[Dedicated to Frank Rich...]

Facts, schmacks. Obama is an elitist; he can't bowl or drink beer coffee; he jumped from share-cropper in hawaii directly to pampered scion at Columbia without any intervening "middle-class" period.

So what does it matter what the polls say? This guy's got definite problems with whites, blacks, latinos, catholics, jews, muslims.

Picture-perfect day for a picnic! This "Obama Halftime Celebration" was hosted by Ben (foreground) and his wife Charlotte out near Montrose Ave. Beach. The enthusiasm and desire to do something for the Obama Campaign was pretty much on everyone's mind. It's amazing how many of the people were cross-overs, independents and even a few ex-republicans. Big-tent democracy, this is it!

Because good leaders aren't a dime-a-dozen:

...Term limits are undeniably seductive. They seem to promise relief from mediocre, self-perpetuating incumbents and from gridlocked legislatures in places like Albany. They also diminish democracy, arbitrarily deny choice, reduce accountability and squander experience.

Part of winning back our country is winning back the English language. This observation is prompted by Dean Baker pointing out yet another "end-the-entitlements-now" article.

This has been circulating the internets lately. I thought I'd update it a bit:

For slow learners or readers who scan:

"...were not substantiated by the intelligence."

"...were contradicted by available intelligence information."

"...did not reflect the concerns and uncertainties expressed in the intelligence products."

"...did not reflect the intelligence community’s uncertainties as to whether such production was ongoing.

"...was not substantiated by available intelligence information."

"The Intelligence Community did not confirm..."

You've got to be a citizen to vote in this country but interest in the success of Barack Obama goes beyond our own citizens; it goes beyond our own borders and extends to all people of good will throughout the world.

What 8 years of Republican Ascendancy have made us forget is that the vast majority of people on this planet mean us well and want us to succeed. They admire what we've accomplished and are willing even to accept our leadership provided we remember to lead by example.

Scott McClellan has been in the news of late. His comments have set off a round of criticism concerning how the Media handled the build-up to the war in Iraq. Basically the verdict is that they were spineless in their coverage and pretty much did nothing but deliver stenography for the Bush Administration (see Glenn).

I find Scott Simon, host of NPR's Weekend Saturday, something of a wet noodle.

This week Gebe Martinez from Politico.com had to set him straight when he served up the standard MSM myth about McCain's stand on Immigration:

The reason you have to go and whack a person whenever they say "Liberal Elitist" is because it's a contradiction in terms. You might as well say "Christian Atheist" or "Teetotaling Alcoholic".

The fact is, there's nothing much that a liberal stands for that makes him or her an elitist. Liberalism is all about guaranteeing the benefits of our society to each and every member in a way that emphasizes fairness and equality. To your average liberal, extremes of wealth and power are not natural phenomena but a sign of system failure.