.S. Senate to replace Trent Lott, who retired.
Republicans have poured more than $1.3 million of scarce campaign money into the race, and Cheney's appearance was aimed at solidifying their portrayal of Childers as a closet liberal. In introducing Cheney, for example, Davis linked his opponent to Pelosi and Sens. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.), calling them "liberals with liberal ideas who do not represent our Mississippi values."
Childers, Prentiss County's chancery clerk, who supports gun rights and is antiabortion, said Cheney's visit could backfire among "independent-minded" voters in his district.
"They run the same argument in every race, from president down to county commissioner," Childers said in a telephone interview. "I don't think it's going to work for them here in northwest Mississippi."
Republicans recently and unsuccessfully attempted a similar line of argument in Louisiana, deploying ads featuring Obama against Democrat Don Cazayoux, who won election to the House on May 3.
Davis spokesman Ted Prill said Cheney's visit will cost the Davis campaign about $30,000 but is expected to raise about $120,000.
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SOUTHAVEN, Miss., May 12 -- Vice President Cheney traveled to this Memphis suburb on Monday in an eleventh-hour effort by the Republican Party to hang on to a U.S. House seat that it has long held but that appears at risk of becoming the third Democratic gain this year.
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Property Transfer, Cigarette Taxes Likely to Increase
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Chairman Vincent C. Gray (D) said yesterday that the council has reached a consensus on a strategy that would maintain many of Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's priorities in his $5.7 billion spending plan for fiscal 2009 and resolve the key areas of disagreement.
The revised budget package, which the council will vote on today, also includes amendments ranging from providing universal health care to rejecting the funds that would reopen Klingle Road, the thoroughfare through Rock Creek Park that has been closed for 17 years.
Gray, his budget staff, the mayor's budget staff and the Office of the Chief Financial Officer worked together yesterday, finding cash in reserves and revised revenue estimates in addition to the tax increases on cigarettes and property transfer fees.
Separate from the budget, the council will also vote on whether to award a $120 million lottery contract to a new firm, W2I, whose credentials have been questioned by several council members. Gray said he decided to put it on the agenda to end the controversy. "I put it on the agenda so the members can vote it up or down," he said.
Meanwhile, in the two most contentious areas of the budget-- school spending and business tax relief -- Fenty and the council appear to have compromised. Gray had sought to move $18 million from new art and music programs in the schools to facility modernization, saying Fenty shortchanged the school construction fund. Under the revised budget, the city would pay for the new programs and fully fund the modernization budget, Gray said.
More than $10 million would come from funds Fenty (D) had originally set aside to lease a Virginia Avenue SE building for the police department. "The city administrator said at two hearings that the city is going to sublet the property, so we took that money and put it into schools," Gray said.
The police department's budget will be tapped to give small businesses property-tax relief, Gray said. Fenty proposed a $15 million commercial property tax break despite the council's vote in January to dole out a $96 million tax-relief package. Gray is backing the recommendation of Phil Mendelson (D-At Large) to transfer $6 million from the public-safety budget, unused salaries from vacancies, for the tax cut.
"We'll get it up to $21 million," Gray said of the tax cut. "They tried very hard," said Barbara Lang, head of the D.C. Chamber of Commerce. "I don't know whether it's going to be enough, but every little bit helps."
Carrie Brooks, Fenty's spokeswoman, said the public-safety transfer could hurt Chief Cathy L. Lanier's efforts to increase police presence. "Those dollars were specifically for putting more police on the street," Brooks said. "That's what Chief Lanier told us she needed to get to the 4,200 [total officers]."
The revised budget also increases the tax rate assessed for transferring property from 1 percent to 2.9 percent. Gray said the increase puts it in line with similar property levies in the city. The change is expected to generate nearly $8 million in fiscal 2009.
Council member David A. Catania (I-At Large) also came up with what he called "new taxes" on cigarettes and health-maintenance organizations to help pay for "Healthy DC." The city health-care plan is designed to insure residents whose incomes are too high to qualify for public-assistance programs and another city-funded health care program already in place, the DC Healthcare Alliance.
Catania scaled back the plan because insurance giant CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield was hesitant about being the provider and donating $5 million annually to the cause. But an amended proposal that gives the mayor the authority to seek out a provider is included in the new budget.
The $1 increase on a pack of cigarettes would generate $5 million to help fill the budget gap, Gray said.
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The D.C. Council is poised to increase taxes on cigarettes and property transfers to make up a $35 million budget shortfall, while still providing new funding for schools and tax relief for small businesses.
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Jazz Breaks Up D.C.'s Arts Dirge
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Applause swept the sold-out hall, and the great jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis offered his praise. By embracing music education and turning away from the test-driven narrowing of the curriculum that has so deadened too many classrooms, the District has found "the way for us to reclaim our soul in this country," Marsalis said.
But has music really returned to the D.C. schools?
What the Washington Performing Arts Society and D.C. schools officials celebrated last week was a pilot program that began in February at three middle schools and may reach more schools in coming years. The Capitol Jazz Project, a $200,000 effort by the Performing Arts Society to resurrect jazz instruction, has engaged 250 students at Hart, Hardy and Merritt middle schools in classes based on Marsalis's Jazz for Young People curriculum. The students are learning from the system's music teachers and from professional ensembles that visit each school every few weeks. And about 450 students will enroll in one-week music day camps this summer.
The Performing Arts Society is also working with the school system on music and arts curriculum standards -- a basic building block the D.C. schools have lacked for many years. "With the new standards, every child in the system will get music instruction," says Carol Bogash, the society's education director and creator of the Jazz Project. "Of course, to do that, DCPS will have to put music teachers in every school."
That's where things get a little dicey. Chancellor Michelle Rhee's 2009 budget contained $44 million for new social workers, art and music teachers, literacy coaches and extracurricular activities. But the D.C. Council, led by Chairman Vincent Gray, is countering with a proposal that would cut $18 million -- a hit Rhee says would threaten the art and music component of her plan.
This sort of budget gamesmanship is par for the course; in this annual script, schools leaders delight in listing the pretty new programs they'd have to kill if they're forced to cut spending.
But the fact remains that many D.C. schools offer little or no music or art instruction. It wouldn't take much money to change that. The Jazz Project is showing the way with richer content, while Rhee and her band of reformers work on more efficient structures.
At Hardy Middle School, music teacher Yusef Chisholm says he was stunned to receive new instruments this year for the first time in many years. "I see the turn now," he says. "In the past, we got nothing from the system. We had to get parents to rent instruments." This year, all sixth- and seventh-graders at Hardy are getting music instruction three times a week.
Hart music teacher Ovetta Lewis, a 22-year veteran, can teach only a little more than 100 of the school's 540 students, so kids must be lucky enough to be randomly assigned to music class. She, too, was startled and pleased to get new instruments, but says: "It's still a struggle. I feel an interest from the new" administrators but not yet a firm commitment to arts education.
Even if each school gets a music teacher, the arts program has a long way to go. Hart Principal Willie Bennett says children who don't luck into a music class have no arts alternative. The school has no visual arts teacher, no drama teacher.
"The budget constraints just don't allow it," he says. "It's too bad, because I see how Ms. Lewis gets some of those behavior-challenged kids, and they really do calm down in music class."
At the Kennedy Center, the kids soak up the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra's thrilling improvisations and bask in the applause of an audience visibly relieved to hear good news about the D.C. schools.
When the band plays reedman Ted Nash's aural portrait of the American artist Jackson Pollock, the D.C. kids revel in the splashing, nearly cacophonous waves of notes. But when Marsalis introduces the number by naming Pollock and adding, "So you know what that's like," many of the kids haven't a clue.
How long before that changes?
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The announcement, made with great fanfare from the stage of the Kennedy Center Concert Hall, was dramatic: This spring marks "the return of music to the D.C. public schools," said Deputy Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson.
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Thankfully, These Walls Can Talk
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The subprime mortgage crisis makes an apt backdrop for Sheila Callaghan's crafty, eccentric, spikily poetic play "Crumble (Lay Me Down, Justin Timberlake)." Now on view in a peppery and hilarious production from Catalyst Theater Company, this rumination on loss and wish-fulfillment (written in 2000) showcases an unusual character: a talking apartment -- inhabited, but as physically neglected as any foreclosed home.
In the Catalyst staging, adroitly directed by Shirley Serotsky, actor Jason Stiles depicts this piece of real estate, which turns out to harbor an arsenal of emotions: bitterness, tenderness, narcissism, despair, even lust. Oh, and a lot of exasperation: Part of a brownstone that was ritzy in the 1800s, the Apartment now houses Janice (Casie Platt), a seriously disturbed 11-year-old, and her mother (Elizabeth Richards), a chef devastated by the recent death of her husband. They don't tend to their dwelling, whose heating system is kaput, and whose plaster is tumbling down in chunks.
As Janice raises sullenness to a high art form, and the approach of Christmas adds to everybody's stress, Janice and Mother seek refuge in fantasies of Justin Timberlake and Harrison Ford, respectively. Trysts with the two celebrities (both played by Eric Messner) are far more reassuring than the real-life attentions of Mother's fulsome sister Barbara (Kathleen Akerley), who is childless but owns 57 cats.
As that detail might suggest, up-and-coming playwright Callaghan (whose "We Are Not These Hands" received a Catalyst staging last year) resorts to some easy ironies. Her script also indulges in some showily oddball lyricism ("She wrinkles differently in daylight these days . . . " Mother frets about Janice. "Her voice tilts with a purple cast."). But overall, this 75-minute work is a compellingly steely comic riff on pain. In fact, with its holiday-season setting and magical visitants, "Crumble" is a kind of anti-"A Christmas Carol." Where that tale depicts a Yuletide cosmos in which errors can be fixed and family unity prevails, Callaghan's story tells of a world of fluke accidents and terrible scarrings, where kinship dynamics are about as reliable as nitroglycerine.
Unfurling in a bleak architectural skeleton -- shards of plywood and gaping boards enclosing the odd furnishing (Robbie Hayes is scenic designer) -- Serotsky's production does justice to "Crumble's" wacky but sobering worldview. Richards's haunted face and tense movements (including a near-catatonic stirring of batter) make Mother's suffering seem achingly real. That dark note complements Akerley's smug, cooing Barbara, a deliberate cartoon. Platt's hostile glares and shrieking rants suit the dysfunctional Janice, whose idea of a good time is serving bleach to her stuffed animals, and Messner comes up with priceless spoofs of Timberlake and Ford, without sapping the emotional resonance the story demands from those figures. (Melissa-Leigh Douglass has devised spot-on Timberlake choreography, and lighting designer Jason Cowperthwaite lends ghostly illumination to the spectral celebrities.)
But it's Stiles's capricious, petulant but somehow lovable Apartment who's the truly memorable character, hobbling about with a water pipe in lieu of a cane, reminiscing nostalgically about Victorian housekeeping and hungrily eyeing the 21st-century women who could theoretically give him a fresh coat of paint. Costume designer Debra Kim Sivigny makes him a suitably Dickensian figure, with a shabby black tailcoat, vest and cravat. (For another character, Sivigny contributes what must truly be the ugliest Christmas sweater ever.) But the portrait wouldn't be complete without Matthew M. Nielson's sound design, whose whistlings, drippings, susurrations and creakings make the Apartment seem as fragile as Tiny Tim and as ominous as Jacob Marley.
Crumble (Lay Me Down, Justin Timberlake), by Sheila Callaghan. Directed by Shirley Serotsky; original music by Matthew M. Nielson. About 75 minutes. Through June 7 at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 Seventh St. SE. Call 800-494-8497 or visit http://www.catalysttheater.org.
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The subprime mortgage crisis makes an apt backdrop for Sheila Callaghan's crafty, eccentric, spikily poetic play "Crumble (Lay Me Down, Justin Timberlake)." Now on view in a peppery and hilarious production from Catalyst Theater Company, this rumination on loss and wish-fulfillment (written in 20...
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E-Mails Show Attempt To 'Patch Up' a Case Of Medical Negligence
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At the agency in Washington responsible for foreign detainees' medical care, internal documents reveal a tendency to conceal the truth by withholding complete medical records or by offering misleading public explanations. But e-mail exchanges speak for themselves in the death of Francisco Castaneda.
Castaneda's family had fled the civil war in El Salvador when he was 10 years old, but his mother died of cancer before she could obtain legal status for her children. Castaneda began working at 17 and eventually got involved with drugs. After living for nearly a quarter-century in Los Angeles, he was being deported after serving a four-month sentence for drug possession.
In March 2006, immigration officers took him into custody. Medical staff members suspected that Castaneda, then 34, had penile cancer. A lesion on his penis was bleeding and oozing. The staff sought approval for a biopsy, but the Division of Immigration Health Services, or DIHS, headquarters in Washington denied the procedure for 10 months.
Along the way, as he fought deportation, Castaneda filed several grievances. "I am in a considerable amount of pain and I am in desperate need of medical attention," he wrote in June. "I feel that I am entitled to a healthy life."
In July, David Lusche, a physician assistant at the Otay Mesa facility in California, where Castaneda was being held, realized that his grievances were still pending and that an audit of the compound's medical files was approaching. At 2:26 a.m. July 28, he e-mailed a colleague, asking him to retrieve a handwritten grievance from Castaneda that Lusche had left in a drawer in an examining room.
"We need to write something different, or make some amendment, on the Grievance for Francisco Castaneda," Lusche wrote. ". . . Your response starts, 'Grievance not resolved.' Those words are going to attract all kinds of attention during an ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] Jail Standards audit. . . . Could you somehow 'patch up' that Grievance with an amendment then put it in my box. I just want to avoid problems when the Auditors show up."
Anthony Walker, a physician assistant at Otay Mesa, responded at 10:10 a.m. the next day: "But it is true, unfortunately, this is a case where his grievance is correct and I don't blame the detainee."
After pressure from the American Civil Liberties Union, a biopsy was finally scheduled for early February 2007. But immigration officials suddenly released Castaneda from custody days before the surgery, sparing the agency the cost.
When the DIHS medical director, Timothy T. Shack, was asked to review the case, he concluded: "I looked over about 200 pages of medical records for this case. In my opinion, the care provided to this detainee was, and is, timely and appropriate."
One week later after the review, UCLA doctors gave Castaneda a diagnosis of invasive squamous cell carcinoma. On Valentine's Day, surgeons amputated his penis.
In October, after rounds of chemotherapy, he testified before a congressional panel looking into detainee medical care.
"I am a 35-year-old man without a penis with my life on the line," he said. "I have a young daughter, Vanessa, who is only 14. She is here with me today because she wanted to support me -- and because I wanted her to see her father do something for the greater good, so that she will have that memory of me. The thought that her pain -- and mine -- could have been avoided almost makes this too much to bear."
On Feb. 16, 2008, Castaneda died.
U.S. District Judge Dean D. Pregerson denied a government request to dismiss the lawsuit brought on Castaneda's behalf. In his March 11 ruling, the judge said lawyers had "submitted powerful evidence that Defendants knew Castaneda needed a biopsy to rule out cancer, falsely stated that his doctors called the biopsy 'elective,' and let him suffer in extreme pain for almost one year while telling him to be 'patient' and treating him with Ibuprofen, antihistamines, and extra pairs of boxer shorts."
Pregerson added: "Defendants' own records bespeak of conduct that transcends negligence by miles. It bespeaks of conduct that, if true, should be taught to every law student as conduct for which the moniker 'cruel' is inadequate."
-- Amy Goldstein and Dana Priest
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At the agency in Washington responsible for foreign detainees' medical care, internal documents reveal a tendency to conceal the truth by withholding complete medical records or by offering misleading public explanations. But e-mail exchanges speak for themselves in the death of Francisco Castaneda.
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Switch to Español - washingtonpost.com
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LOS ANGELES Amid all the national debate over immigration, at least one firm consensus has emerged: Newcomers to the United States should learn English because it remains the lingua franca of our civic life. All three remaining presidential contenders say that the ability to speak English should be a requirement of U.S. citizenship. And last year, the immigrant governor of California told a convention of Latino journalists that immigrants should watch only English-language TV so they can understand the language and news of their home state. "You've got to turn off the Spanish television set," Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger advised the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
Schwarzenegger is wrong, and so is this new consensus. The error is particularly obvious in cities with the largest immigrant populations, especially Los Angeles, the town the governor calls home. Schwarzenegger could discover ample evidence of this all by himself -- simply by turning on his television.
On most nights here, the most timely, serious and civic-minded local news is not available on the Internet, the radio or any of the half-dozen English-language stations that broadcast nightly shows that purport to be newscasts. At 11 p.m. each night here, the best newscasts in the market appear on two Spanish-language channels, Univision's flagship KMEX and Telemundo affiliate KVEA.
This might come as a surprise to English-speaking Americans, who hear about the Spanish-language TV news only when its on-air personalities engage in soap-opera-style antics, such as the KVEA anchor-reporter who became the mistress of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. But I've been watching these two Spanish newscasts and their English competitors on the local ABC, NBC and CBS affiliates, and the content doesn't lie. If immigrants took Schwarzenegger's advice and flipped off Spanish stations in favor of English-language news, they wouldn't have nearly as good an idea of what was happening in their adopted city, state and country.
Take a recent night, after a typical day of Los Angeles news. English-language TV led with the weather (it was raining, which is not as unusual as you might think during an L.A. winter), then moved into splashy reports with dramatic footage of a gang shootout and possible hostage situation in a city neighborhood. Less than eight minutes into the newscast, trivia took over. The CBS affiliate's third piece involved new questions about the death of Marilyn Monroe. The NBC affiliate dwelled on a hepatitis scare at a party for celebrities and swimsuit models, then attempted a brief consumer-oriented investigation about people's need to replace their tires more frequently. The ABC affiliate gave five minutes to movies and entertainment, from an Oscar preview to a sit-down interview with Jon Stewart.
In Spanish, viewers got fewer soft features and more deeply reported, longer pieces. KMEX mentioned the gang shootout but provided far more context, interviewing local residents about recent crime and about how local businesses and schools were affected by an hours-long neighborhood lockdown as police searched for a suspect. KMEX also aired a detailed report on a major beef recall from a local firm, a couple of pieces on local politics (including a roundup of what city and county leaders had done that day) and a four-minute examination of key policy issues in the presidential campaign. The Oscars went unmentioned. KVEA's half-hour newscast, " En Contexto" (which means what it sounds like), was even more substantive. It gave a thorough review of local political and government news, then delved deeply into nearly 20 minutes of explanation of rising home foreclosures and mortgage problems. (Yes, Spanish-language viewers were callously left to figure out that it was raining all by themselves.)
This was no fluke. The next night, KMEX broke the news that the LAPD had more Latino officers than white officers, and KVEA ran a piece on the pay and working conditions of security guards. Meanwhile, their English-language rival KABC was finishing another Oscar preview and beginning a heartwarming story involving dogs.
"There's no comparison in the coverage," says Josh Kun, a communications professor at the University of Southern California who closely follows Spanish TV. "For people here, there are two places to look for better news: BBC News and Spanish-language news."
Why the difference? As English-language news organizations -- desperate to stop the declines of their audiences and ad revenues -- cut back on news-gathering, they devote their time and resources to entertainment, celebrities, pets and crime (or, best of all, stories that combine all four). But Spanish-language TV producers, who serve a clearly defined, growing audience, have space to tackle weightier topics.
The result: The sharpest coverage of state and local issues -- government, politics, immigration, labor, economics, health care -- is now found on Spanish-language TV. They compete hard on serious stories. As a labor reporter for the Los Angeles Times in 2006, the only competitors I routinely saw at major union stories were reporters for KMEX, KVEA and La Opinion, a Spanish-language daily newspaper. These outlets tell their viewers more about how the state and the region work, they are more persistent in demanding explanations from public officials, and their reports routinely include more interviews with more sources from more perspectives.
The Spanish-language TV broadcasts are, for lack of a better word, more American.
They get ratings, too. KMEX's 6 p.m. program has ranked either first or second for years among newscasts in the market in any language; its 11 p.m. newscast leads the ratings among nearly every adult demographic. KVEA lags behind, but its audience is increasing. "There's such a thirst for news," says Maelia Macin, vice president and general manager of Univision's Los Angeles stations.
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Why Spanish-language television has the nation's smartest newscasts.
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The Race's Real Winner
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After last week's Indiana and North Carolina primaries, Obama has all but won the nomination -- but democracy has been the real winner of the process. According to the Associated Press, 3.5 million newly registered voters appeared during the 2008 primaries, including unusually large numbers of women and African Americans. Turnout reached historic highs in many Democratic primaries; indeed, more Democrats turned out this week in both North Carolina and Indiana than voted for Sen. John F. Kerry in those states in 2004. Both Clinton and Obama raised more money during a single month than most candidates in previous elections raised during the entire primary season. Moreover, the bulk of that money came from small donors; in fact, 1.5 million individuals, an unprecedented number, contributed to the Obama campaign. By every measure of individual interest in politics, this campaign has grabbed the public's attention.
I'm as surprised as I am delighted by this raft of broken records. American democracy has not been in the best of health the past few decades, as I have been but one of many to repeatedly point out. In fact, my most recent book somewhat glumly concluded that American democracy had stopped working particularly well. Now I'm watching an extended rebuttal in the form of this Democratic race.
Recent elections have been marked by high levels of voter ignorance, low turnout, polarization between the parties and media coverage as broad as it was shallow. But within the Democratic Party this time, we have been witnessing the exact opposite: engagement and excitement. Pundits worry that the long race hurt the Democrats' chances in the fall, but it's hard to share their gloom when the whole exercise has been so good for our civic health.
It is not just turnout and fundraising that have made this Democratic contest so, well, democratic. Voters in states that traditionally have played no role in choosing the nominee were courted, and their votes proved decisive. Although the Democratic race featured its share of trivia, including all too much highlighting of supposed sniper fire at the airport in Tuzla or the rantings of a once-obscure Chicago preacher, the two candidates discussed at length their differences over health insurance early in the process, explored in the Los Angeles debate at the end of January in mind-numbing detail. Through the example of the gas-tax holiday that emerged during the final days of campaigning in Indiana and North Carolina, they told voters about their competing approaches to policymaking. Both held large rallies and spoke to small groups, and neither got much sleep. They earned every single one of the many votes each of them won.
Even two major factors that should have made the contest less democratic somehow wound up helping. The first is the role of those unelected "superdelegates." Despite Obama's convincing win in North Carolina and impressive performance in Indiana, neither candidate can win at the convention in Denver by racking up a majority of the primary and caucus voters; afraid of contests like the one we have just been having, party officials created a process in which they would have a major voice in deciding a close race. But even though the final choice rests in the hands of office holders and party professionals, few expect the superdelegates to override the choice of the voters; in fact, some high-profile Clinton supporters defected to Obama to respond to the will of constituents. To act as an independent agent would be to ignore the views of the citizens -- something that most superdelegates are simply not prepared to do.
The second seemingly undemocratic feature is the potential exclusion of voters in Florida and Michigan. Counting them offers Clinton her only hope of victory. But giving the large majority of both states' delegates to her because she "won" those contests would not be democratic either: The candidates did not campaign in either state, and Obama's name was not even on the ballot in Michigan. The most undemocratic outcome, of course, would be to ignore public sentiment in these states in the final delegate tally. To avoid that, someone will likely find a way to include both delegations in the inevitable Denver lovefest.
Now that Obama is the likely winner, the question is whether his party's democratic way of choosing its nominee will hurt his chances against Sen. John McCain in the fall. Prevailing political science holds that it should. Many political scientists, myself included, once waxed nostalgic for the era of long-gone party bosses. A party helps itself most by nominating the candidate most likely to win, this point of view holds, and party professionals (many of whom are running on the coattails of their nominee) are best positioned to do so. Let less informed, more passionate voters make the choice, and the party is more likely to wind up divided -- and stuck with a candidate whose views delight the party's base but rattle general-election voters.
That conventional wisdom is being proven wrong in 2008. For one thing, the deep divisions that emerged between Obama and Clinton will not necessarily produce a divided party. Exit polls in both Indiana and North Carolina suggest that roughly one-quarter of the Democratic electorate would vote Republican if their favored candidate lost. Don't believe the hype: Most observers agree that by the fall, those who supported the loser in the primaries will vote for the winner. They may feel disappointed, but they cannot feel betrayed. The process was so open and fair that the losing side will have no ground for questioning the legitimacy of the results.
Nor did the party's highly democratic procedures produce an ideologically extreme nominee. If anything, the intense campaigning between Clinton and Obama pushed both candidates toward the center: Clinton adopted the Republican playbook by portraying herself as the candidate of Joe Six-Pack, while Obama, as his North Carolina victory speech suggested, successfully spoke the language of American patriotism.
Republicans will nonetheless try to portray Obama as a leftist radical in the campaign -- no doubt citing the National Journal's ranking of him as the most liberal member of the Senate in 2007, no doubt bringing up his ties to 1960s extremists such as William Ayers, a member of the Weather Underground. But Obama is not as liberal as Michael Dukakis and George McGovern or as elitist as John Kerry. Huge numbers of Democratic voters wanted their party to nominate a candidate who could appeal to independents, and they got one.
Even the most seemingly absurd feature of the way Democrats select their nominee has had positive results: the allocation of delegates by proportional representation. Before this election, Beltway consensus held that allocating delegates this way was a recipe for disaster. Just a month or two ago, it seemed as if the Republicans had been blessed by their commitment to a winner-take-all process: They settled quickly on their nominee and sat back to watch as the Democratic Party's ultra-democratic procedures led to seeming chaos and indecision.
But the earlier choice for the Republicans has not proven a blessing, and the delayed one for the Democrats has not been a curse. Even with McCain as the presumptive nominee, there were Republican as well as Democratic primaries last week -- and Republicans not named McCain won 24 percent of the vote in North Carolina and 23 percent in Indiana. Traditionally, Republicans may not love their candidate, but they unite behind him. Conservatives, however, may well not rush to McCain this time. There is also no proportional delegate consolation prize for the votes of losers in the GOP's winner-take-all system, which is bound to exacerbate Republican unease with McCain.
For the Democrats, proportional representation, rather than producing chaos, underscored the party's commitment to inclusion. Democrats are more likely to speak about equality, social justice and fairness in election campaigns than Republicans, and proportional representation is more compatible with those themes than a winner-take-all method. We live in democratic times in which people get to choose the churches to which they belong and the television stations they want to watch. Under such conditions, a party that opens itself up to its members invests them in its decisions -- not only in the election coming up this fall but in future contests as well. More people became Democrats in 2008 than became Republicans, and more of them were younger. Exciting and open contests can do that sort of thing.
Assuming that Obama is the nominee, one question remains: Who will the party select as its vice-presidential candidate? It may not be Clinton. But if it is, democracy will once more have worked a certain magic: A decision to go with the what some called a "dream ticket" would clearly be a response to a widespread desire among Democrats to bring the party's two stars together.
It seems right that a party named after democracy ought to practice it. Even if that means that the Democrats have to campaign all the way to San Juan (an increasingly unlikely outcome), that is not the worst state of affairs. After all, practice makes perfect.
Alan Wolfe is director of the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life at Boston College and the author, most recently, of "Does American Democracy Still Work?"
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In 1968, Hubert Humphrey won the Democratic nomination for president without entering, let alone winning, a single primary. This time around, Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton will have entered 16 caucuses and 37 primaries (39 if you include Michigan and Florida) by the time the contest comes...
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Mr. Cool's Intensity
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Obama has remained "Mr. Cool," even when his campaign seemed to be blowing up around him. He didn't do the politically expedient things: He didn't wear his patriotism on his lapel with an American flag pin; he didn't promptly disown his race-baiting former pastor, Jeremiah Wright; he didn't apologize for comments by his wife, Michelle, that many Americans found unpatriotic. You can say what you like about the substance of these positions, but the interesting fact is that Obama didn't flinch.
"Yes, we know what's coming. I'm not naive," Obama said in the North Carolina speech. "We've already seen it . . . pouncing on every gaffe and association and fake controversy, in the hopes that the media will play along."
That's the message: Attack me; attack my pastor; attack my wife; bring it on. I'm ready.
The past several months have revealed Obama's vulnerabilities, but they've also shown his ability to take a punch. Many whites are furious that he didn't throw Wright overboard sooner, but blacks surely like him all the more for resisting the pressure. And there's an instinctive American fondness for people who don't rat out their friends, even when their friends are creeps. That's why a Wright-based strategy may backfire for the Republicans, just as it did for Hillary Clinton.
Obama has a transcendent ambition: It's part of what gives him the "man of destiny" quality. When you see him on TV or in pictures, he always seems to be looking into the middle distance -- not to any person in particular but toward "the people" and the far horizon.
One way to measure Obama's sense of destiny is to think about the choices before him when he graduated from Harvard Law School as the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review: He could have walked into a Supreme Court clerkship or harvested a fortune working for a fancy law firm. But Obama's ambition was much bigger. He went to Chicago to start building a base to run for . . . well, we know where this story leads.
People who met Obama in those early days in Chicago say they were struck by two qualities: First was his remarkable ability to work across racial lines; the second was his political ambition. His strategy was to straddle -- between black and white, between rich and poor, between Harvard and the streets. That's still the essence of his appeal: I am the person who can bring America together because I contain within myself all of its contradictions.
That protean quality is what Obama liked about his pastor. In his first autobiography (still the Rosetta stone for decoding the Democratic candidate), he says this of Wright and his church: "It was this capacious talent of his -- this ability to hold together, if not reconcile, the conflicting strains of black experience -- upon which Trinity's success had ultimately been built."
Obama's problem with Wright back then wasn't that he was too radical but that he was too bourgeois. Obama says that he told Wright at their first meeting that he worried "that the church is too upwardly mobile." He didn't want to be surrounded by "buppies" -- black urban professionals -- who had the lesser goal of making money.
What's compelling about Obama is that fusion of grace and ambition. He's playing for the highest stakes, but he makes it look easy. That cool, graceful quality evokes John F. Kennedy and the Rat Pack -- all these sleek, handsome men in silk suits and skinny ties who never break character, never miss a beat.
Albert Murray titled a collection of his essays on black culture "The Omni-Americans." That was his view of the African American experience, that it pointed in every direction at once -- toward anger and healing, toward rage at America and a patriotism that has led blacks to serve in disproportionate numbers in the military, toward the paradox of hating America and being intensely loyal to it.
That's the history-changing package that Barack Obama brings to the presidential race. Based on last week's primary results, we have a rendezvous in November with that vision of "Omni-America" and the transcendent and potentially disruptive change it represents.
The writer is co-host ofPostGlobal, an online discussion of international issues. His e-mail address isdavidignatius@washpost.com.
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Barack Obama called himself an "imperfect messenger" in his victory speech in North Carolina last Tuesday. That was a refreshing touch of humility, but it was also a fact. The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee is far from perfect. But he has demonstrated the most mysterious and precious...
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Presidents Should Not Be Liars
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I do not think the President of the United States should be a liar, and believe that the overwhelming majority of U.S. citizens agree with me. For security reasons, the whole truth cannot always be revealed, but it is quite obvious that lies are seldom made to protect our nation. Almost invariably, the political fortunes of the prevaricator are at stake.
During my campaign for the White House in 1976, veracity was a very important issue, because of the known falsehoods having been told during the Vietnam War and the revelations of the Frank Church senatorial investigation that our government had, through the CIA, committed murder and other crimes. I habitually told my small groups of supporters, "If I even make a misleading statement, don't support me."
Although stigmatized as naïve and often having to suffer the consequences, I maintained this commitment to truthfulness during my term in office, and it paid off in many ways. One example was the trust aroused in me by President Anwar Sadat and Prime Minister Menachim Begin, which was instrumental in orchestrating the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty. I've observed at other times that the exploding consequences of a small lie can result in political catastrophe, as was shown in President Nixon's effort to conceal the Watergate break-in.
There have been other examples since I left office.
The author was the 39th President of the United States.
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A conversation on religion with Jon Meacham and Sally Quinn. Visit http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/
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China's Harmonious Diplomatic Symphony
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While its propaganda machine might be sounding a little shrill lately, China's foreign policy is hitting all the right notes. In the past few weeks, President Hu Jintao has met twice with leading politicians from Taiwan following the election of Ma Ying-jeou. First Hu met with VP-elect Vincent Siew and then with KMT bigwig Lien Chan. There's a good possibility that the two sides will move a lot closer -- setting up direct flights and freight services -- once Ma takes power on May 20 and Taiwan's both incompetent and ideologically rigid president, Chen Shui-bian, leaves. Good for China and Taiwan.
What's more, last week, Hu spent five days in Japan using "smile" diplomacy with China's Asian nemesis. By all accounts, it was a pretty successful trip, a stark contrast to complete disaster that occurred when Hu's predecessor Jiang Zemin visited Japan in 1998 and gave a screaming lecture about history. The lecture played well in China but not anywhere else. China and Japan have reason to buddy up. Last year, China replaced the US as Japan's biggest export market - a trend that isn't going to change.
Then, last weekend in Shenzhen, lower ranking Chinese officials met with representatives of the Dalai Lama. They've agreed to keep talking. No one expects this to go anywhere, but it's a whole lot better than yelling at each other via the media.
And Wednesday, the China Philharmonic Orchestra, joined by the Shanghai Opera House Chorus, performed Mozart's "Requiem" and Chinese folk tunes for Pope Benedict at the Vatican City. Pope Benedict gushed about the performance saying it "helps us to understand better the history of the Chinese people, their values and their noble aspirations." Translation: After almost 60 years of no relations, the Vatican and China are moving rapidly toward closer ties.
It's interesting that press reports say the concert at the Vatican was added at the "last minute" and was apparently arranged with the help of Deng Rong, one of the daughters of the late Deng Xiaoping, the architect of China's reforms. It's also interesting that the Chinese players performed the "Requiem," Mozart's last composition and long considered one of his darker and more spiritual pieces.
There's no way the concert was really a last minute addition -- anything involving China and the Vatican is being vetted at the highest levels of both governments. But what it could mean is that China and the Vatican are ready to re-establish diplomatic ties, which means the Vatican would drop its recognition of Taiwan. Two key reasons: it looks like the Communist Party hacks who opposed better ties, like Ye Xiaowen, the chief of the Religious Affairs Bureau, and Bishop Fu Tianshan have finally been moved out of the way. Fu died last year and Ye is rumored to be stepping down.
While the warming trend with Beijing is good news for Taiwan, losing the Vatican would be a blow. And it comes as Taiwan's foreign policy establishment - which staked its prestige on its ability to stop China's diplomatic juggernaut -- is in meltdown. On Tuesday Taiwan's foreign minister Jason Huang and Vice Premier Chou I-jen stepped down over a botched attempt to win diplomatic recognition from Papua New Guinea from China after $30 million "went missing." Ooops.
Taiwan and China have long paid off various tinpot dictatorships around the world as part of their competition for diplomatic recognition. Taiwan is losing that battle. Now, only 23 countries -- mostly tiny ones -- recognize Taiwan, compared with 30 when Chen Shui-bian took power in 2000. So China's fiddling while Taiwan burns.
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Pomfret's China features China expert John Pomfret as he deciphers what's behind the latest news from China.
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PostGlobal on washingtonpost.com
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I have often argued in this blog that the adaptation of Islamic beliefs to tribal customs is one of the main problems facing Islamâs efforts to modernize. Whether manifested in so-called âhonorâ crimes in Jordan, or in Afghanistanâs makeshift legal system in places like the border town of Khost, tribalism asserts itself where government has broken down, providing some form of law and hierarchy at the price of allowing socially regressive practices and corruption. I sometimes like to measure tribal leaders by what I call the âGodfather factorâ â just how little they have to say to make themselves understood.
Over the past two years in Iraq, the U.S. has turned to these very leaders to try to drag the country out of the frying pan. With American backing, Sunni tribes succeeded in driving al-Qaeda members out of their strongholds in most Sunni cities. But in doing so, the U.S. has entrenched a new class of tribal rulers like Sheikh Ahmed Abu Rishe, who I met last month in Ramadi. He is the self-styled âvictor of Ramadi,â the provincial capital of the Sunni dominated Anbar province. Sheikh Ahmed, pictured here outside his new political offices surrounded by tribal supplicants seeking his favor, scores rather highly in the Godfather stakes.
Sheikh Ahmed claims to be a social liberal, and says the reason he turned against al-Qaeda was that it challenged conservative, yet tolerant, social mores. â[Al-Qaeda members] were taking women off the streets and beating them for not wearing the full hijab, and shooting men without beards who did not pray five times a day,â said the Sheikh. âThis brought a deep shame to our families, so we rejected them.â Nevertheless, an important part of tribal custom for Sheikh Ahmed is the ability to distribute largesse and patronage to his 8,000 armed followers ⬬ and therein lies one of his main challenges to Iraqâs fragile system of governance. Sheikh Ahmed says that most of his forces have been incorporated into the local police force, and that he is keen to become part of the political process. To that end, he has set up a party to compete in provincial elections scheduled for later this year. âWe want to create a political party that will represent all of Iraq,â he told me. However, members of the Iraqâs Shia-dominated government have reacted with a mixture of disdain and fear to the rise of Sheikh Ahmed and others Sunni tribal leaders like him. Tahseen al-Sheikhly, head of the countryâs reconciliation committee, sees Sheikh Ahmedâs political ambitions as tribalism writ large. âTribes donât make states,â al-Sheikhly said. âThey are an important part of the social framework of Iraq, but to build a state you need technocrats and politicians. We are concerned that under the guise of politics, tribal leaders are pushing their own local agendas... and they are doing so with the backing of armed militias.â Of course, until recently, the Iraqi governmentâs main party, the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, had its own militia called the Badr Brigade (now folded into the Interior Ministry.) So in turn do the Kurds, in the form of the 60,000-strong (figures vary) Peshmerga, and the radical Shiâite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. In fact, far from creating a new tribal power in Iraq, the U.S. military has simply enabled the Sunnis to gain a degree of parity. The question is whether the different sides can settle their differences peacefully and find a political solution that can meet everyoneâs ambitions. When asked on that point, the Sheikh said very little.
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Islam's Advance on PostGlobal; blog of politics and current events on washingtonpost.com. Visit http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/islamsadvance/
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In Oregon's Embrace, Obama Strikes a Victor's Pose
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But such is this moment for Obama that it seemed natural to indulge in a little affirmation. As his bus pulled up, he strode onto the handsome old track just as the women's 5K was ending. A murmur went through the crowd, the public-address announcer confirmed his arrival, and the action came to a halt as 5,000 track fans rose as one to cheer the senator from Illinois who appears suddenly on the verge of claiming his party's presidential nomination. The javelin hurlers dropped their equipment, and the 400-meter hurdlers paused in their warm-ups as a waving Obama made his way around one of the country's most famous tracks bathed in late-afternoon sunlight -- a victory lap.
"You guys are just so fast. I congratulate you," Obama said as he reached the finish line, where the 5K runners still waited -- as if the applause was for anyone but him.
For weeks, Obama campaigned in a nerve-racking limbo, maintaining a seemingly insurmountable lead in delegates, yet unable to shake the threat that sundry controversies or Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's critiques would yet convince Democrats that he was not their best standard-bearer. But after his strong performance in Indiana and North Carolina produced a marked shift in the narrative -- he finally surpassed Clinton in endorsements from party superdelegates on Saturday -- Obama is allowing himself, at long last, to breathe easier and savor his achievement.
Flying across the country, he made a rare extended visit to the back of his campaign plane to play the word-association game Taboo, cackling in delight as he and his aides twice defeated their foes in the press corps and making a joking analogy to the campaign. "At what point is this game over?" he asked the reporters. "When we win," one said. "That sounds familiar," he said with a smile.
At a taqueria in Woodburn, Ore., he beamed for the cameras as he dug into a chicken taco, a far cry from his more finicky culinary ventures in previous states. At the Eugene track, he gamely climbed over a high hurdle, pitched free T-shirts into the crowd and smiled through the public-address announcer's ribbing about his poor bowling in Pennsylvania.
He is officially on guard against seeming overconfident, saying at every turn that he is still running hard against a tough primary opponent. His campaign is well aware that he faces the prospect of a thumping in the upcoming primaries in West Virginia and Kentucky.
Yet here, in a state where he is strongly favored to win, his stump speeches seem less like bids for votes than a chance for fans to see their hero and hear his pitch one last time before he moves on to the next stage. At an outdoor rally on the university campus after his visit to the track, Obama declared that the state's May 20 vote could be the one that gives him a clear majority of pledged delegates.
And he adopted a retrospective tone, taking stock of the 15-month campaign that has brought him close to defeating a heavily favored former first lady backed by a powerful political machine. He expressed regret for having allowed his campaign to indulge in some of the tit-for-tats that he decries.
"There've been times where you get whacked so many times that after a time, you feel you have to whack back. You've got to go negative. You don't want to look like a wimp," he said. "The times . . . I'm most proud of is when we resisted the impulse, and the times that I'm least proud of is when we succumbed to that impulse."
This transitional moment is not without challenges. Much of Obama's appeal lies in his critique of politics as a whole, as he argues that the country's problems go beyond "just one man and one party," and he is still learning how to combine that message with the more partisan case expected of him if he is his party's nominee. His hard-edged new lines attacking Sen. John McCain's platform can come across as jarring after months in which he has resisted overly harsh assaults on Clinton.
While Obama is dropping his criticism of Clinton so he can ease a conciliation with her, his basic message -- his call for unifying the country, for truth-telling leadership, and for reducing the influence of special interests -- still comes across as an implicit criticism of what he sees as her form of politics. And this message may not work as well against McCain, with his reputation for breaking with party orthodoxy and working to stop campaign finance excesses. On Saturday, Obama dismissed this challenge, saying McCain's reputation for straight talk is at odds with reality. "We're going to have to have a debate not based on John McCain's image or on my image, but on facts," he said.
But such challenges seem distant for Obama and the crowds turning out to see him. In Eugene, Dennis and Anastasia Sandow, Democrats in their 50s, lined up three hours early for a spot squeezed against a police barrier, with poor sightlines. But they had to be there, they said -- not to decide whom to vote for next week, but to witness history.
"This is where the [primary] is going to end," Dennis Sandow said. "This is a victory celebration."
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BEND, Ore. -- Sen. Barack Obama probably did not need to make a surprise appearance Friday at the Twilight Meet at the University of Oregon. The liberal college town of Eugene is already his territory, and the subset of fleece-clad runners' families that filled the grandstand is probably even more...
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Convention Chief Resigns Over His Firm's Work for Burma
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Doug Goodyear, the chief executive and co-founder of DCI Group, said in a statement that he resigned the post "so as not to become a distraction in this campaign."
DCI, a well-known Republican firm that provides lobbying services mostly for corporate interests, was paid $348,000 in 2002 and 2003 to represent Burma's junta, Newsweek reported on its Web site yesterday.
"It was our only foreign representation, it was for a short tenure, and it was six years ago," Newsweek quoted Goodyear as saying.
News outlets including The Washington Post have previously reported on the firm's links to Burma's military leaders, including that it arranged meetings with White House officials to press the generals' agenda, but the ties gained new relevance in the wake of two recent developments.
The first was the McCain campaign's choice earlier this month of Goodyear as convention coordinator, citing his management skill. The second was the junta's response to Tropical Cyclone Nargis's ravaging of Burma, also called Myanmar, where as many as 100,000 people are dead or missing from the storm.
The Burmese government has drawn international condemnation for blocking international relief organizations from distributing much-needed food and supplies to the more than 1 million residents left homeless by the storm.
Goodyear told Newsweek that the junta's handling of the cyclone crisis has been "reprehensible."
Goodyear, a resident of McCain's home state of Arizona, co-founded DCI Group in 1996 after being active in politics, according to the firm's Web site. He was political director for the Colorado GOP in the 1980s and managed Pete Dawkins's unsuccessful 1988 U.S. Senate campaign in New Jersey.
As national convention coordinator, Goodyear served as a liaison between the McCain campaign and the national party.
Matt Burns, a convention spokesman, said the convention staff will proceed with mapping out details of the event, to run Sept. 1-4 in St. Paul, Minn.
"We're going to have a successful convention in September," Burns said. "We look forward to it, and planning is moving forward, as it has been for more than a year."
Maria Cino, who served as deputy transportation secretary to President Bush, is the president and chief of the convention.
McCain has been attacked by rivals for allowing his campaign to be run by lobbyists and former lobbyists, despite his own rhetoric against special interests. His inner circle of staffers include senior adviser Charles Black, who recently left his lobbying firm to join the campaign full time, and campaign manager Rick Davis, who also had once been a registered lobbyist.
DCI's many clients over the years have included General Motors, Exxon Mobil, Verizon and Morgan Stanley, according to federal disclosure forms. The firm is expert in targeting voters and persuading them to contact their elected officials, a mechanism called grass-roots lobbying. But it has also lobbied lawmakers directly and has registered to lobby for a long list of clients at the federal level.
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The veteran political operative chosen by Sen. John McCain to run the Republican National Convention this summer abruptly resigned yesterday after Newsweek reported that the lobbying and public relations firm he heads once represented the Burmese government.
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So, Candidates, Who's It Going to Be?
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The Fix -- ever vigilant when it comes to the veepstakes -- is ready. Below, you'll find the five most logical veeps, assuming McCain and Obama are the candidates, ranked in the order of the likelihood of being chosen. No. 1 on each side is currently the likeliest to be named.
5 Mitt Romney: A few months ago, it would have seemed crazy to include Romney on a list of potential McCain vice presidential picks. It was an open secret that the two men didn't like each another, but politics is a funny game, and Romney is charting an aggressive fundraising schedule on behalf of McCain over the coming months.
4 Charlie Crist: No single politician had more to do with McCain becoming his party's standard-bearer than the governor of Florida. Crist's endorsement of the senator from Arizona just before the Sunshine State primary put McCain over the top and cemented his grip on the nomination. But, if polling is to be believed, McCain may have an easier time there if Obama is the nominee and won't necessarily need Crist.
3 Rob Portman: Portman, who spent 12 years in Congress before several stints in the Bush White House, will be one of the finalists for the job. Why? He hails from Ohio -- perhaps the swingingest of swing states this fall -- and is widely acknowledged as an expert on economics.
2 John Thune: Thune is handsome and articulate and comes across as a moderate, despite his very clear conservative voting record. Thune is also a hero in conservative circles, thanks to his defeat of then-Sen. Tom Daschle (S.D.) in 2004. The one knock on Thune is that he hails from a state that is already well in hand for Republicans.
1 Tim Pawlenty: The Minnesota governor remains the single possibility in the Republican vice presidential field who best fits what McCain wants and needs in a VP. Pawlenty has been elected twice in a Democratic-leaning state that is almost certain to be a battleground in the fall. He is liked and respected by both conservatives and moderates, and he gets rave reviews for his political instincts. He has also known McCain for nearly three decades and, at 47, could allay some concerns about McCain's age.
5 Sam Nunn: It's hard to argue with Nunn's place as one of the preeminent Democratic thinkers on foreign policy and defense issues. He spent more than two decades in the Senate representing Georgia and chaired the Armed Services Committee. That résumé, coupled with the fact that Nunn is a white Southerner, could well make him an appealing pick for Obama.
4 Tim Kaine: Kaine's great strengths in this process are biography and geography. A former missionary and a man who is eager to talk about his faith, Kaine could help Obama bridge the "God gap" that has emerged in recent presidential elections. He is also the highest-ranking elected official in Virginia, an emerging battleground state, and his popularity, coupled with Obama's appeal to African American voters statewide and white voters in Northern Virginia, could make the contest for the Old Dominion a barnburner.
3 Hillary Clinton: After Clinton's speech in Indianapolis last Tuesday, many within the party thought she was opening the door to the idea of sharing the ticket with Obama. Her rhetoric since then, however, particularly her comments about "white voters," may well quash the "Dream Ticket" talk before it begins in earnest. While Clinton has broad and deep support within the Democratic Party, picking her as vice president would seem to run counter to Obama's change message.
2 Ted Strickland: Although Obama may not feel compelled to name Clinton to the ticket, he is well aware of the need to offer an olive branch of sorts to the backers of the senator from New York. Strickland, the first-term governor of Ohio, may fit the bill. Not only is he an active and high-profile Clinton supporter, but he is also the popular chief executive of a state that Obama must find a way to win if he hopes to be president.
1 Kathleen Sebelius: The second-term Kansas governor earns the top spot because of her ability to further bolster Obama's strengths while not exacerbating his weaknesses. Picking Sebelius would affirm Obama's core message of change and would give Obama's run even more historic weight. Sebelius's electoral success in traditionally Republican Kansas would also echo Obama's pledge to change the electoral map in the fall.
Tim Albrecht, who was Mitt Romney's press guy in Iowa, has landed at the American Future Fund -- a not-for-profit organization that has already funded a slew of ads boasting of potentially vulnerable Sen. Norm Coleman's (R-Minn.) legislative accomplishments. Albrecht will serve as national communications director for the group, which is stocked with Republican consultants and is widely rumored to be the most likely conduit for soft-money donations to be spent on some of the most hotly contested Senate races this fall.
NINE DAYS: Senate Democrats believe Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) is one of the most vulnerable incumbents seeking reelection. But their preferred candidate, state House Speaker Jeff Merkley, has struggled so far and is in danger of losing the May 20 primary to feisty party activist Steve Novick.
20 DAYS: The Democratic National Committee's Rules and Bylaws Committee meets in Washington in the hope of resolving what to do with the delegates selected in invalidated primaries in Michigan and Florida. Could May 31 be Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's last day in the race if the ruling goes against her?
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Sen. Barack Obama's victory in North Carolina and near-miss in Indiana last week remove much of the doubt about whether he will win the Democratic nomination for president. With Obama the likely Democratic nominee and Sen. John McCain long his party's presumptive nominee, the search for their vice...
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Union Influence Sways Montgomery Budget Talks
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Over the past two decades, the influence of the unions representing public employees in the county has grown dramatically. Former and current government officials say Montgomery's bargaining system -- along with labor's political clout -- gives workers as strong a voice, if not stronger, than taxpayers in budget talks.
For years, union leaders Gino Renne, Walter Bader and John J. Sparks have been a driving force behind improving working conditions for Montgomery's bus drivers, social workers, police officers, firefighters and other employees. Recent labor contracts provide most workers with salary increases of 26 to 29 percent over three years, including 8 percent this fiscal year for most general government workers.
Their impact goes beyond salary negotiations: The three have had a hand in defining the role of library volunteers, choosing the lawyers the county hires to negotiate contracts, organizing lifeguards and leaf collectors and enhancing labor's role in overseeing a $3 billion retirement system.
The County Council has the final say in approving contracts negotiated by the county executive but rarely exercises its power as a backstop.
"Although you may know in your heart that the only way to deal with this particular deficit is to broach the union contracts, it is difficult for politicians who wish to be reelected to vote against the union contracts because the unions can rise up and defeat you," said former council member Nancy Dacek, who was defeated after three terms by a union-backed rival.
Personnel costs will account for 80 percent of spending in fiscal 2009. Members of Renne's Municipal and County Government Employee Organization are slated to receive raises of 4.5 percent in July; in addition, most would continue to receive 3.5 percent annual step increases. General government workers are scheduled to receive general pay raises of 4 percent in the District and 4.5 percent on average in Fairfax County.
Council members Phil Andrews (D-Gaithersburg-Rockville) and Duchy Trachtenberg (D-At Large) last week recommended reducing raises by two percentage points, in part to offset the property tax increase proposed by County Executive Isiah Leggett (D). But that idea has not gained traction with their colleagues.
"We do not have to balance this budget on the backs of working people," council member Valerie Ervin (D-Silver Spring) told the hundreds of union members who lined up to defend their contracts at a public hearing last week.
Union leaders add that talk of a fiscal crisis is overblown and that raises are necessary to attract talent to deliver services residents have come to expect.
"We come to work, we serve the public and we expect to receive what we bargained for in good faith," Renne said.
In a heavily Democratic county, the unions' strength is part politics, part personality and part policy. Human Resources director Joseph Adler, who has worked at the state level, said the premise of collective bargaining is that both sides come to the table as equals.
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As Montgomery County's elected officials prepare this week to raise taxes and trim services to close a projected $300 million budget shortfall, most are reluctant to roll back raises negotiated by powerful union leaders.
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More Than 20 Killed as Storms Race Across U.S.
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A powerful storm system that has spun off several tornadoes and killed more than 20 people from Oklahoma to Georgia is expected to continue soaking the Washington area today, dumping up to two to three inches of rain on already-waterlogged ground, forecasters said yesterday.
Meteorologists said Washington would probably be spared the kind of damage inflicted on places including Picher, Okla.; Racine, Mo.; and Kite, Ga. The fast-moving storm, the latest in an especially deadly year for tornadoes, sped from the Great Plains to the Georgia coast in about 24 hours, flinging cars, toppling trees and smashing houses into fields of debris.
Forecasters said a remnant of the storm arrived last night and was expected to cross the Washington area today, whipping winds up to 40 mph. The storm could trigger minor flooding as heavy rains fall on a region still cleaning up from the last round of severe weather, when twisters hit Stafford County on Friday morning.
"The water's not going to have as much [of] a place to go," said Sarah Rogowski of the National Weather Service office in Sterling. "With the soil already saturated, you're going to have much more water standing on top."
More than 3 1/2 inches of rain were measured by midnight at Dulles International Airport, and water was surging onto low-lying roads throughout the Washington region.
In Fairfax County, firefighters began advising people in the Huntington area to evacuate as waters rose in flood-prone Cameron Run. High water was reported from St. Mary's County in Maryland to Spotsylvania County in Virginia, in Stafford and in Loudoun counties and in the Gainesville area of Prince William County, where numerous roads were reported closed.
In Maryland, small streams and ditches overflowed in Charles County, and flooding or high water was also reported in Frederick and Montgomery Counties.
The weather service issued a flood warning for the District and nearby Virginia to last until 5:30 a.m. today.
Already, officials said yesterday, this storm has made an awful year for tornadoes even worse. With 22 deaths over the past two days -- six in Oklahoma, 15 in Missouri and one in Georgia -- the toll from tornadoes stands at about 96, according to weather service statistics.
That means there have been more tornado-related deaths so far in 2008 than in any full year since 2000, the earliest year for which records were available yesterday. Last year's total was 81, and a typical year had fewer than 60.
Greg Carbin, who studies severe storms for the weather service, said it was unclear whether it was anything but bad luck, as tornadoes veered toward populous areas.
"I don't really have an answer as to why the numbers are the way they are," Carbin said.
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A powerful storm system that has spun off several tornadoes and killed more than 20 people from Oklahoma to Georgia is expected to continue soaking the Washington area today, dumping up to two to three inches of rain on already-waterlogged ground, forecasters said yesterday.
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Jenna Bush Marries at Texas Ranch
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Jenna, 26, exchanged vows with Richmond native Henry Hager, 30, before about 200 family members and close friends. Afterward, according to the Bush family's super-guarded plans, they were to gather for dinner and dancing under a tent at the ranch.
It was the 23rd time that a child of a sitting chief executive had gotten married, and the first since 1992, when President George H.W. Bush's daughter Doro wed in a private ceremony at Camp David. Despite a flood of reporters clamoring for information, White House officials doled out only a few tidbits Saturday, citing the family's desire to keep the event private.
"Some details just will not be reported," said Sally McDonough, Laura Bush's press secretary.
What is known, according to details released from the White House:
· The bride wore a white silk organza embroidered gown by Oscar de la Renta, a favorite of the first lady. He also designed a deep turquoise mother-of-the-bride gown; the groom, like the other men in the wedding, wore a suit rather than black tie.
· It was a Texas-size wedding party, with a total of 30 attendants: Jenna's twin sister, Barbara, as maid of honor, wearing a long "moonstone blue" silk gown; 14 other young women in short chiffon dresses, all by designer Lela Rose; Hager's older brother, Jack, as best man; and 14 ushers.
· The ceremony was held outside, in front of a limestone altar and cross that the president had erected by a lake and which will remain as a permanent structure on the ranch.
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CRAWFORD, Tex., May 10 -- President Bush gave away his daughter Jenna in marriage Saturday night, in a private sunset ceremony under hazy skies on his 1,600-acre ranch.
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The Life and Death of Pat Tillman
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Mary Tillman will be doing a reading 7 p.m.. Monday, May 12 at Olsson's-Penn Quarter, 418 7th St. NW, Washington D.C.
Mary Tillman: Hello, My name is Mary Tillman. I'm taking this time to respond to questions you have about my book, Boots on the Ground By Dusk: My Tribute to Pat Tillman, or questions about the investigation into Pat's death.
Virginia: Hello. My prayers are with you. Will you advise young people to go in the military?
Mary Tillman: Thank you. I do believe going into the military is honorable, however I would not advise young men and women to join the military at this time. This administration does not have the interest of the soldiers in mind, and the situations in Iraq and Afghanistan are not being handled responsibly.
Anonymous: Based on what you know (found out), do you feel there were attempts to cover up?
Mary Tillman: Yes, I know there was an attempt to cover up Pat's death. The Congressional Oversight Committee has already said there was a cover up in Pat's death. The committee, however, can't determine where accountablility falls.
Charlottesville, Va.: Hello Mrs. Tillman,
First, I greatly admire your son, Pat.
Have you lost faith in our country, given the way you have been treated? I am a Vietnam vet and find myself more and more disappointed in our government and even our society. We seem to be losing our way.
Mary Tillman: Thank you for your gracious words about Pat. I have not lost faith in this country, but I'm disgusted with this coubtry's leaders right now. The current administration has lied repeated to the American public in the last eight years, and Congress has not held anyone accountable. Congress has the power to hold them accountable, but not the courage to do so. The public must be more vigilant.
Milwaukee, Wisc.: I applaud your family for fighting so hard for the truth to be know about your son's tragic death. Has the Defense Department answered, to your satisfaction, your questions? In light of your family's plight, do you see any changes or improvements with regard to leveling with family members?
Mary Tillman: The Defense Department has raised more questions than it has answered with regard to Pat's death. Much of the information we have received is quite troubling to us. I'm hoping the book draws attention to the deception and that public pressure may cause some changes.
Anonymous: Have you met other families dealing with the similar situation? And, how far up the government ladder to you think the cover-up went?
Mary Tillman: We have met at least six families that are in the same situation we are in, and we have received emails or letters from many others. I believe the cover up went straight to Rumsfeld. Rumsfeld wrote a letter to Pat after he enlisted thanking him for joining the Army. Pat was cetainly in his radar. My family and I learned that Rumsfeld sent a memo to the Deputy Sec. of the Army a year or so after Pat's enlistment, indicating he believed Pat was a special young man at that the military should keep an eye on him. It is not believable that Rumsfeld was not told of Pat's "friendly fire" death right away. He had to be involved in the cover up.
Rockford, Mich.: Have any of the politicians on Capitol Hill been helpful in you search for the truth about your son's death?
Perhaps Sen. James Webb (Va.) might be sympathetic to your cause? His only son is a Marine infantryman in Iraq and his novels over the past 30 years have dealt with themes of integrity, honor, and betrayal. I was particularly struck by the parallels between your son's fratricide and Webb's novel "Something to Die For" (with Silver Star on the front cover).
Mary Tillman: There have been Congressmen who have been quite helpful at various points. I have not contacted Sen. Webb, but I have been told by several individuals recently that I should. Thank you for suggesting him.
Tampa, Fla.: I've read that your son had some problems with military over religious issues. Could you discuss this, if you don't mind?
Mary Tillman: Pat was never confronted by anyone to our knowledge, but a Colonel Kazlaurich made insulting remarks about Kevin and the rest of our family for not being religious. He made the remarks in his testimony during the investigation and during an interview with an ESPN reporter.
Auberry, Calif. : Mrs. Tillman, you have my utmost sympathy for the loss of your son, and you fully deserve the full story as to what happened to him. My question is twofold: Do you see a parallel in the aftermath of Pat's death in the Jessica Lynch incident? And second, a Sports Illustrated article on Pat mentioned that he was on the mission to free her from captivity -- has she thanked you and Pat's brother for his part in her rescue?
Mary Tillman: There is certainly a parallel in the Jessica Lynch incident and Pat's death. Both stories wre contrived by the military. The military and the administration used two young people for their propaganda purposes. Jessica did thank Kevin for his part in her rescue when we were at a Congressional hearing last spring.
Bowie, Md.: As far as you have been able to determine, was Pat intentionally shot by his own men? If so, why?
Mary Tillman: We do not believe at this time that Pat was intentionally killed by his own men. We did question that at various points in the last four years, however, due to the suspicious nature of the information. We now believe the soldiers were grossly negligent and there should have been more accountability.
I admire your son for placing duty to country above his career in sports. To what extent do you think your son's celebrity influenzed the military's response to his death?
Mary Tillman: Unfortunaltely, I believe the fact Pat was high profile contributed to the military's attempt to use him as a propaganda tool,however the military has a pattern of covering up the truth of soldiers' deaths.
Bethesda, Md.: Mrs. Tillman, thank you for sharing your rief and frustration. I hope the latter leads to some much-needed changes in military procedures.
I was wondering about Pat's wife, who I believe is also named Mary. Clearly she is a much more private person, which is fine. Since losing a spouse may be even more difficult than losing a child (I've lost both, and both are wrenching), I hope she has been able to come to terms with all this and find a bit of peace.
Mary Tillman: Thank you for your words of comfort. Marie is doing well. She has very hard days, of course, but she is moving on with her life. Currently, she is heading Pat's foundation and doing a wonderful job.
Colonel Kazlaurich made insulting remarks about Kevin and the rest of our family for not being religious: That is frighteningly UnAmerican... that REALLY scares me if we're turning into a nation where the military coerces folks into certain religons. Do people remember why this nation was founded?
Omaha, Neb.: Dear Mrs. Tillman, I would like to take this opportunity to tell you how much I admire your son. It must bring you great joy knowing you and your husband raised such a fine human being. After your son's death, I read his book I've got things to do with my life, I collected as many news clippings as possible, purchased his Cardinal game jersey and still wear the wrist band that says, "Never forget #40." Your son seemed to have life figured out. To live the way he did, a life with no regrets is something very rare. I one day would like to visit your son's grave, and pay my respects to a incredible human being. I realize that you receive thousands of e-mails about Pat and can't reply to all of them, but if you do get the chance I would be honored to hear from you. I wish you and your family only the best. Respectfully, Mark Mallett. My e-mail address is jimslappy1@yahoo.com. Once again, thank you.
Mary Tillman: I thank you for your kind words about Pat.
Mexico City: Mrs. Tillman, is it true that your son Pat vehemently opposed the war in Iraq, as I have read in several sources?
Mary Tillman: Yes, Pat did oppose the war in Iraq.
Rockville, Md.: Forgive me for this basic question, but what first made you beleive that Pat's death was a cover-up by the DOD.
Mary Tillman: We first suspected something was wrong when we heard four different versions of Pat's death in a two month period.
Woodbridge, Va.: Mary...I am sorry for your loss. Pat was an outstanding person and his service to our country is to be commended. What role, if any, has faith in god or religion played for you in your family both prior to his death and during your recovery?...Thanks
Mary Tillman: We are not a religious family. Thinking about the fine person Pat was and reminding ourselves how lucky we were to have had him in our lives has helped us heal.
Arlington, Va.: Your book is well written and is a wonderful tribute to your son. I look forward to meeting you this evening at Olsson's.
Mary Tillman: Thank you so much. I appreciate your compliment. I will see you this evening. I look forward to meeting you as well.
I look forward to reading your book. I think that this is an amazing way to channel your grief and shine a light on the truth that for some reason was missing from the story of someone who really valued it. You exemplify the spirit of motherhood, fighting for your kids and the truth as you have.
Has anyone officially apologized for the way your family was treated? And I mean the lying about and exploitation of his death?
Mary Tillman: Thank you for your kind words. The military has apologized for mistakes and errors, and certainly mistakes and errors were made; however, there was also a deliberate attempt to cover up the truth of what happened to Pat in order to use him as a propganda tool. No one will admit to that or apologize for it. Those responsible must be held accountable.
Harrisburg, Pa.: One of my prized possession is a football card that your son signed for me. I thank you for being with us today in what I know must be a hard subject to continually speak about. Would you please tell us a little about how your son felt about football and how he put service to his country above even his career?
Mary Tillman: Pat loved playing football, however, after the September 11th tragedy, Pat and his brother felt football and baseball were no longer important. Many young men and women were giving up the really important things in life: their freedom, their voice, and time with their families and friends to serve their country, Pat and Kevin felt they should do the same. Howver, they did not know the administration would be change course and go to Iraq.
Richmond, Va.: I have to say I've been pretty cynical about your son's choices, or perhaps confused. Not that I think he should have chosen the football because of the money or fame or safety -- but more not convinced he could have made a difference in such a messed up situation? Honorable, yes.
But I have read here and feel I have learned a lot about personal strength from your writing. Thank you.
Mary Tillman: Thank you for asking the questions.
New York City: Hello Mary. I had read that Pat had spoken openly about his views on the Iraq War being an unjust and illegal war, and that before his death he had made plans to meet and discuss this with Noam Chomsky and perhaps go public. Do you know if this was true, and if so, whether he may have been silenced because as a high profile soldier, his anti-war stance may have been deemed dangerous by pro-war interests?
Mary Tillman: Pat did speak openly about his discomfort over the Iraq invasion. He also was planning to meet with Noam Chomsky because he found his views interesting and wanted to discuss them. Pat had a friend who went to MIT, he was arranging the visit. I have no way of knowing if Pat would have gone public with his views. He was not anti-war, but he strongly questioned our invasion of Iraq. Pat was a free thinker.
Lexington, Ky.: What have you found to be the most effective way to cope with such a tremendous loss?
Mary Tillman: For me, it has been by talking about Pat and remember what a fine person he was. I have also found it healing to write the book
Mary Tillman: I would like to thank everyone for your questions. You have been very gracious.
For those of you who have not read the book, it is called Boots On the Ground By Dusk: My Tribute to Pat Tillman.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
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Join live discussions from the Washington Post. Feature topics include national, world and DC area news, politics, elections, campaigns, government policy, tech regulation, travel, entertainment, cars, and real estate.
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The Chat House - washingtonpost.com
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Southeast Michigan: Hey Mike -- I felt like I needed to write after Friday's "PTI" where you discussed empty seats at Red Wings games. I can attest that the horrible state of Michigan's economy bears most if not all of the fault. The bulk of Wings fans in the area are blue-collar suburbanites -- auto workers, construction, etc. -- and when the belts are tightened, the cost of tickets/travel to the Joe are the first thing to go, especially given that all the games are televised. It's a tough situation with seemingly no end in sight. Thanks for the time.
Michael Wilbon: And thank you for the insight. ... Hi everybody, just getting back from Bristol, Conn., at the Mothership where I spent the weekend doing NBA stuff and travel right now is a nightmare ... sorry I'm late. Anyway, we'll do plenty of NBA, some NHL and whatever else people are into. ... Here we go.
Raleigh, N.C.: I watched your appearance on "Costas Now" this weekend on HBO. I am a huge "PTI" fan and have been for a few years. After watching you on HBO, I have a whole new level of admiration for you as a journalist. I am a 31-year-old African American female sports fan, and the things you said about race and sports completely sum up my sentiments, but in the black community it can be an unpopular opinion You also have gotten to read real sports columns in the newspaper (which I never really have done). Thank you for opening my eyes about real sports journalism and thank you for your voice. Keep doing what you're doing Mr. Wilbon!
Michael Wilbon: Thank you. ... We've gotten quite a bit of feedback about the "Costas Now," and HBO has gotten so much that they're thinking about doing some of the individual segments as entire shows. I hope they do, because the media needs to be so much more accountable than it is...
More Mayo: This guy Louis Johnson seems like he doesn't have any scruples whatsoever and is a desperate man. He has the random luck to fall into the "inner circle" of a star, then can't hang and falls out, and shows how much of a friend he really was -- a friend who sells cocaine, and collects evidence of your questionable amateur status.
The college status is something that's pushed to the edge by a lot of stars and their circles, including whether they actually are attending classes and doing the homework, coach/staff contact outside of proscribed standards, and lifestyles above their means. It doesn't seem to mean much, and Mayo is under question only because he had a really rotten apple in his circle.
Michael Wilbon: Well, Mayo has to take some accountability. He took the money knowingly. Now, everything else I'm largely with you -- the sleazy adults who prey on these kids get whatever ridicule and shunning they deserve. Tim Floyd should be fired, the athletic director at Southern Cal should be fired, and the football program and all its coaches should be put on notice.
Dulles Airport, Va.: How worried should the Celtics be that they have yet to win a road game? Is this a "must-win situation" tonight in Cleveland?
Michael Wilbon: The Celtics should be very worried simply because no championship team has won fewer than three road games on the way to the title. And the Celtics aren't close in these road games. ... Remember, they've never played together in the playoffs until now, and that could be a factor. If the Celtics can't win on the road, they're not going to win the championship. Having said that, the Cavs are in the must-win situation tonight. Cleveland has to win, not Boston, tonight.
Barno, Md.: Who would you rank No. 1 among NBA basketball color analysts? For my money, the guy who dissects a game best has got to be Hubie Brown. The man is 74 years old, and yet he sees the action as well as anyone out there. Thoughts?
Michael Wilbon: For me, Doug Collins and Hubie Brown. ... There are a ton of good NBA analysts because they're candid ... I love listening to Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy and my partners, Bill Walton and Jon Barry. ... But Collins and Brown are Hall of Famers with microphones ... I have the added benefit of getting to have dinners on the road with each of them. ... They're storytellers who played and coached at the highest levels and are not full of themselves and can criticize without ridiculing. ... They're just so damn good at explaining the game and opening up your head to what's happening and what might happen and should happen next.
Washington: I saw you on Bob Costas's special on the changing media, athletes and race, and you were excellent. If ever there were program that Ralph Wiley should have been around to see and participate in, that was it. My question is, has an athlete ever asked you advice in terms of how to handle themselves or how to speak out on race, or is that a dumb question given the makeup of today's athletes?
Michael Wilbon: Thank you. ... And my goodness, Ralph Wiley would have been so, so great for that show -- yes, you're right. And yes, there are more than a few athletes -- not all of them black by the way -- who've asked me about dealing with race in their public comments. ... Believe me, one of the fascinating things about being in a locker room all the time is the not-for-public consumption conversations you have with coaches and athletes -- real conversations, not just guys standing before a microphone and saying what owners and coaches want them to say. And yes, race is always up for discussion. And I've learned more from those conversations than I've contributed.
HBO and you: So, Mike, help those of us who don't have HBO ... what did you say about race and sports on Costas's show?
Michael Wilbon: Sorry, but there's not enough time here for that. There must be a way you can go online and see HBO. I hope you can, because the show -- even without my participation -- was compelling television. HBO, specifically Bryant Gumbel and Bob Costas, do the absolutely greatest work regarding sports and culture on television today.
Baltimore: Hey Mike. So what happened to the buzz about Tom Izzo and the Bulls? Does it pick up again now that D'Antoni went to New York? Moreover, as a Bulls fan, would you really want Izzo? Lest we be reminded of Pitino, Tarkanian, Kruger, Montgomery, etc., maybe it's a good thing that that talk seems to have died down, right?
Michael Wilbon: Izzo's a bit different because he's always around pro basketball ... goes to games and practices. ... Izzo reminds me in that way of Jimmy Johnson, who did the same thing while he was coaching at Oklahoma State ... Jimmy would go to NFL practices and chalk-talks. Izzo's like that, which I think gives him a better chance to do well than others.
I think Tom Thibodeau, the Boston Celtics' defensive guru, will be the next head coach of the Bulls. The Bulls don't pay big bucks to high-profile coaches ... never have. Dick Motta was a little-known college coach back in the day. Doug Collins had been a college assistant and that was his first pro head coaching job. Phil Jackson was Collins's assistant who'd come to him from the CBA because owner Jerry Reinsdorf wanted Phil and had followed his career. Tim Floyd ... oh please. Scott Skiles was in need of a gig. The Bulls weren't ever going to hire D'Antoni in my opinion -- it doesn't fit what the team does.
San Diego: Was Mark Jackson disappointed that he didn't get the Knicks job, even though he didn't have any experience?
Michael Wilbon: Yes. ... Pat Riley didn't have any experience either. The NBA isn't the NFL -- guys actually do come out of the booth to coach in the NBA now and then and do fairly well. Phil Jackson, as I mentioned, never had had any experience, though he did coach in the CBA for, I believe, the Albany Patroons...
Salt Lake City: I appreciated your column on Jazz fans and Fisher the other day. I don't defend the booing (which, thankfully, appears to have stopped). Here's the question, though, that created the resentment: If the best care was available in New York (as might be inferred from the fact that that's where Fisher went last year) and if making the best possible decision for his daughter's treatment (not a good decision, but the best decision) was paramount, why did Fisher choose Los Angeles (and the Lakers) over New York (and perhaps the Knicks or Nets)? No one, including Fisher, has answered that -- and it's certainly his right not to -- but that's the question. Do you know how Fisher would answer it?
washingtonpost.com: For Fisher, Cheers, Tears And Boos (Post, May 9)
Michael Wilbon: The doctors who performed the procedures in New York weren't of New York. They went to New York, at least one did. Fisher told me the doctors in New York were the ones advising him on exactly what to do and where to go, based largely on Tatum's needs, but the needs of their other children as well.
Charlottesville, Va.: Do you think Kobe would've won the MVP if the Lakers hadn't traded for Pau Gasol?
Michael Wilbon: Good question. No, because if the Lakers finish, say, sixth ... Chris Paul would have won...
Washington: Okay, so given that you have dinner with Doug Collins frequently, what's his take on his stint/debacle with the Wizards? Does he have any regrets on how he coached up Kwame?
Michael Wilbon: We really haven't talked about the Wizards in a long while. He has some regrets about the way he dealt with Kwame initially, but I think -- and have told Doug this -- that he takes way too much on himself for Kwame's failure. Look at Kwame now -- Phil Jackson couldn't coach him either and wanted him out. Kobe wanted him, or so he thought, then realized the kid doesn't really want to be a basketball player at the level others want him to be. And the dinners with Doug are of the pregame variety at the arena, like Wednesday in Los Angeles.
Bethesda, Md.: Wilbon, I hope you are aware of (MLS Commissioner) Don Garber's response to your tirade about streamers being present at MLS matches, saying it was "minor-league." Here is what he had to say:
"Like many of you, I watched the recent episode of ESPN's Pardon the Interruption when co-host Michael Wilbon vilified the practice of MLS fans throwing streamers at opposing players when they're getting ready to take a corner kick. 'PTI' showed video of Red Bulls midfielder Claudio Reyna with dozens of streamers around him. Wilbon, who has been a supporter of MLS and the sport of soccer in the past, was literally outraged at this practice and referred to it as 'minor league.' Clearly, I disagree. This is a unique phenomenon that happens all over the soccer world. We're playing soccer, not baseball, football or basketball. Our fans are a part of the game experience. That's one of our points of difference and part of what will drive our future success. There are plenty of sports leagues in the U.S., and we are not trying to offer the same in-stadium experience. We need to embrace the passion and electricity that makes soccer the world's most popular sport. By the way, I was recently watching a River Plate-Boca Juniors game on Fox Soccer Channel, and there were streamers flying everywhere."
As a loyal reader/fan of yours, I must inform you that you have opened Pandora's Box in reference to all of the soccer lovers out there. Now, I for one like the streamers -- it gives the soccer matches some character, and separates it from all the other major sports as fan-interactive. As long as the streamers do not cause any bodily injury or harm to the players on the field, I'm all for it. Likewise, numerous player's were quoted after the game saying they were in favor of the streamers, and that it brought out the best of what soccer has to offer. I would like to know why you are so against it? Thank you, and keep up the excellent work.
Michael Wilbon: I've talked with Don Garber through the years and he's very, very good for MLS, period, and he knows soccer a trillion times more than I ever well and what kind of entertainment experience he wants his league to have. Having said that, anything that interferes with the actual competition is bad. It's just awful. Don't under any circumstances screw around with the competition. That's not to be interactive, it's not to be influenced by anything and anybody that's not in a uniform or striped jersey on the field. Nothing and nobody is going to change my opinion on that. Ever.
Costas Now: You can buy podcasts of the episodes of "Costas Now" from the link on the right/middle of the show's Web site.
Michael Wilbon: There we have it. Thanks.
Bowie, Md.: Mike, you are of a generation that has kind of straddled both old-fashioned, get-your-feet-dirty print/TV journalism, where the outlets were the big papers and the three networks (okay, we can toss ESPN in there since it's over 25 now), and the new wave of everyone-has-a-voice/blog/Web journalism, where all the reporters are on TV giving their opinions whether informed or not. What do you miss about the old days and what do you love about the "new days"?
Michael Wilbon: Goodness, great question. We don't have enough time for that either. I'm not one to dwell on the past all that often; I like the way things are now to a great degree. I hate seeing newspapers die, but that's largely the fault of newspaper people. Yes, the changing nature of the way we communicate and advertising realities have changed the way newspapers operate, sadly, but too many of them are badly edited. The decision-makers are out of touch and have been for years. I hate that because I love newspapers -- now people don't even have any idea what they're supposed to do, what reporters are supposed to do. ... But, we move on, right? I can't just live in the old days. But I'll die reading the newspaper just about every single day of the week.
Washington: Hi Wilbon -- long-time reader and fan of your work. First, congrats on the birth of your son; as a new dad, I know it is both an awesome responsibility and a source of endless joy. Any thoughts on Romo's offseason antics (trying to make the U.S. Open, throwing out the first pitch at Wrigley)? Will he be ready for training camp and arguably the most important Dallas season since the Super Bowl win in '95? Also -- any chance the Wiz get Elton Brand? Thanks very much.
Michael Wilbon: Thank you. Matthew is doing just fine, thank you. I applaud what Romo is doing, I really do. I think football players, more than any other athletes, need a longer physical and mental break from their sports to simply recover -- and all these offseason activities and minicamps don't allow them to do that to the degree they should. Coaches would practice these players every week of their lives if allowed, and it doesn't help the sport. I'm glad Romo is spending his summer the way he is. Kudos.
Albany, N.Y.: Mike, I used to love horse racing, but now it makes me cringe. I feel like I can't watch it with my son, as I used to with my dad. Aside from the inevitable tragedies, not one horse from the Derby is stepping up to race in the Preakness. Either they modify the Triple Crown races, or it will die of its own accord.
Michael Wilbon: I don't know. ... Twice in three years to have this kind of tragedy is overwhelming. But these races have been going on for 120 years or something like that, right? There's much less interest in horse racing, nationally, than there used to be. It used to be baseball, boxing and horse racing, in that order in America. So, maybe it's fading. But I don't know whether occasional death, as awful as it is, will define to a great degree how people feel about the sport. I found it crushing, like you.
Detroit: As a Pistons fan and skeptic, even I have been impressed with their play since Game 5 of the Philly series when they were down at the half. Even without Chauncey Billups, the Pistons played Pistons basketball. With Boston struggling, I'm thinking the Pistons (should they continue to remain focused) could make it to the NBA Finals.
Michael Wilbon: Me too. The Pistons were terrible coming out of the gate, but they pulled themselves together, and the win without Billups was quite impressive -- though the Orlando Magic made the dumbest moves down the stretch after building 15-point lead. ... Anyway, gotta run and prepare for "PTI." ... Talk to you guys next week...
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
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Talk About Travel
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Got a travel-related question, comment, suspicion, warning, gripe, sad tale or happy ending? The Post Travel Section Flight Crew is at your service.
On the itinerary this week: off-the-beaten-path sightseeing in Boston; tips on making those travel dollars stretch this summer; a luxurious weekend at the Keswick Hall resort in Virginia; and a journey to discover the true history of Mother's Day.
All other travel topics are open as well. If you have insights, ideas or information to add to the discussion, just press the call button above your seat and we'll get to you as soon as we can. Different members of the Crew will rotate through the captain's chair every week, but the one constant is you, our valued passengers.
We know you have a choice in online travel forums, and speaking for the entire Flight Crew, we want to thank you for flying with us.
You may also browse an archive of previous live travel discussions. For daily dispatches, check out Travel Log, the Travel section's new blog.
Scott Vogel: Hi everybody on this dreary Monday and welcome to our weekly roundtable discussion on all things sunny and travel-related. Joining me today are KC, Andrea, Cindy, Carol and Christina, each of whom is ready to field your queries and quandaries, rants and raves. Which brings me to this: As we reported yesterday, May is traditionally the time when thoughts turn to summer vacation and those wonderfully long days ahead. But as you may have noticed, things are different this May. Thanks to a perfect storm of high gas prices, high air fares, mortgage woes and fears of recession, Americans are searching for travel bargains like never before. If you've read yesterday's story, you've heard some of our ideas (see link below). Now it's time for us to hear some of yours. What's your best suggestion for how to save money on summer vacation this year? The chatter with the coolest advice will win a particularly cool prize this week, a Swiss army flash drive/keychain/writing instrument/pen light.
washingtonpost.com: Summer Trip Planner (Post Travel Section, May 11)
Scott Vogel: Here you go.
Kingstowne, Va.: A couple of follow-up pointers from last week:
-- One chatter noted that she was flying to Edinburgh on BA and Cindy Loose noted that this would likely involve flying into Terminal 5 at LHR and then connecting to T1. Flights from Dulles, BWI, Philadelphia, and Newark are continuing to operate to T4 until further notice; flights from JFK move to T5 on June 5. Just something to consider...I'm not sure it makes any practical difference in terms of the inept baggage handling at LHR!
-- There was some discussion of the European liquid rules. The rule for what you can bring through security in the EU (including the UK) is similar to the USA except that the plastic bag is a one-litre bag and the containers are 100-millilitre containers. Supposedly the TSA people have been instructed to allow these sizes, which are MINIMALLY bigger than the sizes in the weird measurements we use here, but the TSA doesn't publicize it. More importantly, as to duty-free, you can buy airside duty-free liquids at any airport in the EU and carry it through security onto your connecting flight provided you maintain it in the sealed bag from the duty-free shop and you carry your receipt proving that the purchase was made within the last 24 hours. (Thus, if you buy liquor in Copenhagen, you are supposed to be able to carry it through security at Flight Connections at Heathrow and onto your flight to the USA. I think it's easier just to go to the whisky shop in T3 or T4.....) HOWEVER, when you arrive in the USA, you'll be forced to check it if you have a connection because we obviously know so much more about security than the EU people do. If the airport to which you first fly in the USA is your final destination, you need not worry about this.
Cindy Loose: Great advice, thanks.
And you are right that BA has delayed sending flights from D.C. into the new terminal, as you describe. The difference last week was that the person flying already lives abroad and so was initially taking a flight within Europe, so she would e using the new terminal.
Fairfax, Virginia: We will be going to Paris in several weeks -- could you please make some suggestions about how we travel from Charles DeGaulle airport to inner city Paris -- we will be staying near the Franklin Roosevelt metro station -- my husband has some back problems so the mode of transportation cannot be to difficult -- thanks.
Also any suggestions about clothing for early June?
Christina Talcott: There are a bunch of ways to get into Paris from Charles de Gaulle, among them the Airport Shuttle, which is about 30 euros per person. (See different options at www.paris.org/Airports.) The RER is the cheapest way to get into the city; take it from the airport to Chatelet, then transfer to line A or 1 to get to the FDR stop. I've only ever taken the RER or a taxi (which I'd recommend against because of the cost), so I'm curious to hear from people who've taken the airport shuttle, Air France bus or RoissyBus - anyone out there who can share?
As for clothes, I'd bring/wear lots of layers because it could be 80 and sunny or 50 and rainy - like DC in May, huh?
Alexandria, Va.: I noted the following comment in Scott Vogel's story in yesterday's paper: "Let's not mince words. Only a chump would take a long driving vacation this summer unless there was a gas card waiting for him when he got to his destination. Really."
I find this statement to be somewhat offensive. I've got a driving vacation to Nova Scotia planned, and part of the reason for driving is that it winds up being more cost-effective than flying and renting a car, and it avoids the hassles of (a) dealing with the TSA, (b) connecting in Boston or Montreal, and (c) being limited in one's luggage (golf clubs will be part of what I take). The trip from Alexandria to Portland (where one catches the Cat Ferry to Nova Scotia) is about 560 miles; I drive a manual-shift Acura TL and at 30 mpg on the highway, that distance is not even a tank and a half of gas. Yes, I have to use 93 octane, but who cares? At $4.00 a gallon, the drive from here to Portland runs about $75 of gas plus some tolls. The drive around Nova Scotia uses a bit more gas because it's not Interstate-grade driving (and thus the mileage suffers a little), but the point is this:
Supposed I spend $400 on gas for the trip. For two people to fly to Halifax, I'd be looking at around $600 per person, plus bag-check fees (golf clubs would likely be overweight, too), plus car rental of around $1,000 for a midsize car for the two-week period we have planned. So as far as I'm concerned, even with the roundtrip $729 fare on the Cat Ferry (five-and-a-half hours from Portland to Yarmouth, versus driving at least ten hours via New Brunswick), I come out ahead on a driving vacation compared to flying.
It seems to me that the real "chump" is the person who automatically panics just because gas costs more than it did in prior years. You can't put your life on hold just because some things are more expensive.
Scott Vogel: Well, of course, I didn't mean to offend. In fact, the "chumps" I was referring to are not people who take driving trips, but those who do it UNLESS there is a gas card waiting for them at their destination (which is somewhat facetious, but you get the idea). Driving trips themselves are not only a good idea these days but may well be essential given the present economic climate.
Baltimore, Md.: What do you do when you're on a road trip and your car breaks down? My 21-year-old son called me Friday night to tell his car broke down on the side of a highway in West Virginia. I told him to dial #77 to get the State Police and a tow truck to the nearest town. Fortunately, that worked. But not every state has #77. What should a traveler do?
Cindy Loose: This makes a good case for joining AAA or an alternative road service service, if I may be allowed to say that.
Besides that or calling police, I can't think of any alternative, can anyone else?
College Park, Md.: I am planning a conference this fall for a small non-profit organization. Approximately 60 people will be traveling from every state in the country and from a couple of US territories.
I need a way to arrange flights from 45 different states and 2 US territories as cheaply as possible. The non-profit will pay for all flights, and since we are small, money IS an object.
Do you know of any web sites or companies that can help? Is there anyone who can give us a discounted rate?
Any thoughts will be greatly appreciated.
Christina Talcott: Boy, we're pretty stumped about that. Any chatters have suggestions for College Park?
Cleveland, Ohio: To the person with the stress fracture who was looking for a drivable city to visit... how about Cleveland? We have tons of great restaurants (including 2 by the new American Iron Chef, Michael Symon), museums, a botanical garden, shopping, a wonderful theater district and a great baseball team if you are into sports. Unlike in larger cities, driving and parking are a breeze in Cleveland.
Scott Vogel: Here's a belated suggestion in response to a question submitted a few weeks back.
Alexandria, Va: I have read recommendations from people who indicate travelers should bring healthy food with them on trips to avoid the food courts at airports. However, I thought that security restrictions prohibited food, even something like a packaged granola bar, in carry-on bags. Obviously I could put healthy snacks in my checked bags but I think that defeats the purpose if the idea is to have something when you are facing a 2 to 3-hour delay. Can you clarify what food stuffs can be brought through security?
KC Summers: No, the rules don't prohibit all food, just gels and liquids. So you're perfectly fine bringing granola bars, baggies of trail mix and nuts, carrots, sandwiches etc. And you can even bring gels (yogurt, Jell-O, etc) and liquids if they're in 3-ounce containers or smaller -- although remember they have to fit into your Zip-Loc bag. Go to the TSA Web site for a complete list of foods allowed: http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm#10
"Summer" Travel: I've found that great way to save a bit o' coin on travelling is, frankly, to travel just outside of the peak travel season. So yes, technically I'm not really talking about "summer" travel. But travelling just before Memorial Day, and travelling just after Labor Day, often yields pretty substantial savings even though the summer weather hasn't left us completely yet. For example, Rehoboth in the later weeks of September has some astonishing room rates, especially when compared to what they charge in the height of July.
Scott Vogel: Absolutely -- shoulder seasons, if you can get the time off, offer great bargains.
Washington, D.C.: I'd like to take my mom on a hot air balloon ride for her birthday (its been a dream of hers forever). Any ideas? I found one place out of Charlottesville, looking for a little closer, if possible.
Cindy Loose: Funny you should ask, because I was looking for myself last week and also trying to put together a list. I haven't called them all yet, but when looking in Va. came up with Valey Ballooning in Woodstock Va. (540 975 0192) less two hours away, Virginia Balloon Adventures in Basye Va., just over two hours away, and Shenandoah Hot Air Balloons in Front Royal, which is the closest yet, 540-636 2150.
For other locations in nearby states, you're gonna have to wait until I finish my research and run the story June 8.
Summer Vacation: My plan for a cheaper vacation is two-fold. First, I tend to take any trips during the spring, when there's less tourists anyway and so prices are lower. Second, I am planning for each of my (divorced) parents to visit me at different times. I'll take a few days off work to keep them company as they hit the sites and, inevitably, they'll pay for most of the food and any entry fees (eg Newseum, hopefully!) The only thing I usually pay for is Metro (which can add up, if they stay far outside the city). And while I use my Smartrip card, to make the "vacation" even more authentic, I stand on the left on the escalators and am in the first one in an arriving Metro car!
Scott Vogel: Well, clearly your plan is nothing if not meticulous. And as someone who just visited the Newseum courtesy my parents (thanks Dad!) I will vouch for the place as a great new destination for visitors. (If only those prices weren't so high...)
My honeymoon will take my fiance and me to St. Lucia in July. We are staying at a Sandals and know all of the pros and cons of all-inclusive resorts. That being said, I wanted an opinion on the off-resort activities in St. Lucia. Sandals offers many excursions, but would it be better to go for a separate company (cheaper, less crowded)? We are particularly interested in the Jungle Zip line and the volcano tour.
Also, I am a certified diver, and Sandals does offer diving. What have you heard about diving experiences through Sandals?
Andrea Sachs: There are definitely two sides to that coin.
If you go with the Sandals excursions, then, for the most part, you know you will be in safe hands. However, you likely will pay more booking through the resort. If you book off-site, be extra careful that the company is legit and responsible. Check with the St. Lucia Tourist Board or ask other guests for recommendations.
I personally have not heard about Sandals diving program, but most resorts have pretty standard programs, offering "certification" and dives to various sites. If your new wife takes a course, be sure you understand what kind of certification she is receiving. Most are just good for that resort stay and only in shallow water. For PADI or NAUI, you will have to take a more intensive course.
Manchester, N.H.: Just wanted to throw out a tip for your Boston-bound readers. For great food and a beer list reminiscent of The Brickskeller's, head to the Publick House on Beacon St. in Brookline. (Accessible via the T on the Green Line C train to Washington Sq.)
washingtonpost.com: You've Done This, Now Try This ( Post Travel Section, May 11)
Andrea Sachs: Good choice. I have downed a pint or two there as well.
Bowie, Md.: My suggestion for summer vacation this year might not be that original but definitely worthwhile - become a tourist in your own back yard. How many of us haven't done the things that tourists travel 1000's of miles to do in our own towns - Go to the top of the Washington Monument (or the Empire State building, etc.)? We have so much to appreciate in our own areas, we ignore the obvious. Spend a hot Saturday afternoon at an art gallery... or even your local pool. With things so expensive this year, you can transport your body someplace IF you transport your mind...
Scott Vogel: One word: staycation. I'm with ya -- sadly.
Washington, D.C.: Are you aware of any web sites that give information on the in-flight entertainment capabilities of a specific flight? For instance, how can you tell if a specific flight has personal video monitors vs. a big screen in the front of the coach cabin vs. nothing at all?
I have flights overseas in the next month. I would like to know if my specific flights will have the personal video monitors, or if I should stock up on books and magazines before I get on the plane.
Carol Sottili: Before I answer your question, have to give you all a quick report from the field. I'm in Ocean City, right on the bay, and the weather here is WILD!! Sustained winds of 39 mph, with gusts to 58 mph, and driving rain. I had to strap down balcony furniture with dog leashes and bungee chords, and the table is still levitating from wind. Coastal marsh is completely covered and building is shaking. Kind of fun in a slightly scary way. Anyone else out there get a kick out of this sort of weather?
On to your question, most airlines post info on their flights' entertainment capabilities on their Web pages. For example, if you go to Virgin Atlantic, you'll find that there is seat-back entertainment on all international flights, although not all have on-demand movies. When you check your specific flight details, it will tell you what type of plane is scheduled to fly, and you can then figure out what is offered. But it's not fail-safe. Before I took my Virgin Atlantic flight, for example, I checked the plane type, and was happy to see that I was getting an on-demand type entertainment system. But they switched planes at last minute, and I got one of the older systems. Bring books!
Tarpon Springs, Fla.: In "Summer Travel", you said to "take advantage of booking sites that allow travelers to see when airfares are the lowest in days". Can you please elaborate.
I recently searched AOL Travel for a flight from DC to SFO. My first search yielded a $181 fare. When I went back to the site a few hours later, that same flight was $237.
I know Tues and Wed is the best time to book, but what about times of day?
Scott Vogel: I really like Hotwire's TripStarter.com, which gives you a good general idea of when prices are lowest in a specific area, but you can also try Farecast.com and FareCompare.com. As you might expect, flights tend to be earliest at the ungodly hour of 5-6 a.m., which typically necessitates pulling an all-nighter and arriving at the airport around 4.
Austin, Tex.: Hi, can you post a link to the island guide that was up a while ago? It compared several islands and looked helpful in deciding where to go. thanks!
washingtonpost.com: The always popular Island Finder
Bay City, Michigan: My husband and I would like to take the train out to Salt Lake City, see the sites and then rent a car to drive to Colorado Springs to see our children and then fly back to Michigan. I wonder if anyone out there has advice on train travel and whether or not we should use a travel agent to arrange this trip. Thanks for your column--I enjoy reading it.
Cindy Loose: This doesn't seem to complicated to arrange on your own, assuming that the trains from where you are to Salt Lake City aren't terribly convoluted, and if they are, there's nothing a travel agent can do about that anyway.
Just go to www.amtrak.com. I'm guessing that you'll have to change trains in Chicago because that is a major transit point. Just make sure you can get one that is fairly direct and doesn't make you change trains with a long wait at some horrible hour. I know from D.C. to Chicago is a straight shot and inexpensive. But when I lived a time in Detroit and wanted my parents to visit, they had to go via Chicago and change at the most unbelievable times, and it ended up taking forever and then some. But from Chicago I'm guessing you'll do okay. You can find out for sure with a quick web search.
Most travel websites--the largest are www.travelocity.com, orbitz.com and expedia.com--also rent cars. Just be sure the cost you choose includes taxes and insurance.
Then again, if you'd rather not hassle with the planning, a travel agent is a good way to go. It's like any other service---they know things you don't and so the work they do will be faster than you can do it.
Chevy Chase: I will be in London next week and am looking for suggestions on where to go for a day trip from London.
I've already been to Bath.
Thanks, in advance, for any suggestions!
KC Summers: I vote for Oxford, the 15th-century town that revolves around the famous university, and it's such an easy day trip from London -- just over an hour by train. If you haven't been there, you really should make the time. Ditto for Stonehenge and Salisbury, as touristy as they are. Also, though it might sound far, Wales is just a couple of hours away and would give you a great scenery fix.
Washington, D.C. (formerly Boston, Mass.): Just curious how you arrived at the "insider" spots in Boston? I grew up in Boston and live in DC now, and while the places you mention are more off the beaten path, I'm not sure I would consider them local "favorites." For instance, I don't know any Bostonian that would choose to go to a Revolution game over a Sox game any day (going to a Rev game may be more affordable, but it certainly isn't more desirable). Oh, and no one calls the South End SoWa, sorry. I did like that you spotlighted Eastie, Santarpio's pizza is legendary.
washingtonpost.com: You've Done This, Now Try This ( Post Travel Section, May 11)
Andrea Sachs: Jane Black, the writer, was a long-time resident in Boston, so these were her picks from her pre-D.C. days. Of course, we'd love to hear your suggestions, too.
Frugal Travel: A couple suggestions for cutting down travel costs - ASK FOR IT
Get what you want -- from a more relaxing day to more soda on the plane -- simply by asking for it. At hotels, I always request a ridiculously late check-out time of 4 or 5 p.m. That way, I can enjoy a day of exploring then come back to take a shower or simply catch a blast of A/C in bed. The front desk often compromises and offers 2 or 3 p.m. -- still much better than the way-too-early listed checkout times.
This goes double if you're staying at one of the increasingly popular all-inclusive resorts. To get your money's worth, arrive at the crack of dawn for breakfast, or at least before noon, and stick around on your last day for evening cocktails. Finally, request cans on the plane, not just that tiny portion they pour over ice. You just paid $400 for your ticket; they can afford to give you a full 12 ounces.
Scott Vogel: I like these. It seems that the era of the passive traveler is (rightly) coming to an end.
Bethesda: I'm going to the Montreal Jazz Fest in July. Any suggestions on hotels or attractions? What's a better way to get to Montreal - flying or taking Amtrak?
Cindy Loose: I'm going to ask our readers to suggest Montreal hotels and attractions and just address getting there:
Amtrak is quite a nice way. Flights into Canada tend to be overpriced, but I'd check anyway. A third alternative if you don't mind driving part of the way: Get a cheap flight into Burlington Vt. or another city near the border and drive the remainder of the way.
Cheap Travel - Georgetown: Cook your own food - or fill up at the bar.
While you'll generally pay more for a hotel room with a kitchen, it can end up saving you big bucks. How? Just prepare your own meals - or buy takeout and eat it in the room. (A bagel at Publix will cost you 50 cents - at your hotel coffee shop, it's two bucks.) Also, look for hotels that offer a free breakfast bar - and don't be shy about grabbing a couple of extra pieces of fruit or boxes of cereal for snacks later. And speaking of bars, always stop by the hospitality center at SeaWorld - it's where they serve free samples of beer to guests (limit two glasses per person).
Scott Vogel: Wait, Sea World has free beer?
Definitely like the kitchenette suggestion. Prices can be more reasonable than you think. I got a place in Orlando for 40-something a night recently, and the kitchen was a life-saver.
Rockville, Md.: Please help me where Farecast won't! Wife and I are planning a getaway over Labor Day weekend to Chicago. We see airfare on Southwest for $187 roundtrip nonstop from BWI to Midway. Farecast, like Kayak and Sidestep, doesn't include Southwest in their projections. Flight Crew, I come to you to ask for your gut instinct? Pull the trigger now on the $187 fare? Or can I expect a drop? My hunch is to pull the trigger given the gloom and doom over fuel prices affecting the airline industry. Thanks!!
Carol Sottili: Normally, I 'd tell you to sign up for Southwest's Ding fares to see if it'll go lower, but this is a holiday weekend we're talking about. I'd be done with it. The cheapest fares I've seen to Chicago in recent months have been about $150 round trip, which isn't all that much cheaper. I'm guessing the fare you quote includes all taxes/fees. If not, you can do better - keep shopping.
Sterling, Va.: A group of us are trying to plan a trip over Thanksgiving to some place beachy and warm. We were thinking of Costa Rica but the airfares are running around $700 and we were hoping for something under $500. Do you have any other destination suggestions? Thanks.
Cindy Loose: Don't know flight prices offhand for Thanksgiving--prices do tend to skyrocket over holidays. However, I can tell you some beachy destinations that tend to be cheaper from the D.C. area for you to check out: San Juan, Puerto Rico, Cancun, Mexico and sometimes Jamaica or the Dominican Republic. I'd also consider the Bahamas.
Palm Bay, Fla.: Does anyone else find it difficult to shop for a hotel online if you're at all specific about where you want to stay? I was planning a family trip to visit friends in Leesburg, and every hotel search engine I looked at wanted to lump in all of D.C. - my top choices would come up Dulles (which makes some sense) and the D.C. proper (which doesn't, to me) I didn't find a single one that would only give me results for Leesburg, or within 10 miles of Leesburg, or anything like that. Was I missing something, or are all the search engines just assuming you're not picky?
I'd also like to send a virtual hug to Southwest Airlines, the Days Inn Leesburg, and Budget rent-a-car for letting our poor food-poisoned selves cancel a trip at the last moment with no penalty.
Andrea Sachs: Some of those hotel booking sites only deal with properties in big cities, overlooking the smaller towns. For more streamlined choices, check with the town's visitor center or tourism office. For Leesburg, see www.visitloudoun.org/accommodation/accommodation. Also, look at B&B sites, such as www.bnbfinder.com.
Backyard vacation: Especially in the DC Metro area, there are a ton of places to go that are great escapes and won't break a bank. Personally, I've used the suggestions in the Post's own "Trips on a Tank" section and had some great mini-vacations -- Berkeley Springs, WV was a memorable and exceedingly affordable one. Harper's Ferry is also a great escape, as is Mt. Vernon, the Eastern Shore, Charlottesville... even hopping a regional rail and hitting Baltimore for the weekend would be a great vacation without a huge strain on the pocketbook.
Scott Vogel: As noted frugal traveler Tim Leffel, put it in our Sunday story, "this is a good time to discover what is in your home state and home region."
Central Calif.: When times are tough, think backwards. There was a time most of us hand to take budget vacations. And I'll bet the memories are still with you.
It might not be the same, but revisiting places and methods from the past might get you over this bump in the travel trail.
I know I have discovered areas close to home that just weren't cool enough when I was younger.
But when the going gets tough, the tough go camping. If you don't have gear, borrow some. You can get outfitted very nicely for about the price of 2 nights in a motel. And tents, sleeping bags, etc. are much more user friendly. I still enjoy a great campsite at a national or state park, with guided trail walks and nature programs at night. It ain't the Caribbean, but it can be very memorable. But let's pray together. This too shall pass...
Scott Vogel: I agree that if ever there was a year to consider a camping vacation, this is it. And for you novices out there, I really like Henry Tom's Web site: www.beginnercampingtips.com.
Pasadena: Sites like Farecast.com use past data to predict future prices. Given the wild fuel and airline price increases, do you think they are still accurate (and do their predictions somehow account for the fuel and other uncertainties)?
Cindy Loose: Sites like Farecast.com do take into account fuel and other contingencies. Basically, they study the industry and take into account the same kinds of things a good stockbroker considers when predicting prices, only I think the fare forecasters get it right more often.
I believe Farecast will let you buy some kind of policy where they'll pay you under certain circumstances, like if you buy a fare they say is going down and you buy and it goes up they'll pay the diff. Been awhile since I wrote about that, but that's my memory of it, and you'll find details at their site.
Vicker Switch, Va.: Hello Team,
It's OK if you don't take my question today, I'll just keep posting until you do.
Our daughter and son-in-law are a poor librarian and graduate student, and trying to save for a baby or house (whichever comes first), but they do want to take a vacation in August. SO, she has reserved a week in a nice B and B in Cincinnati (they live in Lexington, Ky. and know that area pretty well now). Daughter thinks there will be plenty to do (there's a zoo and an amusement park, maybe a botanical garden?), but I'm wondering if you can think of places/things in Cinci or environs that might be fun, places to eat, etc. I realize it's a tad off the beaten track. Thank you!
Christina Talcott: That sounds like a nice trip, and I'm sure they'll find plenty to do there - not least relax at their nice B&B. A few years back I spent a long weekend staying in the Gaslight district, exploring the funky shops, inexpensive but nice ethnic restaurants, unique houses and green spaces. They could easily spend hours in the Underground Railroad Museum and stroll around the riverside area, visit Eden Park and the art museum, check out the city's microbrew scene. Any chatters have suggestions?
My husband's idea of cutting costs when traveling: They call it a condiment bar. He calls it a salad bar.
At a handful of theme-park restaurants - most notably, the Backlot Express at Disney-MGM Studios - there's a condiment bar that allows you to top off your burger to your heart's content. One day, when dear husband was turning his grilled chopmeat into a Dagwood delight, he took stock of all the offerings - lettuce, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, jalapenos, cheese sauce, etc. - and the thought suddenly occurred: "This isn't a condiment bar - it's a salad bar!"
Now, he orders a soda and asks for an extra plate with my burger, and soon he's chowing down with the rest of the crowd. Who says there's no such thing as a free lunch?
Scott Vogel: Oh, the humanity! Travel gods, do you see what we've been reduced to? Hear our plea!
miles usage 101: I haven't used miles to upgrade before, do I just buy any ticket and then upgrade it? Does is have to be a certain class of ticket? We want to take United to Seattle, by husband is a high-mileage flier with them, if that helps. If there are four of us, are the odds too long that so many upgrades will be available? Thanks!
Carol Sottili: Yes, it does have to be a certain class of ticket, although I think that isn't always the case for certain high-level frequent fliers (perhaps your husband falls into one of these categories). United's Web site does a good job of describing how it works. Go to www.united.com and do a search for upgrades. It's pretty complex. You can also book upgradeable tickets on the Web site.
IFE info: For the person seeking info on in-flight entertainment capability, try seatguru.com or seatexpert.com, which tend to mention this sort of thing. You'll need to know which type of aircraft you're scheduled to fly, or you can just check the possibilities (e.g., for BA to Heathrow from Dulles, check the 747 with 70 business class seats and the 777 with four classes of service).
Carol Sottili: Another way to go.
San Francisco, Calif.: A person with back problems should not try to brave the RER and Metro to get from CDG to central Paris. There are a lot of stairs and, often, no escalators or elevators. For two people, just suck it up and get a taxi. It'll cost around 45 Euro, worth every centime in headache and time. Be sure to go to the official taxi stand, rather than hire a driver who approaches you.
Christina Talcott: Great advice about using the official taxi stand - thanks! So here's one vote for taxis from CDG...
RoissyBus: I took the RoissyBus to and from CDG during my last trip to Paris and it worked like a charm! I was staying right near the Gare Saint Lazare, so I took the one to the Opera/Madeleine area. Super-cheap, and pretty quick too (I was worried about making my flight on to-airport leg, but was totally fine!)
Christina Talcott: Thanks for writing in. I'm glad it worked out well. Here's one vote for the RoissyBus.
Washington, D.C.: We're thinking of St. Thomas and Tortola or Grand Cayman for our August honeymoon. How bad are the mosquitoes in Tortola? Also, is an all-inclusive package the way to go?
KC Summers: So, you know August is prime hurricane season in the Caribbean, right? Also, it's *really* hot down there in summer. So mosquitoes might be the least of your problems. They can be bad -- I really got eaten up in Virgin Gorda (right next to Tortola) in February -- as are no-see-ums and other tiny pests. But it was my own fault because I didn't use a a repellent with DEET. So just pack that and, if you're really worried, ask about mosquito netting for your bed (my St. Thomas hotel offered this).
Re all-inclusives, you can definitely save a lot of money using these -- check the deals offered at places like Liberty Travel and Apple Vacations. It's a good feeling not to be nickel and dimed to death, not to mention having unlimited drinks and buffets. Of course, if you're not into boozing it up all day you might resent subsidizing everyone else who is.
For the Non-Profit conference coordinator: My boss does a lot of travel that is paid for by another (not-for-profit) entity, and they use a corporate travel agent called Travelport. It's all online, and they direct-bill the company paying for the travel. As an end user obviously I don't know all the ins and outs, but there are definitely companies out there that specialize in this sort of thing. Good luck with your conference!
Christina Talcott: I knew someone would have a suggestion. Thanks!
Manassas, Va.: Young daughter is taking a trip in June to London, Paris, and Zermatt on a US passport with her paternal grandparents, who will be traveling on Canadian passports. Besides a notarized letter for her custody, medical care (heaven forbid), and overall well-being, what might we need to send to allow them to have a great and stress free adventure? The passport sites for the respective countries do not cover this situation from what I have been able to find. Thanks!
Andrea Sachs: For detailed information, you might want to contact each country's consular affairs office. But I think as long as her grandparents have a letter explaining that they are her guardians, as well as a rundown of medical info (for their own knowledge), your daughter should be ready to go. However, be sure you make a copy of her passport and tuck it elsewhere in her belongings (and give one to her chaperones as well). Also, if she has any other form of ID, throw that in too. And make sure she has all emergency information -- necessary phone numbers, where she is staying, etc. Finally, give her some extra spending money so she can treat grandma and pa to an ice cream cone in Paris.
Greenbelt, Md.: Going to a family wedding in a rural part of Massachusetts (not near public transportation) on June 7. Fly or drive?
Obviously flying is faster, but then I'd have to rent a car, so I suspect the flying/rent-a-car option will actually cost me more than driving my 1996 Pontiac Sunfire at today's gas prices and tolls.
Thoughts on this 900-mile round trip?
Andrea Sachs: It all depends on where in rural Massachusetts the wedding is, but most likely you can fly into Boston or Hartford for not too much cash, then rent a car. The drive on I-95 can be brutal.
Arlington, Va.: re: what kind of IFE on my plane? As you say there is really no fool-proof way to know for sure what plane will fly on any particular route on any particular day. As you note, Virgin can change from as A340-600 (good IFE) to an A340-300 (not so good IFE) without warning. There are websites out there like seatguru.com which have info on the types of seats and entertainment systems on many airlines. You can also check the forums on flyertalk.com There is also a dedicated site for Virgin Atlantic, the name of which escapes me at the moment, which will show you which aircraft flew on any particular Virgin route along with the types of aircraft that fly the route broken down by percentage. It is a wealth of info. But unfortunately there doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason behind why they use a 346 some days and a 343 on others. And some airlines only use one type of plane on certain routes like ANA's new-ish B777-300s on all of the North American routes. Their system is pretty nice and those planes are quite comfortable with good service.
Alexandria, Va.: Hello. My husband and I are trying to figure out somewhere to take a long weekend (Thurs.-Sun.) this summer. Our parameters: We'd like to take our dog, so we have to drive. We are considering going as far as the Finger Lakes (but not further). A quaint beach town would be OK, but we also like mountains and hiking and wineries. We prefer something with pretty nature, somewhere we can just relax. We've done Deep Creek Lake several times before and like it, but are looking for someplace similar, but new.
I think you should start by narrowing the parameters, because so much might fit your needs. I guess I'd start by looking for attractive places to stay, within my budget, that will allow dogs. You'll find a state by state listing at a place like www.dogfriendly.com and pettravel.com. I'd search Pa., Va., Md., Del for starters.
Any travelers with dogs have something more specific for them to check?
Info on in-flight entertainment: Visit flyertalk.com and find the forum for the particular airline's frequent-flyer program. Often the discussion goes well beyond the esoterica of wringing out every last mile; you'll find plenty of info on choosing the best seat, airport strategies, which meal selection is better, etc....and info on the IFE.
Carol Sottili: Another good tip for the entertainment involved.
Washington, D.C.: Air France bus, good to Arc de Triomphe, also necessary between airports, but if you have a connection, and even if their website says it works, if you're on their bus trying to get to their connection, you'll have to talk fast to get them to rebook you without $200 surcharge.
Christina Talcott: I'll take that as a qualified vote for Air France Bus. So far we have one vote each for Air France Bus, one for RoissyBus, one for taxis, none for RER. Anyone have advice about how to book these? And how much are Air France and Roissy buses?
Paris Airport Transportation: I highly recommend the airport shuttle, which is operated by Air France but you don't have to fly Air France to use it. It picks you up at the arrivals area and the Place de l'Etoile, across from the Arc de Triomphe. The Franklin Roosevelt metro station is very close by, so you can easily take a cab to your location from there. There is a cab stand next to the shuttle stop.
A taxi to that are from CDG will cost at least 50 euros, so the shuttle and taxi combination can be a bargain, especially if you get round trip shuttle tickets.
Christina Talcott: Good point - a cab from Place de l'Etoile would be vrey reasonable. Another vote for Air France bus.
Arlington, Va. - Sandals information: There's actually more than one resort on St Lucia so I don't know which one to refer to. But your comments were right on. We stayed at the Grande and did several of their off-site trips. A couple of things. One, you will pay more but in my opinion you will feel good about it. The people are very professional, the transportation is reliable and the trips are very well planned out with many including a provided meal. We had a great time. And frankly the price difference was such it just was not worth the hassle or the worry. Two, they have a -terrific- selection of tours to choose from that are listed on their board each day. You can pick stuff to do not only that day but also for the rest of the week and three its easiest because its all done through Sandals. The information, reservations, payment - all at once - nothing else to worry about.
If you choose to do something else, not sponsored by the resort, you are really taking matters into your own hands. A lot of these companies know that people who come to Sandals have a decent amount of money to spend and they will try to work you for every last nickel. One couple we talked to who thought they were saving $40 by going with another company got, well, extorted at the end of their trip by being told they owed them another $100 for the return bus fare. I mean, what do you do at that point? You're alone with maybe 4 or 5 other people in the jungle of a third world country with basically an unknown tour company that you picked on your own. You're not exactly going to walk home. Certainly not every story ends like this but I just would not take the risk.
Going with an off-resort company in Virginia Beach or Miami is a lot different than doing it in some place like St Lucia.
Andrea Sachs: Thanks for the additional insights. Much appreciated.
Arlington, Va.: How we're saving $ this summer:
We too are looking state-side for summer travel plans. (oh, and also because I started a new job, so don't have much vacation saved up yet!)
We're going for a long weekend at Lake Michigan, near Ludington, staying at a B and B and planning a couple of days in July eating cherry pies (Michigan is the sour cherry capital of the US I am told) and exploring the sand dunes along the lake. We were there last year, too briefly, and absolutely loved the turquoise water, the uncrowded beaches and cool lake breezes. You can fly into Grand Rapids (direct from DCA!) and rent a car, or fly into Detroit and drive from there.
Even with gas prices and domestic airfare, a few days at Lake Michigan is a lot less pricey than say, a Cape Cod rental or a European trip.
Scott Vogel: Great idea, and your description makes me long for a cherry pie.
Washington, D.C.: I've done some diving with Sandals in Jamaica. I found it safe and respectable, but pretty low-key compared to the US. The equipment they provided was basic but functional. The instructors were laissez-faire generally, but willing to help out as needed, and certainly capable when it came to safety. They'll let you do up to two dives a day, I think. We went out on a small boat.
The fact that Sandals includes the diving was a huge selling point for us, although we ended up paying more so my husband could take a refresher course first. I didn't love Sandals generally (all-inclusives are not my scene), but I have no complaints with the diving experience.
Andrea Sachs: Thanks for sharing.
Cheaper lodging: It's not just true of "summer" travel, but good for all travel -- consider eschewing hotels in favor of renting apartment style units. It's most helpful if you're not a solo traveler (but then, most travelling is more helpful if you're not a solo traveler), but you can rent an entire apartment suite, complete with several bedrooms/bathrooms and a kitchen, for less than it would cost to rent out an equivalent amount of space at a hotel chain. As mentioned earlier, too, those kitchens can also help you cut down on cost.
I've used VRBO.com for my European trips with much success.
Scott Vogel: I must say, I too have heard good things about VRBO.com, as well as Rentalo.com.
Laurel, Md.: I am writing you on behalf of my brother. He was deployed in Iraq when he bought his airfare for his post-deployment leave. He used Orbitz to purchase a multi city itinerary to visit friends and family between where he is stationed, San Diego, and Albany, Georgia where he was previously stationed.
A major traffic jam and security delays caused him to miss his flight on Saturday morning from San Diego to El Paso, Texas. Assuming the blame for missing the flight, he bought a quick 1-way ticket for about $200 and expected to continue on with his itinerary from El Paso. When he got to the airport yesterday, he found out that since he missed his original flight on US Airways, all of the subsequent flights had been canceled as well. Orbitz has washed their hands of the matter saying that they are just the 3rd party ticket agency. The US Airways reps at El Paso basically told him you're out of luck, we don't do reservations, you have to call the reservation line, you agreed to the terms and conditions and didn't notify us of your missed flight. Apparently Orbitz transferred the "custody" of his itinerary to US Airways as they were the first leg of his flight. When he missed that flight, US Airways canceled his flights on all of the other airlines he was supposed to be on.
Can this happen? Can one airline cancel someone's reservations on another airline?
Bottom line - he ended up stranded in El Paso as none of the airlines would honor his other flights because US Airways canceled his itinerary. He was forced to buy another last minute ticket for $200 on Southwest to get back to San Diego. Now he has missed his trip totally.
Carol Sottili: That's awful. Did he tell the airline rep that he had just returned from Iraq? I can't believe they wouldn't cut him a break. Unfortunately, yes airlines cancel all your subsequent flights on one itinerary when you miss the first leg and don't let them know. That's in their so-called "contract of carriage." But in this case, you'd think they would help him out. He should write a letter to Orbitz and US Airways explaining the situation and hope they cut him some vouchers or do something to help him out. I don't know if he asked to talk to supervisors at the airport: That's very important.
Bethesda, Md.: My husband and I will be travelling to Botswana in September. We love walking, general sightseeing, local crafts and wildlife; don't need luxury accommodations but I'm somewhat attached to plumbing (figuratively speaking). Any advice from you or the chatters re where to go, what to see, or travel agents to work with on our plans?
Scott Vogel: Okay, you've stumped the panel. Anyone out there have some Botswana advice they can offer to Bethesda?
Herndon: I just re-read the story on visiting the Gocta waterfall in Peru I cut out a couple of years ago. What a tale! Any updates about how easy it is to visit this place? I would love to see it, but I don't have Steve Hendrix's taste for difficult travels. And what did you do with Hendrix? Did he get lost in some jungle?
KC Summers: Yeah, the jungle of Rockville. Steve abandoned us for the Metro section about a year ago and we're still in mourning. Luckily he is still available for consults though so I just checked with him about the Peru trip. He said he's heard that more and more people are going to see the waterfall but hasn't heard anything about the trip getting any easier. But: "Really, the trip's not as hard as all that. Unless you just can't stand the idea of a dicey mountain road, you should consider going. It's really worth it." Hope that helps.
Cheap Summer Vacation: Stay in Upstate NY and go on a wine tour at the Finger Lakes - compared to DC, upstate NY is cheap! And the Finger Lakes region in the summer is very beautiful. Stay in Ithaca, or at one of the wineries. There are chauffeur companies that will take you around the lakes to the wineries. It's actually a lot of fun.
Scott Vogel: And Ithaca itself is gorgeous. Or gorges. Or however they say it.
29212: Hello Flight Crew! Love you guys and hope you can help. I am planning on travelling to Iceland in September/October with a couple friends. I am worried that we being there at the beginning of the off season will hinder our ability to travel around the country. Do you or any of your chatters have any info about that? Or anything we shouldn't miss while we're out there? Thanks!
Cindy Loose: I think you're picking a perfect time to go---weather still fine and the crowds departed.
Don't miss the Blue Lagoon, which is between the airport and Reykjavik. (The colder it is outside, the better cause the water is so hot--a huge pool of thermal heated water.)
I really enjoyed riding Icelandic horses (make sure not to call them ponies, although they look like ponies.) I'd also check out the two waterfalls--forget the names but one is near the famous geyser (a bit disappointing actually) and the other is a bit further along and you'll see them referred to in guidebooks.
Of course Reykjavik if famed for its music and club scene, if you're into that. I'll post a story I did about Iceland which is a tad dated, but has the name of a fab B&B I really loved.
Arlington, Va.: We're planning a fall trip to Italy. Are flight tickets to Europe cancelable in case something comes up to prevent us from going? Will we need flight insurance to cover this?
Carol Sottili: If you cancel your flights, you'll be dinged for a hefty fee ($200 or more per ticket), and you won't get your money back - you'll just get to use those tickets some other time, but you'll also have to pay any fare differential. I think there are some travel insurances that cover changing your mind, but they're really expensive. Go to www.insuremytrip.com or www.squaremouth.com to compare policies.
Derwood, Md.: Re day trips from London, I agree that Oxford is nice but would also suggest York, which is a neat walled city with interesting architecture and history. We went a few years ago and don't remember how long it took from London, but probably not more than about an hour because we took a 1 pm train and still had time for B and B check-in, dinner, and 2-hour guided walk (free).
KC Summers: Yes, York is another great day trip option, thanks. Really, the country is so small there are almost limitless options, it just depends on what your interests are.
Washington, D.C.: I'm considering a 3-4 day trip to San Diego for the second week in June. I will be alone for at least the first half (maybe the whole trip) and don't drive. Is San Diego doable without a car? I'm interested in beach (a must), some culture and general realization (nightlife is not important). Also, can you recommend hotels that are well located for someone without a car and reasonably priced? Any cannot misses in San Diego? Thanks!!
Andrea Sachs: Yes, San Diego is definitely doable without a car. The city's bus system is very good, and you can walk or bike to a lot of places. You might want to stay in the Gaslamp Quarter, which has a slew of hotels, restaurants, shops and clubs. The waterfront is also nearby, so you can stroll among the cruise ships and sailboats. Be sure to visit Balboa Park, which has great museums and the zoo. I also like Pacific Beach, a throwback to the beach bum age.
Deep Valley, USA: The best way to save money on vacation is to be flexible about where you go. My plan for a much-needed short break over Memorial Day is to wait until the e-fares come out and go to the most interesting cheapish place based on that. Interesting isn't always popular, but I may have a good time in, say, Milwaukee or Indianapolis or Greensboro.
Almost any destination is interesting for a short break, I say.
Scott Vogel: I agree. The improvisational approach isn't for everyone, of course, but one that may well come in handy this summer.
Washington, D.C.: For the poster asking about day trips outside of London, I second Oxford. Instead of taking the train however, I would take the bus, called the Oxford Tube. It leaves every 15 minutes, is really cheap, and is clean and reliable. I've caught it on Notting Hill Gate, and also at Marble Arch. I'm sure if you Google it you can get more information on exact pick-up spots. I would say it's much easier than the train, and only takes about 45 minutes or so as well.
KC Summers: Hmm, good idea. I do love train rides, though, so that's always part of the fun for me.
Ballooning: There's some ballooning this week in Ellicott City for the Preakness:
Cindy Loose: Thanks---I don't yet know what to look for from a ballooning provider, and will try to research that for my piece. Until then, I'm wondering if taking a balloon ride from a one-time site could be like trusting a carnival ride. I guess I'd want to know something about who's running them and how long and how often they do it.
Arlington, Va.: Trips from London -- don't miss a day trip to Stratford on Avon. It is lovely.
KC Summers: Another suggestion for our London day tripper. Thanks, Arl.
Annandale, Va: Cheap vacation idea. do what I did and find a friend with a condo in a vacation spot. I have friends with a condo in Va Beach, and even though I'm not a big beach person, it's hard to turn down free lodging. So my major cost will be driving, since I hope to cook in a majority of nights.
Scott Vogel: This too is a growing trend. A recent survey says that a third of all vacationers this summer plan on staying with friends or family.
Savings: My hubby and I save money during our trips at home and abroad by packing a picnic - it's a lot more fun, especially in Europe, to discover all the exciting meats and cheeses in grocery stores. We also skimp on nice hotels and stay at ones that are safe, but more on the hostel side. We also save by traveling off-season and staying with friends and family across Europe when we can. For our last trip to England, we saved a lot of money by buying bus tickets online - the national bus service had a 1 pound fare sale when we bought our tickets online! - and we also rented our car online with major savings. I don't think we will let high gas prices and general economic grumpiness deter us from living life the way it should be lived - on the move!
Scott Vogel: Yeah, arguably, there's no way to enjoy Europe other THAN visiting the wonderful markets. And your post reminds me that it's generally a good idea to book bus and train tickets before you leave home. There are often discounts available that one can only take advantage of stateside.
Downtown D.C.: Less expensive vacation idea --- many school/church auctions have weekend stays at local hotels. They often go for less that the usual hotel price and the church or school gets the money. And as others have said, there's lots to do in D.C.
Scott Vogel: Yes, and if I'm not mistaken, it's school auction season. (Which reminds me, wonder what that Air France pair finally went for?)
For the traveler with a dog: If you are looking to go up to the Finger Lakes and want a dog friendly place. Check out Watkins Glen State Park area. The camping just off Seneca lake might be a good idea if you have a dog and you are at the base of the lake and can visit any number of wineries in a given day.
Cindy Loose: Sounds great. Thanks.
I have such fond memories of Watkins Glen. I never went, but when I was a kid my sister did, and she bought me pencils that had arrowheads on top and came in a little plastic arrow holder. I traded it for some kid's coin collection, only it was actually his dad's and very valuable and I had to give it back. Still, I really liked the pencils.
U Street: Dear Flight Crew, I'm heading to Orlando for a mid-week graduation early next month (Wednesday 9am...seriously!). I need to fly out of DCA and tickets are about $250. Do you think this price will go down as the date approaches? Thanks for the guidance
Andrea Sachs: That seems high for midweek summer. I did a quick search and found June flights for $129 on AirTran and $174 on JetBlue, though both leave from Dulles.
Do you know any good websites for planning a round-the-world trip? I'm having trouble figuring out how to book a plane ticket with multiple stopovers.
Cindy Loose: Check out Cathay Pacific to see if they still have their round the world tickets.
Arlington, VA: re: late check out. This is usually one of the perks of joining hotels' frequent guest programs. You can put your request in at the time of booking or at check in. I have never had to press it much beyond 1 PM or so and have never had an issue. I think most allow late check out until 4 or 5. Unfortunately I have discovered that I will have to pay for my late check out when I leave Bangkok later this year on my trip there. The flight isn't until 11:45 PM so I will be paying for a whole extra night to get an 8 PM check out. Some hotels allow you to pay half a day rate depending how late you are leaving. For me it seems worth it to have my room until I need to leave for the airport. I can also take a shower to freshen up before heading to the airport and perhaps take a little nap after dinner.
Scott Vogel: Another vote -- and some great ideas -- for procuring late check-out.
Free Beer: Sea World is owned by Anheuser-Busch, so yes, free beer is available, at least in Orlando. They also have Clydesdales and Dalmatians. Free beer at Busch Gardens in Tampa, too, but not here in VA. There is the two per person limit, but if you sign up for "Beer School", you can get another one.
Scott Vogel: Class is in session!
Aloha Assured!: My sister and I are flying American Airlines to go to Hawaii at the end of this month. How are things looking at American now: are maintenance-related travel delays and cancellations done for the most part? Can you ever get insurance to guarantee a flight arrival or to get booked on an alternate flight?
We arrive in Honolulu at 4:00 on 5/31 and need to board a cruise ship by 7:00 pm. We absolutely need to arrive that day...are there any proactive steps I can take or back-up plans I should look into? Thanks for your advice!
Carol Sottili: You should have contacted us before you booked your flights. We would have told you to arrive a day earlier. Did you book your flights through the cruise line? They sometimes will cover you if you miss your flight, but only if you purchased tickets through them. I would familiarize myself with every flight on every airline that would get you there in time: This way, if your American flight is canceled, you can request that they put you on a carrier that will get you there. But since Aloha and ATA went out of business, there are far fewer fights to Hawaii, so they are going out full. I don't know of an insurance that would promise to get you there in time. They might reimburse you for cost of catching up with a cruise. Go to www.insuremytrip.com to check policies. And keep your fingers crossed - it's been pretty quiet at American re: canceled flights (other than weather stuff).
washingtonpost.com: Earth to Iceland (Post Travel Section, June 30, 2002)
Cindy Loose: Iceland piece might have some ideas for Icelandic travelers
Re. SWA: You can always get SWA credit if a sale comes up.
Carol Sottili: Just have to use ticket within a year. I forgot that one time, and ate the ticket.
"There is also a dedicated site for Virgin Atlantic, the name of which escapes me at the moment, which will show you which aircraft flew on any particular Virgin route along with the types of aircraft that fly the route broken down by percentage": That's vflyer.com and it is a great site. Also has user ratings and comments on the different seats.
Carol Sottili: Yes, I really like that site.
London, U.K.: First, a note re the comment about liquids (alcohol) bought at duty-free shops: "If the airport to which you first fly in the USA is your final destination, you need not worry about this." This isn't the case if you're flying into Atlanta, so be prepared to cram that liquid - plus any drinks, etc - into your carry-on and "check" that so that you can go through security to leave the building. The airlines all have desks right before the final line that's for absolutely everybody to go through, so you can get the tag from them there and they'll direct you to what bin to place your bag in, for you to pick up later in the luggage claim area. And everyone working security there will insist that that's the way it's done in ALL U.S. airports.
As for easy day trips from London, I must say, as an American living here just about everything's an easy day trip! What are you interested in seeing? Dover, Canterbury, Nottingham, Leeds, Battle/Hastings, Bristol, Brighton, Plymouth, Portsmouth - they're all pretty fast to reach. Cornwall isn't, but most of the rest of England can be reached quickly. (Actually, parts of Scotland, too, depending on what time you like to wake up...) If you really are open to anything, I'd suggest going to various Web sites and just seeing what has cheap fares on offer (if anything): megatrain (the U.K. site, not the U.S. one), National Express funfares (the coaches), and Trainline (only don't buy your tickets from Trainline, get them through the train companies - that site charges a processing fee, but it searches all the train companies). The Megatrain and National Express sites require you to print out your tickets, but otherwise you can pick up your train tickets - at least 24 hours in advance - at a variety of train stations in London. I like to pick the King's Cross Station option, because I go through it every day, but if that's inconvenient you can select other locations.
One thing to keep in mind is that May 26 is a bank holiday here, so depending on how close your day for exploring is to the weekend you might find fares harder to get.
KC Summers: Hi London. Not sure I understand what you're saying about Atlanta -- you have to cram everything into your carryon bag anyway to meet the airlines' two-carryon-bag rules, so what's the difference? You're still allowed to bring duty-free booze out of the airport if it's your first and final destination.
Re day trips from London, thanks much for the great suggestions.
Car from SLC to Colo Springs?: I think the poster is going to run into more trouble trying to find a reasonable rate for a 1 way car rental for that distance vs the train travel.
Cindy Loose: That's a good point; drop off fees can be hefty. But it's worth checking, cause if the rental company happens to need more cars in Colorado Springs they could catch a break.
Annapolis: This may be more for the tech chat, but I thought I'd ask here first - I'm going to be taking some very long flights and other trips in the next few months, and was grousing to a relative about the number of books I'll have to bring. She suggested getting a Kindle from Amazon, and loading it up, so I won't have to schlep a ton of reading material. But when I looked at the cost - $400! - I had second, third and fourth thoughts. Has any of you used them? Have any of the chatters? Any advice?
KC Summers: We haven't tried Kindling yet, Annapolis, but maybe some of the chatters have and can opine?
Tamworth -- neat little castle there
KC Summers: More ideas for our London traveler.
Thurmont, Md.: I wanted to let your readers know that my husband and I retired about five years ago. We bought a pop-up camper and traveled cross-country on trips extending to 6 months. We met new friends and were reunited with old friends.
Concerned about the upcoming baby boomer explosion, I wrote a book called "Popping Up Across America". It documents our successful travel and shows how one can travel cheaply while enjoying our great country. Please see www.poppingup.com.
Cindy Loose: Thanks....campers take note.
In addition to bringing food through security, you can also bring an EMPTY water bottle with your carry-on luggage. All airports have drinking fountains past security, so you can fill up near your gate. This saves quite a bit of money as compared to buying bottled water at an airport gift shop.
KC Summers: Good point, thanks.
"Milwaukee or Indianapolis or Greensboro.": For what it's worth, don't ever expect to pull off a cheap trip to Indianapolis over Memorial Day Weekend. There's a small event in town that weekend called the Indy 500.
Regarding day trips from London, Bristol is an interesting place that's about two hours out the M4 (you could also take the train). The Clifton Suspension Bridge, the Floating Harbour, the SS Great Britain, and the last Concorde to fly are all to be found in the area.
Scott Vogel: Got that, Deep Valley?
Transferring at CDG: Last week, a poster asked about transferring at CDG with about an hour between flights. In December, I transferred with about 50 minutes, but did due diligence prior to booking my IAD-CDG-RBA flights with this short amount of time by calling Air France directly. The gentleman said that since my flight from Dulles and my flight to Rabat would arrive/depart from Terminal 2E that 50 minutes would be fine for the transfer. I also asked about security, immigration and customs to which he responded no to them all. So, I booked.
Now, here's the key! Terminal 2E apparently consists of 3 sections. However, no terminal diagrams online reflect this. We unloaded outdoors onto busses, then were hauled (slowly I might add) to the main building of terminal 2E, where we then did have to go through security. Luckily the 2nd official to see my boarding pass noted my flight would be leaving in about 10 minutes, and ushered me to a quick security line. I then ran only to find out that my gate was on the other side of an automated tram in a 3rd portion of terminal 2E.
I arrived, out of breathe and wheezing (had a horrible cold at the time) and found about 15 other people on the A-320. We held at CDG for about 45 minutes because people were caught in security!
Oh, another note, I did research before leaving to ensure I had with my the schedules for later flights to Rabat and Casablanca just in case. Didn't end up needing that, but it made me feel a bit better as I was running through Terminal 2E.
The good news is that I made it and had a wonderful time in Rabat, Casa and Marrakech, and, unlike my friend, my bags weren't lost like thousands that were stuck at CDG over the holidays due to their new baggage system (not close to Terminal 5 catastrophe, though).
Scott Vogel: Here's some good info on the situation at Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport.
Gaithersburg: Submitting early: Any suggestions of where I can park my car so I can take advantage of the cheap bus fares to N.Y.C.? I'd love to be able to leave it at Shady Grove Metro for the weekend, but that option isn't available.
Andrea Sachs: I think some stations allow overnight parking, though I cannot think of which ones at this moment (anyone out there know?). If that is the case, just drive to that station and Metro in. Or, Megabus is starting service to NYC on May 30, departing from Union Station -- so you can park there.
Boston. MA: On the alterna-bars for a Boston trip (your Sunday article), I happen to think Matt Murphy's is still a bit kitschy. Good call on The Publick House from an earlier poster, but if you are looking for a true Irish experience I would head to Dorchester Ave., James's Gate in Jamaica Plain or JJ Foley's on Kingston St. downtown.
Also, for the earlier poster looking for deals for Memorial Day to Chicago, this is another suggestion: Site59.com, which is now "Last Second Deals" on lastminute.com. I used them last New Year's Eve and found two nights at the five-star Swisshotel on Wacker with nonstop United flights from Boston for $199 per person with two days' notice. I would guess you can do something similar for Memorial Day, and you can usually find discount codes through Google. Enjoy!
Andrea Sachs: Thanks for the double tips.
Lewiston, ME: The poor Iraq guy's story makes me wonder--why are airlines allowed to get away with canceling parts of the ticket? Why is it legal and who do we have to contact to make it illegal? I paid for a service, if I'm not asking that you to refund my money if I only use part of the service I see no reason why you can deny me the parts of the service I want to use (and have already paid for). Further, airlines can make money on the part of the service I paid for and didn't use.
Carol Sottili: And that brings us back to a passenger bill of rights, which was looking good until the airlines all nearly went out of business after 9/11. There's some renewed interest in the movement, but it's an uphill battle. Everyone wants the cheapest fares possible, and airlines are not doing all that well financially, with the price of fuel, etc.
Washington, D.C.: Hey gurus! My boyfriend and I would like to rent bikes for a few hours in an uncrowded area, ideally one where we would see some wildlife. Our idea was inspired a few weeks ago by Christina's piece on the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge, but with gas prices being so high, we're looking for something a bit nearer than 2 hours each way. Are there any closer alternatives you can recommend?
Christina Talcott: I'm glad you liked the Blackwater idea! I almost always see some kind of wildlife even on local trails - bunnies on the Capital Crescent, deer in Rock Creek - but you could check out trails along the Potomac and on the Western shore for more critters. For rentals in DC and in the close-in suburbs, check out this page for options, some as low as $12 a day: http://www.bikewashington.org/rentals/index.htm. You could also poke around Google and see about renting bikes in St. Mary's and Calvert counties in Southern Maryland. Point Lookout and Solomon's Island are great places to see birds and other shore creatures, and it's so flat there, you can bike for hours and not even realize it - until the next morning, anyway. Anyone with more concrete suggestions?
London day trip: Actually, I would not advise that chatter to head up to York. Not only would it would be a hike from London, my experience there really turned me off. Markedly touristy, and I thought very expensive for a country with so many great free museums.
KC Summers: And a vote against York. Thanks for your feedback. It's hard, isn't it, to remember the original reason for going to a place when so many unsavory tourist trappings have sprung up around it.
Washington D.C.: Taxis from Airport into Paris. Did both the taxi and the RER last year. Taxi was about 45 euros, RER for two of us was, I think, 25 Euros, but took almost two hours and several transfers. If you are in a group, the per person cost of a taxi isn't much higher, and its much easier, especially after a transatlantic flight.
Christina Talcott: Thanks! Looks like the old RER's the least popular option...
Harrisburg, Pa: Living on the East Coast, I've done both Revolutionary War tourism and Civil War tourism. Now for the hard part: aside from Ft. McHenry, where can one do The War of 1812 tourism/sightseeing?
Cindy Loose: If you can hold out for the bicentennial there will be lots of special stuff, but that is a ways off. I honestly don't know specifics, but I'm guessing the Canadians have more going to remember that war than we do. I don't know specifics, but would start by contacting the Ontario tourism department, maybe even more specifically the Niagara Falls tourism dept, Canadian side. Maybe the Fingerlakes region? You can generally find tourism offices by googling "Ontario tourism," etc.
Bus to Oxford: Beware, the return trip (leaving Oxford) can be painfully slow if the bus departs Oxford during the evening rush (approx. 4-6 pm). But, it's a good option if you can stay in Oxford until 6:30 pm or later - maybe attend evensong at Christ Church? Besides cost, another advantage of bus over train is that the bus drops you off in the center of town, instead of the train station which is a bit of a walk.
Although I love Oxford, many first-time visitors prefer Cambridge, as it's more scenic (no industrial bits) and its size is more manageable.
KC Summers: All these responses are really making me want to go to London and do a bunch of these day trips. Next time I think I will do the bus to Oxford.
re: Car Breakdown Tips: If you have a GPS navigator, you can perform a search of auto repair shops/tow trucks near your position. The GPS navigator will provide you a list that includes the name of the shop, address, and phone number.
Cindy Loose: Cool. Good to know, specially as my 15 year old signs up for driving lessons and I plan to buy a GPS cause I know she pays no attention and probably couldn't even find her way to and from school.
Washington, D.C.: Got a question about airline ticket prices to the UK. I'm traveling to London for a week at the end of October. Current ticket prices are around $800. I certainly expect prices to drop -- what do you think I should aim for? $500? $600? Thanks.
Carol Sottili: If you can get it for $500/$600 with taxes, that's a good deal. There have been some sales that have gone that low for spring travel, but fall is usually a bit more expensive. And if jet fuel keeps going up in price, all bets are off. I'd split the difference and shoot for $600-$700 all in.
London: I meant in Atlanta you have to go through security again after you land even if it's your final destination (and not just Customs and Immigration, it's the actual TSA security lines with all the restrictions), so if you bought any alcohol in the airport duty-free shop, you can't just have it sealed in the duty-free bag, you have to put it in your carry-on bag (if you only fly with a carry-on, as I - and many other people - do) and then check that bag, even if you've flown directly from the airport in which you bought the alcohol to Atlanta as your final destination.
KC Summers: Ah. So you're saying if it doesn't fit in your carryon you're screwed?
Washington, D.C.: My husband and I take a long weekend in early October every year for our anniversary. This year we have our choices narrowed down to New Orleans (we have been before, but not since Katrina) or Austin. We like galleries, food, nightlife, and hip lodgings. Which one sounds better for that time of year? Or is there another place we're just not thinking of?
I might be planning too early, but airfares just keep going up. (Staying within driving distance might be another option, but we go on a lot of road trips throughout the year.)
Scott Vogel: I love Austin in October but Christina says New Orleans, so what you've done, Washington, is started a fight between my pod mate and me. Thanks! I guess the answer is BOTH, he said, reluctantly.
flying to a cruise: Person trying to arrive in Honolulu at 4 p.m. and be in the ship (obviously not at the airport) no later than 7 is asking for problems. Here is a case to do whatever is necessary to change the flight. I saw people miss a cruise's departure but they had another port to go to to board later. Not likely in Hawaii unless it is an inter-island cruise.
Gaithersburg, Md.: Hi Crew. Last week an Air France passenger wrote in asking how it easy/difficult it was to navigate through De Gaulle airport. I know from first hand experience that the gates are not as close together as one might think. For example, gates A and B are not directly next to each other. There's an A-1, A-2, A-3 etc. Also, you have to pass through a mini customs while there. After missing my connection, I went to discuss it with an Air France rep., and she said it happens all the time, but the reservationists keep scheduling people that way! If the gates are "next" to each other, I'd still leave an hour to maneuver through the maze.
Christina Talcott: Yikes! Thanks for the heads-up. Sounds like travelers going through Paris's CDG should give themselves plenty of time for transfers. Hear that, everyone?
Deep Valley, USA: Kindles work better than you might expect, but remember they have batteries and the batteries can run down on a long flight.
They're still new and desirable enough that you can sell used ones for a decent price. Good luck.
KC Summers: A vote for Kindles. But pack extra batteries. Thanks, DV.
Rockville, Md.: My husband and I need to get from Rockville to Dulles May 21 (and back home June 9) and are looking for alternatives to the airport shuttle services, since I've read so many horror stories about their service (or lack of service). We're willing to pay more for a cab, but our local cab service (Barwood) also gets terrible reviews. Can anyone recommend either another cab service that would serve Rockville or a private car or limo service that goes to the airport? I'm afraid to just pick one out of the phonebook or online without knowing anything about them, and I can't find online reviews.
Andrea Sachs: We don't know of any taxi services to recommend in that region. Can anyone help?
For shuttles, I have never had a problem with the Washington Flyer, which leaves from West Falls Church Station. Nor have I been late taking the Metro bus.
Alexandria: For a London day trip - I agree, Oxford is a good bet. Maybe Canterbury? Wells is also a gorgeous cathedral town.
KC Summers: Mmm, yes, Canterbury. Thanks Alex.
Deep Valley, USA: Parking rate at Union Station is so high you might as well take a taxi if you're staying for a week.
San Diego: I traveled to San Diego on business and you can easily get around without a car. From the airport a cab is about $15. They also have a train line that goes around downtown but not near some of the tourist places but you can get there via buses.
The Gaslamp district is pricy. You can find other hotels in downtown that are a little cheaper.
Andrea Sachs: Thanks for helping out our carless traveler.
washingtonpost.com: After the Falls ( Post Travel Section, Oct. 15, 2006)
KC Summers: Here's a link to Steve Hendrix's Peru waterfall story, a great yarn even if you're not an adventurous traveler. Thanks, Elizabeth.
Arlington, Va.: For the last 8 summers my family has visited the Outer Banks. We always spend a couple of days in the Williamsburg area first to break up the trip. We have done Great Wolf, Busch Gardens and various time share-like places and are looking for something new. There are about 15 of us ranging from 5 to 80. Anything to recommend in the Williamsburg/VA Beach/Norfolk area?
Christina Talcott: Have you been to Jamestown yet? Totally worth it, so I hear.
Anonymous: EEEk! Just under the wire, I hope.
For the person looking for day trips from London, I recommend using Eurostar (the train that goes through the Chunnel). I've taken day trips to Brussels and Paris this way. Rates are inexpensive (enough) when you go extremely early in the morning (like 6:30 or 7), travel time is 2-3 hours each way, and you generally have from 10 AM through 7 PM to take in the city.
Since it was only a day in Paris, I chose to pick ONE thing (the Louvre) and not scatter myself around, but that's just me.
Scott Vogel: Great ideas, thanks.
Salt Lake City, UT: To the possible train travelers to SLC, I took a round trip from here to Baltimore a few years ago. It's very easy to use amtrak.com to sign up for the trip. I recommend that you drop the rental car off in Denver and catch the return trip from there. Remember, there is a several hour layover in Chicago. And the cost for a sleeping berth will effectively double the cost of the train trip. Also, delays of up to 12 hours can occur, depending on track usage.
Scott Vogel: here's a bit more advice on Amtrak/Salt Lake City.
Amtrak to Salt Lake City: Having done this route in the reverse (and coming from slightly further west), my only piece of advice is not to be in a hurry. While Amtrak runs pretty efficiently on this coast, the cross-country trains are ALWAYS late. Just hope that you aren't off by 12 hours, which puts you going through cornfields during the day and the Rocky Mountains at night. They schedule it to be the other way around for a reason.
Scott Vogel: Oh, and this.
I am booked on a flight to Paraguay that is leaving June 6th. It flies through Santiago, Chile on the way to Paraguay, and on the way back, I am flying back through Santiago and staying there for a couple of days before continuing on to D.C.. The problem? Expedia just informed me that LAN canceled the flights from Santiago-Asuncion and Asuncion-Santiago.
I was hoping you could tell me what Expedia's responsibilities are as far as getting me re-routed, so that I can be ready for battle when I call them later. A million thanks!
Carol Sottili: I'd arm myself with information. Are there other flights on other airlines that travel between the two places at the times you need? If so, I'd ask Expedia to book me on those flights. My guess is that Expedia will offer to give you your money back if there are no flights that work.
usually I just watch...: But, perhaps these two things will help:
for College Park, we usually check Sidestep.com first. Then I try itasoftware.com to peek at airfares.
Itasoftware.com is helpful because it had the booking codes. I used this to find great fares for me and the kids on an airlines new service to Seattle last year. Since I wasn't able to book those particular child-discount fares online, they didn't charge me a booking fee.
For those folks who were looking for varying Hawaii accommodations and wanted to explore the island(s): we have had amazing times using the Hawaii, Maui (or insert other island name) Revealed series. We were able to to make our last 2 week trip for 2 grown-ups, and 2 kids for less than $4K, using frequent flyer miles, and car points over spring break. (Got a great condo in Wailea also for the last 1/2 of the trip! - I wish I could find the site quickly enough to give the owner a great plug.)
Using the Hawaii Revealed series, we've found great accommodations in a wide range of prices and different amenities, as well as things that are off the beaten path, and the "junk" to avoid unless you want the "cheese-factor".
Scott Vogel: And more helpful advice on a few prior questions.
Washington, D.C.: Given the cost of air travel and the sinking dollar you guys should do a story on alternative ideas for honeymoons. I'm getting married next year and our dream trip to Europe (we've both been before but wanted to go to Italy and France) looks like it won't happen. Are there any good alternative places to go on this end of the globe, such as Canada or Latin America? We're not looking for beach, but culture and good cities. Thanks! (p.s., loved the piece this weekend on the "Italian" villa in Virginia, very cool!)
washingtonpost.com: That's Italian in Virginia? Almost. ( Post Travel Section, May 11)
KC Summers: Thanks Wash, glad you liked the story. You could do a lot worse than a honeymoon at Keswick! But if you want to get out of the country, how about this for an exotic and more affordable 'moon idea: Stay at a hacienda (or several) in Ecuador. There are some absolutely stunning, high-end properties from colonial days that are now inns with centuries-old architecture, luxury spas, stables, shopping nearby, etc etc. It's such a gorgeous country. Will see if we can post a link to my recent story.
Another thought: An eco-resort in Belize. There are some luxury ones that are relatively affordable (Google Francis Ford Coppola, for one) and there's tons to do and see there.
Alexandria, Va.: I know it's early, but I'm thinking about heading to Prague for the Christmas markets this year. Do you think it's best to connect somewhere or fly into Munich or Vienna and take a train? I like the idea of having some time in another city rather than waiting for a connecting flight. But if it's too much of a hassle or cost prohibitive, I'll fly. Any and all tips appreciated.
Christina Talcott: It's very easy to fly right into Prague via Heathrow (well, as long as you're not checking bags), but the train from Vienna's pretty easy, too. I guess it depends on long your trip is. If it's just a few days, I'd go directly to Prague, but if you have some time, definitely hit up other towns and their markets while you're there!
Vero Beach, Fla.: York is very, very far for a day trip from London. Cambridge and Ely are much closer, with good train service. I don't know whether Lincoln's cathedral is a big tourist draw, but it's certainly awesome. I've only seen Canterbury in December, when it was full of well-behaved French school children on field trips. The town must be stuffed with tourists in the summer.
And finally, it's not hard to get to the country garden belonging to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: Wakehurst Place near Haywards Heath. It's now home to the Millennium Seed Bank. Their website has travel instructions.
KC Summers: More great ideas for London day trips. This would make a great special section, no?
1812: Head up to Lake Champlain! There were several naval battles fought on the lake, and while there's not much in the way of forts, etc., there is a monument in Plattsburgh, NY (hometown - it's the only reason I know this!). It's also absolutely gorgeous country, and pretty cheap to boot!
Scott Vogel: More ideas for an 1812 war tour.
washingtonpost.com: Upscale Markets. Way, Way Up (Post Travel Section, April 13)
KC Summers: Here's a link to my recent story on Ecuador haciendas -- a possible idea for the honeymooners. Thanks Elizabeth.
Kindle....: My friend finally got hers (it was on backorder until this month) and she's learning how to use it. So far, she said it's OK but not great. She hates not knowing how long the book is--and it's confusing for her to toggle between books. Also, not every book she wants is available on kindle--and you always have to pay full price as opposed to buying books from second hand places or whatnot. Overall, if it wasn't a gift, she would have passed.
KC Summers: Ah, thanks for that firsthand report. Much appreciated.
London: Yep - if you can't fit in the carry-on, I guess the TSA people get it. Fortunately, I was able to cram mine in (although I walked through the security line carrying a bunch of loose items - including a lotion the plane had given us, which the TSA agents didn't notice). And people transferring to other flights and people ending their trips in Atlanta are all crammed into the same disorganised line. Makes flying directly into Dulles a wonderful breeze...
KC Summers: Whoever thought we'd be saying *that*!
Scott Vogel: Thanks all, as always, for a lively hour. I can't help it. The woman whose husband treats the condiment bar as a salad bar is my pick for this week's most interesting (not to mention audacious) savings tip. Please e-mail me at vogelsi@washpost.com to claim your prize.
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'Lost' Dueling Analysis: Cabin Fever
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In which Jen Chaney and I try -- and possibly fail -- to cover every single significant detail from last night's nutrient rich episode.
Jen: Last night's episode was chock full of all kinds of "Lost"-ian goodness, so much so that it's hard to know where to begin. Do we start with that wacky, repetitive, tree-chopping Horace Goodspeed? Locke stalker Richard Alpert? (I so want to go to Mittelos Science Camp this summer! It'll be a lot like the camp in "Meatballs," right?) The return of Abaddon, who clearly seems to be working in tandem with Alpert?
No, I say we start with the observation that so much of the Locke mythology that's previously been established wove its way back into this episode. Apparently he's always been a backgammon player. The phrase "Don't tell me what I can't do" -- which we heard John say, pointedly, back in season one -- has been a favorite of his for a long time. And, despite the speech given to him by his high school principal, Locke does indeed see himself as a superhero and one whose mission it is to save the island. Also -- and tell me if you agree -- it certainly seems like Locke's real daddy is the ageless, non-birthday-celebrating Richard Alpert.
Liz: I'm glad you veered into talking about John's parentage, because that's actually where I wanted to start. Having Richard Alpert as dad certainly changes John's role in the whole show for me, but did you happen to catch his mother's name? It's Emily, the same as Ben's mom. I don't know that we should start thinking them brothers since we know Ben's mom is dead and Locke's reappeared in an earlier season as Swoosie Kurtz, but that certainly can't be a throw-away detail. Nothing in this show is coincidental. And as for John's thoughts of himself as a superhero, it would seem he's been helped along in that belief by these drop in visits from Alpert while he was growing up. Alpert seemed to be checking on his son, much as a farmer would on his crops. In fact, the whole thing had a very "Boys From Brazil" feel (that movie posited what would happen if Nazis used Hitler's genes to clone six young boys). But I can't help thinking that Alpert isn't sure of Locke's ability to fulfill his destiny. It's a gamble. And I wonder how many other experiments he's got going simultaneously. That dichotomy in John's self-image was totally on display in his high school locker, where he had the expected Geronimo Jackson poster right next to the image of Victorian explorer, Sir Richard Burton -- a kind of superman of his own era.
Much more after the jump...
Jen: I actually think you are right about Emily. Swoosie Kurtz wasn't Locke's real mother, remember? She was just conning him, as Cooper was. He thought of them as mom and dad, but they weren't, really. And if I can get all Biblical for just a brief moment, Jacob's son was Benjamin. So I wonder if John is the equivalent of Joseph, the brother who eventually has to embrace Benjamin despite him being a "nasty imp." (I'm quoting "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" -- the Bible by way of Andrew Lloyd Webber.)
And here's a quick guide to the Geronimo Jackson reference that occurred (say next few words in deep voice) previously on "Lost": Geronimo Jackson.
Liz: Well, thank you Andrew Lloyd for keeping us on point. I'd forgotten that Swoosie was a con. In that case, then, yes -- we are headed for a set up of John vs. Ben as brothers and their similarities were starting to show last night. For instance, when Ben conned Hurley into staying with him on the trip to Jacob's cabin. Ahh, the Bible and brothers. Rich material. Did you happen to notice, too, that the fire seemed to be back in Locke's belly and eyes last night? This is the John Locke we came to know and love in seasons one and two -- the boar hunting, hatch-opening, unapologetic, cold, calculating man of action. Heeeeee's back. And now he's got a clear mission -- but is it the right one or another red herring?
Jen: Indeed. And Terry O'Quinn played him beautifully, as always. But here is the interesting thing about the mission: John returned to Hurley and Ben and said "He wants us to move the island." But we didn't hear what Christian (or Jacob) actually said to John. We heard his interpretation. And Locke could be dead wrong about what he is actually supposed to do. But I want to save the question. I think we should back up a sec and talk about Horace Goodspeed.
Liz: Agreed. Horace -- the guide -- who first led Ben's parents to the island and now leads Locke & Co. to Jacob's cabin. He was kind of freaking me out last night.
Jen: Understandable. The dude kept repeating himself while his nose bled. When people do that it tends to be freaky. But why was that happening? Seems to me that Horace was in the same mode as Desmond in "The Constant": Trapped between two times and a little confused. I realize that was supposed to be a dream, but I thought that was worth noting.
Liz: Right. Horace seemed to be on an unbreakable loop -- almost reminiscent of "Help me Obi Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope" or Rousseau's 18-minute looping message in season 1.
Jen: Also worth noting: When Locke woke up and Ben was staring at him -- that moment, to me, was when Ben realized he had to pass on the reins of leadership to Locke, aka his bro-bro. Liz: I don't know that I believe he's passed on the reins of leadership to Locke, and here's why: Ben made a point of congratulating Locke for manipulating Hurley saying something akin to, "You made him think it was his idea." Which made me hyper-aware of Ben's own manipulations -- because he's always running a game. Would Ben really consign himself to eating a candy bar with Hurley and let John take the helm from here on out? No way. Not our Ben Linus. He's using John. Remember, he's been at this far longer than John and he knows the island, and we have to assume, Jacob.
Jen: Valid point. But I also detected a genuine note of defeatedness in Ben. Perhaps he is still manipulating but I think he now realizes Locke is being spoken to by Jacob, or at least his "associates," like Horace, Christian and apparently the suddenly creepy Claire. Did you notice what Ben said when Locke was digging through the corpses, looking for the map (which, BTW, he found pretty freaking fast)? He said of shooting John, "I should have realized at the time it was pointless." I thought that was the writers covering themselves, knowing full well that one of us dork bloggers would ask, "Wait, if Locke can't die or get sick or whatever, then why would Ben even bother shooting him?"
Liz: Right. But that could've just been Ben's way of making sure. Of crossing one possible path off his list. I don't think Ben is defeated. In fact, I was noting last night that he seems incredibly pulled together for a man who just lost his daughter. One would expect him to be in a daze or weepy or galvanized in some way. But instead, he's happily letting John lead him to Jacob's cabin. Mark my words, he's using John. He may not be ultimately successful, but he at least thinks he's still in control.
Jen: I totally agree that Ben is still manipulating. If we've learned anything by now, it's never to take what that guys says at this word. But I would just ask you to look again -- as I just did two seconds ago -- at some of his unspoken reactions in last night's episode. When Locke pulls that map to the cabin out of dead corpse Horace's pocket, we flash to Ben and the look on his face says, "Oh, snap. He found the map." So I think Ben is still trying to manipulate, but getting worried.
Liz: I'll grant you that. I think maybe we can agree on this: Ben hasn't ceded control yet, but it's possible it may be wrested from him. And there's nothing so dangerous as a deposed dictator.
Let's talk about a few more John-related items before we move on. Namely, the collection of objects Alpert brought the young John. Although all were telling, especially since John failed the test, I zeroed in "The Book of Laws." Found it this morning on Wikipedia. It's a text of the Baha'i faith -- and I could swear Baha'i has surfaced on "Lost" before, though I can't recall where just now. But here's a little more about Baha'i and the book:
The "Book of Laws" is Baha'i's: "charter of the future world civilization."
And, more on Baha'i (from Wikipedia):
Jen: That is really interesting. Seems like Alpert was challenging young John to either choose that path or the other path -- the one that interested me most -- which included a knife and a comic book.
Let's take a closer look at that comic. A few things interesting on that cover. First, the notion of a city above another city -- an island that has moved, perhaps? Or that is obscured from view by something surrounding it? I also like the question in the lower right corner: Does it pay to ignore the voice of warning? Seems to me that the path Locke chooses to follow at the end of the episode is the same one he chose as a child -- be the hero, use the knife.
Liz: Agreed, which is why I wondered if he again failed the test -- which would explain Claire and Christian's knowing glance when John asked how to save the island.
The other thing about that comic book cover is the vantage point -- this is a man in an airplane looking out at the clouds. And it just doesn't get "Lost"-ier than that.
Jen: As to Locke's question -- that is not at all what I thought Christian was trying to get him to ask. Personally, I wanted him to ask, "Who is Jacob?" Because enough already. I want to see that freak.
Liz: Jacob, who seems to have dominion over the spirits of the dead. Yeah, John clearly asked the wrong question.
Jen: And bad things will happen as a result.
Jen: But on to the return of Mr. Abaddon. I knew that was him before they showed his face. I know Lance Reddick's voice anywhere.
Liz: Trying to out-dork me, eh? I knew, too. It was telegraphed pretty clearly that the orderly was someone significant.
Is he, though, on the same team as Richard Alpert? Or another? Is there a tug of war going on over John's soul, or powers, or are Abaddon and Alpert merely two small parts of one entity? They both seem to be leading him to the island, but could it be for different reasons? We assume Abaddon is aligned with Penny's father, Charles Widmore. But is Alpert -- who we can associate with Mittelos Bioscience? I'm getting fuzzy, Jen -- does Mittelos have any tie to Widmore?
Jen: Exactly: Who is Abaddon working for, the Mittelos team or the Widmore team? A great line from Abaddon: "Oh, I'm more than just an orderly."
Liz: One of many good lines last night. Me, I was partial to Ben's: "There are consequences to being chosen, John. Destiny is a fickle bitch."
Jen: That was good. Actually, my real favorite was Locke's reference to Dharma as the people that make that ranch dressing Hurley likes so much.
Anyhoo, Mittelos. The company may be connected to the former president of the Hanso Foundation, who we know helped fund the Dharma Initiative, as did Widmore Industries. So at some point, it would seem, these entities were aligned but eventually ruptured for some reason.
Liz: Right -- Mittelos is the front organization for the rogue Thomas Mittelwerk. Thanks for the memory jog.
Jen: Ian Cusick promised us more shenanigans on the freighter, and by God he delivered.
For starters, Keamy still can't kill Michael. Michael is "Unbreakable" ... at least for now.
Liz: Right -- and Michael found a friend in Frank (aka Lawnmower Man). Sayid has gone rogue. All good and promise more to come. But I find my brain recoiling from trying to work out the time continuum differences apparent in the killing of the doctor this week and his washing up on shore last week.
Jen: The island must be ahead of the time on the freighter, right? Otherwise they wouldn't know that doc was going to die in advance. So slitting his throat was fulfilling destiny, really, fickle bee-atch that she is.
Liz: So maybe that's a detail we just file away for now.
Jen: Then there was this whole biz of the second protocol. Liz: Yes, with its Dharma logo cover sheet. I'm assuming this protocol amounts to annihilating the island. But, riddle me this -- if Keamy and co. make it to the island and John moves it, won't Keamy and co. still be on the island?
Jen: Right -- but this idea that Ben knows that is what is going to happen and is trying to get to a safe place, which taps right into the notion that he is still being Mr. Manipulator.
And John is not going to move the island. At least I don't think so.
Liz: Well, at least not any time soon.
Jen: I think the better question is how someone -- presumably Widmore, but who knows? -- knows to stay a step ahead of Ben and everyone else on the freighter. And why is Keamy the only guy to trust with this info?
Liz: Right. That hints at a larger importance for Keamy, who seems to have some sense of urgency about all of this and almost a vendetta against Ben and the island.
Jen: Also want to point out something about Desmond. He decided to stay back (which, BTW, I think means he is going to die. I don't like him not being with Sayid somehow). Anyway, no one on the freighter seemed to be aware he was there. The scenes where he stayed behind were shot pointedly to emphasize the fact that he was off to the side, observing and not speaking to anyone.
Liz: I don't know that Desmond's staying back sets him up for death -- the producers would have to be CRAZY to kill off the winner of "Lost" Madness -- but it does place him well for keeping track of the remaining freighter crew and possibly helping Michael. And we do know that the captain saw and spoke to him when he led Des and Sayid to the Zodiac, right?
Jen: Good point. Let's look on the bright side. I don't want Des to die either.
Liz: So, on to next week -- Jack seems to be back to his boisterous self and ready to follow the sat phone signal to the copter. We're gearing up for battle. It's very reminiscent of the close of season 1 when the then mysterious Others were rumored to be attacking. Here's official promo:
"There's No Place Like Home," Part 1 - The face-off between the survivors and the freighter people begins.
Jen: Yes -- and isn't next week's ep the one with the cast of thousands? The press release had Hurley's parents in the cast list (Cheech Marin?) and a bunch of other folks.
Liz: Right... here's the big honking list of guest stars:
Guest starring are L. Scott Caldwell as Rose, Nestor Carbonell as Richard Alpert, Jeremy Davies as Daniel Faraday, Ken Leung as Miles Straume, Rebecca Mader as Charlotte Lewis, Jeff Fahey as Frank Lapidus, Kevin Durand as Keamy, Anthony Azizi as Omar, Andrea Gabriel as Noor "Nadia" Abed Jaseem, Byron Chung as Mr. Paik, June Kyoko Lu as Mrs. Paik, Lillian Hurst as Carmen Reyes, Cheech Marin as David Reyes, Veronica Hamel as Margo Shephard, Michelle Forbes as Karen Decker, Susan Duerden as Carole Littleton and Noah Craft as Hendricks.
Jen: Man, I feel like we've only scratched the surface today. Thank God we have a chat at 2 p.m. that allows us to discuss further.
By Liz | May 9, 2008; 10:29 AM ET | Category: Lost Previous: Morning Mix: Report -- La Lohan Dumped From Manson Movie | Next: Morning Mix: Timberlake & Biel Named Hottest Couple
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Guys - Emily was part of the "let's steal John Locke's kidney" con, but she IS his biological mother. Otherwise, Anthony Cooper (or whatever his name was) wouldn't have needed *Locke's* kidney. It was a familial donation he was after, remember?
Besides, why would they pick a young actress who looks like a young Swoozie Kurtz if she wasn't his biological mother? Kind of like picking Tanya Raymonde because she looks a lot like Mira Furlan (that would be Alex and Rousseau for the less up on the cast names ;) ).
Posted by: Chasmosaur | May 9, 2008 12:05 PM
That episode was a doozey. I was wondering about that book on the Freighter--that told Keamey "Where Ben would go next." What the heck was that?
Also--Claire at the end--super creepy smile. That's all I've got to say.
Posted by: PC | May 9, 2008 12:05 PM
Also-didn't they indicate that Richard Alpert was NOT Locke's father? When he was looking through the glass at baby Locke, the mother is asked if "that's the father," by the nurse, but she responds that she has no idea who he is. And since, as the first poster indicated, Swoosie Kurtz is in fact Locke's biological mom, you would have thought she'd have recognized Alpert when he came to visit Locke and make him take that test- there does not seem to be any indication that she recognized him.
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 12:09 PM
Claire had a band aid on her forehead just like she did after the car accident with her mom, when she first met Christian... I haven't seen that episode since it aired, but didn't Claire want nothing to do with Christian at the time? Now they are cabin buddies?
Posted by: Lady_Jane | May 9, 2008 12:10 PM
The cover of the comic reminds me of the season 4 promos we saw earlier this year, with the island above and the Los Angeles skyline reflected below. Maybe just a coincidence, but interesting.
Posted by: julia | May 9, 2008 12:12 PM
Presenting objects and asking a child to choose which ones belonged to him before is part of the process in selecting the Dalai Lama. The High Lamas present the child they believe is the reincarnation and present him with a group of items (some that belonged to the previous Dalai Lama) to see if he chooses the items previously owned. So I agree that Alpert and his group were trying to find their next ruler/king. I don't think he is Locke's dad, though. Locke's father was his real father; hence, the kidney donation
Posted by: LitMajor | May 9, 2008 12:12 PM
Yeah, I don't think Locke's Emily is supposed to be Ben's mom too, and I don't think Alpert is supposed to be his papa, he's just an interested party in young Locke's development. But about the kidney - you don't need to get a kidney from a family member, it just needs to be compatible to your blood type/body size. Wouldn't really make sense why Cooper would want to randomly scam Locke if he wasn't his papa. But he did a lot of things for weird reasons, so who knows.
PS I think Claire's dead.
Posted by: U street girl | May 9, 2008 12:16 PM
My theory on creepy Claire is that she actually died in the explosion of the house and didn't realize it until her dad came to get her.
As for the items Alpert brought to young John, I kind of felt like he was supposed to pick the comic book under the knife., like Alpert was trying to see if young John could see past the red herring.
Posted by: jes | May 9, 2008 12:18 PM
You missed one of my favorite lines from Hurley when he hands water to Locke- "digging through dead bodies takes a lot out of a guy."
Posted by: Osteph | May 9, 2008 12:19 PM
::Claire had a band aid on her forehead just like she did after the car accident with her mom, when she first met Christian... I haven't seen that episode since it aired, but didn't Claire want nothing to do with Christian at the time? Now they are cabin buddies? ::
Re: Creepy Claire, Christian and the cabin. I know this theory has been mentioned elsewhere (I can't remember if anyone brought it up here) but I think Claire is already dead. That is why she is hanging out with Christian now, because they have something in common. Earlier in the season, when Hurley stumbled upon the cabin and saw the eyeball staring back at him (i.e. Charlie's eyeball), I told my husband that I think Jacob's cabin is where the dead people go to hang out. Because we saw what appeared to be Christian hanging out in the rocker before. I just think something has happened to Claire because it doesn't make sense for her to abandon Aaron to go hang out in a creepy cabin with her estranged dad. And they told Locke that Aaron was where he was supposed to be. Anyway, I don't think all the folks who have died will likely appear again on the island but something to think about. For example, I sure hope Nikki and Paulo don't get an invite to Jacob's house party.
For the record, I hope something really, really bad happens to Keamy because that guy is pure evil.
Posted by: apfromal | May 9, 2008 12:23 PM
At what point was it explained the Richard Alpert was Locke's father? His mother Emily (older version played by Swoosie Kurtz who is a redhead just like the actress playing the younger version--so obviously meant to be the same person in addition to sharing the same name) was dating some older guy that her mother didn't approve of. When Richard showed up at the hospital, the nurse asked her mother if that was the father and she answered she didn't know who he was. It certainly seemed like Emily's mom had some contact with the older guy she was dating to have disapproved of her daughter dating him.
And if Kevin Tighe's character WASN'T Locke's real father, how is it that Locke was a perfect kidney donor for him? How would the con man have known that Locke was a perfect donor for him if he wasn't his biological relative?
I think you guys are way off base here, but at least you've finally started spelling "Keamy" right...
Posted by: Stella | May 9, 2008 12:25 PM
Interesting comment over among Doc Jensen's comments. The test that Batmanuel - I mean, Richard Alpert - put to 5-year-old John is the same test applied to those seeking the new Dhali Lama, the reincarnation of previous dhali lamas and I believe the Buddha himself.
Posted by: John | May 9, 2008 12:25 PM
Do'h! Was busy typing and missed U Street Girl and Jes' comments about Claire.
Posted by: apfromal | May 9, 2008 12:26 PM
hey guys.. do you really think richard is Locke's dad? Emily's mom actually said "I dont know who he is" and I took it literally coz she definitely knew who Emily was seeing earlier. It could just be that our Alpert guy started watching out for John Locke since his birth and isnt really his dad.
Posted by: TheTruckGuy | May 9, 2008 12:27 PM
Now good old Doc Jensen has the Book of Laws as an Aleister Crowley book.
Doc's Column this week: http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20198844,00.html
Posted by: Bored @ work | May 9, 2008 12:27 PM
I don't buy the Albert = Locke's father idea either. The entire point of the kidney transplant is that there has to be a genetic match for the organ to be accepted.
But an awesome episode! Thanks for the discussion!
Posted by: Bob | May 9, 2008 12:30 PM
A couple of points. I thought the show was unbelievably obvious last night re: Keamy. W see him at the end of the hall, getting suited up, and they focus on the box on his bicep. So then there was no need later in the confrontation with the captain to so pointedly show it off. It was an odd note as LOST is usually far more subtle than that.
Second, I wonder if the island itself is "alive." That is, it is not really an island as we know it, but rather a creature that resembles an island? There was an ealry X-men comic about such a creature, that you can read about here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krakoa
If the island is a "thing" an alien, a lot of what has gone on could be explained. Smoky is the immune system, the visions of things is just the island's own consciousness manifesting in an attempt to communicate with the Losties. "Jacob" would then be a representation of the "island."
Thirdly, remember when The Others were uber-competent and scary? That there did not seem to be anything they could not do? Where are they, and why are they not competent enough to handle Keamy and what appears to be 5 guys?
Posted by: BDL | May 9, 2008 12:31 PM
And we've seen Ben's mom Emily in flashbacks and she looks nothing like Locke's mom Emily. There may be a connection between Locke and Ben, but it's not having the same mom.
Posted by: ah | May 9, 2008 12:31 PM
"you would have thought she'd have recognized Alpert when he came to visit Locke and make him take that test"
I believe that was a foster-mom.
Posted by: mark | May 9, 2008 12:31 PM
Locke was hit by a car in the womb and was the "youngest premie (sp?) to survive in this hospital." As in, the man is like Michael and can't die. Don't you think that Richard is interested in Locke for that reason?
Posted by: Osteph | May 9, 2008 12:32 PM
I'm not claiming to be a kidney transplant expert at all, but my friend wikipedia tells me you don't have to be a genetic match to be a kidney donor, it helps, but is not necessary:
Posted by: U street girl | May 9, 2008 12:34 PM
Of course we all know Abaddon was the orderly. Lance Reddick was in the opening credits and they first showed his hands on the wheelchair - the hands of a black man. I had no doubt it was Abaddon.
Doc Jensen has a very heavy analysis today.
Are these last few episodes making your head hurt? There is just SO MUCH information jam-packed into each ep.
Posted by: Hoolia | May 9, 2008 12:35 PM
OK, here's a wacky thought. Locke's been instructed to move the island. He could move it in space, in time, or both. Someone (I think over at EW) has posited that this will create a rupture in the time/space continuum that will create an alternate reality where the Oceanic 815 remains on the ocean's bottom are real, not faked. So, what if in moving the island, Locke moves it out of the path of the plane, so there's no island for 815 to crash on, sending everyone to a watery doom?
Posted by: John | May 9, 2008 12:36 PM
And one more random thought. Did no one think it odd that the one question Locke was supposed to ask wasn't, how do I save the people on this island, but how do I save the island [itself]?
Posted by: John | May 9, 2008 12:38 PM
One last thought: Des was left back on the freighter for, among other reasons noted, narrative reasons. You need to see events through an islander's eyes, so Des has to stay back to show us what happens to the doctor and the captain. One of the show's biggest blunders was the end-of-season switch from the island to the Antarctic station and then to Penny's phone. I thought they really screwed things up bigtime with that, and I suspect others thought so, too.
Posted by: John | May 9, 2008 12:42 PM
I think John and others do end up moving the island, it explains the Oceanic 6 and the ones left behind. Sayid is off to rescue them and first load brings back Jack (because of appendicitis/stitches), Aaron because the island's getting violent and let's get him to safety first and bring Claire when we find her (would be the thinking), Kate to take care of Aaron, and Sun because Jin is determined she'll be on the first load out -- then perhaps he plans to follow. I don't know why Hugo. The problem is the island moves after they leave it and they can't find the island again to rescue the rest. Thus, future Jack's despair at needing to go back to "save" the others. Remember Keamy and company are still on the Island in this scenario.
Posted by: perhaps | May 9, 2008 12:45 PM
Keamy seemed to have some sort of bomb device attached to his arm...it could be that device requires time in some element to function. When he gets to the island he's a day in the future so the time function of the bomb device is disabled thereby giving the island folks extra time to get off the island or move it if you're Locke.
Posted by: Maybe... | May 9, 2008 12:51 PM
I missed the first 15 minutes because of thunderstorms, tornado warnings and a leaking basement, but between Doc Jensen & you all, I think I've caught on to what went on.
Thanks to all of you for your analysis. I'm a real Lost fan, but your capacity for seeing the tiny details is awe-inspiring. I was disappointed in Claire's creepiness and now that we know for (pretty much) sure she's not the one to raise Aaron and Kate isn't just a temporary caretaker, what does it mean?
I'd love to sit in on a Lost writers writing session. I see them with all these random props before them like jigsaw pieces, fitting them carefully together.
Posted by: m.a.t. | May 9, 2008 12:55 PM
Kidney matches can definitely be made between non-related individuals. Wouldn't it be an even more elaborate con if Anthony Cooper was NOT Locke's father. Plus we have to remember that Anthony Cooper just happened to be the con man involved in Sawyers pre-island life.
Posted by: Maybe... | May 9, 2008 12:58 PM
Forgot something: Emily was hit by a car - accident? About as likely as Juliet's husband getting hit by a bus was an accident.
Posted by: m.a.t. | May 9, 2008 1:00 PM
If "Jacob's cabin" is the place where dead people go, what do we make of the fact that, when we saw "Jacob" for the first time last season, many people thought it looked like Locke? Is he dead? In some other category altogether (not really dead, not really alive)?
Posted by: Ivy | May 9, 2008 1:01 PM
Goddamn tornado warnings ruined it. They should have to rerun the show after so many senseless interruptions.
Posted by: uck | May 9, 2008 1:01 PM
Must be the island's magical juju allowed that map to be perfectly preserved in the pocket of a corpse exposed to the elements for twelve years, eh? The corpses are pretty well preserved as well, considering the tropical environment.
Posted by: Admiral Snarlgren | May 9, 2008 1:03 PM
Maybe Locke wasn't supposed to pick up the knife because it was a sign of that he still had some aggression issues to work out first...his daddy issues, his abandonment issues, his failed adventurer issues...and picking the knife just showed that he wasn't ready to go to the island yet...
Posted by: Walt's brother | May 9, 2008 1:04 PM
Watch it on ABC.com, I missed it last night and woke up extra early to catch up. I can imagine, though, that the tornado warnings would have been super frustrating and probably drove me up the wall. Especially with this week's very good, high tension episode.
Posted by: U street girl | May 9, 2008 1:04 PM
I know Emily's mother made a comment about adoption but do we know if Locke was put up for adoption or foster care. Was the woman present when Richard gave Locke the test Emily or an adopted mother. If he was adopted why is his name still Locke? We know Emily's mother's name was Locke as well.
Posted by: Woodbridge | May 9, 2008 1:05 PM
Keamy has bumped Sawyer down on the sexy tough guy list...oh to be the assistant bomb strapper-on guy...
Posted by: Merc's need love too | May 9, 2008 1:06 PM
RE: Locke failing again because he still has a penchant for knives. He very poignantly put the knife down before entering the cabin...might this vindicate him.
Posted by: Maybe... | May 9, 2008 1:08 PM
What perhaps@12:45 said, exactly. That's how I would call this season's finale. The O6 get off the Island at the last minute and Locke succeeds in "moving" the place somehow. Season 5 will be mostly off-Island with the O6 looking for a way to find the Island and go back.
I, too, have a bad feeling about Des staying behind on the freighter. Fickle b**tch, indeed!
Posted by: Not Shlomo | May 9, 2008 1:12 PM
I too feel really anxious about Des staying on the freighter, brutha, stay with Sayid and be safe, you have no friends on the freighter..
I'm hoping that the writers have the sense to not kill off the most beloved character in the series, but hey, it's Lost...
Posted by: U street girl | May 9, 2008 1:21 PM
Were the scenes with John growing up part of a flashback, or was Richard Alpert time traveling trying to find John at the right moment in his life?
Posted by: Odenton, MD | May 9, 2008 1:21 PM
I agree that Claire is dead. I think something that Sawyer said during the preview for next week supports that notion-"We lost Claire" Yeah, she could be lost as in missing, but I interpreted it as she's dead.
Posted by: KG | May 9, 2008 1:21 PM
Everyone is assuming that moving the island seems to mean physically moving it. Could it be that they are to move the island not geographically but through time?
Posted by: johnjams | May 9, 2008 1:30 PM
1. I think Claire might be dead. She seemed eerily jolly and carefree given the circumstances, and she seemed to share some kind of all-knowingness with Christian that was creepy.
2. No way Desmond is going to die. Killing the Penny-Desmond storyline would be ratings suicide. Plus, last week's ep really seemed to suggest that there's a lot more in store for our Des, like protecting Penny from Ben.
Posted by: 12345 | May 9, 2008 1:31 PM
moving the island could also mean moving the 'safe' coordinates.
Posted by: Odenton, MD | May 9, 2008 1:34 PM
So - if the island can be moved in time, that would explain the delay that Faraday has discovered. Meaning that someone has already moved the island once before so that it's not quite in sync with the outside world. Question is - who moved it before? Widmore? Ben? Jacob? The pirates? Dharma Initiative? How does one move an entire island?
Are later seasons going to be about re-finding the island and resucing the non-oceanic-6 losties?
Posted by: So many questions | May 9, 2008 1:39 PM
It makes more sense that Cooper is Locke's bio-dad because of the need for compatibility, and how would Cooper know Locke would be a compatible donor. And because Cooper is a con man, and the whole thing was a con, there was no need for him to use Locke's actual mom, only someone claiming to be her. Indeed, it would be too risky to use a real mom because she might not go through with the con.
Hence, both Emilys are the same. Besides, why should the writers create the coincidence? Interesting note is that Aaron's mom shares the same name (in real life).
Besides, it is my understanding that one premature birth predisposes a mother for another premature birth. Remember, Ben was premature as well.
The question is -- is Claire dead? Did she actually die in the explosion?
Posted by: Bender | May 9, 2008 1:45 PM
If Claire is dead, when did she die? Everyone thought she survived the exploding house and just wandered into the jungle. If she was just dead, she wouldn't have been seen after the house exploded.
Posted by: 77 | May 9, 2008 1:46 PM
But one question definitively answered --
Christian Shepherd clearly said that he is NOT Jacob.
And why should Michael be kill-proof while others apparently are able to die?
Posted by: Bender | May 9, 2008 1:51 PM
I think Claire died when she was sleeping in the jungle and Christian came to her. She died of the injuries she sustained from the blast (my guess, internal bleeding or something).
Posted by: U street girl | May 9, 2008 1:53 PM
Right-o johnjams. "Moving" the Island doesn't necessarily mean geographically. The Island was virtually hidden to the world until Charlie killed the device jamming Rousseau's distress call. If the Island's temporal and/or spacial coordinates can be altered (maybe by another electromagnetic blast), it would become invisible again.
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 1:53 PM
Miles seemed somewhat surprised to see Claire. Or, rather, that everyone else saw her. There is good reason to believe she was killed in the explosion and merely became one of the walking apparitions thereafter.
Posted by: Bender | May 9, 2008 1:54 PM
OK, here's a wacky thought. Locke's been instructed to move the island. He could move it in space, in time, or both. Someone (I think over at EW) has posited that this will create a rupture in the time/space continuum that will create an alternate reality where the Oceanic 815 remains on the ocean's bottom are real, not faked. So, what if in moving the island, Locke moves it out of the path of the plane, so there's no island for 815 to crash on, sending everyone to a watery doom?
We already know there is some disconnect between the present on the freighter and the present on the island, i think that to move the island through time would be more in keeping with what we know about the island. If this is the case, does the island need some sort of "constant" of its own? This would help explain why the O6 (or almost anyone not named Widmore) might not be able to find the island.
Posted by: johnjams | May 9, 2008 1:57 PM
And even though the island is "moved" Ben some still seem to be able to come & go.
Posted by: Bored @ work | May 9, 2008 1:57 PM
Woodbridge: Locke's stated in previous episodes and seasons that he was raised in foster care. I had no doubt that the woman at the house was his foster mother. I also have no doubt that the Emily giving birth was the same Emily as Swoozie Kurtz.
Definitely picked up on the "Locke can't die like Michael can't die" thing. The thought that popped into my head is "what does Michael need to accomplish in order to die?" Is it moving the island? Killing the people on the boat per Tom (though they seem to be doing that themselves).
Claire's presence bothered me in the style of Damien from The Omen, Carole Anne in Poltergeist and Linda Blair's role in the Exorcist. She's definitely dead....and creepy.
For a good laugh, I suggest y'all check out the Red and Rover cartoon from yesterday's Post. It makes reference to Lost and an "Island that has weird magnetic properties that manipulate time and space, thereby making it virtually invisible to the outside world."
Posted by: Em | May 9, 2008 2:00 PM
If Claire's dead, then I'm confused by Charlie/Hurley's message to Jack that he (Jack) was "not supposed to raise him." I assumed they were referring to Aaron. But Christian and Claire said in Jacob's cabin that the baby was "in the right place."
Posted by: Not Shlomo | May 9, 2008 2:00 PM
Not Shlomo - the baby was "in the right place" with Sawyer on the island when Christian and Claire said that. Not with Jack off the island.
Posted by: Catherine | May 9, 2008 2:08 PM
"The right place" for Aaron might mean with Kate, but not with Jack. Or, geographically, on the beach, where he is now, but not necessarily off the island.
Also, Bored@work, Ben can still come and go because he knows where John (or he) "moved" it. Maybe Jack's later effort to "find" the island will turn on finding Ben and trying to make him reveal it. (Good luck with that...)
Posted by: jane | May 9, 2008 2:10 PM
So, Christian said that Aaron is "Where he should be."
At the time of this comment, can't we assume that Aaron is in the arms of Sawyer?
Has anyone else noticed Sawyer's affectionate and protective comments and actions toward Claire and baby in the last few episodes?
And we've also gotten hints in future flashes, such as the finale of season 3, that Kate is with someone else when she tells a despondent Jack, "I have to get back to him before he knows I'm out." (or something like that)
Maybe Sawyer, Kate and Aaron end up making the happy family at the end of this series, if somehow we can get Sawyer secretly off the island....
Posted by: Lost at work | May 9, 2008 2:14 PM
When Richard asked Locke to pick an object that belonged to him, it looked much more to me like the Buddhist monks who are always looking for a reincarnation of Buddha. They place objects in front of a baby (one of which belonged to Buddha) and the baby is supposed to pick which one "Already belongs" to him. This seems much more relevant than the Ba'hai faith theory.
Posted by: Kristina | May 9, 2008 2:25 PM
I think Locke was definitely with a foster-family when Alpert (Batmanuel!) first came to visit, both because the woman looked nothing like teenage mom Emily and also because of the way she acted towards Locke-she didn't treat him like he was her own son. At this point, I also don't think Locke's mom Emily and Ben's mom Emily are the same but it is very interesting they share a name and it can't be coincidence.
Re: Claire- she has to be dead though I agree that I'm not sure when she died-- either in the explosion or from her injuries afterwards. Remember, Miles has a special connection with the dead, so that could explain any odd looks he may give to her. I'm wondering if she and Christian will meet up with Charlie at some point.
I also think Aaron is where he is supposed to be-- with Sawyer, at that moment in time. Perhaps Sawyer is supposed to care for him but the message not clear until after Aaron is rescued. Maybe the errand Kate has to run for Sawyer is related to all this?
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 2:47 PM
tried to post this over at the chat, but having issues:
1) just read this on lostpedia:
"Lost" adds hours ABC extends final two seasons By James Hibberd, Hollywood Reporter 05/09/2008 - ABC has found more hours for the final two seasons of "Lost." The 2009 and 2010 editions of the hit drama will be 17 hours each -- not 16 as previously planned.
2) RE: weather updated--I have to commend Channel 7 for NOT breaking into LOST with a live update, like stations used to do in the past. They actually interrupted a commercial break for a live update with Doug Hill. I specifically said to my husband, "Wow! You NEVER see that!" Interrupting commercials (and not the actual show) with weather events was something I used to dream about.
Posted by: psujedi | May 9, 2008 2:57 PM
One interesting thing that I noticed from "Cabin Fever" was that the Tales of Myster comic was very similar to the Lost Title screen that shows during commercials. It has says "LOST" and below is the Island that we all know and love, but the reflection of the Island in the water isn't an Island at all, it is a city. The cover of Tales of Myster comic is quite strikingly similar.
Posted by: Troy in AK | May 9, 2008 3:33 PM
Re Locke's choice of "objects" - what did you all think was in the glass bottle? The grains were too large to be sand or the mystery dust around Jacob's cabin. I vote for sesame seeds and that the symbolism was "Open, Sesame!" - or that Locke had the ability to "unlock" the mysteries of the Island.
The only way I see Locke and Ben as brothers are in the sense of Biblical Jacob being the father of the 12 Tribes. If Alpert was running experiments on children - then rather than the suggested 6 children of Hitler - there might be even more - 12 - or somehow, maybe we are all "brothas" as Desmond likes to remind us.
To me, Locke and Ben represent free will vs. destiny. Rather than saying that Locke consistently chooses "wrong" - let's say he uses his free will to choose, period. He doesn't blindly accept fate/destiny in a Calvinistic sense.
Like his philosopher namesake, experience has shaped his mind. Philosopher Locke wrote "the little and almost insensible impressions on our tender infancies have very important and lasting consequences." Lost Locke's "tender infancy" was revealed to us as a series of abandonments and physical challenges.
I also like the idea that the empty cabin (empty in the sense that Christian and Claire are both "ghosts" of sorts) is a parallel to Philosopher Locke's "empty cabinet" of the mind. Thus, Locke's conclusion that me must move the island - is more likely one that he came to on his on on reflecting in the cabin - rather than one specifically laid out to him by Jacob.
Posted by: Jean | May 9, 2008 3:50 PM
Absolutely Claire is dead. She wouldn't be sitting there, WITHOUT AARON, all calm and spooky, any other way.
johnjams, good theory on moving the island...
Posted by: Sam888 | May 9, 2008 3:51 PM
Personally, I thought that Alpert wanted/expected Locke to choose the bottle and that it contained sand from the island, thereby proving that Locke has always had a connection to the island.
Posted by: Gigi | May 9, 2008 4:02 PM
I'm glad others have noted that Locke's Emily and Ben's Emily are definitely not one and the same. Older Emily Annabeth Locke from Locke's earlier flashback is really Emily Locke-- I recall seeing a file on her from Santa Rosa mental institution that included her name and photo, which would confirm who she is (right?).
(Also, Locke retained her last name because he was raised in a foster home, as he explained himself in season one or two. You only take on the new name if you're adopted.)
But I have been noticing lately that there have been lots of overlapping and similar names on Lost, which happens frequently in real life but not frequently in fictional stories. Not just the Emilys you mentioned, but Charlie Pace/Charles Widmore/Charlotte Malkin/Charlotte Lewis; Danielle Rousseau/Daniel Faraday; Richard Alpert/Richard Malkin; and many more, I'm sure. Is there significance to any of these, do you think?
Posted by: elizabeth | May 9, 2008 4:03 PM
I'm glad others have noted that Locke's Emily and Ben's Emily are definitely not one and the same. Older Emily Annabeth Locke from Locke's earlier flashback is really Emily Locke-- I recall seeing a file on her from Santa Rosa mental institution that included her name and photo, which would confirm who she is (right?).
(Also, Locke retained her last name because he was raised in a foster home, as he explained himself in season one or two. You only take on the new name if you're adopted.)
But I have been noticing lately that there have been lots of overlapping and similar names on Lost, which happens frequently in real life but not frequently in fictional stories. Not just the Emilys you mentioned, but Charlie Pace/Charles Widmore/Charlotte Malkin/Charlotte Lewis; Danielle Rousseau/Daniel Faraday; Richard Alpert/Richard Malkin; and many more, I'm sure. Is there significance to any of these, do you think?
Posted by: elizabeth | May 9, 2008 4:13 PM
Seems a lot of people here took Locke's grandma at her word when she said she had no idea who that man was. I thought she most definitely knew who he was, but didn't want to explain to the nurse.
Posted by: Grandma | May 9, 2008 4:18 PM
when did she die? if she died in the explosion, why was she walking around with sawyer and miles. why did sawyer "see" her as alive? if she died in the middle of the night during last nights ep, how did she get out into the jungle? she would have had to trek out to the jungle with aaron and then die. but her body was not near aaron when sawyer found him.
Posted by: yes claire is dead, but... | May 9, 2008 4:19 PM
Catherine, I have to agree with Not Shlomo. The ONLY person who can raise Aaron is Claire. The psychic in Australia specifically explained this to Claire in Season 1 episode 10, "Raised by Another." Everyone on this list should watch this episode again -- everything which happened in Claire's lucid dream is now coming true.
The real mystery here is, why would Claire and Christian say Aaron is in the right place when it is quite clear that Claire MUST be the one to raise her baby? Not Sawyer, not Kate -- Claire.
I disagree with two of Liz and Jen's conclusions:
1. There is no evidence to support the idea that Richard is Locke's father. Just because he's around doesn't mean that he fathered Locke, and it's too much of a stretch to believe that Locke could have gone through a kidney transplant with the original Sawyer without having someone realize that Sawyer was not Locke's dad. You guys are reading too much into Richard's presence. Remember that Abadon also showed up to meet Locke after his injury. The more interesting point, which everyone seems to have missed, is that Richard has definitely shown himself to be ageless.
2. Locke DID ask the right question. His job is to save the island. That is why he was brought to the island, and that's why his paralysis is cured. Locke has always been focused on the secrets of the island, sometimes at the expense of the 815 survivors. However, as Locke explained, he is NOT Ben.
3. Ben hasn't given up being manipulative yet, but he has clearly accepted the fact that he is no longer Jacob's favorite. Now we understand why Ben was so callous when Alex was being held at gunpoint -- he honestly believed that there was no way the island would allow Alex to be killed. He knows that Locke has taken over his privileged position -- for now.
I am just so glad to see Locke being returned to his former stature as we saw him in season 1 and 2. As far as I'm concerned, Locke is The Man...
Posted by: Steve | May 9, 2008 4:32 PM
Here's a slight problem with the Baha'i Faith subplot you've mentioned. The "Kitab-i-Aqdas" or "Most Holy Book" wasn't translated into English until 1992. Additionally, no edition of the Kitab-i-Aqdas has the title "Book of Laws". Maybe the "Book Of Laws" prop was not intended to be a reference to the Baha'i Faith?
Generally I don't recommend the Baha'i Faith if you're looking to add an esoteric subplot to your script. It's just too practical and down-to-earth. It sounds all exotic until you read stuff like Baha'is advocate universal education, equality of sexes, harmony of science and religion and the oneness of mankind. And that Baha'u'llah gave this guidance before the United States fought the civil war. Your local Baha'i community is more likely involved in virtues based spiritual education of children and volunteering in a food bank than discussing mystical poetry.
PS: Here's a journalistic style guide for Baha'i terms: http://bwns.org/media-information/style-guide/
Posted by: Jeff | May 9, 2008 4:51 PM
Earlier Episodes indicate that Locke was born in 1956. However, Emily was dancing to Buddy Holly's "Everyday" just prior to Locke's birth. That single was released 9/20/57, meaning that Locke could not have been born before that. So what's the deal:
a) Script continuity screwup; b) Somebody's lying; or c) Wrinkle in the time/space continuum?
Posted by: Peggy Sue | May 9, 2008 5:04 PM
"Catherine, I have to agree with Not Shlomo. The ONLY person who can raise Aaron is Claire. The psychic in Australia specifically explained this to Claire in Season 1 episode 10, "Raised by Another." Everyone on this list should watch this episode again -- everything which happened in Claire's lucid dream is now coming true. Posted by: Steve | May 9, 2008 4:32 PM "
I'm thinking about that a bit more and wonder, are we sure that the pyschic said that Aaron should not be raised by "another" or by "an other"? I'm apt to believe the last selection. Also I think Claire is as dead as doornail- that was the very first impression I got of her when I saw her in Jacob's cabin w/Christian who we know is dead. Whether she died in the middle of the night from injuries sustained during the explosion or earlier, there is no way she would be that relaxed and calm WITHOUT Aaron if she were alive.
Also agree that Richard Alpert is not Locke's dad- I think Alpert as well as Abbaddon time traveled to Locke during his youth because they wanted to ensure he got to the island. Why they want this other than the fact that Lock is deemed special is beyond me at this point. I do think that Alpert and Abbadon represent opposing forces (good v.evil?) however and want Locke for different reasons.
Posted by: plamar1031 | May 9, 2008 5:29 PM
There's no telling what that "Book of Laws" is supposed to be. I doubt the writers had Baha'i in mind, since they didn't use the name. But I do recall old-time SF writers (Fritz Leiber, L. Sprague deCamp & Fletcher Pratt, for example) gratuitously referencing Baha'i because they thought it would sound exotic and/or weird to their readers.
Posted by: CS | May 9, 2008 5:33 PM
I agree with others here that the "Book of Laws" mentioned on Lost is almost certainly not a reference to the Baha'i Faith. There is no Baha'i sacred scripture with the title "Book of Laws." The scripture Kitab-i-Aqdas (Most Holy Book) is a main text of the Baha'i canon in which many of the Baha'i "laws" are encoded. But it is not entitled "Book of Laws."
Posted by: BC | May 9, 2008 5:53 PM
I think you're off base with Locke and his question in the cabin. I think he passed the test with flying colors, and that's what Claire's look was about. The most important question should have been "how can I save my friends", but he instead asked "how can I save the island". He put the island ahead of everyone else, so he passed. He has been groomed successfully and is now ready to take over.
Posted by: Daniel | May 9, 2008 5:59 PM
> Liz: ....Yeah, John clearly asked the wrong question. > Jen: And bad things will happen as a result.
Indeed. This appears to be a painfully self-conscious reference to the Grail quest. Perceval (Locke) meets the wounded Fisher King (Christian) in the Grail Castle (Jacob's cabin), and fails to ask the correct question (something like "Who does the island serve", I suppose).
Did anyone else flash to _Twin Peaks_, with Claire as Laura in the Black Lodge? At least we didn't have to put up with backwards-talking dancing dwarves last night...
> Jen: The island must be ahead of the time on the freighter, right?
Not so fast...the (1) doc washes up, (2) Morse message to ship, (3) doc dies sequence needs to be reconciled with the (1) Daniel calls for the test missile launch, (2) ship says missile has reached the island, (3) missile payload shows up later sequence that we saw earlier in the season. Iron out how to make those part of a consistent set of rules, and we're 90% of the way to a solution...
Posted by: KCK | May 9, 2008 6:08 PM
OK, I had strongly toyed with the idea that Claire/Emilie was dead, but remembering Desmond's vision of her and Aaron getting in the helicopter, I have to step back from it. Which raises the question of why she was so chummy with Christian?
As for the end -- do the good guys win? does good defeat evil? do we get a satisfactory happy ending? Then brotha, Desmond of course can't die. He and Penny need to be reunited.
Of course, they might end up being reunited on the Island. Could Desmond and Penny be Adam and Eve (from the caves, season one)?
Posted by: Bender | May 9, 2008 6:41 PM
I think Claire died during the explosion. That's why Miles was watching her so closely...not because he wanted her as Sawyer suspected but because he can see dead people.
Posted by: WHL | May 9, 2008 7:39 PM
I think Alpert must be the wandering Jew, hanging around for the second coming. If Locke needs to move the island, there are 3 spatial dimensions and one time dimension, according to conventional physics. I think he'll move it in time. In fact, maybe that's why the button had to be pushed every 108 minutes. To move the island again before anyone could find it. But now it's gonna be sort of a problem.
Posted by: Doctor Slop | May 9, 2008 8:26 PM
It seemed to me that Claire was dead as well. What bothers me the most, and has been bothering me as we learn who the Oceanic 6 are, is that Charlie went to his death because Desmond said he saw Claire and Aaron getting on a helicopter. And I was disappointed that it was never shown if Claire found Charlie's ring.
Posted by: Lost and Found | May 9, 2008 10:08 PM
Did anyone notice this was not a flash-forward?
Posted by: flashback | May 9, 2008 10:34 PM
This ep took me back to Tibetan Buddhism.
Dharma is a Buddhist term, and basic to the story, even if we don't known details yet.
The Tibetan Buddhist tradition of showing a child objects from his previous lifetime is not just used in determining the rebirth of the Dalai Lama - it is the ancient way of determining the rebirths of numerous lamas and manifestations of deities. Not so much the rebirth of the Buddha himself. That is a very rare and infrequent occurance.
The Dalai Lama is not the incarnation of Buddha, he is the human form of Chenrezig, the main deity of Campassion. Scorsese's film Kundun shows the process beautifully.
I think little Locke knew the knife didn't belong to him, but chose it anyway because 1) he WANTS to become a man of action and 2) he hates it when anyone tries to tell him who he is. He's bucking fate - on purpose; consequences to come.
Claire is dead. In Tibetan Buddhism, they believe that when one dies a sudden and unexpected death they become super confused and do not realize they are dead - her father appears to explain this to her and to lead her onward. Don't know how this connect to the cabin or her creepiness yet.
But I still think the island experience is like the Bardo experience in Buddhism - the Bardo being the time/space/dreamlike place one goes through between death and rebirth. (Hurley: "We're all dead" )
You have a chance to fix your errant ways in the Bardo, but if you don't you will come back again and again, Groundhog Day style, til you get it right.
These ideas don't begin to cover it all, but the Buddhist references are sure there.
Posted by: Camis | May 9, 2008 11:12 PM
Was I really the only person to see the Luke(Locke) walking into the cave with his weapon reference?
I mean, I'm thrilled that it made it into the chat, but I do think it is pretty important.
Alpert gets pissed that Locke chose the knife. Abaddon TOLD him all he needs is a knife...
Those two guys are NOT working together.
Locke ain't all that bright. Seriously, Hurley kept asking him "wassup?", and he kept saying "I dunno."
Locke is one of the keys(pun?) to the whole thing. But it seems he is also up-for-grabs. Depending on his choice. He needs to drop his knife.
Posted by: notforyou | May 10, 2008 2:36 AM
I don't know why people will bother to read this "lost" duelling analyses. Waste of precious space in this very influential newspaper. Whenever i see this column, i feel like screaming...
Posted by: ernie | May 10, 2008 8:01 AM
Is it just me, or did Melissa from Locke's "sister" from his foster home look an awful lot like Ben's mother Emily?!?
Posted by: Steph81 | May 10, 2008 11:57 AM
I don't know if anyone else noticed this, but last episode Alpert's character looked and acted so much like the "G-man" character from the Half-Life pc games they might as well have named him so in the credits. Just curious if anyone else who has played half-life noticed it as well. For the half-life uninitiated, the G-Man: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G-Man_%28Half-Life%29
Posted by: Williamsburg | May 10, 2008 12:24 PM
Some people, including the hosts, interpreted the presence of Richard Alpert watching through the window to the nurse, Emily's mother, and the baby, together with Emily's mother unsure behavior, as a pointer that Alpert could be John Locke's biological father. Other readers, instead, point out Anthony Cooper's con to get Locke's kidney as the indicator of him being Locke's father. I realize that this sounds a bit strange, but I'd like to remind everyone that when Emily talks to Locke while they're having a coffee after the parking lot incident (he's hit by a car), she tells him that he is "special", that he "doesn't have a father", that he " was immaculately conceived".
Another point (already referred to in part by another reader): Richard Alpert is disappointed with young John for identifying the knife as his; Mr Abbadon encourages John to take a walkabout on the Australian outback with just a knife and his thoughts; and on the island Ben giving Locke a knife (did we ever see the knife closely to see if it is the same knife that Alpert offered?) to kill his father Anthony Cooper and thus "move on" with his destiny.
Finally, given all the "bonding" in this episode between Hurley and Ben, will Hurley end up working with Ben?
Posted by: for | May 10, 2008 2:02 PM
From BDL: Second, I wonder if the island itself is "alive." That is, it is not really an island as we know it, but rather a creature that resembles an island? ... If the island is a "thing" an alien, a lot of what has gone on could be explained. Smoky is the immune system, the visions of things is just the island's own consciousness manifesting in an attempt to communicate with the Losties. "Jacob" would then be a representation of the "island."
I think this is an interesting theory. If the island is really a "thing", I think Jacob is not a human/ghost, but the island itself. If this is true, I think the island is using Christian and other ghosts to speak for him and maybe the cabin is the portal to speak with the island. So we never will see Jacob in human form, only his instructions being spoken through island spirits.
This also would tie into "Jacob" saying to Locke, "Help Me" in their first meeting. If Jacob is the island, I think this is the island asking John to save/help the island, not Jacob as a man.
And this is a bit of a stretch, but on the cover of the comic book that Alpert showed young Locke, there is a symbol that says "atlas" in the corner. Isn't Atlas supposed to be the person holding up the earth on his shoulders?
Posted by: 98102 | May 10, 2008 5:58 PM
If Claire is dead, when did she die? Everyone thought she survived the exploding house and just wandered into the jungle. If she was just dead, she wouldn't have been seen after the house exploded. Posted by: 77 | May 9, 2008 1:46 PM
Like UStreet and others, I do think Claire is dead and that she died in the night from injuries sustained during the explosion. When she, Miles and Sawyer were walking through the jungle she kept saying her head hurt. And Miles was really interested in her - I think he knew she was pretty close to death. As for why there's no body - remember that there's also no body of Christian Shepherd on the island either - just his empty coffin!
Posted by: 98102 | May 10, 2008 6:06 PM
I don't know why people will bother to read this "lost" duelling analyses. Waste of precious space in this very influential newspaper. Whenever i see this column, i feel like screaming... Posted by: ernie | May 10, 2008 8:01 AM
I thought a major benefit of the web was the unconstrained space? With enough room for stories on thing like international politics AND TV reviews to coexist peacefully? :)
Posted by: 98102 | May 10, 2008 6:15 PM
I think John and others do end up moving the island, it explains the Oceanic 6 and the ones left behind. Sayid is off to rescue them and first load brings back Jack (because of appendicitis/stitches), Aaron because the island's getting violent and let's get him to safety first and bring Claire when we find her (would be the thinking), Kate to take care of Aaron, and Sun because Jin is determined she'll be on the first load out -- then perhaps he plans to follow. I don't know why Hugo. The problem is the island moves after they leave it and they can't find the island again to rescue the rest. Thus, future Jack's despair at needing to go back to "save" the others. Remember Keamy and company are still on the Island in this scenario. Posted by: perhaps | May 9, 2008 12:45 PM
perhaps - I like the way you think! Coupling this with the previews for the 3 hour season finale, I think you're on the right track. Also, the ability to have this scenario play out is probably the "reason" the show had jack get sick with appendicitis - there is no WAY he would be on the first plane off the island if he weren't sick/injured. Juliet and others are going to force him onto the plane so he can get treatment in the "real world", though he's going to put up a major fuss about it.
Posted by: 98102 | May 10, 2008 6:20 PM
Prediction: Miles is gonna pay Nikki and Paulo a visit - he's obviously a psychic 'grave robber', and those buried diamonds will surely whisper to him sometime during Season 5...
Posted by: egads | May 10, 2008 10:42 PM
oooh, egads, I like that - and they're going to "tell" him they were buried alive!
Posted by: 98102 | May 11, 2008 12:05 AM
"Did anyone else flash to _Twin Peaks_, with Claire as Laura in the Black Lodge? At least we didn't have to put up with backwards-talking dancing dwarves last night..."
KCK, YES! I too was looking for the dwarf. Wonder if that was intentional on the writers' part.
Posted by: | May 11, 2008 8:25 AM
The island is threatened. Keamy clearly has a bomb (or a powerfull weapon) on his arm.
WHERE ARE THE 'OTHERS', I mean Ben's people ? Some have been killed on the beach, but they were much more, if I remember correctly.
It doesn't make any sens to let them on the 'other island' to sit and watch.
And what will happen to the 'second island', where Sawyer, Jack and Claire were jailed ?
Posted by: Jef Paris | May 11, 2008 12:13 PM
Jef - All we know if that the other "Others" are at "the Temple"... whereever that is, we have yet to find out.
Though interesting point about the other island that the bear cages, etc were at: 1. Does this other island have the same properties as the main island? The healing, the time warp, etc? 2. If they "move" the lost island - does the other island go with it? 3. What ever were they building on the other island?
Posted by: 98102 | May 11, 2008 7:31 PM
KCM wrote: "Not so fast...the (1) doc washes up, (2) Morse message to ship, (3) doc dies sequence needs to be reconciled with the (1) Daniel calls for the test missile launch, (2) ship says missile has reached the island, (3) missile payload shows up later sequence that we saw earlier in the season. Iron out how to make those part of a consistent set of rules, and we're 90% of the way to a solution..."
Ok, in order for these things to be happening, the speed of light to and from the island is changing. Please bear with me here, it makes sense...
You need to think in terms of light (light, radio and all electromagnetic waves) moving at different speeds at different times, which Einstein says it does not. If you are on the island and light moves slower from you to the freighter, the freighter would hear you but long after you transmitted the signal, so lets say you call the freighter as Dan did. The freighter hears you say 30 minutes later, in your future. Now lets say light from the freighter to the island is proportionally faster. They send a signal but its moving faster than light. You hear it before they actually send it. So its like the signal is being sent into the past. So Dan, on the island which is about 30 minutes in the past from the boat, is talking with the girl on the boat, which is 30 minutes in the future from Dan. The boat fires the missle and records it landing, but Dan sees nothing. He has to wait 30 minutes for the island to catch up in time. Since matter is not light it moves normally, so the missle moves according to the normal laws of physics. Just light is changed by the island making me think about the freightees, once they landed, noticing the light from the sky.
Now, the Doc/morse code sequence is also out of sync timewise. Lets say it takes an hour for the Doc's body to wash up on shore. It washes up BEFORE the morse code transmission saying the Doc is on board the freighter and fine. The island would now appear to be in the future. Light is now traveling slower from the freighter to the island, so when the guy on the boat says the Doc is ok, that was in the past by about an hour or two since that was when they killed the Doc. Dan is very worried about the island shifting back and forth in time by minutes and hours. The island is not stable, probably due to the button no longer being pushed every 108 minutes, or something else.
This light shifting would make the island very hard to find especially if the skew changed over time as it appears to be doing.
So, how does one "move the island"? You could drag it forward or backward in time and contental drift would move the island's geographic position. You could change the time skew so great it would take years for anyone from the freighter to make it to the island, not just hours or minutes. To do that you would want to move the time skew such that missles and Doctors land way in the future, so someone like Michael could tell you they are coming and you would have years to prepare. My guess is that is where the island will be "moved", though Keamy is now on the island, so maybe too late.
Someone thought the island might be an alien. I'm thinking the island is from the future, way into the future, and is being used to control events leading to the future. But its still on earth since birds can migrate to it and fish can swim to it, but due to the light skewing, it cannot be seen until you get right on top of it, like the cabin, and can be moved in time, like the cabin.
So here's a theory ... the original inhabitants (Richard Alpert and the Others) are from the future. They use the island and with the island go into the past, altering light speeds and time to hide the island, and from the island teleport to various parts of earth to alter things that will lead to changes in the future, probably to avert some global disaster. They arrive millions of years in their past. Pirates accidentally land on the island 150 years ago (the Black Rock). They kill many of the Others, take control and learn how to use the technology, including the teleportation, and use it to become wealthy in the real world (Widmore). The pirates create the Dharma initiative, bringing the greatest minds in to make use of the island and learn more of its secrets, and even create new technologies based on its power. The Others, with Ben's help, kill the Dharma people, drive others off like Widmorem, and the Others then reclaim the island. The Others and Widmore are currently in a war to claim the island. The Others have the upper hand since they currently control the island and can move it, but they are close to loosing that ability if Keamy gets the island, which my guess is he does, driving Ben into the real world but leaving Locke, the remaining Lostees and the Others to battle Keamy for the island's control. My guess is that when the island moves, it moves into the past, so in 2005 when the O6 get back, everyone they left behind on the island are long dead. Sun's visit to the grave is real, Jen is on the island in the past battling Keamy with Sawyer and Locke, but that was long ago from our time's perspective, so they are long dead.
I'm sure there is an inconsistency somewhere in all of this, but its where I'm heading to explain this crazy show...
Posted by: Sully | May 12, 2008 10:21 AM
As a Baha'i I appreciate such a nice Baha'i reference but I think you're wrong. I think the book is supposed to be some generic law book and it's what Locke was supposed to pick because John Locke, his namesake, wrote a lot of philosophies that greatly influenced the American legal system. So he's supposed to know a bit about history and figure of all the items it's already his because it's the closest thing to his namesake.
Posted by: Jef McDonough | May 12, 2008 12:22 PM
1st: Ernie: go away...read the "other" (pun get it?) Washington paper...I don't think they go in depth in their Entertainment section.
2nd: for those of us who can read and enjoy a little intellectual pursuits keep up the good comments (thanks to Sully and Steve for more great work this week!)
3rd: I've been swayed that Alpert is not Locke's real dad...it took a while but the comments here and the ones over at Lost Easter Eggs have convinced me.
I also want to point out from last week (I posted very late) that we still don't know where the power for the island (electricity) is being generated from...anybody have an idea?
4th(ly): If you haven't gotten a real good look at the comic book cover check it out here (if the link doesn't work: http://losteastereggs.blogspot.com/2008/05/comic-book-mystery-takes.html)
The idea of a city "floating" above it's land based twin is an interesting one, assuming that it could move "over" existing land masses and perhaps could explain quite a few of the strange sitings on the island (Yemi-flying the opposite direction, Polar Bear, and others) Just a theory.
Lastly: A long-long time ago we saw the map sketched on the blast door of the Hatch. What happened with that. As we saw a few weeks ago there is at least one station which we had never seen before. How many others stations are out there that we don't know about??
Posted by: Da Plane Da Plane | May 12, 2008 2:45 PM
Thinking about the Alpert visit to Locke when he's a boy, it only makes sense if Locke was supposed to recognize something from the future. The drawing on the wall of the smoke killing a person drew Alpert's attention. This indicates Locke has these memories of the future. Now, how have we already learned you can transfer consciousness back into your past self, as Desmond did?
My guess is that Locke's consciousness is sent back, to a very young age, maybe just before he was born and may have percipitated his premature birth. Coming back at asuch a young age he does not remember everything. So Locke has these memories but they are vague. They also shape his personality and explain his confusion and recognition of destiny at the same time. When Locke gets to the island it all makes sense to him in a strange way and explains why Locke seems to know what to do next.
Alpert's frustration at Locke not being able to remember from the future may simply be Alpert realizing that Locke is not remembering, which may have been part of a plan. I mean, he has waited 10 years and finds out whatever he is trying to do is not working. Trying to get Locke to go to science camp was another attempt to learn about Locke's memories and shape his future, but again Locke frustrates Alpert. Locke doesn't want to be a scientist, which his teacher says he will be one day. Locke says he wants to be an adventurer, just like Richard Burton whose picture Locke has in his locker and what Locke seems to be prepared to be the instant he lands on the island.
Assuming this line of reasoning is not too far off it explains why Locke seems to know what to do next and maybe why Locke is being chosen as a leader. His consciousness may have been sent back so he could become a leader, or to change the past. If this is the case, Locke will save the island and thus the world.
Posted by: Sully | May 12, 2008 4:26 PM
i know this is a stretch.. but the name Kevin Johnson is an anagram for "NO KNIVES JOHN" ... possible connection between that and Alpert getting upset when John chose the knife?
Posted by: J | May 12, 2008 4:40 PM
i know this is a stretch.. but the name Kevin Johnson is an anagram for "NO KNIVES JOHN" ... possible connection between that and Alpert getting upset when John chose the knife?
Posted by: | May 12, 2008 4:40 PM
Sully, you rock. I have to read your post a few times to digest it, but it really makes sense.
Posted by: 98102 | May 12, 2008 8:34 PM
I haven't heard anyone else mention it yet, but the "Moving island" is a key part in one of the great pillars of the western canon: Swift's Gulliver's Travels.
The third voyage, to the floating island of Laputa, has weird science, power relations, etc. And I definitely thought of it the moment I saw the cover of the comic book. Maybe good for future reading?
Posted by: Dave D | May 13, 2008 2:53 PM
Laputa - Lapidus? I don't know how to spell that guy's's name. I don't even remember who he is really. Aging boomer here. But that won't prevent me from starting the word play questions. This feels like a biggy.
Posted by: camis | May 13, 2008 3:47 PM
But couldn't you equally argue that one of the "gifts" being cultivated in the young is precognition (rather than present "memory" of future events)? Although the present "memory" fits in very nicely with an "endless time loop" theory.
Posted by: Jean | May 13, 2008 4:16 PM
If you rearrange the letters of Mittelos it comes out to "Lost Time" ...or "Time Lost"
Posted by: Sarah Jane | May 13, 2008 5:21 PM
Lapidus is the helicopter pilot - the only person who knows how to get to the island. The floating island. whoah.
Posted by: camis | May 13, 2008 7:27 PM
oh my, Evangeline Lily is on Leno tonight..... she's going on and on and on about how miserly she is with money ............ you would hate it, Liz. The only thing saving her from my complete hatred is me imagining myself on Leno and how I would also have nothing interesting to talk about so I might also blabber about ridiculous things, too, haha.
Posted by: 98102 | May 14, 2008 12:08 AM
....and now she's demonstrating how she used to suck her thumb and mangle her ear as a kid. Amazing.
Posted by: 98102 | May 14, 2008 12:16 AM
Posted by: camis | May 15, 2008 10:11 PM
Really last. On vacation last two weeks. Wathced the last two weeks last night. Many questions asked in this post were answered, such as where are the remaining others. Good comments again this week.
Posted by: emcdoj | May 23, 2008 1:56 PM
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Washingtonpost.com blogger Liz Kelly dishes on the latest happenings in entertainment, celebrity, and Hollywood news.
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Obama Passes Clinton in Superdelegate Count
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By Alec MacGillis BEND, Ore. -- Barack Obama was "east of the mountains" in central Oregon and far from Washington today when he at long last passed Hillary Clinton in the count of party insiders, or superdelegates, who support him. He picked up three more today, including one who switched from having backed her. Obama reacted to the marker with little fanfare, again stressing that the count that matters most to him is the pledged delegate tally in which he has led for months. "It's an encouraging sign that the campaign is making progress and the superdelegates are moving in our direction," he said at an outdoor press conference at an industrial park here, with snow-topped mountains behind him in the distance. For all his understatement about passing Clinton in the superdelegate count, he shifted further into general election mode today, using his visit to a solar energy inverter manufacturer here as an occasion to bash Republican presumptive nominee John McCain's energy policies. He blasted McCain's opposition to renewable energy standards and tougher fuel efficiency standards, while ridiculing McCain's support for a summer suspension of the 18-cent gas tax.
McCain's campaign fired back by noting that Obama voted for the 2005 energy bill supported by Vice President Dick Cheney, which environmentalists and many Democrats have criticized for its large subsidies to the oil and gas industry. Obama said again yesterday that the bill, while flawed, was worth voting for because of its inclusion of limited subsidies for renewable energy.
Obama told reporters that he would be willing to take up McCain's suggestion of Lincoln-Douglas style encounters with McCain during the summer, before the fall's conventional debates.
He was also asked what he made of an introductory speech by his supporter Rep. Peter DeFazio in Albany, Ore., the day before, in which DeFazio harshly criticized McCain's past involvement in the Keating Five scandal -- two of whose participants have endorsed Obama. Asked if he thought that Keating Five scandal was fair game as a campaign topic, Obama said that he thought that it was fair for others to raise but suggested that he would not be raising it unless asked about it.
The fact was, he said, he himself was facing questions about topics of less validity, like the recent expression of support he got from a Hamas leader. DeFazio "obviously delivered a speech that wasn't my speech," Obama said, adding that he didn't object to the speech. "I don't think there is any doubt that John McCain's public record for an issue that he has apologized for and written about is not germane to the presidency. I was just asked previously about a whole host if issues and association that were a lot more flimsy than John McCain's relationship to the Keating Five. So I can't quarrel with the American people wanting to know more about that and me having to answer questions about it."
McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds seized on the answer as a sign that Obama was willing to compromise his call for a politics that rises above petty political attacks.
"Apparently Obama's lively calls for 'new politics' ended today and politics-as-usual emerged, because his campaign spokesman said just yesterday that this is an issue they didn't intend to discuss," he said. "If Barack Obama doesn't have the strength to stand up to his own standards, how is he going to stand up for hardworking Americans who need a strengthened economy? "
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None of the remaining presidential contenders has linked Lebanon to Iraq as part of Iran and Syria's grand designs for the Middle East. The focus is on Iraq. Hillary made noises about nuking Iran if it attacked Israel, but not about forestalling the attack in the first place. McCain wants to win in Iraq. Obama wants to channel Neville Chamberlain and talk to mad Mahmoud.
Our success in Iraq cannot be viewed in a vacuum. It's part of a global chess game in which only our enemies seem to be thinking more than one move ahead. Iran's support of insurgents in Iraq and Hezbollah in Lebanon begins in the same training camps that former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton suggests we take out. This is why we can't withdraw from Iraq or from the Middle East. The problems the West faces will not be solved in Baghdad or Beirut, but rather in Damascus and Tehran, and not by personal diplomacy by Barack Obama or anyone else. We should stop treating the symptoms and remove the cancer. McCain '08
Posted by: | May 13, 2008 10:47 AM
LOL @ Sean. Actually, you are right. As President, John McCain would be the best friend the democrats have had in a long, long time.
Posted by: Richard | May 13, 2008 10:38 AM
Posted by: Sean | May 13, 2008 10:35 AM
Why do all these self-proclaimed highly educated Obama supporters feel it is necessary to make extremely long and mundane double, triple, and quadruple posts?
As one of millions of Clinton democrats who will definitely vote for McCain over Obama, I want to know whether I can ask why Obama told donors in San Francisco the economy has driven small-town voters to cling to guns and religion?
Posted by: Jude | May 13, 2008 10:33 AM
Posted by: Rhonda Davis | May 13, 2008 12:26 AM
Posted by: jencm | May 12, 2008 1:00 PM
I'm going to vote for whoever is going to appoint judges that uphold Roe v. Wade. I don't care about the personality. There is no way that I will sell out my moral values.
Posted by: Jim B | May 12, 2008 12:15 PM
TO: Posted by: Vance McDaniel | May 10, 2008 11:44 PM Your comment should be reverberated by the Dem. Party!!!!
What is really sad is that the Democratic party may implode due to uneducated and emotional voters.
Is it about the party or is it only about your candidate of choice?
You better believe the majority of Republicans will be voting for McCain, even if they don't like him.
That is where the Dem's are vulnerable.
Posted by: Vance McDaniel | May 10, 2008 11:44 PM
Reply: Dem's. are too emotional for me. What ever happened to party loyalty???
Hillary is not my choice, but if she is the nominee I will vote for her. It's not about the person, it's about the party. Grow-up please!
Posted by: Henry | May 12, 2008 11:44 AM
The accumulation of superdelegates continues steadily for Obama as this part of the campaign winds down. Now the more cool-headed assessment of McCain and his dangerously misguided policies will begin Clearly, Democrats will unite behind Obama as their nominee for the fall fight.
Bushie's days are numbered. I am excited, confident, energized and ready to inaugurate President Obama come January 2009!
Posted by: dee | May 12, 2008 11:18 AM
The accumulation of superdelegates continues steadily for Obama as this part of the campaign winds down. Now the more cool-headed assessment of McCain and his dangerously misguided policies will begin Clearly, Democrats will unite behind Obama as their nominee for the fall fight.
Bushie's days are numbered. I am excited, confident, energized and ready to inaugurate President Obama come January 2009!
Posted by: dee | May 12, 2008 11:18 AM
The accumulation of superdelegates continues steadily for Obama as this part of the campaign winds down. Now the more cool-headed assessment of McCain and his dangerously misguided policies will begin Clearly, Democrats will unite behind Obama as their nominee for the fall fight.
Bushie's days are numbered. I am excited, confident, energized and ready to inaugurate President Obama come January 2009!
Posted by: dee | May 12, 2008 11:07 AM
When the only sound in the empty head, Is the light tread of light feet That belong to the lonesome thief I open shop. When the moon so long has been gazing down On the wayward ways of this wayward town. That her smile becomes a smirk, I go to work.
Oil for sale, Fresh young snake oil for sale, Oil that's fresh and still unspoiled, Oil that's only slightly soiled, Oil for sale. Who will buy? Who would like to sample my supply? Who's prepared to pay the price, For a trip to paradise? Oil for sale Let the pundits pipe of oil in their childish way, I know every type of oil Better far than they. If you want the thrill of oil, I've been through the mill of oil; Old oil, new oil Every oil but true oil oil for sale.
Fresh young snake oil for sale. If you want to buy my wares. Follow me and climb the stairs Oil for sale. Oil for sale. ......
Posted by: Bar Ark O'Bama | May 11, 2008 10:43 PM
When the only sound in the empty head, Is the light tread of light feet That belong to the lonesome thief I open shop. When the moon so long has been gazing down On the wayward ways of this wayward town. That her smile becomes a smirk, I go to work.
Oil for sale, Fresh young snake oil for sale, Oil that's fresh and still unspoiled, Oil that's only slightly soiled, Oil for sale. Who will buy? Who would like to sample my supply? Who's prepared to pay the price, For a trip to paradise? Oil for sale Let the pundits pipe of oil in their childish way, I know every type of oil Better far than they. If you want the thrill of oil, I've been through the mill of oil; Old oil, new oil Every oil but true oil oil for sale.
Fresh young snake oil for sale. If you want to buy my wares. Follow me and climb the stairs Oil for sale. Oil for sale. ......
Posted by: Bar Ark O'Bama | May 11, 2008 10:42 PM
When the only sound in the empty head, Is the light tread of light feet That belong to the lonesome thief I open shop. When the moon so long has been gazing down On the wayward ways of this wayward town. That her smile becomes a smirk, I go to work.
Oil for sale, Fresh young snake oil for sale, Oil that's fresh and still unspoiled, Oil that's only slightly soiled, Oil for sale. Who will buy? Who would like to sample my supply? Who's prepared to pay the price, For a trip to paradise? Oil for sale Let the pundits pipe of oil in their childish way, I know every type of oil Better far than they. If you want the thrill of oil, I've been through the mill of oil; Old oil, new oil Every oil but true oil oil for sale.
Fresh young snake oil for sale. If you want to buy my wares. Follow me and climb the stairs Oil for sale. Oil for sale.
Posted by: Bar Ark O'Bama | May 11, 2008 10:42 PM
When the only sound in the empty head, Is the light tread of light feet That belong to the lonesome thief I open shop. When the moon so long has been gazing down On the wayward ways of this wayward town. That her smile becomes a smirk, I go to work.
Oil for sale, Fresh young snake oil for sale, Oil that's fresh and still unspoiled, Oil that's only slightly soiled, Oil for sale. Who will buy? Who would like to sample my supply? Who's prepared to pay the price, For a trip to paradise? Oil for sale Let the pundits pipe of oil in their childish way, I know every type of oil Better far than they. If you want the thrill of oil, I've been through the mill of oil; Old oil, new oil Every oil but true oil oil for sale.
Fresh young snake oil for sale. If you want to buy my wares. Follow me and climb the stairs Oil for sale. Oil for sale.
Posted by: Bar Ark O'Bama | May 11, 2008 10:42 PM
When the only sound in the empty head, Is the light tread of light feet That belong to the lonesome thief I open shop. When the moon so long has been gazing down On the wayward ways of this wayward town. That her smile becomes a smirk, I go to work.
Oil for sale, Fresh young snake oil for sale, Oil that's fresh and still unspoiled, Oil that's only slightly soiled, Oil for sale. Who will buy? Who would like to sample my supply? Who's prepared to pay the price, For a trip to paradise? Oil for sale Let the pundits pipe of oil in their childish way, I know every type of oil Better far than they. If you want the thrill of oil, I've been through the mill of oil; Old oil, new oil Every oil but true oil oil for sale.
Fresh young snake oil for sale. If you want to buy my wares. Follow me and climb the stairs Oil for sale. Oil for sale.
Posted by: Bar Ark O'Bama | May 11, 2008 10:40 PM
Posted by: rgs tnr | May 11, 2008 10:31 PM
Washington Post need to do a story on how the bad behavior of Obama cultists drove rational voters to the opponents of Obama.
Posted by: Cat-the | May 11, 2008 10:20 PM
I am hopefull that Senator Obama will be the Democratic Party choice. I am white, 60 years old and a registered republican. I'm retired from the military as well and am college educated. I recently donated to the Obama campaign, and will also donate to any federal candidate that is not an incumbent in my voting district. I hope that people will begin to think. Let's throw out all of those Democrat or Republican office holders that have not been willing to come togeather to address the challenges America faces. We need new blood in Washington; it's time to send a message the politicians and pundits can understand. We need real change; we can't afford to continue as we are.
Posted by: George N Arizona | May 11, 2008 10:05 PM
Back in 1993 the first year of the Clinton presidency was an embarrassing mess. They couldn't get their team together, they couldn't decide on any appointments, they couldn't pass universal health care, Hillary wasted her considerable talent on dumb stuff like Travel-gate, and to top it all off, they looked like such total boneheads that the Democrats lost control of the Congress in 1994. I voted for Bill Clinton twice. He will not be remembered as a great president though he was a good one. Stop hallucinating. The Clinton years were not the unalloyed bliss and total success you seem to recall. This time last year I was a Clinton supporter. Then her campaign degenerated into the same old paranoid Clinton chaos and I took the time to listen to Barack Obama. I made the switch. I will always respect Senator Clinton but I see the same bad habits that made Bill's first two years such a disaster. I'm sure President Obama will make his share of mistakes too, but he doesn't attack like a rabid pit bull the way the Clintons do when challenged and he is an intelligent, thoughtful man who loves this country. That's enough for me. Get over this crybaby junior high mentality and start thinking about what will happen to America if all this irrational screeching leads to electing McCain. At this point Clinton is not running to help you or me, she's running to please herself. She should give it up gracefully and be the first Clinton to really help the Democratic Party. She's got to stop humiliating herself and destroying Bill's legacy like this.
Posted by: greyparrot | May 11, 2008 7:36 PM
Obama is the presumptive nomminee and a sure fire victor in November. For those posting here who believe/wish otherwise vote McBush; it is your choice/priviledge.
Posted by: yamamah | May 11, 2008 6:36 PM
OMG! I sure got educated about my misconceptions about "Barry"!
I never realized he had ALL that going for him!
I'll NEVER Challenge his qualifications again!
Man! Do I feel STUPID! All those Qualifications people mentioned, and I Don't Support Him!
Folks, sorry, but that is all the SARCASM I am allowed for just one day! ;~)
"Barry" Insane O'Bomba-Nation! He MIGHT Learn! LMFAO! :-D
Posted by: RAT-The | May 11, 2008 5:55 PM
Posted by: rgs | May 11, 2008 4:28 PM
It sure shows the level of intelligence of "McCain's Democrats" when the best they can do is accuse Kennedy of being "Fat" and Kerry of being "slimy". Same ol', same ol' stuff from the backers of the Republican party. Nothing intelligent to say, so say the stupid things and hope that others will agree.
Posted by: Thoughtful Don | May 11, 2008 4:03 PM
Obama maniacs wake up. These are Democrats venting their frustrations. I am a democrat from Massachusetts and this year we HATE Fat Ted Kennedy and Slimy John Kerry who is going to loose his seat. Massachusetts will be McCain country soon. WATCH OUT
Also, networks like NBC/MSNBC and GE will keeping loosing their shares as we BOYCOTT them. Lapdogs Chris Matthews, Tim Russert and Chris "Dobberman" need to stop sucking upto Obama.
--- A McCain Democrat from Massachusetts
Posted by: vs | May 11, 2008 3:42 PM
Obama maniacs wake up. These are Democrats venting their frustrations. I am a democrat from Massachusetts and this year we HATE Fat Ted Kennedy and Slimy John Kerry who is going to loose his seat. Massachusetts will be McCain country soon. WATCH OUT
Also, networks like NBC/MSNBC and GE will keeping loosing their shares as we BOYCOTT them. Fag*ot lapdogs Chris Matthews, Tim Russert and Chris "Dobberman" need to stop sucking upto Obama.
--- A McCain Democrat from Massachusetts
Posted by: vs | May 11, 2008 3:41 PM
Obama maniacs wake up. These are Democrats venting their frustrations. I am a democrat from Massachusetts and this year we HATE Ted Kennedy and John Kerry who is going to loose his seat. Massachusetts will be McCain country soon. WATCH OUT
Also, networks like NBC/MSNBC and GE will keeping loosing their shares as we BOYCOTT them. Fag*got laptop Chris Matthews, Mad Dog Tim Russert and Chris "Dobberman" need to stop sucking upto Obama.
--- A McCain Democrat from Massachusetts
Posted by: vs | May 11, 2008 3:39 PM
It is sad to read these very 'sore loser' posts here, and the even more scared ones who know that Obama will whip their GOP candidate in Nov. HRC has only herself to blame for turning a 35 point lead one year ago to a loss. She cannot blame Obama for being a better candidate, for being a better leader, hence running a better organised, first rate campaign. And she certainly cannot blame the phenomenal number of Americans of every creed and race who choose to support Obama's candidacy. And certainly Obama cannot be blamed for her mishandling of the millions she started with so that today she's 'over the hill' in debt. But I'll be there for Obama in November - and on this my entire family is united ... Obama '08
Posted by: Maria | May 11, 2008 3:08 PM
You people kill me. I only laugh at some of the posts that I read. Do you actually believe the stuff you post? It's more likely the case that you have heard something and didn't check your facts. In either case, if you are gong to vote for McCain...honestly, go ahead. It's your choice anyway. I would have done the same if Clinton won. So I know exactly how you feel. In fact if Obama were to select Hillary as a running mate, I would vote for McCain. I don't see change as having a VP who represents much of the same. I want change. Besides, after all the negative campaigning, she only got what she deserved. Pandering doesn't pay and people are smarter than that. My God, go to youtube and search for (Hillary staff Indiana) and see what you get. Search (Hillary parse) and you get some funny stuff. Search (Hillary Peter Paul) and then you get some interesting stuff. Search (Hillary WalMart) and you begin to wonder why Labor even supported her.
Last but not least, she'll be called as a witness to testify in an upcoming court case. Not being President means you can't invoke Executive Privilege. I wonder what will be discovered during discovery.
Posted by: Janus | May 11, 2008 2:50 PM
MY FELLOW "BITTER", STUPID, WORKING CLASS PEOPLE :-)
If you think like Barack Obama, that WORKING CLASS PEOPLE are just a bunch of "BITTER"!, STUPID, PEASANTS, Cash COWS!, and CANNON FODDER. :-(
You Might Be An Idiot! :-)
If you think Barack Obama with little or no experience would be better than Hillary Clinton with 35 years experience.
You Might Be An Idiot! :-)
If you think that Obama with no experience can fix an economy on the verge of collapse better than Hillary Clinton. Whose ;-) husband (Bill Clinton) led the greatest economic expansion, and prosperity in American history.
You Might Be An Idiot! :-)
If you think that Obama with no experience fighting for universal health care can get it for you better than Hillary Clinton. Who anticipated this current health care crisis back in 1993, and fought a pitched battle against overwhelming odds to get universal health care for all the American people.
You Might Be An Idiot! :-)
If you think that Obama with no experience can manage, and get us out of two wars better than Hillary Clinton. Whose ;-) husband (Bill Clinton) went to war only when he was convinced that he absolutely had to. Then completed the mission in record time against a nuclear power. AND DID NOT LOSE THE LIFE OF A SINGLE AMERICAN SOLDIER. NOT ONE!
You Might Be An Idiot! :-)
If you think that Obama with no experience saving the environment is better than Hillary Clinton. Whose ;-) husband (Bill Clinton) left office with the greatest amount of environmental cleanup, and protections in American history.
You Might Be An Idiot! :-)
If you think that Obama with little or no education experience is better than Hillary Clinton. Whose ;-) husband (Bill Clinton) made higher education affordable for every American. And created higher job demand and starting salary's than they had ever been before or since.
You Might Be An Idiot! :-)
If you think that Obama with no experience will be better than Hillary Clinton who spent 8 years at the right hand of President Bill Clinton. Who is already on record as one of the greatest Presidents in American history.
You Might Be An Idiot! :-)
If you think that you can change the way Washington works with pretty speeches from Obama, rather than with the experience, and political expertise of two master politicians ON YOUR SIDE like Hillary and Bill Clinton..
You Might Be An Idiot! :-)
If you think all those Republicans voting for Obama in the Democratic primaries, and caucuses are doing so because they think he is a stronger Democratic candidate than Hillary Clinton. :-)
p.s. You Might Be An Idiot! :-) If you don't know that the huge amounts of money funding the Obama campaign to try and defeat Hillary Clinton is coming in from the insurance, and medical industry, that has been ripping you off, and killing you and your children. And denying you, and your loved ones the life saving medical care you needed. All just so they can make more huge immoral profits for them-selves off of your suffering...
You see, back in 1993 Hillary Clinton had the audacity, and nerve to try and get quality, affordable universal health care for everyone to prevent the suffering and needless deaths of hundreds of thousands of you each year. :-)
Approx. 100,000 of you die each year from medical accidents from a rush to profit by the insurance, and medical industry. Another 120,000 of you die each year from treatable illness that people in other developed countries don't die from. And I could go on, and on...
OBAMA AIDE: "WORKING-CLASS VOTERS NOT KEY FOR DEMOCRATS" :o
p.s. I have been under heavy attacks for some time now. But it wont stop me. :-)
Posted by: jacksmith | May 11, 2008 2:29 PM
I'm personally sick of these constant petty associations and "endorsement" scandals. They are unnecessary distractions. Talley, Keating Five, Jeremiah Wright. And notice that most of the time, it's a candidate spokesperson who is throwing out accusations, not the candidates themselves (although they have been guilty of spewing venom in other areas).
The back-and-forth that McCain and Obama had about renewable energy is the kind of campaigning we need to see more of. Calling each other out on their actual voting record and issues.
Posted by: GregB | May 11, 2008 2:27 PM
Dianna-LOL! Trying to step on the RAT! :-D
Way to NOT answer my question!
An Answer is what I'd like! ;~)
WHAT has "Empty Suit" got, that qualifies him for the EXECUTIVE Seat?
I mean C'mon, maybe he was at least a "Boy Scout" or Something?!
DIMocrats trying to force Square Headed Pegs, into Round Holes! :-D
"Barry" the Empty Suit, Is a LEGISLATOR!
And "That's ALL Folks!" ;~)
Posted by: RAT-The | May 11, 2008 2:27 PM
People who vote for McCain are not patriots, they are either simply blind.
America has been a "clown" in eyes of the rest of the World for the past 6 years, and McCain says we are making great progress?
Economy is down, dollar at all time low, food banks are nearly empty, jobs are being shipped overseas - this is progress?
There is a reason why people with post-secondary education vote for Senator B. Obama.
Iraq was invaded for wrong reasons and U.S., even though recognizes this fact, is too proud to admit its mistake and get out.
Clinton supporters, who switch from Democrats from Republicans because their candidate didn't win are simply bandwagoners and Democratic party doesn't need people like that.
Go ahead, vote for McCain, its your future generations that will pay for your mistakes, but who cares, right?
Posted by: Maksym | May 11, 2008 12:52 PM
what's scary is that Hillary's supporters don't understand the election process any more than HRC's campaign has. To be a *successful* write-in candidate, the candidate has to apply to be a write-in candidate in each state (see Nader) - something she has no intention of doing. Write her in all you want - officially, that ballot is counted only as "damaged."
The reality is that Hillary Clinton's campaign is now in "Stay the Course" mode. What's most frightening of all is that so many of her supporters now see "stay the course" as a good thing after watching 6 years of that strategy failing in spectacular fashion.
Posted by: Kate L | May 11, 2008 12:50 PM
Since when does being a good Democrat mean that I am *obligated* to vote for whomever is left as the democratic nominee? I will vote for the candidate that I feel is best for the job; and if that candidate is no longer an option...then so be it! If I'm going on a trip and my choices of transportation are a reliable car, an unreliable car, or hitch-hiking-I'll choose the reliable car...If the reliable car is no longer an option, then I'll just stay home! The President is responsible for millions of lives and I can't, in good conscience, help put someone in that position if I feel they are not up to the task. This is one situation where making the wrong choice can have serious consequences. If my choices are McCain or Obama...no thanks, I'll sit this one out!
Posted by: PhoebeC | May 11, 2008 12:43 PM
Since when does being a good Democrat mean that I am *obligated* to vote for whomever is left as the democratic nominee? I will vote for the candidate that I feel is best for the job; and if that candidate is no longer an option...then so be it! If I'm going on a trip and my choices of transportation are a reliable car, an unreliable car, or hitch-hiking-I'll choose the reliable car...If the reliable car is no longer an option, then I'll just stay home! The President is responsible for millions of lives and I can't, in good conscience, help put someone in that position if I feel they are not up to the task. This is one situation where making the wrong choice can have serious consequences. If my choices are McCain or Obama...no thanks, I'll sit this one out!
Posted by: PhoebeC | May 11, 2008 12:37 PM
The DNC with its Shoe-In tactics of selecting Barack Hussein Obama as the candidate from day one has alienated myself and millions like me.
It started with the support of the DNC, its great leader Howard Dean, and Mr. Obama joining hands and IGNORING TWO ENTIRE STATES and 2+ MILLION voters by disqualifying those states from voting democrat. If this isn't see-through politics, I don't know what is!! Mr. Obama should be ashamed that he runs his "holier-than-thou" campaign under the phrase "Not the same old politics". The Obama campaign is the slickest set of same old politics that has hit the landscape in many years. What a farce.
Next, the DNC and some wack-job democrats decide, oh, well we have a number of states select by caucus. This was a sinister plan indeed, since the caucus completely favors the demographics and pre-organization of Barack Hussein Obama's campaign. I myself wasted my time and stood in line to caucus, instead of watching my Son's baseball game, only to find out that the caucus process is so very disorganized and an utter and complete waste of time!! Oh and get this, in my state, the election board sent out Primary ballots, but if you vote for democrat, YOUR PRIMARY VOTE DOESN'T COUNT!! Instead, and this was like a trick, if you're democrat, you HAVE TO CAUCUS to even be able to vote for your candidate. This makes me disgusted of the Democratic Party, I mean really, how much harder can you make it for an American to VOTE? I guess I should be thankful that Howard Dean didn't just strip my state of its entire vote like the DNC did FLA and MI, right? NOT!
Next, Obama does not offer a Universal Healthcare Program. This is one of those issues that is SO IMPORTANT, and yet the DNC, and Obama have still NOT labeled it as being a CORE DEMOCRATIC VALUE. The USA is the only wealthy, industrialized nation that DOES NOT provide a Universal Healthcare Program for its people. This is wrong!!! Congrats to Obama and his health-insurance buddies, they're going to make a lot of profit off of kicking people out of the hospital if he gets elected. This sucks.
And finally, the DNC, the pillow-padding for Obama press, and some distinct, so-called "democratic" members who have high visibility, are trying to FORCE BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA AS THE CANDIDATE, DESPITE NEARLY HALF OF THE VOTING POPULUS(not including FLA and MI) WANTING HILLARY CLINTON AS THE CANDIDATE.
Tell you what, I'M DONE BEING A DEMOCRAT.
When BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA becomes the democratic candidate, I will vote for either McCain or Nader. Feel free to join me.
Posted by: Fed Up | May 11, 2008 12:21 PM
Those who vote for a Republican candidate because the Democratic candidate of their choice lost the primary would be demonstrating the attributes that we as a Nation are trying to divorce. People get the Government they deserve, so if a significant enough number of so called Democrats are spiteful enough to vote for McCain they will certainly get who and what they deserve.
Posted by: Frank | May 11, 2008 11:52 AM
Posted by: Terry | May 11, 2008 11:28 AM
Let me tell you something folks....those of us Clinton supporters who WILL NOT vote for Obama are not being poor losers, or babies, or whatever else you want to call us. For some of us, its not about our candidate losing...its about the safety and security of our country...and its about patriotism. WE can look past our own selfish little existence and our own Democratic Party and see that a Barack Obama presidency would be a disaster for America. He is too inexperienced....he is naive...he is passive...and he is arrogant. THOSE CHARACTERISTICS SPELL DISASTER! He wants to meet with our foreign enemies (has it ever occured to Barack that there may be a good reason that over 200 yrs worth of American Presidents have NOT met with our enemies...duh...we can't trust them). Obama is a liability, and right now the United States of America CANNOT "roll the dice" on Obama and "hope" he does well. There is too much cr*p going on in our Nation and throughout the world to gamble on someone as naive and inexperienced as Obama. THAT is the reason we will vote for McCain or stay home on election day...not because Obama beat our candidate, not because he's black, and not for these other reasons you may suggest. We need someone that is READY....Obama is NOT! I'd rather stay in Iraq for 4 more yrs with McCain, than vote for Obama and be afraid every day of my life that we will be attacked on U.S. soil. It happens...we're not invincible...remember 2001?? How soon we forget! 9/11 only caused thousands of deaths....next time it could be millions. And NO, this isn't "fear mongering" folks....its a very real possibility. Those of us who take our country seriously and who fully understand the threats against us, know that terrorists will throw a party the day Obama gets elected President. He is weak...he is a wimp...he is naive. Mitt Romney said it best- "The presidency is not an internship". Vote w/ your head folks, not your heart.
Posted by: Attorney in FL | May 11, 2008 11:19 AM
Let me tell you something folks....those of us Clinton supporters who WILL NOT vote for Obama are not being poor losers, or babies, or whatever else you want to call us. For some of us, its not about our candidate losing...its about the safety and security of our country...and its about patriotism. WE can look past our own selfish little existence and our own Democratic Party and see that a Barack Obama presidency would be a disaster for America. He is too inexperienced....he is naive...he is passive...and he is arrogant. THOSE CHARACTERISTICS SPELL DISASTER! He wants to meet with our foreign enemies (has it ever occured to Barack that there may be a good reason that over 200 yrs worth of American Presidents have NOT met with our enemies...duh...we can't trust them). Obama is a liability, and right now the United States of America CANNOT "roll the dice" on Obama and "hope" he does well. There is too much cr*p going on in our Nation and throughout the world to gamble on someone as naive and inexperienced as Obama. THAT is the reason we will vote for McCain or stay home on election day...not because Obama beat our candidate, not because he's black, and not for these other reasons you may suggest. We need someone that is READY....Obama is NOT! I'd rather stay in Iraq for 4 more yrs with McCain, than vote for Obama and be afraid every day of my life that we will be attacked on U.S. soil. It happens...we're not invincible...remember 2001?? How soon we forget! 9/11 only caused thousands of deaths....next time it could be millions. And NO, this isn't "fear mongering" folks....its a very real possibility. Those of us who take our country seriously and who fully understand the threats against us, know that terrorists will throw a party the day Obama gets elected President. He is weak...he is a wimp...he is naive. Mitt Romney said it best- "The presidency is not an internship". Vote w/ your head folks, not your heart.
Posted by: Attorney in FL | May 11, 2008 11:19 AM
Posted by: Terry | May 11, 2008 11:18 AM
Do you really think that so many people will want to see all the current financial and foreign relations disaters go on another 4 years while we plunge the nation way further into debt.?
Posted by: majorteddy | May 11, 2008 10:39 AM
If people believe Hillary's message (which is a great one) and plan to vote for McCain, then they are hypocrites on the substantive issues. McCain has "the experience" leading the country in the opposite direction from Clinton's principles. Likewise, if they believe McCain's principles they were hypocrites for supporting Clinton in the first place.
And I don't want to hear any drivel about miniscandals (Resko=Chung=Keating). Those are issues to distract you from real problems.
Posted by: dood | May 11, 2008 10:39 AM
If people believe Hillary's message (which is a great one) and plan to vote for McCain, then they are hypocrites on the substantive issues. McCain has "the experience" leading the country in the opposite direction from Clinton's principles. Likewise, if they believe McCain's principles they were hypocrites for supporting Clinton in the first place.
And I don't want to hear any drivel about miniscandals (Resko=Chung=Keating). Those are issues to distract you from real problems.
Posted by: dood | May 11, 2008 10:34 AM
Wow, the bile and nastiness from Clinton's supporters really is amazing. To Clinton's supporters -- you would need us as much as Obama might need you. The rudeness can screw up this party coming from both sides.
It took alot, but in 2000 I accepted that my guy had lost a primary election. I thought my guy couldn't lose and Gore couldn't win. I thought the same in 2004. I got mad then too, but I still voted for John Kerry. Every Presidential election in my life that I've been able to participate in, the democratic nominee has been my second (or third) choice. I never even thought to say "I'll just not vote" or "I'll vote for the Republican." If you really feel that way, please don't call yourself Democrats. You're independents at best (and sound like members of the non-existent "Hillarycrat" party).
Posted by: James Hare | May 11, 2008 10:26 AM
Swing State Democrats Say Hillary Best For Top Of Ticket
Over a dozen members of Congress wrote to other Democrats touting their support for Hillary, saying she is the strongest candidate to have at the top of the ticket in the fall.
The text of the letter is below.
Dear Fellow Democrat, We are writing to you because of our shared belief in our Party's principles and our commitment to ensuring that we have the strongest possible nominee to lead our ticket against John McCain and the Republicans in November.
The decision about who to support to be our Party's nominee is not one that any of us should take lightly. We haven't. But, after giving this important decision a great deal of thought, we are convinced that Hillary Clinton has the vision, skills and commitment to make the changes our country needs. As Democrats who have run and won in competitive Congressional districts and battleground states, we believe that Hillary is best positioned to successfully lead the Democratic ticket in districts and states like ours around the country.
As you know, Hillary has racked up victories in bellwether states like Ohio, Pennsylvania and now Indiana that are absolutely vital to winning the White House and maintaining our Congressional majority in the fall. Hillary has won the big battleground states by connecting with voters whose support we must have to win the general election. Her victories in Pennsylvania and Indiana were all the more impressive after being outspent by as much as two or three to one.
Pennsylvania was not just a victory for Hillary Clinton. It was also a wake- up call for superdelegates, forcing us to ask ourselves two essential questions:
1) Which candidate can carry the magic 270 electoral votes to win in the fall? 2) Which candidate is most likely to help our fellow Democrats in down-ballot races? We believe the answer to both of these questions is Hillary Clinton.
On the first question, Hillary has shown she can win the all-important battleground states like Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida even while being outspent. This speaks to her ability to connect with voters we must deliver in the fall, including blue collar Democrats who can sway this election as they have in the past.
On the second question, Hillary has won rural and suburban districts which we as Democrats must carry to maintain our edge in Congress. Of the fifteen districts rated "toss up" by the Cook Political Report, Hillary has now won ten. Of the 20 districts we picked up in 2006 that had gone for President Bush just two years before, Hillary has now won 16. She is strong in the places we must win to hold and expand our majority.
This is a historically close race. The candidates are separated by a mere percentage point or two and the path to victory for each candidate is the same: win in the upcoming states and secure enough pledged and automatic delegates to get to the number required to win the nomination.
The race now turns to the remaining six contests where the focus will be squarely on the economy. Voters in our states and across the country are voting on issues that affect them, their communities and their children's future. We believe that they will decide that Hillary is the candidate who best understands those issues and has the best solutions to address them.
We Democrats are justifiably proud of both of our candidates, and if Senator Obama is our Party's nominee, we will enthusiastically support him. But our responsibility is not to choose simply to support the eventual nominee; it is to help select the nominee who is best for our party and best for our country. Our choice is clear: Hillary Clinton is that candidate. We believe she should be your choice as well.
Rep. Gene Green (TX -29)
Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski (PA-11)
Rep. Kendrick B. Meek (FL-17)
Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones (OH-11)
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-20)
Posted by: Sean McM | May 11, 2008 9:37 AM
Shame on the Washington Post for allowing imbeciles to post their venomous and putrid invective that shows to the world how stupid we Americans are. The Post is the greatest bulletin board for the KKK, Stalin's "useful" idiots, Nazi sympathizers and extreme left and right wingers.
Posted by: Good American | May 11, 2008 9:32 AM
Sadly white working class America is disqualifying a good black candidate for having a crazy racist Reverend and buying 15 feet of property from an unvetted campaign contributor slumlord. Obama showed bad political judgement when his election committee told him Wright was a liability. He must be a racist with his recent comment on the New York Bell case. We are a country of laws and the court has spoken. Very racist indeed. The usual race baiters are there and possibly have a good case about illegal search (unidentified law enforcement). McCain has supported a president that has lost Shinseki, Powell, and Fallon. His views on Iraq are in direct contract to the aforementioned three. In times of war, a good idea is to listen to military command. Too bad for our country, we have had 16 years of presidency that did not.
Posted by: Jimbo | May 11, 2008 9:20 AM
Is anybody out there? Is anybody listening?Poor Rat, craving so much attention - I feel sorry him- he thinks this is personal blog.
Posted by: | May 11, 2008 9:18 AM
To: RATthe and all the rest-
Is it really so surprising to see all these Republican "Hillary supporters" on the WaPo site? The sheer number of you belie your fears.
Posted by: self sycophant | May 11, 2008 9:13 AM
Social gospel to me means what the Vatican said about wealth accumulated by creating more poor and suffering is sinful. The increase in poverty in the U.S. is reflective of the preaching of social gospel, not some right wing neocon that has yet to disavow his own Rev. Peterson's statements about New Orleans.
Posted by: Jimbo | May 11, 2008 9:01 AM
I don't know why the Post even includes these comments anymore. They've completely become a place for the most polarized supporters of either candidate (but increasingly of one in particular) to spew hate and parrot talking points from blast faxes. Just read some of them... it's really sad.
Posted by: John | May 11, 2008 9:00 AM
So,only the dimwit dumbarse Democrats can be stupid enough to nominate a total empty suit loser lying phony scrambled brain cocaine addict Barack Hussein Obama to run for President and blow all hope of taking back the White House along with it...So when,if ever will the Democrats realize and learn that the American people donot care about the candidate's gender,or race,or skin color,but they do damn well care about if the candidate is a bloody out of touch with reality leftist elitist liberal screwball like this Barack Hussein Obama is and they care about not getting a racist hate spewing First Lady like Michelle Obama now then. Face it you Obamabots that your Messiah is Totally Un-Electable Period.
Posted by: Sherry Kay | May 11, 2008 8:38 AM
Last night at 9:00 on Fox News, Hannity and Colmes, Hannity talked about Obama's new pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ. I do not have the transcript in front of me, but it is something to investigate as soon as possible.
They discussed many issues relating to Senator Obama's Church, Reverend Moss and Black Liberation Theology. According to one of Hannity's guest, Obama used the word "social gospel" in one of his speeches. Hannity's guest suggested that that term was a cue to his believers: A type of nod to his beliefs and to the believers of Black Liberation Theology. The guest compared "black liberation theology" and the "social gospel" to Marxism.
Hannity also talked about Obama's new pastor, Otis Moss that Senator Obama is presently supporting. Reverend Moss, the "hip hop" pastor had spoken much like Reverend Wright but many of his statements were worse: " F***. America" plus other inflammatory statements. Hannity asked his guest if the media should be aware of Otis Moss. The guest was vague, but did mention that Reverend Moss had great credentials.
Lastly, Hannity also discussed Michelle Obama and her angry speeches. They addressed Michelle Obama's remarks and addressed her as "America's Unhappiest Millionaire." They sited different comments that were very unbecoming and negative about our country.
Please investigate this as soon as possible. No doubt this will eventually hit the main stream media. I would think that this is an appropriate time as I believe that Obama plans on announcing his presidency sometime within the next few weeks.
The youth of America need to "SEE" videos. Talking about these issues is not registering to the youth whatsoever. Special news segments to demonstrate Marxism, Black Power, Reverend Otis, Louis Farrakhan and Black Liberation Theology.
Show tapes of the new Reverend speaking at his sermons. He is very similar to Reverend Wright, if not worse.
These issues should be brought to the attention through all avenues of the media for the sake of all Americans, especially the youth. All candidates need be thoroughly investigated. Denouncing and rejecting is not enough. If Obama does not like this: too bad for Obama. He is running for the President of the United States.
Millions of people do not want him to enter this race regardless of what the mass media is ignoring. He's embarrassing to millions and is surely unelectable. If Americans knew then what they knew now and Florida and Michigan were in this race, Obama would not even be in the race.
Senator Clinton has spoken the truth about Obama for months. For the media to spin everything she speaks about as a tactic to attack Obama is crazy.
All of her statements about the following issues are true: 1.) Senator Clinton states that she is the only candidate offering Universal Health Care Obama says a lie: My plan of Universal Health Care is like Senator Clinton
2.) Senator Clinton states that she is getting the voters that are the base of the Democratic Party: White, Hispanics, Catholics, Older Americans and Women. Obama is getting Black Americans and some elitist. Obama states that he is winning these people over.
3.) Senator Clinton states that Senator Obama is "out of touch". Obama doesn't even understand that he is "out of touch'. That's worse.
4.) Senator Clinton States: We should have a gas holiday as a seed to start the process of investigating the big oil companies and to give Americans immediate relief. Obama says "no" to a gas tax holiday, but has no other options for the "here and now" to help the poor.
The media uses the results of NC as a true showing that Obama can win over everyone after he has had challenges with Reverend Wright. However, according to Bill Schneider from CNN's exit polls, there were masses of preregistered and absentee voters (possible 80 percent) that voted 16 days before the Reverend Wright press conference occurred.
Senator Obama is very deceiving. He is vague with answers about policies, his faith and his family. For the sake of our country and most importantly for the sake of Democrats these issues should be addressed as soon as possible.
Most importantly, this message is not to smear any candidate. This is a Presidential election and all candidates need to be transparent. It would be so wrong if the media did not bring these matters to the forefront. It is the media's obligation to report the news and not show bias supporting one candidate over the other.
CNN and its quote "The Best Political Team" on television should be asked that they eliminate their segment "The Carfferty Files". This segment of the Situation Room on CNN is a daily relentless bashing of all of the Clinton family. This man deliberately comments and reads a vicious question relating to any one of the Clinton Family. He then adds his cherry picked messages from blogs to further demonstrate his hatred for the Clinton family. It is of poor taste and very destructive to Senator Clinton's campaign.
Please investigate and address theses issues as soon as possible.
Posted by: | May 11, 2008 8:34 AM
Last night at 9:00 on Fox News, Hannity and Colmes, Hannity talked about Obama's new pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ. I do not have the transcript in front of me, but it is something to investigate as soon as possible.
They discussed many issues relating to Senator Obama's Church, Reverend Moss and Black Liberation Theology. According to one of Hannity's guest, Obama used the word "social gospel" in one of his speeches. Hannity's guest suggested that that term was a cue to his believers: A type of nod to his beliefs and to the believers of Black Liberation Theology. The guest compared "black liberation theology" and the "social gospel" to Marxism.
Hannity also talked about Obama's new pastor, Otis Moss that Senator Obama is presently supporting. Reverend Moss, the "hip hop" pastor had spoken much like Reverend Wright but many of his statements were worse: " F***. America" plus other inflammatory statements. Hannity asked his guest if the media should be aware of Otis Moss. The guest was vague, but did mention that Reverend Moss had great credentials.
Lastly, Hannity also discussed Michelle Obama and her angry speeches. They addressed Michelle Obama's remarks and addressed her as "America's Unhappiest Millionaire." They sited different comments that were very unbecoming and negative about our country.
Please investigate this as soon as possible. No doubt this will eventually hit the main stream media. I would think that this is an appropriate time as I believe that Obama plans on announcing his presidency sometime within the next few weeks.
The youth of America need to "SEE" videos. Talking about these issues is not registering to the youth whatsoever. Special news segments to demonstrate Marxism, Black Power, Reverend Otis, Louis Farrakhan and Black Liberation Theology.
Show tapes of the new Reverend speaking at his sermons. He is very similar to Reverend Wright, if not worse.
These issues should be brought to the attention through all avenues of the media for the sake of all Americans, especially the youth. All candidates need be thoroughly investigated. Denouncing and rejecting is not enough. If Obama does not like this: too bad for Obama. He is running for the President of the United States.
Millions of people do not want him to enter this race regardless of what the mass media is ignoring. He's embarrassing to millions and is surely unelectable. If Americans knew then what they knew now and Florida and Michigan were in this race, Obama would not even be in the race.
Senator Clinton has spoken the truth about Obama for months. For the media to spin everything she speaks about as a tactic to attack Obama is crazy.
All of her statements about the following issues are true: 1.) Senator Clinton states that she is the only candidate offering Universal Health Care Obama says a lie: My plan of Universal Health Care is like Senator Clinton
2.) Senator Clinton states that she is getting the voters that are the base of the Democratic Party: White, Hispanics, Catholics, Older Americans and Women. Obama is getting Black Americans and some elitist. Obama states that he is winning these people over.
3.) Senator Clinton states that Senator Obama is "out of touch". Obama doesn't even understand that he is "out of touch'. That's worse.
4.) Senator Clinton States: We should have a gas holiday as a seed to start the process of investigating the big oil companies and to give Americans immediate relief. Obama says "no" to a gas tax holiday, but has no other options for the "here and now" to help the poor.
The media uses the results of NC as a true showing that Obama can win over everyone after he has had challenges with Reverend Wright. However, according to Bill Schneider from CNN's exit polls, there were masses of preregistered and absentee voters (possible 80 percent) that voted 16 days before the Reverend Wright press conference occurred.
Senator Obama is very deceiving. He is vague with answers about policies, his faith and his family. For the sake of our country and most importantly for the sake of Democrats these issues should be addressed as soon as possible.
Most importantly, this message is not to smear any candidate. This is a Presidential election and all candidates need to be transparent. It would be so wrong if the media did not bring these matters to the forefront. It is the media's obligation to report the news and not show bias supporting one candidate over the other.
CNN and its quote "The Best Political Team" on television should be asked that they eliminate their segment "The Carfferty Files". This segment of the Situation Room on CNN is a daily relentless bashing of all of the Clinton family. This man deliberately comments and reads a vicious question relating to any one of the Clinton Family. He then adds his cherry picked messages from blogs to further demonstrate his hatred for the Clinton family. It is of poor taste and very destructive to Senator Clinton's campaign.
Please investigate and address theses issues as soon as possible.
Posted by: | May 11, 2008 8:34 AM
Last night at 9:00 on Fox News, Hannity and Colmes, Hannity talked about Obama's new pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ. I do not have the transcript in front of me, but it is something to investigate as soon as possible.
They discussed many issues relating to Senator Obama's Church, Reverend Moss and Black Liberation Theology. According to one of Hannity's guest, Obama used the word "social gospel" in one of his speeches. Hannity's guest suggested that that term was a cue to his believers: A type of nod to his beliefs and to the believers of Black Liberation Theology. The guest compared "black liberation theology" and the "social gospel" to Marxism.
Hannity also talked about Obama's new pastor, Otis Moss that Senator Obama is presently supporting. Reverend Moss, the "hip hop" pastor had spoken much like Reverend Wright but many of his statements were worse: " F***. America" plus other inflammatory statements. Hannity asked his guest if the media should be aware of Otis Moss. The guest was vague, but did mention that Reverend Moss had great credentials.
Lastly, Hannity also discussed Michelle Obama and her angry speeches. They addressed Michelle Obama's remarks and addressed her as "America's Unhappiest Millionaire." They sited different comments that were very unbecoming and negative about our country.
Please investigate this as soon as possible. No doubt this will eventually hit the main stream media. I would think that this is an appropriate time as I believe that Obama plans on announcing his presidency sometime within the next few weeks.
The youth of America need to "SEE" videos. Talking about these issues is not registering to the youth whatsoever. Special news segments to demonstrate Marxism, Black Power, Reverend Otis, Louis Farrakhan and Black Liberation Theology.
Show tapes of the new Reverend speaking at his sermons. He is very similar to Reverend Wright, if not worse.
These issues should be brought to the attention through all avenues of the media for the sake of all Americans, especially the youth. All candidates need be thoroughly investigated. Denouncing and rejecting is not enough. If Obama does not like this: too bad for Obama. He is running for the President of the United States.
Millions of people do not want him to enter this race regardless of what the mass media is ignoring. He's embarrassing to millions and is surely unelectable. If Americans knew then what they knew now and Florida and Michigan were in this race, Obama would not even be in the race.
Senator Clinton has spoken the truth about Obama for months. For the media to spin everything she speaks about as a tactic to attack Obama is crazy.
All of her statements about the following issues are true: 1.) Senator Clinton states that she is the only candidate offering Universal Health Care Obama says a lie: My plan of Universal Health Care is like Senator Clinton
2.) Senator Clinton states that she is getting the voters that are the base of the Democratic Party: White, Hispanics, Catholics, Older Americans and Women. Obama is getting Black Americans and some elitist. Obama states that he is winning these people over.
3.) Senator Clinton states that Senator Obama is "out of touch". Obama doesn't even understand that he is "out of touch'. That's worse.
4.) Senator Clinton States: We should have a gas holiday as a seed to start the process of investigating the big oil companies and to give Americans immediate relief. Obama says "no" to a gas tax holiday, but has no other options for the "here and now" to help the poor.
The media uses the results of NC as a true showing that Obama can win over everyone after he has had challenges with Reverend Wright. However, according to Bill Schneider from CNN's exit polls, there were masses of preregistered and absentee voters (possible 80 percent) that voted 16 days before the Reverend Wright press conference occurred.
Senator Obama is very deceiving. He is vague with answers about policies, his faith and his family. For the sake of our country and most importantly for the sake of Democrats these issues should be addressed as soon as possible.
Most importantly, this message is not to smear any candidate. This is a Presidential election and all candidates need to be transparent. It would be so wrong if the media did not bring these matters to the forefront. It is the media's obligation to report the news and not show bias supporting one candidate over the other.
CNN and its quote "The Best Political Team" on television should be asked that they eliminate their segment "The Carfferty Files". This segment of the Situation Room on CNN is a daily relentless bashing of all of the Clinton family. This man deliberately comments and reads a vicious question relating to any one of the Clinton Family. He then adds his cherry picked messages from blogs to further demonstrate his hatred for the Clinton family. It is of poor taste and very destructive to Senator Clinton's campaign.
Please investigate and address theses issues as soon as possible.
Posted by: | May 11, 2008 8:31 AM
I am proud to be a McCAIN DEMOCRAT. Bye/Bye OBAMA, then OSAMA or ORAMA or OKAMA
Posted by: vs | May 11, 2008 8:16 AM
I am proud to be a McCAIN DEMOCRAT
Posted by: vs | May 11, 2008 8:14 AM
I am proud to be a McCAIN DEMOCRAT
Posted by: vs | May 11, 2008 8:13 AM
Posted by: pj451 | May 11, 2008 7:39 AM
OBAMA LAUNDRY LIST OF LIES ( 65 lies as of March 31 2008) 1.) Selma Got Me Born - LIAR, your parents felt safe enough to have you in 1961 - Selma had no effect on your birth, as Selma was in 1965. 2.) Father Was A Goat Herder - LIAR, he was a privileged, well educated youth, who went on to work with the Kenyan Government. 3.) Father Was A Proud Freedom Fighter - LIAR, he was part of one of the most corrupt and violent governments Kenya has ever had 4.) My Family Has Strong Ties To African Freedom - LIAR, your cousin Raila Odinga has created mass violence in attempting to overturn a legitimate election in 2007, in Kenya. It is the first widespread violence in decades. 5.) My Grandmother Has Always Been A Christian - LIAR, she does her daily Salat prayers at 5am according to her own interviews. Not to mention, Christianity wouldn't allow her to have been one of 14 wives to 1 man. 6.) My Name is African Swahili - LIAR, your name is Arabic and 'Baraka' (from which Barack came) means 'blessed' in that language. Hussein is also Arabic and so is Obama. 7.) I Never Practiced Islam - LIAR, you practiced it daily at school, where you were registered as a Muslim and kept that faith for 31 years,until your wife made you change, so you could run for office. 8.) My School In Indonesia Was Christian - LIAR, you were registered as Muslim there and got in trouble in Koranic Studies for making faces (check your own book). 9.) I Was Fluent In Indonesian - LIAR, not one teacher says you could speak the language. 10.) Because I Lived In Indonesia, I Have More Foreign Experience - LIAR, you were there from the ages of 6 to 10, and couldn't even speak the language. What did you learn, how to study the Koran and watch cartoons. 11.) I Am Stronger On Foreign Affairs - LIAR, except for Africa (surprise) and the Middle East (bigger surprise), you have never been anywhere else on the planet and thus have NO experience with our closest allies. 12.) I Blame My Early Drug Use On Ethnic Confusion - LIAR, you were quite content in high school to be Barry Obama, no mention of Kenya and no mention of struggle to identify - your classmates said you were just fine. 13.)An Ebony Article Moved Me To Run For Office - LIAR, Ebony has yet to find the article you mention in your book. It doesn't, and never did, exist. 14.) A Life Magazine Article Changed My Outlook On Life - LIAR, Life has yet to find the article you mention in your book. It doesn't, and never did, exist. 15.) I Won't Run On A National Ticket In '08 - LIAR, here you are, despite saying, live on TV, that you would not have enough experience by then, and you are all about having experience first. 16.) Present Votes Are Common In Illinois - LIAR, they are common for YOU, but not many others have 130 NO VOTES. 17.) Oops, I Misvoted - LIAR, only when caught by church groups and democrats, did you beg to change your misvote. 18.) I Was A Professor Of Law - LIAR, you were a senior lecturer ON LEAVE. 19.) I Was A Constitutional Lawyer - LIAR, you were a senior lecturer ON LEAVE. 20.) Without Me, There Would Be No Ethics Bill - LIAR, you didn't write it,introduce it, change it, or create it. 21.) The Ethics Bill Was Hard To Pass - LIAR, it took just 14 days from start to finish. 22.) I Wrote A Tough Nuclear Bill - LIAR, your bill was rejected by your own party for its pandering and lack of all regulation - mainly because of your Nuclear Donor, Exelon, from which David Axelrod came. 23.) I Have Released My State Records - LIAR, as of March, 2008, state bills you sponsored or voted for have yet to be released, exposing all the special interests pork hidden within. 24.) I Took On The Asbestos Altgeld Gardens Mess - LIAR, you were part of a large group of people who remedied Altgeld Gardens. You failed to mention anyone else but yourself, in your books. 25.) My Economics Bill Will Help America - LIAR, your 111 economic policies were just combined into a proposal which lost 99-0, and even YOU voted against your own bill. 26.) I Have Been A Bold Leader In Illinois - LIAR, even your own supporters claim to have not seen BOLD action on your part. 27.) I Passed 26 Of My Own Bills In One Year - LIAR, they were not YOUR bills, but rather handed to you, after their creation by a fellow Senator, to assist you in a future bid for higher office. 28.) No One Contacted Canada About NAFTA - LIAR, the Candian Government issued the names and a memo of the conversation your campaign had with them. 29.) I Am Tough On Terrorism - LIAR, you missed the Iran Resolution vote on terrorism and your good friend Ali Abunimah supports the destruction of Israel. 30.) I Am Not Acting As President Yet - LIAR, after the NAFTA Memo, a dead terrorist in the FARC, in Colombia, was found with a letter stating how you and he were working together on getting FARC recognized officially. 31.) I Didn't Run Ads In Florida - LIAR, you allowed national ads to run 8-12 times per day for two weeks - and you still lost. 32.) I Won Michigan - LIAR, no you didn't. 33.) I won Nevada - LIAR, no you did not. 34.) I Want All Votes To Count - LIAR, you said let the delegates decide. 35.) I Want Americans To Decide - LIAR, you prefer caucuses that limit the vote, confuse the voters, force a public vote, and only operate during small windows of time. 36.) I passed 900 Bills in the State Senate - LIAR, you passed 26, most of which you didn't write yourself. 37.) My Campaign Was Extorted By A Friend - LIAR, that friend is threatening to sue if you do not stop saying this. Obama has stopped saying this. 38.) I Believe In Fairness, Not Tactics - LIAR, you used tactics to eliminate Alice Palmer from running against you. 39.) I Don't Take PAC Money - LIAR, you take loads of it. 40.) I don't Have Lobbysists - LIAR, you have over 47 lobbyists, and counting. 41.) My Campaign Had Nothing To Do With The 1984 Ad - LIAR, your own campaign worker made the ad on his Apple in one afternoon. 42.) My Campaign Never Took Over MySpace - LIAR, Tom, who started MySpace issued a warning about this advertising to MySpace clients. 43.) I Inspire People With My Words - LIAR, you inspire people with other people's words. 44.) I Have Passed Bills In The U.S. Senate - LIAR, you have passed A BILL in the U.S. Senate - for Africa, which shows YOUR priorities. 45.) I Have Always Been Against Iraq - LIAR, you weren't in office to vote against it AND you have voted to fund it every single time, unlike Kucinich, who seems to be out gutting you Obama. You also seem to be stepping back from your departure date - AGAIN. 46.) I Have Always Supported Universal Health Care - LIAR, your plan leaves us all to pay the 15,000,000 who don't have to buy it. 47.) I Only Found Out About My Investment Conflicts Via Mail - LIAR, both companies you site as having sent you letters about this conflict have no record of any such letter ever being created or sent. 48.) I Am As Patriotic As Anyone - LIAR, you won't wear a flag pin and you don't put your hand over your heart during the Anthem. 49.) My Wife Didn't Mean What She Said About Pride In Country - LIAR, your wife's words follow lock-step in the vein of Wright and Farrahkan, in relation to their contempt and hatred of America. 50.) Wal-Mart Is A Company I Wouldn't Support - LIAR, your wife has received nearly a quater of a million dollars through Treehouse, which is connected to Wal-Mart. 51.) Treehouse Is A Small Company - LIAR, the CEO of Treehouse last year, made more than the CEO of Wal-Mart, according to public records. 52.) University Of Chicago Hospital Pay Is Fair - LIAR, your wife's pay raise was nearly 150% her already bloated rate and the hospital is a Non-Profit Hospital, which made $100,000,000 in the last 3 years. They overcharge blacks VS whites for services, and overcharge everyone in general by 538%! 53.)I Barely Know Rezko - Only 5 Billed Hours - LIAR, you have known him for 17 years, and decided to do a real estate deal with him during a time when he was proven to be under investigation. Despite this, you divided your property and had them take off $300K before the mortgage problems started. Then Rezko's wife buys the lot beside it that you can't afford, saving you $625,000. 54.) My Donations Have Been Checked Thoroughly - LIAR, you only gave back Hsu ($72K) and Rezko (first $66K, then when caught lying $86K, then when caught lying again $150K and now caught lying YET AGAIN OBAMA, it's $250k) their money when publically called on their involvement in your campaigns. 55.) My Church Is Like Any Other Christian Church - LIAR, your church is so extreme, the pastor who married you, Rev. Wright, just got done blaming the US for 9/11 and named Louis Farrahkan their person of the year. 56.) I Disagree With My Church All The Time - LIAR, you still have yet to repudiate Wright, who married you and your wife, and you still donate large sums of money to assist the church in furthering its message - hatred and revenge. You donated in 2006 alone, $22,500 to the church that you so terribly disagree with. That is nearly $500 PER WEEK - that sure is disagreement, Senator Obama. 57.) I Have Clean Connections Despite Rezko - LIAR, you are not only connected to Exelon and Rezko, you are also connected to Hillary PAC supporter Mr. Hsu, AND an Iraqi Billionaire of ill repute, Nadhmi Auchi, who ripped off people in the Food For Oil, Iraqi deal. Seems Mr. Auchi may have helped Obama buy his million dollar property long before Obama had millions of dollars. Wonder what favors Mr. Auchi expects, when Obama leaves Iraq free to be taken over by special interests such as him. 58.) I never heard sermons like Rev. Wright's, that have been in videos all day, You Tube - LIAR! 3 days later during your Mea Culpa BS speech you said "Did I hear controversial statements while I sat in that church? Yes I did." 59.) The Passport Invasion is a conspiracy to find dirt on me! - LIAR. Your own Campaign Foreign Policy Advisor is the CEO of the company that looked into your records. PS - You had them look into yours to hide the fact you looked into Clinton's and McCain's more than a year before! 60.) Rev. Meeks has nothing to do with my campaigning - LIAR. Rev. Meeks appeared in ads for your Senate Campaign, donated to you, and helped raise money, then AND NOW. PS - He also seems to despise America. 61.) My wife didn't mean America is ignorant, she was just using a phrase - LIAR. Again, MicHELLe's comments perfectly sync with Wright's, Meeks', and Farrakhans, both in language, anger, and direction. 62.) I am very Anti-Terror - LIAR. [03/30/2008] One of your good pals is long time radical and terrorist William Ayers, with whom you have been seen in the last 12 months and who has helped the now jailed khalidi, Professor at Columbia who invited Ahmadinejad to the University, to raise money for Palestinian terrorism attacks against Israel. PS - Your church published a pro Hamas Manifesto - guess you weren't there on THAT Sunday either? How lucky for you. 63.) I have the best plan to cure the Mortgage Crisis - LIAR. [03/30/2008] You and your campaign buddy Penny SubPrime Bank Collapse Prizker have had your little fingers full of subprime cash - Obama has taken $1,180,103 from the top issuers of subprime loans: Obama received $266,907 from Lehman, $5395 from GMAC, $150,850 from Credit Suisse First Boston, $11,250 from Countrywide, $9052 from Washington Mutual, $161,850 from Citigroup, $4600 from CBASS, $170,050 from Morgan Stanley, $1150 from Centex, and last but certainly NOT LEAST - Obama received $351,900 from Goldman Sachs. I am sure that cash all came from folks who knew the subprime loan they had was a dream, eh? 64) I played greater role in crafting liberal stands on gun control, the death penalty and abortion - LIAR - [03/31/2008] It was found that Obama -- the day after sitting for the interview -- filed an amended version of the questionnaire, which appears to contain Obama's own handwritten notes added to one answer. Read Obama had greater role on liberal survey 65) I did NOT play the race card: - LIAR - [03/31/2008] Obama was the first to play the race card. According to Phialdelphia Inquirer, Quietly, the storm over the hateful views expressed by Sen. Barack Obama's pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, has blown away the most insidious myth of the Democratic primary campaign. Obama and his surrogates have charged that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has deliberately and cleverly played the race card in order to label Obama the "black" candidate. Read more here 66) I did not take money from oil companies: - LIAR - [03/31/2008] THE FACTS: True enough, Obama does not take money from oil companies. No candidate does. It is illegal for corporations to give money to politicians. Corporations, however, do have political action committees that collect voluntary donations from employees and then donate them to candidates. Obama doesn't take money from PACs. He also doesn't take money from lobbyists. But he does accept money from executives and other employees of oil companies and two of his fundraisers are oil company executives. As of Feb. 29, Obama's presidential campaign had received nearly $214,000 from oil and gas industry employees and their families, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. Clinton had received nearly $307,000 from industry workers and their families and Republican Sen. John McCain, the likely GOP presidential nominee, received nearly $394,000, according to the center's totals. Two of Obama's fundraisers are Robert Cavnar, the chairman and chief executive of Houston-based Mission Resources Corp., and George Kaiser, the president and CEO of Tulsa-based Kaiser-Francis Oil Co. Source: Associated press via Yahoo News This is the LAUNDRY LIST OF LIES. Updated to reflect new dishonesties.
Posted by: | May 11, 2008 7:23 AM
It is obvious on the face that the Replublicans will say and do anything to try to twist every possible word that Obama says. It is time for the American public to stand up and say that enough of this spin, spin, spin is enough. For example, in responding to the Hamas "endorsement" the other day, it was perfectly clear about Obama's comment. However, the Republicans seized on the age issue. Where, oh where, do these people come from?
Posted by: Earl C., Virginia Beach | May 11, 2008 6:42 AM
I am an 80 year old white lady but I can tell you that age is not all experience. McCain and Hillary could be as old as me but not as experience as they think or believe. Being in the marine for ages is not a sign that McCain could be a better Commander in Chief just as one being a swimmer does not make him/her a fish! Sound and good judgement is what matters and McCain and Hillary lost it long ago. Age is telling on me just as it is telling on McCain and Hillary. There is time for everyone and this time is for a young vibrant man with fresh brains and memory to rule America. Therefore, I personally discredit anything that McCain's and Hillary's camps are up against Obama. McCain and Hillary might be experience but BOTH lack sound judgement which is a disaster. McCain and Hillary are far behind change they are talking about, perhaps their change is as old as themsleves or myself. McCain, HIillary with all due respect, I see you as murderers and fakes with all those fake and silly smiles. Besides McCain is not a man of his words, he too like the Clinton is a confirmed liar. WHITES AND THE ELDERLY ARE FOR OBAMA 08 FOR CHANGE! ENOUGH OF WARS!!! REPUBLICANS! IT IS TIME TO PACK OUT OFF THE WHITE HOUSE. Hillary AND BILL NEVER AGAIN WILL THERE BE SEX SCANDALS IN THE WHITE HOUSE! IT IS TIME FOR OBAMA 08!!
Posted by: Jane | May 11, 2008 6:25 AM
To the author: Would it take so much additional space to explain to readers exactly what Lincoln-Douglas style encounters were? Talk about elitist. First you assume people know who both Lincoln and Douglas are (the former most probably, the latter less likely) and what one of their "encounters" were. Hello??? Do you think everyone keeps all specific details of history a heartbeat away? No wonder the WP lags the WSJ and NYT in terms of quality of coverage.
Posted by: Ytolz Zloty | May 11, 2008 6:15 AM
It is amazing to me the extent that men will go to appear to 'out run' or 'run out' their superior female opponents. Oh, excuse me is that a sexist remark or maybe a racist comment. Whatever men can use as an excuse to keep women out of public positions of authority will work for them . . . This entire Democratic nomination campaign was founded on fraudulent grounds stealing votes from Hillary Clinton in Florida and Michigan at the start. From then on she was falsely dubbed behind in the race with ongoing demands by the Press for her to just give it up and save us the trouble of voting her out of the . . . Election? It reminds me of the administrative law judge that insisted she could cross-examine Enron officials for me in an energy agency proceeding --she didn't want to bother me with having to travel to the hearings. . . Democracy? Why doesn't the press give up for once and let the Presidential campaign evolve on an honest footing instead of stoking the fires of contempt with their corrupt agendas. Just report the news. We might be best served to outlaw editorial comments from the press during the elections. Public opinion comments, only. The way CNN acts the only real president in America is their CEO and Chair. They need to get a clear perspective on what the SITUATION really is and how they are perpetuating problems. If we really want to vote for President, perhaps the American public would be better served to find out who the candidates are for CNN executives. We may have to form a news crew to publicize CNN's election for the American public! Certainly, I have not read a word about CNN's executive choices and that situation in the Wall Street Journal or NY Times. Uh, oh! I do not agree with them and so I am racist, a feminist, or worse yet a plant by Bill Clinton to assure Hillary wins the race or maybe I am just a bad woman . . . worse yet I am non-partisan! Hillary Clinton is to be respectfully applauded for her vigilant persistence graciously and courageously leading the race all of the way despite the most garish news coverage I have ever seen or heard against any candidate in any US Presidential election. Where is the civility of debate and statesmanship in the media? Going, going, gone . . . we thought she would never leave!!! Right! Where were the historic commentaries about Hillary being the first American woman to even be allowed to run in a Presidential nomination campaign? When Bill Clinton was president all you heard was how he would never have gotten the position without Hllary's influence. Now, the Press insists Hillary would not have even been allowed in the race if her husband hadn't been President. But, of course someone had to come up with a race race where a woman was running for the position of the US Presidency. This has been going on for well over a century. If the votes in Michigan and Florida would have favored Obama or McCain's nomination the ACLU would be on the case in a minute making sure they got every vote counted. Don't pamper the women candidates with favors . . . You can bet that Andrew Romano and numerous other reporters would be screaming foul play against Hillary Clinton supporters. I hate to see the youth of this nation mislead in a scam election using race to further sexist jabs against the best candidate for the job of President of the United States, today. When the election began I was concerned about the potential lack of viable candidates. I did not know if Hillary Clinton would stand the test to make it to the nomination. But, I should have known better with all she has been through with the American public. Hillary Clinton has more than surpassed my expectations by running an admirable campaign in the face of EXTREMELY PREJUDICIAL and harassing press. I did not ever say she was perfect, but certainly, I have never seen one male politician that is perfect either. Leaders are human beings --and as far as I am concerned, Hillary is a saint for women in the way she has continued to take false jabs and blow after blow from the press while being denied her true place as leader in this race to the Democratic nomination. All we have heard from the press since the race began is: "Hillary's behind." "How long is she going to put us through this?" "Etc!" The false headlines day after day add up to extreme damages and a hoax for all Americans. It is a national sham. The Democratic nomination race has been a sham led by the Press. What is the press going to do about it? Maybe it is time they are charged for damages to encourage more honest reporting while letting the public think for themselves for a change. The wonder of Hillary Clinton is that she is human and yet so professional and dedicated. She is someone that will demand a balanced playing field despite financial imbalances and ongoing demands to leave the race. As soon as the waters get rough Barack Obama will run for the cover of stolen votes furthering a fraudulent election lead for months like he hid behind a break on a $million home. Hey, whatever he can get, right! Is this the change we are heading for in America? It is not a racial issue, oil cartels are playing the ethnic cleansing card all over the world to destroy cultures and takeover oil rich lands. It appears the Press is entertaining their jest for a racial war in this years Presidential election. I hope Obama comes back and really wins in 2012 if he is the person for the job. One cannot imagine what prejudice is until they have been a middle class women in America the past twenty years promoting building-integrated photovoltaic [BI-PV] solar electricity. Solar is just not affordable ---give it up --will ya? While children lives are permanently altered by coal-fired power plants with more over one hundred more proposed or being built despite the imact of global warming. This nation needs a new agenda of accountable leadership not mud-slinging partisan recreation ongoing in the press between elections. Opinionated commentary is good, but let's make it a debate with at least some hint of honesty about it. Every reporter whose article has fraudulently positioned Barack Hussein Obama ahead in the Presidential nomination race in 2008 should be forced to recount their story where not one of the stories is a true depiction of the election until the voters in Florida and Michigan are counted. It was just oversight . . . where US Presidential elections are no big deal? Especially where the rights of a woman candidate is involved??? Yes, those votes will make a real difference and everyone knows that. In fact, they have already been used to falsely boost Obama when Hillary Clinton actually started ahead in this race and has remained there despite the press and their ongoing fraudulent claims that she is just hanging on and needs to stop. Why don't they STOP filling the public minds with their fraudulent misrepresentations? Enough of the badgering false reports by press. Hillary Clinton has won the Democratic nomination and would have won it with far more votes had the press once honestly represented the status of the candidates in this race. How many of us would guess that the bad press severely effected thousands of votes across the nation. Press coyly responds . . . oh gee I didn't know anyone reads the newspaper or watches the news . . . in the USA. We need to get serious here --woman, too! The 30,000 SF BI-PV Solar Roof at Georgetown University in Washington, DC is called Pretty Polly in the energy industry. It is a beautiful polycrystalline silicon semiconductor. Like many women in the world, it does its job generating $60,000 of demand-site fuel-free non-polluting solar electricity in the nation's capital since 1984 with no recognition, appreciation and little complaint. I am one of the few who have taken significant efforts to get this building before the American public and decision-makers. Children are my number one concern. There is no need to continue to risk the health and safety of our nation's children. Coal mercury toxins cause fetal damage, mental retardation, ADD, and autism. Coal is a male thing . . . well guys, coal toxins affect the brain and nervous system of boys and girls! To document my ceaseless efforts, I wrote a book called "ElectriCity BEYOND THE CURVE OF DEREGULATION". www.geocities.com/EthosOfCommerce It did not sell 200,000 books the day it was released like Hillary Clinton's book did, but it is making a quiet albeit slow impact. My second book is scheduled for release this summer "A CONVENIENT TRUTH BI-PV Solar Architecture to Protect Earth's 21 MILES OF PARADISE". We need a compassionate and responsible woman in the US Presidency, today. Hillary Clinton is not going to get out of the job that easily. You lost the nomination, Obama ---get out of the race! NOW! Give it up until next election. Now how does that feel, not once did the Press ask the public when Obama was going to give up because he had a fraudulent lead all the way. Don't you think you are making a fool of yourself Mr. Obama as well as the US? Just didn't know how to respond --what would all of your supporters say?
We want to see an article about what it is like to be a woman in the USA!
THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION RACE IS NOT OVER YET ---THE PRESS HAS BEEN PUSHING HILLARY CLINTON OUT OF THE RACE SINCE IT BEGAN MISREPRESENTING THE ENTIRE STATUS OF THE ELECTION! WHY DON'T THEY TAKE A WALK AND RETHINK THEIR STRATEGY AND ITS EFFECTS ON THE AMERICAN PUBLIC AND THE WORLD, TODAY!
Posted by: Eileen M. Smith, M.Arch. | May 11, 2008 5:47 AM
If only Barack Obama (BO)was born nine months after the death of JFK, my commentary would have been to make belief that BO is JFK reincarnate. I can't delve into the bear comparison because I want to cut my point short . Unlike the fact that McCain is a Bush continuum, BO is enemy free from the north pole to the south pole and from the far east to the deep west. His concept of CHANGE is all that is needed for America to convert her enemies into friends, forming allies from evil and uniting all fronts that makes this nation the greatest in our information age. BO is the symbol of a clean slate for the USA. The world has gone through CHANGES from the atomic bomb age to the nuclear age and now we are in the age of information superhighway. BO has emerged as the messiah of CHANGE be descended from two great worlds of Africa and Asia to unify the world on the stage platform of the USA. His message of CHANGE stems from the fact that America is far ahead of the rest of the world in terms of information technology. BOs CHANGE for a better USA is based on the foundation of trust for his diplomacy, security for his sincerity, prosperity for his fairness and world peace for his beliefs. America will regain his world dominance based on her respect for human right, her confidence in her sincerity, her dignity for diplomacy, her prosperity for her initiative and love of peace spreading all our planet earth. Nothing in the world is certain except CHANGE and America is due for a CHANGE so BO is not asking for much but YES WE CAN.
Posted by: Abubakarr Sesay | May 11, 2008 5:21 AM
If only Barack Obama (BO)was born nine months after the death of JFK, my commentary would have been to make belief that BO is JFK reincarnate. I can't delve into the bear comparison because I want to cut my point short . Unlike the fact that McCain is a Bush continuum, BO is enemy free from the north pole to the south pole and from the far east to the deep west. His concept of CHANGE is all that is needed for America to convert her enemies into friends, forming allies from evil and uniting all fronts that makes this nation the greatest in our information age. BO is the symbol of a clean slate for the USA. The world has gone through CHANGES from the atomic bomb age to the nuclear age and now we are in the age of information superhighway. BO has emerged as the messiah of CHANGE be descended from two great worlds of Africa and Asia to unify the world on the stage platform of the USA. His message of CHANGE stems from the fact that America is far ahead of the rest of the world in terms of information technology. BOs CHANGE for a better USA is based on the foundation of trust for his diplomacy, security for his sincerity, prosperity for his fairness and world peace for his beliefs. America will regain his world dominance based on her respect for human right, her confidence in her sincerity, her dignity for diplomacy, her prosperity for her initiative and love of peace spreading all our planet earth. Nothing in the world is certain except CHANGE and America is due for a CHANGE so BO is not asking for much but YES WE CAN.
Posted by: Abubakarr Sesay | May 11, 2008 5:12 AM
Who's SERVERS you got Burned with?
Spare the rest of us from making the same mistake!
Posted by: RAT-The | May 11, 2008 3:55 AM
It is WHAT Billary DID in the Executive Seat, that will keep them out of it! ;~)
Then, Don't blame the Fact I mentioned Barack Hussein's middle name as an excuse for supporting someone, BUT, not being able to list a single accomplishment, or Pertinent Qualification for the Job in Question.
Posted by: RAT-The | May 11, 2008 3:49 AM
It is WHAT Billary DID in the Executive Seat, that will keep them out of it! ;~)
Then, Don't blame the Fact I mentioned Barack Hussein's middle name as an excuse for supporting someone, BUT, not being able to list a single accomplishment, or Pertinent Qualification for the Job in Question.
Posted by: RAT-The | May 11, 2008 3:42 AM
We need a respectable president. Obama is the only respectable choice left. Easy one. Unless you really love war and hate your grandkids, in which case you'll want to vote for McCain and the 100 years war, part deux.
To Hilary supporters that would vote for McCain over Obama...get ahold of yourselves! Your values mean so little to you that you'd so easily throw them out the window? Or is this just an emotional popularity contest to you, and you'd vote against someone (and your own interests) just because they beat your candidate? It can't be because of experience. Why would you want a guy who's philosophy of government is totally different than your own, just because you think he's more experienced. So he can even more effectively move the country away from your own politics? Is it because Obama's black? Is it because his name isn't David Smith and you're afraid he's on somebody else's side?
Posted by: superDGG | May 11, 2008 3:41 AM
It is WHAT Billary DID in the Executive Seat, that will keep them out of it! ;~)
Then, Don't blame the Fact I mentioned Barack Hussein's middle name as an excuse for supporting someone, BUT, not being able to list a single accomplishment, or Pertinent Qualification for the Job in Question.
Posted by: RAT-The | May 11, 2008 3:41 AM
Nothing really super-duper about Obama passing Sen. Clinton in superdelegate count. In subverting and repudiating the Democratic nomination process, they are taking the Democratic Party down the path of a train wreck in November, when Obama will crash and burn if he swipes the nomination from Sen. Clinton. Hillary Clinton supporters will angrily vote McCain, and it will be four more years of Bush under McCain.
The Democratic presidential nomination process is still in progress. Obama does not have the requisite number of delegates for the nomination; he has no presumptive lock on the nomination. All remaining states must vote and the superdelegates must select the best qualified presidential candidate using their indepedent judgment. "Delegate math" has no relevance to the function of the superdelegates. Sen. Clinton is the best qualified presidential candidate and she must continue her campaign for the future of America.
Qualifications must be the unyielding principle, similar to the rule of law, for the presidential nomination. Obama's skin color and fear of alienating the black vote or Sharpton's blackmail threat of "massive demonstrations" cannot trump the unyielding principle of qualifications.
All rational Democrats should support Sen. Clinton by contributing frequently at HillaryClinton.com.
"OBAMA BACKERS MAKE THEIR THREAT" - Executive Intelligence Review - "Those who are attempting to shut down the Clinton campaign and control this Presidential election have no allegiance to (the) Democratic Party, or to the United States."
Posted by: crat3 | May 11, 2008 3:21 AM
Your use of Obama's middle name shows what your real issue is, and makes discussing with you any of the issues you mentioned a total waste of time. Go hate something.
Posted by: arollsqr | May 11, 2008 3:21 AM
Nothing really super-duper about Obama passing Sen. Clinton in superdelegate count. In subverting and repudiating the Democratic nomination process, they are taking the Democratic Party down the path of a train wreck in November, when Obama will crash and burn if he swipes the nomination from Sen. Clinton. Hillary Clinton supporters will angrily vote McCain, and it will be four more years of Bush under McCain.
The Democratic presidential nomination process is still in progress. Obama does not have the requisite number of delegates for the nomination; he has no presumptive lock on the nomination. All remaining states must vote and the superdelegates must select the best qualified presidential candidate using their indepedent judgment. "Delegate math" has no relevance to the function of the superdelegates. Sen. Clinton is the best qualified presidential candidate and she must continue her campaign for the future of America.
Qualifications must be the unyielding principle, similar to the rule of law, for the presidential nomination. Obama's skin color and fear of alienating the black vote or Sharpton's blackmail threat of "massive demonstrations" cannot trump the unyielding principle of qualifications.
All rational Democrats should support Sen. Clinton by contributing frequently at HillaryClinton.com.
"OBAMA BACKERS MAKE THEIR THREAT" - Executive Intelligence Review - "Those who are attempting to shut down the Clinton campaign and control this Presidential election have no allegiance to (the) Democratic Party, or to the United States."
Posted by: crat3 | May 11, 2008 3:21 AM
Nothing really super-duper about Obama passing Sen. Clinton in superdelegate count. In subverting and repudiating the Democratic nomination process, they are taking the Democratic Party down the path of a train wreck in November, when Obama will crash and burn if he swipes the nomination from Sen. Clinton. Hillary Clinton supporters will angrily vote McCain, and it will be four more years of Bush under McCain.
The Democratic presidential nomination process is still in progress. Obama does not have the requisite number of delegates for the nomination; he has no presumptive lock on the nomination. All remaining states must vote and the superdelegates must select the best qualified presidential candidate using their indepedent judgment. "Delegate math" has no relevance to the function of the superdelegates. Sen. Clinton is the best qualified presidential candidate and she must continue her campaign for the future of America.
Qualifications must be the unyielding principle, similar to the rule of law, for the presidential nomination. Obama's skin color and fear of alienating the black vote or Sharpton's blackmail threat of "massive demonstrations" cannot trump the unyielding principle of qualifications.
All rational Democrats should support
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By Alec MacGillis BEND, Ore. -- Barack Obama was "east of the mountains" in central...
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'What Is Normal and What Is Perfect?'
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JUNEAU, Alaska -- The results of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's prenatal testing were in, and the doctor's tone was ominous: "You need to come to the office so we can talk about it."
Palin responded, "No, go ahead and tell me over the phone."
The physician replied, "Down syndrome," stunning the Republican governor who had just completed what many political analysts regarded as a startling first year in office. Now, Palin said, she is trying to balance caring for her son with special needs and running the nation's largest state.
Palin had reached the Alaska statehouse after riding an ethics reform platform to victory over an incumbent Republican in the primary and a former two-term Democratic governor in the general election. Her growing reputation as a maverick, for bucking her party's establishment and Alaska's powerful oil industry, quickly gained her a national reputation.
All that seemed put into question after the doctor's call in December, when Palin was four months pregnant.
"I've never had problems with my other pregnancies, so I was shocked," said Palin, a mother of four other children. "It took a while to open up the book that the doctor gave me about children with Down syndrome, and a while to log on to the Web site and start reading facts about the situation."
Her husband, Todd, was out of town, and the 44-year-old governor waited a few days before telling him, allowing her first to understand what was ahead for them.
Once her husband got the news, he told her: "We shouldn't be asking, 'Why us?' We should be saying, 'Well, why not us?' "
Down syndrome is caused by the presence of an extra chromosome in the fetus's cells. The genetic abnormality impedes physical, intellectual and language development.
The cause of the abnormality remains unclear, but a mother's age plays a significant factor: A pregnant 40-year-old woman faces odds of 1 in 100 of having a child with Down syndrome, according to the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
Even after getting the diagnosis, the Palins said, there was never any doubt they would have the child, and on April 18 Sarah Palin gave birth to Trig Paxson Van Palin.
"We've both been very vocal about being pro-life," she said. "We understand that every innocent life has wonderful potential."
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JUNEAU, Alaska -- The results of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's prenatal testing were in, and the doctor's tone was ominous: "You need to come to the office so we can talk about it."
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Church Punishes Priests but Protects Bishops, Critics Say
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It's getting a little uncomfortable for Catholic Bishop Carlos Sevilla these days.
Several times in recent months, the Yakima, Wash., clergyman has had to defend himself against accusations that he concealed sexual misconduct by priests and employees. In one case, a priest who had worked in the diocese was convicted of felony abuse for fondling a 14-year-old girl. In another case, Sevilla hired a former seminarian after the man was charged with viewing child pornography.
"In hindsight, the bishop realizes he could have done more" to alert parishioners to the situations, said the Rev. Robert Siler, diocese spokesman.
Doing more, a lot more, is just what Catholic activists want the church hierarchy to do about bishops who have covered up cases of sexual abuse.
Sevilla is an example of the conundrum facing the U.S. Catholic Church as it struggles anew with the sex-abuse scandal, which Pope Benedict XVI brought up during his U.S. visit last month. The pope repeatedly expressed shame and remorse for church's role in the disgrace and met with some of its victims. To the U.S. bishops, with whom the pope met in the District, he said that the scandal had sometimes been poorly handled and that it is their "God-given responsibility" to heal the wounds and restore shattered trust.
Since then, activists have launched letter-writing campaigns and petition drives to try to push the pope into taking action against bishops who they believe have moved slowly to stop predator priests.
"What is the pope going to do now? If it's nothing, then that is a terrible thing," said Terry McKiernan, president of BishopAccountablity.org, based in the Boston area. "There has been no public action by the Vatican since the pope's visit."
Measures enacted by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2002 after the scandal first exploded onto the national scene require bishops to permanently remove any priest who has sexually abused a minor. But unless the pope takes disciplinary action, bishops such as Sevilla face only private admonitions from their peers if they move slowly, or not at all, against priests accused of abusing children.
"Action has been taken against some priests, but action hasn't been taken against U.S. bishops," McKiernan said.
"Nobody loses a day's pay," added David Clohessy, national director of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests.
Sevilla is not alone, activists say. Cardinal Francis George, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, waited months to remove an accused parish priest in Chicago, the Rev. Daniel McCormack, who was criminally charged in 2006 and pleaded guilty to sexually abusing five boys ages 8 to 12. George has acknowledged that he failed to act soon enough in McCormack's case.
Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles, whose archdiocese last year agreed to pay $660 million to settle legal claims with more than 500 victims, has been accused by abuse victims of moving sexually abusive priests to different parishes and of blocking efforts in court to expose them. Spokesman Tod Tamberg said Mahoney was one of the first bishops in the nation to implement policies on clergy child abuse and has moved aggressively to remove offenders from the priesthood.
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It's getting a little uncomfortable for Catholic Bishop Carlos Sevilla these days.
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New Law Takes Step To Latino Museum
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The measure, part of a larger legislative package, creates a 23-member bipartisan panel that will give the president and Congress recommendations about the scope of the project.
Over a two-year period, it will consider the location, the cost of construction and maintenance, and the presentation of art, history, politics, business and entertainment in American Latino life.
"How do you spell 'relief'?" said a gratified Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.), who has been pushing the legislation for five years. "Now the real work begins."
A central question facing the commission is whether the proposed museum should be part of the Smithsonian Institution. Two reports, in 1993 and 1997, criticized the representation of Latinos throughout the Smithsonian's collections and exhibitions. Both studies called for a new museum; in 1997 the Smithsonian created a Latino Center to coordinate programs throughout the institution. Becerra said a Smithsonian-specific location or management role was deliberately left out of the new legislation so the experts on the commission could make independent decisions.
The new law says the location should "be considered in consultation with the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts, the Department of the Interior and Smithsonian Institution."
Earlier this week, the Smithsonian Board of Regents, aware that the measure had passed both the House and the Senate, said the Smithsonian itself would renovate the landmark Arts & Industries Building, which has been closed for four years. One of the reasons not to turn it over to a private developer was the possibility of considering the space for a Latino project.
Cristián Samper, the Smithsonian's acting secretary, said placement within the museum complex "is not a given. We are committed to be collaborative. If Congress decides this belongs in the Smithsonian, we can take this on and do a museum that would make us all proud."
Becerra, a Smithsonian regent, was cautious in speaking about affiliation, but said, "I love the Smithsonian. I am proud of the Smithsonian even though it has its warts. There would be no greater honor than to have the museum associated with the Smithsonian."
Arturo Vargas, the executive director of the National Association of Latino Elected & Appointed Officials, didn't pull any punches about location, signaling a lively debate down the road about a prominent site.
"My strong opinion is that it should be an arm of the Smithsonian and take its place with the others along America's hallowed ground, the Mall," said Vargas. "American society does not have an appreciation for the Latino part in the history and development of the country. Having that institutionalized is the best way to tell the story." There are 45 million Hispanics in the United States.
Samper said any future Smithsonian involvement would depend on the right funding. The Smithsonian is preparing for a national capital campaign and also has to raise money for the $500 million National Museum of African American History and Culture. "We haven't set a number for the national campaign. Clearly, if we were asked to take it on, it might pen up other donors. But we have to assess what our capacity is to fundraise," said Samper.
The legislation signed yesterday recommends a budget of $3.2 million for the study group, an amount that still must be approved by Congress.
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President Bush signed legislation yesterday establishing a commission to study the feasibility of a National Museum of the American Latino.
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Too Late to the Duck Hunt
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However, as Obama began to rise, powered by the party's Net-roots activists, she scurried left, particularly with her progressively more explicit renunciation of the Iraq war. It was a fool's errand. She would never be able to erase the stain of her original war vote and she remained unwilling to do an abject John Edwards self-flagellating recantation. It took her weeks even to approximate the apology the left was looking for, and by then it was far too late. The party's activist wing was by then unbreakably betrothed to Obama.
But going left proved disastrous for Clinton. It abolished all significant policy differences between her and Obama, the National Journal's 2007 most liberal senator. On health care, for example, her attempts to turn a minor difference in the definition of universality into a major assault on Obama fell flat. With no important policy differences separating them, the contest became one of character and personality. Matched against this elegant, intellectually nimble, hugely talented newcomer, she had no chance of winning that contest.
She tried everything. Her charges that he was a man of nothing but words came off as a petulant, envious attack on eloquence. The power to inspire may not be sufficient to qualify for the presidency, but it is hardly a liability.
She tried a silly plagiarism charge, then settled for the experience card. In a change election, this was not a brilliant strategy. It forced her to dwell on the 1990s, playing candidate of the past to Obama's candidate of the future. Her studied attempts to embellish her experience led her into a thicket of confabulated Bosnian sniper fire.
It wasn't until late in the fourth quarter that she found the seam in Obama's defense. In fact, Obama handed her the playbook with Jeremiah Wright, William Ayers, Michelle Obama's comments about never having been proud of America and Obama's own guns-and-God condescension toward small-town whites.
The line of attack is clear: not that Obama is himself radical or unpatriotic, just that, as a man of the academic left, he is so out of touch with everyday America that he could move so easily and untroubled in such extreme company and among such alien and elitist sentiments.
Clinton finally understood the way to run against Obama: back to the center -- not ideologically but culturally, not on policy but on attitude. She changed none of her positions on Iraq or Iran or health care or taxes. Instead, she transformed herself into working-class Sally-get-her-gun, off duck hunting with dad.
The gas tax holiday was never an economic or policy issue. It was meant to position her culturally. It heightened her identification with her white working-class constituency. Obama played his part by citing economists in opposing it. That completed her narrative: He had the pointy-headed professors on his side; she had the single moms seeking relief at the pump.
It was an overreach. It not only deflected attention away from the amazing Rev. Wright at the height of his spectacular return. It also never played as the elitist-vs.-working-folk issue she had wanted, because it isn't just economists who know the gas tax holiday is nothing but a cheap gimmick. Ordinary folks do, too. And the gas tax idea had the unfortunate side effect of reinforcing Hillary's main character liability vis-a-vis Obama: cynical Washington pol willing to do or say anything to win votes vs. the idealistic straight shooter refusing to pander even if it costs him.
The lightness in Hillary's step in the days before Indiana and North Carolina reflected the relief of the veteran politician who, after months of treading water, finally finds the right campaign strategy. But it was far too late. And the gas tax overkill, one final error of modulation, sealed the deal -- for Obama.
There's only one remaining chapter in this fascinating spectacle. Negotiating the terms of Hillary's surrender. After which we will have six months of watching her enthusiastically stumping the country for Obama, denying with utter conviction Republican charges that he is the out of touch, latte-sipping elitist she warned Democrats against so urgently in the last, late leg of her doomed campaign.
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The only thing left is negotiating the terms of her surrender.
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Sticking Points for Obama
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Barack Obama -- the charismatic, weakened, patronizing, soaring, prickly, historic, inevitable nominee of the Democratic Party -- is now left with two related problems.
First, Obama's own missteps, amplified by Hillary Clinton's negativity, have defined a narrative likely to follow him until Election Day.
In politics, a narrative -- the widely held, sometimes unfair shorthand that marks a candidate -- is difficult to shift. For Dan Quayle, it was fresh-faced intellectual vacuity. For John Kerry, it was a combination of hauteur and inconstancy.
The Obama narrative is intellectual and ideological (not social) elitism. Humble roots have never been a guarantee of intellectual humility, especially when a mind comes to flower at Columbia and Harvard. Obama's dismissal of small-town views and values as "bitterness," "fear" and "anger" -- his dismissal of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright as a relic of an angry generation -- comes across as, well, dismissive. His first instinct -- the academic instinct -- is to explain and analyze, which is impressive to political writers who share that particular vocation. But this approach always places the explainer in a position of superiority. The arrogance of the aristocrat is nothing compared to the arrogance of the academic.
The issue of the lapel flag pin is a good illustration. Obama's explanation for its absence -- that it had become a "substitute" for "true patriotism" in the aftermath of Sept. 11 -- is perfectly rational. For a professor at the University of Chicago. Members of the knowledge class generally find his stand against sartorial symbolism to be subtle, even courageous. Most Americans, I'm willing to bet, will find it incomprehensible after 20 additional explanations, which are bound to be required. A president is expected to be a patriotic symbol himself, not the arbiter of patriotic symbols. He is supposed to be the face-painted superfan at every home game; to wear red, white and blue boxers on special marital occasions; to get misty-eyed during the most obscure patriotic hymns.
The problem here is not that Obama is unpatriotic -- a foolish, unfair, destructive charge -- but that Obama has declared himself superior to an almost universal form of popular patriotism. And this sense of superiority, revealed in case after case, has political consequences, because the Obama narrative reinforces the Democratic narrative. It is now possible to imagine Obama at a cocktail party with Kerry, Al Gore and Michael Dukakis, sharing a laugh about gun-toting, Bible-thumping, flag-pin-wearing, small-town Americans.
And this has led, in part, to a second problem -- Obama's disconnect with white religious voters (African American religious voters are overwhelmingly supportive). He lost the white Protestant vote by 26 points in the Indiana primary and by 37 points in North Carolina. He lost the white Catholic vote by 26 points in Indiana and 17 points in North Carolina. Among Catholics in particular, this represents an improvement over Obama's dismal results in Pennsylvania and Ohio. But this religion gap remains a general election challenge.
It is also a striking reversal of fortunes. Obama is easily the most religiously fluent and informed Democratic presidential candidate since Jimmy Carter. But, over time, Obama has assumed a much more familiar Democratic electoral profile -- the candidate of the young, the educated and the secular (he has consistently won religiously nonaligned voters), who also gets nearly universal support from African Americans. He increasingly resembles Bill Bradley or Gary Hart -- a candidate of new liberalism -- with this additional element of black enthusiasm.
There are many possible reasons for the opening of a religion gap, in addition to Obama's off-putting aura of superiority. Bill Galston of the Brookings Institution suggests that Catholics may be more attracted to bread-and-butter issues than elevated calls for change; more likely to be political "regulars" instead of reformers; more apt to identify age with leadership. Both white Catholics and white Protestants seem to have been disturbed by the Rev. Wright's vigorous reassertion of black liberation theology -- not because it is black, but because it is radical. And at least some Americans are concerned by the unreconstructed liberalism -- on abortion and other issues -- beneath Obama's post-partisan approach.
Going forward, the main political question is this: Can John McCain turn this disaffection into Republican votes? Given his instinctual populism, policy moderation and moving life story, perhaps he is the only Republican who could. Given the distemper of the country, the public preference for Democrats on nearly every policy issue and the destruction of the Republican brand among the young, perhaps no Republican could.
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Barack Obama is now left with two related problems.
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A Message From Cajun Country
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The first, which has not received enough notice, was the triumph of Louisiana Democrat Don Cazayoux in the race for an open U.S. House seat despite an aggressive Republican campaign to link the moderate Cajun to Obama, liberalism and high taxes.
That the Obama link did not bring down Cazayoux in a district that voted 59 percent for George W. Bush in 2004 will help reassure Democratic superdelegates from Republican-leaning districts that they can live with Obama at the top of their party's ticket.
And the failure of old GOP tactics of liberalism-by-association and taxophobia was "a sharp wake up call for Republicans," in the view of no less an authority than former House speaker Newt Gingrich.
In an important manifesto published this week in the conservative magazine Human Events, Gingrich warned that "the Republican brand has been so badly damaged that if Republicans try to run an anti-Obama, anti-Reverend Wright, or (if Senator Clinton wins), anti-Clinton campaign, they are simply going to fail."
Significantly, Gingrich argued that the Republican Party's weakness could "ultimately outweigh" the "personal appeal" of presumptive Republican nominee John McCain and "drag his candidacy into defeat."
Obama's strong showing in North Carolina and his near-win in Indiana not only blocked any obvious path to the nomination left for Hillary Clinton but also marked the emergence -- after a long, listless and lackluster interval -- of an Obama prepared to fight back against precisely the campaign he will confront from the Republicans.
In his speech Tuesday night, Obama predicted that his opponents would "play on our fears and exploit our differences." He would face "the same names and labels they always pin on everyone who doesn't agree with all their ideas, the same efforts to distract us from the issues that affect our lives, by pouncing on every gaffe and association and fake controversy, in the hopes that the media will play along." And then he promised "to make this year different."
Many Democrats still worry that this will be harder for Obama than he makes it sound. Several party insiders acknowledged that Republicans are far less intimidated by the prospect of facing Obama than they once were. They know that Clinton's campaign located the seams of division inside the Democratic electorate, and that McCain will be able to run a two-level campaign. His attacks on Obama can be subtle while groups theoretically independent of his campaign can do the real damage.
McCain's first advertisement directed to the general election presented him as "the American president Americans have been waiting for." What message was he sending with that slogan, unveiled in late March? If McCain would be the "American" president, what was he implying about a possible opponent with an African first and last name and an Arabic middle name? Those implications will be fully laid out by McCain's allies.
Yet the campaign run by Cazayoux (in Louisiana, it's pronounced KAZH-oo, as an ad starring his young daughters taught the voters of the 6th District) suggested that Obama may be right about old attacks no longer working.
In a district that Republicans had held for 33 years, the party and its candidate, Woody Jenkins, ran a campaign straight from their tattered playbook. Republicans tried to convince voters that Cazayoux was really pronounced "Tax You" and were unrelenting in trying to tie Cazayoux to Obama and the Democratic speaker of the House of Representatives.
"A vote for Don Cazayoux is a vote for Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi," one ad declared. "If Don Tax You gets to Washington, he'll do what they tell him to do." Another ad cast the stakes this way: "Is Obama right for Louisiana? Is Pelosi? You decide."
Decide the voters did, not so much for Obama and Pelosi as against the premise of the Republican campaign. Cazayoux ran as a conservative on guns and abortion but relied on national Democratic themes in advocating for "middle-class families" and the proposition that "every family should have health care."
Cazayoux's victory is one sign that the issues are moving the Democrats' way. McCain's failure to gain a clear lead on Obama or Clinton is another. "Without change we could face a catastrophic election this fall," Gingrich declared of the Republicans' chances. At least when it comes to assessing this year's political terrain, Newt Gingrich and Barack Obama are on the same page.
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What Barack Obama and Newt Gingrich have in common.
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A Conversation With Ehud Olmert
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Q. What did you and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice talk about during her visit here last week?
A. We talked about the ongoing discussions between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, about the possibility of having an understanding that will lead to the realization of President Bush's vision -- the two-state solution.
Do you and she think [a peace agreement with the Palestinians] is possible? Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reportedly said when he recently left Washington that he was very disappointed.
I don't want to comment about statements made by Dr. Abbas. My discussions with Condoleezza Rice are serious and in general optimistic that peace can happen -- that the distance between us and the Palestinians is not such that it can't be bridged.
So do you still believe that there can be a declaration of principles or an agreement with the Palestinians [by year's end]?
A more detailed and accurate outline of how a solution of the two states should look.
Does that include Jerusalem and the difficult issues (borders, refugees)?
Some of the issues will be discussed later by agreement. The future of Jerusalem is one of them. It is probably going to be the last issue.
It will not be resolved by you and Abbas?
Maybe yes, but in a later stage.
In Annapolis, didn't you, President Bush and President Abbas talk about concluding a statement of principles or a framework agreement by the end of this year?
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In an interview, he discusses his hopes for achieving peace and the current crisis in the Gaza Strip.
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Lies and Acceptable Lies
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Of course presidents --- and presidential candidates --- should tell the truth. At the same time, thereâs a certain amount of spin and exaggeration which takes place not just in politics but in real life that I suspect most people tolerate. On fundamental issues, however, truthfulness is crucial.
Consider the late President Nixon.
Barry Goldwater, the Republican senator who was the barometer that would determine whether Nixon would stay in office in 1974 said, âThere were too many lies, too many crimes.â The Watergate cover-up and the abuses of power documented in multiple investigations and on Nixonâs own tapes were too much for Goldwater.
On August 7, 1974, the night before Nixon announced that he was going to resign, Senator Goldwater, Senator Hugh Scott of Pennsylvania and Representative John Rhodes of Arizona went to see Nixon.
The three Republicans met first with Alexander M. Haig, Nixonâs chief of staff.
Haig said to them, âHe needs to hear it from you.â
Goldwater said, âHeâll get the truth. Thatâs what he wants?â Goldwater was disbelieving, since Nixon so rarely wanted the truth.
When the three lawmakers met with Nixon, the president estimated how many votes he might have in a trial in the Senate. âHow many would you say would be with me, a half-dozen?â Nixon asked.
âMore than that, maybe 16 to 18,â Goldwater said Nixon would need 34 votes, two-thirds of the Senate, to avoid a conviction and removal from office.
After Nixon acknowledged things were pretty grim, Goldwater decided to ram the point home. He told the president he had done a nose count and, âI couldnât find more than four very firm votes, and those would be from old Southerners.â Nixon knew he would be finished if he decided to fight the Watergate charges in the House and the Senate.
Afterwards, while speaking with reporters, Goldwater lied. It was the kind of lie that is probably acceptable in politics and under the tactical circumstances of the moment, he deemed it necessary.
Asked by the reporters what they had told Nixon the situation was in the House and Senate, Goldwater said, âI have no way of knowing, and we have no way of making nose counts. I myself have not made up my mind. And I think I can speak for most of the senators that they havenât made up their minds.â
Goldwater felt his lie was necessary to keep Nixon on track as decision-maker and avoid the appearance that the legislators had gone to him to conduct a pre-impeachment coup d'état. The lies about fundamental issues that so characterized the Nixon presidency are unacceptable. Perhaps the tactical lies of the moment that Goldwater employed are the kind that can be tolerated.
Bob Woodward has worked for The Washington Post since 1971.
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A conversation on religion with Jon Meacham and Sally Quinn. Visit http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/
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Films that Divide, Films that Unite
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Walter Lippman once said, "The way in which the world is imagined will determine at any given moment what men will do."
Think of that line as you watch the evening news or read the newspaper. The sad truth is that a large number of the images we see on a regular basis are about fear, mistrust and violence. Sometimes, those feel like the only possibilities.
Stories shape our lives and our societies. Extremists understand that very well. A few months ago, The Washington Post did an exceptional video news story on how Muslim extremists use film as a weapon in their war.
âWithout the video, itâs just an attack,â details just how deliberate and strategic these groups are when it comes to using video. Murdering people is only one of their goals. Spreading the idea of Islam as a violent religion and convincing people that we are in a clash of civilizations is just as central to their agenda.
So what would it look like if we refused to forfeit our imaginations to those people whose purpose is to spread poison? If we told different stories, made films that highlighted other possibilities â of cooperation instead of violence, understanding instead of mistrust.
That was the documentary filmmaker Jehane Noujaimâs core idea when she came up with Pangea Day (Iâm on the Advisory Board), her TED Prize Wish (watch the video of her Ted Prize talk). What would happen if we had a day devoted to films which told the story of a common life together?
If youâre intrigued, the Pangea Day trailer is a great place to start. Be a part of it this Saturday May 10, starting at 2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. 24 films will be shown, drawn from 2500 hundred submissions. There is a fabulous lineup of music. Speakers include Queen Noor of Jordan, Karen Armstrong, Ishmael Beah and yours truly. Huge Pangea Day events are being held everywhere from London to Los Angeles, Cairo to Kigali. And there are thousands of smaller ones also.
Watch the world tell a different story of what the world could be.
Please e-mail On Faith if you'd like to receive an email notification when On Faith sends out a new question.
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On Faith is an innovative, provocative conversation on all aspects of religion with best selling author Jon Meacham of Newsweek and Sally Quinn of The Washington Post. Keep up-to-date on global religious developments with On Faith.
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Burma: Desperation Mounts
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Suzanne DiMaggio, director of the Asian Social Issues Program at Asia Society, was online Friday, May 9, at 1:30 p.m. ET to discuss the current situation in the Southeast Asian country.
"The tragedy unfolding in Burma is nothing less than murder of the Burmese people at the hands of the military leaders," said DiMaggio, in an interview with washingtonpost.com. "Their refusal to grant full access to humanitarian relief workers and aid into the country demonstrates the regime's unwillingness to protect its own people. The question facing the U.N. now is whether imposing aid in an effort to prevent further deaths is a legal and moral obligation of the international community."
The Asia Society is the leading global and pan-Asian organization working to strengthen relationships and promote understanding among the people, leaders, and institutions of the United States and Asia.
Suzanne DiMaggio: Hi. I'm here today to answer your questions about the situation in Burma. I look forward to hearing from you.
New York, N.Y.: The World Food Programme has always operated on the principle of focusing on the needs of populations, however foul the regimes that may have their lives extended by food aid. Given that WFP is already making the concession of aiding the people of Burma and thus indirectly the regime, is it reasonable that they insist on being in charge of their own food-delivering operations? In other words, even if the very real needs of the people now trump long-term benefits of not supporting the regime, is the WFP right to at least hold on to the principle of distributing their own aid and maintaining standard operating procedure in this area?
Suzanne DiMaggio: The standard operating procedures for UN humanitarian assistance is delivery by its own personnel. I believe this standard is even more important when applied to the case of Burma, where the countries ruling generals have a long history of documented human rights violations against their own people. It is essential that UN aid workers be given access on the ground to ensure that humanitarian supplies and assistance are be delivered to those who need it. How can we rely on the junta to do this job?
Arlington, Va. : This whole disaster just keeps getting worse. Is the junta trying to kill as many people as possible so there will be that many fewer people left in the country to oppose them? One suspects that there are people in the army from the devastated area, is there any chance they could mutiny? Is this situation an opening for a full-scale rebellion or are people so beaten down at this point that that will never happen?
Suzanne DiMaggio: The ruling military leaders have tight control over every aspect of Burmese society -- from the state-run media to severely restricting access to the Internet and telecommunications. Military leaders are fearful that a rapid influx of outsiders will threaten their hold on power. As such, they are tightening control at this moment to prevent an uprising. But the sad reality is that the survivors of the cyclone are more concerned with getting food, shelter and medical supplies.
New York, N.Y.: Will this disaster have an effect on the growing food shortage issues in Asia?
Suzanne DiMaggio: I don't see any direct or immediate relationship to the food shortage. By all accounts, food shipments from the World Food Programme, various governments and humanitarian relief organizations are ready to distributed. They just need the access to do so.
New York, N.Y.: There have been increasing calls for the U.N. to invoke the "responsibility to protect" to address the situation in Myanmar. How likely do you think that this will happen -- in other words, is it politically feasible -- and do you think that this will help the Burmese people?
Suzanne DiMaggio: France has put forward the idea of getting the UN Security Council involved in pressing Burma to grant full and unfettered access to foreign aid workers. But China and Russia have contended that this case does not constitute a threat to international peace and security. Both have veto power on the Security Council, so it seems like a dead end. France also has suggested invoking a concept known as the "responsibility to protect," which says that if a government is unable or unwilling to protect the interests of its own people, the international community then may have the legal right and moral obligation to step in. If the Burmese generals continue to deny access to aid workers, I think a compelling case could be made to consider this approach.
Arlington, Va.: What can those of us on the outside do? I have sent money to a few organizations that have in-country staff like CARE and also to AVAAZ who apparently have access to an underground network of monks so the money goes directly to the people who are trying to help in the country. Although I suppose having money doesn't do them much good when there is nothing to buy. Are the Chinese helping at all?
Suzanne DiMaggio: There are a number of humanitarian organizations doing important work, such as Medecins San Frontieres, CARE, Oxfam, the Red Cross, UNICEF, and the World Food Program, among others. All of them have web sites where you can make a direct contribution to this cause.
The Chinese government is one of the few governments that has a close relationship with the ruling generals in Burma. In my opinion, the Chinese government's response has been inadequate. I understand they are trying to persuade the generals behind-the-scenes to open up. But given the scale of this humanitarian tragedy, they should support an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss this situation immediately.
Lawrence, NJ: What the junta is doing is criminal.
Can they be tried by the world court after hundreds of thousands die from starvation and disease?
Suzanne DiMaggio: Some observers are already talking about whether what is unfolding in Burma can be constituted as "crimes against humanity." The circumstances we are witnessing are unprecedented, but I think it's much too early to know. If the scale of the devastation approaches the numbers we are hearing and if is revealed people who could have been saved died because of the regime's failure to protect its own people, I believe many will press for social justice.
Sarasota, Fla.: It seems to me that not allowing any international aid in Mynamar would make the government less stable rather than more, for the simple reason of gross human rights abuse. Do you see it that way?
Suzanne DiMaggio: Absolutely. The sad reality is that the Burmese government has been perpetrating systematic human rights abuses against its people for decades now -- and the international community has done little to help. This current situation could be a tipping point.
New York, N.Y.: I've read that Burma has announced that they will be holding a "vote" on a new constitution in the coming weeks. Considering a large percentage of the population is dying, starving and many of the junta's critics are in jail can this be considered a real referendum? Or is it another example of a power grab during a time of misery?
Suzanne DiMaggio: As the death toll from the cyclone continues to soar, the country's military dictatorship is still pressing ahead with efforts to consolidate its power. They have announced their intentions to move forward with a national referendum scheduled for Saturday to approve a new constitution. Authorities in Burma have said that the vote will be delayed in the areas hardest hit by the cyclone until May 24, but the referendum will still go ahead as planned in other parts of the country. With this move, the military leaders are putting this sham vote aimed at tightening their repressive grip ahead of the well being of the Burmese people.
Austin, Tex.: Could you try to put yourself in the shoes of the Burmese leaders and guess why they're behaving this way? What do they fear?
Suzanne DiMaggio: The Burmese leaders are in some ways the most totalitarian regime in the world today. They have a single minded obsession with preserving their power. Any foreign interaction is seen as a threat to their rule.
New York: The junta still insists that the elections are going forward. How can there be credibility throughout this process in the midst of this destruction?
Suzanne DiMaggio: There is no credibility to this process. Even before the cyclone hit, human rights groups were reporting that opponents of the junta's proposed constitution have been beaten and intimidated in advance of the vote. The pro-military constitution itself lacks any credibility since Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate who has spent 12 of the past 18 years under house arrest or in prison, and other democratic and ethnic minority leaders have not been allowed to participate in the drafting process. Additionally, the new constitution would effectively bar Suu Kyi, from running for president because she was married to a foreigner. Simply put, it's a sham -- the only purpose is consolidate the power of the military.
Fairfax, Va.: Amazing isn't it? China is in the unique position of being able to score a huge PR coup -- just tell Burma to allow aid now. No way would Burma mess with China, and China would come off as the big world heros -- and heck, people probably would take the heat off about that little Tibet thing...
Suzanne DiMaggio: It's safe to assume that the Chinese government is thinking about its own problems such as Tibet. The dilemma being that if they advocate in support of international intervention in Burma, it could constitute a precedent in support of similar action in China.
Carlsbad, Calif.: At what point would the U.S. take action against Burma's wishes and force their way in, providing aid to save a few hundred thousand lives? How would such action, if it did happen, compare to other humanitarian disasters where the U.S. did or did not act in the face of a country's resistance? Has this ever happened before in recent history, where there was a massive humanitarian disaster unfolding and the host nation refused or restricted outside aid?
Suzanne DiMaggio: I do not foresee the US taking unilateral action in this case. An international response would be much more credible and effective. We have seen situations in North Korea where aid organizations have been denied access. Also, in the case of Sudan, the regime in Khartoum has done the same. But the case of Burma is unique in that it is a natural disaster exacerbated by the inaction of repressive dictatorship.
Austin, Texas: Even if China and Russia would allow the Security Council to pass a resolution, is there any reason to think it would make any difference at all?
Suzanne DiMaggio: Yes, it would make a tremendous difference. It would raise this tragedy to the top of the international agenda. Depending on the content of the resolution, it also would obligate the Burmese government as members of the UN to adhere to what the resolution calls for. If it fails to do so, then the UN would have the legal right to pursue action. So, it would be an important development in terms of international law. Moreover, it would underscore the moral imperative of this situation.
Boston: Do the people inside Burma have any awareness of what the junta is doing? How feasible is it that, at a future date, Burma's current government would be overthrown as a result of citizens' outrage? And also, how well do you think the aid items that are making it through to Burma actually are getting disseminated throughout the country? Are they making it to the populace at all?
Suzanne DiMaggio: There have been demonstrations against the regime. Most recently, thousands of monks took to the streets in peaceful, pro-democracy protests in September 2007. The military leaders' response was a swift and violent crack down. More than seven months on from this brutal suppression, political activists continue to be imprisoned and tortured. The repression has been significantly heightened.
It impossible to know at this point if aid is reaching people in need. This is why the UN must be allowed to send an assessment team into the country to monitor the situation.
Suzanne DiMaggio: Many thanks for your excellent questions/comments. I urge you all to continue to follow this situation. Signing off...
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
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Suzanne DiMaggio, director of the Asian Social Issues Program at Asia Society, discusses the current situation in Burma.
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Union, 3 Superdelegates Endorse Obama
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Updated 1:56 p.m. By Debbi Wilgoren Sen. Barack Obama picked up an endorsement Friday morning from the union representing federal employees -- and the personal support of its president, a superdelegate to this summer's Democratic convention.
Two Democratic lawmakers also announced they would cast their votes as superdelegates for Obama, further solidifying his lead over New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in the battle to become the Democratic presidential nominee.
"Senator Obama has proven he is able to energize young Americans, independents and even moderate Republicans to support his candidacy," Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) said in a statement. "I believe he represents our best hope of winning in November."
New Jersey Rep. Donald M. Payne announced today that he was switching his support from Clinton to Obama. Calling the former first lady "a good friend," Payne said in a statement that Obama "embodies the American ideals of hope, optimism, and the ability to take on tough challenges in order to solve difficult problems. In addition, I believe that he will work to restore America's image around the globe."
Superdelegates are proving crucial to deciding who will win the hard-fought contest to oppose Republican John McCain in the race for the White House this fall.
Although Clinton enjoyed a substantial lead in superdelegate support earlier in the primary season, Obama has gained steadily as he has won a larger share of the popular vote and more primary contests than his rival. With the new endorsements, the Associated Press superdelegate count is Clinton, 271.5 and Obama, 267.
John Gage, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, said that both Clinton and Obama are "dear friends of ours," but that union leaders were ultimately more impressed by what they saw as Obama's energy and enthusiasm.
"We always knew that the Democrats had good candidates," Gage said. "We didn't realize how good -- that it would be very difficult to choose between them."
One prominent Democrat who continues to play his cards close to his vest is former presidential hopeful John Edwards.
Edwards appeared on NBC's "Today Show" this morning and said it "looks like" Obama will be the Democratic Party's nominee. But he continued to praise both Obama and Clinton and refused to endorse either of them or say who he voted for during the North Carolina primary this week.
Posted at 9:42 AM ET on May 9, 2008 | Category: Barack Obama Share This: Technorati | Tag in Del.icio.us | Digg This
It is time to change. Change is painful but necessary. If we had not let the horse and buggy go we would have a hard time getting around this huge country. Hillary and Bill are the horse and buggy. McCain is just the horse. O'bama will be for all the people. The only people who are against him are the ones who have hate in their hearts and think everyone else feels that way. It is amazing we can have all these white presidents but the first time it is possible for something different Ameirca runs away. This country is not great because of its leaders, it is great because of the followers. All race made this country what it is. We are created equal, so give this man a chance. Hillary has proven she is not the one. A good leader knows when to step aside. A good leader does not put themselves before the cause. A good leader does not tear down but builds up. A good leader is an unifier not a divider. A good leader would pick up the red phone at 3:00 a. m. and make a call to the Spineless Superdelegates to support O'Bama. I hope all intentions of supporting Hillary, but she has disappointed me as a woman. Women we must stop pouting when we don't get our way. Hillary letting go is not a sign of weakness but a sign of courage.
Middle class working white people who keep supporting Clinton, you will be still broke and oppressed in the morning. Bush is white and what has he done for you lately!!! Voting against O'Bama is not hurting Black America it is hurting all America. You can't compare Pres Clinton time in the White house to now. It is a different type of war going on which was not going on during his time. Wake up America and let the race thing go. Vote for the person who genuinely cares about people not power. Go O'Bama
Posted by: Ree | May 10, 2008 2:16 AM
My idea of the perfect Dream Team:
For President: Barack H. Obama For Vice President: General Wesley Clark
Posted by: avasnana | May 9, 2008 8:44 PM
When Senator Clinton was not coronated after the Super Tuesday Primaries in February, the Clintons embarked on a multi level campaign to reposition Obama from being a "strong and popular male candidate who happens to be black" to being a "closet Muslim black man who can't be trusted". Bill Clinton started the campaign with his Jesse Jackson comments after South Carolina. Clinton staffers and surrogates carried out the dirty tricks and consistent snide innuendos. This strategy was aimed to play to the fears and base instincts of older, lower income white women who grew up in a segregated America and whose current view of African American males is still perversely shaped by negative black stereotypes. With Senator Clinton's latest "white people" comment, it is clear that what was once veiled racism is now being supplanted by overt racist appeals. The spirits of those tens of thousands of Americans buried at Gettysburg who "gave that last full measure of devotion" so that this nation would trascend race must surely have a tear in their eye when they hear Senator Clinton appeal to the basest of instincts.
Posted by: DonWaz | May 9, 2008 6:05 PM
I hate to say it, but if Obama doesn't get the nomination, I'm voting for McCain.
To Hilary supporters: Aren't you all terrified by the way she's been campaigning? If her presidency was run like her campaign, it would be poorly financed and she'd constantly be back-peddling out of lies (sniper fire?). ALSO, she'd lose sight of her vision for the US in the name of talking trash about her opponents. That would be a catastrophe if you put it in a global-diplomacy context.
At least Obama hasn't sunk to her level. Aside from addressing any muck she's dug up on him, he's been consistent and committed to his message.
I simply hate the way she's doing business.
Posted by: mezzomama | May 9, 2008 4:58 PM
of Slick NEW YORKER Millionares with big promises
Posted by: Can Bill BUY THE ELECTION? | May 9, 2008 4:40 PM
It always amazes me that people easily get fooled by this Mr.-nobody-knows-what-he-really-wants-to-do. The working class voters vote for Hillary so dominantly, yet these rich "union leaders" who are supposed to represent the goods of working class people consistently flock to Obama. Isn't it ironic? You call this Chicago style politics "new" or "clean"? No, in clean politics, the leaders don't go the exact opposition direction of their people.
Posted by: carl | May 9, 2008 3:43 PM
Thank you Hillary - great job, keep it up. Sincerely, The Republicans
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 3:41 PM
Mrs. Clinton will not quit until she has destroyed Obama's chances this November. Watch as she now stirs the racist pot, in W. Virginia and elsewhere, repeating that it is impossible for a black man to win white Americans' votes. Instead of appealing to the country's better angels and working for the historical importance for us as a nation to turn the page toward a more perfect union, Hillary is demonizing the entire nation and smearing all of us, especially white Americans, by saying that white Americans will not vote for a black candidate. This is a blatent lie, as proven in Obama's victories in Iowa, Wisconsin, and all across the nation. It is way beyond time for the Democratic Party elders to STOP this madness before she destroys the party, the republic and all our best hopes for the future. No deluded, vicious, power-crazed politician should be given a free pass, even if her name is Clinton and she believes she is entitled to dynastic keys to the White House.
Posted by: lin | May 9, 2008 3:39 PM
Glad Hillary has stayed in this long. The longer that she stays, the longer she shows what she really is.
She is bringing down the democratic party along with her. In one statement, she alienated the very people who have backed the democratic party in the past.
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 3:31 PM
PRESIDNET BARACK OBAMA I love the sound of that!!! ANd he THE 1st Black Presidnent!!!
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 3:25 PM
That's it - I was voting for Clinton, but now I'm voting for McCain!
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 3:24 PM
The woman is a history and yet only herself does not know the truth like a cheated wife who always finds out the last.
Posted by: thisworld | May 9, 2008 3:20 PM
Clinton, if you still have any intelligence left, then stop making a show of yourself. You truly are like that Emperor with the new clothes.
Posted by: thisworld | May 9, 2008 3:18 PM
"That's it! I am cancelling my union membership-- I do not in ANY WAY endorse OBAMA and my union has no business endorsing him in my name."
Well, finally someone sees the light. The unions do not care about your name, only your dues.
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 3:17 PM
Clinton has shown the world her true traits unwittingly. She may have thought that she was showing the world what a smart and tough woman she really is but ironically the end result is of an old, sad woman who is stupidily fighting an embarrassing game even after the last whistle blow. Oh along the way, she has also managed to reveal for the whole world to see what a thick bunch of losers she had working for her till now.
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 3:16 PM
I hope it is Barack Obama. ... Him running against either the mannequin or Grandpa Munster. Hillary Clinton is great. I just think it's time America heard the words, 'And now for something completely different.
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 3:14 PM
The woman is a history and yet only herself does not know the truth like a cheated wife who always finds out the last.
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 3:11 PM
Jr. Senator Obama has answered doubts about his inexperience by saying he has gained tremendous insight from his work as a community organizer, civil rights attorney, constitutional law professor, key club president, 4H treasurer, lunch room monitor, two years of jazz, and four years of tap.
Posted by: Allison | May 9, 2008 3:08 PM
LET'S DO THE MATH ACCORDING TO http://www.electoral-vote.com/
OBAMA WOULD HAVE 253 TO MCCAINS 274 270 NEEDED TO WIN---MCCAIN WINS
CLINTON WOULD HAVE 280 TO MCCAINS 258 CLINTON WINS
So why rally around Obama
Posted by: LES | May 9, 2008 2:37 PM
Because you are looking at a National Poll for an election that is SIX Months away. Sorry to burst you bubble but most people in this country are not even paying attention to the election yet. Only half the country votes to start with. 60% of those vote democratic. The blogs seem to give people an idea that their OPINION is important. Face facts. It is not.
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 3:07 PM
Sorry Grace, your post was not true.
"Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton yesterday appealed directly to rival Sen. Barack Obama to let her disqualified Michigan and Florida primary victories stand, saying in a letter to the Illinois senator that to do otherwise would violate the "foremost principles of our party"
The correspondence came the same day that the Clinton campaign REJECTED a Michigan compromise that would give her a 10-DELEGATE EDGE in the state over Mr. Obama."
Sorry, Hillary, the democrats banned a winner take all primary in 1972. With Hillary, it seems to be all or none now, and this is the primary that she signed on as not counting in the first place. Obama was not even on the Michigan ballot and yet she won't take a 10 delegate lead.
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 3:07 PM
Bruce will watch the phone
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 3:05 PM
Henny, I disagree with your choice of aObama/Harpo ticket. Obviously you don't know much about the Marx Brothers! For one thing, Harpo doesn't say anything. How stupid would that be? And plus, who's gonna vote for a guy with curly hair? Not Rural American Blue collar folks. My vote would be for a Obama/Groucho ticket! Now there's real change America can believe in! Obama/Groucho '08!!!!!!!
Posted by: Don Rickles, Vegas | May 9, 2008 3:03 PM
Everyone is so concerned now where all of the candidates are born. McCain was born on a military base in Panama. Hillary was born outside Chicago, and if you believe the media, Barack Obama was born in a manger.
Over the weekend, Senator Barack Obama visited New Hampshire and thousands of people showed up to hear him speak. The New Hampshire crowds were excited, because apparently, this is the first time they've ever seen an African-American. When informed of this, President Bush excitedly asked, 'Did we catch 'em?'
Posted by: Easy Mick | May 9, 2008 3:03 PM
don't follow the low class single wides for Clinton
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 3:01 PM
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 3:00 PM
OBAMA/MARX '08... that's funny, man. I get it! Democratics are COMMIES! PINKO COMMIES! Oh ho ho! Oh man, are you funny! That's hilarious, Brother! Oh wait, or did you mean the Marx Brothers? Hmmmm... Wow, if you did, that's deep, man, deep. I wonder if you had Groucho, Chico, Harpo, Gummo, or Zeppo in mind. My vote would be for an Obama/Harpo ticket. Thanks for the insightful comment! You really got me thinking about this now!
Posted by: Henny Youngman, Vaudville | May 9, 2008 2:59 PM
McSame Stalin Strong nation defense
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 2:58 PM
The dominos are falling. Bye bye Hillary Clinton. Save yourself while you can. Here's a toast to all supporters and donors for Obama. You inspire me!
Posted by: Matt | May 9, 2008 2:58 PM
My base is now the white trash. Please vote for me.
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 2:55 PM
OBAMA/MARX '08 - Real Change
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 2:54 PM
Short of Cash, Clinton Is Forced to Cut Spending
By PATRICK HEALY and MICHAEL LUO Published: May 9, 2008
The once-formidable fund-raising machine of Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton has begun to sputter at the worst possible moment for Mrs. Clinton's presidential campaign, Clinton advisers and donors said Thursday, with spending curtailed on political events and advertising as Mrs. Clinton seeks to compete in the last six nominating contests.
Mrs. Clinton's diminished political momentum, following Tuesday's loss in the North Carolina primary and her narrow victory in Indiana, appears to have had a dampening effect on her fund-raising, aides said, increasing the likelihood that Mrs. Clinton will lend her campaign more of her own money beyond the $11 million she has already provided."
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 2:53 PM
The tables are getting turned against the rich white people, finally, praise God. The guns are getting pointed in the other direction, and our cause is just. With Barack in the White House, we will free the slaves from the international plantation. OBAMA 2008
Posted by: Cameron | May 9, 2008 2:52 PM
Let's start the process to draft HC as an independent candidate?????????
Why are you so delusional? Please stop this. You are doing a great disservice to the Democratic Party.
I would encourage everyone to Please send an email to
to tell this person to PLEASE STOP THIS MADNESS!!! NOW!
Posted by: a Democrat's Democrat | May 9, 2008 2:52 PM
we want to see BILL's Lobby Income who, what, where,
it the only reason to keep watching this played out drama
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 2:49 PM
I just wonder what kind of "kickback" the media is getting to endorse Obama as if he's God...
Here I thought all you liberals were atheists.
Posted by: Thozmaniac | May 9, 2008 2:48 PM
Grace, the proof for you post please.
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 2:45 PM
Keep going Hillary. We are still with you. Run the table.
Posted by: John | May 9, 2008 2:45 PM
Hey Les, look at the calendar. Its May 9th, not Novemeber. Obama will make up any electoral ground to McCain between now and then.
Posted by: Bbebe | May 9, 2008 2:45 PM
Honestly, I am so sick of the complaining (particullarly the Clinton Campaign) about the votes in FL and MI, superdelegates so and so forth. Everyone running for the Democratic nomination were well aware of what the rules were and HRC was fine with it along as she was ascending on high to her assumed thrown. Now that she's been knocked off the thrown so to speak, the rules need to change cause they aren't fair anymore.
In the beginning I was a supporter of Mrs. Clinton but I've got to say I am highly disappointed in the way she (or should I say her advisers) have run her campaign.
Now is not the time to change the rules in the middle of the game.
Posted by: badonenessa | May 9, 2008 2:34 PM
YES and YES and YES. I used to be sympathetic to Hillary until I saw through her shenanigans. She's ridiculously desperate and she's willing to destroy the Democratic Party in order to fulfill her blind ambition.
Posted by: Ha Ha Hellary | May 9, 2008 2:45 PM
MCSame claims bearing OILED, but Lieberman had to translate again
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 2:44 PM
In reponse to Chris: "Any Democrat voting McCain is a foolish coward, bitter and pathetic. Just save everyone the trouble and change your affiliation."
Typical Liberal - YOUR way or the highway. You liberals know better than anybody else how the average Joe should live, say, do, think, and even how to have bowel movements!!! In all liberal opinions, the average Joe is too simple and too simple to think for himself, so the Liberals will do it for them ..................IS THAT WHAT YOU REALLY WANT AMERICA?????
Posted by: Chris33 | May 9, 2008 2:43 PM
Obama's energy? Hillary can outwork him to a frazzle and never break a sweat. He should try and follow her around and we could see how long it would be before he drops.
Posted by: John | May 9, 2008 2:43 PM
Thank you Jesus, for the first black President. Oh Happy Day! Vote for a Free Africa now. Obama 2008
Posted by: J'Quavius | May 9, 2008 2:43 PM
Blood for Oil his $125.88 hope you have OIL STOCKS
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 2:41 PM
OBAMA/PELOSI '08!!!!! Hoooray!!!! Together we can unite the spiritual and the progressive!!!!
Posted by: Gay4Life | May 9, 2008 2:40 PM
It's time for WORLD PEACE forever. It's time for OBAMA in the White House.
Posted by: Elvin | May 9, 2008 2:38 PM
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 2:38 PM
LET'S DO THE MATH ACCORDING TO http://www.electoral-vote.com/
OBAMA WOULD HAVE 253 TO MCCAINS 274 270 NEEDED TO WIN---MCCAIN WINS
CLINTON WOULD HAVE 280 TO MCCAINS 258 CLINTON WINS
So why rally around Obama
Posted by: LES | May 9, 2008 2:37 PM
Illegal funds being used for primary danger danger william clinton
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 2:36 PM
OBAMA/PELOSI '08 - It's time for REAL hope and REAL change.
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 2:36 PM
It's time for Hillary Clinton to bow out. Why can't she see that. She continues to try to pull every trick in the book to get her the nomination. The people have chosen Senator Obama. Please Hillary..time to gracefully acknowledge that.
Posted by: Kay | May 9, 2008 2:35 PM
STOP BILL from BUYING THE ELECTON INPEACH HIS TAX RETURNS
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 2:34 PM
Honestly, I am so sick of the complaining (particullarly the Clinton Campaign) about the votes in FL and MI, superdelegates so and so forth. Everyone running for the Democratic nomination were well aware of what the rules were and HRC was fine with it along as she was ascending on high to her assumed thrown. Now that she's been knocked off the thrown so to speak, the rules need to change cause they aren't fair anymore.
In the beginning I was a supporter of Mrs. Clinton but I've got to say I am highly disappointed in the way she (or should I say her advisers) have run her campaign.
Now is not the time to change the rules in the middle of the game.
Posted by: badonenessa | May 9, 2008 2:34 PM
Save women and workers rights DITCH CLINTON
Posted by: oosing slimey emails and state of denial superdelegates | May 9, 2008 2:32 PM
Puerto Rico determines who should be the Democratic Nominee ... GO HILLARY
Posted by: 51st State | May 9, 2008 12:38 PM
Posted by: vmunikoti | May 9, 2008 2:30 PM
END THE HORROR DITCH CLINTON
Posted by: The horror and slime seeping thru the walls | May 9, 2008 2:30 PM
Posted by: ron | May 9, 2008 2:30 PM
Barack Obama's victory in the North Carolina primary was actually the second important election result for his campaign this month. The first, which has not received enough notice, was the triumph of Louisiana Democrat Don Cazayoux in the race for an open U.S. House seat despite an aggressive Republican campaign to link the moderate Cajun to Obama, liberalism and high taxes. Democratic superdelegates from Republican-leaning districts can live with Obama at the top of their party's ticket. And the failure of old GOP tactics of liberalism-by-association and taxophobia was "a sharp wake-up call for Republicans," in the view of no less an authority than former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. "Without change we could face a catastrophic election this fall," Gingrich declared of the Republicans' chances. At least when it comes to assessing this year's political terrain, Newt Gingrich and Barack Obama are on the same page. OBAMA '08
Posted by: demonfire | May 9, 2008 2:29 PM
Let's start the process to draft HC as an independent candidate. Please send an email to
Let's push for her to make history as the first female President and first independent President. Please ask your family and friends who will support this to send an email, too. Thank you!
Posted by: esvida | May 9, 2008 2:29 PM
And yet another superdelegate for Obama, California DNC member Vernon Watkins, his fifth new superdelegate today. According to AP, Watkins said, "The election is over, everyone know that. Obama has won."
C'mon, superdelegates! The Obama unity train is leaving the station. All aboard!
Posted by: Brad K | May 9, 2008 2:26 PM
I started voting in 1969 and have voted in every local, city, county, state and federal election since then. Democratic nominees and issues have always received my support. A democrat will get my vote in Nov. unfortunately it won't be the dem on the ballot.
Posted by: demforlife | May 9, 2008 2:21 PM
America is a big, bountiful, proud country -- we even have some room for white trash.
There's room too for folks like McCain '08 who think $15 trillion worth of debt and trillion dollar obligations to pay for a tax cuts for billionaires is sound economic policy.
In truth, if you boys really loved America you would leave it.
Posted by: JP2 | May 9, 2008 2:20 PM
The Clinton campaign is $10 million in debt and they have "loaned" themselves another $11.5 million more. They are not going away until someone gives them this much money or more. So, my fellow Americans, where do I send my donation to get them go away?
Posted by: x32792 | May 9, 2008 2:20 PM
And why can Hillary talk about "Whites, Hard Working, Pristine, Patriotic, God Loving, Whites, true Americans" and nobody bats an eye?
Posted by: Stacy LeSalle | May 9, 2008 2:07 PM
Maybe because they are hoping she is digging herself into such a great big hole that she will never be seen or heard again
Posted by: nclwtk | May 9, 2008 2:14 PM
And why can Hillary talk about "Whites, Hard Working, Pristine, Patriotic, God Loving, Whites, true Americans" and nobody bats an eye?
Posted by: Stacy LeSalle | May 9, 2008 2:07 PM
Hey, if "Nigra" is good enough for Strom Thurmond to say on the Floor, how can it be banned here?
Posted by: Lester Hottle, Ft Wayne, IN | May 9, 2008 2:03 PM
Yeah, but Al Qaeda endorsed McCain.
Apparently they are banking on him doing nothing to find Bin Laden like the current administration has done.
Here we are 7 years later. Bin Laden is still making videos.
Shameful. I thought the Republicants were supposed to be tough. All Bark, No Bite.
Posted by: UpYours | May 9, 2008 2:00 PM
Please remove the post that refers to Senator Obama as an "uppity Nigra." Racist stereotypes do not belong in these comments or anywhere. Thank you. A Concerned Reader
Posted by: a concerned reader | May 9, 2008 1:59 PM
Wondering at 1.35: "Can anyone explain to me why the Republican Party is NOT ALLOWED SUPERDELEGATES but the democrat party is?"
Here's your explanation: How a party picks a candidate is in principle, 100% up to the party. The only reason the Republicans don't have "superdelegates" is the RNC chose not to. Nobody else can "allow" them to have or not have them.
Two small notes: 1) It's democratIC party. that's their name, like it or not. 2) I note that there are "unpledged RNC delegates", in effect 'superdelegates' (not picked by voters, not bound by voters' choices. See: http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008-presidential-candidates/delegates/r/
Posted by: John | May 9, 2008 1:57 PM
ziggy1, do you typically base your opinions on what Hamas thinks? Fox News not whacko enough?
Posted by: Chris | May 9, 2008 1:57 PM
Any Democrat voting McCain is a foolish coward, bitter and pathetic. Just save everyone the trouble and change your affiliation.
Posted by: Chris | May 9, 2008 1:56 PM
Edwards is a political wimp, a fair-weather friend who will do whatever he thinks will help him more. The reason he hasn't endorsed isn't the same as Pelosi and Gore- it's because he doesn't want to end up on the losing side. I wish he would grow a set, but since he hasn't, I hope he gets nothing when he finally endorses.
Posted by: ep thorn | May 9, 2008 1:54 PM
Obama will continue to gain endorsement after endorsement. He will continue to pick up strength. He will recover and be the better candidate for such a harsh campaign.
The one thing that can be said is that after Hillary's republicanesque attacks they don't have too much left in their playbook.
The democrats have to put the past to rest and focus on the issues. Stay on message and drive home the sense that our very nation is in peril. McCain would make it even more so.
Unity and honorable campaigning will win this election and hard tough response to Rove's attacks will keep us from losing it.
Posted by: Mike in Sac | May 9, 2008 1:53 PM
It appears if GRACE is just as delusional as Hillary.
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 1:46 PM
Exxon Mobil's first-quarter earnings of $10.9 billion, up 17% from a year earlier, are stirring outrage in Washington. Some are calling such profits "obscene." What a sad lack of understanding of economics.
Oil prices aren't high because profits are up; they're high because we don't have enough oil. By clamping down on drilling, refusing to move forward on nuclear energy and hitting producers with punitive taxes, Congress is doing all it can to ensure we don't have enough in the future.
Posted by: The Prophet | May 9, 2008 1:46 PM
You forgot to mention Hamas endorsed Obama. The implications of this are that they believe he will be a softy on terrorism. It deserves mentioning instead of McCains land baloney. You guys are something else.
Posted by: ziggy1 | May 9, 2008 1:46 PM
Posted by: k007 | May 9, 2008 1:45 PM
Obama is acting as if he is a healer of divisions and his destiny is the White House. In the real world, a sense of grievance or entitlement, as a result of the mistreatment of your ancestors, is not likely to get you very far with people who are too busy dealing with current economic realities to spend much time thinking about their own ancestors, much less other people's ancestors. We don't need people like either Jeremiah Wright or Barack Obama to take us backward.
The time is long overdue to stop gullibly accepting the left's vision of itself as idealistic, rather than self-aggrandizing.
Posted by: McCain '08 | May 9, 2008 1:42 PM
Add a fourth superdelegate for Obama today, California DNC member Ed Espinoza. Possibly as early as today, almost certainly over the weekend Obama will overtake Clinton for the first time in superdelegates. The unity bandwagon is starting to build. Hard to see how Hillary can stay in much past West Virginia as it's clear which way the superdelegates are moving, removing any last vestige of plausibility to her claim that she can still win the nomination.
Posted by: Brad K | May 9, 2008 1:39 PM
Barack "Empty Suit" O'Bomba, IS the Dimocrat Socialist Nominee.
More of "Barry's" Baggage arriving! ;~)
Posted by: RAT-The | May 9, 2008 10:59 AM ************************* maybe you can get a job carrying his baggage, chuckles. You might need a security clearance for the white house though....
Posted by: Ratheunemployed parent's beg:LEAVE OUR HOUSE! | May 9, 2008 1:39 PM
THEY WERE DISTRIBUTED FAIRLY AND EQUITABLY.
Posted by: GRACE | May 9, 2008 1:38 PM
Can anyone explain to me why the Republican Party is NOT ALLOWED SUPERDELEGATES but the democrat party is?
Posted by: Wondering | May 9, 2008 1:35 PM
Don't expect me to vote for any superdelegate Virginia politician who switches from one candidate to the other for the sake of political expediency.
Either they have no principles or not very secured ones.
Posted by: LES | May 9, 2008 1:26 PM
congress killed McSames Gas Holiday blame the DEM congress that would rather poke needles in eye than go along with McSame
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 1:24 PM
Whatever will poor Bill do now? Chase MILFS across the country without a good rcover story like this campaign? Woe to those without a purpose to score, unless it's scoring for scoring's sake.
Which isn't a bad idea. Go Bill!!!!
Posted by: Jaba my Butt | May 9, 2008 1:23 PM
end womens and workers rights vote McSame
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 1:22 PM
I votid fer Hilray in Indiana cuz she swore shed give us Free Gas. That uppity Nigra costed me a lota cash. Thanksalot Hussane! Obaama!!!!!
Posted by: Lester Hottle, Ft Wayne, IN | May 9, 2008 1:22 PM
God vs. Rabid Hillary Supporters
Scene: GOD standing at the Pearly Gates waiting for Hillary supporters who voted against Barack Obama:
GOD: Before you can pass, tell me why you didn't stop the Iraq War simply by voting for Barack Obama? Don't you remember the Fifth Commandment - THOU SHALL NOT KILL.
Hillary Supporter: Barack Obama? Goodness me, he's an elitist, a Muslim and doesn't like white people; and get this God - he won't wear a flag pin!
GOD: Did he support this war - this bloody abomination against mankind? Is this why you didn't trust him?
Hillary Supporter: Well no. Actually he was against the war from the beginning. But he can't be trusted - he is unknown and inexperienced.
GOD: He is not an elder?
Hillary Supporter: Oh Lord no! Only 12 years in elected public office.
GOD: This is not good enough to lead your people?
Hillary Supporter: Well, maybe his people but not mine.
GOD: What people does thy speakith?
Hillary Supporter: Well you know, middle class/blue collar white people.
GOD: BLASPHEMY! All are equal in the eyes of the LORD!
Hillary Supporter: Wait, hear me out God. We had a great leader, Hillary Clinton...
...she could have been the greatest president ever! She had way more experience: she's been a US Senator for 7 years, supported NAFTA, brought peace to Ireland and even risked her life under sniper fire. And her dear loving devoted husband, Bill Clinton, was the President of the United States for two terms. She should have won the election. Not this Barack HUSSEIN Obama!
GOD: And Senator Clinton voted against the Iraq War?
Hillary Supporter: Ah no. Ah....she kind of voted for it.
Hillary Supporter: OK, she voted for the war. But she was tricked because she didn't read the Security Briefing.
GOD: I see. And so you voted for this McCain to continue this evil war, this pestilence against my children to express your disappointment that Hillary lost.
Hillary Supporter: Sure did Lord. Why do you ask?
GOD: PRIDE IS A CARDINAL SIN! REPENT!
Hillary Supporter: Repent? For supporting Hillary Clinton? Never!
GOD: SO BE IT! I cast you down to burn in the pits of Hell for all eternity! Your pride has cost the blood of men, women and children and you will dwell with Lucifer and suffer his will forevermore. BEGONE SINNER!
The clouds part and Hillary Supporter starts to plummet towards the earth with eyes looking pleadingly through the hole in the clouds: WAIT - WAIT! IT WASN'T MY FAULT THEY DIDN'T COUNT FLORIDA AND MICHIGAN!
Posted by: Woody | May 9, 2008 1:21 PM
Hillary was mining Uranim in the Montana when O'bama was learning Irish folklore
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 1:20 PM
Posted by: JakeD | May 9, 2008 1:19 PM
Vote for the Coalminers Daughter free shot and beers
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 1:19 PM
Clinton is UNELECTABLE in the general election.
Anyone who thinks the hardcore NEO-CON FINDAMENTALIST wingnuts would NOT be energized by hillary is DILUSIONAL.
Anyone who thinks McCain can win New York or California is DILUSIONAL.
Posted by: JBE | May 9, 2008 1:18 PM
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 1:17 PM
Man o man are there a lot of Hillary-loving cry-babies on the boards today. Stop acting like someone peed in your cheerios and support the man, he's your candidate now.
Posted by: Jaba the Butt | May 9, 2008 1:16 PM
State of DENIAL 259 Super Delegates
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 1:15 PM
All this argument about "The Math to win the General Election" is pointless.
That's why we have primaries. Otherwise, we would have taken a poll in January, and placed the crown on Her head.
Do you people suggest we just go by a poll for the General Election as well?
Or actually vote? Stop with the Nonsense.
Posted by: LeftWithNoChoice | May 9, 2008 1:14 PM
Is Clinton's math advicer uneducated and poor?
160 something to Nomination OBAMA
Posted by: delegate math | May 9, 2008 1:13 PM
And further, Penn was Bill's guy. The campaign was always torn between Bill's people and hers (just as "her" Presidency would have been).
In many ways Bill was not only the reason she becamke a presidential candidate, but also the reason she lost. He has managed to humiliate his wife one more time. I'll bet she leaves him within a year.
Posted by: Brad K | May 9, 2008 1:12 PM
I think it would surprise a lot of people to know that the Europeans were expecting to manage our demise when they felt the American economy would fall apart in 1998. That was in 1992 when George Sr. was running the show. Now they are waiting in the wings to watch us sell off the furniture again - hoping that the American people will make three bad decisions in a row and vote in McCain or Obama and then they get to buy up America for pennies. Not only are Clinton haters childish and stupid but they seemed burdened with horrible memories - so sad and too bad. Remember boys and girls if it ain't paid for it will be somebody else's in a few months.
Posted by: Jack | May 9, 2008 1:11 PM
No, No, Hillary is not a Quitter, that's for certain. She's got that whole Clinton (Sadam Hussein, too) survival mechanism. She tried everything. It just didn't happen. Life goes on.
A guy like Obama comes around once in a lifetime, maybe less. He just didn't know she had already booked the hotel rooms in Denver for the celebration. It's not his fault, and good news is, she's not being banished to Siberia. If she wants to help the country, she can, just not as President.
Her voting for the war was pure political positioning, and she paid for it. She can now focus on really righting the ship. She doesn't need votes to do this. She can dedicate herself to fixing the many problems we face, starting with telling her insurance company and pharmaceutical company lobbies that they can go stick it.
Posted by: LeftWithNoChoice | May 9, 2008 1:11 PM
Obama has the "Math" to win the Primary.
Clinton has the "Math" to win the General Election.
Posted by: Democrat that wants to win | May 9, 2008 1:05 PM
Hillary Clinton's heart seems to be hardened as Pharaoh's in the Bible. Will she quit the race when the 10th plague comes on her? She better quit now before it becomes too shameful.
Posted by: Kingsley Ememanka | May 9, 2008 12:06 PM
Not to worry, Moses (BO) will save the day and lead us through the river of success.
Pharaoh (HRC) will stare in shock as she watches Israel (the public) march forward to a new era of success and peace with the world.
Posted by: elitist | May 9, 2008 12:58 PM
He's up by 150 delegates and down by only 14 superdelegates. Watch that lead dwindle as more and more of them realize that the handwriting is on the wall.
Note that a reasonable split of remaining elected delegates would put him about 15 short of nomination. So, if he pull ahead in superdelegates, the nomination should be sewed up.
Posted by: Harry, Los Angeles, CA | May 9, 2008 12:54 PM
Give Hillary her props. She proved to be a tough, resilient campaigner and an effective advocate on issues of importance to Democrats and all Americans (well, except for that clinker on the gas tax "holiday"). Unfortunately she was badly served by her campaign advisers who misread the political landscape and badly underestimated Barack Obama from Day 1 until he struck the winning blows in North Carolina and Indiana.
Unbelievably (according to Time magazine), the overpaid buffoon Mark Penn plotted a campaign strategy based on the mistaken impression that the Democratic primaries were winner-take-all, so all Clinton needed to do, he thought, was to win a handful of "big states." Other campaign staffers pointed out the enormity of Penn's error, but the Clinton campaign stuck with his misguided "big state" strategy. And guess what: Clinton did indeed win most (but not all) of the "big states," but she lost the delegate war because Obama matched her almost delegate-for-delegate in the "big states" and cleaned up in the medium-to-small ones. Now Clinton's surrogates are reduced to whining that small states shouldn't count, and that if only the primaries HAD been winner-take-all, she'd have won, and therefore superdelegates should recognize that she's the rightful nominee. Sorry, it just doesn't work that way. The rules are the rules, they applied equally to everyone. The Obama campaign had a strategy that was grounded in political reality, and executed it brilliantly. You blunder, you pay the price.
But I truly believe with a better-designed and better-executed campaign, Hillary Clinton could have been the Democratic nominee. Her supporters should turn some of the anger they're now directing at Barack Obama and redirect it toward Mark Penn and the gang of clowns running the Clinton campaign. It wasn't the candidate so much as the campaign that failed, and the responsibility for that lies squarely within Hillary's own campaign HQ.
Posted by: Brad K | May 9, 2008 12:52 PM
Posted by: martin edwin andersen | May 9, 2008 12:48 PM
American abroard ... the points difference in their vote O'Bama over Hillary is 34%.
The world has changed .. the world is changing
Posted by: JakeA | May 9, 2008 12:45 PM
Americans abroad ... the points difference in their vote O'Bama over Hillary is 34%.
The world has changed .. the world is changing
Posted by: JakeA | May 9, 2008 12:45 PM
ooops I erred earlier whern I said McCain has nothing.
I forgot that he still has the Bush national security alert crisis up his sleeve. Just when it looks like we'll see RatThe disappear (as have svreader, ichief, iowatreasures and the rest of the Clintons' flaks who went republican with the Clintons), Bush will hand McCain a security crisis or two so can look tough.
McCain will look like he is prepared to defend us, while Obama will be kept out of the loop. He'll appear reactive and unprepared.
Just as I declared Obama would declare war on Wright two weeks before he did it, I guarantee you Bush McCain will do this. It is the only scare tactic the Clintons did not already deploy, but only because they couldn't.
Posted by: shrink2 | May 9, 2008 12:44 PM
M. Stratas: I agree with you that Obama represents new thinking and a fresh approach, but he is a baby boomer too, just at the other end of the age cohort from the Clintons. We boomers span 1946 - 1964. Obama was born in 1961. He's one of us.
Posted by: greyparrot | May 9, 2008 12:39 PM
Its time for the jokes to stop. We can't afford to allow our beloved country to slide farther down the republican road of destruction. We must come together now,as one, to ensure that we put a Democrat into the White House. Mr. Obama, you must lead. Mrs. Clinton, you must pledge to follow along with the rest of us. You are a very smart, gifted leader whom we need to help us help Mr. Obama to restore America to its rightful place as leader of the free world.
Posted by: Les Wilson | May 9, 2008 12:38 PM
Puerto Rico determines who should be the Democratic Nominee ... GO HILLARY
Posted by: 51st State | May 9, 2008 12:38 PM
Hillary lost in 2008 and can FORGET about 2012 unless she runs as a republiKKKn.
Posted by: roxlaw | May 9, 2008 12:32 PM
In the party we call John Edwards the 12% man ... that has always been his ceiling in all the primaries. John Kerry picked him for "rock star status" - but when it came to going out and owkring for the ticket he was ineffective as Joe Lieberman
Posted by: JakeA | May 9, 2008 12:26 PM
John Edwards was on MSNBC this morning and even at this stage of the game he refused to endorse or even to indicate which way he voted. He is a phony and plastic typical politician who is now nothing if not irrelevant. Thanks for nothing John, now slither back into oblivion.
Posted by: Rogus | May 9, 2008 12:22 PM
HILLARY IS BACK ... Yes folks she is not going away until she is sure that O'Bama chances of winning in November is GONE!! If the walls of the Senate had ears ... she wants John McCain to win in 2008 ... She will propose helping the ticket when she throws in the towel (as they did with Gore and Kerry) - all words. Then in 2012 when still just 65 ( a full 6 to 7 years younger than McCain now) SHE IS BACK. The GOOD OLD DAYS - OF POLITICS AS IT IS NOW!! We can hardly wait.
I am not saying she should not continue to June 03 ... but between now and then LOOK FOR INCOMING
Posted by: JakeA | May 9, 2008 12:16 PM
Hillary's right. If Obama can't win in November, let's give Hillary the nod. She's proven in this primary season that she has an expansive base that has given her a, smirk, minority, unsmirk, of everything from popular votes to states to delegates and now, to superdelegates.
Posted by: Meepo | May 9, 2008 12:15 PM
I am currently 42 years old and have voted in every presidential election since I was eligible at age 18. I have yet to vote in a presidential election that didn't have either a Bush or a Clinton on the ticket. Reagan/Bush - 1984, Bush/Quayle - 1988, Clinton/Gore and Bush/Quayle - 1992, Clinton/Gore - 1996, Bush/Cheney - 2000, Bush/Cheney - 2004. And now people want to put another Clinton on the ballot. What are we thinking. It's time for the next generation to take the reigns of this runaway horse. The Greatest Generation had their shot. The Baby boomer's had their shot. How can we go back to another Clinton or the Greatest Generation with McCain. We need fresh blood. Fresh ideas. Someone who speaks for the people of this country. We are a laughing stock to the rest of the world. Please people, this is about setting the direction of this country for the next 50 years. We can't keep looking at quick-fix politics. It's time for a change whether we like it on not. The course we are on is not sustainable. Good luck to everyone and God bless America.
Posted by: jbrevik | May 9, 2008 12:15 PM
Someone will make a movie about this crazy shheeet someday.
Posted by: Chief Two Dogs | May 9, 2008 12:12 PM
There is way too much focusing on the particular candidates in this primary. What we should all be focusing on in the future of this country. Whoever wins the Democratic Party nomination, the other is not "shut out" of anything. As they are both U.S. Senators, whoever does "not" win and does not become president, can still play a major role in the Senate by advancing the agenda of the one who is succesful, and (hopefully)is elected President. When we allow ourselves to be diverted, either by personalities, race, gender, etc., that merely provides an opportunity for the Republican Party to prey upon those divisions. The old strategy of "divide and conquer" is as old as man, and the Republicans have for decades been succesfully employing that strategy. Is it not about time that we all stop being willing victims to it.
Posted by: Robert I. Laitres | May 9, 2008 12:08 PM
Hillary Clinton's heart seems to be hardened as Pharaoh's in the Bible. Will she quit the race when the 10th plague comes on her? She better quit now before it becomes too shameful.
Posted by: Kingsley Ememanka | May 9, 2008 12:06 PM
If it weren't for the Clinton name, Obama could be declared the winner now. But I appreciate that the uncommitted SDs don't want to offend the Clintons, a dynasty of the 20th Century. There are only three more weeks after all, so there's not too much longer to wait.
I'm so glad that I'm alive to see this moment in American history.
Posted by: Ethel Mae | May 9, 2008 12:04 PM
Should read "The plan her campaign _rejected_ awards her exactly four fewer delegates."
Posted by: gbooksdc | May 9, 2008 12:01 PM
Your grand bargain is dead. The Clinton campaign yesterday refused to agree to any Michigan resolution in which Clinton is awarded fewer delegates. See http://www.wnem.com/news/16201719/detail.html. The plan her campaign awards her exactly four fewer delegates.
She's running in bad faith. How much more evidence do you need to see she's simply running to help McCain win in 2008, so she can run in 2012? It's not about the party or the country or health care, it's all about HER.
Posted by: gbooksdc | May 9, 2008 12:00 PM
"Even though Obama is the likely Democratic candidate, the party is more divided that ever before. Middle-class white voters, women, and Hispanics remain unconvinced and unimpressed by the likely nominee. This long-time Democrat will not vote for Obama." --Posted by: Mike
Bye, Mike. If Clinton or McCain win the White House, get ready for $4.50 gasoline, a prolonged engagement in Iraq, an even shakier economy, more inflation and more unemployment. Oh, and more conservatives on the Supreme Court ready to hand Big Business and the feds even more power.
Thank goodness there's been a HUGE influx of new, younger, more optimistic and smarter voters to replace and outnumber voters like you. You might as well switch parties. Or stay home.
Posted by: wpreader2007 | May 9, 2008 11:55 AM
Let us congratulate Clinton on a well-fought campaign, and show them that we can be magnanimous both in victory and defeat. We've had our share of heartbreakers, but we need to look to the general election now and past all of the remarks, from both sides, that have tended to divide the Democratic Party ranks. I would hope that Clinton can do this, as well, but I implore all Obama supporters like myself, let's acknowledge the good Clinton has done the party and her hard-fought campaign, and welcome Clintonites into the battle against McCain and the out-of-touch GOP.
Posted by: alterego1 | May 9, 2008 11:55 AM
A "GRAND BARGAIN" ... FOR DEMOCRATIC VICTORY!
It is clear, with even Hillary's campaign is coming to the rational conclusion that she cannot win, that uniting the Democratic Party around Barack Obama is imperative.
Here is a solution that allows everyone to take something from the table, which is what it is going to take for the Party to begin the healing process.
A deal should be struck whereby Hillary agrees to withdraw from the race, and Obama agrees to let most of the Florida and Michigan delegations be seated at the convention.
Hillary could then claim a victory of sorts, as making this the "price" of a dignified exit would allow her to say she is putting the Party's prospects in November above her own personal ambitions.
It would also help the Democrats win those two states in the general election.
It requires noblesse oblige from both sides.
And if Hillary takes the deal, it would do a lot for her to begin restoring a family legacy that especially Bill Clinton has so tarnished.
Posted by: MARTIN EDWIN ANDERSEN | May 9, 2008 11:54 AM
Hillary has been tough/demonstrated a fighter but to a point it has become a defect, machoism is not attractive anymore. You know Obama went through a rough patch for almost a month and he kept his grace, integrity, and focus on issues. I think it baffles Obama why things have to be so negative-Unity is important in this country today and allowing the American voice to come through is a great plus. I believe if Obama wins we are going to see people like you and me with an opportunity to have a part of our government again-Boy that is appealing to me! GO OBAMA
Posted by: Sophia Beck | May 9, 2008 11:53 AM
"That's it! I am cancelling my union membership" Ha Ha!!!!!!!!
"This long-time Democrat will" Ha Ha!!!!!!!
Republicans will try anything to bamboozle people. Ha Ha!!!!!!!
Posted by: Morris | May 9, 2008 11:52 AM
She isn't the class she liked to portray herself as. She will be just a sad foot note in history. Her legacy will be that of a political joke. I doubt she will be reelected to the senate. The only reason she was elected in the first place was Rudy got cancer and dropped out of the race. I don't really get it with her, she really is a political nothing when you come right down to it. Without Bill, she is nothing.
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 11:52 AM
It's about time for Hillary to pack it in. Her chances of winning become more mathematically improbable, more and more voters are turned off by her style, and her continuance can only damage the Democratic party.
That being said, I think it's great that the circumstances of this campaign have made more voters matter. When has the Guam primary *ever* been news? When has the Puerto Rico, or for the matter, the West Virginia primary ever been news? Perhaps we *should* have brokered conventions, the way they were meant to work...
This year's process has been beneficial in not making the entire election about Iowa alone. After John Kerry (a terrible candidate) won Iowa, it was done. Were it not for 600 Iowans and a condenser microphone, President Dean would have most of our troops out of Iraq by now.
Posted by: Deaniac | May 9, 2008 11:51 AM
Mike and your like: The Supreme Court is currently 5-4 leaning conservative and the next president is likely to appoint at least 2 replacements. If you believe in spite, vote Republican in November at your own peril.
Posted by: KT11 | May 9, 2008 11:51 AM
The uncommitted super delegates cannot make any endorsements until Hillary drops out.
Otherwise, the Clinton mob will put hits out on them and Harvey Weinstein will cut off their funding.
The Clinton dirty tricks and revenge squads will be changing our government for years to come whether she is in the office or out.
Posted by: TruthBTold | May 9, 2008 11:50 AM
Obama has won a hard-fought campaign. He is exactly what America needs in the 21st century not McCain nor Hillary. The boomers have had their opportunity for the last 50 years; the rest of the world has changed dramatically and America must change too, not rest on its laurels. The young Americans will know what to do to lead the country. Obama and his supporters must act with magnanimity and not be triumphalist like Bush and Cheney.
Posted by: M. Stratas | May 9, 2008 11:50 AM
Please does anyone really want to go back to the days of Clinton scandals? I don't think so. When this started I said if Hillary was the nominee I would hold my nose and vote for her. After all this I would rather split my ticket and vote McBush for pres and dem all other. Hillary is a fighter but only for herself and history proves. Ask her where are the jobs that she promised NY if she were senator? Obama is a once in a lifetime or even a hundred years event. The best thing that could happen is to have the media tell WV and Kentucky they are free to vote who they want but voting for Hillary only prolongs the agony and jeapordizes their best interests.
Posted by: MJJP | May 9, 2008 11:49 AM
Was it me or seeing Mitt Romney on CNN last night with his lips all over John McCain's buttocks trying to take elementary school swipes at Obama bring you a sense of just how far out of touch the Republicans are with the voters of America? I mean to look at this creep he was gleeful (and untruthful and now a bobble head doll flip flopper like McCain) and giddy as if somehow the elections coming up is some kind of joke. I think the Republicans truly believe their same brand and style of name calling and fear mongering politics will get them elected. I'm sorry to tell you this, but when America has had enough, they've had enough and Mitt, John, and George W., you'll see how fed up America is in November when you'll have on your office movers T-shirts helping George Bush move outta there. The arrogance of these Republicans is mind boggling.
Posted by: 2pacolypse | May 9, 2008 11:47 AM
Obama supporters everywhere, but particularly in these blogposts, need to stop critiquing the opposition in the Dem Party and come together to beat John McCain in November. I know it is difficult to do as we have been focused way too long on a Dem opponent rather than the true opponent, John McCain, but it is still possible to unite around this extraordinary candidate. So, stop insulting Clinton supporters and being the process of wooing their support. We need to convince them that Obama is not the antichrist, but a good democrat who will turn this country around.
Posted by: Katie of St. Paul | May 9, 2008 11:47 AM
Crazy Hillary just a few minutes ago started calling for more debates. She must be losing her mind, I can't think of any other explanation.
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 11:45 AM
...Hilary, please stop pulling the party apart, just for your selfish interest. The people have spoken. The Democratic nominee is NOT your birth right. At least, be a gallant loser for God's sake
Posted by: Ike | May 9, 2008 11:43 AM
Even though Obama is the likely Democratic candidate, the party is more divided that ever before. Middle-class white voters, women, and Hispanics remain unconvinced and unimpressed by the likely nominee. This long-time Democrat will not vote for Obama.
Posted by: Mike | May 9, 2008 11:39 AM
Even though Obama is the likely Democratic candidate, the party is more divided that ever before. Middle-class white voters, women, and Hispanics remain unconvinced and unimpressed by the likely nominee. This long-time Democrat will not vote for Obama.
Posted by: Mike | May 9, 2008 11:39 AM
Even though Obama is the likely Democratic candidate, the party is more divided that ever before. Middle-class white voters, women, and Hispanics remain unconvinced and unimpressed by the likely nominee. This long-time Democrat will not vote for Obama.
Posted by: Mike | May 9, 2008 11:39 AM
Obama visited WV in March. While Hillary may win WV, Obama does enjoy some support in that State. Hillary, give it UP! Stop being stubborn like George Bush. Everyone cannot be a winner.
Posted by: WV sister | May 9, 2008 11:38 AM
Yeah, like the other posters here I'm also glad that my donations did their small part in supporting his candidacy. 42% of his campaign was funded by individuals like me making donations of less than $200.
Call me crazy, but that's the sign of a popular candidate, and a watershed moment for American politics.
My guess is that an Obama presidency will do more for America and its reputation than we can likely foresee.
Posted by: Emlyn | May 9, 2008 11:30 AM
Hey, stop bashing the elderly and respect your elders! They actually can be counted on to reliably vote. They are retired, don't usually work, and can make it to the polls at a leisurely pace. Please don't p*** them off with ageist jokes.....
Posted by: changing faces | May 9, 2008 11:29 AM
McCain poops in his adult diaper every 15 seconds. You don't want him answering the 3am phone call. He'll poop some more in his diaper and forget what the phone call was about.
Posted by: playa | May 9, 2008 11:26 AM
Wow, looks like Hillary is now focusing her campaign on the voters located in the Great State of Denial......
Posted by: changing faces | May 9, 2008 11:25 AM
Dear Hillary: Please go home. The country has had enough of you and Bill.
Posted by: truth1 | May 9, 2008 11:25 AM
You must all see through Clintons-They have been in the white House for two terms. Do we want to see Hillary and Bill again? For Gd's sake. We need fresh air!!!!
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 11:23 AM
Obama is liked all over the world. We have been watching the US implode in the last 7-8 years under Bush.
You may not realise it, because you media doesn't really report whats going on around the world - but record numbers of people AROUND THE GLOBE have been cheering GO OBAMA!
The MINUTE he is elected president - I predict celebrations for the US everywhere. And your reputation will begin to be restored.
Posted by: CB in Canada | May 9, 2008 11:23 AM
Hillary and McCain wear the same brand adult diapers. Oh yes, they do!!!
Posted by: playa | May 9, 2008 11:20 AM
Posted by: Maddogg | May 9, 2008 11:20 AM
Gosh, it's been a long campaign. So much pride, hard work, and worry for each candidate. I am very glad Obama is pulling ahead and this phase is wrapping up. I am one of the 1.5 million donors and I feel proud my small donations over time are making a difference.
Of course I am upset by racially tinged comments or by comments that offer ugly gender bashing against Hillary Clinton. Knock it off. But also stop the idiotic "age-ist" criticism of McCain. People who will not vote for someone because of his age don't need you to tell them he is old. Other voters (many many voters) may themselves be seniors and may vote for him out of anger at childish, bigoted jokes about adult diapers, etc.
There is so much to solve for our country. Whoever wins actually will need old and young, all races, both genders, to pull together, or we are really up the creek. This time, that really IS NOT empty rhetoric. So stop, stop, stop the inane old-person-bashing. There's so much McCain gets wrong on policy, literally life and death matters, not to mention economic pain unaddressed -- attack that. Knock off the other stuff.
Posted by: Fairfax Voter | May 9, 2008 11:17 AM
Obama won! Obama won! Obama won! Obama won!
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 11:17 AM
First, I want to say that Hillary has done a great job holding tough throughout this entire process, and she has earned her fair share of respect. That's without bias. The race isn't over yet, so I still wish Hillary well.
Now, as for my #1 candidate, Obama has done a WONDERFUL job as well. Thank you Obama for going state to state, and there's more states to go. Moreover, I extend thanks to the supporters because without the masses of them, Obama would not be in the position that he is in. Thank you supporters for your strong will and support. I think we definitely get the nod. See what we can do when we join forces? Let's continue on that path, together. With that said, I look forward to seeing you there --> '08!!
WOOHOO!!! Soldiers, I look forward to you packing up your equipment!
Posted by: Obama2008 | May 9, 2008 11:17 AM
Wow, the Hillary-loving Obama haters arre spewing more bile than usual this morning. Let me get this straight: some of you will cancel your union membership because the union endorsed Obama? What a joke. Get real. The man is your candidate. Grow up and stop crying like someone peed in your cheerios.
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 11:16 AM
The super delegates need to back Obama NOW, and end this thing, as all Clinton has left to do is try to drag Obama down so McCain will win the general. Then she will have a shot in 2012!
Posted by: lizard3 | May 9, 2008 11:13 AM
"I don't think Edwards is a superdelegate.
Posted by: Paul Falduto | May 9, 2008 10:36 AM"
He is no longer a superdelegate (since he left the Seante) however his endorsement is still valuable... and I still get the feeling he is running for VP!
Posted by: | May 9, 2008 11:12 AM
Superbowl OBAMA LEADS in SUPERS ABC
FEW CONSTESTs REMAIN 173or 168? and dropping like IRON WEIGHT to NOMINATION Remaining contes
State of Denial 260 Delegates (supers)
WV coalminers like Hillary and Bill Kentucky which smokes like Hillary OR -where Hillary used to chop trees Puerto Rico - Bill has some good memories here MN- Hillary mined urainum here SD- Hillary camped in the black hills
Posted by: delegate math | May 9, 2008 11:11 AM
Sitting here in sydney Australia, we follow the race closely as a contest for leader of the free world, so v. important for us too. Consensus here is that Obama is the best hope for the planet. Go Obama
Posted by: Andrew, Sydney | May 9, 2008 11:10 AM
Though he should have been our presidential nominee- John Edwards is not a super delegate.
Posted by: sjp | May 9, 2008 11:06 AM
That's it! I am cancelling my union membership-- I do not in ANY WAY endorse OBAMA and my union has no business endorsing him in my name.
Posted by: kim | May 9, 2008 11:06 AM
I can understands there are legitimate reasons why a superdelegate will not commit. But in view of the need for precious time to heal the party, these uncommitted superdelegates, Edwards included, come through as nothing but just political animals who put their own political welfare ahead of that of the party. They are apparently afraid of offending either the Clintons (aka their powerful political backers) or some of their constituents. Maybe this is political reality or maybe this is why Obama is winning because the majority Americans are tired of our government being dragged by its nose by these fatcats.
Posted by: kt11 | May 9, 2008 11:02 AM
What brand of adult diaper does McCain wear? He know he wears one everywhere.
Posted by: Playa | May 9, 2008 11:02 AM
Barack "Empty Suit" O'Bomba, IS the Dimocrat Socialist Nominee.
More of "Barry's" Baggage arriving! ;~)
Posted by: RAT-The | May 9, 2008 10:59 AM
Finally, we reach the end of the shouting too. The general election will be a walk-over. McCain has nothing.
Now I only worry about my candidate getting killed. Don't laugh. There is a lot of money at stake here and Barak does not owe any special interests anything.
We are more than 1.5 million small donors, the largest in political history; we "bought" this election and Barak will pay us back by being the leader he promised he would be.
Posted by: shrink2 | May 9, 2008 10:47 AM
Everything said and done, I hope that Obama will make a couple appearances in WV and KY. He does not need to alienate any potential voters. On another note, that superdelegate that wants 20M for his vote, he should be striped of his super delegate status ASAP. Howard Dean pay attention..... Getting paid to cast a vote, is very very undemocratic.......
Posted by: jc | May 9, 2008 10:37 AM
I don't think Edwards is a superdelegate.
Posted by: Paul Falduto | May 9, 2008 10:36 AM
I think the superdelegates should put an end to this narcissistic action of the Clintons. If they can't have control of the Democratic Party for their own corrupt crowd, they want to destroy it. If the Clintons lose , it ends all this big money bribe scheme of Bill's.
Posted by: LetthemdrinkCrownRoyal | May 9, 2008 10:31 AM
All I can say is way to go!! I am a proud supporter & donor.
Posted by: jencm | May 9, 2008 9:57 AM
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Obama picks up endorsement from AFGE and the superdelegate support of its president and two Democratic lawmakers. But John Edwards stays neutral.
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Don't Expect Clinton to Quit Before Superdelegates Decide
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At a time when Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton faces ever longer odds in her quest to deny Sen. Barack Obama the nomination, that question has become increasingly important to the candidates and the party. Will it end happily or unhappily? Will the loser go graciously or bitterly? Will the Democrats end up united or divided?
Clinton has vowed to stay in "until there is a nominee," but even with six primaries left on the calendar, the party is beginning to coalesce around Obama.
Still, from Clinton's campaign, there is no talk of bringing the race to an end anytime soon. From her vantage point, she has in recent weeks won Ohio as well as the popular vote in Texas, Pennsylvania and Indiana. Obama won Mississippi and North Carolina. She has won critical battleground states and, in her view, is holding the constituencies vital to Democratic hopes of winning in November. Why not stay in until the end?
She also believes that the competition with Obama has produced record turnout, a surge of new registrants for the Democratic Party and a cadre of now-seasoned organizers who will be paying dividends for years to Democratic congressional and gubernatorial candidates. Her advisers are realists, but some genuinely think it is still possible to win -- not probable by any means but not out of the question.
Party strategists sketch out at least three scenarios for a possible end to the Clinton campaign.
The cleanest envisions Clinton suddenly deciding the race is over and, for the good of the party, deciding to suspend her candidacy. That could happen after next week's primary in West Virginia, which she is expected to win easily, or the following week, when she is expected to win Kentucky and Obama is favored to win Oregon.
Obama said that after the May 20 primaries, he may be able to claim a majority of the pledged delegates and, therefore, the nomination. That could put pressure on her to quit, though her advisers are not buying Obama's arithmetic.
The messy scenario would see Clinton continuing her campaign all the way to the Democratic National Convention in Denver in late August -- arguing that she would be the stronger nominee against Sen. John McCain -- and mounting challenges before the party's credentials committee over the seating of Michigan and Florida delegates.
At this point, neither the clean nor messy endgame seems likely -- to strategists in either campaign or to other Democrats watching the race. Clinton vowed to stay in the race but also has pledged that, if it is clear Obama has the nomination sewn up, to support him and work to unify the party and defeat McCain.
That suggests the third scenario, that the race will not end until June 3 or soon after. Given what she said Wednesday about staying in until there is a nominee, and given the likelihood of rapid movement of superdelegates to Obama once the primaries are over (if not before), Clinton could declare the race over at that point.
A fourth scenario envisions Clinton being forced suddenly to suspend her campaign because she is out of money. Already she and her husband have lent the campaign more than $11 million. In addition, the campaign as of April had reported debts of about $10 million.
Obama advisers are watching and waiting. They are concerned that Clinton appears ready to continue challenging his strength against McCain. Inside the Obama camp, there is consensus that she should be given time to ease down from the intensity of recent months and to make a transition to more positive campaigning.
They do not want to do anything to antagonize her by calling for her to get out or by questioning her motives for staying in. But they are reluctant to sit back in the face of attacks, and they are not happy with some of the things she has said in the past few days.
So as settled as the outcome of the Democratic race may seem by the delegate math, it is far from over in the potential consequences for the candidates and the party.
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How will the Democratic nomination battle end? At a time when Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton faces ever longer odds in her quest to deny Sen. Barack Obama the nomination, that question has become increasingly important to the candidates and the party. Will it end happily or unhappily? Will the loser go...
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Unhappy With 'Confrontational' Image, U.S. Panel Wants King Statue Reworked
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The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts thinks "the colossal scale and Social Realist style of the proposed statue recalls a genre of political sculpture that has recently been pulled down in other countries," commission secretary Thomas Luebke said in a letter in April.
By law, no project like the memorial can go forward without approval from the commission, the federal agency that advises the government on public design and aesthetics in the capital.
A model of the statue has been built in China. The project's chief architect, Ed Jackson Jr., huddled with advisers this week in Ann Arbor, Mich., to discuss ways to address the commission's objections before sculpting of the granite statue begins.
"We said: 'Okay, this is what the commission said. How best can we achieve that and retain what we have accomplished thus far?' "
It is the second time in recent months that the memorial to the slain civil rights leader has come under fire. Last year, critics complained after a Chinese sculptor known for his monumental works of figures such as Mao Zedong was selected to create King and other elements of the memorial in China.
The $100 million memorial, which is being built largely with private donations by the Washington, D.C., Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, is planned for a crescent-shaped four-acre site among Washington's famed cherry trees on the northwest shore of the basin. Construction is expected to start this year and end next year.
The centerpiece is to be a 2 1/2 -story sculpture of the civil rights leader carved in a giant chunk of granite. Called the Stone of Hope, it would depict King, standing with his arms folded, looming from the stone. At 28 feet tall, it would be eight feet taller than the statue of Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial.
The King memorial has been authorized by Congress, and a groundbreaking ceremony was held in 2006. Its general design was approved by the seven-member federal commission that year, based on drawings of the Stone of Hope that showed a more subtle image of King, from the waist up, as if he were emerging organically out of the rock, the commission said.
But since the drawings have been developed into detailed models, the vision has generated criticism. The latest round came with the commission's April 25 letter to the foundation, which followed an April 17 hearing on the project.
Commission members said the sculpture "now features a stiffly frontal image, static in pose, confrontational in character," Luebke wrote. They "recommended strongly that the sculpture be reworked, both in form and modeling" and cited "precedents of a figure emerging from stone in the works of sculptors such as Michelangelo and Rodin."
The commission objected to what it perceived as the loss of the subtle way King seemed to be coming out of the stone in the drawings, Luebke said.
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A powerful federal arts commission is urging that the sculpture of Martin Luther King Jr. proposed for a memorial on the Tidal Basin be reworked because it is too "confrontational" and reminiscent of political art in totalitarian states.
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'Vegas' Hits the Jackpot
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It hurts all of us, I know, but my generation worst of all. As we settle into dotage and senility, do we need to be reminded how at 20-something he married one of the most beautiful women of our generation (Demi Moore), how before he was 30 he became a household name and produced a hugely popular show ("Punk'd"), how he is loved and adored by just about everyone?
(On the good news front, at least there's this: Like all golden lads must, he, too, will turn to dust.)
Not that "What Happens in Vegas" is any kind of great movie, but it's an exceedingly bright comedy that never makes you feel stupid for enjoying its brisk pacing, smart lines, sound construction and superb comic acting, not only from the annoyingly accomplished Kutcher but from Cameron Diaz and well-chosen No. 2 bananas Rob Corddry and Lake Bell.
The gimmick is at least as old as "The 39 Steps": The plot invents circumstances by which two attractive people, who hold deep aversions to each other, are linked (by handcuffs either actual or, as in this case, metaphorical) and must contend with all kinds of dilemmas. You know what happens next because you understand how perfect they are for each other long before they do.
The waggle worked in this variant (by screenwriter Dana Fox) is that Kutcher and Diaz, each having suffered a crushing disaster (she: dumped; he: fired), have gone to Las Vegas for some healing. They meet one drunken evening, and they have Olympic-quality sex. Alas, either before or after or, God help us, during -- they also get married. Okay, no big deal, time for a quickie divorce, no harm/no foul, except -- here's the waggle -- she gives him a quarter, he feeds it into a slot machine and they win $3 mil. Who gets it? Why can't they just split it? (Because there'd be no movie, obviously.) Greedily, each tries to get the whole pot, and an irritable judge (Dennis Miller at his snarkiest) sentences them to live together, man and wife, for six months. The judge sets rules as well, so that it is to each's advantage to get the other to break them.
Thus the movie is a pas de deux -- or would that be a mano-a-womano -- in which two people try to goad each other into subverting the marriage arrangement.
The best thing about the fight is how unfairly each wages it, and how the campaigns are based on the classical fault lines of boy-girl cohabitation. That one about the toilet seat (it always has to be down?): The movie addresses it in a clever scene in which Diaz's Joy McNally tries to explain the fundamental difference between the deep concepts of "up" and "down," as if she's explaining quantum theory to a chimp, which she basically is. It's a terrific little set piece, particularly for the expression on her face, which is an odd blend of pity, contempt, boredom, irritation and loathing, all without destroying the fact that she's staggeringly beautiful.
His Jack Fuller retaliates by taking the seat, then the lid, and finally the door from the bathroom. It's that kind of movie: All's fair in love and greed.
Some workplace chicanery comes into play, too. She's a Wall Street trader, trying for a big promotion, competing against a ruthless Asian adversary (detract 20 points for Lucy Liu-style cliche, so unnecessary) while he's struggling to hold a job as a custom furniture builder for an extremely picky boss (Treat Williams).
As is customary to the genre, each has a pal, a kind of doppelganger couple that interacts in a kind of shadow parody of the main relationship. In this case, "Daily Show" grad Corddry -- so awful in "Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay" -- is extremely funny as Jack's friend Hater, the worst lawyer in the world, while Bell goes deadpan as Joy's friend Tipper.
But the real pleasure in the film comes from the two stars, both of whom put vanity and narcissism far behind, and are pleased to let the movie deploy them as less than noble, less than capable, less than smart, less than selfless and less than beautiful and, therefore, more than human, even if alarmingly young.
What Happens in Vegas (99 minutes, at area theaters) is rated PG-13 for sexual and crude content, profanity, language and a drug reference.
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Yet more evidence that the end of the world is near: Ashton Kutcher is about to become a major movie star.
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U.S.: Man Held is Not Leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq
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BAGHDAD, May 9 -- A U.S. military spokesman said a man detained Thursday in northern Iraq is not wanted terrorist Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, the leader of the Sunni insurgent group al-Qaeda in Iraq.
"It's not him," the military spokesman said.
Iraqi police announced early Friday that Muhajer had been found sleeping during a midnight raid of a house in the northern city of Mosul and had confessed his identity in an interrogation -- a development that would have been a significant coup for Iraqi security forces.
The U.S. military spokesman, however, said there was apparently confusion because the man who was captured has a similar name.
Muhajer -- whom the Iraqis also reported had been killed in May, 2007 -- is believed to be an Egyptian, about 40 years old and an associate of Osama bin Laden's deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri. He is believed to have taken over the leadership of al-Qaeda in Iraq after the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in a U.S. airstrike in June 2006.
Since Zarqawi's death, the organization has continued a campaign of killing while pushing its strict interpretation of Islam.
In recent weeks, suicide bombers acting in a manner consistent with previous al-Qaeda in Iraq attackers have struck funerals, wedding parties and police and military checkpoints. The attacks chiefly target Sunnis who have joined forces with the U.S. military. In other developments, militia leaders loyal to Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr on Thursday vowed to resist efforts by Iraqi and U.S. forces to relocate residents of some of the most violent parts of Baghdad's Sadr City neighborhood to camps.
For a month, the densely populated Shiite enclave on the capital's eastern edge has served as a battleground in clashes between Sadr's Mahdi Army militia and the joint fighting force drawn from the U.S. military and Iraqi security agencies. The battles have generally been taking place in the southwestern quadrant of the rectangular district, an area believed to be the launching site of most rockets targeting the heavily fortified Green Zone.
Abu Mustafa and Abu Bader, local Sadrist leaders and militia fighters, said Iraqi soldiers were telling people to leave Sadr City and go to tents set up at two nearby soccer stadiums. They also said soldiers had distributed leaflets telling residents in certain sectors to clear out. Abu Bader, who spoke on the condition he was identified only by his nickname, said people were resisting.
"We have tribal tradition," he said. "We are not going to send our families to stay in stadiums and soccer fields. There is no way we are going to put our people at the mercy of Americans and the Iraqi national guard."
Abu Bader cited American detention practices, and the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal in particular, as the source of people's fears.
Maj. Mark Cheadle, a U.S. military spokesman, denied knowledge of a campaign to remove residents from Sadr City. "We don't know anything about that," he said. "If they are doing it with loudspeakers, they are doing it quietly, because we are not hearing it."
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BAGHDAD, May 9 -- A U.S. military spokesman said a man detained Thursday in northern Iraq is not wanted terrorist Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, the leader of the Sunni insurgent group al-Qaeda in Iraq.
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Soviet-Style Display of Might Fills Red Square
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Moscow had not seen a show like this year's since 1990, when the Soviets last commemorated the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. Within a year, the Soviet Union was no more.
In the mid-1990s, Russians began to celebrate victory in World War II with a parade on May 9. But the festivities were stripped of displays of weaponry until this year, the 63rd anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany.
Eight thousand goose-stepping troops, glamorous in their newly designed uniforms, as well as tanks, armored vehicles and missiles crossed the square Friday. Strategic bombers and fighter planes roared above.
President Dmitry Medvedev, presiding over his first public ceremony, said Russia's military was "gaining in strength and power like all of Russia."
And drawing from the playbook of his predecessor, Vladimir Putin, who stood beside him, Medvedev appeared to criticize the United States without actually mentioning it by name.
"We must not allow contempt for the norms of international law," Medvedev said, warning against "intentions to intrude in the affairs of other states, and especially redraw borders."
Russia has criticized Kosovo's recent declaration of independence from Serbia, which the United States supported.
"The history of world wars warns us that armed conflicts do not erupt on their own," Medvedev said. "They are fueled by those whose irresponsible ambitions overpower the interests of countries and whole continents, the interests of millions of people."
At last year's parade, Putin appeared to compare the United States to Nazi Germany. The Kremlin later denied that was his intention.
Putin, who is prime minister, and Medvedev watched the parade from a reviewing stand -- unlike Soviet leaders, who used to stand on top of the mausoleum containing the preserved body of Lenin, the first Soviet leader.
"This isn't saber rattling," Putin said earlier this week about the parade. "We're not threatening anyone, and we don't plan to do so. We're not imposing anything on anyone. We have enough of everything. This is a demonstration of our growing potential in the area of defense."
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MOSCOW, May 9 -- The Red Square parade, once a Soviet standard, enjoyed a revival Friday as phalanxes of military hardware, including intercontinental ballistic missiles, rumbled noisily over paving stones to deliver a message: The bear is back.
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Mexico's Police Chief Is Killed In Brazen Attack by Gunmen
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Edgar Eusebio Millán Gómez, the public face of Mexico's offensive against drug cartels, became the highest-ranking law enforcement official to be killed since the launch of the effort 17 months ago. The assassination could give new confidence to drug cartels blamed for 6,000 killings in the past 2 1/2 years, and embolden other anti-government groups in this violence-plagued nation.
"This could have a snowball effect, even leading to the risk of ungovernability," LuÃs Astorga, a Mexico City-based sociologist and drug expert, said in an interview. "It indicates terrible things, a level of weakness in our institutions -- they can't even protect themselves."
Mexico's drug and violence problem now engulfs the entire country, swamping cities along the U.S.-Mexico border and rugged drug cartel redoubts in the western mountains, and piercing into the heart of national power in Mexico City. The capital, once relatively immune to such brazen drug killings, has been the scene of four assassinations of high-ranking federal police officials in about a week.
Millán Gómez's forces have conducted large-scale counter-narcotics operations throughout much of Mexico. He had ordered thousands of federal police to take over crime-fighting responsibilities from local police suspected of aiding drug traffickers. Those field operations -- often conducted with the military -- have led to widespread resentment among local and state law enforcement offices plagued by corruption.
It has long been common for assassins to target local and state police chiefs in Mexico, but this year, cartels have been increasingly going after some of the biggest names in the federal law enforcement structure. In January, police in Mexico City confiscated grenade launchers and arrested three men who have been accused of planning to assassinate José LuÃs Santiago Vasconcelos, a top prosecutor who oversees the extraditions of drug traffickers.
Before Millán Gómez was slain, assassins also killed Robert Velasco Bravo, the head of the federal police agency's organized crime tactical analysis office, as well as two other top police officials, all of them in Mexico City. One of the killings was in Coyoacan, an old-money haven popular with tourists.
Alejandro Gertz Manero, Mexico's former secretary of public safety, said in a Thursday interview on Radio Formula that Millán Gómez's killing demonstrated "a desire to generate an atmosphere of terror."
The capital is also on edge because the once-dormant People's Revolutionary Army, a rebel group that bombed oil pipelines last year, has been demanding the release of several jailed members. The rebels could see the killing of Millán Gómez as a sign of weakness, Astorga, the sociologist, said.
Federal police forces are stretched thin across Mexico, chasing an ever-growing number of suspects in drug killings. Last week, for instance, at least 17 people were killed in an attack on a ranch in the western state of Guerrero. This week, the military was engaged in a major battle with suspected cartel assassins in the central state of Zacatecas. That incident left three dead.
Millán Gómez, 42, had led the federal police for just four months -- and was still considered the interim chief. But for years he had maintained a high profile and had developed a reputation as an uncompromising figure in the battle against cartels.
President Felipe Calderón praised Millán Gómez on Thursday, comparing him to heroes of the Mexican Revolution and calling his assassination a "cowardly" act. Calderón, who has dispatched more than 25,000 federal police and soldiers throughout Mexico to fight drug gangs, vowed to redouble efforts to crush cartels. In an appearance just hours after the killing, Calderón called on the U.S. Congress to approve a $1.4 billion counter-narcotics aid package for Mexico, known as the Merida Initiative.
Millán Gómez was cut down shortly before 1 a.m. outside his apartment building in the Colonia Guerrero neighborhood, a poor section of Mexico City that associates say he chose because it is close to law enforcement offices. He died after being rushed to a hospital. Two bodyguards were injured in the attack but are expected to survive. One suspect was captured. Millán Gómez's family was under police protection, a law enforcement source said.
Suspicion immediately centered on the Sinaloa cartel, a violent drug gang that has waged full-scale battles with federal police and the Mexican military. Mexican law enforcement officials believe the cartel has recently sought to cripple rivals and broaden its control of drug trafficking here -- a business that U.S. authorities estimate generates as much as $23 billion a year.
In January, Millán Gómez made headlines with his announcement that federal police had found a series of safe houses and captured 11 of the Sinaloa cartel's hit men in Mexico City.
At a news conference, Millán Gómez displayed a large arsenal of weapons and three dozen bulletproof vests emblazoned with the initials "FEDA," which police said stood for "Arturo's Special Forces" in Spanish. The initials were believed to be a reference to Arturo Beltrán Leyva, a suspected leader of the Sinaloa cartel whose brother, Alfredo Beltrán Leyva, had been captured days earlier. The captured hit men, Millán Gómez said at the time, were in Mexico City to plot revenge killings.
Even before then, associates say, Millán Gómez considered himself a marked man.
"He knew his life was at risk all the time," Javier Ortiz, a federal police spokesman and friend of Millán Gómez, said in an interview. "But he was absolutely convinced that pounding the cartels was the best thing he could do for Mexico."
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MEXICO CITY, May 8 -- Gunmen assassinated Mexico's national police chief Thursday, blasting him with nine bullets outside his home in the capital and dealing a significant setback to the government's campaign against drug cartels.
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39 Republicans Join Democrats As Mortgage Bill Passes House
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The House yesterday approved an ambitious plan to rescue hundreds of thousands of homeowners at risk of foreclosure by helping them trade exotic loans with rapidly rising monthly payments for more affordable mortgages backed by the federal government.
Bucking a White House veto threat, 39 Republicans joined Democrats in supporting the bill, the centerpiece of a broader housing package that represents Washington's most aggressive response to the nation's housing crisis. The measure aims to unfreeze mortgage markets by expanding the Federal Housing Administration's reach and strengthening mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It also would create a $7,500 tax credit for first-time home buyers to try to boost sales and slow plummeting home prices.
GOP House leaders blasted the bill as a bailout for speculators and irresponsible borrowers. But the measure, sponsored by House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.), gained strong support from rank-and-file Republicans worried that escalating foreclosures are ruining lives and decimating neighborhoods.
Despite President Bush's condemnation of the bill this week, White House officials seemed to leave the door open to negotiation. And key Republicans are working with Democrats on a similar plan in the Senate.
"People are in a world of hurt. My sense is there's maneuvering room," said Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), whose state has been among those hardest hit. "There's still a good chance they'll get a bill the president can sign, knowing that a lot of the country needs help."
More than 1.2 million homes are in foreclosure, and an additional 3 million are forecast to join them over the next two years. Home prices have fallen more than 10 percent, and state and local tax collections are suffering. Polls show the economy is the top concern among voters, with one in four respondents saying they have been directly affected by problems in the housing market.
The borrowers most at risk of foreclosure -- and who have drawn policymakers' attention -- are those who have fallen behind on their mortgage payments but cannot sell or refinance because the value of their homes has fallen so far that they owe more than their homes are worth.
The Bush administration has tried to help such borrowers by urging banks to reduce their mortgage debt. The administration also has eased eligibility standards so borrowers who have missed a few payments can qualify for cheaper loans insured by the federal government through the FHA. But those initiatives have helped relatively few families.
Frank's proposal calls for the FHA to respond more aggressively, by offering to insure mortgages for even the least creditworthy borrowers if their banks will forgive a portion of the debt and help them stay in their homes. Under the proposal, lenders would have to take a significant loss, permitting borrowers to pay their original loans with new loans worth no more than 90 percent of their homes' new, lower value. Extra fees charged by the FHA would lower the payoff to lenders to 85 percent of a home's current value.
Borrowers would get lower monthly payments and an immediate equity stake in their property. If home values rise, the plan requires homeowners to share their profits with the federal government when they sell or refinance.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that as many as 500,000 homeowners will benefit from the program. But more than a third of those borrowers are likely to default, the CBO estimates, forcing the FHA to pay off their loans and take possession of their property at a cost to taxpayers of $1.7 billion.
The White House has balked at that price tag, calling Frank's bill an "attempt to shift costs to taxpayers [that] constitutes a bailout." But there are signs that the administration is open to compromise.
In a speech Monday, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke appeared to endorse Frank's plan. Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. and other administration officials have spoken favorably of it. On Wednesday, even as Bush declared his intention to veto the measure, one of his top economic advisers told the Wall Street Journal that differences between the White House and congressional Democrats were not "insurmountable."
Yesterday, White House spokesman Tony Fratto said Bush supports the concept of Frank's plan. "As a basic concept, it's what we're already doing. But it's what we're doing on steroids," he said.
"Is it possible to have additional housing legislation? Yes, it's possible. And maybe the Frank bill could change so much that there could be legislation we could accept," Fratto said. "But I think we're far away from that."
In House debate, many Republicans echoed the administration's concerns. Minority Leader John A. Boehner (Ohio) said Frank's bill would "bail out scam artists and those who were speculating in the market, and they want taxpayers to pick up the tab."
But other Republicans cringed at the indictment of troubled borrowers and said they were disappointed by the veto threat.
"What's offensive is some of the rhetoric," said Rep. Steven C. LaTourette (R-Ohio), who voted for the measure. "They say it rewards speculators. No, it doesn't. It's limited to homeowners. They say it's a $300 billion bailout. No, it's not. It costs $1.7 billion."
"Would I have written the bill the way Chairman Frank did? No, but we're not in charge anymore," LaTourette said. The housing mess "calls for some bold action. People are expecting us to do something."
The House voted 266 to 154 to approve Frank's rescue plan and a broad array of other housing initiatives. The House also voted 322 to 94 to approve an $11 billion package of housing tax measures, including the $7,500 credit for first-time buyers who purchase a home this year. Under the measure, the credit would have to be repaid to the government over 15 years.
The package moves to the Senate, where Banking Committee Chairman Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.) and the committee's senior Republican, Richard C. Shelby of Alabama, are working on a similar proposal. Senate Republicans have been more resistant than their House counterparts to broad plans to intervene on behalf of distressed homeowners.
But Francis Creighton, vice president for government affairs at the Mortgage Bankers Association who is working with both the administration and Congress to slow the rate of foreclosures, said he expects a compromise to be reached.
"We believe the administration is as committed to addressing this situation in the market as anybody. There's still a lot of time for negotiation," Creighton said. "Everyone wants to support something that can fix the housing crisis."
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The House yesterday approved an ambitious plan to rescue hundreds of thousands of homeowners at risk of foreclosure by helping them trade exotic loans with rapidly rising monthly payments for more affordable mortgages backed by the federal government.
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N.Y. Congressman Acknowledges Affair, Child
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Fossella's admission came a week after he was arrested for drunken driving on his way to the woman's Alexandria home after a night out in the District.
The lawmaker, who did not say whether he would seek reelection in November, issued a four-sentence statement in response to allegations in New York tabloids about the incident and the relationship.
"I have had a relationship with Laura Fay, with whom I have a three year old daughter. My personal failings and imperfections have caused enormous pain to the people I love and I am truly sorry," Fossella said in the statement. "While I understand that there will be many questions, including those about my political future, making any political decisions right now [is] furthest from my mind."
Fossella, a six-term Republican who represents Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn, has a wife with whom he has three young children.
Democrats had been eyeing Fossella's seat as one they could take from Republicans in 2008, after a poorly financed opponent trimmed Fossella's usually healthy victory margin in 2006. Now they believe the race may present an even better opportunity, especially if Fossella is still the nominee in the fall.
House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio), who has helped usher other scandal-ridden members of his caucus into retirement during the past year, encouraged Fossella to spend the weekend with his family considering his political future.
"I think Mr. Fossella is going to have some decisions to make over the weekend, and I would hope and frankly expect that this is a decision between he, his family and his constituents," Boehner told reporters.
Fossella, 43, was arrested at 12:15 a.m. on May 1 in Alexandria, not far from the home of Fay, a former lieutenant colonel in the Air Force who served as the service's liaison to the House earlier this decade. In his statement, Fossella did not say when he and Fay began their relationship. Fay was divorced from her husband in 2005, according to court records.
An attempt to reach Fay for comment was unsuccessful.
After attending a Rose Garden celebration of the New York Giants' NFL championship on the afternoon of April 30, Fossella returned to the House for votes, which concluded before 7 p.m.
The New York Daily News reported that he and a friend left the Logan Tavern on 14th Street NW later that night, before his arrest. Court records show that Fossella had a blood-alcohol level of 0.17, twice the legal limit in Virginia, when he was pulled over, and was too drunk to recite the alphabet from the letters "D" through "T." He faces possible jail time if convicted.
Since his arrest, Fossella has sporadically appeared in the House, missing all votes last Thursday and Monday, then attending many votes on the floor the rest of this week.
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Rep. Vito Fossella (R-N.Y.) yesterday admitted to a long-running extramarital affair with a retired Air Force officer and said he has a 3-year-old daughter with her.
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Panel Clears La. Senator In Call-Girl Complaint
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The Senate ethics committee dismissed a complaint against Vitter "without prejudice," meaning he received no formal punishment or reprimand.
The committee, in its two-page letter, cited the conservative senator's admission last July of committing a "very serious sin" after revelations that his phone number was on the list of numbers connected to Pamela Martin & Associates, the prostitution ring that Palfrey operated. Palfrey killed herself last week rather than serve time in prison.
In its ruling, the panel said it could not punish Vitter because his association with the escort service occurred before he joined the Senate in 2005.
"The conduct at issue occurred before your Senate candidacy and service . . . the conduct at issue did not result in your being charged criminally . . . the conduct at issue did not involve use of public office or status for improper purposes," the committee wrote in a letter signed by all six senators.
Elected to the House in 1999, Vitter cannot be investigated by its ethics committee because it has no jurisdiction now that he is a senator.
The Senate panel said that its dismissal should not be taken as a "personal approbation" of soliciting prostitution. "If proven to be true, the members of this committee would find the alleged conduct of solicitation for prostitution to be reprehensible," the letter stated.
Since Vitter's brief public admission of a "sin," he has stayed silent on the Palfrey case. During the trial federal prosecutors did not call to the stand Vitter or other high-profile clients, which included Randall Tobias, the former administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Vitter has denied allegations reported by the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he had an association with a prostitute in his home town in the late 1990s.
Vitter's staff did not return calls seeking comment yesterday.
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Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) was cleared yesterday of any ethical misconduct for his association with prostitutes from the escort service run by the late Deborah Jeane Palfrey, the so-called "D.C. Madam" who was convicted of running a call-girl ring.
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