A lot of us have lost the 'warm and fuzzy' for Bill Clinton as a result of his actions during the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign. I'm not here to rehash history, or debate the legitimacy of those feelings. Among the many reasons why, the best in my mind is; it's about to change. Bill Clinton says he's eager to campaign for Obama. While this might make a number of you cringe, I'm excited. Follow me over the flipbow.

This column is actually a few days old, but it just appeared in my local paper yesterday, and it doesn't seem to have been diaried. I know it's been a long time since MoDo has gotten any love around here, and for good reason. However she really hits the bullseye in this column.

For years I watched Memphis in May and other barbecue events on the Food Network and other channels. The stuff they pulled out of those smokers you could just about smell and taste right through your television. Having grown up in Brooklyn and now living in Wisconsin, I had eaten plenty of ribs and pulled pork, much of it good; but I knew I was looking at a different animal when I watched these events. Eventually I got to taste the real deal in a stopover flight in the Memphis Airport. As soon as I stepped off the plane I could smell it and I just followed my nose. I soon found myself standing in line at Interstate Barbecue (The Neely's place for Food Network Fans). It smelled even better than I imagined, and I waited anxiously trying to decide between pulled pork or ribs. I made the Solomon-like decision to order both. I would eat the pulled pork sandwich in the airport, and have the ribs packed to take back to Madison. I was soon in pork Nirvana. I was totally hooked. I broke down, and bought a Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker aka The Weber Bullet.

I, like most people am terribly saddened by the news of Senator Kennedy's brain tumor. His work as a champion for progressive causes in the Senate has been unmatched in my lifetime. However, as with many tragedies, it creates new opportunities. I heard Mike Barnicle say, as I started to write this, that Senator Kennedy should invite Hillary Clinton to Hyannisport to tell her how to bow out gracefully, and when. With 2 weeks left, I don't see the point in asking her to get out, and at this point, there is probably no graceful way to get out. Except one.

I think we need a distraction from the political March Madness that has gripped Daily Kos. So, as this site's self proclaimed college basketball expert, I figured I'd open up the discussion by using my picks for the up coming 1st round games.

Once again last night, Hillary Clinton claimed to have been part of her husband's administration. You really have to wonder why she is so embarrassed at having been First Lady. A smarter candidate might have campaigned on the unique perspective it offered. Instead she continues to lie about having a role in her husband's administration, that she clearly did not have.

Republican tough guy puts terrorists on notice:

This is the Republican front runner. I guess with Rudy participating, you could call the Republican primary a "drag" race. And you wonder why Sean Hannity is so hot for him?

  First off let me preface this diary with a few statements:
    1. I am not a Hillary Clinton supporter
    2. I have been as guilty of this as everyone else  
    3. Kudos to Hunter for not falling for what is essentially a right-wing frame

  Yes, it seems that we have been calling Hillary Rodham Clinton, 'Hillary' for years. However it seems to me that as Democrats, we need to examine why she has taken on this Madonna-like status as a first-name only celeb. I think it needs to be examined, because in my analysis, 'Hillary' is a right wing frame.

    Senator Reid
       For some reason, you allowed a vote to come to the floor condemning an ad placed by MoveOn.org. The condemnation was not based on a refutation of facts cited in the ad. No. The ad was condemned for 2 reasons: 1. the word 'syncophant' does not rhyme with Petraeus and 2. Fox News has decided that men in uniform cannot be criticized, no matter how much they allow themselves to be used as a political tool. Earlier this year you said "the war is lost". Would you have allowed a bill to come to the floor condemning yourself? I guess we all make bad calls, but they are harder to accept from people in positions of leadership. Now, much like the sport that politics has become, it's time for you to make "the make-up call". In that vein, I urge you to condemn the racist action of the Republican Presidential front runners.

  One of my favorite new shows last year was 'Jericho' on CBS. It's about a  fictional Kansas town in a post-nuclear attack America. The cast was excellent, led by Gerald McRaney, Skeet Ulrich, and Pamela Reed. It had complex characters and intricate plot lines, leading up to an explosive cliffhanger ending of the season. Despite competing against 'American Idol', it seemed to have built a good following. Given the cliff hanger ending, and an enthusiastic fan base, we were certain it would be renewed for a second season. We were wrong.

    I know a lot of people are upset with the Democrats capitulation on ending the war in Iraq. I don't blame you, I feel the same way. Sadly, I think I've figured out what's going on, and you're not going to like it.

   I'm sure we all remember in the days following 9/11, when we had pulled together as a nation, President Bush saying the following:

Q    Do you want bin Laden dead?

    THE PRESIDENT:  I want justice.  There's an old poster out west, as I recall, that said, "Wanted: Dead or Alive."

snip

Q    Are you saying you want him dead or alive, sir?  Can I interpret --

    THE PRESIDENT:  I just remember, all I'm doing is remembering when I was a kid I remember that they used to put out there in the old west, a wanted poster.  It said:  "Wanted, Dead or Alive."  All I want and America wants him brought to justice.  That's what we want.

Well, America still wants him brought to justice. It's been 6 years and you haven't had a solid lead on him in over 3 years. So you can only imagine how discouraging it was to hear this:

  President Bush held a press conference today before leaving to once again carry out his brush clearing ritual. Apparently Bush can't find oil or a Mexican in Texas. When asked if he'd consider raising gas taxes to fund rebuilding America's infrastructure, Georgie gave us more than a softball. (more after the flip)

This will be short, but I wanted to get the word out. Lou Dobbs goes off on one of the best rants against the Bush Administration from the MSM I've heard outside of Keith Olbermann. This definitely deserves to be You Tubed.

Dear Keith,
   While I enjoy your show immensely, you have one habit which drives me absolutely crazy. Why on earth do you insist on referring to Rush Limbaugh as a "comedian"? Rush Limbaugh is no comedian. Whatever humor he might be the source of is either unintentional, ironic, or based on his lack of physical appeal. Comedians spend years honing their craft in order to bring amusement to people in an intelligent manor. Does that sound like what Rush Limbaugh does?

  We've all heard it, "Defeatocrats", "the Dems want us to lose", the Colteresque "why do they root against America?", and similar drivel. We need to fight back against this nonsense, and I think I have the perfect frame. It puts history and this war in the proper perspective, and let's us declare victory while making the Republicans look foolish. So here it goes (below the fold)

We've all heard it over and over from this President:

June 28, 2005: "Our strategy can be summed up this way," President Bush said in a speech. "As the Iraqis stand up, we will stand down."
Aug. 11, 2005: "As Iraqis stand up, we will stand down," the president told reporters.

And just last week, the president said once again, "As Iraqis stand up, we will stand down."

more after the flip

Just when you thought this guy or this administration couldn't be any (fill in your favorite), Michael Chertoff comes along and lays out the perfect case for his dismissal as head of the DHS. Actually I thought Jessalyn Raddack had done a great job laying out the case, but this is priceless. More after the flip.