Switcheroo. Texas Republicans voting Democrat?

What’s this? People who call themselves conservative Republicans planning to vote in the Texas Democratic Party Presidential primary next Tuesday? You heard right. A number of polls indicate some Republicans have already voted early for Senator Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama. Others say they plan to do the same next Tuesday.

Why? Some say they are angry at John McCain, the presumptive GOP Presidential nominee. Some question McCain’s commitment to conservative issues, accusing him of getting too buddy buddy with Democrats in the Senate and compromising away the farm. Call it a protest vote from those who say putting a liberal Democrat in the White House for 4 years will insure election of a conservative Congress in 2 years and a Regan-like conservative for President next time around. Theory; short term pain for long term gain.

But, there is another play going on here. Some Republicans may be voting for Clinton to give her the boost she needs to stay in the Presidential race, because they think she will be easier to beat in the November election. Some Republicans may be voting Obama for the same reason. Either way, Texas Democrats might want to know there is a fox in the hen house and it could really make things interesting and very unpredictable next Tuesday.

Can I stop holding my breath now? Bloomberg out.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg told the New York Times tonight he is not going to run for President. Can I stop holding my breath now? The “I am smarter than you are” chief executive of the Big Apple threated a lot lately that he would dip into the Presidential race as a 3rd party or independent candidate. Tonight, he says he won’t do that. Whew!

Bloomberg did put a scare in many Republicans, remembering what Ross Perot did in 1992. Many in the GOP believe Perot’s dislike for George H.W. Bush, that fueled his 3rd party run for President, siphoned off enough votes to put Bill Clinton in the White House.

Well, Bloomberg says he won’t be part of that action this time around. But, he says he will be part of the campaign for the candidate that levels with Americans, who agrees and will admit that partisan bickering won’t solve any of the problems we face. Talk about a velvet hammer! Way to go Mayor, trying the old carrot and stick approach to political coercion.

Some say the political crucible of partisan debate is the worst system of government on the face of the Earth, except for all the other forms of government. Unity, the way Bloomberg describes it, is a Utopian notion, and ignores the diversity of our population and ultimately smells like collectivism. Is spirited partisan discourse and reasonable legislative compromise unachievable? Do we really want one mind, one solution and one direction? I hope not.

Read Bloomberg’s OP ED in the NY Times, here is the link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/28/opinion/28mike.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

Too much time on their hands! Congress needs to get a life.

There must be nothing else to do in Washington, because Congress seems obsessed about finding out if Roger Clements lied to them about taking steroids. Knock,knock! Anybody home? In the grand scheme of things, why is that important?

Talk about a royal waste of time and, swallow hard here, tax payers dollars. Now, we get the Justice Department involved, spending Lord knows how much taxpayer money to settle the spitting match between Clements and his trainer.

Who lied? Who cares? What difference does it make? Is this what we elected these people to do in Washington? Me thinks not! Hello, Earth to Congress, what about passing a budget? How about doing the people’s business on Capitol Hill, like insuring our troops get the money they need for supplies and operations, instead of blathering about ending the war and not having the guts to pull the plug. Oh, I forgot, it is much easier to go after a baseball player than doing your real job.

A bare knuckles fight. Now that’s a Presidential debate.

The gloves are off, and Texas and Ohio are the boxing rings. Senator Hillary Clinton came out swinging in the debate with Senator Barack Obama in Cleveland tonight. There is no more “nice guy” stuff for Senator Clinton a week out from the Texas and Ohio Presidential primaries. Make no mistake, Clinton has lost the last 11 primaries to Senator Obama and she is taking swings she hopes will connect as a knock out punch to send Obama’s head spinning and seeding doubt in the minds of those who might vote for him.

Senator Clinton got rough discussing differences between her plan and Obama’s for universal health care. The substance of the debate failed to reveal new details of either heath care plan, but the tone of the discourse revealed a lot about where this campaign for the Democratic Presidential nomination has landed. Clinton’s own husband was in Texas today, 6 stops in North Texas, admitting she must win both this state and Ohio for her Presidential campaign to survive. That kind of pressure produced the demeanor we experienced from her in the Cleveland debate tonight, “I know the answers and you don’t” desperation. I don’t think she did herself any favors. By contrast, Senator Obama’s debate demeanor was respectful, even tempered, in control; read that “Presidential.”

This was an important barometer of Democratic Presidential race just days before the primaries that may decide the party’s Presidential nominee. Some make like Clinton the fighter, some may say it is about time she came out swinging. Other’s may like that Obama would not take the bait and bare his teeth to draw blood too. For those who have seen Obama as a breath of fresh political air, they probably like what they saw tonight.

6 days and counting.

He’s back! Will Ralph Nader spoil the Texas Primary?

Here we are just a week before the Texas Presidential Primary, and consumer advocate (some say gadfly) Ralph Nader, is running for President again, for the umpteenth time. Nader ran on the Green Party ticket in in 2004 and 2000. Many Democratic Party power brokers are still bitter about Nader’s run in 2000, saying he cost Al Gore the Presidency by siphoning off 2.7% of the vote, just enough in the general election to give the White House to Republican George W. Bush.

Why does Nader do this? Similarly, why did Ross Perot run as a 3rd party candidate against George H.W. Bush in 1992? Simple, both men have a visceral dislike of the “establishment” candidates in either the Republican or Democratic parties. Nader knows he is not a viable Presidential candidate, he must know that. He also must know he can be spoiler, maybe even a king maker in the right circumstances, if he can siphon off enough votes to do damage. That damage would likely come at the expense of the Democratic party candidate, either Senator Obama or Clinton. Is that what he has in mind? Who knows what is in Nader’s mind, except his ego driven desire to push his environmental and anti-corporation agenda.

Will any voter pay attention to Nader this time? Some Democratic party strategist are worried a tiny bit of attention on Nader before the March 4th Texas Primary could cost Senator Hillary Clinton any chance of carrying the state, because it gives the Greens a chance to cast a protest vote. Losing here, so say the strategist and her own husband former President Bill Clinton, would likely put an end to Hillary Clinton’s run for President.

Clinton Obama Texas debate. The winner is?

The Democratic Party Presidential primary debate between Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama Thursday night proved to be more like a mutual admiration society meeting than a debate. The two candidates locked in a dead heat of a contest here in Texas nearly agreed on everything, nothing to sink your chops into to help sway the undecided. The warmest the conversation got was when Clinton accused Obama’ of plagiarism, pointing out Obama’s campaign speeches use words first uttered by his friend, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick. Senator Clinton had the best line of the night, saying “lifting whole passages from someone else’s speeches is not change you can believe in, it’s change you can Xerox.”

Who won the “debate” will be for you to decide, the pundits and prognosticators sure don’t know and have been wrong in almost every other state primary this season. There will be instant polls from overnight, but the only poll that will be close to accurate will be March 4th.

Notice the ads, Clinton is still running that tired old retread from some other state, constantly saying “Hillary Clinton Tuesday.” Message to the Clinton campaign managers; the Texas election is not this Tuesday, it is a week from next Tuesday. By contrast, Senator Obama has 3 new ads on the air, seemingly adding a new one daily, and that keeps his message fresh. Will TV ads make the difference? Again you will be the judge, but you can tell who is investing in the race. This is a big state, campaigning in person everywhere is just not possible in this short time frame, and the Democratic nomination may come down to who wants it more and who can afford to keep up the TV blitz.

Snoring. It is a serious problem, this may help.

I snore, a lot. I wrote a blog back on December 23, 2007 about my experience to find a solution. In the process of exploring my options I discovered I didn’t just snore, I had a more serious problem called sleep apnea. Dallas is blessed with some of the best sleep specialists in the country, and Dr. Craig Schwimmer is one of them. Dr. Schwimmer is a surgeon who developed the “pillar procedure” described in a story done by NBC-5’s Brendan Higgins last night. See his story at this link, http://www.nbc5i.com/health/15372068/detail.html.

The most refreshing part of my experience was Dr. Schwimmer telling me his procedure was not really the best choice for me. He referred me to Dr. Leon Rosenthal, at Sleep Medicine Associates in Dallas, another one of the best of the best in our town. After the most thorough medical exam I have ever experienced and an exhaustive sleep study, Dr. Rosenthal put me on a CPAP machine, which Dr. Schwimmer told me is the only 100% cure for snoring and sleep apnea. Dr. Rosenthal agreed, and also told me he was surprised a surgeon would say the machine is the only 100% cure. I am not surprised, my experience with Dr. Schwimmer was nothing short of a lesson in honesty. His concern was for my voice, which could have been changed by the pillar procedure. His concern was finding a viable solution for my situation. That is what you expect from one of the best doctors in the nation, and that is what I got.

The CPAP is indeed a 100% cure for my snoring and sleep apnea, my wife can now sleep undisturbed by me at night. But, the pillar procedure may be the best choice for you. Do your research, visit several doctors, be comfortable with your choice. But, snoring and sleep apnea is a serious health problem, it can shorten your life. Don’t be ashamed or afraid. Get it fixed.

Much ado about McCain’s lobbyist dalliance.

The New York Times is making a lot of hay tonight over a history lesson, a long and very detailed story about John McCain and his relationship with lobbyist Vicki Iseman during his first run for President 8 years ago. This is not a steamy tale of Senator McCain stepping out with a hottie and carrying on an extra marital affair, as some people are characterizing the story. The story is a chronicle of how being holier than thou on ethics and campaign finance reform could come to haunt the presumptive Republican Presidential nominee.

The article digs deep into McCain’s own ethical stumble with the Lincoln Savings and Loan scandal, his flying on a bunch of corporate jets and keeping company with Ms. Iseman. He denied then, and still does, that he and Iseman got romantic. But, as the article points out, McCain is a quick learner, and understands that “perception is often reality” for most folks. The perception problem is that he preached ethics controls in campaign finance after getting his finger stuck in the cookie jar. This is kind of like the condemned inmate on death row getting religion just before the trip to his execution.

This is an interesting read, I recommend it. But, I think this article, and those that are sure to follow, are a demonstration of what is right and wrong with the way we elect people these days. My short point is if we continue to engage in these “gotcha” stories and politics of personal destruction, we are not going to get anybody worth anything to run for office. We will reap what we sew. On the flip side, the paradox is we need to know this stuff. This kind of story gives us a sense of what a candidate is made of and what he, or she, will do when confronted with uncomfortable facts and choices.

Is the story important? You be the judge. Me thinks not.

Give Texans a stake and They will come.

The crowds prove it, Texans are hungry to participate in the Presidential primary process, when they can really make a difference in the choice. Huge crowds, almost rock star caliber, showed up at rallies today, the likes we in this state have not ever seen in primary campaigns. Are Texans just that jazzed up about seeing Democratic front runner Barack Obama, or are they excited about the notion they will likely decide if he, or Senator Hillary Clinton, will be the Democratic Presidential nominee? Texans are literally rushing to the polls to vote early in the March 4th primary, Dallas and Tarrant counties say turnout is 10 times normal already, the burbs are reporting similar crowds at the polls.

I am not sure any of the candidates are that inspiring, but it is exciting getting to play a role, a real role in the selection process. I think that is what is bringing people to the rallies and to the polls, participation with a real and almost immediate result is the cure for political complacency.

Can you feel it? The Presidential winds are changing.

Senator Obama delivered quite a wack to Senator Clinton in Wisconsin last night. His huge win in the Wisconsin Democratic Party primary may not amount to a knock out punch yet, but make no mistake, Obama has a full gust of wind in his sails and his campaign blows into Texas tomorrow. He and Senator Clinton have been flooding the north Texas airwaves with ads over the past week, and you can tell something about the state of their campaigns by those TV ads. Obama started with 2 fresh ads last week, and put up 2 more new TV commercials Tuesday. Senator Clinton has been using two old ads that were retreads from other states, and she is still running those stale ads. Can you tell who has the money? The “big mo” usually attracts big money, and after 9 straight primary victories over Senator Clinton in 2 weeks, Obama has got the “mo” and the money.

And how about what is going on at our own polls here in Texas. Early voting for the March 4th primary is underway, and the turnout is northing short of record setting. There is an excitement in the air, Texans are about to do something big, and it will likely decide who gets the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination. Texans can feel it, the Presidential power is now in their hands for once. The winds are changing.

As for the GOP, Senator McCain is all but a done deal for the Republican Presidential nomination, don’t expect to see him spend any time or money in Texas for the primary. He beat Huckabee like a drum in Wisconsin last night, 54% to 37%. Governor Huckabee is just along for the ego ride now, there is no chance for him to beat McCain here or anywhere else for that matter. Most of the insiders I talk to say he is certainly not Vice Presidential material for McCain, so I am not sure why Huckabee doesn’t call it a day. The only idea that seems to make sense is some GOP strategists wanting Huckabee to stick around to give the appearance of a contest, so the media won’t ignore the Republicans. Who knows for sure?

This much I do know, things are moving fast now, and Texas is the lead dog in this hunt.