I’d argue that nearly all politicians do the following, which is nothing more than organize their messaging so they get on the same page, but only Dems would figure out a way to get caught doing it. From NY Times: Moments before a conference call with reporters was scheduled to get underway on Tuesday morning, [...]

At least that’s what Haley Barbour is saying about her appearance at Rep. Steve King’s conference…and after watching this video I tend to agree. She really knows how to rile up a conservative crowd. Lots of good old fashiony call and response speechifying. So big deal, right? Well, when it comes to the caucuses in [...]

You have got be kidding me. And yet…no. No, Obama hasn’t shown anybody his birth certificate… And how about this whopper… Show me a picture. I’ve seen 14-year-old, I’ve seen 13-year-old. I haven’t seen early pictures. Yeah, those don’t exist… Nobody can find them… Where are they?!?!?!? He’s a fake! Donald…you’re fired.

I agree with the strikes on Libya because they’ll pave the way for a no-fly zone…and that will cut down on Gaddafi’s ability to do a lot of damage quickly. And I would agree with air strikes on Sudan who are doing awful things. Let’s remember, many Dems were for hitting Afghanistan hard in 2001 [...]

I have a new book that came out a few weeks ago on presidential leadership, aptly titled “Presidential Leadership: 15 Decisions that Changed the Nation.  I’m claiming that as my excuse for not blogging much on this site since the 2008 election. I mention it because the final two chapters of the book are Reagan [...]

For MW, Kranky, myself and for America: Here’s the deal: I’m no good at Photoshop and I’m colorblind. If someone can make these more presentable we can post them here and link to them whenever the opportunity presents itself. Have a great weekend!

Ladies and gentleman…the new Ross Perot? Only with better hair, more charisma and worldwide fame? ABC has the scoop… Real estate mogul and reality show star Donald Trump is mulling a presidential bid and says he’d be willing to spend $600 million of his own money to make it happen. “I have much more than [...]

Sorry the open thread is late. I was down in Maryland for the weekend. We did a 40 mile ride on the eastern shore. It was nice weather, flat roads and lots of fun – save for the last 15 miles riding directly into a strong headwind off the bay. Hope everyone had a great [...]

Fantastic news from Arizona. From ABC: Doctors at TIRR Memorial Hermann Rehabilitation Hospital in Houston provided more information on the Arizona congresswoman who was critically injured during an alleged assassination attempt Jan. 8 at a news conference this morning. Giffords’ breathing tube will be removed next week and her ability to walk with assistance has [...]

Charlie Cook runs the numbers and sees the tide turning against the “less government” crowd. From National Journal: Why is this important? Because independent voters are the ones who matter most in American politics. More than 90 percent of Democratic voters can be expected to vote Democratic, just as more than 90 percent of Republicans [...]

One of the most fair, evenhanded journalists in the game has passed today. Among his many accomplishments… In 1973, Mr. Broder and The Post each won Pulitzers for coverage of the Watergate scandal that led to President Richard M. Nixon’s resignation. Mr. Broder’s citation was for explaining the importance of the Watergate fallout in a [...]

I can’t get too worked up about this latest episode of Jackass Journalism* – the art of pranking political opposition in the hope of getting politically stupid and embarrassing quotes on tape, with extra points for reinforcing your teams worst stereotypes of the other team.

As Kathy Kattenburg of Moderate Voice said earlier, this transcends politics. Here’s the info… She is a University of Washington undergrad and she has been missing since Saturday afternoon, when she left the Rainier Beach neighborhood headed to the UW Seattle campus. Her parents have been trying to reach her all weekend; she apparently never [...]

You can find more at David Donar’s site Political Graffiti.

For anyone interested in doing a deep dive into the state of the financial budget crisis facing the United States, you cannot do better than Mary Meeker’s recently released report “USA Inc.” Published under the auspices of venture capitalist Kleiner Perkins, it is detailed and comprehensive, yet clear, understandable and served up in digestible bites. It is well worth the time and effort.

It’s been a very busy week at work (thank God). I feel especially lucky in this economy to have the option to diet. I found out this week that my resting heart rate is 42 beats per minute. Turns out that’s a pretty good indicator of your physical fitness. 42 falls in the “excellent” category [...]