Strollerderby : hillary clinton

Morning News -- Layoffs and Vampires Edition

Brett Singer — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Friday, Friday, Friday! Let's get to it, people.

"Obama to Set Benchmarks in Fight Against Militants." So sayeth the New York Times. What's that conversation like? "Have we found Osama Bin Laden? No? Okay, what else you got?" Another headline from the Times: "Pakistani and Afghan Taliban Unify in Face of U.S. Influx." Oh goody. Sounds fun. Not.

Here in North America, it's layoffs, layoffs and more layoffs -- Google (200 people laid off), the New York Times (100 people laid off and most remaining employees taking a 5 percent pay cut), and the Canadian Broadcasting Company (800 jobs cut, hoping to sell some assets). Google? Really? That's not good.

Speaking of Canada ("C'mon, say 'about' one more time. Please?"), Garth Drabinsky was finally found guilty. Drabinsky was the head of Livent, the producer of the Broadway shows 'Ragtime' and 'Kiss of the Spider Woman.' I admit that I was somewhat giddy to read news of Drabinsky's legal demise; I used to work in theater and was fascinated by the brazen way he left the United States to avoid prosecution. Apparently Garth and his co-hort Myron Gottlieb pulled a Max Bialystock and kept two sets of books -- one fiction, one non. What I've never completely understood about schemes like this is why they keep them both. Wouldn't it make more sense to only keep the fake books? I don't want to give anyone ideas or anything. No word on whether or not Garth is wearing a cardboard belt. (I hope someone gets that reference.) Amazingly, Garth has been appearing on a Canadian reality show called "Triple Sensation" where he and some other people "look for young stars who can sing, act and dance." But not add. That's not needed. Despite Garth's conviction, there will be a season 2. I might need to find that show. (If you want to know the whole saga of Garth, click here.)

If you live in New York and ride public transportation, prepare to pay more. The MTA voted for a big fare increase and cuts in service. Hey, at least it's green.

Speaking of New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has resorted to quoting Popeye the Sailor. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

By the way, if anyone didn't know what I meant when I referred to funny car radio ads, here's an example. Except that this ad is for church. "Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!" Seriously. Check it out. Consider this your "Moment of Zen", Daily Show style.

And speaking of Comedy Central: I like Stephen Colbert, but naming a space station after him is stupid. The faux-conservative's fans "stuffed the virtual ballot box with 230,539 write-in votes, overriding the four official choices NASA offered," according to Wired.com. NASA can change their mind, but why did they put themselves in this position? Not exactly rocket scientists over there, are they? Oh. Oh! Never mind.

Finally, a fun little item from Gawker. Students at the Boston Latin School have been spreading rumors that the prestigious institute of pre-higher learning is infested with vampires. According to MTV.com, "The headmaster [had become] concerned that some students' safety might be jeopardized, particularly if they were accused of being members of the undead." (Maybe private school doesn't always offer the best education.) Police were called. Parents were alarmed. But school officials promised that it's not true. Then they turned into bats and flew away. (Note: They didn't really turn into bats. Although the rest of the story, as far as I know, is true.)

Thanks for joining me on Morning News the past two weeks. I'll be handing things back over to Madeline, but will continue to do a daily round-up of newsy goodness at DaddyTips.com. Have a great weekend, don't take any wooden nickels.

Image: SXC

Husband Loses Job, Wife Loses Respect For Him

UPDATE - Josef Fritzl Sentenced To Life In Psychiatric Institution

Oprah Gets It Right On Chris Brown

Soldier Gives Birth At Army Barracks

Heath Ledger's Daughter Gets His Oscar

The Dr. Phil And OctoMom Show

Morning News -- Twitter Makes Nothing But Is Worth Something

Brett Singer — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Welcome to Thursday! Yesterday I outed myself as one of the millions of Americans who knows zip about college basketball. I guess that's what happens when you go to a Division III school. On the plus side, I received a quality liberal arts education that allows me to do… well, this.

We'll start with something fun -- a Queens man played the lottery using the last three digits of Bernie Madoff's prison number and won $1500. The Daily News points out that this is a "16,000% return on his $9 investment - far more than even Madoff promised his bilked investors." It turns out that 501 other people hit a winner with those same three numbers (0-5-4, if you want to try it out yourself).

Back to the NCAA for a moment: Yahoo! Sports released a report claiming that the University of Connecticut violated recruiting rules in their contact with former player Nate Miles. Lots of people claim that the NCAA's rules are too confusing to follow, but I have an easy solution: hands off. Oh, but what about the shoe companies? They can contact the players. Well, under my plan, they can't. No one can. Amateur is amateur. If you want to play college ball, you can't accept any gifts from anyone at all. Ever. End of story. Of cause, its not that easy, but the solution isn't "make the rules go away", which is what some nudniks are saying.

Speaking of nudniks, somebody bilked Apple out of 9,000 iPod shuffles. What, you couldn't get them to send you a Touch? Piker.

A Chihuahua named Pebbles saved her owner from freezing to death when the two were stranded in the mountains of Wales. Beverley Burkitt is a dwarf, small enough that the little dog could keep her warm until help arrived. I still prefer bigger dogs, but this is a sweet story.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says that our "insatiable demand for illegal drugs" is partly to blame for all of the violence happening in Mexico. "I feel very strongly we have a co-responsibility." Well, it takes a village.

Democratic Senator Benjamin Cardin would like to help newspapers survive by letting them "restructure as nonprofits with a variety of tax breaks." Since many of them are losing money anyway, sure, why not? The bill had no co-sponsors as of Tuesday. BusinessInsider thinks that there are some papers that will survive even without Cardin's bill. Personally, I like newspapers, but I'm forcing myself to read more news online beacuse that's where it's going, whether I like it or not.

Twitter is going to start trying to make actual money, although maybe they shouldn't bother -- despite having no revenue at all so far, the company was recently valued at $250 million, according to Julia Boorstin at CNBC. Potential sources of cash are "the ability to search what people are saying in real time", and since such searches are valuable, the ads placed next to them are also valuable. And Twittter CEO Evan Williams also wants to start "charging companies who use the site to reach customers, helping them better target and communicate." I know it makes me sound like a luddite, but sometimes I hate the new economy. Would somebody please go back to making money by making stuff that people want to buy?

Finally, Monster vs. Aliens opens tomorrow. If you have kids, you'll probably be seeing it. Let us know what you think.

That's all for today -- see you on Friday, folks.

Image: SXC

Husband Loses Job, Wife Loses Respect For Him

UPDATE - Josef Fritzl Sentenced To Life In Psychiatric Institution

Oprah Gets It Right On Chris Brown

Soldier Gives Birth At Army Barracks

Heath Ledger's Daughter Gets His Oscar

The Dr. Phil And OctoMom Show

A Michelle Obama, Sarah Palin, Hillary Clinton or Nancy Pelosi Preschool - Which Would You Pick?

SunnyChanel — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 22:30:00 GMT

Who would you most trust with your offspring, Michelle Obama, Sarah Palin, Hillary Clinton or Nancy Pelosi? No, this is not the start of barroom joke. This are the contestants in the “Who’d Run the Best Daycare” poll currently running of US World and Review. So who’s winning? According to today’s results, over 60% said they choose Sarah Palin, followed by 35% for Michelle Obama and just a mere 2% for Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi.

Yeah, I’m not sure why they opted to fantasize about four of the most popular and powerful female political figures dabbling in the career in the daycare industry. How about a poll on ‘who’d you most like to run the country’, ‘who’s biography you’d like to read’ or ‘who’d you’d most like to have drinks with.’ But if they did, I wouldn't be writing about it right now would i? You can see how the standing are doing here.

Via Source

Girls More Confident Since Presidential Election

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:35:00 GMT

50 percent of girls ages 12 to 17 have more confidence since the presidential election, according to a study by the Girl Scout Research Foundation. The study of 3,284 adolescent girls also found that half of young women now believe they will be able to achieve their goals, and 55 percent feel more comfortable speaking their minds.

The Girl Scout Research Foundation speculates (unsurprisingly) that the inclusion of two female candidates—Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin—drastically affected young girls for the better.

I would guess that the election of the nation’s first black president has also increased girls’ confidence in their chances for success. Seeing an African-American family in the White House is a wonderfully concrete demonstration that glass ceilings can be shattered to smithereens.

Photo: Jezebel

Morning News – Drunken Jokers With Bionic Limbs And Flying Cars

Brett Singer — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 14:00:00 GMT

Happy Friday, everyone!

Comments on yesterday's Morning News got pretty heated. I considered doing nothing but stories about puppies, rainbows and sunshine today, but decided that was no fun. And as it turns out, the "Crossfire"-esque commenting has morphed into an interesting back and forth between persons of differing political persuasions. Thank you to everyone from both sides of the aisle who weighed in; check out the debate here.

Diane Sawyer appeared to be drunk during the Inauguration coverage on ABC. Was she celebrating Obama's victory? Is she a McCain voter trying to forget? No one knows. While it's not completely certain that she was nipping at the sauce, this video makes a darn good case for it.

Caroline Kennedy (Schlossberg) did indeed bail on her quest to be a Senator without the hassle of actually winning an election. The New York Times is reporting that "Problems involving taxes and a household employee" were uncovered during the vetting process, so she bowed out. Whenever information like this is "suddenly" discovered, I always wonder how it is that nobody knew about it until it was too late. As in, Ms. Kennedy (Schlossberg) must have known that she had a tax issue, right? Also, it's still unclear if New York Governor David Paterson would have picked Kennedy (Schlossberg) or not. Um, it kind of doesn't matter anymore, folks. Let it go. Paterson will reportedly announce his choice today; convention wisdom says Andrew "HUD? What's a HUD?" Cuomo will get Hillary Clinton's old seat. (Hillary is now officially Secretary of State, by the way – she started work yesterday.) UPDATE: I was wrong, wrong, wrong -- the Times is reporting that Governor Paterson has selected Kirsten Gillibrand as Hillary Clinton's replacement in the Senate. Ms. Gillibrand is a congresswoman from upstate NY who is mother to two young children and has been endorsed by the National Rifle Association, according to the Times. I'm mentioning the mom thing because this is a parenting web site, and the NRA endorsement because that makes her a potentially controversial choice, since most Democrats aren't big NRA folks. (Gillibrand's official bio page is getting jammed with web traffic, but here's Google's cached version.)

Interesting tidbit about the Roberts Oath Flub (Flubgate, anyone?) – a certain Senator Barack Obama voted against the Chief Justice's confirmation in 2005.

In business news, the Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating the "conflicting reports" regarding Steve Jobs health. First he said he wasn't that sick, then he said he was leaving for six months, blah blah blah. Personally, I thought "hormone imbalance" sounded pretty serious when it was first announced. If only the SEC had been equally diligent about Bernie Madoff, poor Kevin Bacon wouldn't be reading the script for "Footloose 2". (I'm only joking about "Footloose 2." I hope. Kevin is looking for work though, so if you hear of anything, give him a ring.)

A very cool medical story from England: 19-year-old British college student Evan Reynolds now has a bionic hand. Reynolds lost his appendage three years ago, and can operate his new prosthetic limb by thought. ''It's so sensitive I can grip a bottle of water or a paper cup without crushing it and even swing a racket," he says. ''All I have to do is imagine picking something up or gripping it and the fingers and thumb move automatically." Like I said: very cool.

Oh, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the nominations for the 81st Academy Awards. Some were surprised that Heath Ledger got a Best Supporting Actor nod for his performance as The Joker in "The Dark Knight", but the real surprise to me was Robert Downey Jr.'s nomination for "Tropic Thunder." Not only is it a comedy, it was also a controversial one as I recall (that whole "retard" thing). Personally, I think Ledger will win. If he does, it won't be undeserved -- he gave an incredible performance. Brad Brevet says that Kate Winslet's nomination for "The Reader" is "fishy"; I admit that I couldn't read the full post, which actually quotes Academy voting rules. I was surprised that Clint Eastwood didn't get some love for "Gran Torino," but hey, you can't win 'em all.

The mother who named one of her children Adolf Hitler wants her kids back. "The parents insist they're not racists and want only to honor the heritage of the Third Reich," says the Daily News. What can one say to that?

Finally, someone has actually made a flying car! Terrafugia, the company that makes the vehicle (called the "Transition") calls it a "roadable aircraft," which doesn't exactly trip off the tongue. It goes 500 miles on a full tank of regular unleaded gasoline, and features folding wings. Bottom line: IT IS A CAR THAT FLIES. It also costs $194,000 and probably requires a good-sized garage with access to a ready supply of fuel. So it's not exactly ready for mass consumption. However, IT IS A CAR THAT FLIES. Did I mention that?

Have a great weekend!

Image: Times Online

(Late) Morning News: Finally!

Sasha and Malia Get Bored

Live Inaugural Tweets From A Working Mom, And Video

A Prom? At the White House? Awesome!

Video and Pics: Lego Inauguration

Malia & Sasha Obama Sporting Some Recessionista Style

Obama/Spider-man Comic Book Sold Out, Reprint Planned

Sarah Palin Says Leave My Kids Alone

Obama Wants Kids To Have a Normal Life – Good Luck With That

Sasha and Malia Beanie Baby Dolls

Morning News: Hillary Clinton Ready to Wield Power; "Caribou Barbie" One of 2008's Top "Buzzwords"

Shannon LC Cate — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 14:01:00 GMT

Hillary Clinton is already vying for more power, before even starting her job as the new Secretary of State, the New York Times reports:

"The steps seem intended to strengthen the role of diplomacy after a long stretch, particularly under Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, in which the Pentagon, the vice president’s office and even the intelligence agencies held considerable sway over American foreign policy."

Areas of expanded power for the State Department may well include economic policy in times of global crisis (ie: nowish).

As the economy tanks, shoplifting is on the rise according to another report in the Times:

"...retail security experts say the problem has grown worse this holiday season. Shoplifters are taking everything from compact discs and baby formula to gift cards and designer clothing..."

Wait a minute there! As Bob from Sesame Street might ask, which one of those things is not like the others? Sorry but cds, gift cards and designer clothes strike me as your run-of-the-mill teen rebel victims, but baby formula? If we can't feed babies we have a problem, folks. I say, let them have the formula.

It's beginning to look a lot like... Senator Al Franken will be a buzzword of 2009. What? You didn't know they were still counting votes in Minnesota? They are and currently, Franken is ahead by a whopping 48. It only takes one, right?

I gave you Caribou Barbie in the headline, here are the rest of the words-of-the-year.

And finally, I just have to ask, is it me, or is this woman really annoying? I mean, I know Madoff is a crook and all, but honey, it won't hurt you to learn to ride the subway or read a Domino's ad correctly like the rest of us mortals.

Morning News: 'The Monster' to Head State Department

Madeline Holler — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Looks like president-elect Barack Obama will make the big announcement today: Hillary Clinton will officially become a part of his administration as secretary of state. Filling out the other top spots in his national security team are current Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who will remain in the job, and retired Marine General James M. Jones as national security adviser. Susan Rice is expected to be named ambassador to the U.N.

OK, but here's the awkward part:

Remember Samantha Power? She was one of Obama's foreign policy advisers during the campaign -- the one who got busted for calling Hillary Clinton a monster? Well, she's actually a part of the transition team put together to help prepare for Clinton's nomination. Insiders report that she made a big gesture to bury the hatchet and that Clinton received it well. Good. Because we like both of them.

Final thing about the anticipated nomination: Husband Bill jumped through all kinds of hoops to please Obama so that his wife could take the job, including releasing names of donors. Good Bill.

Considering the economy, wars, etc., Obama is said to be working hard to set the right tone for his inauguration Jan. 20th. He has limited the maximum donation amount to $50,000 (typically, it's $250,000). His committee also won't take donations from lobbyists, corporations, political action committees for non-U.S. citizens. And there's been some talk of Michelle opting out of a couture gown for something more pedestrian.

While the Obamas and a packed Washington, D.C., celebrate the new administration, Laura Bush and her husband will be heading back to Dallas. She told Tom Brokaw on Meet the Press yesterday she plans to continue working on behalf of women and children in Afghanistan.

Current Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is heading to India on Wednesday in the wake of the attacks on Mumbai last week. She will offer condolences and also support for the Indian government.

In interesting health news, voters in Switzerland approved a new program that will provide heroin for addicts at clinics around the country. Switzerland has long provided clean needles and designated areas for users to shoot up, but supporters say this next step will cut down on crime and improve the health of heroin junkies.

Photo: JCU.edu

Morning News: Palin Turkey Slaughter Not a Hallmark Moment

Madeline Holler — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Sarah Palin pardoned a local turkey at a Wasilla farm yesterday, apparently her first-ever such act as a governor. So maybe it was an unfamiliarity with, what, slaughter scenes?, that kept her unaware of what was going on right behind her. It's like a three-minute Coen brothers movie -- she talks about what she's thankful for, a turkey's getting its neck broken.

I case you're wondering, distracted -- or can't make it through the video -- Palin's in charge of cooking the turkey at her family's Thanksgiving (her sister and mom bring everything else).

Also in the news, U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey collapsed while giving a speech last night at the Federalist Society dinner in New York.

By George, George W. is already (or is it finally?) saying good-bye! The president is setting aside an hour a day in these final weeks of his presidency to tell staffers and their families thanks and all that.

Also, don't believe what you read on Huffington Post, Bush administration officials are saying. The lame duck president definitely did NOT get dogged by other world leaders who appear in a video to not want to shake Bush's hand (the guy does look a little mopey though, no?)

Curiosity about the new president has gotten a bunch of Verizon employees in hot water. Barack Obama's transition team says there's been a security breach as some bored techies have snooped into the president-elect's cell phone bill records.

Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae will suspend home foreclosures between Nov. 26 and Jan. 9. The mortgage giants will use that time to decide which borrowers qualify for help. So, happy holidays to all those underwater with their mortgages!

The NY Times is reporting that a part of the deal between Brangelina and People magazine -- who won the bid for exclusive pics of the twins -- included writing only positive articles about the couple now and forevermore. And the magazine agreed! Hence, you'll never see Brangelina called "Brangelina" in People. Because the very exposed couple hate being called Brangelina! Incidentally, the NY Times piece very much flatters Jolie -- She's brilliant! She's marvelous! -- leading us to wonder whether they signed a contract with Brangelina too.

Finally, a dad tore a pit bull off his daughter in Oregon and saved her life. She was riding in a tire swing when he heard her screaming. Gruesome. The father managed to turn the dog's attack onto him, pried his jaws open, had a neighbor beat the crap out of it and eventually someone shot the dog.

Morning News is taking the week of Thanksgiving off, but we'll return with more headlines Dec. 1, including one most likely announcing Hillary Clinton as the next U.S. secretary of state (Bill ponied up all his financial records and made unprecedented disclosures and concessions so his wife could have the job. Payback's a bitch, ain't it, Bill?).

Morning News: Woman to Head Homeland Security

McCain Beats Obama!

Stevens Loses; Senate Dems Now at 58

Anti-Gay Church Lays Off Workers (After Spending Gobs on Prop 8)

The Second Thing Michelle Said After Obama's Historic Win

Is Hillary Back?

Pregnant With Palin

Video: HuffPo

Morning News: Stevens Loses; Senate Dems Now at 58

Madeline Holler — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:30:00 GMT

Alaska Senator Ted Stevens, the guy who risked it all for a free grill, a back massager and a new deck, has lost his bid for re-election. Stevens, who likely would have won handily, had it not been for those pesky election year felony charges, lost narrowing to Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich. All of this adds up to nearly enough Democrats for a filibuster-proof Senate and a nightmare scenario for Republicans.

Oh, and Stevens will also likely seek a presidential pardon. (Of course, he is. Come on, George ... do one courageous thing before you leave office and tell him to serve his time.)

Is Hillary playing hard to get? Or is it that Bill, her husband, is hard to vet? Who knows, but apparently accepting the Secretary of State position is not a foregone conclusion. Insiders say she is torn between joining Barack Obama's cabinet and staying in the Senate to get healthcare legislation written and passed.

Know who else wants to stay in the Senate?

Obama rival and Hillary Clinton pal John McCain. He brought together a bunch of advisers to put together a political action committee -- a signal he intends to run for re-election in 2010.

Obama's cranking through the possible appointments: Eric Holder, a deputy attorney general under Bill Clinton, will likely be offered the attorney general job today.

This warms the heart: Dick Cheney and Alberto Gonzales were both indicted by a Texas grand jury on charges related to prisoner abuse.

Back to the Clintons -- Don't Ask Don't Tell, the bill that allowed gays to serve in the military bud forbid them from being gay might be overturned. The bill's sponsor says it'll happen in Obama's first year in office.

We reported recently on a hospital superbug that is giving thousands and thousands diarrhea. That superbug? Also showing up in loads of supermarket meat. Break out the veggie kabobs!

The parent company of Lean Cuisine is recalling a bunch of the frozen chicken meals. Not because of the gurgly tummy issue from the supermarket meat, rather these meals may contain some foreign matter. Ugh!

OK, so we've all gotten used to Bush's total incompetence regarding Hurrican Katrina. Looks like Hurricane Ike victims are faring no better. Months later, some families are still waiting for trailers, having spent their life savings on campers to live out of on their front lawns. The emergency services in this country are so embarrassing!

Anti-Gay Church Lays Off Workers (After Spending Gobs on Prop 8)

The Second Thing Michelle Said After Obama's Historic Win

Morning News: Is Hillary Back?

Photo: Politico

Post-Election, Women Hate Sexism Almost as Much as Feminism

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 21:34:00 GMT

A recent survey on post-election attitudes to sexism reveals that a majority of Americans live in La La Land. For starters: While most men don’t believe there is gender bias in the media or at home, almost half (4 in 10) “freely admit to having sexist attitudes towards a female president.”

Espousing similarly mind-boggling contradictions, the vast majority of women believe that Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton were treated unfairly by the media—but would be mortified to call themselves “feminists.” Only 20 percent of women identify as feminist, and even fewer (17 percent) would be supportive of their daughters’ using the label.

Merriam Webster defines feminism as “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.” In other words, most women are embarrassed to label themselves as people who believe in gender equality, but are outraged over the media’s coverage of Palin’s hair. Only 48 percent of women believe that the media treated Clinton fairly, and far fewer female respondents (29 percent) believe that Palin got fair treatment. (Perhaps Palin seemed to get harsher gender-based media coverage because Clinton wasn’t, say, buying $150,000 worth of clothes on the GOP’s dime?)

Sure, some high-profile activists may have given the term “feminist” a more extremist connotation than many women would like it to have, but that doesn’t necessitate rejecting the whole theory. I don’t agree with many of PETA’s over-the-top tactics, but that doesn’t mean I stop calling myself a vegetarian.

Ready for more oblivious sexism? 39 percent of men feel that the role of president is more “naturally suited” to a man than to a woman. I guess that explains why so many more men than women (two-thirds to less than half) believe there is gender equality in the home—the wife just does all the housework because she is more “naturally suited” to it.

On the upside, the poll was relatively small, with 1,000 respondents.

Photo: Jezebel

Dudes for Palin: Vote for the Hot Chick!

Morning News: Anti-Gay Church Lays Off Workers (After Spending Gobs on Prop 8)

Madeline Holler — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:00:00 GMT

It's the embarrassing twist of fate that makes this story so tragically comic.

Focus on the Family, the Colorado Springs-based evangelical Christian ministry and media empire, announced yesterday it would lay off more than 20 percent of its workforce due to financial difficulties. The conservative group, led by its founder and president James Dobson, is coming off a spending spree that pumped more than a half a million dollars in the California Proposition 8 campaign, a gay marriage ban.

Focus on the [very narrow definition of] Family also donated $83,000 worth of non-monetary support to get the ban passed. It was the seventh largest donor group in the nation. And now there are financial problems? Sweet Jesus, you have a sense of humor!

Speaking of Christians with a sense of humor, Mike Huckabee (remember him?) is still going after Mitt Romney in his recently released memoir/political manifesto "Do the Right Thing." Romney's spokesperson replies that Huckabee's digs are petty and beneath the former Arkansas governor.

Newt Gingrich told Bill O'Reilly he thinks all the protests against Prop 8 show "there is a gay and secular facism that wants to impose its will on the rest of us." Or have equal rights, but whatever.

Swedish health officials will no longer classify transvestitism, fetishism, fetishistic transvestism, sadomasochism, gender identity disorder in youth and multiple disorders of sexual preferences as diseases. Sweden, why always Sweden?

Is this a good time to transition to Bill Clinton? Anyway, he might pose a problem to Hillary getting a cabinet position. His non-profit and business dealings might pose a conflict of interest for the possible future secretary of state. It has been so hard to keep loving Bill.

More familial ties: Joe Biden might be gaming the system a bit in order to get his son appointed to his soon (but not too soon)-to-be-vacated Senate seat. Biden's apparently holding out until right before inauguration day, so that Delware's governor-elect can do what he's told and keep a Biden in Congress.

Or Biden's just being a family cave man. Researchers have found evidence of the importance of the nuclear family even way back in prehistoric times.

Are the Obama's getting close to making a school choice for the girls? Reports are they were at Georgetown Day School tossing the ball with their Secret Service agent.

A 16-year-old Japanese school girl might be the first female to play for the major leagues in that country. Apparently she's got a crazy good knuckleball. Ganbatte, Yoshida-san!

Finally, Lord help us! The atheists are organizing!

Morning News: The Second Thing Michelle Said After Obama's Historic Win

Mom Kicked Out of the PTA for Position on Prop 8

Prop. 8 Protests Spawn Hope and Great Photos

Pregnant With Palin

Photo: hellocolorado.com

HIllary and Barack: A Good "Team of Rivals?"

Shannon LC Cate — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 23:34:00 GMT

Rumor has it that Hillary Clinton is at the top of the Obama cabinet short-list for Secretary of State. According to Politico, out of a field that includes John Kerry and Bill Richardson, Clinton:

"would be most attractive if Obama concludes that he will have to focus his early days in office on the domestic economy, and will have to essentially outsource heavy-duty foreign travel to his secretary of state."

Other gossip suggests that the sometimes acrimonious Democratic primary season is actually a mark in Clinton's favor, since Obama has made it clear that he believes in the leadership style Doris Kearns Goodwin described of Abraham Lincoln. Obama told katie Couric last January,

"[Goodwin] talks about Lincoln's capacity to bring opponents of his and people who have run against him in his cabinet. And he was confident enough to be willing to have these dissenting voices...It's a remarkable study in leadership.”

In spite of the points in Clinton's favor, there is concern among some that her husband, the former president would be too annoying a "back-seat driver" if Hillary were in the Cabinet. Then again, some say having Bill as a known quantity on the team is safer than having him lurking somewhere in the hedges outside the White House.

I think Hillary Clinton would make a terrific Secretary of State. She's tough, but also kind of charming, which seem to me like critical qualities for the job. John Kerry may or may not be tough, but I definitely don't find him charming. Who would you pick?

Morning News: Is Hillary Back?

Madeline Holler — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:30:00 GMT

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton? Maybe. Last week it was a rumor that died down quickly. Since yesterday, though, there appears to be some traction. Obama camp insiders are trotting her name out among a few others (John Kerry, Republican Chuck Hagel, Bill Richardson), and some of his advisers say she's the best pick.

Why?

It's better to have a Clinton on the inside, rather than outside making trouble (true, that). The drawback of Hillary? One word:

Bill.

On foreign matters, this update: Osama bin Laden is apparently hanging on by a thread these days. He's mainly focused on his own survival and basically cut off from al Qaeda operations. Good news, sure, but on the lam for seven years? Damn.

Those leaky Dems have also disclosed that Lawrence Summers may no longer be under consideration for the Secretary of Treasury position, thanks in part to women's groups who can't stand the guy and his girl brain/boy brain "theories."

More than 1 million people are expected to attend Barack Obama's inauguration Jan. 20 in Washington, D.C. That's a ton of people. (Will you be one of them?) Everybody's scrambling to get tickets, places to stay, enough law enforcement, and enough public viewing space.

Think some generous Northern Virginia families would be willing to put up a few of these 8,000 bedouin tribesmen for the big swearing in? These guys claim to be the lost tribe of Barack Obama. They even have evidence that they are linked by blood to the president-elect. Come on, guys, we get him first!

If your priest is a real jerk, you might want to avoid being seen at the inauguration, on TV or otherwise. South Carolina's Rev. Jay Scott Newman is refusing communion to anyone who supports Barack Obama, unless they've done penance for their vote. Who knew the Holy Trinity was so dang bi-partisan!

And you thought Joe Biden was going to be an embarrassment. Obama's Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel had to apologize on behalf of his father yesterday. Dad, who was once a member of a militant Zionist group thought to have committed terrorist acts against Palestinians, had this to say about how influential his son will be: "Obviously he will influence the president to be pro-Israel," he was quoted as saying. "Why wouldn't he be? What is he, an Arab? He's not going to clean the floors of the White House." Oh, cringe.

Speaking of terrorists? Embarrassments? People who won't go away? Bill Ayers is on Good Morning America this morning in his first interview since the election. Will ABC let Elisabeth Hasselbeck take a few minutes off The View stage to watch?

Felon/Senate incumbent from Alaska Ted Stevens is almost certain to have lost his re-election bid. But did he get to keep the grill?

A complaint has been filed against the Mormon Church for not fully disclosing allllll the contributions made to the campaign to ban gay marriage in California. Seems stuff like state phone bank use, commericals and other promos weren't reported in the disclosures. We hope this complaint turns in to a huge pain in their asses.

Disaffected youth keep pouring into Nebraska hospitals as parents watch the deadline to abondon their teens under a very unrestrictive safe haven law grow nearer. State lawmakers will way lower the age limit (to, like, three days) in a special session in January. We've said it before, but Nebraska might want to consider beefing up its family services outreach. Because, wow. Just wow.

Not Jackie, Hillary or Laura: Michelle Breaks the Mold of Political Wife

Shannon LC Cate — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:33:00 GMT

In the wake of the Obamas' visit to the White House, I've been wondering: what kind of First Lady will Michelle Obama be? Ever since Barack announced his candidacy, I have been at least as excited about his wife and daughters as I have been about him.

A big part of this is personal for me, as my own daughters are African American and over the years I have tried to collect images of beautiful Black women and girls to surround mine with affirming imagery of who they are and who they might become. I realize that as a white mother, the difficulty of this task is new for me, while Black mothers are probably used to it, but it's been an eye-opener in spite of my pre-parenting years of study of African American history and culture. There just aren't that many affirming images of Black girls and women out there in the popular culture. Hence my older daughter's first big fan object (at my encouragement, of course) was Gwen Ifill of the Newshour with Jim Leher.

Throughout Obama's run, I would tear up at the thought that little girls who looked like my little girls might become the closest thing the United States has to royalty. Take that all-white Disney princesses crowding the sidewalks at Halloween! And when there's a run on the dresses Sasha and Malia wear to big events, I can be smug in the knowledge that the color will suit my little girls' complexions perfectly, too.

But Michelle, while a wonderful role-model for my girls--smart as a whip, hugely successful in her own career, drop-dead gorgeous and by all accounts a terrific mom--has an interesting task ahead of her. Will she be a Jackie Kennedy? A Hillary Rodham-Clinton? In spite of her claims to Newsweek that she admires Laura Bush, she'll never be Laura Bush. Laura Bush is just too demure, too understated. Michelle Obama is anything but.

Michelle Obama is the first Black First Lady and this is no easy trail to blaze in a world that has a dearth of positive images of Black women. Black women are more commonly demonized in popular culture as sex-crazed and/or oversexualized hip-hop bimbos; as crack addicts; as sexless mammies with bottomless hearts for the children of white employers or white adult friends. Michelle Obama enters this cultural landscape and has already done a lot to blow it away. It can't be even a little bit easy, while she is also busy juggling such an enormous transition for her young children. And even though she assures the press that she has no interest in being Barack's chief adviser, how could she not be? She's simply too smart and accomplished not to weigh in with her opinion. A couple like Barack and Michelle must be discussing current events over their morning caffeine. Why wouldn't they continue to do so, now that Barack has the actual power to change those events?

The fact is, political spouses in this day of "partnership marriage" can't realistically be expected to just stand by while hubby makes world-changing decisions. It's the age of Hillary Clinton, whether or not she's the president-elect. The fact is, she quite possibly might have been. After eight years in the White House, might we look to Michelle Obama for her own run? Some of you might think I'm crazy, but based on what we've seen of her so far, I certainly think the country could do worse.

More Michelle:

Move Over Jackie

Michelle O's Big Decisions

The Obamas Are a Great First Family

Image: michelleobamawatch.com

Morning News: Public Schools? Hannah Montana? Michelle O's Big Decisions

Madeline Holler — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Michelle Obama should really rethink the dog. Like millions of other moms, she'll be the one that has to take care of it. And where's she going to find the time for that? She's got to find a school for the girls, get to know the new hometown, Washington, D.C., say good-bye to Chicago and move.

Not only that, she has to figure out how to let them appear on Hannah Montana while also keeping them grounded. And weigh the pros and cons of sending the girls to public -- yes, we said public! -- schools in D.C.

Let's take this one at a time:

Lafayette Elementary School in Northwest Washington, D.C., got a very interesting phone call a couple of days ago. The unidentified caller wanted to know whether her two children could attend even if they lived outside the school boundaries. The caller gave 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. as the home address. Was this Michelle? Are they seriously thinking public? Or is this another one of those "Sarkozy here on the line" calls?

Michelle's decision will no doubt be difficult, but we highly doubt the girls will be wait-listed. There's a bit of a scramble to land the president-elect's kids.

Our unsolicited advice to Michelle: do not accept Billy Ray Cyrus' invitation for Sasha and Malia to appear on "Hannah Montana." We know, we know, it's Malia's fave! Keep them in the bubble as long as you can!

Feel like you've lost touch with "That One"/"The One" ever since election results came in. Fear not. The first Internet elected president now has a website. Sign up for alerts and frequent updates. Watch weekly YouTube fireside-ish chats. You'll even get to comment on pending legislation!

Onto the president-elect: Barack Obama is coaxing Patti Solis Doyle to take a cabinet secretary post. Recall, Solis Doyle was the campaign manager for Hillary Clinton who pretty much took the fall for the candidates faltering campaign and resigned mid-primary season. Mom note: she's worried about being away from her two young children (take the job, Patti, take the job!).

Parenting crutch of millions, Starbucks, saw it's 4Q profits plunge a whopping 97 percent (is that not astounding?).

A British study concludes that women with a history of mental illness are more at risk for having stillborn babies. Like mentally ill women and/or women who had stillbirths need that shit?

Something that should appeal to the hidden germophobe in all of us parents: grocery stores are trying out a new way to keep you from feeling disgusted when your child starts chewing on the cart. They're sending each one through a disinfecting wash. Seriously, how did any of us survive childhood?

So Obama's the President. Now What?

25 Things You Don't Know About Barack Obama

Forget Michelle Obama - Sasha and Malia Are the Fashion Icons in the Family

With Hand Raised, Palin Swears 'I am Trig's Mom'

Morning News: Students Kicked Out for Saying Obama's Name

Photo:

Barack Obama Asked If Bill Clinton Was The First Black President

Brett Singer — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:00:00 GMT

This was funny when it happened – during the Democratic Primary, way back in January of 2008. (That seems like it was more than a year ago.) Now, it's not only hilarious but of course takes on a whole new meaning.

Basically, the moderator, Joe Johns, asks Barack Obama is he agrees with Toni Morrison, who once wrote that Bill Clinton was, "the nation’s first black president." Hillary Clinton was sitting right next to him, which made the moment even more amusing. Obama's answer was measured, and quite funny.

Morrison eventually endorsed Obama for President. When asked by Time Magazine if she regretted, " referring to Bill Clinton as the first black President," she said, "People misunderstood that phrase. I was deploring the way in which President Clinton was being treated, vis-à-vis the sex scandal that was surrounding him. I said he was being treated like a black on the street, already guilty, already a perp. I have no idea what his real instincts are, in terms of race." Obama said something little different – basically, that Bill Clinton connected with African-Americans in a way that previous Presidents had not. Then he questioned Bill's dancing ability. It's quite funny, and has much more resonance now. Take a look:

They say: Obama Wins

Comedians From The Past Weigh In On The First Black President

About Ann Nixon Cooper

They say: Obama Wins

Brett Singer — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 04:11:00 GMT

CNN, The New York Times, and even Fox News have called the Presidential race for Barack Obama. (UPDATE: so has everyone else.)

Amazing to think that it's almost all over after so much campaigning.

Not much to say. I'm still going to watch the news for awhile; I'm like Yogi Berra – it ain't over 'til it's over, y'know? Then again, McCain just conceded. Wow. (Classy speech too, for what it's worth.)

UPDATE: I'm watching Barack's speech now. I can't imagine what must be going through his mind. Think about where he was in 2004. Wow. I know I should have something more articulate to say but "wow" is going to have to do. (It's late.)

My kids don't seem to care that much, which was actually sort of nice in a way. No matter who wins, they get up, go to school, eat lunch, run around, jump on my ribs – a typical day. Eventually I'll talk to them about this election, but not right now.

What about you – how do you feel?

image: me waiting to vote today

McCain's Mom's Morale Super Low

Other Stuff to Vote On Today – Same Sex Marriage, Chicken Cages

McCain Campaign Verbally Abuses an Innocent Child

Obama doesn't say I love you anymore

They say: John McCain is not a maverick

Babble Podcast for November 3, 2008

Republican Candidate Uses Porn-esque Robocall

Jon Stewart says: Ted Stevens is a Cheap Date

N-Word Flies at Palin Rally

Babble Podcast for October 27th, 2008

Babble Talk: The Candidates Health Plans

Joe the racist plumber?

They Say: Obese During Pregnancy? Hatch a Republican!

Sarah Palin Gets Pranked By Canadian Radio Hosts – Video

Which Candidate Has The Best Name?

They say: no one with a uterus should vote for McCain

They say: McCain not thrilled with Palin and she wants to run in 2012

Best political shirt ever - Everyone Poops

109 Year Old Daughter Of Slave Votes For Obama

Other Stuff to Vote On Today – Same Sex Marriage, Chicken Cages

Brett Singer — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 20:15:00 GMT

So the United States is picking a President today. But there are other candidates, and also many ballot measures in play today.

A quick round-up:

ARIZONA:
- Ban same-sex marriage.
- Require that any initiative involving spending or tax hikes be approved by majority of all registered voters, not just those casting ballots.

ARKANSAS:
- Create state lottery.
- Ban unmarried couples from adopting or being foster parents.

CALIFORNIA:
- Ban same-sex marriage.
- Authorize high-speed rail project.
- Require parental notification for a minor's abortion.
- Create 14-member commission to draw state legislative districts.
- Require all utilities to generate 20 percent of their power from renewable energy by 2010.
- Ban cramped metal cages for egg-laying hens.

I think I'm noticing a trend here.

Several states are voting on ballot measures to "ban same-sex marriage." Personally, I find this bizarre. Isn't it already banned? Are people that freaked out at the possibility of two men or two women marrying each other that they need to put it on double secret probation? (For the record, I think if gay people are crazy enough to want to be married, it's fine. Go for it.)

Looking at the article on MiamiHerald.com, it looks like the to-do of an insane person. Authorize slot machine gambling, check. Allow state's first casino, check. Ban abortion and dog racing, check. Ban cramped metal cages for egg-laying hens, check. (Those are all from different states, not the same one.) That's not to say that all of the measures are insane, it's just funny to think about them out of context. "Let's see, today...Prohibit mandatory union membership and mandatory union dues, authorize slot-machine gambling, and make English the official language of government proceedings. Got it." Busy day.

Sources: Miami Herald, MTV

Read more:

Obama doesn't say I love you anymore

They say: John McCain is not a maverick

Babble Podcast for November 3, 2008

Republican Candidate Uses Porn-esque Robocall

Jon Stewart says: Ted Stevens is a Cheap Date

N-Word Flies at Palin Rally

Babble Podcast for October 27th, 2008

Babble Talk: The Candidates Health Plans

Joe the racist plumber?

Sarah Palin Gets Pranked By Canadian Radio Hosts – Video

Which Candidate Has The Best Name?

They say: no one with a uterus should vote for McCain

They say: McCain not thrilled with Palin and she wants to run in 2012

Best political shirt ever - Everyone Poops

109 Year Old Daughter Of Slave Votes For Obama

Brett Singer — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:45:00 GMT

The line to vote for President and other stuff today might be kind of long. If you get cranky, here's an inspiring story to keep you a little bit sane.

From the Austin American Statesman:

Amanda Jones, 109, the daughter of a man born into slavery, has lived a life long enough to touch three centuries. And after voting consistently as a Democrat for 70 years, she has voted early for the country's first black presidential nominee.
…
Jones' father herded sheep as a slave until he was 12, according to the family, and once he was freed, he was a farmer who raised cows, hogs and turkeys on land he owned. Her mother was born right after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, Joyce Jones said. The family owned more than 100 acres of land in Cedar Creek at one point, she said.
Amanda Jones' father urged her to exercise her right to vote, despite discriminatory practices at the polls and poll taxes meant to keep black and poor people from voting. Those practices were outlawed for federal elections with the 24th Amendment in 1964, but not for state and local races in Texas until 1966.

First of all, the fact that anyone lived to be 109 is cool. More importantly, though, is her story. I can't imagine what it must have felt like for Amanda to cast her vote in this Presidential election.

Source/Image: Statesman.com

Read more:

Other Stuff to Vote On Today – Same Sex Marriage, Chicken Cages

Obama doesn't say I love you anymore

They say: John McCain is not a maverick

Babble Podcast for November 3, 2008

Republican Candidate Uses Porn-esque Robocall

Jon Stewart says: Ted Stevens is a Cheap Date

N-Word Flies at Palin Rally

Babble Podcast for October 27th, 2008

Babble Talk: The Candidates Health Plans

Joe the racist plumber?

Sarah Palin Gets Pranked By Canadian Radio Hosts – Video

Which Candidate Has The Best Name?

They say: no one with a uterus should vote for McCain

They say: McCain not thrilled with Palin and she wants to run in 2012

Best political shirt ever - Everyone Poops

Why Monday Night Football Is Important To This Election

Brett Singer — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 22:00:00 GMT

You probably think that a football game has no bearing on tomorrow's election.

Silly voter!

First: both Barack Obama and John McCain will appear tonight on Monday Night Football. They will be interviewed by Chris Berman, a man whose idea of humor is referring to quarterback Jack Delhomme as "Daylight Come And You've Gotta Delhomme." (Get it? "Go home?" "Delhomme?" It's even funnier when he says it every single week.) According to media reports, "The interviews will give both candidates a last major chance to appeal to Americans during a coveted spot on prime-time television. Monday Night Football has averaged 12.2 million viewers this season." That's better than the typical halftime show, although I doubt Janet Jackson will show up and offer a wardrobe malfunction. And while I would personally love it if Obama quoted Chris Rock and said, "Redskins? That's racist! That's like having a team called the New York Ni**ers," I'm guessing he won't say that. But maybe McCain will? Nah. Wouldn't be prudent, you know?

Second: if the Redskins win the game, the incumbent party – the Republicans, in case you've forgotten – wins the election. This has been true since 1948, except for once. In 2004, the 'Skins lost and George W. Bush won. Obviously this isn't a lock. Still, this is one of those weird little things that make you believe in a higher power that has a sense of humor.

The predictions I've seen generally favor the Steelers tonight, but it should be close. So if you want to start obsessing a day early, you can stay up late tonight and watch the game.

Also of interest: Obama was on Monday Night Football back in 2006 to announce… that he was a Chicago Bears fan. Here's the video.

Sources: WSJ, CBC (also image), Sporting News

Obama doesn't say I love you anymore

They say: no one with a uterus should vote for McCain

Jon Stewart says: Ted Stevens is a Cheap Date

N-Word Flies at Palin Rally

Babble Talk: The Candidates Health Plans

Which Candidate Has The Best Name?

How much is Sarah Palin worth?

They say: McCain not thrilled with Palin and she wants to run in 2012

Palin Speaks Out On Special Needs Trusts

Will Ferrell Returns to SNL

UPDATE: Jon Stewart says "F*** All Y'All"

Sarah Palin Gets Pranked By Canadian Radio Hosts – Video

Brett Singer — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 02:07:00 GMT

When you were a kid, did you ever make prank calls? Call a bar and ask to speak to Dick Hertz? Dial 867 5309 and ask for Jenny? Or "is your refrigerator running? Well, you'd better go and catch it!" (That last one is way old school, dude.)

Some lucky grown-ups actually make a living doing that sort of thing. And Sarah Palin is their latest victim.

Marc-Antoine Audette and Sebastien Trudel, two Canadian radio performers who go by the name The Masked Avengers, have made calls to numerous celebrities and government officials, including Britney Spears (she's a celebrity, not a government official – just wanted to clarify that.) Now Alaska's governor can add her name to the ranks of the pranked. The Canuck comedians got through to Sarah Palin herself on Saturday and convinced her – for five minutes – that she was speaking to French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

The remarkable thing is how easily they get through. Sure, one would think that Palin would have figured out this wasn't actually the French Prez when he says that he loved the "documentary" that Hustler made about her, "Nailin' Palin." But the really sad part is the staffer who puts her right on the phone. No, "Are we expecting a call from the President of France?" Nothing.

Another good line: "We have the equivalent of Joe the Plumber in France. It's called Marcel, the guy with bread under his armpit."

The campaign released the following statement: "Governor Palin was mildly amused to learn that she had joined the ranks of heads of state, including President Sarkozy and other celebrities, in being targeted by these pranksters. C'est la vie."

So I guess if you catch your children on the phone asking some stranger if they have Prince Albert in a Can (let him out! Ha ha!), maybe you should encourage them? OK, not really.

Here's the entire Sarah Palin prank call for your listening pleasure.

Source: miamiherald.com, huffingtonpost.com

Republican Candidate Uses Porn-esque Robocall

Will Ferrell Returns to SNL

Why the Sarah Palin Shopping Spree Included a Ramones T-Shirt

Sarah Palin on SNL for real

They say: no one with a uterus should vote for McCain

N-Word Flies at Palin Rally

Alec Baldwin Discusses Palin with Letterman

Palin Busted! New Ethics Complaint Filed

Babble Talk: The Babies Tell Us Who Will Be Their Next President

Palin Mocks Autism Research

Joe the racist plumber?

They say: McCain not thrilled with Palin and she wants to run in 2012

Best political shirt ever - Everyone Poops

Jon Stewart says: Ted Stevens is a Cheap Date

Brett Singer — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 22:00:00 GMT

By now you probably now that Senator Ted Stevens has been found guilty of lying about campaign gifts. But what WERE those gifts? Must have been some spectacular stuff to be worth risking his political career and legacy for. Right?

Eh, no.

Howard Stern has been talking about this for awhile now – basically, Stevens sold his soul for, like, a barbecue grill. (But a really NICE one.) Jon Stewart weighed in last night (if the video doesn't work, try clicking here):

Personally, I prefer my corruption big. If you're going to go to jail for something, shouldn't it be something really huge? And if you're going to completely sell out to special interests, shouldn't you get better stuff than that crappy fish sculpture?

The details are just too wacky to be true, except that they are. From the Miami Herald:

Stevens maintained throughout his own testimony that he didn't want the things he was given — a grill, a fish sculpture, a generator, furniture, a high-tech massage chair, free labor — and that he never received bills for some of the work done on his home, even though he asked for invoices. He also continued to place much of the blame on his wife, Catherine, saying repeatedly that she was responsible for overseeing the renovations that led, in part, to his federal indictment. He simply was unaware of all renovation-related expenses, Stevens testified.

Let's review. He didn't want the stuff. He asked for bills and never got them. (Funny how that NEVER happens to me. Or anyone else on the planet.) He's blaming his wife. (Nice.) And it gets better:

But jurors are unlikely to regard some of his assertions as credible, including Stevens' claim that a $2,695 massage chair was a loan, not a gift, from his friend Robert Persons in 2001.
The lead Justice Department prosecutor, Brenda Morris, read from an e-mail in which Stevens told Persons "the chair arrived and it's great," but added that he couldn't accept it as a gift, just as a loan. If it's a loan, Morris asked Stevens, why then is the chair still in his Washington, D.C., home more than seven years later?
"I told him I would not accept is as a gift," Stevens said. "We have lots of things in our house that do not belong with us."

If you could hear me, you would know that I am laughing. Out loud. "We have lots of things in our house that do not belong with us." What can one say about that? Imagine you are in your child's room and you notice a toy that looks unfamiliar. You ask them where they got it. "It's not mine. I have lots of things that aren't mine." Oh! OK.

And one more thing: Madeline points out in Morning News that Sarah Palin has asked Stevens to resign his Senate seat. Some have the audacity to suggest that Palin might be eyeing his job. Or as Madeline puts it: "Is Palin looking out for Alaska's best interest? If by Alaska, you mean Sarah Palin, then some say the answer is 'yes!'"

Oy.

Source: Miami Herald, hulu

Read more:

Babble Talk: The Candidates Health Plans

Jay Thomas Reunites With Out of Wedlock Son

30 Rock Premiere Online A Week Early

Morning News: Does LA Times Hold Key to Obama Downfall?

UPDATE: Jon Stewart says "F*** All Y'All"

The Obamas wear cheap clothes

Obama doesn't say I love you anymore

They say: McCain not thrilled with Palin and she wants to run in 2012

N-Word Flies at Palin Rally

Brett Singer — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 21:00:00 GMT

This is really ugly.

I hope that whomever you happen to be voting for, this isn't something you can condone.

As the blog We Are Respectable Negroes (the name comes from the Forty Acres and a Mule document) puts it: "It seems that Barack Obama was finally called a 'nigger' at a recent Republican presidential rally."

Palin will get a lot of flack for not responding, and while I can't argue otherwise, I don't know what she should have said. (In a Palin voice: "Oh, come on now! That's a bad thing to say!") Then again, how do you stand in front of a crowd that screams out something like that?

Michelle Malkin is claiming that the person was actually shouting, "Redistributor!"

Yes, of course. I make that mistake all the time.

(Aside: in case anyone is planning to leave a comment along the lines of, "What about that Sarah Palin hanging effigy? Why aren't you railing against that?" It's terrible and should be taken down immediately.)

I'll ask you -- what do you think you heard? I actually closed my eyes so I couldn't see the captioning on the video. Send the kids out of the room and tell us what you think was said.

Source: We Are Respectable Negroes, MichelleMalkin.com

Babble Talk: The Candidates Health Plans

Palin's Ohio Rallies Reveal Frightening Misconceptions about Barack Obama are Alive and Thriving

Morning News: Malia Obama Tells Dad 'Don't Mess With My TV'

Breaking News -- Obama Assassination Plot Thwarted

Babble Podcast for October 27th, 2008

Which Candidate Has The Best Name?

Flip Flopping on Palin's Kids

Palin Speaks Out On Special Needs Trusts

Joe the racist plumber?

Babble Talk: The Candidates Health Plans

Brett Singer — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Kim Mance breaks down some of the key points in the Obama and McCain health care plans. I have a few thoughts to add.

I didn't realize this, but the debate about a national health care system goes back much further than when Bill Clinton attempted to implement one when he was first elected way back in 1992. "Both Roosevelt and Truman called for health care to be an 'economic right.' Truman then proposed a single-payer health program to cover all Americans. But it was called a 'Communist plot' by a House subcommittee after the American Medical Association denounced it." Funny (not ha-ha funny) how one of the current digs at Obama is that he's a "socialist". I guess socialist is the new communist.

A key difference between their proposals is, "how to ensure that all Americans have access to health insurance. Both want there to be no 'state lines' as there are now, so families can shop around for the best plan. However, Obama will regulate and require insurance companies to cover patients regardless of pre-existing conditions, and McCain will not. McCain will instead work with Governors on (fifty separate) plans to optimize access to health care within each individual state."

One thing that I find very interesting, and encouraging, is that at least both sides are talking about getting more people covered. Back in the 1990's, it was much more of an "us against them" situation, with the Democrats wanting a national health care system and the Republicans wanting everything to stay the same.

To me, a sign that the McCampaign is out of touch on this particular issue is the notion that a family can purchase health coverage for $5,000, or even that they can purchase it at all. First, as Mance points out in her Babble article, $5,000 covers less than half of the typical family's yearly health insurance bill. Obama says that the cost is $12,000, Mance cites a study that puts the number at $12,680. Second, as someone who has run a small business and offered health insurance to employees, I can tell you that it is not that simple to just go buy a plan the way McCain says it is. For an individual, it is significantly more difficult. Health insurers simply don't want to talk to individuals about coverage, they prefer to deal with "groups", meaning employers. So while it sounds nice to say, "hey, here's five grand, you can buy whatever health plan works best for you", it's just not that simple.

There are more details discussed in Mance's article, which is very much worth a read. The bottom line? It's hard to tell what will happen no matter who gets elected, but they agree that the current system isn't good enough. "Neither presidential candidate's health care plan brings us anywhere near a true socialized medicine or single-payer system. But they do both point out the many ways our own health care structure can be improved." That's at least something.

Flip Flopping on Palin's Kids

They Say: More Children Have Allergies

New York Times Anthrax Update

Dr. Greene's Vitamins one way to get extra D

Woman leaves toddler in car while she goes to a bar

Santa Claus says: Smoke More

They say: no one with a uterus should vote for McCain

Mom and son barbecue grandma's remains

Palin Speaks Out On Special Needs Trusts

Brett Singer — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin gave a speech in Pittsburgh on Friday where she discussed the challenges facing children with special needs.

Here is a video clip with a few choice digs at the Obama-Biden tax plan:

If the clip does not appear, try clicking here to see it.

And a couple of pertinent lines from the speech:

As families across America know, the care of special-needs children requires long-term planning, and especially financial planning. A common practice among these families is to establish financial trusts. These are known as special needs trusts, covering years of medical and other costs, and for parents they bring invaluable comfort.
Understandably, then, many families with special-needs children or dependent adults are concerned that our opponent in this election plans to raise taxes on precisely those kinds of financial arrangements. They fear that Senator Obama's tax increase will have serious and harmful consequences -- and they are right. The burden that his plan would impose upon these families is just one more example of how many plans can be disrupted, how many futures can be placed at risk, and how many people can suffer when the power to tax is misused.

I’m unfamiliar with special needs trusts, but it sounds to me like something only someone with money can do. That is, if a family lives paycheck to paycheck, how much financial planning can they really do? Like most political rhetoric, what Palin says is short on specifics and long on fear mongering. (That's true of both sides; lack of details is non-partisan.) Also, "the power to tax"? Oy vey. You would think no Republican administration had ever raised taxes, or that the tax cuts in recent years actually worked. (That's another conversation, but really. Oy vey.)

She also makes this claim:

In a McCain-Palin administration, we will put the educational choices for special needs children in the right hands their parents'. Under reforms that I will lead as vice president, the parents and caretakers of children with physical or mental disabilities will be able to send that boy or girl to the school of their choice -- public or private.

Just like that? Come on. We're not electing a Supreme Ruler; we're electing a President. And anyone who thinks that a school voucher law like the one that Sarah Palin describes (I know that may be an oversimplification, but hey, I can do it too!) will get passed quickly and easily is at best naïve.

A commenter on the nationaljournal.com article says it pretty well:

I find all these promises far too vague and general to mean much of anything. … What about health insurance? … Sorry, I don't need a 'friend' -- I need someone with a plan that does more than 'hope' that 'market forces' will allow me to afford insurance for my child.

I will say that I think it's interesting to hear this much talk about autism/special needs children during an election year. It's possible that this issue was front and center in the past, but if so, I didn't notice.

Text of the full speech is here if you want to read it.

If anyone has more direct experience with special needs trusts, or any of the other issues Palin raised in her speech, I'd be curious to hear your take on what she had to say.

sources: MSNBC, National Journal