** MCCAIN TO CALL FOR “LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN.” No, wait, that’s another movie. In a speech tomorrow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution, Senator John McCain will call for a League of Democracies. McCain has been getting a tremendous amount of knocks after his rough start in this race, which has seen his Republican presidential frontrunner’s role usurped by Rudy Giuliani — who now has his own share of trouble — but I think he is due for a resurgence. No matter what happens with the “surge” in Iraq.
What would McCain’s LXG do? Act against the genocide in Darfur, fight AIDS around the world, work on the greenhouse effect, promote free trade, and intervene against dictatorships when Russia and China hold the UN Security Council back.
** AARP STARTS TV AD CAMPAIGN FOR COMPREHENSIVE CALIFORNIA HEALTH CARE PLAN. The American Association of Retired People today began a $3 million TV advertising campaign on behalf of a comprehensive California health care program not unlike that talked about by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Expect more such advertising campaigns to emerge in the next few weeks.
** VILLARAIGOSA. WHY SO LOW PROFILE? For someone who’s become so unrelentingly prominent, LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was remarkably low key at the convention this past weekend. He made no public appearances other than the Saurday night banquet honoring House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, which only a couple of journalists bothered to attend.
** ANTONIO AND GAVIN. I WONDER WHAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom are said to have met privately during the California Democratic Party convention. The two were supposed to be hot rivals for the 2010 Democratic gubernatorial nomination, until Newsom stumbled into a sex scandal earlier this year. From which he seems to be emerging relatively unscathed, at least insofar as his re-election this year as mayor is concerned.
** A NEW LEADER? OBAMA OVERTAKES CLINTON IN A POLL. Longtime NWN readers know that I am not a fan of the Rasmussen poll. It’s a robopoll, and I like those about as much as Internet polls. And while the Rasmussen ending numbers are usually on the money, my experience in California is that the numbers can be way off with regard to other, highly accurate polls while the campaign is still underway. That said, a trend is a trend, particularly when the methodology remains the same. And the trend in Rasmussen, as in last week’s Wall Street Journal poll, in which Hillary Clinton’s lead dropped to five points, is all towards Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential race.
In the Rasmussen national poll released today, for the first time someone other than Hillary Clinton has an edge. It’s Obama, with a statistically insignificant two-point edge over Clinton, 32% to 30%. (John Edwards is third with 17%.) Last week, they were dead even at 30% to 30%. The week before, Clinton had a two-point edge, the week before that it was five, and the week preceding seven. In the poll before that, Obama was 12 points behind.
In this poll, Clinton still has a two-point edge among Democrats. But among independents judged likely to vote in the Democratic primaries, Obama has a clear edge.
If this is accurate, the stubborn Republican position here in California against allowing independents to vote in their primary may help swing the biggest primary election against Hillary, who they say they want to run against.
** EDITING. Incidentally, I have a lot of video to go through and edit. And some rest and other life things wouldn’t be a bad idea before the Republican presidential debate at the Reagan Library. All the video footage was shot handheld with a pocket video camera, some of it on the move. I have a small tripod, but it still gets in the way and is a bit too conspicuous. There’s not going to be a lot of slick, action movie-style special effects. Although I do shake the camera some for that handheld, cinema verite look …
** SPECIAL COMMISSION REPORT EXCORIATES ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER FOR LAST SUMMER’S WAR. A special commission of the Israeli government, investigating last summer’s war with Hezbollah, has issued a blistering set of criticisms of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, the nation’s defense minister, and the military’s former chief of staff. The war, which ended for Israel in a disappointing stalemate, was botched from start to finish, from its conception to its execution, according to the Winograd Committee. Prior to this Olmert’s job approval rating was already down to single digits.
** BAY AREA FREEWAY COLLAPSE. By now, many of you know, perhaps all too well, of the collapse early Sunday morning of a portion of the freeway maze leading off the Bay Bridge from San Francisco to Oakland. A speeding gasoline truck, out of control, crashed and the ensuing fire was so hot that it melted the metal undergirdings. This was much like the phenomenon which brought down the World Trade Center. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency, but it will probably take months to repair the damage. Here is a list of alternate routes provided by Schwarzenegger’s longtime press aide Darrell Ng, now spokesman for the state’s Business, Transportation & Housing Agency. Today is a free public transit day in the Bay Area.
From San Francisco to Hayward
· Eastbound I-80 to South bound I-880
From San Francisco to Walnut Creek
· E/B I-80 and exit West Grand
· Left on NorthGate Street
· Enter on ramp to Eastbound I-580 towards SR-24
· Take E/B SR-24 to Interstate 680
From San Francisco to Sacramento
· Eastbound I-80 to Sacramento (no detour)
From San Francisco to East Bay
· S/B US-101 to E/B SR-92
· SR-92 to Interstate I-880 North or South bound
From San Francisco to East Bay (2nd alternate)
· S/B US-101 to E/B SR-84
· SR-84 E/B to Interstate I-880 North or South bound
From San Francisco to East Bay (3rd alternate)
· N/B US-101 to Richmond/San Rafael Bridge Eastbound (I-580)
· Westbound Richmond/San Rafael Bridge (I-580) to Interstate 80 West
From Richmond to San Jose
· W/B 80 to E/B I-580
· From E/B I-580 to W/B 980
· W/B 980 to S/B I-880
From Richmond to San Francisco
· W/B I-80 to San Francisco Bay Bridge (no detours)
San Francisco to East Bay
· E/B I-80 and exit Albany/Buchanon ramp.
· Turn left under the freeway
· Left onto W/B 80
· Take W/B 80 to E/B I-580
** Track global and national energy prices in near real time via Bloomberg. Crude oil prices are around $66 per barrel.
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| Comments (72) |
Hey, network TV is a dog eat dog world.
The series was promoted the hell out of, it got a 2-hour pilot, two episodes, and then that was that.
Someitme I’ll tell you the story of a series I was consulting producer on a few years ago, got middle of the pack ratings, then still got cancelled in favor of a series that barely got half the ratings.
Crazy business.
I kept watching the promos knowing I would never watch the program. Appeared a little too strange.
Look forward to the tale. Perhaps if we all behave you will give it to us as a holiday gift.
Drive had a great premise. Now I see it’s replaced by reruns of my late mom’s favorite show, House.
Yikes.
The show I mentioned was nominated for an Emmy. But it didn’t get picked up.
Today, with the ratings it had, it would get a Sunday slot.
That whole business is very hit or miss.
I’m not a big TV person. Watch sports, news and a couple other things. Only series I watch is “24″ and that’s only because you guys got me hooked.
The promos for Drive I saw didn’t grab me. But, guess that’s why they have lots of channels and an off button!
Truly look forward to reading the story about the program. Bet it’s more interesting than Drive could ever be!
So … right wingers have been emailing why McCain’s League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is a bad idea.
Because, uh, he uses the word “collective.”
Let’s see, could I put the right wing zanies and the left wing zanies into a pit?
Or a tunnel?
Or a barge, to be towed out into the Pacific and …
I’ll call it a very solid evening for “24″…very solid.
Encircle LA Coliseum with razor wire and toss them all in for a “collective” Thunderdome cage match, on pay-per-view, proceeds to fund universal health care.
Great!
Yes, Phil Angelides was there. I’ll get to that item.
>Ann :
I know, he’s endorsing Angerlides again! Hey, was he at the convention?
Apr 30, 2007 04:35 PM
24 was good last night.
>Sacramento Solon :
I’ll call it a very solid evening for “24″…very solid.
Apr 30, 2007 10:02 PM
By rebranding the Coalition of the Willing, McCain casts himself as yet another interventionist adventurer, proposing to create a new League Of Yes-Men to endorse his defiance of international law whenever he chooses to “intervene against dictatorships when Russia and China hold the UN Security Council back.”
Yes, I’m sure UN reticence is the cause of all that went wrong with the Iraq invasion and occupation. So we’ll reaffirm our manhood by beating up some other tyrant, and will defy the commies and UN wussies who tell us not to. The Bush Administration’s problem, you see, is that they weren’t sufficiently arrogant toward international opinion, and didn’t work hard enough to increase frictions with Russia and China.
I can’t imagine that plank being helpful in the general. It almost boasts of the urge to persist in preemptive military adventures overseas and rekindle Cold War II. Not sure that polls well in the middle.
And are there no isolationist Reeps left? Is “World Cop” now a central plank for them?
Isolationism is no longer an option.
24 was wonderful last night…this episode saved the day!
McCain:
“Republican presidential candidate John McCain envisions a “League of Democracies” as part of a more cooperative foreign policy with U.S. allies. The Arizona senator will call for such an organization to be “the core of an international order of peace based on freedom” …
“We Americans must be willing to listen to the views and respect the collective will of our democratic allies,” McCain says, according to excerpts his campaign provided. “Our great power does not mean we can do whatever we want whenever we want, nor should we assume we have all the wisdom, knowledge and resources necessary to succeed”
Gee! it sounds Very nice doesn’t it?
You know 2 years ago a London think tank released an audit of 150 democratic countries ranking then most democratic to least…Finland was found to be the most democratic country in the world and Myanmar and Turkmenistan were at the end of the list. China was 128th. The survey looked at countries with a population of at least one million, and ranked them factoring in: public sector corruption, respect for human and political rights, freedom of speech, elections /open and free w/ voting rights
The findings were pretty predictable all member states of the European Union and NATO are in the top 40 positions, with the exception of Turkey, which stands at 62 and Russia was at 115….however, “Australia is the most democratic state in Oceania and 8th in the world. Canada is 10th, outranking the United States, which is 14th.” Brazil is 42nd and Argentina 62nd… Japan led Asia then South Korea (32nd), Taiwan (37th) and Israel (38th). Thailand (50) and the Philippines (52)Interesting, India is in 58th position as civil and political rights are “relatively well protected”…” but freedom of the press stands at 50 and corruption at 76 on a 1-to-100 scale” Wealthy Singapore came in at 79th because of media controls and limited freedom. At the bottom ….Russia (115) Saudi Arabia (117) Iraq (121st) Syria (124th). China (132)
McCain should rethink his paradigm for “Peace”…it sets up building an organization that would result in conflict by its very structure: West V. East…Developed World V Developing World … and most importantly …he needs to look again at who has the world’s vital energy and mineral resources in the world and where those countries are on this list …This is such a mistake to divide the world in this way in the 21 st century …peace? Bill Kristol and other neo-cons loved to insert “democracy” into all his little think tank creations, schemes, organizations …after the Neo Con disaster of Iraq …I guess he is inserting the word “Peace” now …we will be hearing alot about “peace” amd “good Allies” from McCain I assume now…he will probably be the REEP nominee…but as President he will install the neocons in defense and FP…he and they will talk peace…but never kid yourself…at the heart of their ideolgy is “conflict”…they can’t help them themselves…you see from their point …we need them to think for us, save us, save the world for ….peace…
Go Obama! we need IMPARTIAL BROKERS in the world not more neo-con gobbly goop thinking that leads only to more conflict.
Just a clarification. On Saturday, Antonio also attended a reception hosted by labor and environmentalists in San Diego, where he received a League of Conservation Voters San Diego, California Environmental Champion Award.
Thanks.
Not at the Democratic convention, though, so it is not a clarification, it’s an addendum.
AARP
A study recently released by AARP finds that nearly one in ten reverse- loan borrowers had other financial products recommended to them by lenders— usually investments, annuities or long- term- care insurance.
Much obliged for the article and for publishing a attractive site. I have been looking for reliable information on dog insurance and can put these recommendations to use. I have found it hard to locate honest information on dog insurance, as there are so many sites with junk information.
I predict this may come out better than any are predicting. We don’t want to jinx it by being overly optimistic and the media desire to lower our expectations so as to suppress the vote.
NgD6aK Touchdown! That’s a really cool way of putting it!
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