Picture of the Day 3/13: Buddy, can you spare a $5?

Honest Abe's getting another make- over. The US mint unveiled the design of the new five dollar bill. And, yes, that is a big purple five on the back.

Virgin Mobile Uses Politics

Virgin Mobile Canada debuted these advertisement, poking fun at the embattled Eliot Spitzer, or "Client #9."

They also have a an ad with a thought bubble over Hillary Clinton thinking, "I wish my bill wasn't so out of control." I'm on the lookout for that...

Quote of the Day 3/12

"I am deeply sorry that I did not live up to what was expected of me. To every New Yorker, and all those who believed in what I tried to stand for- I sincerely apologize."

- Soon- to- be former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, resigning from office in a press conference this afternoon, effective Monday.

Ferraro Defends Comments

Are Happy Days Ahead Again?

The astute EJ Dionne wrote a very interesting piece in the Washington Post asking: Whatever happened to the culture wars that dominated American politics from 2000- 2004?

For an answer, Dionne draws an interesting parallel to the the 1928 election, when Hoover- Republicans of Prohibition and unbridled capitalism handily defeated Democrats, who wanted to booze again and elect the first non- Protestant president, NY Governor Al Smith. With Hoover's triumph, the economic boom of the '20s seemed assured to last.

Four years later, FDR won a landslide against forces he branded "economic royalists." Whether a guy is allowed buy a 10- cent beer doesn't seem to matter when the guy doesn't even have the 10 cents.

Similarly, Dionne states, voters who cited "cultural issues" as pressing when pulling the lever for the anti- gay marriage, pro- life, pro- tax cut George W. Bush in 2000, and again in '04, have bigger concerns now. That's not to say it will necessarily lead to a Democratic victory in November, as Dionne points out, national security concerns have led a once unabashedly right- of- center Republican party to nominate John McCain, one of their most moderate voices, for president.

So it's unclear how it will play out. What is clear, is priorities have changed again, and the culture wars may be on hold for now. That spells bad news for Bill O'Reilly, Will & Grace and people who liked debating what constitutes the term "sexual relations."

New York Public Library to be Re-named for Donor

The NY Times reports that Stephen A. Schwarzman, chief executive of the Blackstone Group, has donated $100 million to the NY Public Library as part of their $1bn expansion. In exchange, Mr. Schwarzman's name will be etched on the exterior of the library's famous, lion guarded building on 5th Ave., to be renamed the Schwarzman Building.

"They said, 'We'd like you to be the lead gift and give us $100 million, and we'd like to rename the main branch after you.' I said, 'That sounds pretty good.'"

Schwarzman's stake in Blackstone has fallen from $7.8bn to $4bn as stock in the company has plummeted 32% in the last 2 months alone.

Well, I think I speak for all New Yorkers when I thank Mr. Schwarzman for this generous gift, and admire his selfless engraving of his name on one of the city's most beloved landmarks. In fact, I'm surprised he didn't pay for a flashing neon sign reading:

The Stephen A. Schwarzman is a Great Guy and has Done Very Well for Himself Building & New York Public Library

FYI: Presidential Trivia

George W. Bush is our 43rd president, but there actually have only been 42 presidents: Cleveland was elected for two nonconsecutive terms and is counted twice, as our 22nd and 24th president.

Eight Presidents were born British subjects: Washington, J. Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, J. Q. Adams, Jackson, and W. Harrison.

Nine Presidents never attended college: Washington, Jackson, Van Buren, Taylor, Fillmore, Lincoln, A. Johnson, Cleveland, and Truman.

The college that has the most presidents as alumni (six in total) is Harvard: J. Adams, J. Q. Adams, T. Roosevelt, F. Roosevelt, Kennedy, and G. W. Bush (business school). Yale is a close second, with five presidents as alumni: Taft, Ford (law school), G.H.W. Bush, Clinton (law school), and G. W. Bush.

Presidents who would be considered "Washington outsiders" (i.e., the 18 presidents who never served in Congress) are: Washington, J. Adams, Jefferson, Taylor, Grant, Arthur, Cleveland, T. Roosevelt, Taft, Wilson, Coolidge, Hoover, F. Roosevelt, Eisenhower, Carter, Reagan, Clinton, and G. W. Bush.

The most common religious affiliation among presidents has been Episcopalian, followed by Presbyterian.

The ancestry of all 43 presidents is limited to the following seven heritages, or some combination thereof: Dutch, English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Swiss, or German.

The oldest elected president was Reagan (age 69); the youngest was Kennedy (age 43). Theodore Roosevelt, however, was the youngest man to become president—he was 42 when he succeeded McKinley, who had been assassinated. THE OLDEST LIVING former president was Gerald Ford, who was born on July 14, 1913, and died on Dec.27, 2006, at age 93. The second oldest was Ronald Reagan, who also lived to be 93 years.

The tallest president was Lincoln at 6'4"; at 5'4", Madison was the shortest.

Fourteen Presidents served as vice presidents: J. Adams, Jefferson, Van Buren, Tyler, Fillmore, A. Johnson, Arthur, T. Roosevelt, Coolidge, Truman, Nixon, L. Johnson, Ford, and George H.W. Bush.

Vice Presidents were originally the presidential candidates receiving the second-largest number of electoral votes. The Twelfth Amendment, passed in 1804, changed the system so that the electoral college voted separately for president and vice president. The presidential candidate, however, gradually gained power over the nominating convention to choose his own running mate.

For two years the nation was run by a president and a vice president who were not elected by the people. After Vice President Spiro T. Agnew resigned in 1973, President Nixon appointed Gerald Ford as vice president. Nixon resigned the following year, which left Ford as president, and Ford's appointed vice president, Nelson Rockefeller, as second in line.

Four Presidents won the popular vote but lost the presidency: Andrew Jackson won the popular vote but lost the election to John Quincy Adams (1824); Samuel J. Tilden won the popular vote but lost the election to Rutherford B. Hayes (1876); Grover Cleveland won the popular vote but lost the election to Benjamin Harrison (1888); Al Gore won the popular vote but lost the election to George W. Bush (2000).

The term "First Lady" was first used in 1877 in reference to Lucy Ware Webb Hayes. Most First Ladies, including Jackie Kennedy, are said to have hated the label.

James Buchanan was the only president never to marry. Five presidents remarried after the death of their first wives—two of whom, Tyler and Wilson, remarried while in the White House. Reagan was the only divorced president. Six presidents had no children. Tyler—father of fifteen—had the most.

Presidents Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, and Kennedy were assassinated in office.

Assassination attempts were made on the lives of Jackson, T. Roosevelt, F. Roosevelt, Truman, Ford, and Reagan.

Eight Presidents died in office: W. Harrison (after having served only one month), Taylor, Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, Harding, F. Roosevelt, and Kennedy.

Presidents Adams, Jefferson, and Monroe all died on the 4th of July; Coolidge was born on that day.

Kennedy and Taft are the only presidents buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Lincoln, Jefferson, F. Roosevelt, Washington, Kennedy, and Eisenhower are portrayed on U.S. coins.

Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Jackson, Grant, McKinley, Cleveland, Madison, and Wilson are portrayed on U.S. paper currency.

Twenty-six Presidents were lawyers before becoming president.

Twelve presidents were generals: Washington, Jackson, W. Harrison, Taylor, Pierce, A. Johnson, Grant, Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, B. Harrison, and Eisenhower. At the end of the American Revolution, the suggestion that General Washington become king circulated in the Army's upper ranks. Washington reacted strongly against the idea, saying, "no occurrence in the course of the War has given me more painful sensations."

Nine years after leaving the presidency, Taft was appointed chief justice of the Supreme Court. So pleased was he with this career change that he later wrote, "I don't remember that I was ever president."

George Washington's salary as president was $25,000. Bush's salary is $400,000.

John Adams was the father of John Quincy Adams.

James Madison and Zachary Taylor were second cousins.

William Henry Harrison was the grandfather of Benjamin Harrison.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a fifth cousin of Theodore Roosevelt.

George W. Bush is the son of George Bush.

Pictures of the Day 3/10: The Deciders

Superdelegates could play a huge role in deciding the Democratic nomination. Most superdelegates are elected officials, governors, congressmen, etc. However, others are somewhat less distinguished. Certain members of College Democrats and Young Democrats for America also hold the title of "Superdelegate," and thanks to Gawker.com we've got some of their embarrassing Facebook pictures.

Yikes: NY Gov. Named in Prostitution Ring, may Resign

New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, whose campaign I once worked on, may be at the center of a sex scandal. The New York Times reports that Governor Spitzer, who championed ethics as Attorney General and vowed to reform state government, could be named in the sting of a high class prostitute ring.

The ring served clients in New York, Washington, Miami, Paris and London, and charged anywhere from $1000 - $5500/ hour.

This event is the exclamation point on a disappointing run for Spitzer. He's squabbled with Republican leadership in the state house, and had petty controversies over the use of state troopers.

Spitzer also proposed the bill to give driver's licenses to New York's illegal immigrants, which NY Sen. Hillary Clinton half-heatedly defended during a Democratic debate, leading to her slide in the polls. The idea died after polls showed it had the support of only 24% of New Yorkers.

After being elected with nearly 70% of the vote in to his first term in 2006, Spizter will almost certainly face a fierce competition against New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2010. To beat the popular mayor, Spizter needed a couple of signature legislative accomplishments, but a scandal like this could render such triumphs moot.

However, the impending scandal may not mark the end of his promising political future. There's an old saying in politics that the only ways to commit sure-fire career suicide is to get caught with a dead woman or a live man. But for Spitzer, who is married with three children, that may not be his biggest concern right now.

**Update** ABC reports that Governor Spitzer is resigning from office to settle matters with his family.

Quote of the Day: Obama

"With all due respect...I don't know how somebody who's in second place is offering the Vice Presidency to somebody who's in first place."

~Senator Barack Obama, commenting on Senator Clinton's offer of the Vice Presidency on her ticket.

It's sad to think that either of the Democratic candidates are only roughly a quarter of the country's top choice for president... I say we let the South secede from the union so the winning candidate is at least 50% of the population's favorite. And maybe then ESPN2 will start broadcasting real sports again instead of Nascar 24/7.

Letterman: Top 10 Ralph Nader Campaign Slogans

I tried my hand at this topic last week. Here's Letterman's...

Top 10 Ralph Nader Campaign Solgans

10. Fund universal health care by making Wesley Snipes pay his taxes

9. Give the presidency a rumpled, Walter Matthau quality

8. The freezing over of Hell should solve our global warming crisis

7. Get those people off that island in "Lost"

6. Send Gary Busey in to annoy and confuse our enemies

5. Can fill out a pantsuit better than Hillary

4. Will hover in polls between 1% and "Statistically Insignificant"

3. Force Starbucks to identify their sizes "Small," "Medium," and "Large" -- am I right people?

2. Will not sleep with lobbyists, or for that matter anyone else

1. Get Bush re-elected like in 2000

Newsflash: McCain Angry, Times Reporter Pretentious

This is an exchange John McCain had with a Times reporter on whether or not McCain had a conversation with John Kerry in 2004 about being Kerry's VP nominee. McCain said he would never have taken the spot because of their differing views, although the two are friends. However, he denied such a covseration ever took place in back in '04.

I'm sorry, but to me this reporter comes off terribly. Who cares if they ever had a conversation, or if McCain didn't disclose it when asked? The reporter is engaged in the ultimate form of "gotcha- journalism." It's a non-issue, and she's trying to catch him in a non- lie. And then to top it all off, she asks "Why are you so angry?" in that annoying and disrespectful tone. It's this type of journalism that can prevent politicians from answering questions honestly.

Quote of the Day: 3/7/2008

"How do we know Bush wasn't behind 9/11? Because it worked."

~Bill Maher, just barely making it for this day, on Bush's involvement (or lack of thereof, rather) in the terrorist attack.

Pictures of the Day 3/7

The pollster group Survey USA conducted a lengthy poll of 600 likely voters in each of the 50 states to arrive at the first electoral college predictions for 2008. Both results put a Democrat in the White House, but the contenders get there in very different ways...

What? Him Worry?

During a press conference earlier this week, our president was asked about forecasts of $4/gallon gasoline. Oil is at $106/ barrel (it was $26 when he took office) and the national avg. for gas is $3.16/ gallon (it was $1.30 when he took office) and those prices are rising. Meanwhile, the dollar continues to fall to record lows, and wages are not keeping up with the inflated prices of energy or food.

So what would the president tell stuggling Americans, faced with the prospect of gas that's gone up three- fold since he took office? "That's interesting, I hadn't heard that." It's unreal.

There's no good video of his response up on YouTube yet, so you'll have to check it out for yourself here. When you watch, notice how the president acts so flippant through these press conferences, joking and poking fun at reporters. Then, when the reporter asks a serious question, the president thinks he's misinformed or exaggerating, and gets sarcastic, before changing tone when he realizes that he's in the wrong and sounding insensitive.

Below is a video of some astute commentary on MSNBC.

Dean on Board

DNC Chair Howard Dean has come out in favor of a re-vote in Florida and Michigan. The states held primaries in early January, but without Obama and John Edwards on the ballot in Michigan and with only Hillary campaigning in Florida. The DNC warned the states their delegates would not be seated if their primaries were held so early, and have stuck to it.

Now, with the contest's razor thin margin, re-votes could go a long way toward deciding the nomination. Clinton won on the first go-around in both states, and demographics, blue collar workers in Michigan and older voters in Florida, favor the NY Senator.

Asked to comment on whether the re-votes would take place, an excited Dean said: "We're gonna go to Michigan and then we're gonna go to Florida... heeeeeya!"

(sorry, I couldn't resist).

In Defense of Superdelegates

They exist for a reason.

Hillary's recent wins changed the race for the Democratic nomination. In the aftermath, Obama's delegate lead, essentially unchanged, stands around 100. He and his supporters argue that even with Clinton's comeback it's highly improbable that she will overtake him, or secure the all- important 2025th delegate. So, because Obama will have won more elected delegates, their argument goes, he should be the nominee.

But if Obama fails to reach 2025, a real possibility, it shouldn't be so automatic.

There's a reason for the delegate floor: if the party is so divided that no candidate can get a simple majority (2025/4049) then there's no mandate, and the party has other factors to consider. Factors like electability, and right now that factor surprisingly favors the Hill.

Her case--

Hillary Clinton won New York, California, Texas, Ohio, New Jersey, Florida and Michigan (although the latter two were basically uncontested). The point stands: she's won the biggest and most important states. She's likely to win Pennsylvania, which, along with Michigan, is essential for Democrats in November. Florida decided 2000 and Ohio 2004, those states lean Republican and if Obama can't beat Hillary Clinton there, how is he going to beat John McCain?

The Party has to think about that, and the consideration is in play because Obama cannot close the deal. That's why we're still here. The past few weeks, when the Clinton campaign "threw the kitchen sink" at him, Obama failed the test. Well, a picture of him in African garb is nothing compared to what Republicans have waiting.

Hillary, meanwhile, has had every possible insult and charge leveled at her over the past 17 years, we've heard it all, and she's still here.

His case--

The party doesn't want bigwigs to override the voice of the people, especially at the risk of alienating the record number of first time voters and contributors who have given the party a big advantage. Exit polls consistently show that Hillary does better with traditional Democrats, and those first- timers (who could turn their back on the party forever) side with Obama.

That assumes that Superdelegates will have robbed Obama of something he earned. Some will say that a 20 delegate win is still a win, just ask Al Gore. A 20 delegate lead after 4049 have been handed out entitles you to nothing. That's not new. The system is set up to get a nominee chosen by a majority of the party, not a plurality.

Similarly, the Electoral College, under the Constitution, mandates a candidate win 270/ 538 electors, and if no candidate does the election is in the hands of the House of Representatives.

It's not new, and it's not unfair. If a majority cannot agree, a consensus must be found elsewhere, somehow.

Quote of the Day 3/2

"My husband didn't wrap up the nomination until June"

~Senator Hillary Clinton, on when would be a good time to bow out of the primary process on 60 Minutes.

Two Ringing Phones: Dueling Ads

Hillary Clinton's campaign debuted this ad focusing on her experience, written by top pollster Marc Penn.


The Obama campaign released this response in "record time" focusing on his judgment.