So Long Don. See You on the Internets

Don Frederick has left the building.

He's been downsized over at the LA Times political blog, "Top of the Ticket"

Top of the ticket was one of my favorite places to read political comment starting late last winter. Don Frederick worked out of the LA Times Washington Bureau and fellow blogger Andrew Malcolm worked form an undisclosed location.

Both wrote brilliant coverage during the Democratic primary season. After the general election, they continued to lead the news with commentary, though I began to read them in terms of left and right. Don always seemed to "get it" in my view; a sure sign that he is in fact a biased news source with a left wing radical agenda...my kinda guy!

Andrew Malcom, whom I respect, once earned my wrath for publishing a totally bogus conservative hit piece on Canadian abortion policy. It was retracted by the Times and corrected on the blog, which I thanked them for.

Now the election is over and the recession has pulled up to the front door. The Times are cutting staff. Mr. Frederick has taken a buy out and is moving on. But you know, when a radio station I worked for was automated so that the air staff could be fired a friend of mine said, "You can't replace somebody with nobody." Since nobody at the newspaper could figure out how to monetize Don Frederick with ads from the strip clubs near LAX, cuts had to be made.

And so, Andrew Malcolm and Top of the Ticket - you have my best wishes. But this would seem to be the wrong year to have your political blog equal the sound of one hand clapping. In a year when the political tide has clearly turned do I want only the perspective of an establishment conservative in exile? Or do I want to know what the government is actually doing.

Good luck Don, let us know where you land.

Campaign Media Roundup

"The persons who have heard the entire sermon understand the communication perfectly," he told PBS' Bill Moyers in the interview to be broadcast on Friday.

Those who are airing the snippets "are communicating exactly what they want to do, which is to paint me as some sort of fanatic."

So - who IS Jeremiah Wright? As he points out - he's whoever you want him to be. I compared him to John Brown. Is he actually the Bogeyman?

"In the Moyers interview, a soft-spoken Wright expresses his horror that the media has made him a bogeyman, endlessly replaying sound bites of fiery sermons which he claims were taken out of context."

- from ABC News Olivia Stearns and David Wright

Hold on there ABC - He "claims" they were taken out of context? No, they ARE being taken out of context. Those words were not spoken as part of any presidential campaign. They were spoken in the heat of a sermon at a black church in Chicago - before Obama was a candidate. But they are today being applied to Obama during his presidential campaign. That is out of context. Unless you're Sean Hannity. See the difference?

Methinks ABC is still a bit prickly about the heat they took after the last debate.

Here's A great note from Don Frederick at "Top of the Ticket"

North Carolinians aren't biased; just ask 'em

A delicious dispatch from the "I'm perfect, you're not" view-of-the-universe department ...

As a prelude to North Carolina's May 6 Democratic presidential primary, state voters recently were asked about prejudices. As related by the Raleigh News & Observer, here's what the poll found:

* A whoppingly large number -- 91% -- said race would not affect their political decisions -- but 54% said they knew someone who would not cast a ballot for a black.

* A candidate's gender, 79% said, would make no difference to them -- but 63% said they knew someone who would not vote for a woman.

The survey by Elon University also looked ahead to the fall election that will feature Republican John McCain trying to become the oldest person elected to a first presidential term.

No problem, 66% said, age would not be a factor in their vote -- but 44% said they knew someone who would not support someone they viewed as "too old."

Nice to know there are so many open-minded folks in the Tar Heel State. Too bad about so many of their neighbors, though.

-- Don Frederick

...yes and if you're a cop in NY you can shoot a guy 50 times because you know he's guilty. We don't need no stinkin' assumption of innocence until proven guilty.

Also from Top of The Ticket and Andrew Malcolm -

Barack Obama to meet unconditionally with dreaded 'Fox News Sunday'!

The shifting political race has candidates jockeying for position and "pivoting"(the new favorite talking point word of this election) on issues.

With so many people interested in election news - the networks are "pivoting" to win ad dollars. So quien es mas macho? FOX or ABC?

Hey! Get'cher Program Here!

I read somewhere recently (on somebody's blog)that a good blog should be able to surprise you.

Well, now that my 8 year old has finished playing boats on the counterpane sea and has snuggled down for some ZZZZ's with his all but depleted CPA mother (it is tax season you know!) And Teenager is in bed reading a science fiction adventure, I'm free to share a surprise I found in my never ending obsession to individually will the Obama campaign to victory through prose.

I should first add that Teenager tries to take an interest in my political musings but is far more interested at present in a girl named Jennifer and playing second base on the High School baseball team. And 2nd grader is far more interested in burning things with a magnifying glass and the collection of Tom and Jerry cartoons I bought him than he is with his weekly homework packet or anything I have to say about anything. The wife is more interested in our real life than in my imagined one.

So I'm left with you to join me in this foray.

I find the LA Times "Top of the Ticket" blogs one of those must read items for political analysis these days. Don Frederick and Andrew Malcolm are always a good read.

In the blog today they linked me to wonderful piece of journalism.

This article in the National Journal by James Barnes is like picking up a program at the ball park. "Hey - You can't tell the players without a program." barks the hawker.

This is a solid reference work that told me who the players are on the Obama team.
It's a good read no matter which way you intend to cast your vote.

It also left me feeling that the top of Obama's team thus far is a bit provincial. Mostly Chicago and Harvard based. And while there are a lot of solid people (and a load of former Clinton people) on board, the campaign is going to have to be able to expand a bit to include more local/regional voices if it wants to maintain a grasp on national politics.

Now, even suggesting that Harvard could possibly be provincial would be obscene in some places...but the fact that natural disasters and farm crises, immigration issues and veterans care, jobs and water policy,school districts and real estate collapses are fundamentally local issues in every corner of the land which may not effect a Harvard Scholar...well, you get my drift.

The campaign is going to need some local wisdom in it's national plans. Or it's prone to make the kind of mistakes that turn populists into princes. If nobody knows New Orleans BEFORE the next hurricane hits...well, you know the rest. And when the President's mother helpfully suggests, "They can eat cake!" you know the dream is over.

So that's my surprising surprise. Meanwhile, I've been fighting the flu.
I'm going to bed.