Hey gang, it’s been awhile — missed y`all. No comment on Madonna’s scheming brother, except I don’t get the link between his book and the Obama New Yorker cover. In what way are they even remotely related, Peggy? And did you really read that thing? I watched the Charlie Rose interview with the New Yorker editor, and am in agreement that the Jon Stewart / Stephen Colbert assessment is the correct one. It’s a f****** cartoon!!!!!!!!!!!! As for comparing “The New Yorker” to monsters like Murdoch’s corporate media choir — that’s simply bizarre. No one at the NY`er has been apologetic about this decision at any time, and for good reason. They’ve been giving Barak’s campaign the velvet glove treatment from the get go. Moreover, this controversy may prove an effective way to get the country focused on a hate campaign that has been surprisingly difficult to combat, considering its utterly ludicrous claims and the widespread condemnation they have received. Obama supporters should be thanking the New Yorker for what may prove a highly potent inoculation against the inevitable Swiftboat campaign to come. If the brouhaha succeeds in teaching the country a needed lesson in the ABC’s of political satire, while at the same time bolstering the defenses of the electorate to withstand tactics based on fear and hate, bring on the Pulitzers, by all means. More importantly, if The New Yorker’s financial bottom line is improved as a result of increased circulation, and its historic place on the U.S. media landscape made more secure, so much the better. I have no problem with this venerable publication getting a boost / bounce / bonanza from such a consummate demonstration of literary chutzpa, nor should the Obama team. The cable networks build empires exploiting our electral process on a 24/7 basis, raking in obscene amounts of cash with so-called political coverage (not to mention candidates’ ads.) It’s an appalling business model, but — as destructive and debilitating as it is — perfectly legal, and rarely questioned. I’m starting to wish I could figure out a way to make a buck off the process with my head held high the way Ariana Huffington’s organization has succeeded in doing; my hat’s off to them. Hell, I might as well tip it to Drudge too, while I’m at it.

I too felt like I’d been personally in the room enjoying the Clark Reed & Hodding Carter “debate” while reading Julia’s colorful and highly entertainting piece. I hope we hear lots more from her in this vein in wowowow’s enchanting virtual salon. The reference to Richard Nixon’s desegregation efforts in the South are not widely known, but should be. It was accomplished there with far less violence than in some Northern cities (Boston and Chicago come to mind.) If I were Senator Obama I’d study the presidencies of Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter in preparation for the challenges of ending the Iraq war and dealing with the Middle East in my first term. I’m curious about Julia’s reaction to the downfall of Trent Lott (and her father’s as well.)

Oops again, I forgot to logout of heather’s account before posting the above. She’s showing some mainland visitors around the island and won’t be on the site for the remainder of the week, I expect. I shouldn’t indulge myself here too much either, since my tendency to procrastinate has been especially hard to shake for the past month and something has finally got me moving again (desperation will do that) so I dare not fail to take advantage of the little momentum I’ve been able to build up lately. I did look at the post by Julia Reed about her father Clark Reed, and I’m going to check out the comments there — I’m hoping to learn more there about the rise of the Republican Partry in the South, the Reagan Revolution, etc., Trent Lott, etc. I also should admit that the “virtual salon” image was heather’s. She wasn’t crazy about the “glamorous” adjective — her pix from the thesaurus were “bewitching” and “enchanting” … preferences, anyone?

And another thing … how about some serious detailed discussion about exactly how Barak Obama should extricate us from the Iraq debacle in a way that will not label the Democratic Party for decades to come as the party that “lost Iraq” (or lost the Middle East?) For starters we could read two book discussed back to back on C-Span today. Check out my blog for more details: teachlaw@blogspot.com with sincere aloha, Mike

VN - we’re guests in their Glamorous Virtual Salon, and I feel privileged to be here. If they don’t make a profit in the short run, and if we’re as obnoxious as quite a few of us have appeared to be at times (and I’m right up there on the doofus list, as you may know), we might find ourselves without wowowow, or a wowowow owned by Rupert Murdoch. Tell us about yourself. Now, here’s something I’d like to have your reaction to Val, and I’m hoping to hear from several others as well. Mugsy? <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> What would Tim want us to be doing to honor his life’s work and mission? He was a graduate of my alma mater law school — Cleveland Marshall College of Law / Cleveland State University — no doubt its most famous alumnus. I think he might be pleased if the wow0wow family (dysfunctional at times, but what family isn’t?) began to have serious, substantive discussions about the kinds of issues he often covered on his network broadcasts. One topic which I’d like to have this website weigh in on is a measure that the U.S. could adopt which would instantaneously reduce its dependence on imported oil in a very big way, and which only one of our presidents was brave enough to champion. He’s still the most courageous living former president and I don’t think I have to be more specific than that. Why not immediately lower speed limits nation wide to 50 miles per hour? Trucking companies are already imposing lower limits on their drivers, and this is something that is a no-brainer as I see it. Of course it could be political suicide for either McCain or Obama to support it during the campaign, so it won’t be mentioned if our candidates can possibly avoid it. But I think it’s time to begin a conversation that would pave the way for Congress and the next president to push for it in the first 100 days of the new administration. Comments anyone? I think I know how Tim Russert would pursue this if he were still with us. Aloha O`e, ‘Big Guy’. You are, and will be missed.

OOps! Forgot I was logged in on Wild Heather’s account. She and I agree on this, by the way. I’m going to post this comment at the end of the thread also; I’m hoping the Webmaster will see it. Aloha from Honolulu, Mike

Perhaps one day Air Force One will go down in a “snowstorm” and a man we knew little or nothing about who was picked to “balance the ticket” (a closet right to lifer?) will succeed to the office of President to the World, and we’ll all rue the day that Senator Obama did not stand up to his Hillary hating supporters and do in his heart what he knew to be the right thing by choosing her as his running mate — no, I’m not playing the ‘assassination card’, and Sen. Clinton wasn’t either — she’s a realist — they don’t call it the USKKKofA for nothing, and it didn’t start at Trinith United, the largest UCC congregation in the world — does anyone know what percentage of American presidents have been assassinated or the victim of an attempted assination? I think it started with Andrew Jackson, in 20th century we know that Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, Nixon, and FDR were all subject to assassination attempts or plots

… in a good way !!!!!!!!

What a ridiculous post … with the benefit of hindsight, Ms Bachrach, would you have used this opportunity for such a shortsighted, inane comment?

On second thought, I wouldn’t use the word cool for Michelle, cuz she definitely isn’t when rising to the defense of her man — cool in the Dionne Warwick way, for sure — I’d use ‘passionate’ to describe our next ‘first partner’ ….

As cool as Michelle, as battled hardened as Hillary, and as classy as Cindy — ah twere devoutly to be wished …

I”ll look for those Lauriate (is it pronounced Lorry - ah — tay?) — thank goodness your parents didn’t name you ‘Polly’ -hoo hoo

glad you corrected that, serena, WHEW!!!!!!!!!!

FIVE YEARS IN THE HANOI HILTON IS A “PRISON EXPERIENCE”? My dear, I won’t waste any more time on this disgusting topic. I am awestriken by your on your ladylike life and bow down before you — however, I was asking about your husband. Frankie, help me with this, please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

you beat me to the punch, heather, i owe you lunch — when are coming to town? isn’t this new feature great — i mean the new “search function” that allows us to get all our old posts by posting on our “avatars” i wish more of the wowowow ladies would choose their own, those profiles are not only sexist, they’re BORING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!