A couple of years ago my friend was going on vacation in Alaska.  She pointed out her own stupidity (or lack of awareness) by jokingly telling me that she had asked "What kind of money do they use there?"  Of course, my friend realized immediately that she had made a mistake because Alaska is not a foreign country!

This morning on C-Span, the usually fair Steve Scully made the statement that Obama was in Hawaii and would soon be "back in the States."  Just now I heard Cokie Roberts say that "Obama shouldn't be vacationing in such an exotic place, that he should be in Myrtle Beach."

These types of comments are not helpful to our candidate because they further the idea that Obama is not a real American because he has chosen to vacation in some foreign place.  I hope someone else noticed this and will make a big deal of it.  It may not seem that important, but it can subliminally reinforce a meme that can damage Obama.

This diary will be short and sweet, but I just wondered how many of you watched "Washington Journal" on C-Span, especially this morning.  I always try to catch the first hour and a half, before heading off to work, and most of the time I always find myself captivated, especially if they have on a decent guest.

For weeks I have been reading about the terrible air pollution and smog in Beijing, as I am sure many of you have as well.  Some of you might have read about athletes showing up at the airport wearing official "masks" provided by a committee, and how China was so outraged.

What I never really saw was actual film footage of the smog (air pollution) in Beijing.  This morning, on C-Span's "Washington Journal", I saw actual footage.  Follow me below...

When I finally stumbled upon Washington Journal a few years ago, I was happy to have something of substance to watch/listen to while I was getting ready for work.  While there are times that I have almost no interest in what’s being discussed, I still listen for the viewers who call in.  I often learn new things or something gets me curious enough to look deeper into an issue.  This morning was no different.

Appearing earlier today on C-Span, Representative Jerrold Nadler stated that in a "just system" that was not politically charged we would have already impeached President George W Bush for war crimes.

Nadler has overseen many hearings on the administration's torture policies and has concluded that the administration acted unlawfully and committed "impeachable offenses". While this may not come as a hugely controversial finding to the KOS community, it is no doubt interesting to hear a U.S. Representative not named Dennis Kucinich making this argument on a platform like C-Span.

Watch the clip below and weigh in with your own feelings:

with letters of protest. I watch that channel (and C-Span2) as often as possible. I object to their seemingly RIGHT-LEANING programs when they are supposed to be or claim to be unbiased.

C-span is about to do a segment on FISA. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) is the scheduled guest. We can expect him to be a stone-faced apologist for this bill, but we can expect a bit of morbid entertainment as he is confronted by callers livid with his complicity in what can only be termed crimes against the constitution. They will be telling him what he is right to his face, and he's going to have to smile and take it as America looks on.

The way the segment was promoted at the top of the show was as a contentious issue, with those who value civil liberties on one side and those who value security on the other.

If there is anybody out there who happens to get a call in to the show, be sure to call them out on that fallacy. If the issue were to be simplified to two positions then it would look something like this: Those who believe in the rule of law vs. those who believe in an all powerful executive.

So, the Climate Change legislation is on the floor.  sort of.  They are debating an amendment, actually a complete rewrite, of the bill supported by Boxer (D), Liebermann (I) and Warner (R).  The vote two days ago was for cloture so the Senate could debate the bill.  Some good speeches yesterday on both sides.

Today, the Republicans have decided that they want the Clerk to read the entire amendment/substitution.  It's probably 200+ pages, being read word for word by the clerk(s).  Whenever one of the sponsors request to dispense with the reading, an R on guard objects, forcing the clerks to continue.

The Republicans are doing this delay of debate because they are objecting to how slow things are going on Judicial nominations.  We'll be able to do nothing for at least the rest of the day.  It's the equivalent of a filibuster, but without the Republicans from having to do anything themselves.  They've figured out how to make the clerk do all the work.

I am struck by the notice at the bottom of the C SPAN3 screen that there will be a program about Karl Marx on TV.

Today at 8pm (ET) on C-SPAN3
C-SPAN3 History: Karl Marx & Communism

It seems odd even to see or the name "Karl Marx" on TV. I literally can't remember the last time. Then I think how odd is that? And what does it say about the limitations placed on the world view presented to us on TV? All TV, even C SPAN?

After all, any way you slice it, Karl Marx was a pretty important person. He was at least as important as Hitler or Lincoln or Edison or Queen Elizabeth. After all he is unchallenged as the father of modern Communism. There is no question about that! The extreme Left and the extreme Right agree on very little but they all agree on that! Even his loyal sidekick Engels would give Karl the node.

   I've heard of it before when call ins all are from one perspective. On Sat. March 22, The Washington Journal portion of C-SPAN really was upsetting to my disposition. I was on the treadmill and listening as a Republican called and said he was crossing over to vote for Hillary in PA. He was bad mouthing Obama in the process. Then a Democrat for Hillary called and he/she was upset about Wright's statements. Next an independent called and Obama was bashed again. Finally an Obama supporter called and the moderator cut him off. I thought back of all previous calls and felt that most had suspiciously been pro Clinton or McCain.

Barack Obama is about to speak at the Wisconsin Democratic Party's Founders Day Dinner.  

You can view it live over at C-SPAN.  Here's the link:C-SPAN Coverage of the Wisconsin Democratic Party's Founders Day Dinner

The Governor of Wisconsin just began speaking.

Hillary Clinton already has spoken. Pretty standard fare. She got a cordial reception, but nothing outstanding, in my opinion.

I'm watching Barak Obama speak, wherever he is - C-Spam isn't telling me. But, they are telling me it is live. What a great speaker he is. And, sincerely, though I don't know what to make of the fact, I find the quality of the sound of his voice on my ears more pleasing than I do Hillary Clinton's. But I can't help but think that that is no reason to cast your vote for a candidate.

As I have said elsewhere within this blog, I do not hear any candidate, including of course both Hillary and Barak; I do no thear any candidate willing to say what the propsed solutions to the many problems they more eloquently and effectively than ever articulate, at least on Obama's and Hillary's part. I do not hear propsed solutions.

On CSPAN this fine Christmas morning an 84 year old lady from the Great State of Oklahoma in a nice little old lady voice said something like this:

"We gotta do away with welfare! If people can’t take care of themselves they got no right to live!"

Yipes!

Merry Christmas...?

...God Rest Ye Merry, Gentle Woman...

And soon!

http://greenpagan.newsvine.com

If Barack Obama is elected president and I were the governor of Illinois, I wouldn't hesitate to appoint his wife Michelle to serve out his US Senate term.  I understand that her being first lady might prevent that from happening but as I watched her give a speech on C-Span today, I was trying to watch the playoff game between Sandiego and Tennesseee but found myself spending more time viewing her speech.

Great FlickR slide show, UTube Videos, Video clips, blogging on Obama's
site
http://my.barackobama.com/...

Coverage is supposed to start at 3:05 CST. But BookTV promos are still going. We'll see.
This morning's Des Moines Register said 23,000 tickets have been given away.
I can't wait to see it.
It should be a fascinating event.

Apparently Mr. Gannon has a book to sell and is planning on making the college tour to promote it. He also had this to say when asked on C-SPAN's Book TV about the male escort scandal:

"Well, there's not much to say about that. You know it, after two and a half years, there's nothing to it. I mean there's a lot of, of rumor and Internet gossip and you know "responsible journalists" paid some attention to that in the beginning and afterwards they decided there's nothing there. So."

Video below the fold.

Voters of the Republican and Democratic Parties alike seem to view the "Audition" type debates we have been seeing on CNN/MSNBC this cycle as being a ridiculously dishonest version of what used to be known as "Debates". CNN has been attempting to give credibility to the "Audition" format by using You Tube questions tyo ask the candidates questions. One of the problems with that is that CNN get's to keep they're "Gatekeeper" status by selecting which questions are asked. Planting questions in "town hall" type settings has been done for decades, and the Conventional Wisdom Punditry has poo-poohed criticism of the practice based on equivication with the "Everybody does it" excuse. Today Voters have a chance to see something completely different, perhaps without planted questions by any of the candidates.
More below the fold...........

Now I may nave seen just about everything. Talk about telling truth to power. Bill Press, whose radio show was on C-Span this morning (and for it I offer thanks and kudos to C-Span, which network I have some serious problems with, and often feel the need to try and take to task for their formats and policies. Usually, I jokingly refer to them as C-Spam, mostly because they seem to be unwilling to think outside of there box. But that is all subject matter for some other time).

Here is Bill Press's commentary from the end of his radio show today:

The Majority Leader Steny Hoyer stood up this afternoon, and arrogantly motioned to table the resolution (H Res 333) to impeach Vice President Cheney.