Is North Carolina The End?

Ken AshfordElection 2008Leave a Comment

The front page of USA Today: “‘I really believe May 6 has the potential to be everything,’ says Joe Trippi… ‘Every day you see increased pressure on Hillary Clinton about why she’s staying in, and if she could win in North Carolina it would shut down that kind of talk and open up the possibility she could get there’ to … Read More

If The Framers Of The Constitution Read This….

Ken AshfordConstitution, War on Terrorism/Torture, Wiretapping & SurveillanceLeave a Comment

…they would never stop throwing up.  I’m talking about this: For at least 16 months after the Sept. 11 terror attacks in 2001, the Bush administration believed that the Constitution’s protection against unreasonable searches and seizures on U.S. soil didn’t apply to its efforts to protect against terrorism. That view was expressed in a secret Justice Department legal memo dated … Read More

A Smoking Gun? Or A Lie?

Ken AshfordWar on Terrorism/Torture, Wiretapping & SurveillanceLeave a Comment

Keith Olbermann (see video below) and Glenn Greenwald are on the case, and rightly so. The controversy centers around statements made last week by Attorney General Mukasey.  In a speech to telecom leaders showing his support for telecom company immunity in the FISA law, Mukasey made a startling heretofore-unknown revelation.  From The NY Sun: Officials "shouldn’t need a warrant when … Read More

World’s Worst Attorney: John Yoo

Ken AshfordWar on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

Holy mother of God: Memo: Laws Didn’t Apply to Interrogators Justice Dept. Official in 2003 Said President’s Wartime Authority Trumped Many Statutes The Justice Department sent a legal memorandum to the Pentagon in 2003 asserting that federal laws prohibiting assault, maiming and other crimes did not apply to military interrogators who questioned al-Qaeda captives because the president’s ultimate authority as … Read More

Encouraging

Ken AshfordSex/Morality/Family ValuesLeave a Comment

The singles map (a reworking of the one published in the Boston Globe recently): Discussion here. Sadly, this only goes to the quantity of women (as compared to men), not their quality.  But good news is good news!

And Now Obama Is In The Lead In PA

Ken AshfordElection 2008Leave a Comment

…according to one stunning poll at least: Barack Obama has taken the lead in Pennsylvania, a remarkable turnaround after trailing Hillary Clinton by 26 points in a PPP poll in the state just two and a half weeks ago. Obama’s steep rise could be a reflection of a growing sense among Democratic voters that a continued divisive nomination process will … Read More

Fooled

Ken AshfordEconomy & Jobs & DeficitLeave a Comment

I admit it.  I can be quite gullible at times.  It’s very easy to pull the wool over my eyes, and some people have managed do it with remarkable ease and regularity. So I’m always on my toes on April Fool’s Day.  But nope, I got fooled. Riding to rehearsal, I heard an incredible story on NPR.  It was on … Read More

Pennsylvania Getting Close

Ken AshfordElection 2008Leave a Comment

Everyone has assumed, quite correctly, that Hillary will take Pennsylvania in the next primary.  She’s enjoyed double digits leads in every poll for months.  Even the Obama campaign isn’t cmapaigning hard there, choosing instead to focus on later states like North Carolina and Indiana. But whoa there. Rassmusson just came out with a poll showing that the Hillary stronghold on … Read More

Congrats To The New Jumbo!

Ken AshfordPersonalLeave a Comment

At my undergrad alma mater, Tufts University, there sits a cannon on the hilltop by the chapel, a gift from the City of Medford to Tufts University in 1956. In 1977, some joker painted the cannon with a political slogan, and a Tufts tradition was started.  Since them, the cannon has been painted and repainted countless times for birthdays, to … Read More