Sherman coordinates Super Bowl plan

Well, uh, for NEXT year.

The Packers began that process Friday when head coach/general manager Mike Sherman called the firing squad for defensive coordinator Ed Donatell and tight ends coach Jeff Jagodzinski. Actually, as packers.com so delicately put it, the two coaches were "relieved" of their duties. As if Sherman called Donatell and said, "Ed, you seem pretty burdened lately between doing the grocery shopping and shoveling the driveway. What do you say if I relieve you of some of your duties? Like your job."

My old nemesis returns!

MUSCATINE - Barry Brauns, a former state representative from Muscatine, today announced his return to politics after a two-year absence...

REAL interesting after the reapportionment pairing with Hahn and the attempt to carpetbag into the adjacent district in 2002 with that post office box in Nichols. Now that the district he actually LIVES in is open...

America as a One-Party State

America has had periods of single-party dominance before. It happened under FDR's New Deal, in the Republican 1920s and in the early 19th-century "Era of Good Feeling." But if President (sic) Bush is re-elected, we will be close to a tipping point of fundamental change in the political system itself. The United States could become a nation in which the dominant party rules for a prolonged period, marginalizes a token opposition and is extremely difficult to dislodge because democracy itself is rigged. This would be unprecedented in U.S. history...

Glamorous Cities in Race to Host Olympics

Don't know WHY I'm so interested in this. Maybe because I'm still pissed about Beijing.

The complete list of candidates:

Havana - beautiful but is there a Castro factor

Istanbul - would be first games in Islamic world

Leipzig - would be third German host city

London - would be three time host

Madrid - so soon after Barcelona?

Moscow - can they handle it? Would be first "real" games after `80 boycott

New York - sentimental favorite in post 9/11 era

Paris - supposedly the frontrunner; would be three time host

Rio de Janeiro - never been a Games in South America (or Africa)

Carol Moseley Braun to Drop Presidential Bid, Back Dean

"She leaves the race after making no impact on it, except for some bright moments in the presidential debates. Even her own campaign manager, Patricia Ireland, had said publicly there was no way Braun could win the nomination..."

Oh well. A little good news is still good news.

A moment of tacky courtesy of Dennis Kucinich

I promised myself way back at the beginning of this caucus that I was not going to bash the other Democratic candidates (I don't consider Lieberman a Democrat).

I am going to take a moment here, however, and say a few things about the supporters of one of the candidates.

Late last night I got word that Martin Sheen and Rob Reiner were going to make a brief stop in Iowa City at one of my favorite restaurants on behalf of my candidate.

Now usually, I don't care much about the meet-the-big-shot moments of politics. After all the experiences with my daughter, these things don't mean much.

I also stick to a firm and fast rule. I will only attend a celebrity event if the celebrity is appearing for my candidate. I would have loved to have seen James Carville four years ago. But he was here for Gore, I was for Bradley. People specifically invited me.

"Oh, John, it'll be OK, you can go, no problem."
"Sorry, I'd love to. But he's Gore, I'm Bradley. I wouldn't feel right."

But this one I wanted to go to. I even wanted to do the geeky-autograph thing. I had a wonderful time at Christmas watching The Princess Bride with my father, brother, and nephew, and I had a vision of giving my little bud a signed copy.

I even made a special sign and a special slogan in honor of Rob's brilliant and hilarious This Is Spinal Tap. Hopefully the phrase "Dean Goes To 11" will catch on.

Well. I took time off work and went down to the event.

The place was packed with Dennis Kucinich supporters. It was sign-war time.

Now, there are some unwritten rules of Sign War. Multi-candidate events, like debates or the Jefferson-Jackson dinner, are fair game. Sign War is expected and you snooze you lose.

Also fair: Visibility and picketing outside an event. Line the whole sidewalk outside the Hamburg Inn with Kucinich signs? Fine.

Events with candidates have a different standard. The candidate could and should expect tough questions, possibly from supporters of other candidates. Buttons for other candidates are acceptable (I usually take mine off), but you don't carry a sign.

But hijacking a non-candidate event by packing it, simply for visibility, is just plain tacky.

Anyway. After about the third time someone tried to block my dorky little DEAN GOES TO 11 sign with a Kucinich sign, I started to feel that unpleasant feeling I get sometimes and I left, bullied out of my own candidate's event.

Did they have a right to be there? Sure, you know me and my First Amendment. But was it right for them to do what they did? Not really. It's a typical move: piggyback onto someone elses event. Steal the work my campaign did to set it up. Tacky. Tacky. Tacky.

I've been busting my buns for Howard Dean for 11 months. And maybe it's selfish or shallow of me. But yeah, I wanted to meet Meathead. I wanted to meet Martin Sheen. They took time to come to my town for my candidate. A lot of people worked hard to make that event happen. And a couple dozen people who decided to be jerks ruined it for me.

Again, I said I wasn't going to bash the candidates. Dennis Kucinich is a decent congressman (except for a lousy record on choice). But Howard Dean started at the same place in the polls: Asterisk. A year later, Dean is in first place, and Kucinich is still Asterisk. Does that tell you anything?

A couple nice human being moments

I spent Saturday afternoon knocking on doors for Dean with a young guy who came up from Florida to help out.

Another nice moment was due to my own stupidity. I was quite proud of myself for not driving during last week's cold snap. WELL...

You know what happens when you don't start a car for a week in winter?

You don't start a car!

So. Friday night when this happened I left a note begging for help on the next car over. They didn't help, but they were nice enough to pass the note along to the next car, and so on and so on.

Saturday night about 10:30 I got a call from the owner of Car #4 or 5. "Yeah, I just got a burger, but I can help ya after I eat."

15 minutes later, vroom, vroom. I gave him five bucks and told him "here, get another burger," and he was even polite enough to refuse the money once and then take it. Hey, woulda been 50 bucks for the tow truck.

jdeeth@zeus.inav.net: 1999-2004 RIP

The other thing: Mid-afternoon the plug was finally pulled on the old e-mail account. My payment only ran through New Year's Eve and I was wondering how long it would keep flying. The four weeks of lag time since the decision to move gave me enough time to clue eveyone in, I think.

Some UK Perspective

"(Dean's) winning the nomination would be roughly the equivalent of Ken Livingstone taking over the Labour party..."

This guy interviewed me, didn't use it.

4th down and winter to go

Referring to the McNabb-Mitchell completion, Sherman said: "That was a pretty good situation to be in. You would think you would win a fourth-and-26. We didn't get that done."

A Kid Moment

Went to the post office today. Had a moment at the door with a mom, carrying one kid and holding the hand of another who looked about three. Had one of those polite friendly, we're trying to be in the space "excuse me" moments.

Then the child took a liking to me as I went the other way, saying her new favorite word:

"Bye!"

I turned around and waved: "Bye!"

"Bye!"

So again I said "Bye."

Then she very sweetly and innocently said "Bye, stupid!"

I burst into hysterics. The poor mother wanted to gently admonish the little girl but when she saw me laughing she couldn't do anything but laugh, too....

Harkin to endorse Dean

YAAAAAAAY!

Gangsters on the Loose in New 'Sopranos'

And the countdown begins...

Ralph Hall Update

The logo says "Republican" now. Goody for Ralph. Now let's see if he can win his primary...

In other Texas news, my man Ron Gunzberger at politics1.com says "The (re-redistricting) decision almost entirely eliminates any Democratic chance to recapture control of the House in 2004..."

Blast from the Past, 1984 edition

"Former Colorado Sen. Gary Hart is seriously considering a challenge to Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, according to party sources. The two-term senator and two-time presidential candidate recently discussed a possible bid with national and state party leaders who are urging him to jump in, said Democratic sources in Washington and Colorado..."

Hmm. Hart came out here a year or so ago and was supposedly looking at a presidential run. That seemed beyond reach. But a Senate comeback? Maybe. Campbell vs. Hart would sure be the most colorful race in the country...

Quote of the day

NPR's Conan, during yesterday's NPR debate: 'Congressman Kucinich is holding up a pie chart, which is not truly effective on radio.'

Dean Rivals Accused of Harassment by Phone

Well, I don't know but here's my story.

Just after 9:00 last night I got a call from the Kerry campaign. 9:00 is wrap-it-up time by normal phone center standards but OK by me because that's when my minutes are free and I'm a night owl. (A too-late call would only hurt your own team anyway)

It sounded like a volunteer, right down to phone center chatter in the background, phrased and worded in a slightly awkward oh-gosh style. But when I tried to respond I realized it was a machine call.

My first reaction was: Kerry doesn't have enough volunteers to make calls, so they're making pseudo-volunteer machine calls and hoping for answering machines. You get home and play the messages, or listen in while you screen out the call, and it would sound like a real person. But if you get a live person, it seems as phony as a chin implant.

The message itself was OK, didn't mention other candidates, John Kerry would like your support, etc. etc.

Duvall Had 'Godfather III' Money Issue

"If they paid Pacino twice what they paid me, that's fine, but not three or four times, which is what they did."

I always though that was the biggest thing wrong with 3, even bigger than Sofia Coppola: No Tom Hagen. It wasn't just the lack of Duvall's brilliant, subtle character in the Corleone mix. It was the fact that Coppola and Puzo massively rewrote the script to beef up the Hagen role in an attempt to lure Duvall. Then just when they thought he was in, he pulled back out (sorry). So they massively re-rewrote it to shrink the role and transmogrify it into the useless BJ Harrison.

Gratuitous Espresso-based Dean Bashing

In the ad, a farmer says he thinks that "Howard Dean should take his tax-hiking, government-expanding, latte-drinking, sushi-eating, Volvo-driving, New York Times-reading ..." before the farmer's wife then finishes the sentence: "... Hollywood-loving, left-wing freak show back to Vermont, where it belongs."

Hey, that's me! (They left out bike-ridin', tree huggin', flag-burnin', name-hyphenatin', and Sunday mornin' sleepin' in.)

Is Clark on the skids?

Here's a great one for my Southern Strategy:

"Dean's relations with the leaders of the Congressional Black Caucus are excellent and he may even choose one of their most legendary figures, civil rights veteran Rep. John Lewis of Georgia, as his vice presidential running mate."

As for Clark, let's move on:

Clark, after all, supported the Iraq war and even voted for President (sic) George W. Bush in November 2000. Democrats charged up by Dean no longer believe Clark is essential to give national security and foreign policy credibility to their ticket...

Bradley Hails Dean's 'Hope' for America

More proof that the Dean campaign is more than "nuthin' but Net"

Boston.com / News / Politics / Dean to make surprise visit to N.H. - Bradley endorsement expected

At least four people have e-mailed me about this, apparantly my reputation as a Bradley Guy is widespread.

My rep as a Packer fan has also spread, apparantly it was announced at the caucus training that I skipped yesterday that I was skipping out to watch the game...

Hire a webmaster, Ralph

Ralph Hall's campaign website still has an image that reads "Ralph Hall Democrat for US Congress"

Packers are a legit threat to go deep in playoffs

Be gone, all ye doubters and skeptics. The Green Bay Packers are a real, live, breathing Super Bowl contender.

Even though the Packers (11-6) now must win two playoff games on the road to reach Super Bowl XXXVIII, it's just possible that they'll look back on this game as the most difficult if they do make it to Houston on Feb. 1.

Their next test comes at 3:45 p.m. Sunday in Philadelphia against the top-seeded Eagles (12-4), who returned to work this morning after having had seven of the last eight days off. The Eagles were established as a 5-point favorite.

But guess what? The Packers don't really care because they were all but counted out when they crawled out of Detroit's Ford Field on Thanksgiving with a 6-6 record...

Favre from finished

Al Harris never got a chance for a Lambeau Leap. By the time he thought about it, he was buried under an avalanche of teammates.

The cornerback picked off Matt Hasselbeck's throw and headed to the end zone -- directly past former Packers coach Mike Holmgren -- to score the first defensive touchdown to win an overtime playoff game in NFL history...

'Man, That Dude Can Dance'

In response to a question testing his youth-culture awareness, Dean did a brief takeoff of a song by Outkast, the hot hip-hop group.

But my favorite quote:

Political analyst Charles Cook thinks Clark may be marginally more acceptable across the country, but says the Democrats should forget the South. "Get over it," he said. "The Democrats couldn't win the South with Robert E. Lee at the top of the ticket."

Texas Rep to become a Republican

This must be the player to be named later in the Barbara Hafer trade:

"Texas Rep. Ralph Hall, who was first elected to the U.S. House in 1980 as a conservative Democrat, joined the GOP Friday. Hall had long been the focus of efforts to get him to cross the aisle. For years, he refused, saying that he had started life as a Democrat and wanted to work to move his party back towards the center..."

More evidence that Bubba Is Gone Forever. Chalk this one up to the Tom DeLay re-
redistricting.

Republican map makers in the Legislature gave Mr. Hall more than 430,000 new constituents in their proposed redrawing of congressional boundaries. They removed Tyler and Longview from his 4th District and added Texarkana.

Throw in a dose of Hardball DeLay Style:

Hall said GOP leaders denied his appropriations requests: "I've always said that if being a Democrat hurt my district, I would either resign or switch parties.

Cal Jillson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University, said Mr. Hall's move will have little effect in Congress: "Ralph Hall has been a Republican in everything but name for more than a decade."

Local Dallas Story (free registration required)

Now if we can just get rid of Zell Miller...

Pat Robertson: God says it's Bush in a 'blowout' in November

Yeah, well, my Magic 8 Ball says DON'T COUNT ON IT

Who's Nader Now?

Some quibbles with the initial premise but the main argument resonates:

Some of Dean's rivals have launched vitriolic attacks that might as well have been scripted by Karl Rove. And I don't buy the excuse that it's all about ensuring that the party chooses an electable candidate.

After Dean declared that Saddam's capture hadn't made us safer — a statement that seems more justified with each passing day — Lieberman and, to a lesser extent, Kerry launched attacks that could, and quite possibly will, be used verbatim in Bush campaign ads. (Lieberman's remark about Dean's "spider hole" was completely beyond the pale.)

By seeking to undermine the election prospects of a man who may well be the nominee, Lieberman and Kerry have reminded us of why their once-promising campaigns imploded. Most Democrats feel that the right, ruthlessly exploiting 9/11, is making a grab for total political dominance. The party's rank and file want a candidate who is running, as the Dean slogan puts it, to take our country back. This is no time for a candidate who is running just because he thinks he deserves to be president.

Pretty cute for a banner ad cartoon

Now even thoght this Special Kay gal is clearly meant for the gals, she'd certainly be welcome for breakfast at my place. I think she might be Kim Possible's big sister...

Happy new year

The new year marks the one year anniversary of John Deeth Blog.

Over vacation, my dad and I were discussing wins and losses. That's one of the things our chosen fields, sports and politics, have in common.

He asked me if I though this past year had been a win for me.

Had to think a moment, but I said yes.

Two Winners

Howard Dean visits The Frozen Tundra:

"Dean had some other laugh lines during the day, including one of several allusions to the hometown heroic Green Bay Packers. Referring to the colors of the Service Employees International Union (and of the vanquished Minnesota Vikings), Dean said he made a wise choice in not wearing his purple SEIU jacket to the event (though he did at one point don a Packers hat and a cheesehead)."

Now, this cleary violates the Calvin Coolidge rule: Never be photographed waring a funny hat. But in Green Bay, Wisconsin, it's smart...

A new year, a new Democrat

"Pennsylvania State Treasurer Barbara Hafer, one of the state's most enduring Republican politicians in the last 15 years, has switched her party registration to Democratic. The unsuccessful GOP nominee for governor in 1990 said she shifted her party loyalty simply because she felt her progressive stance on social issues, such as her support of abortion rights, no longer fit in with the GOP..."

Standing Offer

The Sopranos season 5 will premiere Sunday, March 7th, 2004.

Here's the offer (and you can't... naah. Too obvious):

Free home cooked Italian cuisine in your home for 13 weeks.

Qualifiers:

Dinner must be served Sunday at 8 p.m.

Youse gotta have HBO.

This would explain the problem with the old email address

North Liberty Internet firm files bankruptcy

North Liberty-based Internet service provider Internet Navigator has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and plans to sell off its assets to the highest bidder.

The move will not affect customer services, said Wes Huisinga, a Cedar Rapids attorney who was named as trustee of the company Monday.

Legally known as On-Line Services LLC following a Chapter 11 restructuring that was completed earlier this year, the 8-year-old company currently has between 8,000 and 10,000 customers, said Michael Glick, chief executive officer of the company.

According to documents filed Dec. 23 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Iowa, On-Line Services had about $1.7 million in total assets and about $2.2 million in debt.

Glick said the company simply could not compete with larger Internet service providers that offer better and less expensive services.

The company's North Liberty office urrently employs only two customer service operators, a drop from 13 after the company downsized last month.

Notes from a Christmas vacation

Still trying to get my bearings back in Iowa City. I can't remember the last time I took off five straight days.

The Miracle In The Desert certainly ranked as one of the high points. Also a lot of serious nephew-niece time, even a couple runs down the ole hill on a sled before the snow melted.

The squirrels in my parents' backyard are the fattest squirrels on the planet.

It is extremely unusual anymore for me to be the adult male in the room with the most hair (only because my genetically mutant middle brother didn't travel)

Spongebob Squarepants is actually very funny

I have a good ear for recognizing cartoon voices - I spotted both Dauber from Coach and Worf from Star Trek TNG.

I'm not going to eat for a week

I was in the unfortunate position of needing car repair and the garage I went to 15 years ago when I lived in Wisconsin was still there, still run by the same guy, and expanded. Tells me he does a good job

Milosevic Wins Parliament Seat in Serbia Election

This takes the concept of skeletons in the closet to new lows.

Arizona Receiver Will Be Mayor Guest at Packers Game

"Of course, he's my favorite non-Packers player," Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt said...

Schmitt's invitation took Poole by surprise.


"I heard that the fans in Green Bay were quite some fans, but I didn't expect this," he said in a telephone interview Monday with the Green Bay Press-Gazette.


He wasn't even thinking about the Packers when he made his catch at the end of the game.


"I was just trying to get a victory for the team because we've been down," Poole said.


Schmitt also will give Poole a key to the city.

The Christmas Miracle In The Desert

As Vikings players fell to the ground in complete disbelief in Arizona, pandemonium erupted at Lambeau Field. News of the Cardinals' game-winning touchdown spread like wildfire through the stadium as Packers fans gripped their portable radios and watched the luxury box televisions to confirm what they had just heard. Packers players got the sense that something must have happened in Arizona, as they could not understand why their fans were cheering so loudly for the two-minute warning...

VH1 Will Release Zevon Special on DVD

"We got together with Artemis (Records) ... and I went through all the tapes and tried to pick some extra tracks to put on there," Jordan Zevon told AP Radio in a recent interview.

"They're all moments that are uncut. They're not edited together for the sake of time and go from bit to bit. They're actually just little moments in the making of the record."

Two nickels, please

"Rep. Mark Souder, R-Ind., is sponsoring legislation that would authorize the replacement of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's profile on the U.S. 10-cent piece with Ronald Reagan's..."

Wow

"With one spectacular long pass after another, Favre decimated the Raiders' patchwork defense with one of the greatest performances in his 13-year career..."

What a player. What a man.

The mother of all trials: Saddam likely to portray America as accomplice


You know, that's one thing we have Saddam to thank for: that phrase "the mother of all ______." Remember Gulf War I back in `91? One of those catchy lines that just stays with ya.

Favre's father dies, QB will play tonight

Talk about playing with pain.

A Statement From The Favre Family

All best wishes and prayers to Brett and his family.

On Familiar Ground, Kerry Labors to Win Over Voters

NY Times Apple nails it:

"There is something plaintive, something almost wistful about Kerry these days, as if he finds it inconceivable that he is having so much trouble convincing his fellow New Englanders that he and not Dr. Dean has the experience needed for the presidency. Like Hubert H. Humphrey in 1968, Mr. Kerry seems astonished that though he paid his dues, the nomination may go to a man who has not done so, at least in his eyes..."

When history looks back at the 2004 nomination contest they will record two critical moments: 1) Al Gore opting out and 2) John Kerry voting for the war and alienating the Democratic base. The Man from Mass could have had this thing, but the Bush Blank Check vote left an opening for the Doctor. And now Dean is about more than just Iraq.

Aplle also notes: "Two days on the road with Mr. Kerry left unanswered the question of why his campaign here has not taken off... But the candidate himself clearly bears some of the responsibility. At Hopkinton High School, he found it hard to connect with his youthful audience, the kind of group Dr. Dean charms."

AAAAAA! Godzilla!

"To mark the 50th anniversary, Rialto Pictures will be giving the original, uncut Nippon version - directed by Ishiro Honda and titled Gojira - a U.S. release in the spring..."

Napster for President

A "gets it" article about Dean online. A few choice bits:

"The condescending reaction to the Dean insurgency by television's political correspondents can be reminiscent of that hilarious party scene in the movie "Singin' in the Rain," where Hollywood's silent-era elite greets the advent of talkies with dismissive bafflement."

"The big Dean innovation is to empower passionate supporters to leave their computer screens entirely to hunt down unwired supporters as well and to gather together in real time at face-to-face meetings they organize on their own with no help from (or cost to) the campaign hierarchy. Meetup.com, the for-profit Web site that the Dean campaign contracted to facilitate these meetings, didn't even exist until last year. From Mr. Trippi's perspective, "The Internet puts back into the campaign what TV took out — people."

"To say that the competing campaigns don't get it is an understatement. A tough new anti-Dean attack ad has been put up on the campaign's own site, where it's a magnet for hundreds of thousands of dollars in new contributions..."

"Should Dr. Dean actually end up running against President Bush next year, an utterly asymmetrical battle will be joined. The Bush-Cheney machine is a centralized hierarchy reflecting its pre-digital C.E.O. ethos (and the political training of Karl Rove); it is accustomed to broadcasting to voters from on high rather than drawing most of its grass-roots power from what bubbles up from insurgents below."

"The music industry thought tough talk, hard-knuckle litigation and lobbying Congress could stop the forces unleashed by Shawn Fanning, the teenager behind Napster. Today the record business is in meltdown, and more Americans use file-sharing software than voted for Mr. Bush in the last presidential election. The luckiest thing that could happen to the Dean campaign is that its opponents remain oblivious to recent digital history and keep focusing on analog analogies to McGovern and Goldwater instead."

Nader bashers listen up

Nader said he was unlikely to run if Howard Dean got the Democratic nomination.

Says Nader: "Reading his position papers sounds eerily similar to what we've been saying. He speaks clearly - not in Senate-ese - and projects vigor. We need a macho Democrat."

So to everyone who keeps saying "we lost because of Nader": The obvious solution is to nominate the one credible Democrat who can win back most of the three million Nader voters. Nominate a pro-war Democrat and the Nader vote will double.

Think about it. Stop bashing. Start building.

Lieberman. Joe Lieberman.

"Dr. Dean," Lieberman said, "has become Dr. No."

Which obviously casts Joe as 007:

Bond's mission takes him to the steamy island of Jamaica, where mysterious energy waves are interfering with U.S. missile launches. As he unravels the astonishing truth, 007 must fight deadly assassins, sexy femme fatales and even a poisonous tarantula. With the help of crack CIA agent Felix Leiter (Jack Lord) and the beautiful Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress), Bond searches for the headquarters of Dr. No, a fanatical scientist who is implementing an evil plan of world domination. Only James Bond, with his combination of wit, charm and skill, can confront the madman and save the human race from a horrible fate.


Hmm. I think Bond is a little spicier that Lieberman's usual taste... and in the grand scheme of the Democratic contest, Joe Lieberman has the stature of Mini-Me.

So Joe: Zip it. Zip Zip Zip Zzzzzzzip it. Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Zip it.

Do Democrats Need the South?

Author says no; most of the article is Why We Shouldn't and it ends with We Don't Need To Anyway"

"Democrats are almost certain to wage serious campaigns in Florida, Arkansas, Louisiana, North Carolina, and perhaps Virginia and Tennessee. The point is, however, that Democrats don’t need any of these states to win and thus may not feel compelled to water down their national message to compete there..."

ABCNEWS.com : Thurmond's Son to Meet Mixed-Race Sibling

Now THAT would be some really interesting reality television

Thune says he will not run for Janklow seat

"Thune's decision gives House Democrats a boost of momentum in the June 1 special election. Stephanie Herseth has been running on the Democratic side for more than a month, and even Republicans acknowledge that she currently leads all of their potential candidates."

The down side:

"Thune has not ruled out challenging Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle next year..."

Circular Firing Squad Alert

"The AJHPV is spending about $500,000 on TV spots, which began in Iowa and started running in South Carolina and New Hampshire this weekend. But it prefers to attack Mr. Dean without revealing its backers -- or their connections to the Gephardt campaign..."

This is just the kind of stuff that turns people off of politics entirely. And Lieberman's "spider hole" comments are the moral equivalent of calling a guy Comrade back in the Cold War. Indeed, I've come to the conclusion that Joe Lieberman is the Colonel Flagg of the Democratic Party.

As Sinead (remember her?) would say, fight the real enemy.

Speaking of which, I saw a headline describing this week's Lauryn Hill meltdown as "pull(ing) a Sinead"...

Life begins at 40?

John Lennon wrote a song called Life begins at 40, and look what happened to him...

In other news it looks like ole zeus is giving me one last gasp of messages, I just got one about an event that was last night. This should help me complete the move...

Fill up my in box

The bright side of changing email addresses is it's an excuse to send everybody on the planet an email and maybe hear back.

The down side is that a lot of them will get Elvised.

The other down side is that you'll irritate some people who really DON'T want to hear from you.

The next 48 hours should be interesting.

I've had it

And the migration begins.

I've lost four days worth of email and the dialup ISP is telling me my email address never existed. That would make the 4 1/2 YEARS worth of messages hard to explain.

See, I've been paying for the Internet twice: once for my high speed connection, and once for the minimal account I kept to hang onto my email address and web site.

THEN I found out that Mediacom now has personal web space.

So.

Henceforth my home page is

http://jdeeth.home.mchsi.com

and my email is (spam free version)

jdeethATmchsi.com

UPDATE: The dumping of INav is likely to be sooner rather than later. After about four customer service conversations, I've come to the conclusion that they unplugged my server and have no intention of plugging it back in...

Is It Time to Believe?

"At this point, after he has amassed the armies of small donors and bloggers and volunteers, blocking Dean is not blocking one man. It's blocking the hopes of millions of Democrats who—understand the importance of this—would walk through fire for a candidate for the first time in their lives. That isn't something that should be done cavalierly; in the long term, blocking the active participation of these millions may do more damage to the Democratic Party than four more years of George W. Bush. "

Still Not Over

"Indeed, just Sunday, with Saddam in captivity, an apparent suicide bomber detonated an explosives packed vehicle outside a Baghdad police station, killing at least 17 people..."

And how long since the name Osama has been uttered?

Out of touch

Just on the incredibly random chance that someone is reading this, my e-mail has been down all day. Since 11:30 AM Thursday, I have only gotten one message. Not even so much as a v1agr@ ad or a LOWEST INTEREST RATES. Just one message - from my ole pal Joe Lieberman.

I blame him. Why not.

Also, last night I was polled for the millionth time, but I think this was an actual poll and not a voter ID call, since I early and repeatedly IDd myself as Dean and I know it wasn't Dean's folks calling.

The highlight was when the caller was reading the list of candidates, got tounge-tangled, and actually pronounced the name of the Connecticut Senator as, I kid you not, "Jew Lieberman."

Then I got the "thermometer" question.

Pollster: "Rate the following individuals on a thermometer, with 0 being the coldest and 100 the hottest."

Deeth: "OK"

Pollster: "George W. Bush."

Deeth: "Nine below zero." (squeezing in a gratuitous Dylan reference)

Pollster (humourlessly): "You can't go below zero."

Deeth: "Are you sure?" (it gets pretty cold in December in Iowa...)

'Sammy the Bull' Charged With 1980 Cop Killing

"Earlier this year, convicted murderer Richard 'The Iceman' Kuklinski told authorities that he shot Calabro on orders from Gravano..."

Just love those Mob nicknames.

I'm an uncle again

A big welcome to the world for Vivian Deeth of Midland, Michigan!

South Dakota GOP Rocked by Janklow Verdict

"I think in a special election, you have to say Stephanie's going to be tough," acknowledged Republican activist Neal Tapeo of Sioux Falls...

More on Gore

First of all, I'm still Dean.

And I know this helps him.

And no one is hurt worse than Lieberman.

But even though my analysis is "game over," I can't say I'm happy.

I feel like I did back the year the Packers won the Super Bowl. (huh?)

Brett Favre's backup quarterback that year was Jim McMahon, of `85 Bears Shufflin' Crew infamy.

Now, any true Packer fan cheers for two teams: 1) The Pack and 2) whoever is playing the Bears.

So, Jim, welcome to the team. You've been to the big game, you know what to do if we need ya.

But deep down we know you're still a GOD DAMN BEAR.


Here's my anti-Tipper speech and a Danny Goldberg link.

Former Sen. Paul Simon dies

Jury Finds Janklow Guilty

Not to gloat or dance on Janklow's political grave, but:

"Democrat Stephanie Herseth, who ran a surprisingly close race against Janklow in 2002, had announced that she would run again. She would be the early favorite to take the seat, which has been in Republican hands since 1996..." more

Gore to endorse Dean, sources say

Well.

Obviously I'm of profoundly mixed feelings about this.

The objective political analyst in me says: The message here is "the train is leaving the station."

My inner 22 year old is in some emotional conflict. I wanted to beat the Gores. I wanted them on another team, I wanted to crush that team, and then see them crawling cap in hand to the Deaniacs.

No. I wanted him to run, so we could BEAT him.

Anyway, I must begrudgingly admit that this helps. And it's a HUGE diss to Lieberman.

I still hate the SOB though.

Lieberman Versus Hollywood

"Lieberman lacks direct knowledge of the products and programs he goes after. Several entertainment-industry lobbyists and reporters remember a news conference Lieberman and Bennett called in 1994 to condemn media violence. When a reporter asked Lieberman to name a favorite TV program, the senator cited The McNeil-Lehrer Report on PBS. Pressed for the name of an entertainment program, Lieberman hesitated, seemingly unable to come up with an answer. Several people then overheard an aide whispering, Touched by an Angel. Lieberman immediately named the wholesome CBS drama as a favorite..."

Gratuitious Espresso-based Dean bashing

And it wasn't even David Yepsen!

"'Dean has a profile that works with the biscotti and latte-sipping crowd but is a much tougher sell for the biscuit and gravy crowd,' said Chris Lehane, a senior adviser to General Clark, as he previewed the kind of attack that would be used against Dr. Dean..."

I happen to like lattes. And biscuits n' gravy. But if it gets too rough, you might not see them on the same table...

Live from New York ... but not in Iowa

"All four NBC television affiliates in Iowa announced this week that they will not carry this weekend's broadcast of "Saturday Night Live," slated to be hosted by Democratic presidential candidate Al Sharpton..."

boooo... boooo...

Godfather on a real screen in Iowa City!

December 6th @ 11 pm in the Illinois Room. Way better than Sharpton on SNL. A can't miss for four bucks - and on the Don's birthday yet!

SONNY: Ah, say -- what do you think of the nerve those Japs -- those slanty eyed bastards, huh. Dropping bombs in out back yard -- and on Pops birthday ya know.

FREDO: They didn't know it was Pop's birthday.

And a Godfather political reference from The General:

"Kerry's mention of former Secretary of State James Baker as one in a list of models for a "Presidential Ambassador to the Peace Process" drew ire from Gen.Wesley Clark, who said in a statement, "Senator Kerry's suggestion that he might use Bush family consigliere James Baker as a special envoy to the Middle East is offensive … "

Labor Chiefs Allege Retaliation Threats

Sounds like the bad old days:

"Gerald McEntee, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), and Andrew Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), whose unions have endorsed Dean, charged that, at a meeting Monday that included Missouri Gov. Bob Holden (D), Joyce Aboussie, the vice chair of Gephardt's presidential campaign, issued an "ultimatum" to representatives of the two unions.

The ultimatum, McEntee and Stern said, also included demands that AFSCME and the SEIU use none of their Missouri members to campaign for Dean in Iowa, that the unions make no independent expenditures in Missouri for Dean and that they not communicate with their Missouri members about Dean's candidacy..."

Stopped by Dean HQ but did not see a horse's head.

Dean -- so far -- seems to have no Achilles' heel

"But after eight years of loyally supporting Clinton against Republican draft-dodger charges, are the Democrats going to retroactively change the rules and declare that only war heroes can run for president? There is no evidence that Dean did anything more than use the same loopholes that millions of other middle-class men employed to gain a medical deferment. At some point there should be a statute of limitations in politics against endlessly debating the personal decisions that anyone made during the wrenching Vietnam years."

Master Howard Dean

Interesting story of the prep school days. Not a must read but this paragraph is:

"...While Dr. Dean and Mr. Bush are both children of privilege, not all privilege is identical. Old money and new money have their own codes. The old-money conservatism was, on a political level, about balanced budgets, diplomacy and—as the 20th century progressed—a strong role for the state. The Texas politics of new money, oil and unfettered capitalism that surrounded Mr. Bush in Midland have moved in the opposite direction. So perhaps Dr. Dean’s insurgency isn’t just on behalf of the Democratic left; he also speaks for a wing of the Republican Party that split from its Southwestern counterpart in the 1960’s, returned in an uneasy truce in the person of George H.W. Bush, and seems to have been lopped off entirely by the current President."

Dean campaign a Runaway success

Notice I didn't go for the obvious headline...

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- Does Howard Dean love rock ‘n’ roll? He’d better or he may hear from one of his potential national convention delegates.

A slate of convention delegate candidates from New York made public by the Dean presidential campaign includes Joan Jett, whose 1981 song with the Blackhearts "I Love Rock-n-Roll" has become a rock anthem.

"This whole process intrigues me," Jett said. "I’m stepping into new territory. It’s very exciting."

If she’s elected during New York’s March 2 presidential primary, Jett would go to the Democratic National Convention next summer as a Dean delegate.

Turkey Curry

yum

1/2 cup onion
1/2 cup celery
1/2 cup peppers
1/4 cup oil/margarine
2 cups chicken broth (or gravy)
1 cup tomato juice
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. curry powder
4 cups turkey
rice

Sauté onions, celery, peppers in oil. Stir in flour gravy spices and tomato juice--stir to thicken. Add turkey and simmer while you cook the rice. Serve over rice.

Kerry, Lieberman: Thanks for Nothing

Following is the 54 to 44 roll call by which the Senate voted to pass the Medicare prescription drug bill:

Not Voting: Lieberman (Conn.), Kerry (Mass.).

I'm still a diehard Deaniac but I must tip my hat to Senator Edwards on this one...

The kid stays in the picture - in Des Moines with the Deaniacs

I'm two heads above Dean in the black IUPAT shirt. I no longer have the shirt, I was giving away buttons off my shirts and shirts off my back all day.

It had been ages since I'd been to a Jefferson-Jackson dinner or done any hoopla-ortiented stuff; this year my political activism has been laptop-centered. But it was fun being a kid again, hollerin' and waving signs.

Coin nerd strikes again

Apparantly I found the first Arkansas quarter in Iowa. Or at least I was the first person nerdy enough to 1) madly check my change for Arkansas quarters and 2) actually report it to a web site.

Of corse I was collecting coins when I was six so there's a pretty deep level of numismatic nerdiness to begin with (also note that I used the word "numismatic")

We don't need Bubba

Washingtom Post today:

"Solid Republican victories in the Kentucky and Mississippi *governors' races, coupled with Howard Dean's clumsy overture to Confederate flag-waving Southerners, have raised anew the question of whether Democratic presidential candidates can compete in the South.

They can't.

And precisely because they can't, they should stop trying. Moving forward, the Democrats would be better served by simply conceding the South and redirecting their already scarce resources to more promising states where they're making gains, especially those in the Southwest. .."

* but note Louisiana!

Hungarian Says Rock Defeated Communism

"Andras Simonyi, Hungary's ambassador to the United States, spent an hour Saturday night discussing the impact of Western songs on Eastern European politics before an invitation-only audience of 250 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame..."

My pain and suffering

Due to the most bizarre cable mixup I've YET seen, I am NOT currently watching the Packer-Viking game on ESPN. Channel 50 was instead showing WE, The Women's Entertainment channel. Which would have been OK IF channel 61, WE's duly designated home, had been shoing ESPN. But WE was happily at home on 61. And about seven other channels as well.

Now, Gorillas In The Mist is a fine and noble movie. But not on NINE channels when I'm getting Brett Favre on ZERO channels!

It's not as painful as some of my Packer memories. But it's painful.

Stephanie's back!

"Democrat Stephanie Herseth said Thursday that she will again run for South Dakota's lone U.S. House seat. The 32-year-old Houghton native surprised many observers in 2002 by running a competitive race against Janklow, the state's longtime Republican governor and sitting member of the U.S. House..."

She's a great candidate with an impeccable South Dakota pedigree (Grandpa was governor). And at the risk of going out on a limb, she's also quite attractive. Hmm. South Dakota is right next door, maybe I could go volunteer?

Dean gets Big Purple?

"Service Employees International Union president Andrew Stern said, “It is becoming clear that the passion of the members lies with Governor Dean, and that ultimately the decision before the board will be to either endorse him or endorse no one.”

We just won Johnson County...

Painters to Be First Union to Back Dean

"Howard Dean is getting his first union endorsement next week from the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades..."

And lord don't ya know it's MY union! We were also just about the only union for Bradley in 2000...

Ranking the Field

I've been scant on original content here, just passing stuff along. So I did a quick and simple ranking of the presidential field.

It's odd but I'm finding myself more involved in local campaigns than in the caucuses. The presidential campaigns are a lot like what is called, in Dilbert-speak, "seagull manager": Flies in out of nowhere, makes a lot of noise, shits all over everything and then leaves.

The presidential choice is as much about direction and feeling as it is about specific issues. It's about what it means to be a Democrat. So with that in mind, here we go.

1. Dean.
I'm official for Howard at this point, as much for dynamic as for specifics. The small dollor donors, the Internet buzz, the Dean Corps volunteerism - this is the guy who could win back a big chunk of the Nader vote (like me).

The goofy thing is I'm less upset with people who are for other candidates now who were for Bradley in 2000 than I am with people who are Dean now but were for Gore in 2000.

2. Kerry.
Frankly, Dean would never have had a chance if John Kerry had voted No on the war. On just about everything else Kerry is a solid liberal. But he's trying to have it both ways on the war; his right to be critical is compromised by his Yes vote. And the "I was a peacenik in `71" schtick is a negative; the John Lennon picture is just too blatant.

3. Kucinich.
Good on almost every issue, but I just don't trust him on choice. The guy was a "right to lifer" (sic) his whole political life - unil he decides to run for president?!? Plus the personality is a bit strident. Dean's anger seems righteous while Dennis just looks petulant. The commitment to the contest is iffy, he's also running for re-election to the House.

4. Gephardt.
Past his shelf life. How can he get elected president when he can't get elected speaker? In the UK he would have been prime minister. In the Republican Party he would have gotten a Bob Dole style "it's his turn" nomination. Still his record is mostly good except on the war (not only voted yes but enthusiastically supported.)

5. Edwards.
I reject the conventional Southern strategy argument of "we need Bubba back." I prefer this Southern strategy: black running mate, massive get out the vote drive in African American community.

That said, Edwards does economic populist just a tad better than Gephardt. He's got the fire in the belly commitment to the race, having stepped out of the Senate. But I just want a president who doesn't use the phrase "didn't hurt me a lick."

6. Sharpton
7. Mosely-Braun

I have to rank them somewhere even though it's clear neither will be nominated. Sharpton is running to be the new Jesse Jackson. Mosely-Braun is running - just barely - for historic vindication, to get out from under the ethics cloud of her Senate term. I give Sharpton the edge on motive.

8. Clark.
I just don't trust a general. And the political ineptitude is showing. The candidacy can be summed up in one word: gravitas. But that only matters to elites.

9. Uncommitted. I could see supporting any of the above eight as the nominee.

10. Candidate not currently in the race other than Gore.

11. One of my cats.

12. My other cat.

13 - 38. Any present member of the Chicago Cubs.

39 - 46,102: Anyone with a seat in Wrigley Field.

46,103 - 3,975,443: Anyone within 25 miles of Wrigley Field.

3,975,444: Lieberman. His main strategic error was filing as a Democrat.

Joe Strummer's Final Album Released

"Mick Jones, Strummer's former bandmate in The Clash, was among guests at the event at London's White Cube Gallery Thursday night to mark the release of "Streetcore." ..."

Republicans Fear Dean!

Secret GOP Memo Leak! You can't read the whole article since Roll Call went to a pay service, but here's the nut:

"The difference between Howard Dean and the rest of the Democrat candidates is that Dean comes across as a true believer to the base but will not appear threatening to folks in the middle. We are whistling past the graveyard if we think Howard Dean will be a pushover."

For frenzied Cub fans, the future is now

"In the left field bleachers of Turner Field in Atlanta, Marianne Scott of Tinley Park gripped her good luck charm, a hollowed-out baseball that holds her mother's ashes. 'I believe she's here with us, so I brought her to the park. Before she died, we asked her if she would help us from heaven....'"

Makes me glad I quit being a Braves fan after the divorce.

Judge Rules Michigan High School Student Allowed to Wear T-Shirt Calling Bush 'Terrorist'


"A high school student has the right to wear a T-shirt to school with the face of President Bush and the words "International Terrorist" on the front, a federal judge ruled..."

This is EXACTLY the kind of speech the First Amendment is meant to protect! One cheer for the judge and a bunch of cheers for the kid!

Wesley Clark: Still Not a Democrat


"According to the Pulaski County (Ark.) Voter Registrar's office, the former four-star general remains a registered independent..."

ROCKERS PLAN BANDS AGAINST BUSH EVENTS

About Time!

"Rock bands SONIC YOUTH, THE DONNAS and THE LIARS are among a host of musicians to join the BANDS AGAINST BUSH (BAB) collective who hope to thwart the American President's (sic) success at the 2004 elections..."

Championship Vinyl!

"...in the vast universe of popular music, there exists an oft-overlooked group of dedicated individuals who devote their ample free time to collecting, debating, and publishing the minutiae of the rock genre. They are the losers who write rock's rich and storied history..."

I hate to blog David Yepsen, but...

"Howard Dean may well be the next president of the United States because of something called the "Dean Corps" in Iowa... they are taking politics back to the future by organizing campaign work around community-service projects..."

Makes me want to toast him with a $3 latte.

Bye Bye Johnny

"Johnny Cash walked the line for nearly 50 years, every inch of his journey through the country, gospel, folk and rock worlds etched into his face. The journey ended early Friday. He was 71..."

Back in my country DJ days, while I was learning country from the roots up, I took every chance I got to play Johnny Cash on the radio.

I was lucky enough to see him live once, at Farm Aid 1993.

One of the true giantd of country and rock.

Now Here's A Shocker

"Tommy Chong, who played one half of the dope-smoking duo in the Cheech and Chong movies, was sentenced to nine months in federal prison and fined $20,000 Thursday for selling bongs and other drug paraphernalia over the Internet...."

why, why, why?

Backhoe Crashes Into Garbage's Madison Recording Studio

Of all the stupid things.... check out the pic of Butch Vig inspecting the damage

Not Again

"Republican Gov. Rick Perry on Tuesday called a third special session of the Legislature to redraw Texas' congressional districts after the Democrats thwarted two previous attempts by fleeing the state..."

Greetings from Bloom County, Iowa

"Cartoonist Berkeley Breathed is resurrecting Opus the penguin from the 1980s comic strip Bloom County for a new series to appear in Sunday comics this November..."

My college buggies and I used to joke about roadtripping down to Iowa City to party with Berke Breathed. Little did I know that one day I would be LIVING in Bloom County...

I'll Sleep When I'm Dead

"Warren Zevon, who wrote and sang the rock hit 'Werewolves of London' and was among the wittiest and most original of a broad circle of singer-songwriters to emerge from Los Angeles in the 1970s, has died. He was 56..."

Warren's Still With Us!

Congratulations to Warren Zevon. His album The Wind is released today and he lived to see the day.

E! Online News - Julianne Moore Marries

sigh...

Well, Nicole's still single...