Virtual Border SecurityFence Fails

It amazes me that we can hit a satellite some 175 miles above the Earth.

Yet, the force of our illumination precludes us from setting up a 'virtual fence' that would effectively do nothing.

[Link]

Quality Reporting from CBS News

Sometimes, videos are just too funny to describe.

RIP, William F. Buckley Jr. Dead at 82

Conservative icon William F. Buckley Jr. passed last night while working in his study.

Buckley's contribution to the conservative movement through the National Review was invaluable.

He will be missed.

[Link]

Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press.

'Doomsday' Vault Christened in Norway

The world's Doomsday vault opened today in Spitzberg, Norway. It will hold stockpiles of the world's most important seeds in hopes of thwarting off the perfect storm: agricultural un-sustainability.

The precautionary facility seems like a good idea in my judgment. It's important to have some safeguards should catastrophe harm large portions of the world's agricultural produce.

But watching the video below, it makes one wonder who Becky Anderson upset to receive such a horrible assignment.

[Link]

Song of the Week: Days Go By

The Pax Plena song of the week comes to you courtesy of my weekend iPod play list. It's quite nearly the perfect song to enjoy on the open roads and blue skies of Southern Arizona.

Not to be confused with the Dirty Vegas version, Keith Urban's Days Go By is decidedly acoustic and un-electronic (though the dancing in Urban's video isn't nearly so entertaining as the Dirty Vegas video).

For the country music fans out there, Keith Urban does not disappoint. High vocals melded with an acoustic guitar and an intense beat make the song a hit for country fans generally. While it is a bit like the country-rock genre that made a resurgence of late, the message of the song more than compensates for its deviation from neo-traditional country.

Please enjoy, the Pax Plena song of the week, Days Go By by Keith Urban. Lyrics follow after the jump.



Days Go By
By Keith Urban

I'm changing lanes and talkin' on the phone
Drivin' way too fast.
And the interstate's jammed with gunners like me
Afraid of comin' in last.
But somewhere in the race we run,
We're coming undone...

CHORUS:
And days go by...
I can feel 'em flyin'
Like a hand out the window in the wind.
The cars go by...
Yeah it's all we've been given,
So you better start livin' right now
'Cause days go by...
Oh and a woo-hoo...


Out on the roof just the other night
I watched the world flash by,
Headlights, taillights,
Running through a river of neon signs.
Mmm-hmmm...
But somewhere in the rush I felt,
We're losing ourselves...


CHORUS:
And days go by...
I can feel 'em flyin'
Like a hand out the window in the wind.
The cars go by...
Yeah it's all we've been given,
So you better start livin' right now,
And days go by...
Oh and a woo-hoo...
Yeah, the days go by...
Oh and a woo-hoo!


We think about tomorrow then it slips away.
Oh, yes, it does.
We talk about forever but we've only got today...

And the days go by...
I can feel 'em flyin'
Like a hand out the window as the cars go by...
Yeah it's all we've been given,
So you better start livin',
You better start livin',
Better start livin' right now!


CHORUS:
'Cause days go by...
I can feel 'em flyin'
Like a hand out the window in the wind.
The cars go by...
Yeah it's all we've been given,
So you better start livin' right now...
'Cause days go by...
Oh and a woo-hoo...
Yeah, these days go by...
Oh and a woo-hooo!

Oh!
So take 'em by the hand,
They're yours and mine.
Take 'em by the hand,
And live your life.
Take 'em by the hand,
Don't let 'em all fly by!

Come on, Come on now...
Yeah!
Come on now!
Oh and a woo-hooo!
Don't you know the days go by...

Coffee Crisis

I am down and out with the flu today, but your intrepid blogger couldn't help commenting on Starbuck's faux coffee crisis.

The word in latte land is that Starbucks will be closing all locations this afternoon (starting at 5:30PM local time), in order to train its employees.

[Link]

If I weren't already a huge fan of Dunkin Donuts, this would clearly push me over the top. For in response, D&D is offering promotional espressos for only $0.99!

Obama Smear Photo?

You decide.



[Link]

Via Drudge Report.

Ralph Nader In

Green Party crusader Ralph Nader officially launched his 2008 bid for President.

[Link]

With national polls showing a close race between Republicans and Democrats, here's hoping Ralph does very well, indeed.

Go, Ralph, go!

Crooked Congress

But for once, it ain't ours. The BBC ran a story yesterday morning exposing rank corruption in the European Parliament (EP).

For the Americans out there, here's a quick primer on institution: the EP is roughly equivalent to the U.S. House of Representatives with its members directly elected by European Union member nations. The upper house, by contrast, is the Council of the European Union that consists of upper-level ministers appointed by the governments of EU member nations. I cannot really like compare it with today's U.S. Senate, but it is sort of like the U.S. Senate pre-Seventeenth Amendment.

[Link]

The storyline, however, ought to be quite familiar to readers here. The storm in the Old Country brews over good old abuses of funds.

EP members get some $32,000 per month to hire staffers. Like any good corrupt official is apt to do, some of the members either pocket the cash, or pay the lion's share to a spouse while giving interns a "pittance" for actually doing the work.

The motivation for corruption stems from the disparity of salary. EP members make only what legislators make in their home countries. So, the gap is wide between places like Italy and say Latvia for example.

I find nothing about the story so terribly surprising. It seems rather obvious that where no rules govern the use of funds, elected officials are inclined to abuse of their expense allowances rather than use them judiciously. Often, even when rules are in place, elected officials are inclined to abuse their expense allowances. Just ask Tom Delay.

What is sort of surprising to me, however, is the amount of media coverage the story has received. The press corp in the United States tends to myopically focus on matters hand. Thus, a story on Britney Spears latest foray into psychiatric care will receive more coverage than corruption in one of the most powerful European Parliaments.

Accordingly, we hear nary a peep about corruption in such a powerful world body. Even in the UK reporting has been limited to a blog post on the Economist.

It makes one wonder how much news we actually miss by reading news sources only from the States...

When President's Dance

Much hay has been made on the Interwebs about the video below of President Bush dancing at a photo-op in Liberia.

A couple of thoughts:

This is only surprising to those folks who think the President lacks such basic elements of humanity such as, oh, a soul. Bush is a former cheerleader from Yale> That he'd dance a bit to catchy music is hardly surprising.

Second, it's generous to call the below dancing. It's merely moving at best.

Google Monster Grow

Look for civil libertarians to be up in arms over the presser below. For a change, I'm not sure I disagree. Google is set to handle patients' medical records.

[Link]

Won't it be convenient to find out what illnesses friends and colleagues have?

When Losers Win: Lessons from the Greatest Wine Ever Made

I count it my recent, good fortune to have discovered Slate Magazine. While their political pieces leave me ill, I generally find their food and travel section most agreeable (in fairness, their politics section is nearly always amusing, albeit repugnant). Last week's article on the 1947 Cheval Blanc proved no exception to my guilty pleasure.

For the $4 Merlot drinkers out there, the quick and dirty on the '47 Cheval Blanc is that it is widely considered by wine connoisseurs to be the finest wine ever made. This point of itself will probably not surprise many. Even the most boorish among us can appreciate a fine wine. But what may be surprising, is the rest of the story (to quote Paul Harvey); and it is toward this literary end that Mike Steinberger's piece in Slate Magazine is helpful.

[Link]

According to Steinberger, the birth of the '47 Cheval Blanc hearkens back to the days of climate dependent vintages. Back in ye olden days of wine making, the Bordeaux region of France was renowned for producing excellent wines primarily due to its temperate climate. To wit, the Bordeaux region provided an ethereal mix of humidity and dryness, creating some of the most succulent grapes in the world; which were then used to create some of the most beloved wines in the world.

What makes this point difficult to appreciate, as Steinberger notes, is that today nearly every vintage produced creates a drinkable wine. Be it the La Mancha region of Spain or, god forbid, Napa Valley here in the States, modern vintners nearly always get it right. Advancements in climate controlled cellars, modern farming technologies, and an abundant workforce all combine to make wine the $100 Billion industry it is today.

Unfortunately, the cost-benefit trade off is that many wines lose their originality. Call it selling out to the man, if you will. In times past, wine production was eminently dependent upon the summer vintage. Factors contributing to the summer vintage included: whether the summer was too hot; whether precipitation was received in the correct proportion to heat; whether acts of God conspired to frustrate the above; and whether all of these factors at issue found an alignment of the stars in producing the perfect bottle.

Enter the year 1947. Pakistan gained independence from Britain. Jackie Robinson became the first black to play baseball. UFOs were cited in Roswell, NM. President Truman implemented his eponymous doctrine. And a small vineyard in western France called Château Cheval Blanc was in the midst of what promised to be a rather terrible year.

Building on his laconic imagery, Steinberger describes the challenge of that year as follows:

July and August were blazing hot months, and the conditions turned downright tropical in September. By the time the harvest began, the grapes had more or less roasted on the vine, and the oppressive heat followed the fruit right into the cellar.

Adding straw to the camel's back, local ice distributors could scarce keep up with the demand for regional ice provisions. Many wineries were neglected for want of more pressing demands from butchers, fishermen, and presumably undertakers. Even so, by some, miracle means, the small vineyard at Cheval Blanc was able to forage just enough ice to save the vintage.

Yet, this fact alone provided little consolation to the vintners. By nearly all accounts, the combination of scorching heat and steamy damp from that 1947 summer should have ruined the vineyard's production. Rather, quite the opposite occurred:

The '47s signature flaws—the residual sugar and volatile acidity—were readily apparent, but it was just as Lurton had said: In this wine, the flaws inexplicably became virtues. The analogy that sprang to mind wasn't port; it was Forrest Gump. This was the Forrest Gump of wines—clearly defective, completely charmed.

At risk of seeming overly introspective, it occurs to me that much of life is quite analogous to the '47 Cheval Blanc. It would be almost platitudinous to suggest that life is full of obstacles. Just ask any law student if you disagree with this given. But the interesting link between the story and life is how the improbable, seemingly dire circumstances of our existence combine to produce something truly magnificent.

As Steinberger indicates above, it is the peculiarities and blemishes which make the world's finest wine great. Consider that modern vintners have every technology and every comfort at their disposal in creating passable, drinkable wine year-in, year-out. Indeed, the entire industry prospers as a result of such technical prowess and dexterity.

But what makes the greatest wine preeminent is its flawed idiosyncrasies.

The '47 Cheval Blanc is a wine which ought never to have been. Borrowing a bit from Steinberger, the wine is in fact very much like a lover- its faults become qualities. One learns to appreciate the flaws. What once was irksome becomes endearing. Borrowing from personal recollection, I believe this rifling to be mostly true. In fact, over time, love tends to become its own end. And eventually the loud imperfections of being slowly yield to the quiet acceptance of night.

Parsing the matter theologically, it is not difficult to recall the words of Christ in Matthew 21:42:

"The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone."

[Link]

Odd that the '47 Cheval Blanc shares with the Savior the least common denominator of rejection. Yet, in their prime, both surely were rejected. Of course, both also had their own vindication in time. The Christ would go on to turn water into wine and save humanity. The '47 Cheval Blanc would go on to turn wine into something different entirely.

It may be a fair to question exactly what the purpose is of this ambling exploration of thought.

I have no specific conclusions.

The mark of a good lawyer is always to answer it depends, except when it doesn't. But an important point for consideration in this assessment are the remarks made earlier about originality and vintage.

Here lately, amid interviews and career workshops, I have come to realize that sometimes the trend of life becomes more important in our consciousness than the living of life.

In fact, life, in many ways, resembles the plight of modern vintners. Streamlined. Efficeint. Predictable. Perhaps even stale (or at least starved for novelty). But good wines, like quirky people, remind us that breaking with convention is often a fine departure from the status quo.

Going it alone, damning the man, or even fording the river- regardless of whether your oxen dies- can help one stay true to one's self. Life, as a result, may still not yield the perfect bottle. Just look at the people around you. But what it does yield will still have done the trick.

In turn, I think the following life lessons from the world's greatest wine might be useful to consider:

To the discouraged, I would posit that the summers of life need not leave you scorched.

To the encouraged, consider your flaws- they may be your strengths.

To the optimistic, I would posit that like modern vintners convention is not always best.

To the dour, consider that even the worst of vintages can yield something great.

And, most importantly, winners lose- like the 2007 New England Patriots. And on occasion, losers win- like the 1947 Cheval Blanc.

Progress and Iraq

The mainstream press outright concedes that marked progress has been made in Iraq. Nevertheless, some Democrats in tune with their inner defeatist continue to try and snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Since the war began, the far-left advocated negotiations in Iraq which would reduce American troop levels while turning security of the country over to Iraqi forces. President Bush's "arrogant" foreign policy and "go-it-alone" mentality were anathema back when anti-war was in vogue.

Now that such negotiations are actually in the works, the Senate's liberal lamb Ted Kennedy advocates the opposite:

The stakes are high, and these negotiations move us in the wrong direction. America has given the Iraqi people nearly five years of blood and treasure. It's wrong for President Bush to try to bind the next president and lock the nation indefinitely into the endless quagmire that the Iraq war has become.

Iraq is not like the majority of other countries in the world. Its government is dysfunctional, and the country is at war with itself. America does not have a long-term military commitment with any other country, and adopting one with Iraq does not serve our national interest.

[Link]

Aside from Kennedy's obvious about face on negotiations, I found it rather curious that the Senator from Massachusetts believes America has no military commitments with any other country.

Perhaps it was a scotch induced stupor that caused him to forget American forces currently stationed in Afghanistan, Germany, Iraq, Italy, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.

Sen. Kennedy has spent some twenty years in public life and still fails to apprehend the nature of American military commitments. But perhaps this reflects well on his party's presumptive Presidential nominee.

If after twenty years in the Senate Ted Kennedy still doesn't get it, who says his Sen. Obama needs anything more than a one word platform?

Song of the Week: Bigger Fish To Fry

Having decided in the last week to resume the actual purchase of CDs, it seems appropriate to once again resurrect the Pax Plena song of the week.

Here to kick off the latest weekly installment, the song below appears courtesy of Brad Paisley's newest album, 5th Gear.

I'll not scoop the song but it is hilarious (though the user video created below is only mildly amusing) and even tangentially dabbles in theology.

My regular readers will surely appreciate the heretic in me. The practical minded among us might even call it the Gospel in a nut shell.

Please enjoy Brad Paisley's Bigger Fish to Fry. Lyrics follow after the jump.



Bigger Fish to Fry

I said a bad word when I was a kid.
Mamma said that I'd be sorry for the sin that I did.
My daddy whooped me and the
preacher said shame.
And I tried like hell to change.

But I cuss,
And I smoke,
I laugh at dirty jokes.
The minor vices, man I know 'em well.
I've closed down bars.
I've lusted in my heart.
My exes think I oughta burn in hell.
But the devil, he won't notice when I die.
Yeah, don't you figure he's got bigger fish to fry?

Politicians taking pork barrel bribes.
Crooked CEOs are getting off with no time.
Christmas Eve burglars stealing good children's toys.
(Can't say Christmas).
Holiday burglars stealing good children's toys.

I cuss,
I smoke,
I laugh at dirty jokes.
The minor vices, man I know 'em well.
I've closed down bars (yeah, many a one).
I've lusted in my heart.
My ex thinks that I oughta burn in hell.
But the devil, won't even notice when I die. (bet he does)
Yeah, don't you figure he's got bigger fish to fry?

Serve em up!

(instrumental)

Yeah there's gonna be bonfire burning
An everlasting barbecue
But with all the bad stuff going on,
There ain't gonna be room for me and you.

(Chorus 2)
'Cause we cuss,
We smoke.
We laugh at Tater's jokes. (spoken)-> Tell one Jim.
"You know you're old when your wife says 'honey let's run upstairs and make love' and your answer is 'I cannot do both.'"
The minor vices, man we know em well.
We've closed down bars.
We've lusted in our hearts.
Our exes think we ougta burn in hell. (you got it wrong, it's the other way round)
But the devil, he won't notice when we die.
Hey, don't you figure he's got bigger fish to fry?
Yeah don't you figure he's got bigger fish to fry?

Pass the tartar sauce

When we all get to heaven what a day of rejoicing it will be.

Former President Bush Backs McCain

One would be hard pressed to call it a bold endorsement coming at all but the conclusion of the GOP primary, but former President George H.W. Bush gave his nod to Sen. John McCain today.

[Link]

A Nation is Born

Kosovo's declaration of independence and its propriety will soon mark an intense debate across much of the old country. For now, it has received the blessing of most Western European governments and the United States.

Russia and China, of course, cry foul.

Even while I maintain a staunch cynicism of all things government and geo-political, one cannot help but admire the precociousness of the Kosovars.

Words need not be so elegant to understand the magnitude of history. As the President said:

"The Kosovars are now independent."

[Link]

For Americans, I would think our support of fledging movements for independence- particularly, those in the cold glare of Russia- would be a given. Of course, with any decision to support a nation's move toward freedom there are consequences. Consider, wars have been started for much less.

But in light of history, the Kosovars' declaration cannot help but give us some reminder of our younger, more elastic self.

It was, after all, not so terribly long ago that our own Nation was similarly precocious in issuing a declaration of independence to the most powerful country on earth during the thick of a humid Philadelphia summer.

[Link]

The Lost Art of Political Satire

With depressing issues like war and brokered conventions on today's political menu, humor is rarer a happenstance than a Clinton primary win.

The link below, however, does an admirable job of introducing satire back into political vogue. I will not say it is well written, but it is certainly amusing and, of course, timely- as all good satire is.

[Link]

Really, the article reminds yours truly of how lacking satirical pieces are on this slice of the web (though an effort was made in the Valentine's piece below). It also underscores the difficulty in writing a truly satirical article that captures both humor and relevancy in the age of the 24-hour news cycle.

My own assessment is that while satire surely is not dead, our language and culture have lost much from its comatose state.

Valentine's Day Hope

Disclaimer: Since Sen. Barack Hussein Obama has officially trademarked the word "hope," I want to make clear from the outset that this post is completely unrelated to Sen. Obama and his one word campaign (more on that later).

Rather, this post is to commemorate (or commiserate depending on your view), St. Valentine's Day.

What hope do I bring on this world's day of love, you ask?

Two-fold:

A) The world's fattest man just dropped 507 lbs. If he can do it, you too can work off that holiday roll gathered 'round your middle.

B) The world's fattest man is engaged. If you're feeling single and lonely this Valentine's Day, just know that if the fattest man in the world can find love you can too.

[Link]

Happy Valentine's Day!

Candid Carville

Democrat politico James Carville gave a briefs assessment of Hillary Clinton's election prospects to the Orlando Sentinel.

[Link]

While the remarks were pretty much spot on, I found his comments about Democrats quite funny as well:

"For both you Democrats out there, I got good news for you. We have to literally talk our way out of wining this election.

For the Republicans, being a lifelong member of the Democratic party, I can assure you we are perfectly capable of doing that."

We can call Carville many things but boring is not among them.

Barack Obama and False Hope

Shamelessly lifted from a friend on Facebook, the link below explains with lucidity the reasons sensible minds ought to question Sen. Obama's candidacy.

Here's an excerpt:

Beijing, Moscow, Tehran, Pyongyang, Islamabad, Gaza City, Khartoum, Caracas-does Obama really believe that he has something to propose to these ruthless regimes that they have not already considered? Does he plan to move them, to organize them, to show them change they can believe in?

[Link]

I suppose reasonable folks could disagree as to the answers. But I'd put the house money on, "No."

NRO Insults Huckabee

Articles like the one below, courtesy of GOP propagandist the National Review, underscore exactly why Gov. Mike Huckabee should stay in the Republican race.

Besides utterly discounting Huck's able record as a Governor, and his impressive southern credentials, the NRO encourages Sen. McCain to appoint the Governor not as VP (or any other meaningful position) but as Secretary of Education.

[Link]

For once, Pat Buchanan actually gets it right in his assessment of the race. Buchanan argues:

For too long conservatives have suppressed their convictions or meekly submitted, so as not to oppose a Republican president or get out of step with the party leadership.

[Link]

He goes on to list various conservative follies over the past twenty years en route to making the point that debate is healthy for the GOP (even as it is for the Dems, I would argue, given their brewing intra-party civil war).

For once, I couldn't agree more with Pat Buchanan.

Or as Gov. Huckabee said recently, "Competition breeds excellence. The absence of competition breeds mediocrity."

Global Warming?

Tell that to the folks in International Falls, MN.

[Link]

WSJ: Michelle Obama Solidifies Her Role in the Election

I read the above headline and its inanity struck me.

Michelle Obama is his wife. How much more solidified can her role be?

[Link]

The State of the GOP

The New York Times has once again out done itself.

While I typically dismiss it as the liberal rag of a publication it is, I cannot help but appreciate its coverage of the primary races in both parties to date.

This leaves me a bit concerned. As a Conservative I am predisposed to dislike the Times. Though, it has recently graced Firefox as my homepage (gasp). But take comfort dear readers. My heart is by no means lacerated. It has not yet begun to bleed.

Even so, the NYT had an interesting article offering a frank assessment of the Republican Party. I am surprised at how accurate it is.

Aptly titled "Republican Reformation," author Ross Douthat of The Atlantic argues that the GOP is at present more concerned with ideological purity than it is with coalition building and expanding the party's appeal (viz. beating the Democrats).

Having endured the primaries ad nauseum, I couldn't agree more. Regardless of how the nomination falls, this Beltway outsider couldn't be more thrilled to see the Washington chattering-class eat crow.

I will refrain from publishing excerpts (it's that good), but I fully encourage all interested parties to take a look and see if it squares with your own assessment of the GOP.

[Link]

New Goals

Long-term financial goals are a distant point on the horizon for this lowly law student.

But thanks to the NYT I now have a new one...

[Link]

Ron Paul Out, Sort of

Also ran GOP candidate Ron Paul announced that he will focus his energies on seeking re-election in his Galveston area district.

[Link]

Ron Paul supporters can take solace in that their $30 Million gives the Congressman a healthy re-election war chest, even if his Presidential prospects were a silly investment.

Huck Wins Kansas

If the race for the 2008 GOP Nomination is over, don't tell that to Republicans in Kansas.

[Link]

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee won the Kansas Republican caucus by a commanding 62-22% margin over Sen. John McCain.

Dobson Endorses Huckabee

I would say it's about time, but that would be too obvious. Focus on the Family, founder James Dobson finally made an endorsement today in the GOP Presidential Race. He likes Gov. Mike Huckabee over John McCain.

[Link]

Dobson's reluctance to endorse was explained as not wanting to publicly support either of the two supposedly pro-life candidates still in the race, Huckabee and Romney. I would explain it as political pragmatics- but I'm more jaded than most.

It certainly is true, however, that Huckabee needs whatever boost he can get out of Dobson's nod. For Huckabee supporters it's only too bad the endorsement comes so late in the game.

Update: CNN has more on the Dobson endorsement.

The Great Debate: Who Created Huckabee?

With Romney gone and Gov. Mike Huckabee vowing to stay in, we may hear this question a bit more: Who created Mike Huckabee?


[Link]

Fortunately, Conan O'Brien, Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert have resolved to settle the matter once and for all.

Romney Out.

One word: prescience.

[Link]

Romney Out?

Who knows.

But a come to Jesus meeting with DC supporters can't be a good thing for Mitt Romney...

[Link}

Super Tuesday Lesson: Republicans Hate Romney

Time Magazine has a splendid write up giving a frank assessment of where each candidate currently stands.

But mainly, I wanted note the below because it praises John McCain for winning America's most conservative state. Can you guess which one?

Oklahoma.

[Link]

Personal pride aside, Time had a second article even more worthy of your consideration. It highlights in plain language the lesson of Super Tuesday. Republicans are finally rallying behind a common cause (some might even say a noble cause).

They all "hate" Willard Mitt Romney. Here's an excerpt for the tempting:

At times, this apparent rancor among the other candidates toward Romney has seemed like a schoolyard pact — for example, in the many snarky comments aimed at Romney during the Republican debate on Jan. 5, just before the New Hampshire primary. The campaigns have denied there's any political collusion going on; they insist all of them simply feel the same way about Romney.

[Link]

I knew Romney's dislike on the trail was obvious. I had no idea how Romney tended to unite his opponents against him.

All in all, an interesting read.

Wednesday Morning Super Tuesday Wrap Up

Well, Super Tuesday has come and gone here in these United States. On the Republican side, the story of the evening was two-fold really (on the Democrat side, more of the same. Large turn-out. No clear front-runner).

First, the surprising showing of Gov. Mike Huckabee down south left pundits and opponents alike scrambling for explanation. Huck picked up solid wins in AL, AR, GA, TN, and an upstart win in WV to kick the day off. Arizona Senator John McCain cleaned up in most other places. Mitt Romney was an also ran by-line at the end of the evening.

What makes the Romney situation interesting is that it highlights the weak embrace of his candidacy as the Conservative alternative to John McCain. With Hucakbee's win in the evangelical south, one could argue that if such an alternative is present in the race, that figure is Huckabee, less Romney.

Second, Huck's win in the south also underscores the reluctance on the part of conservative Republicans to embrace John McCain as front-runner. Big Mac won big in a number of states tonight, but his win saw Huckabee and Romney splitting the conservative vote in most of the states he captured. Were either to drop out, the race would suddenly be much more competitive.

Of course, precisely because the race would get more competitive, it is now highly unlikely that either Romney or Huckabee will call it quits anytime soon.

Evaluating the reluctance point a bit more, Sen. McCain's day began inauspiciously, with an anti-endorsement from Focus on the Family head, James Dobson.

Dobson remarked:

"I am deeply disappointed the Republican Party seems poised to select a nominee who did not support a Constitutional amendment to protect the institution of marriage, voted for embryonic stem-cell research to kill nascent human beings, opposed tax cuts that ended the marriage penalty, has little regard for freedom of speech, organized the Gang of 14 to preserve filibusters in judicial hearings, and has a legendary temper and often uses foul and obscene language.

[Link]

The unfortunate point of the Dobson fiasco, as an avowed partisan, is that Gov. Huckabee falls in line with nearly every major policy issue mentioned in diatribe. Yet for reasons which boggle the mind, leaders of the so-called Christian right refuse to endorse Huckabee's candidacy. To wit, Dobson complains needlessly. Even a tepid endorsement of Huckabee- arguably the most pro-family candidate remaining- prior to Super Tuesday could have had a sizable impact on the race.

So, while I a appreciate Dobson's concerns (at the very least it underscores the need for more outreach should Sen. McCain get the nod) I find it hard to sympathize because an alternative exists. In sum, Dobson is a complicit part of his perceived problem.

Quick aside: I remain unconvinced that Dobson's laundry list of issues represents the whole of evangelical orthodoxy and concern. As the Kristof article I flagged earlier this week shows, poverty, the environment and humanitarian concerns also play a large part in the political calculus of many born-again Christians. Simply put, being pro-life now encompasses much more than protecting the un-born. Based on his press release, Dobson's focus on the family seems myopic.

Alas, the old-guard of the evangelical movement seems well adrift from the hearts and minds of today's evangelical voter...

Super Tuesday: Romney Loses, Then Complains

Well, folks, Super Tuesday is firmly upon us. If you haven't already, take a trip down to the local precinct and cast your vote. Preferably for Mike Huckabee.

In a bit of good news for Huck, the results out in West Virginia have fallen his way. And as one might expect, far from being a gracious loser, GOP candidate Willard Mitt Romney has instead opted to cry foul:

Unfortunately, this is what Senator McCain’s inside Washington ways look like: he cut a backroom deal with the tax-and-spend candidate he thought could best stop Governor Romney’s campaign of conservative change,” Beth Myers, Romney’s campaign manager, said in a statement.

[Link]

Team Romney can spin this how they will. But it sounds to me like someone is just a sore loser....

Worst Articles on Super Tuesday

I normally call attention to articles worthy of review based on their unique perspective or particular insight.

The following articles, I flag for their foolishness.

The columns currently rank #1 and #2 respectively for worst pieces written about tomorrow's Super Tuesday primary.

The first comes from Bob Greene who offers voters the sage advice of considering what the President will look like if he serves two terms:

So take a look at those faces, between now and tomorrow night. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to do it — they’ll be all over your television screens. One of those faces, in all likelihood, will be in the newspapers and magazines four years from now, or eight years from now. What the presidency has done to that one face will make it look as if the face, and its owner, have been through terrible battle and conflict, and have paid the price.

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The only point I can distill from Greene's drivel is that we ought to elect the most attractive candidate so that they will not look like death incarnate in eight years.

This eliminates only Hillary Clinton.

I expected deeper insight than Hillary Clinton is ugly from an "award-winning journalist and best-selling author."

The second worst article written about Super Tuesday is courtesy of WaPo Columnist David Broder. In it, Broder bemoans the 'shallowness' of the primary process and the fact that candidates cannot be everywhere at once:

Voters in 24 states, spanning the continent and ranging in size from California and New York down to Delaware and North Dakota, will cast ballots. They may well settle the Republican nomination and go a long way toward resolving the identity of the Democratic candidate.

Few of those voters will have had more than a quick glimpse of the candidates, who have had little time to devote to the entire country since the last single-state contests in South Carolina and Florida.

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Granted, I went to college in New Hampshire where you couldn't get a burger without running into a candidate. And perhaps I'm being overly simplistic, but I would hardly argue that lack of face time with the candidate makes the process shallow.

Broder seems to think that most Americans in the 'fly-over' states lack basic technologies such as Television and the internet. It's not as if AP news stories are being 'telegraphed' to people out in Kansas. Contrary to Washington opinion, Fox and CNN come in just as clear in the vast middle of the country as it does in DC and New York.

The chattering class may even be surprised to know that most Americans take the initiative to be engage the political process. In fact, many will actually go the extra mile and vote tomorrow. In so doing, they will even make perfectly reasonable and intelligent choices without having shaken their candidates hand.

Who knew Americans could be so resourceful? Fear not David Broder. All will be well.

Giant Win

Infamy it is. Congrats to the NY Football Giants on their win in Super Bowl XLII.

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The New England Patriots wind up an impressive season with a bitter loss, finishing 18-1.

Update: As seen in the comments, for those Pats fans in denial this handy item from Amazon.com may help soothe open wounds. It might also add insult to injury. But after having gone 18-1 is there a difference?

Super Bowl XLII: History or Infamy?

Sports Illustrated, in a surprisingly poetic title, described this year's Super Bowl as one of history or infamy with for the New England Patriots.

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My money is on infamy.

If there is any justice at all in this world, a team which had to cheat to win ought not win the Super Bowl. Of course, the Pats are playing the New York Giants so all bets are off for this blogger.

While I have about as much faith in Eli Manning as I have in Mitt Romney to govern consistently, here's hoping the G-men pull it out and take down the evil empire.

Go Giants!

The Liberal Olive Branch to Evangelicals

In many ways, Nicholas Kristof is a typical New York Times columnist. He has taken positions in a variety of columns which are utterly antithetical toward my more conservative sensibilities. His reporting, however, has also made valuable contributions on issues of social justice around the world, particularly in the area of sex trafficking in Southeast Asia.

But today, Kristof has extended an olive branch of sorts toward evangelicals which, frankly, leaves me both stunned and more than a bit grateful.

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The crux of Kristof's column is the following:

Liberals believe deeply in tolerance and over the last century have led the battles against prejudices of all kinds, but we have a blind spot about Christian evangelicals. They constitute one of the few minorities that, on the American coasts or university campuses, it remains fashionable to mock.

Hypocrisy in any form is distasteful. But the myth of tolerance embraced by so many on the left toward Christian evangelicals has long been a glaring blight in my own assessment of liberal orthodoxy.

Kristof will doubtless receive many an email calling him everything under the sun from sellout to prescient. In fact, the very column I laud has its own whisper of conservative bashing which makes the NYT fashionable. But it's hard to argue that he doesn't get it right.

There remain many areas in which liberals and evangelicals can partner in seeking creative solutions to major issues (including climate change, and international humanitarian crises).

Politically, the challenge of our generation will be to seek out these partnerships over our differences

Sugar Mamas and Boy Toys Hits NYC

It's a bit off putting to consider but, hey, it's a plan b should law school not work out...

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The Huckabee Factor

I have resisted so far offering thoughts on the quasi-National primary coming up this Tuesday but a good blogger can only resist so long before weighing-in on such a major National event.

A more complete analysis will follow. For now, the Boston Globe, oddly, has the best assessment of Super Tuesday:

The Huckabee factor may be getting relatively little attention nationally in the Republican nomination battle because the former Arkansas governor has failed to repeat his Iowa victory. But in a region that has equal or greater evangelical strength than Iowa, Huckabee may become the decisive factor - at Romney's expense.

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The analysis is too tidy to be utterly accurate, but I agree with its basic premise: Romney still doesn't play well with Evangelicals.

The mainstream media's take is that Huckabee's presence in the south could tip many of these states to John McCain. This is fine conventional wisdom. But what happens if Huckabee rakes in a good chunk of Southern delegates?

Granted, I'm a 'true-believer' and hoping Huck pulls it out, but I submit that the scenario isn't completely far-fetched.

Out of 2,380 delegates, the Republican nominee will need to surpass 1,191. Huckabee is ahead of McCain in Georgia. He's within five points of McCain in Tennessee, Missouri and Alabama. Huck is forecasted to win in Arkansas and my home state, Oklahoma. Wins in these states combine for some 308 delegates.

On the other hand, it is important to keep in mind that not all of the states voting on Super Tuesday are winner-take all primaries. In fact, many of these states will award delegates on a proportional scheme based upon the percentage of the GOP vote each candidate wins. The key, then, will be for the candidates to target states they feel most attainable and hope to attract big percentages of the vote in states they do not win. Simply put, much remains to be determined.

I would never be so brazen as to guarantee victory in any of these scenarios but it is interesting to consider how different the race might be were Huck to have a big day in the south.

MoveOn Obama

Far-left fringe organization MoveOn.org announced their formal endorsement of Illinois Senator Barack Obama.

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The endorsement follows one day after a National Journal study was released which crowned Obama as the Nation's most liberal Senator.

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Terrific endorsements all around from my view.

They will surely be a boon to Sen. Obama in the primary which could well help him defeat Hillary.

They will also be a tremendous weight against him when Republicans raise the issue come November.

I can see the ads now...