Wonderful news from Caroline Kennedy, the intentionally low-profile daughter of the late President John F. Kennedy, and the only surviving member of that memorable First Family.

The title of her endorsement is - frankly - beautiful, stunning and extraordinarily moving.  The text of her endorsement is even more so.

A President Like My Father.  

Keep reading. . .

The year?  2008.

Also:  1960.

People may think that political debates were courteous affairs with high-falutin' niceties all around.

I wonder how many are aware of the Democratic nomination process in 1960, which involved a former President, a former First Lady, and a young Senator.

Harry Truman.  Eleanor Roosevelt.  John F. Kennedy.

Truman strongly opposed Kennedy's nomination, as did Ms. Roosevelt, privately in part on the grounds of his Catholic religion; publicly, President Truman came out and gave a televised speech right before the Democratic convention, resigning as a delegate, claiming that Kennedy was 'fixing the convention' and taking direct shots at his preparedness and experience.

Senator Kennedy came right back and firmly rebutted President Truman's criticism, and of course went on to win the nomination.

My point?  (continued  below)

In 2004, after John Kerry's clear wins in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, Kerry was the clear favorite to be the Democratic nominee.

Yet on Feb. 3, 2004, John Edwards won the South Carolina primary -- the state of his birth -- 45.1% to 29.8%.

It's really remarkable when you think about it.

Barack Obama's win in tonight's Iowa caucus is remarkable period, but when you consider two aspects of it, it's all the more remarkable.

He beat the 2004 Democratic vice-presidential nominee AND the former first lady.

Beating one of those two would have been accomplishment enough.  But both of them?

(below the jump)

Is Mike Huckabee ready for prime time?  Do we need another Republican president like George W Bush who, even when given time to prepare remarks, comes off like a doofus during an international crisis?

According to CBS News, Huckabee emerged from an airplane at Orlando, Florida ('to the strains of Van Halen's "Right Now"') and made the following comments regarding the Bhutto assassination:

( below the jump )

Andrew Meyer, who came to Senator Kerry's speech at the University of Florida seeking ( and getting ) a confrontation, has APOLOGIZED for his behavior.

I found a note to myself from nearly 4 years ago - it was dated Dec 18 2003 - about 1 month before the Iowa caucuses.

Here's what it says about the leading contender for the Democratic presidential nomination - who had all the 'mo' and was inevitably going to be the Dem nominee in the 2004 presidential election:

( keep reading )

BREAKING:

John Edwards, breaking new JohnEdwards ground, to star in a JohnEdwards remake of the classic film Breakin':  Electric Breakin' JohnEdwards Boogaloo !

Gimme a beat !

We've all heard incessantly from Bush & Co how the 'War on Terra'(tm) is an epic battle for the very survival of Western civilization, yada yada, blah blah blah.

We've heard Bush bellow about how Iraq is the central front in the War on Terra(tm), yada yada, and losing would be a devastating blow to America, blah blah, and that this epic battle for the very survival of Western civilization is the defining moment of our time, yablah yablah yablah.

Married three times, committed adultery, and today publicly reasserts his support of abortion rights.

I will watch to see if Giuliani ever approaches the altar to receive Communion and is then turned away.

( NB:  I am Catholic and I firmly believe that Giuliani should be allowed Communion. )

After the disgusting behavior by certain right-wing Catholic authorities towards Senator Kerry in 2004, I will be most curious to see if Giuliani receives the same treatment from that bunch.

In this diary yesterday, I provided some background about the shocking federal appeals court reversal of a case prosecuted to the full extent of the law by Bush-appointed US Attorney Biskupic in the months leading up to the 2006 Wisconsin Governor's election.

Biskupic went full-tilt after a Wisconsin civil service employee, who lost everything and was sentenced to federal prison right before the election (in which incumbent Democratic Governor Jim Doyle was being challenged by Bush family friend, Rep Mark Green).

Last Friday - Good Friday - the federal appeals court (with 2 of the 3 judges being Republican appointees) literally took one look at the case and with less than a day of oral argument overturned the sentence and ordered the employee, Georgia Thompson, immediately released from prison - before even issuing a written decision.

MORE - including breaking news from the Dems on the Senate Judiciary Committee - below the jump

The US Attorneys Who WEREN’T Fired

As we all know, the Bush Administration fired a number of US Attorneys for political reasons that emanated from the White House, then the AG and others tried to cover it up, and pretend that they didn’t know anything about it.

As Congress investigates this widening scandal, a question that needs to be asked is:  Who DIDN’T they fire – and why?  

CONTINUED - after the jump

What a shock this will come to most of us. The President's uncle William 'Bucky' Bush - the brother of the 41st president of the U S, George H W Bush - is named in an SEC investigation into millions of dollars of profiteering at a defense contractor.

More tears to be forthcoming from '41', no doubt.

After all the criticism and making-fun of Jimmy Carter's brother Billy, and Bill Clinton's brother Roger, let's see if the national media shoves aside the 24/7 story about NASA's version of Tonya Harding for THIS one.

( Story after the jump )

As a sort-of follow-up to a diary I wrote Monday about California, and other states, moving toward universal health care ( which diary was admittedly awkward in a couple areas, but generated good discussion nonetheless ) here comes some more very welcome news from a Senator who has now proposed two pieces of fantastic legislation in 24 hrs.  

Sen Edward M Kennedy - who is the new chairman of a Senate committee that deals with health care - also appropriately referred to by one diarist currently on the rec list as 'The Lion in Winter' - has put forth a brilliant Congressional resolution on Iraq, the No 1 issue of concern to Americans, and now another on Health Care, the No 1 domestic issue of concern to Americans.

Continued . . .

Howard Dean did it back in the 1990s when he was Governor of Vermont. Providing health care insurance/coverage to 95% of his state's citizens.

It has been in the Democratic Party platform since the days of Harry Truman, more than a half-century ago.

Hillary Clinton led an unsuccessful effort back in the early years of her husband's presidency.

Today there are two news stories that caught my attention regarding this achingly long-overdue need:

• USA Today has a front-page article on states moving towards universal health care coverage
• AP has a story from a few minutes ago about California Gov Schwarzenegger, clearly a moderate Republican who has advocated for environmental protection, proposing universal health care coverage for everyone in the State of California - including immigrants.

CONTINUED BELOW THE JUMP

If late tonight you hear a stomach-churning deafening sound that resembles squishy rumbling, that would be the sound of right-wingers' and fundamentalists' heads exploding around this nation of ours at the end of 2006.

Why?

Their beloved figurehead - in the 30's in recent polls - has just been rated worse than Satan, Osama bin Laden, Kim Jong-Il, Saddam, and ( horrors!) Rosie O'Donnell.  In fact, Bush is rated as a worse villain than the Devil, Osama, Kim, Saddam, and Rosie - COMBINED !

Perhaps the fundies think the apocalypse ( and Rapture - or are they the same thing ? ) are upon us, because Oprah tied Jesus as the biggest hero of 2006.  But then again, in the same poll, Bush is rated a bigger hero than Jesus ( apparently to the wingers and fundies answering their phones or using their AOL ).

Along with confounding and enraging the wingers & fundies, this article should cheer up even the most Scrooge-like among us . . . Happy New Year y'all !

( FLUFF POLL STORY EXCERPT ON THE FLIP )

A few weeks ago the 'Buffy' controversy erupted. For those unfamiliar, it was a large-scale fiasco that involved a user posting a vague diary that many people interpreted as a suicide note. All hell broke loose. Short version: A whole lotta time and energy was invested in trying to locate/save Buffy - as well as post-Buffy arguments/discussions.

All of this occurred on the cusp of this historic election.  Kos stepped in and said the reaction to the vague diary by Buffy was highly inappropriate and that after the election would come a time for this community to discuss what is and isn't appropriate usage of dailykos.com.

Setting aside whether or not the latest recommended diary seeking financial assistance is legit or not, I think the time for that discussion is now.

CONTINUED . . .

A curious story. I searched and haven't seen a diary ( or story ) on this.  So I'll start one to start some discussion and speculation.

A conservative news source, World Net Daily, reports tonight that $2 million was paid to Palestinian 'terrorists' supposedly affiliated with al-Qaeda to release two Fox News journalists kidnapped last August.

Excerpt of the WND article :

. . . The [ Palestinian ] Committees leader said he "knows" the money came from the U.S. as part of a deal to free Centanni and Wiig but could not identify exactly which organization or government entity transferred the cash.

Fox source says it's possible

A spokeswoman for Fox News Channel told WND she could not provide an official statement about whether Fox was aware of money paid to free its two employees.

A source at Fox told WND many parties were involved with the freedom of Centanni and Wiig, including the U.S. government, and that it was possible money was paid.

A State Department spokesman said his agency did not pay for the release of the Fox News employees.

CONTINUED  . . .