58 Comments

1. Jonas Blane:

Colorado will get lost in the shuffle.

Jul 23, 2007 - 9:09 am 2. Jonas Blane:

Colorado will get lost in the shuffle.

Jul 23, 2007 - 9:09 am 3. Ann:

Cindy Sheehan is crazy. Rudy Giuliani won’t win. Colorado will be more important than California.

So there. lol

Jul 23, 2007 - 9:31 am 4. Brasky:

I think the addition of Colorado makes an interesting mix of states in play for Super Tuesday.

With enough conservative, liberal and moderate states, it might be possible for there to be a presidential primary contest after Super Tuesday in one or both parties.

It also means more front-loading of the fundraising schedule. But the top two Dem candidates seem to be keeping pace. The Reeps seem to have very unique regional appeal, so that match-up gets more interesting the more various the states thrown into Super Tuesday.

Jul 23, 2007 - 9:37 am 5. Brasky:

When probation isn’t enough: “Double Secret Probation.”

When crazy isn’t enough: “Cindy Sheehan.”

Jul 23, 2007 - 9:44 am 6. Capitol Boy:

Was Sheehan always this nuts?

Jul 23, 2007 - 9:57 am 7. Barbara:

There is a report out that Pakistani Foreign Office spokeswoman said Pakistan “will not allow the United States to attack its tribal areas in pursuit of al Qaeda….that any counterterrorism actions will be carried out by Pakistani security forces”…

very telling

and the French appear to be having a VERY positive impact on Syria…

Jul 23, 2007 - 10:17 am 8. Hap Hazard:

and the French appear to be having a VERY positive impact on Syria.

How so? Last I read, Hizbollah is still placing rocket launchers throughout the region, and the Syrian-backed Fatah al Islam continues to kill refugees in Palestinian refugee camps.

Jul 23, 2007 - 10:53 am 9. Bill Bradley:

Very interesting.

>Barbara :
There is a report out that Pakistani Foreign Office spokeswoman said Pakistan “will not allow the United States to attack its tribal areas in pursuit of al Qaeda….that any counterterrorism actions will be carried out by Pakistani security forces”…

Jul 23, 2007 - 10:58 am 10. Bill Bradley:

Very good point.

>Brasky :
I think the addition of Colorado makes an interesting mix of states in play for Super Tuesday.
With enough conservative, liberal and moderate states, it might be possible for there to be a presidential primary contest after Super Tuesday in one or both parties.
It also means more front-loading of the fundraising schedule. But the top two Dem candidates seem to be keeping pace. The Reeps seem to have very unique regional appeal, so that match-up gets more interesting the more various the states thrown into Super Tuesday.
Jul 23, 2007 09:37 AM

Jul 23, 2007 - 10:59 am 11. Ann:

I was kidding about Colorado.

Jul 23, 2007 - 11:59 am 12. Ann:

The Flash Report is a farce. ONE comment! lol

Jul 23, 2007 - 12:12 pm 13. Vladimir Bierko:

Ann, by your measure, the California Majority Report would be a farce as well.

Jul 23, 2007 - 12:20 pm 14. Brasky:

“SCHWARZENEGGER PREDICTS BUDGET PASSAGE.”

In other words, “Pass the damn budget, or else!”

Jul 23, 2007 - 12:46 pm 15. Ann:

The California Plurality Report is a farce.

Jul 23, 2007 - 12:47 pm 16. Barbara:

It’s midnight there… Blair is done with all those Monday meetings…
Pakistani TV is reporting that an alliance of the All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM) say they will “begin a nationwide protest campaign against Musharraf on Aug. 9… that alliance includes the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Islamist Mutahiddah Majlis-i-Amal coalition, but the largest opposition group, the Pakistan People’s Party is not saying they will support the protest…which is his only lifeline at the moment ….the liberal forces fear fundamentalists more than his anti- dem policies….there are fears from many analysts that this all has a feel of the days pre-Iranian Revolution…I urge everyone to read The New Yorker piece on Pakistan…well researched well written….lucid explanation of the forces at work here.
There was some good news today for Blair that will mostly go unreported… a senior Hamas leader in the West Bank Ahmed Douleh asserts that ” some Hamas members are looking for ways to make peace with Fatah.” Actually this has been going on for some weeks …so far Abbas has been dismissive of overtures but to my knowledge this is the first public comment from a Hamas leader… and it is no accident that it was said while Blair is there and a day BEFORE he meets with Abbas

Jul 23, 2007 - 2:01 pm 17. Barbara:

It’s midnight there… Blair is done with all those Monday meetings…
Pakistani TV is reporting that an alliance of the All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM) say they will “begin a nationwide protest campaign against Musharraf on Aug. 9… that alliance includes the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Islamist Mutahiddah Majlis-i-Amal coalition, but the largest opposition group, the Pakistan People’s Party is not saying they will support the protest…which is his only lifeline at the moment ….the liberal forces fear fundamentalists more than his anti- dem policies….there are fears from many analysts that this all has a feel of the days pre-Iranian Revolution…I urge everyone to read The New Yorker piece on Pakistan…well researched well written….lucid explanation of the forces at work here.
There was some good news today for Blair that will mostly go unreported… a senior Hamas leader in the West Bank Ahmed Douleh asserts that ” some Hamas members are looking for ways to make peace with Fatah.” Actually this has been going on for some weeks …so far Abbas has been dismissive of overtures but to my knowledge this is the first public comment from a Hamas leader… and it is no accident that it was said while Blair is there and a day BEFORE he meets with Abbas

Jul 23, 2007 - 2:01 pm 18. Jonathan Hemlock:

I don’t even want to discuss the badly written propaganda outlet Flash Report. Its screeds are not to be taken seriously.

Jul 23, 2007 - 2:04 pm 19. Bill Bradley:

Right, Barbara. I posted the item hours ago.

Jul 23, 2007 - 2:25 pm 20. NickM:

The California Maviglio Report is a farce? Say it ain’t so.
How much of the holdup in the State Senate would be solved if Perata agreed to pass what the Assembly passed - trailer bills first?

BTW, am I the only one who finds it hilarious that Cindy Sheehan is complaining about the Federal Reserve and World War II? It’s as if someone tried to create the perfect mix of left-wing and right-wing crank.

Jul 23, 2007 - 2:28 pm 21. Barbara:

I know…but its the same info in my comments last night as last night he was off and running …but its’ important so I am happy you included it in today’s main post so everyone sees the info

Jul 23, 2007 - 2:29 pm 22. larry:

There is a very interesting editorial in the New York Times today on the state of American diplomacy during the Bush administration, including an assessment of the work of Condoleezza Rice relating to the Middle East.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/23/opinion/23mon1.html

Jul 23, 2007 - 2:34 pm 23. Brasky:

NickM:

A prolonged period of US isolationism produced WWII, an isolationism that Sheehan would gladly embrace.

Just because the Right Wing Nuts broke it, doesn’t mean the Left Wing Nuts can fix it.

Jul 23, 2007 - 2:37 pm 24. Bill Bradley:

The Sheehan material is just a mishmash.

Jul 23, 2007 - 3:08 pm 25. Bill Bradley:

Larry, you mean these NY Times comments?

Of course, there is someone in place to do all that spade work, who has far more experience at it than Rice, and that’s Tony Blair. Who is actually already starting to do it …

>”Consider Mr. Bush’s announcement last week that Ms. Rice will preside over a Middle East peace meeting this fall. That might seem a breakthrough for a White House that started out claiming that too much diplomacy — by Bill Clinton — unleashed the second Palestinian uprising. And we’re being told that Ms. Rice considers an Israeli-Palestinian peace her last, best chance for a legacy. Still, there’s no sign that either she or Mr. Bush has grasped the lesson of Mr. Hill’s North Korea breakthrough.

They are still refusing to talk to people they loathe. The militant Palestinian movement Hamas is definitely not invited to their meeting, even though it controls a large swath of Palestinian territory and psyche. And Syria probably won’t make the list. Both deserve loathing but also have the ability to shatter any peace effort, and further isolating them will only give them further incentive to try.

Beyond that, the administration can’t answer the most basic questions, like when and where the meeting will take place, what friendly Arab states will be coming and what the agenda is. The Palestinians want to talk about all the big things, like borders, Jerusalem and when they get the independent state Mr. Bush committed himself to five years ago. The Israelis say they can’t discuss these issues as long as Palestinian attacks on Israel continue.

All of which leads back to that perplexing refusal to do the diplomatic preparation. Officials say that Ms. Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates will start filling in the blanks when they visit the region at the end of this month. But it took former Secretary of State James Baker (no slouch as a negotiator) eight grueling shuttle trips to set the stage for the 1991 Madrid peace conference.

With time so short, Ms. Rice should either be shuttling full time or sending out a legion of diplomats to try to ensure that there are enough heavy hitters at the table and enough they’re willing to talk about to make all sides want to keep talking.”

Jul 23, 2007 - 3:13 pm 26. Ann:

Maybe the cops will arrest these Republicans. lol

Jul 23, 2007 - 3:30 pm 27. larry:

Bill wrote:
Larry, you mean these NY Times comments?
Of course, there is someone in place to do all that spade work, who has far more experience at it than Rice, and that’s Tony Blair. Who is actually already starting to do it …

Yes, I meant those comments on Bush administration incompetence and cluelessness. I agree it’s fortunate there is a Tony Blair to take over the process, but it’s disturbing that he has to because the people in our government whose job it is to engage in diplomacy have no idea what to do, or how.

Jul 23, 2007 - 3:32 pm 28. Barbara:

Well there was a high ranking US diplomat that Blair did meet with Monday in Jerusalem…but so what? …this whole Bush admin effort is very silly…and EVEN could do some damage…Blair will do well all by himself and should distance himself from Bush admin as much as possible which will not be hard as he represents the INTERESTS of the Quartet (Condi is a fourth not number 1 and if truth be told Merkel has done more than Condi or Blair to get Arab League peace plan moved forward) and Condi is tied up in DC on Kosovo today and probably something else tomorrow and Elliot Abrams and Cheney are not going to let her do anything substantive anyway…Blair will have dealings with Hamas via Egyptians and Norway, who does recognize Hamas and eventually publicly …especially when Hamas and PNA kiss and make up … some key things will happen…the freeing of the Israeli soldier held by Hamas…the British/Israeli Natural Gas deal will be restructured as Arabs feel considering the gas is OFF the coast of Gaza …they got a raw deal…and I think Marwan will be released.. maybe around the time that the Israelis get that poor kid back…but progress will be slow and most will go on unseen for the time being…

If Bush wants to think that there are no repercussions from the US invasion of Iraq …that he can still dictate terms in ME geo politics …well as usual, in regard to the ME … he is wrong…

Jul 23, 2007 - 3:50 pm 29. carole w:

The debate is not groundbreaking because the candidates are still not giving direct answers.

Jul 23, 2007 - 4:37 pm 30. Ann:

Why aren’t they debating?!

Jul 23, 2007 - 5:41 pm 31. carole w:

In the last Ca. primary, voters were complaining about the negative politics. I think these candidates are afraid of the negative backlash?
I think Cooper did a nice job narrating but,this debate reminded me of a puppet show.

Jul 23, 2007 - 6:22 pm 32. Capitol Boy:

I wasn’t fascinated.

Jul 23, 2007 - 6:23 pm 33. Bill Bradley:

I switched over to Murphy’s Law a few times.

They need to start doing real debates.

Jul 23, 2007 - 6:50 pm 34. Bill Bradley:

I switched over to Murphy’s Law a few times.

They need to start doing real debates.

Jul 23, 2007 - 6:50 pm 35. carole w:

“It never rains in California, but girl don’t they warn ya…it pours, man it pours….”

I love this weather!

Jul 23, 2007 - 7:28 pm 36. Barbara:

As long as they did this..I was glad little Mr. Snowman got his video played BUT considering the what is going on in this country and the world… to hold a Presidential “debate” with this this format and is symptomatic of the “dummied down America” we live in…

I was also glad that Dodd (I think it was Dodd) protested that Mr. Snowman’s issue …global warming… was too serious of an issue to be treated the way it was in this “debate” …which as you say was a forum…the same with Darfur, the war …foreign affairs…really… the dummying down of America continues…

Jul 23, 2007 - 7:29 pm 37. Bill Bradley:

Exactly.

Jul 23, 2007 - 7:36 pm 38. carole w:

…I thought Dodd showed a little extra spark.

Jul 23, 2007 - 7:48 pm 39. Wilbur:

Maybe they could get ratings up by adding a topless spokesmodel and a shirtless Beckham, and an 800 number where viewers can vote candidates off the island. Skateboarding dog as M.C. would help, too.

Jul 23, 2007 - 7:51 pm 40. Bill Bradley:

Or, alternatively, they could have a real debate.

If it weren’t my work, I would have watched Murphy’s Law or gone jogging.

Jul 23, 2007 - 8:21 pm 41. carole w:

The shirtless Beckham would work for me.

Jul 23, 2007 - 8:40 pm 42. Barbara:

we may not have a real debate…in the classic format …I think we should be prepared for that…I am not clear that most Americans really care…every one of these events so far has the feel of a game show format and/or Winfrey confessional ….this format is opiate of America…I can’t explain it exactly but I find the trivial format …the fact that they did it …that a David Gergen calls it “fresh” very unnerving…it’s like when Bill Clinton was asked about his underwear…I mean, I laughed that moment also… but at the same time thought that is not appropriate for this OFFICE…I had the same feeling tonight…I meant really ..do we want Mr. Snowman asking future Presidents questions…what has happened to the perception of the Office of the President, Journalism excellence…public expectations…?

Jul 23, 2007 - 8:48 pm 43. Len:

Too many people in the “debate.”

Jul 23, 2007 - 9:17 pm 44. Barbara:

Well contrast the substance of this “debate” whith this chilling (edited) analysis Of the PAKISTAN crisis that just surfaced:

“U.S. forces on Monday moved a day closer to launching a major military operation into Pakistan …with the government of Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf on the ropes largely due to its own devices, the United States no longer feels the need to go around the issue. The U.S. message is fairly simple: Take care of the problem, or we will. The topic of a pending U.S. invasion was all the Pakistani press could discuss Monday, and the unfortunate Pakistani foreign ministry spokeswoman who was given the task of addressing the issue stumbled trying to hit that balance between bluster and calm. A partial — and by no means conclusive — list of Pakistani problems includes the legal and political crisis that stems from Musharraf’s now unsuccessful attempts to sack the country’s chief justice; the debate over Musharraf’s position as military chief; Musharraf’s controversial re-re-election bid; competing opposition party demands for fresh parliamentary elections; fallout from the Red Mosque protests and raids; the insurgency in Balochistan; the chaos of ethnic politics in Karachi; the split within — and Islamist-riddled nature of — the intelligence agencies; the social divide over the very nature of the republic; the rising power of extremists in general; and the identity crisis that comes natural in a country whose name is actually an acronym……. Any such operation would need to secure and segment a large tract of land before additional forces could come in and scour it bit by bit. This would not be a snatch and grab, but a major sweep through a large area. The United States would not be looking for an army, but instead for a handful of individuals that would include Osama bin Laden. That sort of operation would require thousands of troops — and is not something that could be done quickly and quietly. U.S. forces would swiftly find themselves in direct conflict with local tribes and perhaps even the Pakistani military — not to mention that any incursion into Pakistan would also energize the Taliban in Afghanistan to attack from behind. And if the Pakistani government did start to totter, Washington would have to make a very uncomfortable decision about what to do about the Pakistani nuclear arsenal.
Getting out would be even worse. The troops that would be used are all in southeast Afghanistan — part of an operation that is logistically possible without the go-ahead from Islamabad. So immediately after doing a tour of the wonders of northwest Pakistan, the Defense Department would then need to figure out how to get its people — and likely the other coalition forces still in Afghanistan — out of the landlocked South Asian state as well…. this is nothing the United States is champing at the bit to do. Actually, the United States would much rather have Pakistan take care of the issue itself. And there is nothing like the threat of invasion to slice through a list of Pakistani problems and seize people’s attention. But seize their attention the United States has done. Now the question will be whether the chaos that is Pakistani politics can solidify for an internal housecleaning that precludes the need for Washington to decide whether this was an ultimatum or a bluff.”

Jul 23, 2007 - 9:49 pm 45. Brasky:

I told you - YouTube is where politics and stupid pet tricks collide. I think stupid pet tricks got the better of that collision.

For the CNN commentators who can’t differentiate their colors: http://www.nom.org/articles/humor/color.htm

Jul 23, 2007 - 9:52 pm 46. Bill Bradley:

Funny stuff.

Jul 23, 2007 - 10:32 pm 47. Bill Bradley:

Funny stuff.

Jul 23, 2007 - 10:32 pm 48. Bill Bradley:

The national security stuff in the forum was inane.

>Barbara :
Well contrast the substance of this “debate” whith this chilling (edited) analysis Of the PAKISTAN crisis that just surfaced:

Jul 23, 2007 - 10:34 pm 49. Bill Bradley:

The thing is, these events are essentially boring. And hence not interesting a large audience.

>Barbara :
we may not have a real debate…in the classic format …I think we should be prepared for that…I am not clear that most Americans really care…every one of these events so far has the feel of a game show format and/or Winfrey confessional ….this format is opiate of America…I can’t explain it exactly but I find the trivial format …the fact that they did it …that a David Gergen calls it “fresh” very unnerving…it’s like when Bill Clinton was asked about his underwear…I mean, I laughed that moment also… but at the same time thought that is not appropriate for this OFFICE…I had the same feeling tonight…I meant really ..do we want Mr. Snowman asking future Presidents questions…what has happened to the perception of the Office of the President, Journalism excellence…public expectations…?
Jul 23, 2007 08:48 PM

Jul 23, 2007 - 10:36 pm 50. Barbara:

it feels more problematic than that …all I know is its getting harder and harder to have intelligent thoughtful discussions in this country and I don’t care for that one bit…

Jul 23, 2007 - 11:07 pm 51. Hap Hazard:

I am hoping that the candidates, when we get past the primaries and caucuses, have no debates. They have long outlived their usefulness in my opinion. The debate format sucks, and the candidates never really “debate” one another, just stay on their message and deliver soundbites. I haven’t watched a single one of these early primary debates, and don’t feel that I have missed anything.

As for polling, I found this Gallup matchup, which appears to contradict the state of affairs that was in place just days ago…

In both trial heats with Giuliani named as the Republican nominee, Giuliani receives 49% of the vote of registered voters nationwide. Running against Giuliani, Clinton receives 46% of the vote while Obama receives 45%.

Jul 24, 2007 - 7:36 am 52. Bill Bradley:

So you don’t want real debates, either? Hard to believe, actually.

Jul 24, 2007 - 8:18 am 53. Bill Bradley:

That poll, incidentally, was just released, but I believe it was conducted before the other two.

Jul 24, 2007 - 9:21 am 54. NickM:

I think one of those “man law” commercials with Burt Reynolds laid down the rule that coral is a sea creature that is part of reefs, not a color.

Constructing a Presidential campaign debate around YouTube is a bad sign IMO. In the effort to make a Presidential campaign seem hip and relevant, they are belittling the office and the people seeking it.

How long before we have a snowman or a dog puppet asking candidates about their underwear on what is supposed to be serious television? Or worse, candidates making intentionally stupid family videos (imagine Mitt Romney putting the dog carrier on top of the car and filiming it) as campaign promotional pieces?

Jul 24, 2007 - 11:49 am 55. Bill Bradley:

Too bad you’re not discussing what a man was wearing, right, Nick?
“Man law!”

>NickM :
I think one of those “man law” commercials with Burt Reynolds laid down the rule that coral is a sea creature that is part of reefs, not a color.

Jul 24, 2007 - 12:17 pm 56. NickM:

Bill - that man law does not apply if Kucinich shows up in a suit made entirely of hemp. Nor does it apply if Gravel shows up in a leisure suit or Nehru jacket.

Nick

Too bad you’re not discussing what a man was wearing, right, Nick?
“Man law!”

Jul 24, 2007 - 1:00 pm 57. Bill Bradley:

I see.

Jul 24, 2007 - 6:30 pm 58. Bill Bradley:

Incidentally, NWN passed 35,000 comments sometime last week.

Jul 26, 2007 - 2:50 pm

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