Monday, June 9, 2008

More on Morning Joe


Just thought I'd point out this article about Morning Joe, which I blogged about a few weeks ago...

TV Host Is in His Prime With a Morning Audience

More important, perhaps, the three hours of hard-core political chat (often laced with humor) that Mr. Scarborough and his co-hosts, Mika Brzezinski and Willie Geist, put on each day is unlike anything else on morning television.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Congratulations, Obama!


On to November!

Exploring the ocean's hidden worlds

My company has been lucky enough to work with explorer Bob Ballard for years in his efforts to inspire more young people to study (and enjoy) science. Last weekend, I ran across this speech of his from February...if you have 15 minutes, watch the speech...interesting thoughts about exploration and our planet's future:



And check out more of the speeches from TED - great organization!

Inspired talks by the world's greatest thinkers and doers

(you can also subscribe to their video podcast series)

Monday, June 2, 2008

"We need to remember. REALLY remember."

I saw a link on Plunderbund to this post and also thought it was worth sharing:

Lipstick on a Pig

These are a couple of points that struck me. It's a long post, but you should read the whole thing:

Remember the '90's?

I mean, REALLY remember?

It started--and perhaps those of us who voted for him should have been paying closer attention--but it started during the Clinton campaign of '92. "Bimbo eruptions." Gennifer. Paula.

The Clintons, even then, vowed to FIGHT this Republican Attack Machine that was trying to destroy them.

Everybody likes a fighter, right?

So boy, we all joined in the brawl, didn't we? Faced off our conservative friends, flocked to the polls, all tuned in to 60 Minutes after the Super Bowl. Thought the Clintons were so cool.

Delivered them the White House.



We need to remember. REALLY remember.

It dragged on, and dragged on. More bimbo eruptions, and as the accusations from the right-wing grew positively Machiavellian, we knew that this wasn't about any failings of the Clintons but was about shoving a right-wing agenda down the throats of a populace easily manipulated by soundbite sloganeering.

We just knew it. We were so sure of it.

For eight years, we seethed, shouted at the TV news, argued with relatives, defended and defended and defended the Clintons against the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy,

Then came Monica.



We've spent seven years in hell since Bush was selected president. That miserable feeling of rage and frustration and the utter depression of feeling we have no control over events that define our lives has continued this entire time.

This political season started as one of unprecedented hope and excitement and energy for the Democratic party, raking in hundreds of millions of dollars, pulling in millions of new voters, energizing the base and bringing in Independents and moderate Republicans. All of our candidates were outstanding.

We could not lose.

Until Hillary started to.

In spite of the fact that her campaign badly misjudged the American mood with their campaign message of experience over change; in spite of the fact that they blew through money like water with unneccessary luxury spending; in spite of the fact that they had no organization on the ground in place to even consider having to go beyond Super Tuesday; in spite of a lackluster Internet organization, in spite of backbiting and infighting within the campaign--much like there was within the Clinton White House--in spite of monumental gaffes committed by the candidate herself...well, it wasn't their fault.

SEXISM!

MEDIA BIAS!

THE DNC HATES US!

And so the nasty set in. As soon as Clinton set herself up as Joan d'Fighter, then here came all the old familiar standbys: snotty surrogates making sensational claims on talk shows, enraged supporters baring their teeth at detractors, Republican opponents launching snide countersnarls, and phony issues getting whipped up by partisans into a frenzy of outrage completely unrelated to the problems at hand.

Only this time, it was the Clintons themselves egging the whole thing on.

So here we are, back again in ClintonLand.

The land of anger and misery and division and depression and anxiety. And friendships driven apart.



In the Florida/Michigan impasse, to Clinton and her mad-dog supporters who showed up for the meeting, there was to be no compromise. Either they got their whole way, or it was nothing.

Even after DNC lawyers released a 38-page memo stating in clear terms that, legally, only half-votes could be awarded to the delegates--that was shoved aside as though it did not exist.

Anything less was a personal attack on the Clintons and Hillary's campaign.

We've been here before.

It's all wearyingly familiar.

We need to remember. REALLY remember.

The big question all Democrats everywhere must ask themselves now is, DO WE WANT TO GO THERE AGAIN?

Because we already know what a Clinton White House would be like. We already know about the us-against-them battles, the rage of supporters, the partisan political divisions and government lockdowns and inevitable scandals.



Barack Obama's campaign has been streamlined, efficient, well-organized. Its message has been clear, concise, and consistent. His team is close-knit and not divided by backbiting and infighting. He's done his best to maintain his dignity against unconscionable racist attacks, some launched by Hillary's campaign.

He flat-out told his supporters not to demonstrate during the DNC meeting. Over and over again, his campaign offered scenarios for compromise, all of which were rejected by Hillary and her people.

He tries to take the high road. He tries to keep people together. He is no saint, and he's made mistakes, and he will make mistakes in the White House.

But wouldn't it be nice if we could go into a new administration with a feeing of hope, excitement, and peace of mind? A feeling of fresh change and new direction?

Of looking forward and not behind?

Hillary has made herself ugly with the nastiness of this campaign. Her supporters only reflect the bitterness she has enflamed.

Even when the Rules Committee tried to find a fair solution, one of her noisier supporters--many of whom repeatedly shouted down Committee members who were trying to do their jobs--yelled, "LIPSTICK ON A PIG."

That's what Hillary's campaign has come to resemble.

Do we really want to take this into the White House?

AGAIN?