Nothing Sacred

Chelsea Clinton has been taking heat lately following her appearance at Dickenson College in Pennsylvania. A male in the audience asked if her mother's credibility was damaged following the Monica Lewinsky scandal, and Chelsea responded, "Wow, you're the first person actually that's ever asked me that question in the, I don't know maybe, 70 college campuses I've now been to, and I do not think that is any of your business." The answer was met with applause from the crowd; however, news analysis shows have since dissected the event and have criticized Chelsea for her refusal to answer the question. Many in the media have claimed that the question from the audience was legitimate, not only in content, but also because Chelsea is now 28 and has positioned herself as a spokesperson for her mother. Others in the media have defended Chelsea, saying there is a distinction between public life and private life that is no longer respected in the media, and Chelsea was right to toss the question aside.

Barack Obama's right to privacy was in question recently when on vacation with his family in Greensboro, North Carolina. At first, his campaign refused to expose the location of the vacation, but when pressured by CNN's "Where in the World is Barack Obama" game, the mystery location was forced out. Followed relentlessly by a lone CNN camera, Obama was filmed saying he was just "Trying to be on vacation." CNN did not agree. The decision to try to avoid the media was not up to Obama, obviously proved by CNN, and further confirmed by comments from NBC's Chuck Todd who wrote, “we did a thorough debate internally and did our due diligence on this and felt it wasn't necessary this time; that doesn't mean we won't do this in the future; this was a decision made on this particular vacation.” Similarly, Jeff Zeleny of the New York Times said, “The decision was made to not cover Senator Obama’s vacation because he is not the nominee or presumptive nominee.” In both comments and in CNN's coverage, the decision to have a private vacation was clearly out of Obama's hands. Had the New York Times and NBC decided to cover Obama, they certainly would have found justification for their intrusion into his vacation.


So what is fair coverage of a candidate? And when do personal questions become too personal? Go ahead, Wax Politic!

Bush Is In Denial Again

President George W. Bush was in our home state of Ohio, giving a speech today in Dayton. Bush offered what you might call an answer to critics of his Iraq policy, saying that it is simply not true that waging the war on terror does not involve focusing U.S. military attention in other places besides Iraq. At the National Museum of the United States Air Force, the President chastized Congress for applying pressure to remove troops from Iraq in order to focus our attention in places like Afghanistan, a known hot bed for Al Qaeda. Bush simply said, "This argument makes no sense."

Bush is expected to endorse the recommendations of General David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, who has argued that it would be ill-advised to begin a troop withdraw at this time, citing the fact that it could reverse any progress made by the "surge" effort of the last year.

Bush asked Congress and Americans to consider what the task at hand is in Iraq: "They're trying to build a modern democracy on the rubble of three decades of tyranny, in a region of the world that has been hostile to freedom. And they're doing it while under assault from one of history's most brutal terrorist networks. "When it takes time for Iraqis to reach agreement, it is not foot-dragging, as one senator described it during Congress' two-week Easter recess. It is a revolutionary undertaking that requires great courage."

This was a shot at Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) who told CNN last weekend that there is "foot-dragging on key governance questions in Iraq."

It remains to be seen how the occupation will play out, but one this is sure, President Bush will not stand for a change in course despite pressure at home and abroad.

Boiling Point

The simmering racial tensions clouding the democratic primary race have recently reached a boiling point in the wake of Rev. Jeremiah Wright's sermon to the Trinity United Church of Christ in which he espoused racially divisive remarks referred to as "inflammatory rhetoric" by the Obama camp. Despite Obama's condemnation Tuesday of Wright's incendiary sermon recently seized upon by the media, the ensuing controversy has illuminated the potential division that an Obama presidency could unleash between white and black voters in America. In his response Tuesday, Obama admitted that Wright's sermon had forced the campaign to take a "particularly divisive turn," but insisted that he was the most able candidate to unite the Nation despite racial division.

According to the GallupPoll.com, "Race is the single issue that divides the Democratic electorate more than any other." And that evidence serves only as a microcosm of an attitude that is pervasive in America today. As of March 16, Gallup reported a stunning 8 out of 10 black democrats support Obama over Clinton, and the recent controversy over the Rev. Wright's sermon has only served to further polarize democrats along racial lines. BlackAmericaWeb.com reports an unsettling response of support by black ministers in the wake of Wright's sermon who seem to downplay the severity of his divisive words. Rev. Raphael Warnock of Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church seems to embody this response to Wright's sermon, saying it was consistent with the "bold truth-telling tradition...of black preachers...expected to preach with clarity, power and passion. They speak to the struggle of blacks in America with a painful history that is midwifed by slavery and segregation." This assertion suggests that racial sensitivities still exist and foreshadows the possibility that an Obama presidency may heighten racial tension rather than diffuse it. Furthermore, Warnock's opinion can be extrapolated to represent the black response to Wright's sermon while the opposite is true in the white community. The response to Obama's affiliation with Wright has contributed to an approximate 30 percent negativity increase among white voters toward Obama according to a CBS opinion poll.

While Obama confirmed his condemnation of Wright's sermon Tuesday, proclaiming his fervent desire to abolish racial division in our Nation, it is yet to be determined if America is ready to put skin color in the past and forge ahead as a unified people. Only time will tell.

Why Isn't Rush in Jail?

Given that...

“[Ohio] law states that a voter who is challenged by poll workers to defend the sincerity of their last minute switch of party affiliation must sign an affidavit confirming their allegiance to that party’s principles.”

...and that Rush Limbaugh, B.F.I. orchestrated a large-scale movement of registered Republican voters, who crossed over party affiliation at the last minute, all of them signing the legally binding allegiance confirmation affidavit.

and that many of them not only committed the fraud (it is fair to say that, as a rule,Rush's Dittoheads do not adhere to the principles of the Democratic Party), but then boasted about it in online forums and blogs...

“Lastly, they had me sign the affirmation about switching parties and supporting the principles of the Democrat party. I said that would be easy, because they don't have any. Everybody got a good chuckle as there isn't a Democrat within 5 miles any direction from where I vote. I then proceeded to cast my vote for Hillary Clinton. Dirty as it felt at the time, I have a feeling I'll be rewarded in the long run.”

It really ought to be a no brainer for a patriotic and ambitious prosecutor to nail the obese blowhard on a number of different felonies, including (but not limited to) conspiracy to commit election fraud.

Why, then, is he not even under arrest?

Really? Sadaam Was Not Behind 9/11?

Well, if the CIA, National Intelligence Estimate, or 9/11 Commission Report didn't convince you, perhaps you'll be sold after looking into, "Saddam and Terrorism: Emerging Insights from Captured Iraqi Documents Volume 1 "(Daily Kos has a pdf version of the 70 page document on their server- Dailykos.com).

The document outlines the findings of researchers who poured over 600,000 documents without finding one link between Sadaam Hussein and the attacks of September 11, 2001. So in essence this document is reaffirming what the CIA and the National Intelligence Estimate told us and our president in 2002, what the 9/11 Commission Report (that our president commissioned) told us in July of 2004, and what the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Phase II report said in September 2006.

This is nothing new, it's only a reminder of how incompetently our president has chosen to allocate our defense dollars and how illogically he has approached the deployment of U.S. troops to the Middle East. He was warned that the war against terrorism would not to be won in Iraq, rather that the battleground was in Al Qaeda hotbed, Afghanistan. Now the U.S. government spends a cool 3 billion a month in Iraq while our economy takes a downward turn. The economny is not stable, Mr. President. We'll hope that the new president will bring some element of reason and rationality back to executive level decision making.

So You Want To Be A Superdelegate

Not including Florida and Michigan, there are 795 total Democratic superdelegates by whom the nominees are trying to be endorsed . This consists of 719 regular superdelegates and 76 unpledged add-ons. You should note that Democrats Abroad that are superdelegates get 1/2 vote each, so there are actually 799 superdelegates casting 795 votes).

Check out the Selection Rules straight from the Democratic Party:

UNPLEDGED AND PLEDGED PARTY LEADERS AND ELECTED OFFICIAL DELEGATES

1. The procedure to be used for certifying unpledged party leader and elected official delegates is as follows:
   Not later than March 1, 2008, the Secretary of the Democratic National Committee shall officially confirm to each State Democratic Chair the names of the following unpledged delegates who legally reside in their respective state and who shall be recognized as part of their state’s delegation unless any such member has publicly expressed support for the election of, or has endorsed, a presidential candidate of another political party;
   
   1. The individuals recognized as members of the DNC (as set forth in Article Three, Sections 2 and 3 of the Charter of the Democratic Party of the United States); and,
   
   
   2. The Democratic President and the Democratic Vice President of the United States, if applicable; and,
   
   
   3. All Democratic members of the United States House of Representatives and all Democratic members of the United States Senate; and,
   
   
   4. The Democratic Governor, if applicable; and,
   
   
   5. All former Democratic Presidents, all former Democratic Vice Presidents, all former Democratic Leaders of the U.S. Senate, all former Democratic Speakers of the U.S. House of Representatives and Democratic Minority Leaders, as applicable, and all former Chairs of the Democratic National Committee

We'll be keeping a close eye on the activities of the fabled Superdelegates in the coming weeks and months to monitor changes in allegiances and potential shake-up's in the Party. Check out a great site for information concerning all things Superdelegate at www.demconwatch.blogspot.com.

Power To The People?

August 28th of 2008 marks the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Denver. It is on this day that the democratic party will name its next nominee for President of The United States of America. Traditionally, the identity of the nominee is not in question by this late date and the convention amounts to little more than a party rally used to generate excitement and funds for the general election. This year things could be very different.

With what seems like an interminable primary race between candidates, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, we have reached a point where it is a near impossibility that either candidate will win the required number of pledged delegates to guarantee their nomination. This reality means that the specter of a brokered convention looms ominously over all of us. If neither candidate has won the required number of pledged delegates prior to the convention then the delegate votes at the convention, typically more ceremonial than anything else, will take on a great deal of importance.

There are two types of delegates; pledged delegates which are determined by the votes of the general electorate (the people) in the nationwide state primaries and caucuses, and superdelegates which number over 700 and are given to elected officials and other party insiders and may be pledged to either candidate at the discretion of the superdelegate.

As of now, Barack Obama has what should be an insurmountable lead. With only 12 states left to vote, Obama has won nearly twice as many states. He has won the majority of the popular vote. And he has a triple-digit lead in pledged delegates. Even his, once large, deficit of superdelegates has been shrinking over the last month or two. And the inclusion of potential Florida and Michigan revotes probably wouldn't change anything dramatically. With these statistics one could safely assume that if Obama maintains his leads in states won, popular vote, and pledged delegates through the end of the primary season, then the remaining unpledged superdelgates would fall into line in support of the candidate that the people have chosen, right?

Well, not so fast. As any of you out there who even passively follow the news should know these unpledged superdelegates could still swing the nomination to Clinton's favor. Because they are bound by no rules stating that their vote must be influenced by any factor beyond their personal opinion of whom the candidate should be, the allotment of these delegates continues to be in question. Thus, there is still the chance that the voices of the American people will be subjugated by the handful of party insiders that are still yet to endorse.

Let's assume though, for just a moment, that the remaining superdelegates decide to go with the American people and endorse the candidate who has earned the lead by the end of the primary season. In that case there is no chance that our votes might be rendered meaningless, right? Well, that is the general consensus. Or at least that is what most of America thought until Hillary Clinton was interviewed by Newsweek the other day.

During the interview Clinton was asked "How can you win the nomination when the math looks so bleak for you?" Her response:

"It doesn't look bleak at all. I have a very close race with Senator Obama. There are elected delegates, caucus delegates and superdelegates, all for different reasons, and they're all equal in their ability to cast their vote for whomever they choose. Even elected and caucus delegates are not required to stay with whomever they are pledged to. This is a very carefully constructed process that goes back years, and we're going to follow the process."

So, if you can follow that, she is basically saying that even the pledged delegates, the ones that are allotted because of the way that the citizens of their respective states have voted, have the option to switch their support over to the other candidate. If you find this cynical assertion more than just a bit unsettling, you are not alone.

Whether the losing candidate at the end of primary season, most likely Clinton, was pushed over the top as a result of a majority of the superdelegates siding with them or as a result of the pledged delegates switching allegiance in defiance of the voters of their state, this would spell enormous problems for the democratic party, the American people in general, and the future of elections in the United States of America.

First of all, this result would cause an enormous fracture in the democratic party. Many potential democratic voters, myself amongst them, would cast their vote for John McCain or a third-party candidate such as Ralph Nader. Worse yet, many of those who would have voted will just stay at home. This segment includes many of the young voters and African-Americans who have been brought into the process as a result of their enthusiasm for the new brand of politics touted by Barack Obama. Many of these people have not chosen to vote in the past and would simply continue along that path if Clinton were to take the nomination against the will of the general electorate.

In regard to how this may affect the future of elections in the United States, after an incident like this how would elected officials be able to encourage people to come out and vote in the future? So many Americans already say "Why should I vote? It's not like my vote really counts anyway?" How could one, in good conscience, answer this question in a way that encouraged people to come back out and vote again? For all intents and purposes a nominee who is decided by superdelegates, or worse, pledged delegates who chose to switch sides would be an affirmation of people's claims that their votes did not count. This would be the most egregious case of voter disenfranchisement on the books. Is that really what the democratic party wants as their legacy; the party that proved that the voices of the people really don't matter? I don't think so. But, it doesn't seem that Hillary Clinton has ruled out this possibility.

Lastly, and of greatest possible importance, is the potential fallout that could come as a result of the scenario mentioned above. If the DNC decides to steal the nomination away from the candidate whom the majority of the people have thrown their support behind, a very real possibility is that there will be widespread demonstrations, protests, and marches across the country on August 28. These gatherings will be filled with citizens that feel frustrated, disenfranchised, marginalized, and even helpless as a result of their realization that their voices are not, in fact, being heard by party insiders and elected officials. To me, this could be a very dangerous recipe and one more thing that I don't think that Hillary Clinton or the democratic party would want to have on their consciences. Let's hope that if Obama maintains his leads, which is almost a mathematic certainty, Clinton and the democratic powers that be exercise the necessary amount of care, grace, and humility to let the voices of the American people be heard.

-Chris C. Davis
3/11/08

Battle For Democratic Nomination Will Go On..And On...And On

The four primaries in Ohio, Texas, Vermont, and Rhode Island on Tuesday confirmed one thing, and one thing only for the Dems: the nominating process will not be over soon, despite the potentially fractious ramifications to the party base and even the two candidates vying for the top spot. The staggering momentum of the Obama Express may have slowed significantly three days prior to Tuesday as polls reflected large numbers of voters swinging their support to the Clinton camp at the eleventh hour. It will be interesting to watch how things play out from day to day until the Pennsylvania primary, especially how each candidate and their respective staffers and strategists conduct themselves and frame their discussions and criticisms.

Obama is likely to stay on the high ground publicly but one must think that the Obama camp is reconciling itself to the reality that the negativity and allegations made against their man must be counteracted. This is likely to happen on the staff level. Senator Obama has essentially placed himself in the position of self-contradiction, were he to go the traditional 'attack politics' route. We may hear, but not from Senator Obama's mouth, word of Whitewater, undisclosed financial statements, and so on in the ensuing weeks. The Clinton campaign is likely to stay on the offensive; it is, afterall, working.

The likely course of events winds this mess in the hands of America's superdelegates. Stay tuned here at Wax Politic this week for a new article everyday spotlighting the role of the superdelegates, who they are, what they mean to the party, and how important their voices and votes will in fact be to the outcome of this race.

The hotly contested bid for the Democratic Presidential nomination is just now warming up. The always resilient senator from New York is proving to be the second "Comeback Kid" of the Clinton family. First was her surprise win in New Hampshire. Second, she was counted out but victorious in California. Now, she rallies to take home wins in Texas and Ohio. Pennsylvania looms large for Obama and Clinton in the weeks to come.

Price Tag of War in Iraq: 3 Trillion Dollars

Three Trillion Dollars!! And that's just how much the war in Iraq has cost thus far. That figure does not at all factor in the next hundred years of funding the occupation. That is how long the United States is going to be there, correct?

In a new book, "The Three Trillion Dollar War," Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz and Harvard Economist Linda Bilmes conservatively estimate that the decision to invade Iraq after the attacks of 9/11 have placed immense strain on the U.S. economy, one that is not likely to lessen anytime soon.

Stiglitz, a former World Band chief economist and his co-author have indicted the Bush administration of deliberately "low-balling" cost estimates and keeping a second, secret set of documents from the American public. Read more at democracynow.org and leave a comment for discussion right here at Wax Politic.

Clinton Campaigns In Ohio- Counts on Women for Comeback

This week Senator Hillary Clinton has stepped up the rhetoric when it comes to banding together women voters, especially in Ohio and Texas. As the race between she and Senator Obama intensifies, she has begun to more regularly emphasize the pioneering aspect of her run at becoming the first female president in United States history.

"I am thrilled to be running to be the first woman president, which I think would be a sea change in our country and around the world," Clinton remarked to a group in Cleveland, Ohio this week.

Clinton holds a strong double-digit lead amongst women voters in Ohio. They will have to report to the polls en force in Ohio, and Texas as well if Senator Clinton is to step back into the hunt. It is far from over.

Democrats say that women in Ohio respect Senator Clinton for her strength and the barriers she has broken down in providing opportunities for all women. She stopped by a Bob Evans in Rio Grande, Ohio on Thursday and snapped off shots with the all-female wait staff. Their admiration for her was apparent. Hillary Clinton is proud of running as a woman but insists she wants to be judged on her merits alone. Those women who support her will undeniably vote for her based on her experience and strength of character and policy knowledge. Many women voters have been quick to point out that they give her their support because they can also relate to her as mothers and daughters themselves. For certain engagements, the Senator has been known to bring along daughter Chelsea, and mother, Dorothy Rodham.

67 year old Kay Israel, a school teacher from Zanesville, Ohio, said of her preference for office, "I respect Hillary's strengths as far as overcoming obstacles against all odds... I admire her effort to make history. She's smart. She's educated. She knows the issues."

Senator Clinton will indeed call upon the full support of her female base in attempting to draw Senator Obama into a dead heat heading into the final days of this most contentious lead-up to the Democratic National Convention. She will need them now more than ever before.

Latest Report From Obama Camp- Columbus, Ohio Rally

Barack Obama made his first stop after last night's MSNBC debate with Senator Hillary Clinton in Columbus, Ohio at a packed to capacity rally at St. John's Arena. Supporters and adorers alike were in their slim wooden, not-so-comfortable seats as early as 8:30 this morning and waited as the Senator from Illinois arrived an hour and a half late traveling down I-71 from Cleveland. This hardly dampened the frenetic energy in the building.

After a couple of not-so-memorable introductions and attempts to 'pump up' the crowd by County Treasurer Richard Cordray, (and much more excitingly), Heisman Trophy winner and former Ohio State Buckeye, Eddie George, the steamrolling Obama glided onto stage. Signs were handed out that read "Obama is Superman," and one got the feeling, sitting to the left of the marching band and just below the press docket, looking into the crowd, that many in attendance would have to agree.

Obama hit back playfully at GOP sure-thing nominee, John McCain, for taking out of context an answer he had given to a hypothetical question posed to him about what he may do in response to a build-up of Al Qaida in Iraq. Obama promised he would act "...if al-Qaida is forming a base in Iraq."

To that, McCain: "I have some news. Al-Qaida is in Iraq. It's called `al-Qaida in Iraq."

Touchee, went Mr. Obama: "I do know that al-Qaida is in Iraq and that's why I have said we should continue to strike al-Qaida targets," he told excited supporters.

"But I have some news for John McCain," Obama added. "There was no such thing as al-Qaida in Iraq until George Bush and John McCain decided to invade Iraq. ... They took their eye off the people who were responsible for 9/11 and that would be al-Qaida in Afghanistan, that is stronger now than at any time since 2001."

Senator Obama is keeping things even-keel for now as he surges ahead of his rival from New York in many Texas polls and is strengthening in Ohio, where he has a strong base. Warring words are kept to a minimum, the prudent strategy for a surging frontrunner. Clinton camp must now be prepared to battle for all four states on March 4th.

Nader Much Funnier Than Huckabee

Ralph Nader is right. If the Democrats cannot win this one in a landslide, they should close down. Gosh, it sure is great to have old Ralph back in the race. His curmudgeonly-old-crank demeanor and rumpled, ill-fitting suits will be a welcome compliment to Hillary’s ridiculous smile and point routine and custom-tailored power-suits. Same thing for Obama’s dramatic earnestness and McCain’s tough-but-fair granddad thing.

Huck(abee) has been my favorite presidential candidate since Kucinich dropped out, mostly because of the cartoonishness. His suits are off-the-rack. They fit him very well, but not because he has had them made or even altered. They fit him because he has the all-American body type that off-the-rack suits are made for. He doesn’t believe in evolution and he is prone to strip down to shirtsleeves, strap on an electric bass and rip off Boston’s “More than a Feeling”, despite the fact that the band has asked him to stop using their song to promote an agenda that they find abhorrent. He honestly believes that we should have God rewrite the constitution and his wife is an ace with a shotgun. The two of them have a lake in Hope, Arkansas named after them. His middle name is Dale. He is proud of the fact that he believes the world is only 6000 years old, and he wants to be president. That would be freekin’ hilarious.

That’s why I was for Huck.

Now that Nader’s in, I have to change allegiances. He’s much funnier than Huck. Especially now that he has begun to turn into Columbo. Actually, he’s more like a muppet version of Columbo. His stringless marionette stature must be a clothier’s worst nightmare, since it is impossible even to custom-make clothes that fit it.

Many of history’s most hilarious individuals were called Ralph. There’s Malph, Wiggum, Waldo Emerson… and now Nader. Democrats still call him a spoiler, claiming that he gave Florida to Bush. They are just jealous because they aren’t all that funny. Nader, on the other hand, is milk-through-the-nose funny. Plus, he didn’t spoil anything. Florida was given to Bush by the Supreme Court. Besides, these days our electoral procedures and machinery are so completely fucked, the election itself starts off spoiled.

We might as well vote for the funniest candidate. That’s Nader. Check out some Nader humor:

“Dear President Bush:

I was listening to your address before the self-described Conservative Political Action Committee gathering in Washington, D.C. last week, while reviewing materials on occupational hazards in the workplace.”

The funny part is that he actually was listening to Bush’s address while reviewing materials on occupational hazards in the workplace. This one’s even funnier:

“Controlling what is now corporate capitalism in all its varieties and contradictions is the task of organized civic values, law and order, quality competition, shareholder power over executives, consumer information, judicial remedies, and environmentally benign technologies. These checks, along with self-restraint by businesses (out of what used to be called "enlightened self-interest"), are needed to keep capitalism in its proper place so that a democratic culture can flourish toward the greater purposes of life for present and future generations.”

Democratic culture… hilarious. Organized civic values, self-restraint by businesses… this guy is pure comedy. Did I mention he looks like a Muppet Columbo?!?

McCain Denies Allegations

John McCain has vigorously denied having had any inappropriate relationship with a female lobbyist. Team McCain is scrambling to minimize damaging implications that the story could have on his integrity. McCain's camp confronted with the real clear politics of a presidential nomination season, referred to the timing and release of The New York Times article as "gutter politics." There is concern that even a hint at marital impropriety could damage his reputation even more with social conservatives on the Right.

"At no time have I ever done anything that would betray the public trust," said McCain, a four-term Arizona senator and a hero of the Vietnam War.

The GOP does not want to see their party base splintered anymore, but most Republican insiders seem to think that any lasting effect on his image would only be amongst independent voters, not the GOP rank and file. The McCain staff and his supporters have turned their anger at The New York Times, questioning the timing and prudence of the article.

Is Hillary Clinton On The Ropes?

With convincing wins in both Hawaii and Wisconsin this week, Senator Barack Obama has run up his primary winning streak to ten in a row. Not all is comfy in the Clinton camp. Aides to Senator Clinton know too well the disparity of the media scrutiny each candidate endures is not even close. With many more years in Washington than her opponent from Illinois, Senator Clinton is often times scrutinized much more rigorously. At a time when her campaign is touting her experience and policy direction as an advantage, Senator Obama rides a wave of public favor and lax media scrutiny, perhaps because of his perceived "new kid" persona. Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania: they all loom large in Clinton Country. These particular primaries have become must-win's for Senator Hillary Clinton.

Hello Everybody

Hi, Tony invited me to periodically contribute to this blog. So, I just wanted to take a quick opportunity to introduce myself.

My name is Chris C. Davis. I am a 28-year-old small business owner. I live in Columbus, Ohio. I am registered as an independent. I vote democrat about 99% of the time. And I consider myself left of either of our major parties. My ideal government would be a pure and uncorrupted form of socialism, the likes of which the world has not seen successfully executed to date.

I suffer from a condition for which the only treatment is to take in at least 2-3 hours of political news, opinion, and commentary a day. My interest in politics has actually further crippled a social life that was already crippled by an interest in books that was further crippling a social life that was already on life-support due to an obsession with music. So, as you can see, I was in need of another extra-curricular activity and Tony graciously provided that to me. I look forward to providing another voice to this blog.

I will leave you with a passage from a Michael Eric Dyson essay entitled "Why I Am An Intellectual." This passage speaks of the beauty and the power that one can obtain when one empowers oneself with knowledge, and also of the action and change that that empowerment can spur. I like to think that every person that starts a blog, writes for a publication, or asserts their ideas on the public through various other mediums is, in fact, trying to better the world around them or open the eyes of others in a way that might endow them with a new perspective. So Tony should be applauded for taking the first step in that direction. And I'd like to thank him once again for giving me the opportunity to contribute. Dyson writes:

"When I get knowledge, I get desire: I get hungry for the same liberty I find in the books I read, the science I study, the music I hear. I want my society as eloquent as the poetry I memorize. I want my living conditions to match the beauty of the algebraic formula I work. I want my people as blissful and harmonious as the symphony I listen to. I may also want to stamp out the horrors I read about, put an end to the suffering I hear in the music of the desperate, or use what I know to help the subjugated. I might get inspired or enraged, mad or distraught, stumped or determined to act."

Oh, To Be A Superdelegate!

I feel like this must be what the entrance tunnel to the bat cave-like hangout of America's superdelegates must look like. What an elite club in American politics! It may sound funny, but in this election cycle, we will indeed see the massive import of the public opinion swaying superdelegates. Right now Senator Barrack Obama leads Senator Hillary Clinton in total delegates, but ah ah ah, wait just one minute, that does not take into consideration the superdelegate count which could tip things in favor of the New York senator. Senator Obama has 964 regular old delegates on his side to Hillary's 905. While the superdelegates who have pledged support weigh in Hillary's favor by around 100 votes as of now, there are over 700 superdelegates who have remained undeclared. It will indeed be a contentious battle to the end. Leave a comment and let us know what you think the role of the superdelegate adds/ takes away from the role played by the individual voter. Is it fair that these select individuals from the political sphere should shape a party's nomination in such a monumental fashion? Wax Politic!

Everything's A Dream In 'Bush-land'

President Bush to his fellow ideologues at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington:


"A year after I ordered the surge of forces, high-profile terrorist attacks in Iraq are down, civilian deaths are down, sectarian killings are down. U.S. and Iraqi forces have captured or killed thousands of extremists in Iraq, including hundreds of key al Qaeda leaders and operatives."

So everyone can rest assured. Things are going exactly as well as you had imagined . We're stomping out fanatics and extremists and evil-doer's all over the world. The problem is, Mr. Bush, not everyone has as myopic a view as you do sir. There are those who would argue that our dealings internationally, most specifically in the Middle East, are going fatally wrong; that there are causes for concern in many areas. Namely, instability and internal governmental strife in nuclear-armed Pakistan. A lack of a stick or a carrot worth of policy direction in terms of relations with Iran. Iraq. There are those who would argue that the Taliban is mounting a come-back in Afghanistan and our inability to allocate dollars away from Iraq and back into a counter initiative in their desert strongholds is all backwards. The Middle East is a mess.

President Bush's message to CPAC resonates with about as much veracity as did his anemic State of the Union address of little more than a week ago. Then we were told that his three trillion dollar budget proposal would work within a framework whereby our budget would be balanced by 2012. Hilarious. President Bush barely touched on the full scope of the financial woes a majority of Americans are enduring and seemed altogether detached from reality. Not terribly hard to believe. We'll have to wait to find out just how much steeper the debt will climb and just how much further the average American will slide in the remaining eight to nine months of his lackluster presidency.

Super Tuesday Settles Little for Obama/Clinton

"Super Tuesday" may have brought clarity to the GOP landscape but did little to determine which way the pendulum will swing for the Dems. Hillary Clinton had strong showings as expected in New York and California, also winning outright in Arizona, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, New Jersey and Massachusetts. Senator Obama won 13 states in total and continues to surge in certain polls and is raising more money than Google.

Obama campaign plans to consolidate certain of the middle America states to offset delegate rich sure thing's for Clinton went off glowingly. The Illinois senator took home Colorado, Idaho, Utah, Kansas, and perhaps most surprisingly, Missouri, where Senator Clinton had at one time polled significantly higher than her opponent.

It will be interesting to see how the media plays this contentious battle out to the public. Senator Clinton has shown that she would like as many opportunities as possible to publicly debate Senator Obama in order to cost-effectively optimize public visibility while he has recently said he would most likely opt out of a tentative February 27th Ohio debate, not surprisingly, as his fund raising machine is in full swing. Senator Clinton just 'loaned' her campaign a cool 5 mil, but one must still think she is in little trouble of finding plenty of available sources for funding her prodigious campaign straight through to the end.

Huck Carries The Day! (In West Virginia Anyway)

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Mike Huckabee has carried the day on Super Tuesday! Oh wait, this just in... he's only carried West Virginia, and wait just one minute, news is coming down the wire that it could be the result of an illicit Washington "backroom deal."

"Unfortunately, this is what Sen. McCain's inside Washington ways look like: He cut a backroom deal with the tax-and-spend candidate he thought could best stop Gov. Romney's campaign of conservative change," read a statement from Romney campaign manager Beth Myers.

Oh, so the Romney guy is behind all of these allegations, huh? I see. It is alleged that Senator John McCain's people have cut a deal with ex-Razorback governor Mike Huckabee's people to stave off any chance for a Romney victory in West Virginia today. (Huckabee won the support of 52 percent of the GOP convention delegates for that state while Mitt Romney walked with 47 percent. Senator McCain will receive 1 percent). Well what does old Huck himself have to say about all this?

"I thought he was saying yesterday, 'No whining.' So is it no whining or whining? He can't even keep a straight answer on the 'whining or no whining' question."

That's it! Get 'em Huck! Why would that evil empire of a campaign staff of Mitt Romney's rain on Mike Huckabee's parade. That's likely the end of the victory celebrations for him today. Unless of course he pulls off a surprise upset in American Samoa. They will also be counting ballots today and tonight with 24 other states in what amounts to a virtual national primary. Things are just warming up and Mike Huckabee is feeling good:

"It gives us some real wind to our backs as we go into tonight," the former Arkansas governor said after casting his own ballot in Little Rock.

And good for him. But Mike, you may want to check your pants, the wind at your back may have been self-induced.

Run Up To Not So "Super" Tuesday

Well, at long last we have arrived at the most hotly anticipated, most circus-like mass media frenzied time of the pre-nomination portion of the presidential election(which is still, for those of you counting, not to be decided for another eight months). The occasion of which I speak is obviously "Super Tuesday" Eve. With CNN, Politico, MSNBC, FoxNEWS, and the like running tickers for lead up's to exclusive interviews with presendential nomination hopeful's, CSpan following individuals even as borning as Mitt Romney all the way from his bathroom where he grooms his hair in the style of Ronald Reagan in the morning straight through to his awe-inspiring, in touch with the average American's concerns stumps at the local coffee shops and machine working plants in the afternoons. It's Barack's Michelle making good face on primetime interviews to counteract the perceived negativity of Hillary's Bill and his devoted canvassing. It's Hillary vs. Barack on CNN having it out in a debate in Los Angeles with a star-riddled crowd (including, but not limited to director Rob Reiner, actor Jane Curtin, and R & B sensation- Brandy). Heck, even that Huckabee character, you know, the one from Arkansas with the teeth who doesn't say much more these days than, 'don't count me out,' and 'I'm in it for the long haul'... Even he gets primetime coverage. You've all seen him, you know who he is. John McCain? John McCain has been endorsed by everyone this week. Arnold Schwartzaneggar, well, who else really matters, he was endorsed by Commando. The point of all this, if there is one, is that this is the most circus-like lead-up to any "Super Tuesday" in recent memory. Perhaps it is because for the first time in 56 years, (you have to go back to the old Eisenhower/Stevenson matchup for that one), the American electorate will not be choosing from any candidates who have either served as president or vice president, and they feel they really will have a hand in shaping things up. Let's hope that's the case. It seems to me from a purely sociological perspective, though, that people are really swept up in the OJ Simpson, Stacy Peterson sort of Court TV aspect of it all. It's better than everyone watching re-runs of Three's Company, although if you're finding yourself spending too much time on CSpan, or even more dangerously, on CSpan II, you may want to reconsider your social habits. The numbers do indicate that more people are going to the polls, at least in these all-too publicized primaries leading up to the real thing. Tomorrow will tip the scales for several of the candidates whose lovely portraits are displayed above. Stay tuned, you won't be able to miss the coverage..

Welcome to Wax Politic

This is indeed a momentous occasion... The first entry on the newly christened political forum, Wax Politic. In the coming weeks, contributions from an array of writers from diverse political backgrounds will begin to pepper the pages of Wax Politic and we'll be off to the races. The name of this site upon conception was originally 'whoaskedyou.com.' It would appear, however, that it was already the cyber property of another. The fact is, the inspiration behind the idea; the spirit enlisted in rummaging for so many hours over that crummy, already taken name remains. The problem is that the answer to that question for you, and I for that matter, is probably, "no one." No one asked you what you think and therefore you give no opinion. Well now there are no more excuses. Consider yourself asked. Welcome to the world of Wax Politic, where are all welcome. Please stay updated and check back in with us as we grow and offer more and more content, opinion, analysis, and with any luck, fun.