Hm, what did I miss?
Looks like Obama kept up his streak. He swept the Potomac Primary of Va., Md., and D.C., along with Maine. Hawaii and Wisc. are coming up on Tues., and in the latter at least Obama's recently taken the lead. (How come nobody's polling in Hawaii?) He's enjoyed a run of new high-profile endorsements (BREAKING: not Gore's yet!). He's looking ahead at highly advantageous territory right up through March 4, and could possibly end up sweeping 10 states in a row. He's already ahead in delegates. Clinton's got everything riding on her Ohio/Texas firewall; until that she's praying for superdelegate patience.
Speaking of Obama, he went after McCain on climate change, and he did so specifically on the basis of supporting 100 percent permit auctions. That's a somewhat subtle marker to those who don't know much about the issue, and it's going to take time to massage it into the body media. It is fantastic that Obama's getting started.
Speaking of McCain, he said he hadn't seen Obama's climate plan (clearly an issue he cares deeply about) and continued to deny that his cap-and-trade program included a mandatory cap. He could be lying or he could be confused about the policy; it's hard to think of what the third option might be.
Speaking of McCain some more, he got the endorsement and delegates of Mitt Romney, who left the race because he "simply cannot let my campaign be a part of aiding a surrender to terror." Opposing John McCain: the New Terrorism.
And finally, a longtime Congressional Blue Dog Dem, machine pol, corrupt hack, and dirty energy ally named Al Wynn (Md.) was beaten in a primary by an outspoken progressive by the name of Donna Edwards. The margin of victory was enormous and the message fairly clear -- this is not an ordinary year. Corporate suck-upitude isn't going to cut it.
Some non-political stuff probably happened too.
Meanwhile, you're no doubt wondering about my vacation! For those three of you (hi mom), read on.
I was up in a condo on Mt. Hood for four days -- it was buried under about 15 feet of snow, and the machines were digging the complex out as we arrived.
The first day we spent on Timberline, which is a fairly small mountain with mostly green and blue runs. It's mainly notable for housing the lodge that posed for the outdoor shots in the movie The Shining. There hadn't been any new snow in a few days, but it was warm, slushy, and forgiving.
The next three days we hit Meadows, a far superior and larger mountain with a greater variety of terrain. (I'd put it in the top five hills I've ever ridden.) We had one day of spring conditions, one day of new powder (mixed with lots of hidden, treacherous ice), and another day of soft, groomed powder. It could not have been more satisfying.
For the last four or five seasons, life has been keeping me from boarding; I've been out, generally, two or three times a year. Each time I try to make the most of it and head straight for the bowls and trees, hunting powder. Consequently, it's been a long time since I just cruised down open or groomed runs. This week I spent a lot more time doing that, carving big wide turns, catching air, and hauling ass like I haven't since the late '90s. Christ on a popsicle stick it was awesome.
I had intended to get a couple days work done, but I kept getting pulled to the hill by the awesomeness. And then there were the beers afterwards, and the hot tub, and the huge homemade meals, and the whiskey ... I just couldn't quite bring myself to crack the laptop.
I suppose over this next week I'll stop dreaming about picking lines and start dreaming about the primaries again. Sigh.
(You like my burly board?)
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Comments
View as Flat
pazapparel Posted 3:48 pm
17 Feb 2008
It's absolutely terrific that a woman and an African American are in the running for the highest office in our land but really folks if the country wants real change and I mean REAL change wouldn't it makes sense to opt for a fresh female perspective?
Melinda
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Jay Alt Posted 5:14 pm
17 Feb 2008
http://www.ontheissues.org/House/Albert_Wynn.htm#Energy_+ ...
I am curious why it is deficient -
Yes - to implement Kyoto protocol
Yes - to continue ban on drilling in ANWR
No - on schedules and on permitting of refineries
Yes - to remove oil and gas subsidies
etc, etc, etc,
90% rating from LCVoters
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amazingdrx Posted 6:05 pm
17 Feb 2008
What I sense behind Barack's very effective messaging is lobbyist friendly positions. on energy policy and healthcare.
http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog
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caniscandida Posted 8:03 pm
17 Feb 2008
Lovely to have you back, DR, after your Saint Valentine's Day romp. Hot-tubbing strikes me as a rather over-rated form of West coast hedonism, but whatever. Whiskey at least is universal and timeless.
(Actually, the choice of hot-tub-side drink matters a great deal. Many years ago, when I was a guest at a hot tub in Marin, the Beverage of the Hour was Armagnac. I do not think that would be my order today, but back then it hit the spot.)
As for "Christ on a popsicle stick," that is a Eucharistic idea that I doubt would be of much interest to the Bishop of Rome; but it should not surprise us if the Archbishop of Canterbury were to find it very interesting indeed. It promises to add yet another bold application of that profound ecclesiological dictum, "Many are cold, but few are frozen."
By the way, you write:
<<
I was up in a condo on Mt. Hood for four days .... The first day we spent on Timberline .... The next three days we hit Meadows ....
>>
Does that mean that a fair amount of driving was taking place? There is nothing wrong with that, necessarily, of course, but there are a few who might prefer to park the car at the beginning of a mountain holiday, then to forget it for the duration.
Any wildlife sightings worth mentioning?
On politics: Our understanding of the Potomac Primaries was indeed all the shallower for the temporary silence of your voice.
Obama is growing on me -- and, on the other side, Hillary has begun a new disgusting chapter by seeming to insist that the Florida and Michigan delegates be counted, totally against any consideration of fairness -- , so I am not displeased by Obama's momentum.
On the other hand, many of Obama's supporters are sadly carrying on with their narrative of obnoxious superiority.
In yesterday's Sunday New York Times, at the top of the Week in Review section, Kate Zernike writes very nicely on the subject of the "cult of personality," with regard to Obama:
<<
Today that term is all around Barack Obama -- perhaps because there seems so little other way to explain how a first-term senator has managed to dazzle his way to front-runner in the race for the presidency, how he walks on water for so many supporters, and how the mere suggestion that he is, say, mortal, risks vehement objection, or at least exposing the skeptic as deeply uncool.
>>
See this, for the whole shpeel:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/17/weekinreview/17zernike. ....
Then, on the back page, see Dave Eggers' semi-facetious, semi-suicidal lament, "Losing to Idaho," on the way-deep uncoolness of his own California, usually at the leading edge of everything cool, actually going for Hillary on Super Tuesday, and so falling behind such dismal places, progressive-wise, as Idaho, Nebraska and Delaware.
He tries to find consolation, at last, by thinking that his people up by the Bay were as cool and progressive and cutting-edge as ever, voting for Obama; but that the total California vote was weighed down by those unspeakable characters down in LA County.
Chickens are our cousins! So are fish! So are other sentient animals! Let us learn to be kind.
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caniscandida Posted 10:14 pm
17 Feb 2008
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/02/17/charles-barkley- ...
It is always the right time to express disgust for Republicans, conservatives, and, especially, conservative Christians.
It is good to stand up for women's reproductive rights.
It is heroic, within the African-American community especially but really in homophobic America generally, to stand up for same-sex marriage.
And, as a kind of lagniappe, it is pleasant to endorse Barack Obama.
Chickens are our cousins! So are fish! So are other sentient animals! Let us learn to be kind.
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amazingdrx Posted 1:18 am
18 Feb 2008
I guess it is time to start getting used to a Barack run. I still don't trust cool trends much.
I sure was looking forward to first gentleman Bill making dimbulb limboobs keel over in their tracks daily. Oh well.
I knew/know Wisconsin is going to go for Barack. The one time our primary vote counts. Please Barack, no "faithbased initiatives", that would be too raygun revolutionary.
http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog
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GreenMom Posted 5:14 am
18 Feb 2008
FWIW, the kids are all for Obama. Too bad pre-teens can't vote.
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bookerly Posted 11:42 am
19 Feb 2008
I didn't see the youtube clip, but don't forget he also endorsed gay marriage. His endorsement may be worth ten times as much as Al Gores, since he speaks to a different audience.
patrick in Beijing
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