Suggested Reading and Other Tidbits

Not much time to post recently, but I have come across some interesting stories and tidbits that I wanted to share. Some of it's a little dated, but all are very interesting. Be sure to check out the Washington Post story on the Hillary Clinton campaign.

• Peter Baker and Anne Kornblut did a wonderful story in the March 6 Washington Post on the dysfuntional Hillary Clinton campaign. It sounds like having a camera inside the Clinton campaign would be reality TV at its finest. Perhaps the chaos is a good thing, as the former First Lady is making quite the comeback. Even in Victory, Clinton Team is Battling Itself.
• You could probably replace "Spain" with "Minnesota" in this headline and it would still be accurate. Spain's Socialists Prepare Economic Stimulus.
• More on the light rail boondoggle, this time from Joe Soucheray at the Pioneer Press. Did I hear correctly that it's going to take about 35 minutes to get from one downtown to the other on the train? This project gets sillier every day. Have a Name for University Ave. Train? Oui!
• This is an interesting account of Slayer's Reign in Blood tour in 1986-87. If I could travel back in time, I'd go back to 1986 so I could see Slayer and all of the old 80s thrash bands in their prime! Slayer's Reign in Blood Tour Recounted in April Issue of Decibel.
• I picked up MLB 08: The Show for the PS3 this weekend. Normally, I hate console arcade baseball games, but this one may change my mind. It's very realistic and super fun to play. MLB O8: The Show.

McCain must be wondering why a liberal is using his campaign

Isn’t it ironic that the issues of experience and terrorism are now working for Hillary Clinton? Or that Clinton is now viewed as the candidate that takes a strong stand on issues and has specific plans if elected? Clinton is even claiming the media favors Barack Obama. Whoever thought we’d see the day that a Clinton could claim media bias and actually have a valid case?

All of this is bad news if you’re John McCain.

McCain probably was planning on using the exact same campaign against Obama in the general election that Clinton is using right now to badger the Illinois senator in the primaries. Clinton’s 3 a.m. phone call ad could’ve easily been designed by a republican operative. Obama’s lack of experience and weakness on terrorism were probably set to be two of McCain’s main talking points. Cries of media bias would’ve helped McCain shore up even more of the republican base that so despises his sometimes liberal ways.

Instead, Clinton became so desperate to stop Obama’s momentum that she made these her issues. And it’s working.

Let’s assume Clinton wins the nomination. A good chunk of people now might actually associate her with being strong on terrorism and having experience. Any objective observer knows this to be untrue, but that’s beside the point. By using McCain’s own campaign strategy against him (out of necessity, not out of brilliant strategic thinking), she already has a leg up on McCain. It’s going to take McCain longer to debunk the myth that Clinton has the necessary experience and the stomach to fight terrorism than it would have had Clinton cruised to the nomination. Maybe he won’t be able to debunk the myth at all.

Two weeks ago, Republicans were praying that the Democrats would nominate Clinton. Now they’ve probably changed their minds; all because Clinton is suddenly experienced, with the will to fight terrorism despite being constantly harassed by the bias media.

Mrs. Clinton, John McCain wants his campaign back.

More on the Transportation Bill

• I'm glad House minority leader Marty Seifert acted swiftly in punishing the "Rouge Six" in his party that voted to override Gov. Pawlenty's veto of the massive transportation bill. Independence is a good thing (see my support of John McCain). Stupidity is not. What these six did was not independent. Supporting the largest tax increase in state history while we are in the middle of a turbulent economy and massive state deficit is narrow-minded thinking, not independence. If these six truly wanted to be independent, they would've came up with a plan that reformed Minnesota's massive entitlement system and re-directed some of that money to transportation projects. That's called creativity, which leads to independence.
• To be fair, I never heard an alternative proposal to the transportation bill come from any Republican. Perhaps they thought it could wait. Or maybe they just didn't have the guts to make a genuine effort at reducing spending in this state.
• I wonder if Seifert threatened this type of punishment before the veto override vote was made? Also, if the governor is able to order all state representatives and senators to St. Paul for a special session, he should be able to send them home early from a regular session. That would be the best move for the state right now.
• Centristy offers a well-written and researched alternate point of view on the recent transportation bill. Perhaps the GOP proposal would've been even bigger (albeit with some more creative financing measures)?