tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35509151042892719282011-11-27T18:54:28.764-06:00A wayward journalist and recovering political addict, I write a weekly column for the Opelika-Auburn News (www.oanow.com). This blog is that column's hipper, more active companion -- kind of like that friend you had in high school that you knew, but never publicly admitted, was just a tad bit cooler than you.Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comBlogger4061100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-3181384981145863832008-05-01T01:25:00.004-05:002008-05-01T01:50:22.289-05:00

Hey guys,You read here earlier this week about the big announcement: The Opelika-Auburn News has picked up my blog and will now host it on its web site, www.oanow.com!I'll celebrate the move by liveblogging Gov. Bob Riley's appearance at the sold-out Lee County GOP dinner tonight in Opelika. Riley's been mentioned as a potential running mate for Republican presidential nominee-to-be John McCain.

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-68892634957371827882008-04-30T22:11:00.003-05:002008-05-01T00:11:58.349-05:00

Hillary Clinton made her first appearance -- ever -- on the O'Reilly Factor tonight.Clinton faced off with the show's self-assured, self-described "humble correspondent" namesake, Bill O'Reilly, this morning in Indiana. The interview was split into two parts, the first of which was presented tonight.Hillary Clinton? Bill O'Reilly? Cage match fight to the death? How ugly would it get?Once she

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-11520216727203608242008-04-30T14:57:00.004-05:002008-04-30T15:32:54.616-05:00

As the aftershocks of Barack Obama's seismic denunciation of Jeremiah Wright continue to rattle the political landscape, new poll numbers show Hillary Clinton gaining on Obama in the Tarheel State.Although a Rasmussen survey puts Obama's current lead as high as 14 percent, a SurveyUSA poll places it in single digits -- and just outside the margin or error -- at 5 percent. But, much like the

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-83385599591787991652008-04-29T17:39:00.003-05:002008-04-29T18:42:10.368-05:00

Barack Obama weighed in on the Jeremiah Wright Traveling Media Carnival this afternoon, calling remarks his former pastor made at the National Press Club yesterday "divisive," "destructive" and "appalling."I’m particularly distressed that this has caused such a distraction from what this campaign should be about, which is the American people. Their situation is getting worse. And this campaign

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-58555717691782905212008-04-29T17:04:00.003-05:002008-04-29T17:31:37.168-05:00

First, Jerry Springer considered it. Then, Al Franken did it. Could Chris Matthews be next?Speculation is intensifying that Matthews may make himself a candidate for the U.S. Senate from Pennsylvania, according to this storyfrom the New York Sun.Matthews is offering tepid denials of his intentions to run on one hand while using his MSNBC show, Hardball, to host influential elected officials and

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-52281831371852335442008-04-29T08:47:00.002-05:002008-04-29T10:00:58.251-05:00

Karl Rove must be bored.Rove, the mastermind of victories that put George W. Bush in the White House and kept him there, is regarded among Democrats as the very personification of evil. They blame him for everything from the Iraq war to gas prices and accuse him of exploiting his position of power to engineer persecution of fellow Democrats (see Don Siegelman).In a column for Newsweek magazine,

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-26973681152347462372008-04-28T11:16:00.002-05:002008-04-28T11:32:22.203-05:00

It seems that there may be a light, however faint, at the end of the tunnel for those of us who abhor the current system of financing political campaigns in the United States.On Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace, Barack Obama -- who is "on pace to raise more than $300 million in the primaries" -- expressed an interest in remaining in the public finance system for the general election against GOP

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-19221580539210270232008-04-28T11:05:00.003-05:002008-04-28T11:10:35.926-05:00

Hey everyone,Check out the new poll question on the left. I want to know what you think about Jeremiah Wright's media tour.Comments welcome!

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-70444808704761444562008-04-28T10:32:00.000-05:002008-04-28T10:55:14.613-05:00

What's going on with Jeremiah Wright?Wright spent weeks in near-isolation, canceling many appearances in guest pulpits across the country as those omnipresent clips of his sermons played out, nearly 24/7, on cable news and the web.Now, over the past week, he has gone from near invisible to being ubiquitous. He's everywhere.He emerged with an interview with PBS's Bill Moyers on Thursday; Sunday

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-58102365753711165122008-04-28T08:45:00.000-05:002008-04-28T10:56:37.561-05:00

You've no doubt heard the terrible, henious story about the 73-year-old Austrian man who has reportedly confessed to kidnappping his own daughter, stashing her away in a windowless cellar and repeatedly raping her for 24 years -- and fathering seven children by her.We now have this guy's mug shot ... am I the only one, or does he remind anyone else of another creepy fella:Josef F. of Austria,

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-24412505401966224732008-04-26T01:37:00.004-05:002008-04-27T01:29:23.495-05:00

I have waited all week to share some terrific and exciting news with you!It's been said that necessity is the mother of invention. If that's ever been true, it's true of this blog. For months, I struggled to cram all kinds of good political news into my weekly column, which appears in print on Saturdays in the Opelika-Auburn News. The result was often frustrating: either for me, when I felt that

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-47030665320649282232008-04-26T01:10:00.002-05:002008-04-26T01:25:17.251-05:00

It's incredible.Just hours after I wrote the earlier post about the reunification of an 18-year-old girl who had been abandoned at birth and the man who found her and saved her life, a retired police officer and his son stumbled upon a newborn baby boy abandoned in a patch of weeds in Palmetto, Fla., just miles from my hometown:"It was very pink, like a dark pink, almost a red. Like when you go

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-79439526830673275112008-04-25T16:11:00.002-05:002008-04-25T16:31:09.499-05:00

Q. What do FM radio, McDonald's, Indonesia and plutonium have in common?A. They're all younger than McCain.John S. McCain, the GOP presidential nominee-to-be, was born on Aug. 29, 1936. At 71, he's ... "kinda old," according to this YouTube video.Some of the other things that are, according to the video, YoungerThanMcCain:The Golden Gate Bridge;The Lincoln Tunnel;Burger King;Coke in a can;

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-50852363990354675252008-04-25T08:11:00.003-05:002008-04-25T08:45:08.718-05:00

If you watch the news at all, you know that every segment brings the chance that you'll hear something horrible: Children murdered. Women raped. Babies abused. We've all heard a story or two about a baby who's been abandoned. Nearly every state has a form of the so-called "Safe Haven" law, allowing birth parents to drop off their newborns in designated locations like fire stations and hospitals

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-37855212692596822532008-04-24T22:34:00.000-05:002008-04-24T22:35:49.794-05:00

(Just bumping this post from Tuesday night ...)I want to issue a global challenge to everyone out there in the blogosphere:I have been looking for an e-mail address for Gloria Borger for at least two months. I've used all my powers, and I haven't been able to find one.Anyone out there who can turn up an e-mail address for Gloria for me, I'll publicly recognize your super sleuthing skills here on

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-75075765362165130262008-04-24T21:53:00.003-05:002008-04-24T22:01:28.074-05:00

Leave it to Barack Obama to put the long, L-O-N-G campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in perspective."I've been running for president for about 15 months now, which means that there are babies who are now walking and talking who were born since I announced for president," he said Wednesday during a campaign stop in New Albany, Ind. "This has been a long primary season." It will be

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-62774294543135390022008-04-24T13:53:00.005-05:002008-04-24T14:57:09.876-05:00

It was brutally obvious the moment it happened.Last night on Larry King Live, the host of the long-running talk show had just finished a wild first half with James Carville, Bill Richardson and other assorted surrogates of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. He was limping through a painfully boring interview with First Lady Laura Bush and Jenna Bush when he asked Laura Bush whether she is keeping

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-75657560784467534862008-04-23T23:42:00.002-05:002008-04-24T00:16:58.019-05:00

It's late night -- time for true confessions here on the Clarion Caller Blog.Anytime a pundit has attained the ability to be known only by first name, you know he's got it going on. Such is the case with James Carville -- who is simply known as The James. He is to politics what Oprah or Ellen is to TV talk. If there are two kinds of people in the world -- lovers and fighters -- James Carville is

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-15406882520221022662008-04-23T23:07:00.002-05:002008-04-23T23:10:39.885-05:00

I'm watching the rerun of Larry King Live now ... James Carville's actual quote about the New York Times was this:"The New York Times, God bless 'em, they're good, well-meaning people over there, but they don't know anything about politics."I love James Carville.

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-46251871971893214172008-04-23T21:17:00.004-05:002008-04-24T00:32:00.251-05:00

There's been a lot of talk today about this morning's New York Times editorial, "The Low Road to Victory," that took Hillary Clinton's campaign to task for its methods in Pennsylvania:The Pennsylvania campaign, which produced yet another inconclusive result on Tuesday, was even meaner, more vacuous, more desperate, and more filled with pandering than the mean, vacuous, desperate, pander-filled

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-51294362748622074512008-04-23T17:12:00.002-05:002008-04-23T17:29:30.339-05:00

Last night I had to choose between American Idol and Pennsylvania primary results. As a result, I missed Brooke White restarting her song. I hate when that happens!Tonight, I have to choose between the AI results show and Larry King Live. I'm not usually a devoted LKL viewer, but tonight's show pits James Carville against Bill Richardson. Fireworks are bound to fly, thanks to Carville comparing

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-10595765549174768072008-04-23T11:47:00.004-05:002008-04-23T12:10:30.410-05:00

Kelly Reynolds has two days to live.Doctors gave the Bradenton, Fla., resident just nine months when they diagnosed him with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), better known as Lou Gehrig's disease. That was three and a half years ago. Reynolds just wasn't ready to go. He has stretched his time and lived it on his terms -- a pattern he will extend to his death. Reynolds has asked to be removed

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-53294226133182046132008-04-23T09:07:00.000-05:002008-04-23T09:08:05.183-05:00

It's the morning after, and Hillary Clinton has made her appearance on CNN to reiterate her position that she isn't going anywhere until the nomination is decided, and she can't see the nomination being decided until the issues of Michigan and Florida are resolved.CNN's Frank Sesno --SIDEBAR: Speaking of Frank, where has he been? I used to enjoy watching him, but he's been AWOL for a long time.

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-40540376792027455232008-04-22T21:45:00.004-05:002008-04-22T23:10:16.071-05:00

... And some thoughts on Obama's speech from Evansville, Ind.:Obama wasted no time getting out of Pennsylvania. By giving tonight's speech from Indiana, he gave the campaign a new dateline. Moving the center of the campaign's gravity away from the site of Hillary Clinton's victory has the effect of minimizing that victory. Obama made it clear that he may have taken a fall in Pennsylvania, but the

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-75807356005969859362008-04-22T21:12:00.004-05:002008-04-22T22:25:30.876-05:00

Some thoughts on Hillary Clinton's victory speech from Philadelphia:Clinton's line, "The tide is turning" was a clear signal to pundits and superdelegates (and fundraisers) alike: She's not going anywhere anytime soon.Inexplicably, Clinton used this opportunity to pledge that in her administration, America would "end the war on science" and renew its commitment to research. Federal funding for

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-24669802086874133202008-04-22T20:22:00.003-05:002008-04-22T20:29:17.744-05:00

It's clear that the Clinton campaign's message in the wake of her win in Pennsylvania is this: "She's winning the states we have to win in November." Longtime Clintonista Terry McAuliffe had to have said it a half a dozen times in his interview with Wolf Blitzer.Obama supporter U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) is also on message: Obama's a first-time national candidate, "he's already demonstrated that

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-23358648786993887702008-04-22T20:05:00.002-05:002008-04-22T20:10:51.359-05:00

For all the talk about the psychological implications of tonight's primary results, I feel like we need to have Sigmund Freud on the pundit desk tonight.Clinton needed the win -- and the bigger, the better -- to help with the superdelegate argument and with fundraising. Candy Crowley is making the point right now that Clinton's camp is making the argument to superdelegates that Obama's failure to

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-77895849581449886992008-04-22T19:56:00.001-05:002008-04-22T20:05:21.941-05:00

Here it is: Just as it was getting interesting, CNN calls Pennsylvania for Hillary Clinton.It's no surprise, of course, but everyone is waiting for the margin.

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-65382954221815159452008-04-22T19:42:00.003-05:002008-04-22T19:45:43.268-05:00

I've had to take a break from politics for the last 10 minutes to watch David Archuleta on American Idol.Election results ... or American Idol??Election results ... or American Idol???I'm so torn!!!!!David sang "Think of Me" from Phantom of the Opera. I thought it was pretty good ... it didn't even sound like the same song, and for traditionalists like me, that's always tough when the original is

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-35553286847325071192008-04-22T19:11:00.002-05:002008-04-22T19:13:30.885-05:00

Hey, I just saw on the mapstats that someone is reading this from Lancaster, PA. Tell us all about what you saw today! Did you vote? Was it crowded? Did you see any of the voting problems that we're starting to hear about?Do tell!!

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-6103221473084455472008-04-22T19:00:00.001-05:002008-04-22T19:01:19.821-05:00

CNN projects that it's too early to call the race for Clinton at this point, but exit polls seem to indicate that there aren't any surprises in store.

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-89692719103563607882008-04-22T18:55:00.004-05:002008-04-22T19:10:55.306-05:00

... and here are Hillary's top celebs:10. Eva Longoria Parker: "Desperate" for Hillary to win, she emceed a Texas town hall meeting the day before the Lone Star State primary.9. The ever-politically active Barbra Streisand, though she's been less visible this time than in the past.8. Magic Johnson: Followed Oprah's soiree for Obama with a 300-person event at his Beverly Hills home for Clinton.7.

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-75530316993746658872008-04-22T18:43:00.002-05:002008-04-22T18:53:47.604-05:00

As we await poll closures in Pennsylvania (and the presumptive call of the state for Hillary Clinton), as promised, here are the top 10 celebrity endorsements for Barack Obama, courtesy of the Huffington Post:10. Jennifer Aniston: The former Rachel Karen Green gave $2300 to Obama's campaign.9. Robert De Niro8. Chris Rock: Gave $4600 to Obama's campaign. 7. Samuel L. Jackson: Gave $4300 to Obama's

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-27606015735468866742008-04-22T13:18:00.002-05:002008-04-22T14:01:36.131-05:00

I've been watching this story develop over the past week, and I've resisted the temptation to blog about it until now.Here's the short of it:An art student at Yale University gave an interview to the student newspaper wherein she admitted "creating" her senior project out of the product of several miscarriages she suffered. The student, Aliza Shvartz, told the student press that she artificially

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-77738543461916982422008-04-22T09:47:00.004-05:002008-04-22T10:12:16.564-05:00

Authorities in South Carolina this weekend busted an 18-year-old they said was intent on attacking his high school in a Columbine-style attack.The young man was caught when his parents opened a box he had shipped to their home. Curious about its weight, they opened it -- and were stunned to find ammonium nitrate. Their further investigation revealed papers in his room that detailed his

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-74697517209786172682008-04-22T08:51:00.000-05:002008-04-22T08:51:16.921-05:00

It's April 22 ... FINALLY!!The presidential primaries return today with the big showdown in Pennsylvania. The feeling I have this morning is not unlike what I felt when I learned the writers' strike was over: After weeks of reruns, it's finally showtime again. Pennsylvanians will be going to the polls all day, so to occupy your time between now and when our anxious anchors begin breathlessly

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-72155764517753924112008-04-22T01:19:00.000-05:002008-04-22T01:20:16.346-05:00

I've always been a big advocate of better voter turnout in America. Nothing irritates me more than hearing someone say that they didn't vote because they didn't have time, it wasn't convenient, they couldn't get around to it, blah blah blah. Voting is a sacred responsibility for Americans, and I've written about it before.So I don't know whether to cheer or jeer the latest outreach by our

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-26097158666717191602008-04-21T23:28:00.002-05:002008-04-21T23:34:09.995-05:00

I've been watching the rerun of Hillary Clinton's appearance tonight on Larry King Live. She was the guest for the show's first half, and it's just wrapped up. I have to say, she was solid. She was measured and convincing, not strident the way she is on the stump. King actually posed some decent questions, and he pressed her when she didn't answer directly, but overall, her performance was a good

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-54476110904011523342008-04-21T15:36:00.004-05:002008-04-21T16:03:46.886-05:00

So you've seen the post referencing that Philadelphia Inquirer article about the uncertainty surrounding the role of women in tomorrow's Pennsylvania primary. But aside from the premise of the article, did anything in it strike you as strange?Need a minute to see it again? Find it here.How about this:Before hearing former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright stump for Clinton at Bryn Mawr

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-68147188985236934772008-04-21T08:31:00.003-05:002008-04-21T08:50:50.406-05:00

Political experts anticipate that the Democratic women of Pennsylvania will swing tomorrow's long-awaited primary, and conventional wisdom would hold that that would be good news for Hillary Clinton.But this is no conventional primary (right, Howard Dean?). In this revealing report from the Philadelphia Inquirer, women talk frankly about why all bets are off in the Keystone State. Two examples:

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-29400762198302856512008-04-21T01:20:00.000-05:002008-04-21T01:19:58.739-05:00

Last night made me want to give up TV.CNN was rerunning the "Compassion Forum." Yes, I'm a political junkie, but not even I can stand to watch something again that is now a week old. We've had the ABC debate since then, and that superseded whatever oxygen the Compassion Forum had left in the room. Come on, CNN. Are you serious? You don't have anyone who can tell us anything about what's going on

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-38750694939356681232008-04-20T14:00:00.000-05:002008-04-21T01:34:27.545-05:00

Speaking of Brown, he met privately with Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama on Thursday after having met with John McCain a few weeks back. Wouldn’t you have loved to be a fly on the wall for those talks? I’d love to get Brown’s take on each of the candidates; his perspective would be interesting, given that he followed Tony Blair and had to deal with Iraq, much as Bush’s successor will have to do.

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-69791844028410961482008-04-19T23:00:00.000-05:002008-04-20T00:07:23.105-05:00

So, you saw in the "From the Column -- More About Gas Prices" post below that the cost of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline is up 51 cents over this time last year, and a gallon of diesel is up $1.18 over the same period.That is unbelievable.Here's something else it is: Inexcusable. It's inexcusable for the world -- especially the United States -- to be held over a barrel (sorry) by OPEC.

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-34529939278703143062008-04-19T00:16:00.001-05:002008-04-19T00:54:41.287-05:00

If you read the post below about gas prices, you will need a good laugh. Never fear. Ask yourself, "What would MSS do?"MSS is Muhammad Saeed al-Sahhaf -- better known in Western circles as "Baghdad Bob." He made a name for himself by holding press conferences in the runup to the invasion of Iraq wherein he would make statements that were directly contrary to obvious reality. As coalition soldiers

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-20082839865305782132008-04-18T23:56:00.003-05:002008-04-19T00:16:22.904-05:00

I found a great web site this week that provides all kinds of information about oil and gas prices.For everything you ever wanted to know about the price points of petroleum products but were petrified to pursue (pretty peppy prose, eh?), check out "This Week in Petroleum," a project of the U.S. government's Energy Information Administration. Although its title conjures up images of bespectacled,

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-76266220609078453222008-04-18T16:37:00.002-05:002008-04-18T17:01:39.131-05:00

Pennsylvania or no Pennsylvania, Howard Dean has had about enough of the contest for the Democratic presidential nomination. According to CNN:An increasingly firm Howard Dean told CNN again Thursday that he needs superdelegates to say who they’re for – and “I need them to say who they’re for starting now.”“We cannot give up two or three months of active campaigning and healing time,” the

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-40490347338795704512008-04-17T08:51:00.002-05:002008-04-17T22:45:00.985-05:00

When Hillary Clinton said what she did last night about getting "back to shared prosperity," I thought that it was a slip of the tongue for which Clinton would surely suffer GOP slings and arrows in the general election.I've since looked into Clinton's use of the phrase, and it seems that while the latter is almost certainly true, the former is anything but.Far from running from the idea of a "

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-547571822946949772008-04-16T20:46:00.004-05:002008-04-16T20:55:00.976-05:00

Charlie Gibson displays his ignorance by saying that the nomination could come down to superdelegates. Actually, Clinton has made it clear that she intends to go after pledged delegates, too, because they are not bound to vote for the person to whom they are "pledged.""We need a fighter back in the White House," Clinton says, adding that she'll take back the tax giveaways to corporations, and

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-40164704718851395382008-04-16T20:46:00.001-05:002008-04-16T20:46:41.140-05:00

Will this question be about the polygamous cult?

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-24016483043171350512008-04-16T20:39:00.002-05:002008-04-16T20:44:38.514-05:00

How would you use President Bush?Hillary says she appreciated Bush using her husband and Bush I in the fundraising efforts after Katrina. When they are all together, representing our country, that sends a strong message, but how to use George W. "will take some careful thought on my part," she says. (Didn't she just compliment him on some policy initiative earlier in this debate?)A "council" of

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-39003300589599786662008-04-16T20:36:00.002-05:002008-04-16T20:39:33.153-05:00

Hillary says "market manipulation" is going on, and that she would tap the Strategic Oil Reserves for the time being to drive down prices, and then she said something about the gas tax that I missed because my girls were asking me a question about Band-Aids. Hillary seems to have hit her stride here in these last five minutes.Jimmy Carter is brought up, but it's in the context of America's

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-37758161794915311332008-04-16T20:33:00.002-05:002008-04-16T20:36:43.316-05:00

What does Obama think about affirmative action?I'm not sure I'm following Obama here. He says he still believes in it as a means of overcoming historic and potentially current discrimination, but it can't be applied without looking at the entire person. That was a better answer as a summary."Here's how I would prefer to think about it," Hillary begins. Now she's talking about Head Start. "We have

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-31892232300668970062008-04-16T20:24:00.002-05:002008-04-16T20:33:52.267-05:00

Gibson notes that today is the one-year anniversary of the Virginia Tech shootings. We'll tie that to the discussion about guns here in the presidential debate. Good job, Charlie Gibson, for making sure that that crazy gunman lives on in infamy.Back to business.What can the feds do to combat the crime wave in Philly? Hillary goes first. Um, wait -- I didn't see a cheesy transition with anything

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-49342720651762084542008-04-16T20:08:00.002-05:002008-04-16T20:13:53.619-05:00

An increase in capital gains taxes? Blech; goodbye, crossover votes!Why raise it when the government brings in more when it's lower?Obama says he would look at raising it for purposes of fairness. Now he's talking about hedge fund managers and what they make. Good sound bite about them paying from a lower tax bracket than their secretaries. Is that true? If so, it's a great argument. I like that

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-45091072865870071322008-04-16T20:04:00.003-05:002008-04-16T20:08:32.996-05:00

Here we go with the general election issue, taxes!! Too bad he flubbed that sound bite. That's embarrassing."Read my lips?" Stephey, get your own sound bites!! This is ridiculous. Hillary goes first, and she says that she will roll back the Bush tax cuts, no matter the economy next year, because she is convinced that it will not "detrimentally affect" people's wallets. That's an unfortunate

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-84704549867979283182008-04-16T19:59:00.002-05:002008-04-16T20:03:56.812-05:00

WATCH OUT! Should it be the policy of the U.S. to treat an attack on Israel as an attack on the U.S., Stephey asks?First, it should be the policy of the U.S. to keep nukes away from Iran, offering them "carrots and sticks," Obama says, adding that it should be their belief that it will take "no options off the table" when it comes to them using or getting nukes against Israel. An attack on Israel

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-842163812565491672008-04-16T19:52:00.002-05:002008-04-16T19:59:04.196-05:00

You knew it was coming, and here it is. Is Hillary going to stick to her plan to withdraw a brigade or two a month? Hillary answers ... that she sticks to her 60-day plan to "begin withdrawing" and that she will withdraw slowly because it is dangerous. Isn't she saying she knows better than military commanders, Gibson asks? No, she says (but she is), turning the question into a response about the

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-18253596852092727312008-04-16T19:50:00.000-05:002008-04-16T19:52:11.277-05:00

What's with these cheesy transition quotes and the goofy voiceover?

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-39226186452806723042008-04-16T19:38:00.003-05:002008-04-17T23:48:32.202-05:00

Obama is asked by a regular Pennsylvanian about whether he "believes in the American flag." This is an important moment, because nearly everyone who has heard his name has heard the rumors that he doesn't support the flag, he doesn't wear the politician uniform -- i.e., the flag lapel pin. He recounts his familiar phrase that his story would only be possible in America. He says he will fight for

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-65170471143250980752008-04-16T19:36:00.003-05:002008-04-17T23:49:33.552-05:00

I didn't really understand the question Stephanopoulos asked. Was it about errors? Once again, Obama takes the high road, saying that it's a "mistake" to "obsess" about the errors, like his about bitterness and Hillary's about Bosnia.(That reminds me: Hillary acknowledged in her response that 1) she knew what she said about Bosnia was wrong when she said it, and 2) she acnkowledged about people

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-34334939233285510422008-04-16T19:34:00.002-05:002008-04-16T19:36:49.051-05:00

I missed the third question -- putting the baby to bed -- but I heard what was said, and this question actually leads into the next one. It's hilarious that Hillary Clinton takes Obama to task for the Wright statements when she herself has made statements that don't mesh with the truth -- i.e., the Bosnia issue that "Tom" brings up. Once again, what's good for the goose isn't good for the gander

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-35955565363506807442008-04-16T19:23:00.003-05:002008-04-16T19:27:27.617-05:00

Why are we back on Jeremiah Wright again? Are there no other issues that Pennsylvanians care about?Out of the gate, Obama reiterates that he never heard the comments that were brought up that caused the recent furor, then he pivots to talking about the work the church has done over the past 30 years. (By the way, if you didn't see Obama's speech on race, you have to see it. It was tremendous, a

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-18499028104010405482008-04-16T19:13:00.004-05:002008-04-17T23:51:02.015-05:00

Well, that didn't take long. Barack Obama, did you really mean what you said about people being bitter? He's been well prepped for this, but it still doesn't sound right. Now he's talking about wedge issues. There's the "frustration" word again. That's a good strategy, to substitute a new word for the old one.Ugh, "I'm the granddaughter of a factory worker from Scranton." Blech. Clinton is back

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-40339402199824576132008-04-16T19:10:00.002-05:002008-04-16T19:13:27.291-05:00

Charlie Gibson, who wrote these questions? This is the biggest waste of time, asking them why each won't commit to choosing the other for VP. (Oh, Chelsea is there. Maybe they should ask her about the Monica deal. I forgot -- it's none of our business, right, Chelsea?)Anyway, this question is second only to that dumb question that Des Moines Register editor asked the candidates about their New

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-23879895488274374182008-04-16T19:07:00.003-05:002008-04-16T19:10:44.695-05:00

I'll be live blogging the debate tonight ... I'm a little late getting going because I had to wrestle my eight-month-old into her PJs. She's not a fan of getting into her clothes!Opening statements: Obama obviously is going to try to substitute the word "frustrated" for the dreaded "bitter" he used in his much-maligned private statements in California. I'm sure we'll hear more about this later --

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-66806889866135677332008-04-15T21:44:00.002-05:002008-04-15T21:50:42.030-05:00

You might have read this post on Monday about the behind-the-scenes preparations Democratic Party leaders are making to confront Hillary Clinton about her continued pursuit of the presidential nomination.The story, which originally appeared in a Scottish newspaper, noted that congressional leaders are the engines driving the reality train, and that party leaders had chosen Jimmy Carter and Al

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-54393692061207436002008-04-15T08:52:00.004-05:002008-04-15T19:55:54.219-05:00

The price of light sweet crude oil is now over $113 a barrel.This has been an issue in the presidential campaign, but only to the extent that the candidates have paid lip service to the idea of "energy independence" and "reducing our dependence on foreign oil" and casting blame for high gasoline prices. It's not clear what those phrases mean -- or, more importantly, how any of the candidates,

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-8475713878388120962008-04-14T23:51:00.003-05:002008-04-15T00:15:15.231-05:00

I just want to say a word about the latest stories coming out about the investigation into the polygamous sect in Texas. You no doubt have heard about the 416 children who were taken from the retreat belonging to the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on April 3. Salacious details, including reports of a "marriage bed" found in the sect's temple and believed to have been

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-32463399422140292182008-04-14T23:15:00.002-05:002008-04-14T23:39:32.323-05:00

It won't be an issue during this presidential campaign, but it should be: What is this country going to do with the growing number of sex offenders, both violent and "nonviolent?"As awareness and enforcement of sex crimes picks up, so does the prison population. There's been talk about mental health counseling and behavior modification programs for "nonviolent" sex offenders, but as you'll see in

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-22297062809027324102008-04-14T16:34:00.003-05:002008-04-14T16:40:00.487-05:00

OK, folks, I know there are some witty readers out there just looking for a place to share their sarcasm. Far be it from me to deny you an opportunity to put your talents to good use! So ...I give you the First Edition of the Clarion Caller Blog Caption Contest. I'll give you a picture, you give me a caption, and we'll acknowledge the winner in a future post.Today's offering comes to us from the

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-54629721151510052832008-04-14T09:01:00.002-05:002008-04-14T09:21:22.834-05:00

That's the headline under which a Scottish newspaper (aptly called 'The Scotsman') reports that it's just a matter of time until "Democrat grandees" Jimmy Carter and Al Gore team up to deliver the bad news to Hillary Clinton: For the good of the party, it's time to drop out.The story notes that the recent string of missteps and mistakes by the Clinton campaign, beginning with the "

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-65652043848981246462008-04-14T08:43:00.002-05:002008-04-14T08:55:18.450-05:00

Welcome to Monday! There's nothing like starting the week off with a good laugh (or cry, depending on how you look at it).This photo comes to us courtesy of columnist and pundit Rich Galen, who got it from a Foreign Service officer in Iraq:The prevailing theory of this photo, Galen explains, is that someone called to order a going-away cake for Suzanne with the instructions that it be inscribed:

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-26348066609535298192008-04-13T23:12:00.003-05:002008-04-14T00:01:57.609-05:00

If I thought Hillary Clinton was bad on the abortion question, I should have waited for Barack Obama's answer.Whew. It's amazing to me that someone as eloquent and intelligent as Barack Obama (and Hillary Clinton, as a matter of fact) can become a verbal puddle when asked a simple question about abortion. The question couldn't have been simpler: Do you believe that life begins at conception? The

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-28213401361612518672008-04-13T22:59:00.001-05:002008-04-13T22:59:47.250-05:00

Got back this afternoon from a quick weekend trip to Nashville, where I attended an amazing event: the taping of two DVDs by Christian singer David Phelps. If you've never heard of David, take a minute and check out his web site. Listen to the clips. Pick up a CD or two. You'll find that David possesses a talent that can only be described as otherworldly, but he is as approachable and

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-53947357820103883662008-04-12T00:10:00.002-05:002008-04-12T01:07:28.114-05:00

Looking for links from this morning's column? You've come to the right place: Here's the link to the home page for the Every Child Matters Education Fund; Here's the link to the main "Geography Matters" page; Here's the link to the "Geography Matters" report itself; and Here's the link to the "Homeland Insecurity" report. Also, here's the link to the page listing Alabama's rankings in the various

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-1470368134640385122008-04-11T10:49:00.003-05:002008-04-11T11:13:16.788-05:00

If you don't already read it, I urge you to take a few minutes and read Rich Galen's column today about the furor surrounding the Olympics.Rich also provides a link to his "Secret Decoder Ring," which will link you to all the background pieces he mentions in his column.Rich points out that, according to the International Olympic Committee, the Modern Games were reinstated in Athens in 1896 "to

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-23580781425948465882008-04-11T08:49:00.003-05:002008-04-11T10:21:02.253-05:00

Do you think the race for the Democratic presidential nomination is contentious?There are more than 2,000 Californians running to be delegates to the party's national convention.There are 241 spots.But wait! There's more:Earlier this week, Obama’s and Hillary Rodham Clinton’s campaign took advantage of party rules to purge scores of potential delegates in a bid to ensure that only their loyalists

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-66040371373062609472008-04-10T14:09:00.002-05:002008-04-10T15:25:59.864-05:00

You've got to hand it to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.It's not enough for him to run a sanctuary city that ties the hands of law enforcement from reporting illegal immigrants to federal authorities. No, this guy is an overachiever.Villaraigosa sent a polite but pointed letter to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff in which he took Chertoff and the Immigration and Customs

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-19457614479545225432008-04-10T08:53:00.003-05:002008-04-10T09:29:17.332-05:00

Days after the world began contemplating Dan Senor's remarks that an appearance by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at Grover Norquist's high-fallutin' lunch group meant that she was "actively campaigning" for the vice presidency on John McCain's ticket, Good Morning America talked to former Secretary of State Colin Powell. Powell, mentioned as a perennial VP possibility, seemed to come to the

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-35113606126956037762008-04-09T21:33:00.002-05:002008-04-10T00:09:59.709-05:00

Salon.com's Camile Paglia responded to a reader's question yesterday about why Hillary Clinton seems to surround herself with "passive-aggressive, sadistic, mean, little, petty beta-male pieces of work who would not naturally succeed in a common male-type hierarchy.""Can you conceive of a strong, leader-type male ever working under her?" he asked.Paglia opined that by surrounding herself with

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-82804570636784684212008-04-09T13:28:00.002-05:002008-04-09T13:59:45.597-05:00

It seems that folks are starting to awaken to the realization that there ARE actually congressional elections this year, after all. Talking Points Memo provides this list of competitive Senate races, which you can compare with the RealClearPolitics list I mentioned here on Monday:Alaska: Ted Stevens (i) vs. Mark Begich -- Leans GOP;Colorado: Bob Schaffer vs. Mark Udall -- Tossup;Louisiana: John

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-85950133459443601502008-04-09T09:06:00.005-05:002008-04-09T09:35:02.324-05:00

I'm not generally a huge fan of CNN contributor Roland Martin, but he has produced an interesting piece on the gravity of Sunday's looming Democrats-talk-about-religion forum in -- where else? -- Pennsylvania.For the purposes of Martin's credibility, you should know that according to CNN, he is studying to receive his master's degree in Christian communications at Louisiana Baptist University.

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-7881196348200913752008-04-08T21:11:00.003-05:002008-04-08T22:05:07.793-05:00

On the eve of Gen. David Petraeus' visit to Capitol Hill to brief lawmakers on the status of the troop surge in Iraq, Barack Obama made waves with this bold assertion:“I think a lot of people assume that might be some sort of military thing to make me look more commander in chief-like. Ironically, this is an area — foreign policy is the area where I am probably most confident that I know more and

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-40549987378460674722008-04-08T10:29:00.008-05:002008-04-08T20:53:26.679-05:00

Hillary Clinton is wasting no time retooling her campaign after the departure of longtime strategist Mark Penn: She's already developed a new campaign slogan.In this Washington Post story about how Hillary Clinton "often veers to the dark side" while relaying issue-related anecdotes on the campaign trail, reporter Anne E. Komblut describes how Clinton incorporated an event at one of her rallies

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-19869383905650212312008-04-08T09:04:00.002-05:002008-04-08T09:19:48.737-05:00

Created by OnePlusYouThanks to everyone who reads; and to the few of you who comment, thanks for keeping it clean!(Thanks to Dan at Daily Dixie for the tip to this tool.)

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-57419358596998395922008-04-08T08:45:00.003-05:002008-04-08T08:57:35.104-05:00

I was flipping through the channels on an elliptical machine at the gym yesterday when I caught a segment on FNC about how Barack Obama is closing the gap on Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania. Washington bureau chief Brit Hume explained that Obama's numbers tend to increase when he gets out among voters, as he has done over the past couple of weeks on his bus tour across the Keystone State. Such

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-35068270522839970022008-04-07T23:44:00.003-05:002008-04-07T23:57:06.386-05:00

I managed to find one link, however casual, between Dan Senor and Grover Norquist:Norquist contributed $1000 to the 2000 Senate campaign of Michigan Sen. Spencer Abraham, whom Senor served as legislative aide, press secretary and communications director.It's not much, but it's something.

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-60772291006071298082008-04-07T22:48:00.003-05:002008-04-07T23:34:17.094-05:00

So I've spent the last little while trying to find a client list for Dan Senor to see whether Grover Norquist is on it ... no luck in that department, but I did learn something:Dan Senor is married to CNN's Campbell Brown. I guess my thirst for news ends where paparazzi-style speculation on reporters' personal lives begins, so ... I didn't know that!But now that I do, I'll look for Mrs. Brown to

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-12586853841140729032008-04-07T21:28:00.002-05:002008-04-07T22:07:34.982-05:00

Is she or isn't she? That was the question being bounced around today as the world digested the curious remarks of former-Iraq-Coalition-Provisional-Authority-spokesman-turned-Republican strategist Dan Senor regarding Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.“Condi Rice has been actively, actually in recent weeks, campaigning for" the vice presidency, Senor said during an interview on an ABC Sunday

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-84633397105932871362008-04-07T09:47:00.005-05:002008-04-07T10:34:31.847-05:00

What with all the hullabaloo over the scintillating presidential race, it would be easy to overlook congressional elections. But the makeup of lawmakers on Capitol Hill will have as much to do with the success of the next president as he or she will -- or more.Nowhere is that more evident than in the Senate, where the next president's agenda will go to thrive or die. Health care policy? Economic

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-71172427227161656902008-04-06T23:32:00.003-05:002008-04-06T23:58:43.827-05:00

It took long enough, but longtime Clintonista Mark Penn has left his post as chief strategist in the former first lady's presidential campaign.The straw that broke the camel's back was Penn's recent meeting with trade officials in Colombia. According to the AP:The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that Penn, who serves as chief executive of public relations giant Burson-Marsteller, met with

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-92199301441074089952008-04-06T21:56:00.003-05:002008-04-06T22:22:43.832-05:00

As members of the media digested the stunning numbers of the Clintons' tax returns, The New York Times designated a reporter or two to consider how the Clintons' philanthropy stacks up against their instruction on it.Mr. Clinton last year earned $6.3 million from “Giving,” a book on philanthropy, and reported giving $1 million of that to charity. (Let's stop right there for a minute. Wouldn't you

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-52978292662614527892008-04-06T15:27:00.000-05:002008-04-06T15:28:25.918-05:00

Last week, I told you about a report that documents the worsening national disgrace that is this country's education system: Seventeen of the nation's 50 largest cities had high school graduation rates lower than 50 percent, according to a report released Tuesday ... The report also found that about half of the students served by public school systems in the nation's largest cities receive

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-78410968731728678932008-04-05T16:22:00.002-05:002008-04-05T16:51:07.954-05:00

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has gotten most of the plaudits in the oratory department throughout this campaign. His speechifying has electrified rallygoers throughout the country and is responsible for most of the energy that's been injected into this cycle.But Republican nominee-to-be John McCain showed this week that he's no rookie when it comes to turning an inspiring

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-46655456556954103012008-04-05T02:51:00.000-05:002008-04-05T02:51:32.053-05:00

DNC Chairman Howard Dean made hotel reservations Wednesday morning.No, not Eliot Spitzer-type reservations -- these were for members of the Florida delegation to the Democratic National Convention.The move seems to portend a resolution to the highly and hotly disputed delegate mess in which Floridians -- and Michiganders -- have found themselves since their too-early primaries that drew the ire

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-55596862260988713142008-04-04T15:08:00.001-05:002008-04-04T15:10:50.757-05:00

This just in:Sen. John McCain intends to meet with Secret Service officials in the next several days in preparation for accepting security protection for the final several months of his White House bid, campaign officials said Friday.How does that affect the Secret Service budget, congressman?

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-76246250185877901342008-04-04T11:35:00.004-05:002008-04-04T14:16:38.120-05:00

The day before the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the director of the U.S. Secret Service told Congress in a public hearing that another prominent political figure is completely unprotected by his agency: Republican nominee-to-be John McCain."Statutorily, he is not required to take protection," Director Mark Sullivan said when asked about McCain's security

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-25200764664972304752008-04-04T11:21:00.003-05:002008-04-04T11:31:33.845-05:00

Hillary Clinton has all but confirmed what many political watchers have been suspecting for the better part of two months: Far from considering calls to leave the race for the good of the party, she fully intends to engage Barack Obama in an intense and bruising delegate battle at the national convention that promises to leave the eventual winner wounded going into the general.From the

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-12053838193723139462008-04-04T06:13:00.002-05:002008-04-04T06:58:29.165-05:00

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the assassination of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. King was just 26 when he became the national face of the civil disobedience campaign for racial equality that changed the way Americans lived with one another. He was gunned down as he stood on a balcony outside Room 306 at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tenn., in the early evening of April 4,

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550915104289271928.post-12219923789202109472008-04-04T00:08:00.004-05:002008-04-05T09:13:28.882-05:00

Hillary Clinton appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Thursday night and made efforts to smooth over the furor over her I-was-nearly-shot-to-death-in-Bosnia-by-a-sniper flap."It is so great to be here; I was so worried I wasn't going to make it. I was pinned down by sniper fire," Clinton said after joining him onstage, referring to her claims - since disputed - that she dodged sniper bullets

Jennifer Fosternoreply@blogger.com