Open Thread

Enter the ICHC online Poker Cats Contest!

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Happy Leap Day

I looked for a picture that involved "leaping" and found this. Click the image for the story.

This is an open thread.

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Clinton claims Richards' "endorsement", over family objections

This is just *wrong*. To use Hillary's own words, shame on you, Hillary Clinton.

"So many women around Texas and America are saying, `Wish Ann was here, for us and for Hillary,'" a female voiceover says on the video.

"Today Ann would be asking all of us to make a statement. She would be traveling to every small town and big city in Texas, urging us all to take a stand, be counted, to make a difference, to make history," it says while a picture of Richards and Clinton appears on the screen. "This one's for Texas. This one's for our country. This one's for Ann."

Click here for more. Richards' two sons, Dan and Clark Richards, have asked the Clinton campaign not to use the video.

Update: via Brilliant at Breakfast, here's the video



By way of clarification, Richards' daughter gave permission. But since the sons asked the campaign not to run the ad, the classy thing to do would be to honor that.
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Obama in Columbus

Here's a post from the Ohio State University Lantern:

Obama rally to inspire voters, cause parking problems

Will add links to reports on the event once I find any.

I wasn't able to make it to the rally, but unlike "Obama girl", I did actually vote. Given the iffy weather these days, I highly recommend taking advantage of early voting.

Any Ohioan can vote early by going to your local Board of Elections. This page lists all of the BoE locations.

Also, I haven't heard any reports yet on crowd size, but these are the weather conditions that the people standing in line outside St. John Arena faced.

Obama calls Tuesday debate 'terrific' during university rally

Obama Late; Supporters Say He's Worth The Wait

Local ABC affiliate--report with video

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DEBATE TONIGHT

I understand they will be liveblogging tonight's debate over at Buckeye State Blog.

Dodd Endorses Obama

The above is thanks to Renee
The below is thanks to floridagal

Sometimes a great cartoon just must be posted somewhere.

I guess so much has been written about how Florida leaders manipulated the primary date to be important, to get attention the week before Super Tuesday. This cartoon from Chan Lowe at the Sun Sentinel Cartoon Gallery just about says it all.



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I voted today

I went to the Board of Elections today and took advantage of the early voting option. Thought I'd pass this along for any fellow Ohioans who might not be aware of this. While Dennis Kucinich's name does appear on the ballot--and was included in some of the recent polling--there are notices at the polling place indicating that a vote for Kucinich will not be counted. Same with Giuliani on the Republican ballot. I guess it's the difference between withdrawing from the race and suspending one's campaign.

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Dear Governor Strickland...

Governor Strickland, I supported you in your run for governor. Participated in a blogger conference call and transcribed it, and also did a bit of transcribing of your debates against Ken Blackwell. A Strickland bumper sticker still graces the back of my car. Admittedly, that's partly because we haven't bothered to scrape it off, but also because we haven't felt any pressing need to remove it. After all, we're kind of proud that our state has moved beyond Taft/Blackwell style corruption.

Please don't make me want to remove that bumper sticker. I don't want to become disgusted and fed up with you, so I've avoided following your remarks at Hillary Clinton events. Yesterday, though, it was impossible to miss you standing behind Senator Clinton and nodding as she delivered her "shame on you" tirade. This morning, I was disheartened to read your remark about Obama supporters “following their heart without engaging their head in the process.” Yes, I know you said some Obama supporters, but you're playing into stereotypes, which I hope you don't really believe. Please be careful. Once you've said something, you can't really unsay it, you know?

Hillary is already going very negative these days, insulting both Senator Obama and his supporters. Her behavior right now is so off-putting that even if she does find a way to turn this thing around and somehow secures the nomination, some Democrats are going to have a hard time supporting her. And that has the potential to affect not only the presidential race, but down-ticket contests as well.

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Barack Obama in Texas

Thank you, Karen, for linking this article. I saw it posted over at Booman this morning, and meant to link to it. But it slipped my mind (been that kind of day) so I was glad to be reminded.

"Mr. Obama walks out, left hand stuck in his suit pants pocket, looks around, the klieg lights casting him in a bright glow. After a throat-clearing word or three, he rubs his hands together in anticipation, the crowd tenses, and he says:

“All right. O.K. Let’s go to work here and talk some [big pause] politics!”

YAH! The crowd bounces and roars. So cool! Nothing like a rocking Friday night in Texas.

He lists the arrows that critics sling his way. He’s too hopeful, too inexperienced, not tough enough. At mention of the last, he bobs his head, steps toward the crowd, leans in and says: “Listen, I’m a black guy named Barack Obama running for president. You want to tell me that I’m not tough enough?”

He smirks. “Shoot.”

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