There are PR lessons everywhere

This is the first, Don't Lie. Stunning report from the UK.

Footage of Bhutto's death
Last Modified: 30 Dec 2007
By: Jonathan Rugman
Channel 4 News has exclusively obtained dramatic new footage which shows in clear detail the moment of Benazir Bhutto's death.

Three bullets are heard being fired before a suicide bomber then detonates his device.


A firearms expert has told this programme that the video shows what appears to be a concussion strike, the possible moment of impact when a bullet struck the former Pakistani prime minister.


It contradicts the official Pakistani government account that Mrs Bhutto died from hitting her head on the sun roof as she ducked into the car.

Please note, any use of this footage must acknowledge Channel 4 News

Done. Its pretty compelling and graphic. Check it out here.

This may shock you

but Im a Republican. Thats right, I said it. Or, I should be a Republican.

Well, to be accurate, Im a fierce Independent who most closely identifies with the most far right fringes of CLASSIC Republicanism, NOT its demon step-child this most recent awakening has produced.

I mean the classic, as Thomas Paine said, 'that government is best which governs least' type. Mostly because I have tremendous faith in people, especially in the information age. However, somewhere along the way, big business took over. 

"What's good for GM is good for America" is exactly wrong, in every way. Government should be involved only in enforcing fair practices in trade, both foreign and domestic. The market will work most efficiently when government backs off trying to help business. 

BUT (and here is where we part company), it must not advocate for any side other than the American citizen, ever. 

Every time I hear a representative of the government refer to Americans as 'consumers', it says that their priorities are not straight. Government does not act on behalf of business to regulate the consumers. Government regulates business, when necessary, on behalf of the American people. 

Businesses do not have a right to free speech. Or foreign policy. Or domestic policy.

Once freed from that burden, they are free to adapt to the needs of the American people, instead of adapting us.

All of this presupposes that this current 2 party system is the right system, which I reject. Why do we think competition is best everywhere except in our politics? Aren't the parties just businesses? When did independence become a bad thing to the right? 

Now I know what you're thinking, that government shouldn't be in the business of providing services as well. I would prefer that the federal government took an active managerial role to public issues with the states taking the lead. The right answers are not always uniform nationwide, but rather regional. The federal government should play more of an honest broker role and banker, of course.

As a nation, we have established certain priorities that we collectively wish the federal government to also administer like education, emergency services, national parks and monuments and historical preservation. One of the services I feel strongly about, though, is healthcare right along with the federal judiciary. For the current brand of right wing Republican, states rights is code for bigotry. For this reason a strong federal judiciary is needed, with tough laws to protect all Americans from any discrimination.  

Healthcare is a humanitarian priority that we owe to every American. I think that no American wishes to see another suffer and would even support preventative care. More on this coming.

Our balance is off as a nation and this election is really going to be important. I think we are better than how we have been focused grouped. On Sep 12, 2001 we were all Americans. We can be again.

How long...

before the death of Benazir Bhutto is used as an argument for keeping troops in Iraq longer?

Yes, there's a PR analysis here, too. Interestingly, no one has taken credit for killing Mrs. Bhutto. Seems to me al-Qaeda would. She was western educated and, well, a woman.

Since the responsibility for this will likely rip this (dangerously unstable, deeply divided, Machiavellian and, of course, nuclear) country apart with retaliation against the murderers and their supporters, whom does this silence implicate? I think the President tells us:

"The United States strongly condemns this cowardly act by murderous extremists [NOT terrorists] who are trying to undermine Pakistan's democracy,"

And when would the President pass up a chance to blame terrorists?

In the US, who does this benefit? Two thoughts:
Chaos = Fear
Fear = Republicans

But, follow me here, Hillary refused to say she would pull all troops out of Iraq or a timeline for it. That seems prescient right now. After all, we broke it. We bought it. We have to put it back together again.

Freedom is on the march indeed.

I write about politics a lot, obviously. But today I have to ask myself, who among the field loves this country, its traditions and its potential enough to put their life on the line in a very real way?

Benazir Bhutto
1953 - 2007
Mother of 3
Oxford and Harvard educated

We have spent over $5 billion to Pakistan since 2001. While the 6th most populace country, this is barely a country at all. 1/4 of it is ungovernable by the federal government. In fact, the name of the country is an acronym for the 5 distinct regions bundled together.

In her own words right after the attempt on her life upon returning to Pakistan in October:

It has now been more than two weeks since the horrific assassination attempt against me and the police have still not filed my complaint. They filed their own report without taking statements from eyewitnesses on the truck targeted for the terrorist attack which resulted in the death of more than 158 of my supporters and security guards.

Soon thereafter, I was asked by authorities not to travel in cars with tinted windows -- which protected me from identification by terrorists -- or travel with privately armed guards.

I began to feel the net was being tightened around me when police security outside my home in Karachi was reduced, even as I was told that other assassination plots were in the offing.

Read the rest of her comments and see if there is any question who was involved in heinous act.

Shocking. Sad. Scary.

Indira Ghandi
Shot 31 times by 2 of her Sikh bodyguards.

Anwar Sadat
Shot on a reviewing stand. When he saw the shooters come, he stood. His grave reads "He lived for peace. He died for freedom."

The Bucket List

I had to take time to write about this film. I didn't want my knee jerk anti-Jack / pro-Rob Reiner feelings color me. Well, first, I saw The Bucket List as a counter to Elah. Something lighter since Reiner said he wanted to really go for the comedy in this and not the sentimentality - and that's tough.

It short, it was a fun 97mins that could have been longer or shorter and better. It was entertaining, but like a really good HBO movie and not Grumpy Old Men like at all. Gorgeous to look at on the digital screens at the new Arclight in Sherman Oaks, but even the vistas were short changed. I found myself wondering how much of where they were was real, because it always was incidental to the conversation.

Morgan Freeman is, of course, the voice of God. Rob Reiner over used his voice overs too much in this. Way too much. Like it becomes confusing to the timeline (is he the narrator or is that the VO of what he is reading).

Light and entertaining, just confused and short changed. Seemed like a movie the studio couldn't say no to with that cast and crew, but didn't know what to do with, so they went safe.

When to comment

Interesting situation brewing that shows the racism present in the celebrity gossip world. From the AP:

In a story published Saturday in the Daily Record, Smith was quoted saying: "Even Hitler didn't wake up going, 'let me do the most evil thing I can do today.' I think he woke up in the morning and using a twisted, backwards logic, he set out to do what he thought was 'good.'"
The quote was preceded by the writer's observation: "Remarkably, Will believes everyone is basically good."

Clearly, the authors interpretation and the stars words are being twisted to create controversy where none exists. Slow news over the holidays, I guess and the celebrity news monster needs to be fed 24/7. Unfortunately, Mr Smith makes the classic mistake by extending the life of the story by feeding into it.

Unless you misspoke, say nothing else. This is a classic self-feeding controversy. There's another whole side to this particular story. I spoke with an insider at one of the major tabloids who confirmed that with very few exceptions, Kanye West was right, celebrity reporting does not care about black people. Its a disgusting fact. 

Don't believe me? The B2K controversy is going away pretty quickly. Admit it, you didnt even know there was a controversy.

In the Valley of Elah

In anticipation of the awards season starting, I decided to see one film each day this week to prepare.

In the Valley of Elah.

Wow, did I pick the wrong one for Christmas. But am I glad I did.

Totally amazing cast and direction. If Lions for Lambs was a lecture, this unfolded like an experience, with the taste of a crime drama. Its politics you don't have to fear!

I expected a very different film with lots of preachy Susan Sarandon dialogue. She is hardly in the film. Its as subtle, broad, insightful, focused and important as Crash. Interestingly, Paul Haggis posted the screenplay online at the official movie site - thats it.

Talk about letting your work speak for itself!

Ever wonder why WWII/Korea/Vietnam/IraqI vets were sullen and unemotional, but given to outbursts of rage (like your dad and/or his dad)? Its the defining characteristic of American men from 1945 on and sort of the underlying theme of every family drama of the 1960's on. The average age in WWII of inductees was 27. They had a clear sense of purpose against an aggressor with clear rules of engagement and a nation supporting them 100%.

Now consider that we have 200,000+ 19yos cycling through Iraq (with an equal number of private contractors, some of whom were unfit for the military). Recruitment problems have caused the US armed forces to lower their standards dramatically. When in Iraq, adrenaline flowing 24/7 or you're dead. Rules of engagement are kill everything because anything can be the enemy.

When they come back to base, we drop them into communities ringed by fast food, titty bars and pay day advance.

Forget about the politics of the war. We have 200,000 time bombs for whom we need to do a better job of caring.

Blackwater can only employ so many of them.

And that's just on our side. The Pentagon doesn't even keep statistics for Iraqi dead or wounded. As if the natural rate of beheadings and explosions would color their stats. But unofficial estimate range from 50k to over 600,000 with 2 million refugees. You know how we tell everyone about our problems with Sprint and plot their downfall?

Sprint never indiscriminately killed my entire family over a billing error.

I'll just leave you with this thought. We decry video games when one kid shoots up his school.

We Want It.

happy christmas (WAR IS OVER)

(for full effect, go full screen and imagine that this was written 30 years ago about a different war by a man that was gunned down on the street and is remembered in a peace park. then ask yourself, what are you doing for peace?)

At least he's honest...

about his intent to lie and mislead. From today's NYTimes article about Rudy's doctors clearing up his mystery headaches:

Asked if he would disclose all his health records after Christmas, Mr. Giuliani said, “He’s going to put out everything that’s appropriate to show that I’m in good health.”

Nice. No need for the facts. Facts are partisan, as we all know. Just some nice managed truth.

But did he just say his staff lied?

Speaking to reporters after holding a town-hall-style meeting here, Mr. Giuliani said that he had had a bad headache, and that he did not know why his campaign told reporters that he had “flulike symptoms.”

“You’re going to have to ask them,” he said, when asked about their statement.

Is this what we can expect from a Rudy admin? Don't they speak for you? Haven't we had enough of this type of parsed language? Where does that buck stop again?

Oh, thats right, Rudy took every last buck he could.

pa rum pum pum pum

David Bowies voice voice is just amazing here. He once wrote to me in an email that he thought that children's songs were not really for the children, but rather a re-imaginging of childhood by the adults.

Indeed.

Better (sniffle), thanks for asking...

Looks like Rudy might be setting the stage (see: Between the Lines #1). The NYTimes reports:

Rudolph W. Giuliani scaled back his weekend schedule in New Hampshire on Friday as he recovered from the illness that led him to be hospitalized overnight this week for what his aides called “flulike symptoms.”
His campaign lightened Mr. Giuliani’s weekend schedule by canceling some of the events it had planned for him in New Hampshire.

Still, the campaign declined to say precisely what the symptoms were, which tests were performed at a hospital in St. Louis, or what doctors believe caused the symptoms. Mr. Giuliani ended his race for the United States Senate in 2000 after receiving a diagnosis of prostate cancer.

He never quit Giuliani Partners and refuses to make the client list public. He gave paid speeches instead of sitting on the 9/11 Commission. Then there's Judy and the puppies.


Clearly trying to suck the youth out of small children didn't do the trick. Watch this space.

Good for me. Bad for politicians and Britney.

So excited to read that The Daily Show and Colbert will return along with Leno, Letterman, et al in January.

GOOD PR FOR THE WRITERS.

The writers union has made interim deals with certain production companies that allow them to produce new episodes of their talk shows and some awards shows, even though the strike continues. It is very smart to give the waiver for the Oscars (but not Globes), late shows and Colbert/Stewart, from a PR perspective, to keep the public on their side. Won't hurt that many of these personalities fronting these shows are guild members who will keep the strike in the publics mind, or sympathetic to the guild.

From a purely pragmatic standpoint, those audiences and timeslots don't really avail themselves to replacement programming for very long before the audience looks elsewhere. And lots of young men watch those shows, the most highly coveted of all the audience by advertisers. If they replace Colbert/Daily Show in their routine, they may not come back - EVER.

People keep asking me HOW they can do that. I know the production companies are the key. Lettermans company, Worldwide Pants, produces his show and Craig Ferguson, for instance. So they were able to make an interim deal. Technically, anyone can make an interim deal with the union. But the writers are very carefully choosing them.

Networks and studios production companies arent going to be granted that same interim deals, for negotiation leverage - which is interesting because the late night shows are cash cows for the networks.

The next question is, Should a guest cross the picket line and appear?

Right now, my answer is going to be based on how the hosts handle the tone of the show upon returning. Like after 9/11, the hosts will have to make it ok to be there - or not. See who else is confirmed. Pencil yourself in, but don't confirm until after the first monologue.

UPDATE: The shows are returning without writers, which is a big risk for the hosts (hate to see how much of their banter and spontaneous reactions are pre-scripted), which makes them long interview shows, which is potentially good for the guests. More time to talk and plug and the picket lines issue should be settled.

Interesting to note that Letterman may make a deal with the writers to have them come back. His production company is uniquely situated to do so.

Between the Lines

One of the things TRCB hopes to do is read between the lines for the real stories. I have been talking to friends about this one for a few days, then Rudy helped move my theory along.

Rudy Giuliani will drop out of the race sighting health issues before he can be branded a loser.

Why? He makes too much money from being perceived as a dragon slayer (see: I wasn’t fired, or the Henry defense, as it will come to be known). Under a Dem admin, he can expect nothing in the way of government contracts. He will have no real influence with which to lobby the admin, especially if he spends a year calling them names.

Back story
Things could be worse under a Republican admin for him. He plays hard and for keeps. Willard Romney and the Rev. Gov. Huckabee arent going to be forgiving. And, John McCain? Well, prepare yourself, Rudy, for the mother of all cranky old men yelling "Get off my lawn" when it's the White House grounds.

The tough guy of 9/11 turned his plane back over flu-like symptoms? Reporters traveling with him reported no coughing, sneezing or signs of, shall we say, gastro-intestinal trouble. His firewall states are in trouble. His reputation is in tatters.

Use the Henry defense and play the health card.

So why do I think this? Here's where TRCBs PR background comes in. This is the WORST possible way to deal with illness on the campaign trail. You have had life threatening cancer, you do what Cheney did - full disclosure. First rule of crisis PR? Control the story. So why be mysterious and let the public think your candidate could be sick?

Their version seems to be leading somewhere... OUT (but not until after he loses SC and FLA, which can be blamed on a shortened schedule to accommodate this mystery illness). Don't expect to hear that excuse right away, though. Only during the rehabilitation/historical revisionist phase.

But if Willard keeps getting caught in his offensive lies on a daily basis and the Rev. Gov. Huckabee flames out when people think, 'do I want someone who doesn't believe in evolution to be President of the United States?' - it could turn around, but I don't think so.

America's Mayor. Person of the Year. Knight of the British Empire. Loser in a primary?
I don't see it happening.

Drive-By PR (An occasional feature of unsolicited advice)

In response to questions about what happens next:
Jaime Lynn has to leave the show. Nick wont let her be a pregnant 16yo on air. There are certainly morals clauses in her talent contract that allow Nick an easy out. But the network has to appear to be 100% behind the talent (it has ramifications for other talent), but also fear any backlash, Christian boycotts and bad press.

Besides, it's always better to quit, than be fired.

Ask my last, first date. The Henry defense we will call it for now.

My advice? Take the million and go home. Have the baby. Name it Christian or Grace, not Apple or Tallulah. Stay home, dont get married and raise your kid for 2 years. Then do a nice People cover. Cry to Barbara Walters and TRIUMPH OVER ADVERSITY (we love that).

Then go all girl power. Be a strong mom. Yell at the paparazzi because you fear for your child (see Julia Roberts). Protective moms get away with anything and will make you a survivor (without any of those pesky addiction issues). Then the gays will love you.

And we run everything.

Defending Lynne Spears

Im so tired of people striking out at Lynne Spears for doing an interview with a tabloid about Jaime Lynn's pregnancy. First rule of crisis PR is get out in front of the story and tell it yourself. And since Jaime Lynn will most likely be fired from Nickelodeon and her future career opportunities just became significantly limited. I am reminded of Monica Lewinsky who said that she knew right away that she would never have a normal life, so she was going to have exploit her earning potential fully while she could. After all, the negative ramifications would never go away (jokes, photographers, gossip, security risks), but her chance to cash in would.

Considering the circus that has grown up around Britney and Jaime Lynn has, in turn, grown up around it, it is the height of hypocrisy for Tom ONeill from US Weekly on Countdown and Bonnie "The Devil" Fuller in HuffPo decrying the outrage, then profiting from it.

Disgusting.

You Tube Causes Vigilantism

Who says the Intertubes cause lethargy in kids? Interesting side effect to UGC phenomenon:

YouTube peer pressure made clerk resist robber
The Associated Press
ELMWOOD PARK, N.J. -- When a thief started taking cash from his register on the weekend, Dunkin' Donuts employee Dustin Hoffmann fought back by clobbering the man with a ceramic mug.

But Hoffmann admits he was less worried about the stolen cash than how he might look on the video-sharing site YouTube.

"What was going through my mind at that point was that the security tape is either going to show me run away and hide in the office or whack this guy in the head, so I just grabbed the cup and clocked the guy pretty hard,'' Hoffmann told The Record of Bergen County.

"There are only a few videos like that on YouTube now, so mine's going to be the best,'' he said. "That'll teach this guy.''

That sound you hear...

Is the sound of public opinion turning against Britney.

From a friend:
16-Year-Old Jamie Lynn Spears Is Pregnant
Posted Dec 18th 2007 7:17PM by TMZ Staff
Jamie Lynn Spears, 16, has confirmed to OK! Magazine that she is pregnant. Oh. My. God.
A source tells us the interview, which hits stands tomorrow, is six pages and is on the record with Jamie Lynn and her mother. She tells the mag that the father is Casey Aldridge, who she has been dating for some time and first met at church. Brit's younger sister, star of Nick's "Zoey 101," says she's keeping the baby.
Sources tell us that she has not yet told her older sister. Well, she knows now.
UPDATE: Nickelodeon issued the following statement this afternoon: "We respect Jamie Lynn's decision to take responsibility in this sensitive and personal situation. We know this is a very difficult time for her and her family, and our primary concern right now is for Jamie Lynn's well being."

So much for Britneys impending miscarriage (though it could still 'happen' as a sympathy ploy). Stay tuned. Or, go live your life. I'll stay tuned. Do you really care?

Im afraid the biggest loser in this whole issue might be Lynne Spears, a sweet, devoted and GOOD mother. She keeps getting grouped with Dina Lohan and Kathy Hilton. Jane Carter is the actual 3 leg of that stool. Lynne Spears and Lynn Harless (Justin's mother) were the two most engaged 'stage' moms I have ever seen. Together they helped raise many of those kids from Mickey Mouse and NSync.

I remember having plans with Lynn Harless one night. She called to cancel and told me it was because, "Justin sounded like he was getting a little too big for his britches. I need to go out on the road and remind him who he is."

More mom, than stage.

Year End Charts

Excellent year-end review from Billboard here and the full charts for 07 here.

Pop
The Billboard 200
#1 Daughtry
Daughtry

The Billboard Hot 100
#1 Irreplaceable
Beyonce

Adult Top 40
Hot Adult Top 40 Songs
#1 Maroon 5
Makes Me Wonder

Hot Latin Songs
#1 Mi Corazoncito
Aventura

Hot Dance Club Play Singles
#1 I Need Someone
Ralph Falcon

Hot Dance Singles Sales
#1 Every Day Is Exactly The Same
Nine Inch Nails

Main Stream Rock
#1 Papa Roach
Forever

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
#1 Lost Without U
Robin Thicke

Top Rap Album
#1 Kingdom Come
Jay-Z

Hot Rap Singles
#1 Make Me Better
Fabolous Featuring Ne-Yo

Truth about Travolta

Because you have to parse the corporate angle out of everything Page 6 says, the real story isn't that Travolta was dumped from the film, I am told that this is a by-product of when the studio decided to go in a comedy/parody direction.

John Travolta Booted From "Dallas" Film
NY Post | Page Six | December 17, 2007 07:38 AM
John Travolta has been dropped from the "Dallas" movie after being promoted as the project's anchor for more than two years. Insiders tell Page Six that Travolta, who was just nominated for a Golden Globe for donning a fat suit for his drag role in "Hairspray," was "let go about two weeks ago. He had the role of J.R. Ewing taken from him and given to Ben Stiller."

However, a rep for Stiller denies the comic actor accepted or was offered the part.

Rather than blame the film, which would come back to haunt it at release time, why not blame the actor? News of a film that tossed its lead, director and script, can kill a film before its made.

Oh, look. Dallas is being produced by 20th Century FOX (News Corp), corporate overlord to the NY Post and Page 6.

This is why Fox Business is tanking. Finance will let you fool the public with tilted 'news', but don't mess with their money by angling their financial news. Wall St don't play that.

So why do we?

Rumor MIll

BritBrit
The corporate porn/pro-wrestling tour that is the tabloid life may be about to claim its first casualty and the industry is predicting another.

A tabloid writer told me this morning that he expects a Britney miscarriage any day now. Since the story has been run by more than one of the magazines, it might have originated from an outside source. Either way, someone has to cover their tracks soon!

No fewer than 3 people involved in the media circus said to me today that the caravan of paparazzi hanging out on Mulholland is going to kill someone and soon. I drive by there most days and count up to 25 cars waiting around on one of the most treacherous residential roads I have ever traveled.

Soon. That was the word they all used.

THE Strike
Don't look for production to start up again until April at the soonest. Do look for me, wandering the streets in search of entertainment.

Or, maybe Dodd...

Certainly my hero of the day, if ever there was one.

Sam Stein
The Huffington Post
Dodd's Filibuster Threat Stalls Wiretap Bill
December 17, 2007 07:56 PM

Senator Chris Dodd won a temporary victory today after his threats of a filibuster forced Democratic leadership to push back consideration of a measure that would grant immunity to telecom companies that were complicit in warrantless surveillance.

The measure was part of a greater bill to reorganize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Earlier on Monday, the Senate, agreed to address a bill that would have overhauled FISA, authorized the monitoring of people outside the United States, given secret courts the power to approve aspects of surveillance, and granted telecom companies retroactive immunity for past cooperation.

But the threat of Dodd's filibuster, aimed primarily at the latter measure, persuaded Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-NV, to table the act until January. A compromise on the immunity will ostensibly be worked out in the interim period.

I have been watching CNN for 4-5 hours today and didn’t hear this story mentioned ONCE. Gee, Time Warner. Issue with warrantless wire tapping? Reid tried to be too clever with a trick to send both competing bills to the floor, but rules dictate that the first bill out of committee goes first on the floor, and the version without the immunity was considered a fall back, if you will.

Reid was inundated with calls and emails (all of which were, ironically, scooped up and sorted for future actions). Doesn’t that idea just work against the “If you have nothing to hide” or “We are only watching the bad guys” arguments? The act of sorting is spying. And if they are data mining, seems I write an awful lot of words that would be interesting to a data mining program. Just clearing me means I have been spied on.

See why they are so afraid? Beyond the lies and timeline problems, the financial risk is too much OF COURSE.

Not to be too much of a conspiracy theorist here after the TW comment, but Hillary could be running against GWB (and showing her experience at the same time, thus trumping Obama) by speaking out against the things he has done that she is going to change – like torture, wiretapping, Justice Dept, any of the 1100 signing statements (compared to the first Clinton dynasty’s 200 in 8 years) instead of taking their money and staying mum.

It’s called leadership, statesmanship, public service - not politics.

UPDATE

I had a thought.

Why would 76 senators support retro-active immunity for the telecoms?

First, the right.
Wired reported that there seems to be a correlation between the telecom company Qwest, the one company that did not give in to government requests, and federal contracts as far back as Feb 2001 (also reported by Stace). The admin wants to protect itself from whatever carrots and sticks were used, up to and including the Department of ‘Justice’ to get its way PRIOR to 9/11.

The White House doesn’t want to protect the telecoms, it needs it to protect itself.


The Left
Duplicity
Too many of the members of the congressional leadership were in fact briefed on many of these issues and didn’t raise concerns because, the tide was not in that direction at the time, what with terror plots in every mosque and and a couple wars to manufacture. They didn’t ask, protest or do enough at the time and its coming back to haunt them. Picture Sen Clinton’s Iraq vote fallout spread across both parties on issues that go beyond privacy and reflect the corruption.

and Power
The scandals cut right across every govt department and branch, the intelligence community, military, political fields – even the media companies that would act as a watch dog (see why they are rushing the new ownership rules? Once you’re invested in gov’t, you work to protect it).

We over-reacted and once we did, all the political weak-knees in Congress gave in, believing they wanted to be on the winning team.

I love my country. Can I have it back, please?

Alexis de Tocqueville
"Liberty has never come from the government. Liberty has always come from the subjects of government. The history of liberty is the history of resistance. The history of liberty is a history of the limitation of governmental power, not the increase of it.”

'08ing Change

I have been working on a long endorsement for the upcoming primary. Even though its in February, it will be decided long before then, I fear. The only real way to have a voice is with your money and your time. So the time to act, is now, if you havent already.

My short endorsement, therefore, is based on one thing only. It is time to change how we do politics in this country. Until there is another or a 3rd party candidate that I can work with (Gore/Bloomberg), I have decided to support Barack Obama.

His low key style may turn off a lot of people, but he wont engage. I respect that. The Republicans have been defining the issues and the agenda for too long.

Further, Hillary Clinton has shown her true side. I respect Hillary Clinton very much and would support her candidacy and presidency, fully. I love Bill Clinton. He is a national treasure. I get choked up thinking about him. But he and his wife are ruthless politicians. Just because I support their goals, I do not have to support their tactics. They play the Republican game and it has to stop.

A Hillary admin will be restoration in some ways, which I am fine with, but a new president should have their own agenda to administer and protect. She will have to defend the past Clinton administration. Or, at a minimum it is another red herring to toss into any real debate for the right. She will have to hire the striking writers to create enough one-liners to sustain us for the next 4-8 years.

She is too pro-business (for their money) and pro-telecoms, in particular (who should be broken down and their mgmt in jail). Her health plan is a sell-out.

Sen. Obama, as cliché and on message as this sounds, gives me HOPE. I want to vote FOR someone this go, and he is the only candidate I can vote for, not as a defense against another.

On the right, I have given money to Ron Paul to keep him in there, to keep talking about his issues, which I support in many ways (knowing that the compromise needed under a Pres Paul would be OK by me. His actual ideas would take generations to employ and I support the goals, if not the actions). Besides, under Pres Paul, at some point I would wake up or sober up and have to see who really won in 08.

Huckabee seems to me to be who Americans say they are in polls and the pulpit. America's Decadent Puritans, as The Economist properly called us.

Hillary is who we really are. Compassionate and passionate, if too pragmatic to the point that we have lost our way.

To be President you don't have to have all the answers. Our great presidents were inspirational leaders who knew what questions to ask - and the first consideration wasn't political.

President Obama is who I hope we become.

Back Story

People are turned off of Giuliani and Romney. Huckabee is saying things in a way that is resonating with the public. A Huckabee v Obama race would be interesting for us as a country. I would love to debate ideas like the role of religion, science, foreign policy, privacy, presidential power - instead of hate and division as Kang (Hillary) and Kodos (Giuliomney) promise (pardon the Simpsons reference).

My current bet is McCain becomes the compromise candidate (like John Kerry in Iowa in 04) in 08 for the right (compromise because of his experience over Obama and Hillary).

Romney is running to win a primary, praising Pres Bush, but voters know the primary this time, is the real race, in many ways. Giuliani is a nightmare waiting to happen. Romney IS John Kerry, with election Tourrettes. But, I still think McCain is gonna be their standard bearer.

If you think Im nuts for thinking that Huckabee is going to be a player, this is why Huckabee will beat Romney, from HuffPo:

"During an appearance on Meet the Press today, Mitt Romney took another swipe at his chief primary opponent, Mike Huckabee, calling on him to apologize to President Bush for describing the current U.S. foreign policy as "arrogant bunker mentality."

"That's an insult to the president and Mike Huckabee should apologize to the president," Romney said when read Huckabee's statement by moderator Tim Russert. "To say that the president is arrogant and has a bunker mentality, that's when he went over the line."

Huckabee responded during his Sunday appearance on CNN's Late Edition With Wolf Blitzer, accusing Romney of taking his article out of context and flip-flopping on the Iraq War troop surge." Gov Huckabee:

Well, I think he needs to read the article.It would really help if he would do that.Because if he did, he would see that there's no apology necessary to the president. I'm the one who actually supported the president's surge... So, you know, I don't have anything to apologize for. But I'm running for president of the United States.I've got to show that I do have my own mind when it comes to how this country ought to lead, not only within its own borders but across the world. And what I demonstrated in that article -- and I invite people to actually read it and not just take what my opponents say that it says, what they're going to see is that I believe America has to have the strongest possible military on the face of the planet.So strong that nobody wants to engage us in battle. But also a nation that recognizes that we do better when we are partners with the entire world standing against the threat of Islamo-fascism than when we simply say that we're going to do it our way, and if you don't want to do it our way, then we brand you as being with the other side

Trevor

Every year I enjoy attending and supporting the events of Trevor Project, a suicide prevention organization for at risk gay and lesbian teens. As a former youth counselor at a G&L center in Chicago, I saw first hand the kids that were thrown out of their houses, abused, turning tricks and living on the streets - for being gay.

Here is the original Trevor short film that won an Academy Award and spawned this amazing organization that has reached over 100,000 teens in 10 years. Some of the cuts here are unfortunate, but what a positive message.

Enjoy (and give to Trevor!!!)

Ellen Greene is a goddess.

If Little Shop of Horrors didnt confirm beyond a shadow of a doubt what an amazing singer she is, this weeks Pushing Daisies does. Has this song sounded so sincere and heart-felt? Thank you Tom Desanto for turning me onto this show from episode 1.

The More You Know

Things I learned from a random documentary tonight:

Did you know that after the 13th Dalai Lama died in Tibet, three monks were sent off to find his reincarnation. During this ling journey, they stopped and prayed at the shores of a lake and saw a vision of a monastery and house with a very particular fence. Eventually, they happened upon the exact monastery and the house, featuring that same fence. When they arrived, the young boy living there came out. He walked up to one of the monks, took his prayer beads and said, "Those belong to me." The beads had belonged to the previous Dalai Lama.

So, they give him a test and he properly identified every object that had belonged to the previous DL. All 23. He, the 14th Dalai Lama, is the one we are familiar with (thank you Richard Gere).

It was prohisized by the 8th Dalai Lama that the 14th would be the last inside Tibet.

Then the Chinese came.

In this country of 3 million people, 1 million were killed.

Of the 6000 monasteries there had been, by the 1980s, only 16 were left.