Texas, You Know, I Don't Think It's Going to Work

The New Yorkers' Hendrik Hertzberg supports Gov. Rick Perry's suggestion Texas secession:

Despite Perry’s fighting words, there is no reason for the separation to be an occasion for violence. The globe is replete with two-state solutions: India and Pakistan, Ethiopia and Eritrea, Israel and Palestine. Admittedly, these may not be the best examples. A closer parallel would be Czechoslovakia, which, in 1993, split peacefully into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Like Czechs and Slovaks, Americans and Texans speak closely related languages, share a common, if not equally intense, interest in football games (though the Dallas Cowboys could no longer style themselves “America’s Team”), and enjoy each other’s cuisines. (Houston has a number of acceptable organic fusion restaurants, and there is a pretty fair barbecue place just a block from The New Yorker’s offices.) The border between the United States and the Federated States (“Confederate” being a word that remains a little too provocative) might not be as trouble-free as that between the United States and Canada, but, compared to the border with Mexico, it would probably require somewhat fewer armed citizen militias and fences topped with concertina wire to thwart illegal aliens desperate for a better life. On balance, trade relations between the U.S. and the F.S. would be advantageous to both. Cultural exchanges, tourism, and even a degree of military coöperation would be far from unthinkable.

For the old country, the benefits would be obvious. A more intimately sized Congress would briskly enact sensible gun control, universal health insurance, and ample support for the arts, the humanities, and the sciences. Although Texas itself has been a net contributor to the Treasury—it gets back ninety-four cents for each dollar it sends to Washington—nearly all the other potential F.S. states, especially the ones whose politicians complain most loudly about the federal jackboot, are on the dole. (South Carolina, for example, receives $1.35 on the dollar, as compared with Illinois’s seventy-five cents.) Republicans would have a hard time winning elections for a generation or two, but eventually a responsible opposition party would emerge, along the lines of Britain’s Conservatives, and a normal alternation in power could return.

The rest is worth reading, for many laughs. Keep in mind, many Texans do support secession. Just this weekend Gov. Perry has requested help with the swine flu.

R.I.P Bea Arthur

I watched you weekly with my mother. You brought hours of enjoyment to my life and my families.

of Montreal Cover of The Beatles "I'm So Tired"

h/t StereoGum

Moving on Up to the Eastside

High school juniors dropping out of school to play basketball overseas was inevitable, but that doesn't make it any less sad:

Jeremy Tyler, a 6-foot-11 junior, dropped out of his San Diego High School and said he would skip his senior year to play professionally in Europe, The New York Times and Yahoo! Sports reported on Wednesday.

Tyler, 17, will become the first player born in the United States to leave high school early to play professional basketball overseas. He is expected to come back in two years, when he is eligible for the NBA draft.

I hope he has a solid support group. There are college graduates who never make the adjustment from college to the pros. I can only imagine what this kid's first year in Europe will be like. Kids are growing up so fast they can't be prepared for what's to come.

Shep Smith is Mad as Hell

I love it when Shep Smith goes rogue on Fox News.
h/t sgwhiteinfla video source
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Now playing: Broken Social Scene - Da Da Da Da

A True Class Act: Andre Ward

Sports columnist Monte Poole is the best thing the Oakland Tribune has going for it.

It really is that simple.

He brings it once again with a profile of 2004 gold medal boxer and Oakland native Andre Ward.

Ward was the highlight of the '04 Summer Olympics. It turns out Ward is an even better person than he is a fighter:

Ward, however, won't compromise. He politely declines to talk trash even when provoked. And that's what Miranda is trying to do. He did it during a recent news conference and can't resist doing it whenever he finds an outlet.

A sample: "Andre Ward has never been in the ring with a fighter like me; he hasn't fought anyone talented. If there is one thing you notice about Andre's fights, he's always running."

Another sample: "Andre doesn't have the heart of a champion. He is holding onto his one achievement: the Olympic gold medal. But that is all he will ever achieve."

A third: "I feel sorry for Dan Goossen to have invested so much money in such an untalented fighter."

This is not atypical of boxers seeking attention. Whether showmanship or cheap chatter, it's designed to attract publicity and stir pre-fight promotion.

Ward responds with a shrug. If the immensely popular Manny Pacquiao doesn't need to swagger and boast, why should he?

"My kids are in this audience. My wife is here," Ward said after Miranda's verbal performance at the news conference. "So I'm going to continue to stand with integrity. And that's part of the reason I want to be an ambassador to the sport, because people expect fighters to do this.

I doubt I'll be able to make it to Ward's hometown debut May 16, but any locals should consider supporting this great boxer and great person.
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Now playing: Broken Social Scene - Almost Crimes (Acoustic)

Republicans Stuck in 1993

Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe is going to filibuster the confirmation vote of Judge David Hamilton over concerns he's not anti-Muslim while being anti-Christian. Newt Gingrich did an interview with Christianity Today, where he said more of this nonsense:

You have Obama nominating Judge Hamilton, who said in her ruling that saying the words Jesus Christ in a prayer is a sign of inappropriate behavior, but saying Allah would be OK. You'll find most Republican senators voting against a judge who is confused about whether you can say Jesus Christ in a prayer, particularly one who is pro-Muslim being able to say Allah.

Michael Tomasky, over at the Guardian, does an excellent take down on this lunacy:

So here's where the lie comes in. Hamilton did indeed rule that Jesus Christ must not be mentioned in legislative prayers. But what did he say about Allah? It practically goes without saying that the decision doesn't so much as mention Allah. So this is what his wing-nut critics are doing: They're using the fact that he proscribes mentions of Jesus but does not specifically proscribe mentions of Allah to assert that he thinks mentions of Allah would be perfectly, as it were, kosher.

Please read the rest, if you're interested in why the current GOP is a geographically isolated party.
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Take that Culture War and Shove It

Shorter version of Politico's "Obama skates while Right fumes:" 2009 is a new era and Obama's team plays the politics game really well.
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Now playing: ESPN - PTI: 4/21

4,197,371 Pink Slips

h/t Andrew Sullivan
An interactive map from Slate traces job losses.
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The Never Ending Senatorial Race

Although I haven't written much about the prolonged Minnesota Senatorial race, I've been following it closely over at Talkingpointsmemo and the Strib. Both have been doing an excellent job. Something caught my eye in today's Strib piece:

Appearing on CNN, Klobuchar sparred with Sen. John Ensign, R-Nevada, who repeated GOP talking points that "votes [of all Minnesotans] should be treated the same. And I at least think that his appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court should be heard."

Republican Norm Colman is expected to file an appeal with the Supreme Court this week, asking that his setback last week at the hands of a special three-judge panel be overturned.

Did you catch that?

"Sen. John Ensign, R-Nevada, who repeated GOP talking points..."

It's small, but this is just another sign of the MN media turning on Coleman. Minnesotans are fed up and want their second senator. Three newspapers that endorsed Coleman have asked him to concede the defeat: the Bemidji Pioneer, The Albert Lea Tribune and the Worthington Daily Globe.

Coleman filed his appeal to the MN Supreme Court yesterday. Franken began hiring his staff yesterday. Let's hope for Minnesota and especially Amy Klobuchar this ends shortly. Minnesotans need a second senator.
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Now playing: The Race - Moorwood

Seeing This Through to the End

Presidents Clinton and Bush 43 are making a joint appearance "debate" May 29, in Toronto. I really hope it's aired here in the States, though, these days, it'll be up on the web shortly after.

It's doubtful there will be many fireworks, even where they disagree strongly. Both are making their best attempts at being statesmen.

The Globe and Mail has a write-up on the upcoming event and these graphes caught my eye:

Although both presidents demonstrated an ability to compromise in the interests of bipartisan consensus — Mr. Clinton toughened welfare rules while Mr. Bush expanded public health care and funding for education — their opponents saw them only as the personifications of the evil of the other side.

So Mr. Clinton was impeached for abasing his office after lying about an affair with an intern.

And the wild-eyed are still trying to get Mr. Bush and his vice-president, Dick Cheney, tried for war crimes and crimes against humanity for their handling of the war on terror.

The meter doesn't exist to measure the time and energy that has been wasted on all of this.

It's true that a lot of effort was put into impeaching Clinton. Far more than was probably necessary. But to make the say that war crimes and crimes against humanity is tantamount
with perjury is disappointing. I haven't heard anyone serious in the current debate discuss charging Bush or Cheney. The lawyers Jay Bybee and John Yoo, yes, but not Bush or Cheney.

The ease the journalist makes this comparison is surprising, especially from a Canadian journalist. Clinton lied about an affair. Bush and Cheney authorized war crimes that we tried both Germans and Japanese after WWII with.

Passing off the desire to see justice as a purely partisan act doesn't demonstrate enough respect for the rule of law or the United States Constitution.

Chavez and Obama from a Different Angle

Chavez Obama
by noticias24

Not quite the smiles featured in the Times that had The Corners' panties in a bunch
source via Tapper

More on International Relations When Grownups Are in Charge

International Relations When Grownups Are in Charge

h/t Brendan

Quote of the Day #2- 04/19/09

In the days before the French Revolution, the people of France were living in dire conditions while their leaders lived comfortably, oblivious to the effect their actions had on the people they governed. When informed that her people were starving because they had no bread, Marie Antoinette famously said, “Let them eat cake.”

Gov. Mark Sanford is sending the people of our state the same kind of out-of-touch message

Faced with the reality that South Carolinians will have to repay federal funds whether they benefit from them or not, Gov. Sanford wants to reject the budget stabilization portion of this money. Most South Carolinians — even those of us who adamantly opposed the federal stimulus bill and thought this level of borrowing to be a terribly misguided mistake — recognize it is now the law, and our children will have to pay back this money regardless. - Bobby Harrell, Republican, is the speaker of the S.C. House

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Now playing: GZA/Genius - Living In The World Today

Napolitano stands by DHS report on right wing extremists

I wish she'd said this when it leaked initially. Napolitano is a fierce politician. She needs to get better acclimated to D.C to be truly affective. Right now it feels like she's just feeling her way through the wilderness.
h/t sgwhiteinfla

America's Greatest Fat Man

Charles McGrath has a great profile of John Goodman in today's NY Times:

"Over four decades, appearing in roughly three movies a year, he has played a king, a governor, Babe Ruth and a Stone Age caveman, Fred Flintstone. On “The West Wing” he has been a Republican speaker of the House who temporarily takes over for the president. But as is so often the case with actors his size, he is more often the second banana, the comic foil. His most famous role is Dan Conner, the henpecked husband on “Roseanne.”

In person Mr. Goodman is not the stereotypical jolly fat man. For all his success, he remains full of self-doubt. Compliments make him wince, and his conversational default mode is self-deprecation. He sometimes seems to be eyeing himself with suspicion."

Quote of the Day - 04/19/09

If they want to leave the Union I wish them God’s speed and good luck with their bordering nations once liberated from the oppressive protection of the U.S. military and the freedom-sucking agricultural subsidies of the U.S. government.

I just have one request. Fly your own flag at your rallies. The U.S. flag belongs to me and to my country. The blood of my ancestors in on that flag. My fathers and brothers fought and died under that flag for a nation where they were not equal. My mothers and sisters paid generations of taxes to states that would not educate their children and to a federal government that would not protect their sons from lynch mobs. Those acts of unrewarded patriotism by my foremothers and forefathers were a down payment on my citizenship. They have purchased my right to claim this country and her flag as my own. This year my President stood beneath that flag and reclaimed this nation for all of her people. How dare you wave my flag in hatred?

I grew up in the South. I know all about your deep pride and cultural attachment to the Stars and Bars. So if you want a flag to wave at your little tea parties, go ahead and dust off the flag of secession, treason, and slavery. Leave my flag when you go. - Dr. Melissa Harris-Lacewell

It's Not Me It's You

My favorite conservative Reihan Salam broke up with Sarah Palin over at The Daily Beast. Well worth reading. Heh

Speaking of Straw Men

h/t Sharon Heiny

Mark Halperin has a crush on Obama

A few months back Halperin was complaining that the media was too easy on Obama. He went in Charlie Rose and cried that the media slanted in Obama's direction. But it's as if Halperin has now bought into the "O-Train." He included the picture above over the headline "Why He is Dominating," following it up with the subhead "HALPERIN'S TAKE: Exactly 16 reasons why Barack Obama is exceptionally good at his job." The top two are:

1. On major decisions, almost without exception, he does what he thinks is right, rather then what might appear to be the politically expedient thing to do; in the end, doing what he thinks is right actually turns out to be better politics.

2. He-- and his vice president, chief of staff, deputy chiefs of staff, congressional relations office-- are experts on Congress and know how to approach, manage, manipulate, finesse, and meld with the institution in virtually every respect. (Up to and as far as the considerable limits of three-branch government and multiple egos).

The rest are worth reading, if you want inside the workings of D.C establishment media, but what's even funnier is how this new luuuurve for Obama skews the articles in a more positive light.

POTUS Stays Cool at Summit's Opening
Driving That Train: HALPERIN'S TAKE: 5 things Obama has done in last few days with minimal criticism (or none at all!!!) that would have gotten Bill Clinton hammered in his first 3 months.
And the headline he gives the RNC response to Obama:"Still Fighting the Stimulus"
And for Obama's weekly address "BUDGET SLASHER"

The most hilarious is the headline and image he gives a NY Times article critical of Obama that leads The Page: "Straw Man."

It's impossible to know how long this man crush lasts. I'm slightly worried. Halperin was so wrong throughout the primaries and general that I'm almost tempted to be concerned. I'm holding out for a David Broder man crush article in the Washington Post to ratchet up my concern. If establishmentarian Broder also falls for Obama we'll some trouble is brewing.

An Unexpected Defense of Steve Schmidt

This is the last thing I thought I'd ever write in this blog. It's rare Republicans actions warrant defending - especially in this environment, but the articles questioning Steve Schmidt's commitment to gay marriage are out of line.

The most egregious smear of Schmidt was Mark Nickolas in the Huffington Post.

Nickolas accuses Schmidt of being an ambulance chaser:

The third type are the calculating political opportunists. These folks generally have few core values and try to anticipate a tipping point on a major issue and then quickly shift allegiances so that they can be on the "right side" as things settle. These people don't simply flip on issues due to the prevailing political winds. Instead, they are very thoughtful and calculating, always looking to get a strong head start on upcoming political change and positioning themselves to profit on their timing. You might call them political ambulance chasers.

It's obvious Nickolas doesn't know jack about Schmidt. Instead Nickolas righteous liberalism feeds a sense of authority and the ability to look down the appearance Schmidt's "Johnny Come Lately" to gay rights.

I wish Nickolas had dine even a little bit of research before writing this entry. He might not have wasted his time. on some such drivel.

Let's look a bit at the record.

A 09/04/08 Queerty blog entry: "Unlike some of his party peers, Schmidt supports gay marriage and in 2007 asked California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to back inclusive legislation."

A 09/05/2008 in blog entry on Good As You: "He did, however, tell personal stories about his lesbian sister, referred to LCR as an "important part of the party," encouraged the organization to keep fighting for what they believe in..."

A 11/07/08 Ana Marie Cox interview on The Daily Beast:
From: Ana Marie Cox
To: Steve Schmidt
Sent: Fri Nov 07 08:50:28 2008
Subject: Re: Calling you in 30

the passing of prop 8... any comment?

From: Steve Schmidt
To: Ana Marie Cox
Received: Fri, Nov 7, 2008 at 7:03 AM
Subject: Re: Calling you in 30

I was disappointed with the result

A 11/14/08 article on Euro2Day refers to Schmidt as a spokesman for No on Prop 8:"They have raised a tremendous amount of money, and as a result they have significantly out-bought us on TV," said Steve Schmidt. "Every time somebody sees one of our ads, they've seen two of theirs."

-----

Even my good friend Brendan snarked on Schmidt's motivations. A little bit of research by Nickolas or Brendan would have told them a different story. One of a brother of a lesbian who has spoken out in the past for gay marriage rights. One of a strategist who has walked the party line and worked from within to make changes. It's shame that I need to defend Schmidt from a liberal. Schmidt has finally reached the status that his opinion along with recent court and legislative successes for gay marriage give him a larger soap box to speak from.

Brendan in a later entry rounded up some of the Wingnuttery responses to Schmidt position. This response by the Right had to be expected by Schmidt and for this reason, especially, his decision to speak out is all the more commendable. Give the guy a break. You might not like his politics or his party, but questioning his motives is just wrong.

And Now They're Coming for Your Children

Wow, I'm honestly speechless. You smell the fear in these people as the world changes around them. Sad.
h/t Andrew Sullivan via Box Turtle Bulletin

Only on the Internet

h/t Atomly

Somethings Should be Left to Others

Some journalists are just that journalists and have little business doing commentary. Others like Time Magazine's Joe Klein and TPM Matthew Cooper, Washington Times' Eli Lake can blend the two.

Marc Ambinder at The Atlantic just doesn't seem to be able and pull it off. Today's example:

Their origins -- organic, programmatic, accidental or otherwise -- don't matter much anymore. If -- and we'll have to see the numbers at the end of the day -- 100,000 Americans show up to protest their taxes, the onus to dismiss them as a nascent political force shifts to the Democrats...

There's plenty of evidence that a bunch of hanger-on Republican interest groups, always looking to prove their relevance and hip factor to donors and activists, decided to lend their names and resources to the parties, multiplying their "organic" effect. FreedomWorks is a classic astroturfing shop. But I also think that we're too obsessed with the distinction between the top and the bottom of a blade of grass. At some point, critical mass is reached and astroturf campaigns can work -- they can catalyze genuine anger and channel it into meaningful political participation. In the age of hyperconnectivity, just what would an organic grassroots movement look like, anyway? Are people who've organized on behalf of causes before forbidden from joining? Can the movement not accept help and money from outside players?

Let's take this apart point by point. Since when did the origins of a movement not matter? We're still talking about those snowy Iowa days where Obama built his campaign. Why wouldn't the root and financing behind the teabaggers matter? Oddly, Rachel Maddow put the most effort into the conflicting motivations amongst the teabggers.

As DougJ at Balloon Juice put it: "Finally, why do we have to pay attention to 100K tea-baggers when 10 million anti-Iraq war protesters were considered a focus group?"

But these questions aren't answered by Ambinder. He's too busy with his own unanswered asinine questions. Calling out teabaggers for what they were and what they've become is the job of a quality journalist. Mr. Ambinder should stick to that and leave the columnist/opinion work to professionals.
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Now playing: Stevie Wonder - Superstition

Play Ball!

Over the last three years, I've sort of felt like I was in baseball purgatory living in Minneapolis. I only had a few acquaintances that'd even consider going to a game with me. The first year I continued to follow the A's religiously by subscribing to the MLB online radio package. The previous five seasons saw me attending at least five plus games per year, often ending late in October.

Yesterday the boys got together for another game. While it felt like the fastest seven innings ever, seeing as we didn't get seated until the top of the 7th, due to some ticketing issues and a special snack bar attendee, the game was good times. Hopefully the A's pick it up and I get to as many games this year, as in years past.
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Now playing: Telefon Tel Aviv - The Birds

04/15/09 Photo of the Day

h/t: Spencer Ackerman
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04/13/09 Photo of the Day

President Obama speaks on the balcony of the White House before the start of the 2009 Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn. (Larry Downing/Reuters)

A Day Late and a Dollar Short

I know I'm a little late to this, but I finally caught up with Notorious tonight. Notorious was not what I expected it to be. What I was expecting, I'm not entirely sure. I've always been a fan of films with music themes, whether it was The Five Heartbeats, The Commitments, Cadillac Records, or Ray. But the musical performances were Notorious most glaring weakness. It wouldn't have been fair to expect newbie Jamal Woolard to rhyme like Biggie, but other than the early battle scene, actual scene viewable here, Woolard has zero stage presence. He has plenty of range and he covers all aspects of Biggie's life through the years, but neither the concert or studio scenes are shot in a way to hide this glaring weekness.

Angela Bassett is great as Voletta Wallace. Derek Luke plays a decent Puff Daddy. Marc John Jefferies is too young to play Lil Cease. Jefferies character left me wondering if he had his parents' permission for the role. Naturi Naughton didn't have the range for the naughty Lil Kim later in the film. Naughton never looks comfortable exposing herself as Kim and for that reason you feel sorry for her and not Kim.

The music supervisor Barry Cole did an admirable job, picking the perfect Biggie tracks to tell his complete life story. I'd watch Notorious again, but only in the company of a friend who'd never seen the film. And that's probably the most disappointing aspect of the film. It had all of the lements of a movie I'd purchase and watch over and over again. Instead I'll put in my VHS copy of Rhyme & Reason for a better portrayal of Biggie.
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Now playing: Notorious B.I.G - I Love The Dough feat Jaÿ-Z & Angela Winbush

Turkish anchor wears blackface to report on Obama’s visit.

h/t Think Progress

It's amazing just how different cultures view "blackface." I don't speak Turkish, so I'll leave it open to others for interpretation.
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Now playing: Ray Charles - Over The Rainbow

Baracknophobia - Obey

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
Baracknophobia - Obey
comedycentral.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Economic Crisis Political Humor

Meghan McCain: No Longer Funny

I've humored Meghan McCain - mostly because she's cute. Yes, I know I should be judging her by her ideas and not her appearance. It was a mistake on my part. I can't humor her any longer.

Other than being the daughter of a former presidential candidate and attractive, I have no idea what she offers to the political discourse.

Not only that, but the more she talks, the more she contradicts herself.

She outdoes herself in her recent Daily Beast article:

But as harsh as I’ve been about some elements of the GOP, I find aspects of the Democratic Party infinitely worse. Just as I fear the far right would undermine a conservative resurgence, the far left of Obama’s party threatens to do the exact same thing to him and his administration.

Ah, I see. In case Ms. McCain hadn't realized this, Democrats are in power, with their majorities growing in 2008, because the party celebrates diversity. Even to the frustration of Liberal members. The Democratic Party has members from conservative, moderate, and liberal districts. Republicans simply put - do not. She's afraid of the fringes of both parties, but what she doesn't realize is that's all that is left in the House of Representatives and increasingly heading that direction in the Senate. Her own Dad is lucky Janet Napolitano chose to join the Obama administration. He was looking at a likely to defeat at her hands in 2010.

Ms. McCain celebrates the unity Republicans have shown:

It is no secret that the Republican Party, for all its faults, consistently displays party unity. For all the criticism that the Bush administration came in for, risks were taken (like supporting the Iraq troop surge) that wound up benefiting the GOP in the long run.

Just how much did supporting the surge help Republicans? Did they win the presidency in 2008 or pick up any seats in congress (other than the New Orleans House seat from corrupt Rep. William Jefferson)? His replace, Joesph Cao who has remained true to Eric Cantor and voted against the stimulus bill and the budget against the wishes of his constituents, has been threatened with recall. Just how successful have Republicans been?

One moment Ms. McCain says Republicans should be concerned about the far right and the next she congratulates their unity. She seems to recognize that the tactics of her far right has scared off our generation of voters, but she fails to recognize that the unity and lack of diverse voices in congress is just as distancing. If Republicans are all expected to vote in unison, why would I support a "moderate" Republican as Cao once claimed he was?

This party unity that so thrills her is what freezes even her out of having any real influence. She certainly has got that memo:

As a consequence, some have requested I leave the party altogether, and say that I am now an unwelcome member...

Any criticism I give of the Republican Party is out of love, and as someone who feels knowledgeable and experienced enough to give constructive criticism.

Ms. McCain goes on to cite two erroneous examples Democratic disunity:

Look at Obama’s stimulus bill—as soon as he handed it over to the House, Democrats loaded it with so many appropriations they made it impossible to pass.

But the bill did pass or is she not aware?

(He goes on to cite Sen. Kent Conrad’s endorsement of farm payments and Democrats' opposition to Obama’s plan to limit tax deductions for the rich.) Now, I may not agree with Obama either, but if such a left-leaning magazine so blatantly recognizes the writing on the wall when it comes to extreme members of the Democratic Party hijacking message and power, then it is obviously a major concern.

Conrad is far from a liberal Democrat, so how exactly is he an extreme (and by extreme, I assume she means liberal) hijacking Obama's message? It appears that if anything, the problem Obama is having is with Business-centric Democrats who would rather subsidize companies than save money, without working towards Obama's health care reforms, all in the name of claiming to be a deficit hawk.

These DINOs in the Senate, Conrad, Evan Bayh, Blanche Lincoln, Mark Pryor and the rest, would rather give tax breaks to the wealthiest than work with the rest of the Democratic majority to pass Obama's agenda.

The best question Ms. McCain asks is: "Can politics ever become truly centrist and bipartisan?"

The answer here is surprising. Because the Democratic Party has such diversity and 60 votes is needed to make for cloture, simply working within the Democratic caucus guarantees a truly centrist perspective. Democrats need every one of their 58 senators and two Republican moderates to push through a bill.

This of course doesn't make politics bipartisan. Politics won't be bipartisan until Republicans decide to break ranks and begin working with the president.

The people support Obama. The people want Republicans to participate in governance and until they do so, Republican unity is going to leave them a geographically isolated party and leave Ms. McCain voiceless in the Republican wilderness.
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Now playing: Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek - Africa Dream