"Anywhere, anytime."
-Barack Obama

After his insulting and bizarre appeaser/Nazi remarks to the Knesset, President Bush has decided to go with an 'I wasn't talking about you, I was talking about someone else' defense. No doubt the response was prompted by the series of beatings he took at the hands of Senators Kerry, Obama, Biden, Reid, Durbin and Clinton, Speaker Pelosi, Rep. Emanuel, the traditional media, the blogs, and just about everyone with an opinion. Bush's mysterious 'some' was spun, first by White House spokesperson Dana Perino, then by Ed Gillespie as a generic slam, but, they claim, not directed at Obama or Pres. Carter or any other individual. Sen. Obama asked who this amorphous 'some' is that the President was referencing, knowing there would be no answer.

Of course, Bush wasn't talking about John McCain, although (unlike Obama who explicitly stated he would not) McCain has said we should engage with Hamas. And Syria. I'm not sure if McCain has actually changed his position on that or if he forgot, in yet another 'senior moment', that he said it. And the President couldn't have been referencing himself, although it was, after all, Bush policies that helped give Hamas their power and become an even greater threat to Israel. But I don't think the President intended to point the finger at either himself or at John McCain with his 'some'. No, I think that was an accidental consequence, brought about by people listening to his words and looking at his policies. In any case, the Nazi reference doesn't fit, even someone who is as wrong as Bush/McCain on foreign policy doesn't deserve to be compared with a Nazi appeaser. Not only is it an insult to 'some', but it's an insult to anyone with a lick of common sense.

Whatever the case, and whoever the 'some', Obama said yesterday that he'd happy to take them both on in a debate on foreign policy. I suggest he write down the date and time for McCain so he doesn't forget, and list out a few other facts like the definitions of diplomacy and appeasement, since neither Bush nor McCain seem to know the difference.

They won't accept Obama's challenge, of course. Bush won't because he's a blowhard who won't back up his words, and McCain because he's just so wrong on foreign policy, he's got to be afraid the American people might learn that he's not the expert the media has made him out to be. It really is time to lay that old canard to rest, and tell the American people the truth about John McCain. To that end, Obama's offered a debate on the topic, so either they put up or shut up. Either debate him on our foreign policy or just stop with the divisive and nasty bully tactics where they spit out distortions then run and hide from their own words.

Something interesting that came from all this was a discussion I heard yesterday between Chris Matthews and Rachel Maddow about the rhetoric that's been used by the right to generate fear and shut down dissent. I have to give Matthews kudos for this, he was spot-on. Years late, but correct nonetheless. It's the same message Senator Kerry had for us in his 'Dissent' speech, and one that needs to be advanced.

To give full credit where it's due, Chris Matthews has been exceptional these last few days. I hope he continues to speak on the right wing's use of language to divide, and the importance of dissent in a democracy. It's a conversation that I think is necessary if we're to move beyond the past eight years, and I'm pretty sure the American people are ready for that change.

Did the President of the United States of America, in Israel, on the 60th anniversary of their becoming a nation, equate the majority of Americans with Nazi appeasers?

I think he did.

Now, most people think Bush was talking about Barack Obama, but the White House says no, he wasn't. So, if we're to believe them, he might have been referring to anyone who believes we should negotiate with Iran. Like John Kerry, or Defense Secretary Robert Gates, or Secretary of State Condi Rice, or most of the American people, or leaders of other countries. or Ronald Reagan (not legally in his case), or, if he were alive, President John F. Kennedy.

I'm almost at a loss for words. But Sen. Kerry is not. He's not going to let this disgraceful attack by the President of the United States on the people of the United States go unanswered. And neither should we. Thinking people understand that diplomacy is not appeasement, it's strength. So, either Bush doesn't fall into that category, or he thinks we don't.

Here's Joe Biden's response

And Nancy Pelosi's

Sen. Clinton called Bush's words "offensive and outrageous".

Never to my knowledge has such a disgusting attack been made by the president of a country about the people of the country he's sworn to serve.

So, does John McCain stand up for the American people when we're attacked by George Bush?

No, he embraces Bush's words. Why? Because it's what they do. He's Bush III. There's really no daylight between them. McCain promises more of the same George Bush foreign policy that has made the Middle East and the United States less safe, and although the media continues to tout his foreign relations credentials, they've really got to stop. I don't know where McCain got that reputation, but it's seriously flawed. He's also, as the Washington Post pointed out today, a huge hypocrite.

And through it all, Republican pundits are spinning. Badly.

Bush is really calling people who want us to engage in diplomacy with Iran appeasers? Compare us to Nazis? You'd think he'd steer clear of playing the Nazi card, given grandpappy's connection, but then, he apparently has no shame.

I'm with Biden on this. I call bullshit.

Of course Republicans are going to start lying about Barack Obama. He's beating McCain in the latest polls by a significant margin. But as Senator Kerry has said, our nominee will not be 'swiftboated', so when House Republicans John Boehner and Eric Cantor used their positions in Congress to distort the words of Senator Obama, Senator Kerry was quick to fire back.

When I read Senator Kerry's post on Huffington yesterday about the incredible lie John Boehner told about Barack Obama, I wasn't at all surprised that he took the time to write it. I wish I had video of the Senator banging out this post on his Mac, I'm sure it would be classic. But all I have is the post. Probably for the best, if you've ever watched the Senator grill people in Senate hearings, you know he's a little scary when he's mad.

What i do have is access to YouTube, and plenty of evidence that John Boehner is a typical Republican Congressional shill, and a Bush boot-licker of the first order. There are a few videos of Boehner's performances, including one titled "John Boehner is ignorant", which is really a bit long. I guess there was lots of evidence. There were a couple of his drama queen performances on the House floor. One of him crying because, apparently, he loves America and the rest of us don't, was just pitiful. Here's a good one, mercifully short, of Boehner proclaiming that the loss of life in Iraq is a "small price" to pay. I doubt it's a small price for the family left behind, but I don't think Congressman Boehner has had to make that sacrifice.

So, to the Senator's point, and to follow his example, when the Republican leadership attacks with lies and distortions, our response must be to fight back with the truth, and point out that blatant distortions like Boehner's fabrication yesterday are just more of he same old Republican dirty politics. It is, after all, what they do.

h/t to ProSense for the link to Huffpo and the great photo of my two favorite Senators.

photo credit Wikimedia Commons/Jarekt

Having grown up a stone's throw from the WV border and feeling a great affinity for my neighbors to the south, I'm not sure how to take the recent polls that show Sen. Obama trailing significantly in the state. I guess it has a lot to do with the perception that West Virginians are distrustful of outsiders, as though they're somehow different from the rest of us. Or maybe it's that many West Virginians think a black guy from Chicago (who grew up in a white family in Kansas) mistakenly feel he doesn't understand and can't relate to their needs. Granted, the state is not very diverse when compared with the rest of the nation. It's not his ideal demographic. But perhaps the pollsters and pundits who have given up on West Virginia just haven't reached people like the ones I have met there, who are kind and proud and independent, and who will vote for Barack Obama because they know he will bring the kind of change the state desperately needs.

I hope I'm not making the entire state out to be a bunch of backwoods 'folk'. They're not, of course. Morgantown is the home of WVU. We've posted about the University here, and remarked on their visionary transportation system. West Virginia is the place where I attended my first Edwin concert, and where my memories of the incredible beauty of places like New River Gorge are a frequent reminder to me of a place that John Denver described so well.

Funny thing is, when I think of West Virginia and Sen. Obama, a lot of my hopes for the state are consistent with the reasons I support him. They are the second poorest state in the nation, and the earth that they've depended on for sustenance is being exploited, as they are, by corporate interests that are destroying the natural beauty of the state by blowing the tops off the mountains they love. The people of West Virginia need change, and the voters of West Virginia have, probably more than most, a lot to gain from his presidency.

Senator Obama spoke to supporters in West Virginia yesterday about the values they share, like the new GI bill, that he supports and McCain opposes.

So, West Virginia, maybe Obama's not exactly like what you've come to expect from politicians. Seems to me that's a good thing for all of us. As one of the least prosperous states in the nation, and one of the most derided, West Virginia should be able to relate to his message, and be hopeful for the change that is to come.

On a much less serious note, here are some photos from Sen. Obama's website of him hanging out at Schultzie's Billiards in South Charleston yesterday. When you think about it, not so different from pool halls in the south side of Chicago, or anywhere else in the country. As Sen. Obama reminds us, there is more that unites us than separates us.

Happy Mothers Day to all our KV reader moms, and especially to one of our favorite mothers, who has a special message for us on this very special day. While flowers and gifts are a great way to show your appreciation, a lot of moms and grandmothers are going to need much more than that, and Teresa reminds us of the importance of looking ahead and planning for the financial security of all people, women in particular.

A tireless advocate for women, Teresa Heinz addressed the issue of retirement security in a Daily Kos diary and Mothers Day video yesterday, and introduced a free e-book, "What Women Need to Know about Retirement". As the founder of WISER, the Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement, Teresa has a history of addressing this critical issue.

A native of Southwestern Pennsylvania, I have long known of the philanthropic works and the influence of the Heinz family. You can't navigate the city of Pittsburgh without knowing where Heinz Hall, Heinz Chapel, Heinz Field, the Heinz plant, the Sarah Heinz House and the Heinz History Museum are. But what I didn't know until the last few years is how deeply involved Teresa has been in the issue of women's health and other concerns specific to women.

What's particularly striking to me is the personal investment she makes in these projects. She doesn't just throw cash at them, she actually shows up. And not just to give a speech, but to hang out and chat with participants of events she sponsors, like the one I attended last year, her Women's Health and the Environment conference, which she began in 1996 and has been offering free to the public every year since. Her advocacy isn't a one-shot deal, but a lifelong commitment, and for that she deserves our great thanks.

So, when you hand mom her hydrangea today, give her the link to the e-book, too. What could be more thoughtful than to let her know you care about her future?

There are so many reasons to feel great about yesterday's blowout Obama win in North Carolina. Despite having the kitchen sink thrown at him, despite the nonstop negative coverage of the past several weeks, the skinny kid with the funny name is now a household name, and will be the Democratic nominee. Something else that's really got me on a high today is that Druggie Limbaugh's chaos plan backfired. Even though it helped in part to allow Hillary to eek out a win in Indiana, Oxy's intention, at least as he described it to his listeners, was to 'bloody' Obama, and it was a massive failure.

Now, I certainly don't credit Limbaugh for having much impact. His followers may have tried to undermine the Democratic primary and Obama's nomination, but they're insignificant in the grand scheme.

Today, all the media pundits are all talking about is Barack Obama's brilliant North Carolina victory speech. As I write, Joe Scarborough is calling it 'perfect'. And where is John McSame? I'm not sure anyone knows. Or cares. But when it's time to take him on, Obama and the Democrats will be ready.

Yesterday, our favorite Obama surrogate spoke to MSNBC about why Barack Obama is the best person to lead this country in a new direction. The Senator hasn't called, as many have, for an end to this protracted primary, and I think there's a good reason for that. People have had a chance over these past months to get to know Barack Obama, and they like what they're seeing. Now it's time, I think, to take on McSame.

Just a few thoughts on this primary day ...

There is a difference, a very significant one, between our two Democratic candidates. The choice is between old Washington politics and a new politics of hope and change. Between politics of pandering and personal destruction, and a politics that seeks to lift up the country and bring us together.

Now, I don't really believe that Hillary Clinton is a bad person. At least 'not that I know of'. But her campaign has proven that she's willing to use the same dishonest tactics as we've seen in campaign after campaign, saying whatever will poll well, making promises that can't be kept, and excusing it as 'just politics'. I think it's time for politicians to tell the American people the truth.

So, the choice today for Indiana and North Carolina is more of the same or something new. We can keep doing the same old things the same old way. Or we can vote for change.

Do we really want the same old Washington politics? Hillary Clinton has shown us what she's ready for on day one:

Gas Tax 'Holiday' - This really bad old Washington idea has been tried repeatedly, and would save the average American family around $10 a month for three months IF the oil companies wouldn't raise prices in response (which they will). It would eliminate billions of dollars of highway funds needed to repair our crumbling roads and bridges. Thirty cents a day won't help much if you bend a rim on a pot hole. A gas tax 'holiday' is an environmentally unsound position, and could put 30,000 workers out of a job. Everyone, including Sen. Clinton, knows it's impossible to put this legislation in place. No one would vote for it, and if they did, Bush would veto it. It's a typical Washington campaign promise and a bad one, at that.

Obliterate - No matter how you might try to rationalize it, this is the dumbest remark to come from a presidential candidate in my memory. First, there are millions of innocent men, women and children in Iran who now think someone who wants to be the next president of the United States might obliterate them. And they know we can. Second, there was no good reason to threaten Iran except to make the candidate look tough, even though most of us learned in the school yard that acting like a bully doesn't mean you're tough. Or smart. Third, it gives the Iranians justification for nuclear weapons research. Eight years of 'cowboy diplomacy' is enough. We need to get to a place where we can all sleep soundly at 3am.

Economists - I think, by definition, these are people who are experts on the economy. We have serious problems, for anyone who hasn't noticed, with our economy, but the Clinton campaign thinks it doesn't need experts to help solve it. The Clintons, with their $109 million, believe that listening to economists is elitist. Whatever your field, if you consider yourself an expert, consider yourself insulted.

Guns - Using right wing wedge issues in a Democratic primary should be an immediate foul. I don't necessarily disagree with Sen. Clinton's overall position on guns, but if she's going to send a mailer accusing Sen. Obama of being against the second amendment, she really should disclose her own record.

Clinton's true feelings about our 2nd amendment rights became clear to all Americans on July 13, 2006. That's when the Senate took a vote on an amendment to the Homeland Security appropriations offered by Senator David Vitter, which reads: "To prohibit the confiscation of a firearm during an emergency or major disaster if the possession of such firearm is not prohibited under Federal or State law."

Look at the roll call: 84 Senators, including Barack Obama, defended gun owners. 16 Senators, including Hillary Clinton, voted against us. That says all anyone needs to know about where
the candidates really stand on guns.

Jobs, jobs, jobs and jobs - In Indiana, Sen Clinton was quoted as saying "I've gone across Indiana saying that my campaign is about jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs." But jobs for who? Mexico? China? India? Columbia?

Trade, of course, is vital to the global economy. But none of these trade deals ended up bringing jobs, jobs, jobs and jobs to Indiana, and they haven't helped the workers in the countries that did get the jobs.

There's plenty more - fabricating Tuzla, embracing Scaife, blaming activists, threatening superdelegates, demeaning Congress, dismissing states, mocking hope, promoting McCain, dividing the Democratic party - You can say it's just politics, but it doesn't have to be. Either you want more of the same, or you want change in Washington. The truth is out there, and anyone who isn't already turned off by the kitchen sink strategy, isn't going to be.

So, vote your conscience, Indiana and North Carolina. We'll wait. And hope.

The American Security Project unveiled their latest yesterday, and the intent is to give the next President advice on a new approach to national security. Listen up, Mr. Obama. They're talking to you.

ASP's latest project, 'A New American Arsenal'

A New American Arsenal is a bipartisan effort to transform the way Americans think about and achieve their national security. Gone are the days when our security could be measured by the number of bombers and battleships in our arsenal. Today, our national security requires the coordinated use of all the elements of American power and a new bipartisan consensus at home.

The next American President will face a complex national security agenda beyond the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Terrorism associated with the violent jihadist movement remains a clear and present danger to the United States. Energy dependence weakens our national security, entangles us in unstable regions of the world, and contributes to climate change. Changes in the Earth’s climate pose a threat to humanity on an epic scale. The spread of nuclear weapons threatens the United States directly, destabilizes the international system, and increases the risk of theft or diversion of nuclear weapons to extremists and terrorists.

These are the challenges of the twenty-first century. How we address them over the next two years will determine the course of America’s national security for decades.

Listen to full audio at the ASP website.

The gender in my title is intentional, by the way. I do believe Barack Obama will be our next president. Not because I don't want a woman in the White House, but because we don't need a woman in the White House who will do anything, even resort to the ugliest Karl Rove tactics, to get there. Not only do we need a fundamental change in the way we view national security, but we need the same change across the board, and it has to be clear to anyone paying attention, that Obama is the only candidate who can bring that change.

The fact is that the Clinton campaign has resorted to the worst kind of politics, and appears to have no shame when it comes to misleading the American people. The latest example, a mailer distributed by the Clinton campaign in Indiana, would lead you to believe Obama was opposed to a cap on credit card interest rates, when the fact is that he thought 30% was too high a cap, and wanted it lowered. A 30% cap is meaningless to people paying 29%, and only gives validation to credit card companies charging exorbitant rates. She fails to mention that. Just like she failed to mention how many jobs might be lost with her gas tax 'holiday', and how much money we wouldn't save. Just like she fails to mention her vote on the bankruptcy bill. The disingenuous claims, intentional deception and blatant hypocrisy of the Clinton campaign has left me no choice but to believe that the only scenario worse than a Clinton presidency would be a McCain presidency, and that just won't happen. People have had enough of Bush, and despite the media's propping him up, they won't fall for more of McSame.

Time to move on.

We have a choice.

Although the traditional media and two of the three candidates seem perfectly content to play out this campaign for the presidency as just another Washington political game -- taking sound bytes out of context, promoting false controversy, using wedge issues to divide us and feigning outrage over non-issues -- that still leaves us with a choice.

Old politics plays on the emotions of people who are embittered, frankly, by old politicians. They use the same tactics to frighten and manipulate voters, and in the end, we end up with little more than we had. That's no way to change Washington.

Gas tax holidays sound great to people who are feeling pain at the pump, until you realize that gas taxes fund the repair of our crumbling infrastructure and create hundreds of thousands of jobs, and a gas tax holiday would do practically nothing to help consumers. But both McCain and Clinton are betting we'll hear the words 'gas' and 'tax' and respond in Pavlovian fashion to a solution that would save each of us a grand total of $25 and cause thousands of Americans lose their jobs. But hey, it's a holiday, and everyone loves a holiday. Let's all put on our made-in China flag pins and celebrate.

Tough talk about 'obliterating' and 'bomb, bomb, bombing' other countries may make a candidate look strong on the surface, until you consider the consequences of the rhetoric, and what might be better achieved at significantly less cost with effective diplomacy. A future president might suggest answering the phone at 3 am and say 'nuke 'em', but that could prove imprudent given our already fragile relationship with the Middle East. It's time for a different approach.

Guilt by association is a popular political ploy, but if Obama = Wright, then does McCain = Hagee? Where's the outrage over McCain's Catholic-hating friend, whose endorsement McCain is "very honored" to have? Both preachers' remarks are equally offensive to different groups of people, but the fact is that neither is running for office. Rev. Wright is correct about a lot of things, and wrong about a good many as well. But it doesn't matter. Jeremiah Wright is not Barack Obama, Wright's ideas are not Obama's ideas and their approaches are vastly different. And people who are willing to tie the two inextricably might want to consider what that means in their own relationships. Wright-gate is a totally media created controversy -- swift-boat style politics foisted on the American people as though we learned nothing from '04. It's completely Rovian to take a candidates strongest attribute (unity), find the most tenuous of connections (divisive former preacher), add a cable news feeding frenzy and let the media conglomerates pastorbate 24-7 to their ratings reports.

America needs jobs, and the people of Indiana might fall for Clinton's empty promise of "jobs, jobs, jobs and jobs" until they discover that her past suggests she might just have a spelling lapse and ship their jobs to India instead. Or China. Or maybe Mexico.

There are dozens upon dozens of attacks that might be leveled against both John McCain and Hillary Clinton. Many more than the ones they have and will have against Obama. But negative campaigning is old politics. Let's rise above it.

If we're serious about change, if we've had enough of old Washington politics and political games and media manipulation, if we're tired of CNN and Fox picking our president for us, there's an alternative. It's time to rise above the negative politics of the past.

Teresa and Michelle spoke at Carnegie Mellon University recently about the one candidate who has not succumbed to 'politics as usual', but instead wants all of us together to rise above it. Senator Kerry has said Barack Obama will be a 'transformational' president. His campaign is a portent of that change, and this election is exactly when we need it to happen. It is about the "fierce urgency of now", and we need to grasp it while we can. We missed our opportunity last time and ended up with eight years of hell. We may not get another chance.

It's strange, I think, that the term 'tree hugger' is used as a pejorative by some folks. I have a close family member who I've heard use the phrase in a derogatory way, and I'm bothered by it. What's more, she used it to describe me, who wouldn't be seen in public in a pair of Birkenstocks, really can't be bothered to go hiking, and puts on a suit to go to work most mornings. I'm more likely to grab a donut than a bowl of granola, although I will eat it if there's no Cap'n Crunch, and the last time I rode a bike, I think I was twelve. But because I buy carbon credits, have changed my light bulbs to CFLs, and I insist on 35 mpg when I buy a car, things I consider sound economic and environmental judgment, to her that makes me a tree hugger. Well, so be it then.

There's something about the environmentally aware that bothers the environmentally ambivalent, and I'm not too sure what that is. But I've decided to embrace the label, and am giving her a copy of This Moment On Earth next Christmas just to see her reaction. I'll buy the paperback in case I'm forced to hit her over the head with it.

What tree-hugger detractors don't consider is that trees are a lot more than something that you'll never see anything lovelier than. They're crucial to the health of the planet, and necessary in the fight against climate change. And what's really scary is that deforestation is happening at an alarming rate, and all of us, tree-huggers and non-tree-huggers alike, are going to end up paying the price.

Photo: Jami Dwyer/Wikimedia Commons

Although deforestation contributes approximately 20 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change, there is currently no provision in international climate treaties that addresses the problem. In this Earth Day hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Kerry discusses the problem of deforestation, describes what he's seen of it in his travels, and asks witnesses Stuart Eizenstat, Dr. Kevin Gurney, David Hayes and Dirk Forrister for their insight.

Senator Kerry was at home in Massachusetts this weekend for the Third Middlesex Area Democrats Honorees Brunch, where Loretta Lillios, Richard Mucci and Donna Greska were honored with the Senator John F. Kerry Leadership Award, and where he spoke on the issue of climate change. The Senator is introduced by Middlesex DA Gerry Leone.

 Listen here

In yet another 'senior moment' Sen. John McCain forgot he suggested the other day we might want to tear down the 9th ward of New Orleans. Apparently this memory lapse occurred less than a week after his initial pronouncement.

Now, I really can't profess to having a great memory myself. I have to keep friends' birthdays in my Outlook calendar so I don't forget. But although I don't claim Sen. McCain as a friend, I do remember his birthday. It's August 29, the day -- the precise day -- that Katrina hit New Orleans, and the image of John McCain with President Bush sharing a birthday cake on the tarmac in Arizona as people in the Gulf drown is burned into my memory as well.

Keith Olbermann reported yesterday on the odd phenomenon of the McCain-media love affair. No one is sure why it happens, but it seems nothing the old guy does receives any scrutiny, and whatever he says is accepted as gospel by the traditional media.

Jon Stewart also covered the media's strange affinity for McCain and his visit to New Orleans this week, and touched on the second silliest media-created controversy -- Flag-Pin-Gate, wherein Senator Obama must explain why he's not wearing a flag pin, although Hillary (she's a girl) and McCain (he probably forgot), do not. (The first silliest, of course, being Abercrombie-and-Fitch-Gate, where three random guys wearing similar t-shirts stood behind Obama at a rally and became instant media celebs.)

The McCain-media conjugality can't be explained away by anything as simple as that he's a nice guy. He's not. McCain has a reputation with both the left and the right for being nasty to colleagues, adversaries, children, voters, his wife, the press, and foreign countries. I haven't seen any evidence of puppy-kicking, but it honestly wouldn't shock me.

I'm not sure why the media gives McCain a free pass. I expect it has something to do with media ownership and the Republicans, combined with a fear of getting blasted for taking a veteran to task. Of course, they allowed JK's service to be trashed daily, but he's not a Republican, so I guess they figured it was OK.

Bush got the same bye from an acquiescent media in '04. A frat boy cheerleader with a long history of failure, he was coddled by the media nonetheless. The big question is if we'll allow the same thing to happen in '08, or if we've learned to look past the media advocacy of Republican candidates and take the reports for what they're worth.

We can hope that McCain's free ride will end when we have a nominee, and that the media will finally concede that the Straight Talk Express has gone off the rails.

Here's some recommended reading for Matthews, Scarborough, Stephanopoulos and the rest of the MSM talking heads. McCain's Free Ride breaks down the media creation of a straight talking maverick, and gets to the truth behind the fiction, including the top 10 media myths about John McCain.

I know some of yinz guys aren't too familiar with my home town, but even if you've never been to Primanti's, drank an arn or been dahntahn, if you're a football fan, you probably know who this guy is.

Franco Harris, along with other Steeler greats, spent yesterday touring South West PA yesterday, and I was able to catch them and a bunch of Steeler/Obama fans in the parking lot of Heinz field as they wound up their campaign swing with Dan Rooney, Judy O'Connor and Bob Casey at the home of the Steelers.

As Sen. Casey noted, the crowd was diverse. There were young and old, black and white (and I will add canine), all enjoying the beautiful Pittsburgh weather and listening to some their favorite Steeler legends tell us why they're supporting Barack Obama for President.

 
It was a diverse crowd, but we all had one thing in common. Pittsburghers, like the rest of the country are looking for something.

Rock on, Pittsburgh.

And thanks to the Steelers and friends for a great rally!

Michele McPhee of WTKK Radio spoke with Senator Kerry the other day on a host of subjects, including the Buckner first pitch, a bit of fauxrage over Obama's truth telling, and credit card abuse by federal employees. Although the latter is the only real crime of the three, the protestations of the media and the public might lead one to believe otherwise.

Now, I'm not stupid enough to get into a discussion here with Red Sox fans about the over two decades blame directed at Bill Buckner for a single error in an otherwise stellar career. Everyone knows he was a great ball player, and the sustained ovation he received last week when he threw out the first pitch at the Red Sox home opener was evidence of that.

It's easy to forgive when you're winning.

What Senator Kerry had not yet heard at the time of the interview with Michele was the flap over Senator Obama's comments made at a closed fundraiser and later planned for release by Hillary Clinton at an opportune moment, in textbook Rovian fashion, complete with "I'm not bitter" stickers miraculously printed and distributed the following day.

The truth is that we are bitter over the loss of jobs and the state of the economy, and 'Pollyanna' Clinton can't change that by taking a few sound bytes out of context, asking us to put on rose colored glasses and pretending we're not. The truth is that people do cling to wedge issues when they have no confidence in the government to help them overcome the struggles of daily life, and the truth is that we take comfort in those things that we can depend on when all else fails.

Here's Senator Obama with Charlie Rose in 2004, discussing, perhaps a bit more artfully than in his off the cuff comments of the other day, the connection between the failure of the government to resolve economic issues and wedge-issues voting.

Now, we can choose to ignore the harsh and simple realities, or we can face them head on. We can treat this campaign as some sort of 'gotcha' game, where the real meaning of a statement is reduced to a word or a phrase. We can pretend, like Senators Clinton and McCain, that the people of Pennsylvania aren't smart enough to read beyond the headlines, but this small town Pennsylvanian knows better.

Speaking of headlines, here's one worth reading from today's Morning Call. That's a Pennsylvania newspaper, by the way, and I'm guessing it has a lot of small town readers facing hard economic times like the rest of the state and the country. A bitter pill, perhaps, for Senator Clinton, but sometimes the truth is like that.

Obama's vision is reason to nominate him

... Sen. Clinton has made much of her ''ability to lead'' on day one in the Oval Office. Past experience like hers is one thing, but leadership also depends on having a vision, plans to pursue that vision, and an ability to inspire others to follow. On those grounds, Sen. Barack Obama is well-suited to lead, and The Morning Call recommends his nomination in the Democratic primary.

h/t 'TML' for graphic

In yesterday's KV entry about General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker testifying to the Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, Faith brought up a good and valid point: While a lot of excellent questions were asked, and all three presidential candidates were able to present themselves tackling the issue that might make or break them, the lack of answers were the problem.

Senator Obama's line of questioning left no doubt as to where he was taking it and what point he was trying to make:

Part one:

Part two:

With finite resources in mind, what is the end point? What are the criteria? If it is a completely wiped out Al Qaeda without any possibility of reconstitution, a fully functioning Iraqi government and democracy, no Iranian influence, it would necessarily require a US troop presence that could stretch over decades.

Or is it a simple maintaining of Iraq as is, with only occasional eruptions of violence, but no Al Qaeda presence, and no threat to its neighbors - an achievable goal? Positing these options, Senator Obama rightly pointed out no satisfactory answers had been given during the entire hearings.

So this is where we are now, and unless we have a Democratic administration, and Democratic appointees to diplomatic positions, no hearing will get us any closer to any answer or solution.

Sen. Kerry joked recently at an event at the Venus de Milo restaurant in Rhode Island that John McCain couldn't attend the Providence Newspaper Guild's Follies because of some bad memories. "He used to date Venus de Milo."

Funny, but not really a joke when you realize the guy's running for President of the United States.

In yet another 'senior moment', McCain was once again tripped up by his own memory, having apparently forgotten about the invention of videotape. Now, I have nothing against old people. I like them in general, and even plan to be one some day. But this is not an isolated incident for Senator McCain, who can't seem to recall by the end of an interview what he said at the beginning.

It isn't that he's old, really. It's more likely that he's nuts. Or not all that bright. Or that he thinks we're not all that bright.

Whatever it is, he's one scary dude.

Maybe the Republican strategy is to get him elected with a somewhat lucid but totally evil VP (it worked last time), put little post-it notes around the oval office with "Sunni" on one side of the room and "Shi'a" on the other, and mark the really important countries on a great big map with names and pictures of world leaders and local bad guys. Tom Ridge isn't doing anything of note, he can color code it so it's easier to remember which is what.

They can make cheat sheets to remind him of the stuff he should say when the red light is on the cameras, or possibly even teach him to read a teleprompter so that in his first press conference, he can straight talk his way to becoming the second consecutive worst President ever.

I expect his advisors plan to remind him each morning that reporters can no longer be counted on to be wearing fedoras with little cards that say "PRESS" in the hatbands to warn you that you have to watch what you say the first time, and try to say it the same way in subsequent statements.

Or maybe they'll just let him sleep in.

I'm sure they have a plan. Of course, we have a better one.

It's good to have friends. And by friends, I don't just mean people who hang with the same crowd, but the ones who know you, who know what you care about and what you stand for. And who like you and support you for it. People who, when you spend the better part of an evening to get them tickets to the hottest show in town, will return the favor by making sure you have great seats, good company, and a husband who will video tape the parts you missed because, after all, they did give you really bad directions.

Sometimes friends, because they do know you and what you stand for, will even endorse you and spend their time traveling on a bus with you if you decide to run for President of the United States. Senator Bob Casey's endorsement of Barack Obama yesterday was big, but the fact that he spoke to the people of Pittsburgh twice yesterday about why he's supporting him was huge, and made me really glad I worked so hard in '06 to help get him elected to office. I don't always agree with Sen. Casey, but it's good to know that on some of the really important things, we see eye-to-eye.

So, long story short, I did make it to the Obama Greensburg event yesterday, albeit late. My friend's husband did catch some really good video of Senator Obama and gave me the tape to share with you all. And I did manage a couple decent pictures. It was a small venue, Hempfield High School gym, in a mostly white, working class town about a half hour east of Pittsburgh, that, if the waiting list for tickets was any indicator, Senator Obama could have filled many times over. But it was nice to see him in a fairly intimate setting rather than the typical large arena.

The setting was relaxed, as was the Senator, and the folks in Greensburg were ready to hear his message, laugh at his jokes, and ask some really great questions. He spoke of the people he met on the campaign trail in the last 15 months, during which, Obama joked, babies were born and learned to walk and talk. He told stories of working people who are barely able to make ends meet and unable to get the healthcare they need. He spoke about veterans who have fought bravely in a war that should never have been waged, an economy that is sliding backward, and and he told the crowd why he is the right person to help us change the course of our country.

Really, I try to stay out of this discussion, because I believe there's a place for religion, and a place for government, and the two really do need to stay out of each others' business. After all, we are a diverse country, founded on freedom of religion and the belief that each of us has a right to worship as we see fit, or not at all.

But because pastor-gate just doesn't seem to go away, despite the fact that Obama has denounced and rejected the Rev. Wright's comments, maybe it's time to see whose support John McCain actively sought out.

The Rev. Wright has no doubt made some comments that I do not support, and it's appropriate that Sen. Obama has denounced them. But honestly, I grew up in the Catholic Church, and we're not without some history that most of us either ignore, denounce, or just wish would go away. That doesn't keep us from embracing our Churches, as most of what they preach is good and positive. I think we can't throw the baby out with the bathwater here. We're none of us perfect. That's the same with everyone and with every church. McCain chose to seek out Hagee's endorsement. Will the media spend a week on it, defining Teflon John by his association with the ugly and divisive comments of Rev. Hagee? Um, no.

And if you think this leaves Hillary in the clear when it comes to religious affiliation, think again. Hers is possibly the most controversial of the three. How about some airtime for "The Fellowship"?

Better yet, let's just leave religion a matter of personal choice, as the founders intended, and concentrate on the issues that our government should control, like the economy and the war and getting folks some healthcare.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Really, let's move on.

On Sunday, The Pittsburgh Post Gazette published Teresa Heinz Kerry's endorsement of Barack Obama.

Teresa at a book signing in Pittsburgh, May 12, 2007

I’ve looked at his record, and I’ve observed his career, and he has a leadership ability that is rare in public life. He is, in many ways, a lot like my husband. He’s a leader who listens, and a listener who unites.

Teresa's philanthropy in Pittsburgh and across the country is well known, and as chair of the Heinz Family Philanthropies, her endorsement carries a lot of weight. She's a champion of women's health and environmental issues, and has an intense loyalty to her home town of Pittsburgh and the state of Pennsylvania. Here's her op-ed in full (reprinted with permission HFP).

Election days are always special to me. I grew up in a land where there were no election days.

The Mozambique of my childhood was governed by a right-wing dictatorship in far-away Portugal. My father, a wise and good man, was 71 years old when he voted for the first time. I never cast a ballot until I became a citizen of the United States. But when I did, it was for a young man who spent years teaching me about the needs of Pennsylvania's working families and the good our government can do for them -- my late husband, Sen. John Heinz. He helped me learn how precious a right suffrage is -- as a weapon against tyranny; as an instrument of hope, progress and change.

That is why, this year, I will cast my vote in the April 22 Pennsylvania primary for Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois.

Pennsylvania needs a president like Barack Obama, someone who understands the tough times Pennsylvanians are facing. Raised with much love but in challenging circumstances by a single mom and grandparents, he knows firsthand the stress and financial pressures families face. When he beat the odds and put himself through college, he could have made good money with a big-name law firm anywhere in the country, but he chose the gritty streets of Chicago's South Side where, as a community organizer, he worked helping families like his build better lives.

Mr. Obama's work taught him what happens to families and communities when factories shut down and jobs go overseas. He knows firsthand the devastation and despair the global economy can bring -- and how important hope is in overcoming setbacks and getting lives and neighborhoods back on track.

 
A joyous Easter to all who celebrate, and a very happy Spring! Spring is a time of change, when we escape the harsh winter and look with hope for signs of life and renewal. But despite the reminder of spring that we can make a fresh start, change isn't an easy thing. Often we have to make our way through truly difficult times before the desire for the familiar is overtaken by the realization of the need for something different. First, though, we have to know what we need to change from. In politics, that's the job of the media, to give us the whole story, equitably, so we can make an informed decision about where we are and where we want to be.

As every word out of the mouth of Barack Obama and anyone he's associated with is parsed, every sound byte clipped and analyzed and distorted, some really scary stuff is getting a pass in the media.

Is John "Bomb, bomb Iran" McCain, who the Clintons seem only too happy to promote repeatedly over our own likely nominee, just a doddering old man who can't tell Sunni from Shi'a? Maybe. Does that make the prospect of a McCain presidency any less terrifying? Hardly.

Except for his honorable service in Vietnam, McCain is Bush III, but worse. He's supported and enabled many of the administration's most egregious policies, despite having been thrown under the bus in the most horrific way by the very same people in 2000. He seems OK with the prospect of spending another 100 years in Iraq. He admits to knowing little about the economy, the country's number one concern. His violent temper is legend, though the media has chosen to ignore it. He's sought out the endorsement of a virulent anti-Catholic preacher, and yet there is relative silence. And it will remain that way until we have a nominee.

Obama has all but locked up the Dem nomination, and if the media has the guts to report on the latest Clinton controversy, she doesn't have a chance. It's time for us to focus on McCain, and let the American people know that after eight years of Bush, the last thing we need is more of McSame.

'Senator Obama reminded us that cynicism is not realism, and that hope is not folly', declared Bill Richardson during a brilliant and rousing speech yesterday, in which he endorsed Barack for president. Governor Richardson, who gave up his own bid for the presidency only a couple of months ago, joined Senator Obama at a rally in Portland, OR, to officially give his support.

The first time I heard Richardson speak was at last year's TBA conference, where he was invited as one of the presidential candidates. I was quite impressed with his stance on the issues and his specific solutions, but was not particularly moved at the time. It might have been because it was a dry policy speech. But it is also possible that, having been freed from the yoke of being a presidential contender, Richardson yesterday was finally able to let passion and emotion be a part of his words.

All I can say is - it definitely worked! This had to have been the best speech the man has ever given. Of course the fact that Bill seems to genuinely like Barack doesn't hurt, either. Pay attention to the story he tells about how Obama saved his hide during one of the debates, and you can see that he has not forgotten and that that particular moment did a lot to ferment Richardson's very favorable opinion of Obama's character and integrity:

One thing that struck me, and apparently the pundits agree: While Bill Richardson was being nothing but kind and polite about Senator Clinton, he called for a uniting of the Democrats and an end to the infighting. In light of what can only be a minimal chance at the nomination for Clinton, this could well have been seen as a call for a speedy withdrawal from the race. It will be interesting to see who, if anyone, will follow his lead in the coming days and weeks and how this will impact Clinton's dogged persistence in staying until the bitter end.

Governor Richardson, in a subsequent interview with CNN, remarked on the difficult conversation he had with Senator Clinton on Thursday night. "It was painful and it wasn't easy," he said. "I've spoken to others who have had that same conversation and they say at the end, it’s not all that pleasant."

Thank you, Bill, for doing what is right, not what is easy.

This was my third annual trip to the TBA conference, and although we had a great time, as always, hanging out with friends and fellow Kerry supporters and attending some great conference sessions, something was missing this year.

At the TBA in 2006, we watched as Senator Kerry give the most incredible speech on dissent. The energy was palpable, and the entire room was on our feet over and over again, wildly applauding each time he called on us to speak out against the wrongheaded policies of the Bush administration. In 2007, we saw the presidential candidates, and had a chance to hear each of them make the case for their candidacy.

 
So, while we were hanging out in Senator Kerry's office, talking to his staff and taking the Capitol tour with one of his interns, he was in Massachusetts, making the case for his own reelection.
 

Trading barbs with Imus,

And chatting with our friends at BelowBoston.com (more video on their site).

So, even though we missed the Senator this time, we're glad to see he was home in Massachusetts, spending some quality time with his constituents.

There's always next year.

Speaking of connections or missed connections, my daughter went to DC last week. And who did she see? Not Senator Kerry, as you might presume. He was in Boston. No, she ran into Ben Affleck who must have been very busy last week flying between DC where he was shooting his new film and Boston to campaign with Sen. Kerry.

Happy Birthday to my beautiful daughter Sam!

As day three of Take Back America was winding down, KerryVision caught up with the only Republican in the place. Just before his friends Dave, Terri and Rick packed up to head back to Boston, Quagmyre sat down with us to explain the Republican position on habeas corpus and S-CHIP and introduced us and a reporter from the Washington Times to the RoadblockRepublicans website.

What a treat to meet Quagmyre and his creator.

UPDATE: Here's the Washington Times' story on Quagmyre and the Roadblock Republicans.

If Barack Obama's speech yesterday changed the conversation, and I hope it did, Jesse Jackson is one of the people who started it. One of the foremost leaders of the civil rights movement, Rev. Jackson helped pave the way for many of the advances in civil rights and human rights that are again becoming part of the national conversation. And as he reminded us yesterday, it's not just the rights of African Americans that Selma helped advance, but the rights of students, immigrants, people with disabilities and others who benefit from the conversation he and others helped start over 40 years ago.

Vanity asks the question, "Is it popular?"

Politics asks the question, "Will it work?"

Conscience and morality ask the question "Is it right?"

 
Barack Obama's speech yesterday was a call to change the conversation in America to one where the challenges of the past and the struggle for equality are not forgotten, but are advanced beyond what they were over 40 years ago. This is no longer a conversation just about how we can achieve equality, but about how we can achieve unity.

It requires all Americans to realize that your dreams do not have to come at the expense of my dreams; that investing in the health, welfare, and education of black and brown and white children will ultimately help all of America prosper.  ~ Barack Obama

Progressive Majority hosted last evening's reception here in DC at the TBA conference, and the organization's president, Gloria Totten, explained their goals and rather than just talk about their successes, she brought them on stage with her.

Progressive Majority's mission is explained on their website:

Progressive Majority's mission is to elect progressive champions. We accomplish this by identifying and recruiting the best progressive leaders to run for office; coaching and supporting their candidacies by providing strategic message, campaign, and technical support; prioritizing the recruitment and election of candidates of color; and bringing new people into the political process at all levels.

"Progressive Majority recruits committed progressives to run for office at the state and local levels. More than 750 people have accepted our call to serve and, as a result, we've elected 259 to office. This work is changing American politics - we've helped flip control of four state legislatures and 27 local governments. Finally, the rise of the right wing is on hold and progressives are in charge!"

-Gloria A. Totten
President, Progressive Majority

As Gloria explained, one of these local politicians could be the next Barack Obama. It starts with a need for change, and Progressive Majority is giving grassroots progressives an opportunity to make change happen. Thanks to Gloria and Progressive Majority, and to all those who take the time and make the effort.

 
Back to the conference. We saw Jesse Jackson this morning, who spoke on the lessons of Dr. King and the civil rights movement. More on that later.