Well, all of us, certainly, as we do them. But when it comes to presidential candidates, it seems a lot of them are supporting Obama for their next commander in chief. It makes sense that they would. His foreign policy strategy is sound, the world seems fascinated by him and his candidacy, and he's got the vast majority of the youth vote. And I think that after multiple deployments for many of our men and women in uniform, change is probably sounding pretty good right about now. I don't think they're going to get behind the guy who wants to keep us in Iraq for 100 years. Most are going to go with the guy who's made the right decision from the start.

Of course, it's not just our young troops who support Obama. I hear some young at heart veterans are pretty keen on him as well. Senator Kerry spoke with Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski yesterday on Morning Joe about Senator Obama's qualifications and leadership ability.

Looks like Senator Kerry will hit the left coast for Obama Friday and Saturday to help put Barack over the top on Super Tuesday. If you're in the area, grab as many friends as you can and join the movement.

Yes. We. Can.

If you've got a TV or radio station and you didn't manage to snag the Senator for your show yesterday, I'd complain. He hit a half dozen of them, speaking on the SOTU, Obama's inspiring message of unity, hope and change, the Kennedy endorsement, and a host of other topics. The media blitz started on Fox News a bit after 7 am, and wound up around 10:30 last night with a call in to NPR.

I'll let you sort it out, I'm still trying to catch up. Don't miss Steph, she's my fave.

The Senator called in to chat with Stephanie Miller   here, Ed Schultz   here, WBUR On Point   here and finished up on WBUR NPR Special   here

Whew. That's a whole lot of talking. Good stuff, though.

Looks like today starts with Morning Joe and Imus. I just checked out Joe's front page, and there's a whole lot of Republicans there. Good thing JK's not one to shy away from a tough interview. Of course, Mika's the best part of the show anyway, most days. Except perhaps for this morning.

Yesterday was quite the busy one. There was the big Obama endorsement from the Kennedys, of course, which was brilliant and hopeful. It's also all over the news, so you must have seen it. Just in case, though, here's a highlight.

Yesterday was also the State of the Union address, the annual report from the President to the Congress and to the American people about how the economy doesn't really suck and how great our Middle East 'strategery' is. Nothing seems to say "land of the free and home of the brave" to this President like warrantless wiretapping and fearmongering. Sadly, or perhaps not, I had to drink every time he said 'veto' or 'terra', and by the end of the hour I was slurring as bad as W. So now I don't recall half of what he said, which is probably for the best. In contrast to President Bush's divisive, hour-long lecture, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius gave the official Democratic response, a message of unity and change.

It's pretty typical to find Senator Kerry fighting back against Bush, but this week he had to push back not just at the current President, but at the last one as well. I hope we can get back to the three person race this week. Four was getting a little crowded.

It was another fun filled week of primary battles, hearings and meet-ups with constituents, championing environmental causes and generally trying to keep the administration from destroying the country and the planet before they slink away to Dallas and leave the cleanup to the next administration.

Sen. Kerry met this week with Massachusetts leaders to discuss a stiumlus package that will create jobs, and not just put a bandaid on the economy. He briefed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the Bali talks, and warned that the Department of Homeland Security's disaster response plan doesn't make the grade. He continued to fight the good fight against swiftboating with his fellow bloggers at Daily Kos, and hit the airwaves with Andy Gobeil on The Big Picture, and Linda Douglass of National Journal on Air. Both interviews can be heard at the links.

Looks like lots of environmental stuff in the coming days, including an event tomorrow with 'Heroes' star Hayden Panettiere, a global warming 'teach in' at North Shore Community College, and a keynote speech at Rice University on climate change.

Stay tuned.

I was going to post about Sen. Kerry's economic stimulus plan for small business today, but I think he'd understand if we hold off a bit. After all, JK's done such great work for Obama in this primary, I'm sure he's celebrating this shared victory along with the rest of us.

Yesterday and today, Sen. Obama picked up a a flurry of newspaper endorsements as well as a big one from Caroline Kennedy, who spoke of inspiration and hope in her NYT piece "A President Like My Father". There are rumors this morning of another big name jumping on the Obama bandwagon very soon. We shall see.

Congratulations to Sen. Obama on his landslide victory in South Carolina. Not much time to revel in this win, though. With Super Tuesday right around the corner, this message of hope still has to reach a lot of people. Can we do it? Yes. We. Can.

Here's Sen. Obama's speech after winning a blowout in the South Carolina primary yesterday.

Above my desk, amidst the clutter of memos and memorabilia, tickets and campaign buttons and photos of people's kids, is this picture. I like it for a couple reasons. First, for the half-smile on JPII's face, which seems to say, "Hey, he's no saint, but I can live with that." Second, because on the whole, the country was in a heck of a lot better shape then than it is now. He was a good President, that Bill Clinton. Not perfect, but then none of us are.

Well, that was then and this is now. Not only is Hillary no Bill Clinton, it seems Bill isn't either. It's difficult for me to believe that this same charismatic man who we've all defended, time and again, against ugly attacks from right wing smears has turned to using the same 'win at all cost' tactics as his detractors.

The Christian Science Monitor is calling on President Clinton to "Chill, Bill", deeming his attacks against Senator Obama beneath the stature of a president. Leading Democrats are asking President Clinton to back off, and caution that he's offending a lot of people. Bill has taken on the role of attack dog, a job that's typically reserved for the VP nominee against the other party.

Bill has chosen to use it against his own.

Humor can be a very effective weapon, and Sen. Obama proves he knows how to work a room in this video where he addresses the recent attacks against him.

"They're trying to hoodwink you."

I must say, I haven't heard the word "hoodwink" in a while. Bamboozle, either, for that matter. Watch as Senator Obama fights swiftboaters with a bit of humor.

In the words of the Senator, "Too much fun."

Barack also hit the late night circuit with an appearance on David Letterman's show last night. If you fell asleep before the top ten, here it is, courtesy of our friends at the BarackObamadotcom blog. My favorite was number five, although number two came in a close second. How great will it be to have a President who can string real words into actual sentences? It's been too long.

Don't forget to tip your waiter.

Clear your schedules, this should be good. Today at 2:30 EST, Senator Kerry will report in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on his recent trip to Bali for the climate change conference. The only member of congress to attend, the Senator will share his '36 hours in Bali' with the committee, and he and the other SFRC members will hear from witnesses, and question James L. Connaughton, who has the distinction of the most Orwellian title of the Bush administration.

First Witness panel

James L. Connaughton
Chairman, President’s Council on Environmental Quality (!)

Second Witness panel

Jim Lyons
Vice President for Policy and Communication, Oxfam America

Elliot Diringer
Director of International Strategies, Pew Center on Global Climate Change

Glen Prickett
Senior Vice President, Conservation International

John J. Castellani
President, Business Roundtable

In this short clip of his press conference in Bali, Senator Kerry speaks of the need for the United States to lead on finding solutions to the climate crisis.

Kerstin posted previously about a conference call Senator Kerry held after the Bali conference. You can hear audio of the call, which includes friends of KV, Karen and Susan here.

So, what's next? It's pretty clear that the world has given up hope on Bush helping in any meaningful way. After all, someone who doesn't give a damn what happens the polar bear probably doesn't much care what happens to the rest of us, either. So, it's up to the next President and our next, hopefully very blue Congress to change the course and become a leader on climate change.

Take a late lunch. This'll be one worth watching.

Fight the lies!

Senator Kerry has stood up against swiftboating, not just for himself, but for all Democrats who have been attacked by lies and distortions. He stood up for Jack Murtha, for Joe Sestak, for Patrick Murphy and for Hillary Clinton, and now that Barack Obama is being smeared, he's calling on all of us to stand with him and with Barack, and fight for the truth.

Yesterday, the Senator sent out a call to action for everyone who believes that it's time to end the politics of personal destruction. Forward it to your family and friends. There is power in the truth, but it must be heard for that power to have an effect. Let's send a loud and clear message that it's time for an end to swiftboating. He can't do it alone.

It's time to stand up.

Well, not really. But reading and watching the post-debate analysis would lead one to believe it was. Last night's debate between Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards was lively, sometimes contentious, and funny in a couple places. Certainly not dull. Each of the three candidates landed blows, but there was no knockout punch, and each scored on individual points. As interesting as the debate was, it's important, too, to critique not just the contenders' appearance at these things, but the facts behind what was said. Some good post-debate fact checking can be found at LiberalValues, where Ron Chusid analyzes four of the main topics and adds some video.

One question, posed to Barack Obama, is one we've heard before. "Was Bill Clinton our first black president?" I thought it a bit bizarre for a debate.

"I would have to investigate more of Bill's dancing ability and some of this other stuff before I accurately judged whether he was, in fact, a brother," Obama answered to laughter from the crowd.

Sen. Obama stayed on point throughout the debate, and according to current results of a CNN poll and Time's Mark Halperin, won the contest by a very thin margin. The two did get some of the issues that have been bubbling up these past weeks out on the table, so that was good. And although Edwards was left outside the main event, possibly because of it, he did quite well on the issues and was given the win in other polls.

Here are CNN's online poll results as of this morning and a couple highlights from the exchange between Clinton and Obama.

I have to say I feel pretty good about our chances in November if Sen. Obama is the nominee. He proved himself able to stand up to the attacks of the last couple weeks and to hit back when necessary without losing his positive message of change. If, as Sen. Edwards believes, we face McCain, Obama appears to be the most able to bring in some Independent and Republican votes and the one who distinguishes himself most from the rest of the field.

A good debate, and certainly water-cooler material on a typical day, but I'm doubtful it will stay that way. When the opening bell rings today, that's when the conversation will change.

Finally. The Senate is back in session this week, and I have to say I missed those guys. It's also a lot easier to keep track of a Senator when you know he's going to be at work.

This week was a challenge, as Sen. Kerry just couldn't seem to stay in one place. The Senator was in Massachusetts for part of the week, meeting with mayors and speaking at Harvard on climate change. He was on the radio with Big Eddie and BlogTalk, and on the ground rallying the troops for Obama in Nevada. He blogged at TPM, wrote to the Secretary of the Interior on the polar bear crisis, wrote to the president of Amtrak about their contract negotiation, and released a statement about a planned investigation (that he had requested in March) into an immigration raid in New Bedford.

Whew.

I understand Sen. Kerry's in South Carolina this morning before heading back to DC, where there should be some interesting hearings on tap, including a two-parter in Finance on the proposed economic stimulus package. I also expect, but haven't yet seen, Senate plans to join the House regarding the administration's attempt to sell off part of the polar bear habitat.

A happy thought to leave you with, there are only 364 more days of the Bush Administration. I hope we make it.

Enjoy the news.

So, who won Nevada?

I'll admit right up front that I really don't understand the caucus system, having never participated. And I'll bet some of the participants don't understand the vote or delegate count. In a way, the caucus seems like a good way to energize voters in the primary and have them learn about the candidates they'll support. And it looks like a lot of fun. On the other hand, it's awfully messy, as we found in Nevada over the past week leading up to and through yesterday's caucus. Anyway, here's what it looks like.

But now the results are in and we have a winner. Kind of. Sen. Clinton won the popular vote with 51% to Sen. Obama's 45%. But the delegate count, according to the Associated Press report, gave Sen. Obama a 13-12 advantage.

Before I write anything else, I just have to show you a couple photos sent to us by friend of KV 'E. Mccudden' of the second cutest kid on the planet. And I say that only because mine is first, even though she's twenty years older and therefore in a completely different category of cuteness.

Totally Cute Kid (left) with Senator Kerry

JK and TCK talk campaign strategy

I'm this many!

OK, I'm done, but how precious is that? I can honestly say that I've never seen a bad photo of Sen. Kerry with children, but these are just priceless. This adorable child and his dad attended a house rally with Sen. Kerry and Michelle Obama on Thursday, and reported on the event (dad reporting, not the little one). E Mccudden tells us that Sen. Kerry spoke about --

It's pretty obvious that John Kerry likes polar bears. If you check his Senate website, you'll find letters, statements and legislation defending the endangered animal and its fragile habitat from trophy hunters, climate change, and the perhaps the greatest threat of all -- George Bush -- a President who just couldn't be content with destroying our economy and our moral authority, but who just had to make sure he stuck it to the polar bear before he finally slinks away.

We posted just the other day about the Senator's objection to proposed lease of millions of acres of the Chukchi Sea to the oil and gas industries, a move that's scheduled to happen in the coming days, at the same time - almost the precise day - that the animals are poised to be listed as 'threatened'. Or it was, until in a suspiciously timed decision, the US Fish and Wildlife Service postponed the listing by a month, a delay that would give the administration just enough time to slide in a deal to sell off part of the polar bears' home.

Sen. Kerry was joined by ten other senators in sending a letter to Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne yesterday, asking him to delay a 30 million-acre oil and gas lease sale in Alaska’s Chukchi Sea, planned for February 6th. The Senators are recommending that the lease sale be delayed until the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service announces its final decision regarding the listing of the polar bear as a threatened species.

“The polar bear has become a tragic mascot of the impacts of climate change, but the US government continues to leave it as vulnerable as ever,” Sen. Kerry said. “We should be protecting these animals, rather than auctioning off their habitat to the highest bidder. No lease sale should go forward in the Chukchi Sea until the federal government makes a final determination regarding necessary protections for the polar bear and its habitat.”

Senator Kerry posted at TPM yesterday on the topic of the Nevada caucus controversy and the importance of making certain every eligible voter has the opportunity to cast his vote. It's a big issue for the Senator, as it should be for all of us after witnessing the voter disenfranchisement in '04. Apparently though, some folks didn't learn the same lesson.

The issue is a lawsuit which attempts, just days before the Nevada caucus, to deny people the right to participate. From what I've read, it appears the rules, including the Saturday caucus and the at-large sites were agreed on last March. The rationale for the at-large sites is that because the caucus is on Saturday, for most workers on the Las Vegas strip a very busy workday, a nearby caucus location gives them an opportunity to participate. It makes sense that every effort is made to provide them with a convenient location and to make a reasonable attempt to accommodate their work schedule. We are Democrats, after all. We believe the right to vote is sacrosanct. The foundation of our democracy. At least most of us do.

What's really disturbing about all this, aside from the idea that Democrats would try to keep other Democrats from participating in the process, is that the objection to the at-large sites wasn't raised until Obama got the endorsement of the Culinary Workers Union. So this is a very obvious attempt to disenfranchise supporters of a particular candidate. There's a hearing set for this morning to decide the outcome. One can only hope that the people's right to vote is upheld.

As Geekesque notes on Daily Kos, the Senator is "Kicking ass, defending the right to vote, and flying to Nevada".

15 of the 19 September 11 attackers were from Saudi Arabia.
41% of foreign fighters attacking Americans in Iraq are from Saudi Arabia.
Al-Qaeda continues to be funded by wealthy Saudis

Soooo...

Let's sell them some weapons.

There is something seriously disturbing about the escalation of Bush's saber rattling with Iran and selling $20 billion in weapons to Saudi Arabia. There's something weird about his Ahmadinejad obsession. And there's an Orwellian quality to his Middle East trip, where the focus should be on promoting peace and stabilization, but the actuality is divisiveness and threats against a country that, no matter what Bush says, will continue to be an important player in the region. Even more disturbing is that there are reports that the Pentagon has produced a fictitious account of Iranian aggression in advance of the President's trip. Sure, there are problems with Iran. But none that are going to be resolved by selling weapons to their neighbors. Only in this administration can a diplomatic trip be completely devoid of any real diplomatic effort.

Bush takes weapons deal to Saudi Arabia

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - President Bush delivered a sophisticated weapons sale for Saudi Arabia on Monday, trying to bolster its defenses and muster support for a Mideast peace agreement.

...

Coinciding with Bush's arrival, the administration officially notified Congress it will offer Saudi Arabia sophisticated Joint Direct Attack Munitions - or "smart bomb" - technology and related equipment. The deal envisions the transfer of 900 of the precision-guided bomb kits, worth $123-million, that would give Saudi forces highly accurate targeting abilities.

...

The White House already has notified Congress of five other packages to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, including Patriot missiles. The total amount of sales as part of the Gulf Security Dialogue is estimated at $20-billion, a figure subject to actual purchases.

"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." -GWB

Oh, and they're cheating on the Iraq benchmarks. Did they think no one would notice?

"I happen to believe that that's what we need now is a broad citizens' movement that demands accountability from Washington, demands a different standard of behavior, and I hope that we can sort of break with the fights of the past and have a turning of the page, if you will, for our nation and for the world, and I think Barack Obama offers the best opportunity to do that. May I say, I think any Democrat offers a better opportunity than what the Republican field offers, and I will fight for whoever wins the nomination, and try to help a Democrat win."

That's pretty powerful. Not only powerful, but right. And not just the part about Obama.

Senator Kerry spoke with Ed Schultz yesterday about his endorsement of Barack Obama, about his qualifications, and about the need for his particular style of leadership at this moment.

 Listen here:

"I think that what impresses me is he has a sort of combined experience, if you will, of being not just the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review, and declining to go to Wall Street or some law firm and make a lot of money, but rather go back to Chicago and be a street organizer, and then, you know, teach at law school and become a partner in a law firm, and be a civil rights lawyer and so forth, but he's also had eight years in the legislature before coming to the United States Senate, which in fact gives him a longer legislative period of time than either of his other two principal opponents. Mixed in with the rest of his life. And I think that it's important, in my judgment, to have somebody at this point who can help take America out to the world with a different sense of the possible, in our country and elsewhere in the world. And I think the power of that message to me, is enormously important to bridging the divide with the third world, with the religious extremism that we see in the world and so forth. We need to summon new moral authority to that challenge, and I think he can do that."

Both in the interview on Stephanopoulos on Sunday and on the Ed Schultz Show yesterday, Sen. Kerry offered a strong and positive message about a candidate whose combined vision and experience brought the Senator to make his endorsement. But that's not all. In both interviews, he stressed a confidence in all the Democratic candidates, noting that any one would be a better President than any in the Republican field of candidates. And that brings me to the point of this post.

Hey, guess what. John Kerry endorsed Barack Obama!

OK. Unless you've been in living in a cave, maybe that's not news any more. Actually, it's probably not news to people living in caves, either. It's been in newspapers from Illinois to India and everywhere in between in both directions. It was good to see the Senator all over the news talking about a Presidential race again. I'd rather it was his campaign, of course, but still it's good that he's endorsed a great candidate like Obama. And his interview on 'This Week' was stellar.

The Senate's still in recess, but there was other Kerry news this week in addition to the endorsement, including a keynote speech to a mock congress at AIC and a couple visits to Mass firms working on green technology, which we posted about earlier this week. He spoke at the Berkshire Creative Energy Showcase in Pittsfield, and at the Massachusetts Municipal Association annual meeting. He also called for additional funding for the SBA and protection for SBA whistleblowers.

Enjoy the news.

In a word, change. In a lot more words, a strong argument by Sen. Kerry for why we need it, and why Barack Obama is the guy to bring it. Senator Kerry spoke to George Stephanopoulos this morning about why he supports Barack Obama, and why he is the right candidate at the right time. He also made very clear that he respects the other candidates, than that he will "fight like crazy" for the eventual nominee. Pretty classy, but then I expected no less.

The entire show was excellent, including the roundtable. Hope to see video soon at the ABC website, but for now, here's the interview with Sen. Kerry.

UPDATE - The video is available at the ABC website

Interesting. I have twice in my travels run into groups of young people who were taking part in Model Congress, and was taken by their energy and enthusiasm. My encounter with these kids was limited to waiting endlessly for the next elevator, but I was intrigued by the concept of a mock legislature. In addition to jamming the lobbies of some of my favorite hotels, these young future political hopefuls participating in Model Congress get to do some really cool stuff. They write bills and, unlike the current Congress, because they don't have to deal with the same Roadblocks, actually get them passed. Well, not actually passed into law, but passed into 'model-law' I guess.

And they get to meet some really interesting people.

Senator Kerry was in Western Massachusetts yesterday to deliver the keynote address at American International College's Model Congress. We've not yet found video or text of the speech, but there was news coverage of the event.

In the Senator's speech, as reported by The Republican, he spoke of international affairs, the climate and healthcare, and discussed the Bhutto assassination, which JK and Joe Biden had introduced legislation to try to avert. And he spoke to his audience about their role in determining America's future.

"You can make a difference, and we need you, now more than ever," he said.

Kerry was vigorously applauded.

"He was an amazing speaker, very passionate about what he said," said Monica M. Orefice, 17, a senior at the city's Sabis International Charter School.

"I think it was definitely very inspiring," agreed Kara M. Breen, 17, also a Sabis senior.

The local CBS affiliate reported on the event and on the Obama endorsement:

About AIC Model Congress

Founded in 1940, American International College's Model Congress is the oldest program of its type in the nation. The college welcomes hundreds of high school students from aproximately 20 highschools in Northeastern part of the United States. Highschool students propose and submit legislation, which is then debated at the college in a simulated U.S. Congress and Senate, run by American International College students. Several scholarships are awarded each year to the most outstanding delegates of the Congress. The Congress runs three days and is intended to provide a practical educational experience while challenging students to take part in the American system of government.

What does a Model Congress do?

This is not the group Senator Kerry spoke to yesterday, but it's a good look at what a model congress is all about, and what it means to those who participate.

What many of us suspected was coming within the next few weeks is now official; Senator Kerry endorsed Barack Obama for President yesterday in a speech given in Charleston, SC. This endorsement is extremely important for Senator Obama, because he will have the benefit of JK's 3 million strong email list.

In a letter distributed to this vast e-mail list, the Senator explained his reasons for the endorsement:

At this particular moment, with our country faced with great challenges in our economy, in our environment, and in our foreign policy, and with our politics torn by division, Barack Obama can bring transformation to our country. With Barack, we can build a new majority of Americans from all regions who can turn the page on the politics of Karl Rove and begin a new politics, one worthy of our nation's history and promise. We can bring millions of disaffected people – young and old – to the great task of governing and making a difference, child to child, community to community.

JK bounded onto the platform to loud cheers in the sunshine to give his endorsement.

Senator Obama followed with an acknowledgment of a senator we know is amazing and went on to inspire us all with his vision.

On Tuesday, in addition to a story on Sen. Kerry's visit to Ze-gen that Kerstin posted about here, a reporter from South Coast Today asked the Senator which 2008 candidate he will endorse. It's a huge endorsement, of course, for the candidate who is lucky enough to get it. When it happens. When the guy nearly half the country voted for last time says "I like this one", people tend to look a little more closely. And there's that huge email list to consider, and let's not forget the Senator's very active online supporters, some who are just waiting to hear who JK will get behind for the nomination. Yup. This will be a big endorsement for the lucky guy or gal, and it looks like we may not have to wait much longer. Yesterday, at the Massachusetts Democratic State Committee meeting, the Senator is reported to have said his endorsement will come "very soon". But as the Senator made clear in this video, he's not quite ready. I get that.

“People throughout Massachusetts are breaking the bank to fill their gas tanks, while oil companies reap windfall profits. That’s just plain wrong. That’s why I’m asking the federal government to investigate why prices have increased so dramatically,” said Senator Kerry. “This crisis is yet another reminder of Washington’s glaring inaction about our nation’s dependence on oil. It’s long past time to get serious about making America energy independent. This ongoing crisis hits people in the wallets, threatens our entire economy, degrades our environment and compromises our national security.”

As the Senator points out in his statement, and as most folks are painfully aware, gas prices are hitting us all in the pocketbook. In 2004, gas prices were a campaign issue at $1.77/gal. Less than four years later, at an average $3.11/gal., nothing is being done by this administration or its lockstep Republican apologists to address the impact of oil dependency on the American public. We need a Congress and an administration that will look for answers that benefit the vast majority of Americans, not just a few greedy oil execs. It's long past time for us to insist that the people we elect to represent us actually represent us, and that the ones who don't find another line of work.

The public's best interest is what we should be concerned with, not Exxon's record profits, as thatguitarman reminds us in song.

But the issue is not just prices, it's also the impact on the climate and our national security. The solution to our energy problems is innovation and conservation, not drilling and killing.

With all the attention of the nation focused on Iowa and New Hampshire, Senator Kerry quietly carries out the promise he made to the nation during his own run for president. He has been working on the issues that were important then, and are no less so four years later.

Fighting Global Climate Change, Kerry has long insisted, can carry with it tremendous business opportunities. To personally witness such a business success, Senator Kerry took a trip to New Bedford, MA to tour the Ze-Gen facility, a waste-to-energy prototype plant. One of the first of its kind, Ze-gen converts construction and demolition waste and municipal solid waste into near zero-emissions syngas and electrical energy.

The following video shows the Senator touring the facility and being explained the processes. After the tour, he is interviewed by Steve Urbon, Standard-Times senior correspondent about the promises of such innovation and the challenges to receive financing.

We Bay-Staters are very fortunate. We live in a state where such prototypes and innovation are encouraged and welcome, and where our Senators have the ability to further aid these businesses. It definitely does not hurt to have Senator Kerry chairing the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee, and the Subcommittee on Science, Technology, and Innovation.

So while the country may be swept up in the spectacle of presidential primaries, we can rest assured that somewhere, someone is not getting caught up in the frenzy and is working for us, and fighting the good fight.

Recess is such a drag. Although there's been plenty of politics on TV, it's all about the primaries, and I haven't been able to get all that fired up over it. I think I'm close to picking a favorite, but I'd really like to hear more about their solutions to our economic problems, foreign policy and what they'll do about climate change. So, I'm left watching old videos on C-SPAN and counting down till the Senate reconvenes on the 15th. Still, we have a few new items for you this week that you probably didn't see on the mainstream news.

In Small Business news, Senators Kerry and Snowe sent a letter to EPA Administrator Johnson to encourage an increase funding for the Energy Star small business program. Senator Kerry also announced that he will hold a hearing on the SBA's efforts to undermine the Women's Procurement program, calling the SBA's proposal a 'slap in the face' to women business owners.

The Senator also issued a statement on Bush's plan to kill off arctic wildlife. Truthfully, I'm not surprised that Bush was for polar bears before he was against them, having first proposed endangered species protection before announcing he wants to allow drilling in their fragile habitat.

Expect more lies and spin from the hateful side of politics. There was a good piece by Christopher Hayes in The Nation on the vile Swift Boat Liars and the money they're donating to Republicans, and the increasingly arrogant Bill O'Reilly accosted former Kerry staffer Marvin Nicholson the other day.

On the lighter side of the news, Pittsfield, MA is pretty thrilled to have JK scheduled for an event this Friday that sounds like a lot of fun.

Abbreviated, but still some good stuff. Enjoy the news.

It takes a lot of self control when you come face to face with as big a jerk as Fox News' Big Giant Head, but former Kerry "Chief of Stuff" and current Obama aide, Marvin Nicholson, kept his cool yesterday after being accosted by Bill O'Reilly.

I love that picture, by the way. I took it last year at the Take Back America conference after Sen. Obama's speech. When Marvin saw me and my 'John Kerry for Senate' button, I got the big smile and thumbs up.

Lynn Sweet reports O'Reilly's attack:

"O'Reilly was yelling at him, yelling at his face," a photographer shooting the scene said.

O'Reilly grabbed Nicholson's arm and shoved him, another eyewitness said. Nicholson, who is 6'8, said O'Reilly called him "low class."

"He grabbed me with both his hands here," Nicholson said, gesturing to his left arm and O'Reilly "started shoving me." Nicholson said, " He was pretty upset. He was yelling at me."

Secret Service agents who were nearby flanked O 'Reilly after he pushed Nicholson. They told O'Reilly he needed to calm down and get behind the fence-like barricade that contained the press.

Marvin further explains:

“I told him, 'Sir, I would appreciate it if you wouldn't shove me anymore." ... “I've never seen a member of the press lay hands on a staffer before,” he said.

Video Credit: CNN/Yahoo Video

That's the magic number. Sixty seats in the Senate, and we can stop the Roadblock Republicans record obstruction.

Not only is 60 the magic number, it's an achievable one. But it won't be easy.

There are 35 Senate seats up for grabs in November, and 23 of those belong to Republicans. Of the 23 Republican seats, there is a good possibility that we'll pick up the ten we need to break through the roadblock. It helps us immensely that all of these Republicans, who have voted in consistently with Bush's policies, are faced with a fired-up opposition. Dems are angry, and with good reason. If that translates into votes, we will soon be rid of obstructionists like this:

I think Bush may have totally lost what's left of his mind. Despite proposing having the polar bear listed as an endangered species, he's decided he wants to let out their home to gas and oil interests for drilling. So, basically, he acknowledges that they're threatened, so he wants to threaten them more. Why am I not surprised? Once again, the Bush administration has bowed to the interests of their rich oil buddies. This time, by announcing the lease of part of the arctic wildlife habitat, and further threatening the fragile future of an already endangered species.

Senator Kerry has spoken repeatedly of the need to look to renewable sources for our energy needs and find answers through innovation. In 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007, we heard him tell us that "We can't drill our way out, we have to invent our way out." We've been listening to the Senator defend the environment for decades. But despite the call by the Senator and most environmental experts to respect the planet we share with other living beings, Bush won't budge when it comes to lining the pockets of his pals at the expense of the well being of the planet.

Senator Kerry remarks on Bush's ill-conceived and tragic decision:

“It’s the height of irresponsibility and short-sightedness for the Bush Administration to schedule lease sales in the Chukchi Sea, which represents critical habitat for polar bears, whales, walrus and threatened wildlife. Even as the Department of the Interior is finalizing its decision to list polar bears as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, the Bush Administration thinks it’s the right time for another power grab by the big oil and gas companies in the bear’s essential habitat,” said Senator John Kerry. “Just a few months ago, the government’s own scientists told us that polar bears may disappear from the United States and our waters entirely by 2050. We should be protecting their remaining habitat, not auctioning it off to the highest bidders. I could imagine few more tragic illustrations of who calls the shots in this Administration, than the way in which this Administration is willing to set the stage for extinction for polar bear populations.”

The Swift Boat Veterans for 'Truth' thing. It wasn't about Sen. Kerry. You know and I know and even a lot of the people who voted for Bush know that it was never about Sen. Kerry's service or medals or Vietnam or even his Vietnam protest. It was about flooding the airwaves with enough lies to get a Republican elected. That's all it was, and that's all it still is.

We know that, not only because it's been proven beyond any doubt that the Senator's service was honorable, but also because if it was about Sen. Kerry, the same Liars wouldn't be funding McCain, Romney, Giuliani and (to a lesser degree) Huckabee now. Hillary didn't serve in Vietnam, nor did Obama or Edwards or Biden. They have no medals to question or service records to smear. There are no swift boats in 2008, but there's still Swift Boat Liar money. Because the same people who went after JK in 2004 are throwing money at Republicans in 2008 with one goal. To elect Republicans by hook or by crook, with an overwhelming emphasis on the latter.

Christopher Hayes reported yesterday in The Nation

The most notable recipient of Swift Boat largesse is John McCain, erstwhile front-runner and Stand Up Guy. When the Swift Boat ads were first unleashed, McCain was alone among his Republican colleagues to condemn them. A fellow Vietnam veteran, a good friend of Kerry's and a former target of smears about his own service, McCain called the ads "dishonest and dishonorable," a "cheap stunt," and he urged Bush to condemn them. But in pursuit of the GOP nomination, McCain ditched the mantle of maverick for that of hack, and his once-floundering, possibly rejuvenated campaign has been aided along the way by $61,650 from Swift Boat donors and their associates. "There is such a thing as dirty money," said Senator Kerry in a statement, after The Nation informed him of McCain's FEC records. "I'm surprised that the John McCain I knew who was smeared in 2000 and thought so-called Swift Boating was wrong in 2004 would feel comfortable taking their money after seeing the way it was used to hurt the veterans I know he loves." (McCain's office did not return calls for comment.)

McCain's Swift Boat bounty is exceeded only by that of Mitt Romney, who has raked in $70,550. Romney's success with Swift Boat donors is significant because he has surpassed even McCain in his demonstrated willingness to do or say anything in pursuit of the presidency and because he has emerged as the GOP establishment's favored candidate. Last year, when McCain held that position, the Arizona senator received significant backing from Swift Boat donors. But many have subsequently switched their allegiance. Pickens, who donated to McCain in June 2006, is now an enthusiastic Giuliani donor and fundraiser (Giuliani ranks third in Swift Boat funding, with $47,950). Perry, who also recorded several donations to McCain's PAC in 2005 and 2006, is now a major donor and fundraiser for Romney. If the list of top Swift Boat donors is expanded to fifty, Romney's fundraising edge is even more pronounced. (Neither Romney nor Giuliani's campaign returned calls for comment.)

In 2004, despite the revisionists' current accounts, Senator Kerry fought the Swift Boat Liars. Maybe he didn't put enough money behind it, as he has admitted in retrospect. But really, should he have had to? Is the voting public not bright enough to figure out that a decorated Vietnam veteran trumps an AWOL frat boy with business ties to the bin Ladens? I think they are, but even if they weren't then, they should be by now.

Here's a little flashback from 2004 that the 'mainstream' media didn't cover. Something that, in August of 2004, should have stopped the Liars in their tracks.

Video Credit: MSN Video

After seven years of impotence on the Women's Procurement Program, the SBA is trying to screw over women business owners, and the U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce is none too happy about it, as evidenced by their press release:

The nation's leading economic advocate for women calls for immediate action by the Court and Congress to reject the SBA's contemptible actions and move to assure that women receive a fair portion of federal contracting dollars ... "This proposed rule -- which throws out the bulk of the findings and recommendations of two prestigious national studies -- clearly continues the dark legacy of the SBA and this Administration's shameful lack of support for women in business."

As Ms.Dorfman points out, the SBA is supposed to be a champion for small business, not a roadblock to seeing them succeed. And while women own thirty percent of all firms in the U.S., they receive barely more than three percent of federal contracts. Still, the SBA has circumvented the intent of the Congress by restricting the scope to four categories and foot-dragging on the implementation.

If you think you're seeing double, it's not a flashback from last night's party. Sir Paul sings about looking back at his "Ever Present Past" in this fun video.

No news, commentary, rants, questions, hangover remedies, predictions, resolutions or lists of Bush administration atrocities today.

Just this. Carpe diem. Happy 2008!