Out FOXed

Inspired by Fox News' retrospective on the Bush presidency, The Daily Show's John Oliver did a short documentary on the legacy of the Fox News Channel.

Part I:



Part II:

But Who is Benedict XVI Pulling for?

Saturday night, my two schools face off for the men's hockey national champtionship.

Notre Dame takes on Boston College in the finals of the Frozen Four. It's the first time the Fighting Irish have reached the finals. BC, on the other hand, is a Frozen Four staple-- this is the ninth championship game in school history, and third in a row-- the Eagles are looking for their first national championship since 2001, and third overall.

The game is at 7 on ESPN, and I'll be rooting for BC.

The winner gets a bronze bust of my likeness with the top hollowed out, perfect for pouring some celebratory champagne into.

WP: Pearls Before Breakfast

The Washington Post conducted one of the most unique experiments in recent memory, as they set in motion a plan to answer-

What would happen if one of the nation's most acclaimed violinists, played history's most beautiful music on one of the finest violins of the 18th century, while collecting change before an open case in a Metro stop during morning rush hour?

The Post sent Joshua Bell and his Stradivarius to DC's L' Enfant Plaza subway stop to find out. He wore plain clothes and a Washington Nationals hat. For the next hour he played some of the finest music of the past centuries. They set up a hidden camera to capture people's reactions.

Would the music transcend the hustle of the morning commute?

Did Bell draw a crowd?

Was this once-in-a-lifetime event ignored?

Check out the article here (with video evidence) to find out.

Quote of the Day 4/ 10: Second Chances

"I quit drinking -- and it wasn't because of a government program. It required a little more powerful force than a government program in my case"

- President George W. Bush, after signing the "Second Chance Act" -- a government program to aide recovered substance abusers -- into law.

The law is a prisoner re-entry program that helps convicted felons transition back into society and provides additional federal funding to reduce prison populations by creating job training programs, along with substance abuse and family stability support.

This is the third time he has brought up his history with drinking publicly in recent months.

Picture of the Day 4/9: Creepy Cover

I'm constantly passing this issue of the New Republic at my school, and it is constantly weirding me out. It's crazy what you can do with photo-shop... this issue tackles the implications of a split Democratic party over Clinton/ Obama, and tells Dems "We have to choose one."

Turning Points

Roger Simon, of Politico, wrote a very interesting piece asking "Where did the tables turn?" for Hillary Clinton's campaign. How did she go from "inevitable" to campaign life- support?

Simon points to her loss in Iowa, where it's questionable if she should've campaigned in the first place, as the moment when Hillary's campaign got away. They underestimated the power of younger voters, and overestimated their own organization.

Somehow, they lost Iowa, Simon says, and allowed a well- financed and talented candidate in Barack Obama to start his foray into national politics with a running start.

But, I would argue that she began her downward spiral earlier, at the Halloween debate with her now- infamous response to a question on NY state's plan to give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. She stammered and failed twice to give a clear response, saying she understood and sympathized with the problem and the plan, but did not fully support it.

Even her husband said it was a bad answer.

Before that, she'd been running a near perfect campaign. But that opened the door, confirming for many their greatest suspicion about her-- that she'd say anything to get elected, and would duck important issues in the process.

In retrospect, there were factors beyond her control: John Edwards' popularity in the state, and the huge turnout of young voters. But that question... it was so revealing. That was the moment I decided I couldn't vote for her in the primary, and I don't think I was alone.

Up to that point, Edwards and Obama were each jockeying to be the alternative to Hillary, but it didn't seem like the Democrats wanted or needed one. They were on board with the whole inevitability thing, but that question raised doubts:

We're about to anoint this woman our nominee, but she can't even talk straight. Let's shop around.

Soon, she'd lost her lead in Iowa, and although she rebounded in New Hampshire, things were never the same. Millions of Democrats across the country had looked elsewhere and found something, someone they could believe in.

In the end, the inevitability that marked the early part of Clinton's campaign was her greatest strength, but led to her downfall. The only way she could beat out a more politically talented opponent was to never let him get on his feet. And the only way to do that was to stay perfect. Once she lost perfection, she lost the race.

In another debate some three months later, Democrats were asked if they could have one response back from all the questions they'd been asked in debates thus far, what it'd be. The crowd laughed and the camera panned to Hillary. She smiled knowingly and put on a brave face, giving a decent answer.

But it was the question that spoke volumes.

Most Americans didn't need to hear her response, they'd heard a more telling one back on Halloween night, and they already had their answer.

Olympic Boycott? PTI's Take

The best sports debate show on television (which also revolutionized political TV gab fests) ESPN's Pardon the Interruption discussed the controversy around the 2008 Olympics.

Yesterday, Hillary Clinton called for a US boycott of the opening ceremonies.

Picture of the Day 4/7

From the New York Times:



The Olympic torch was extinguished several times during demonstrations in Paris that denounced China, host of the Summer Games, for its policies in Tibet. In the end, organizers canceled the final leg of the torch procession through the city. Police officers apprehended an advocate for Tibetan rights who was waving the Tibetan flag. The protests turned the torch relay into a chaotic series of stops and starts.

Dick Cheney: That's Funny!

Quote of the Day 4/7: Approaching normal

"[Recent reductions in violence have left Iraq] approaching normal political and economic life for the average Iraqi.

Political reconciliation is occurring across Iraq at the local, provincial, grassroots level... Sunni and Shi'a chased from their homes by terrorist and sectarian violence are returning. The 'Sons of Iraq' and Awakening movements, where former Sunni insurgents have now joined in the fight against Al Qaeda, continue to grow."

- John McCain on what he sees happening today in Iraq. His presidential bid is largely tied to the stability of the country, and the American public's willingness to stay there for "maybe 100" more years.

NY Post Assembles Killer Jokes

The NY Post actually did something constructive-- they asked some of the country's top comedians for the best joke they've heard in the last year. Several of the best responses were political. Below are my favorites, you can find the full article here.

Barack Obama bowled a 37. Is he black enough for you now?
- Bill Maher

John McCain is so old that running for President is on his bucket list.
- Jeffrey Ross

I think I might vote for Barack Obama. Because I live in New York City and have been giving black guys change for the past 10 years. I want to see what it feels like for a black guy to give me change.
- Nick Dipaolo

During a "Weekend Update" segment about Eliot Spitzer: And you wanted to have sex with a hooker but you didn't want to wear a condom? Really?!? That might not be scary if you were client number 1, but you were client number 9. I wear a condom if I'm ninth in line at the deli.
- Seth Meyers

My girlfriend said, "I hate it when you finish my sentences." So I said, "Period."
- Sean Keane

Gasoline prices are highest in Hawaii, closing in on $4 a gallon. President Bush said, "See, I told you it wasn't only in our country!"
- David Brenner

Have you heard they're doing a sequel to "Brokeback Mountain?"

No, what's it called?

"Brokeback Mountain 2."
- David Wain

Clintons Are Rich (SNL)

2 Elections Halfway Around the World

The New York Times has these two video profiles of current elections: the Democratic Primary in Pennsylvania, and the Presidential Election (the first full democratic election) in Zimbabwe.

The stories are striking in both their similarities and differences. And their short, so worth the watch...

Friday's Big Numbers **Updated**

80,000- US jobs cut in March

81%- of respondents say the country is on the wrong track, the highest percentage since CBS/ NY Times began polling in the early 1990s.

4%- of respondents in the same poll say the country is better off now than it was 5 years ago.

37- Barack Obama's bowling score through 7 frames at a Pennsylvania alley.

152- What I bowled last night in the law school playoffs, a personal best.

70,000- number of troops Obama advisor Colin Kahl says should stay in Iraq after 2010, at odds with Obama's stated plan to pull combat troops out within 16 months of taking office. Kahl said his position does not reflect that of the campaign.

$20,000,000- Amount raised in March by Hillary Clinton's campaign for president, $15m coming online.

$40,000,000- Amount raised in March by Barack Obama's campaign for president.

**UPDATE** There's one other "Big Number" that came out today:

$109,200,000- Amount of money earned by Bill and Hillary Clinton since 2000.

Say Hello to Bush's "Little Friend"

After months of lobbying European allies, President George Bush is positively giddy that French President Nicholas Sarkozy has agreed to send 1000 troops to the front-lines of the war in Afghanistan.

The news comes on the heels of Canada's announcement that they will be withdrawing troops.

Bush commented that the French president's recent US visit was like that of the "latest incarnation of Elvis." In a seeming acknowledgment of improved Franco- American relations since Sarkozy took over for Jaques Chirac, Bush called the 5' 7" leader his "good luck charm" and his "little friend."

Quote of the Day 4/3: So?

"So?"

- Vice President Dick Cheney being confronted with the statistic that 2/3 of Americans feel the War in Iraq is not worth it. See below...

The Reality of the "Big Mo"

What is primary momentum in reality? The dictionary says that momentum is "force or speed of movement; impetus, as of a physical object or course of events." In the political dictionary next to the definition of momentum it says: "The popularity or acceptance of the person who won the last state's caucus/primary."

However, let's be honest, in reality the idea of momentum is a stupid one. What it says is that people in state eight cannot come up with their own ideas or opinions about a certain candidate and instead just take the word of the past seven states before them. The sarcastic and skeptical say all that time, "Why are Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina sooooo important? They are just the start." The answer, it seems, for the average voter is that they are important because they are choosing who you will eventually vote for.

If states were truly committed to being independent about who they choose for the most powerful position in the land then it is highly unlikely (in an election of two equally qualified and legitimate Democratic candidates) that one of them should win eleven in a row except for that fact that State X simply decided to vote the same way State X -1 voted for.

In essence there is no way for true state primary independence can coexist with the ever powerful "primary momentum." The ideas are opposite. This is hard because there really is no way to fix this problem. The only way to do that would be to have all the primaries or caucuses on the same date. However that would take away what I think is an important part of the process which is to give the smaller states their seat at the table. A simple concession by states eight through fifty that they all sit and wait to see what the first seven do is all I ask.

Divided Are We?

Über geek- chique mag the Economist commissioned an extensive study to compare its native Great Britain to its great grandson, the United States. The impitus for this survey was a pair of press conferences by foreign leaders. At Camp David, in July of last year, President Bush called his country's relationship with the UK their "most important bilateral relationship." For his part, new UK PM Gordon Brown commented on the two countries "shared values... the belief in the dignity of the individual, the freedom and liberty that we can bring to the world..."

However, French President Nicholas Sarkozy also spoke of his country's "fraternité" with Great Britain, because of their similar cultures-- tastes in music and literature-- that is independent of the United States.

So, the Economist had this poll done to see just how similar citizens of the two countries think. After all (as has been pointed out many times) we share the same language, values, and the most famous Briton of the 20th Century was 1/2 American.

Its results showed that Britain seems more European than American, as it's far more liberal. This chart is somewhat difficult to read, but it shows the disparity within each country's conservative and liberal elements (notice Britain is more intellectually homogenous), and then compares the corresponding factions against each other. Kind of convoluted, yes, questionable because the poll notes no margin of error, yes again, but interesting nonetheless.

For a complete breakdown of how each country stands on specific issues, consult the table to the left. It's too small to read, so check out the article, here which has a link to the full image toward the end of the page (left side).

Letterman & McCain trade Barbs

Senator John McCain went on Letterman last night, despite the late- night comics constant jokes about his age. He showed good humor, especially for a guy whose high school nickname was McNasty.

How Would Jesus Vote? Nation Re-Considers

Last night at Notre Dame, Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne began his lecture with the same story that opens his book, Souled Out:

Mrs. O'Reilly was dutifully being taken to the polls on Election Day by her son [Bill?]. Mrs. O'Reilly always voted straight Democratic. Her son, a successful member of the upper-middle class, had become an Independent, and often voted Republican.

As was their routine, the son asked his mother how she would vote, and, as always, Mrs. O'Reilly responded, "Straight Democratic." The exasperated son replied, "Mom, if Jesus came back to earth and ran as a Republican, you would vote against him." His mother shot back, "Aw, hush, why would he change his party after all these years?"

Later, Dionne declared, "The era of the religious right is over." Although Dionne acknowledged the movement's death knell has been rung incorrectly before, a true testament to its power of "resurrection," he insisted that this time is (mercifully) different.

Democrats like Barack Obama and Tim Kaine feel comfortable talking about their faith publicly, in a way their predecessors did not a generation ago.

Dionne, a liberal Catholic, also foresaw a shift in the way divisive topics like abortion are dealt with in this country. For 35 years, Roe v. Wade has been the law of the land, ensuring a woman's right to have an abortion. For just as long, the religious have sought to criminalize the practice and looked to the Republican party for salvation.

Yet, after millions of votes, dollars and volunteer hours, Roe does not appear to be going anywhere. And even if it did, Dionne notes, the number of abortions is very unlikely to fall. So the best way to tackle what Christians consider to be an immoral practice, is to focus on why there are more abortions here than in other countries where they're legal, and to try and reduce the number.

Additionally, the American religious have refocused on economic morality. The widening gap between rich and poor is at frightening levels (one British paper said it's caused another Great Depression), and Republicans still push capital gains tax- cuts and trickle- down theory. As a result, the Democratic tent bulges with the faithful, intent on a greater commitment to issues like poverty, climate change and third- world relief.

Even the most socially conservative Republican in the '08 field, Mike Huckabee, talked about economic responsibility. As Arkansas governor, he raised taxes for what he claimed were "moral" reasons, and got no endorsements from traditional Christian leaders, but found surprisingly ample support from voters.

Overall, Dionne's take is cutting edge, and his assessment is well- grounded.

So, while Jesus might never change parties, it appears some of his followers have.