John McCain, Keating 5 and Lobbyists

Following the "Keating 5" Savings and Loan scandal, John McCain rebuilt himself as a reformer. Fighting against soft money donations, with the McCain-Feingold bill. Lobbyists are the catalysts for influencing both political parties in Congress. It is their job to use whatever means necessary to persuade our elected officials to vote the side of their clients. Therefore, why would McCain surround himself with so many former lobbyists in his campaign? You would think he would do everything possible to avoid looking hypocritical. Isn’t experience suppose to count for something? Shouldn't you learn from your mistakes? The New York Times story should have focused on lobbyists and not one lone female lobbyist. Remember, the Senate reprimanded John McCain for “poor judgement” in the "Keating 5" episode. Perhaps this is the kind of stubbornness his detractors have been talking about. The following link sheds light on this subject and a few others.

http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/9111.html

NBA All-Star Weekwnd 2008 A Slam Dunk

The NBA All-Star weekend in New Orleans was a lot better than last years in Las Vegas. The game itself was fun, but Saturday's slam-dunk contest and the musical performances at the game were outstanding. It has been years since an actual known star put on a display. Dwight Howard was a highlight reel. Two of his dunks rank with some of the best ever at this event. The off the back of the backboard and coming around to dunk on the side of the basket was unreal. First class showmanship displaying the Superman jersey and putting on the cape. Then flying towards the basket with cape flowing and elevating so high that he actually threw the ball down through the basket. Outstanding!!!!!! Howard’s last dunk was a perfect combination of eye hand coordination, agility, and power. He was the clear winner.

What a difference a year makes. Great halftime show! Harry Connick Jr. was the perfect host. Showcasing New Orleans jazz and some of the towns legendary jazz musicians was a three point play. Ellis Marsalis, Dr. John, Davell Crawford, Ivan and Art Neville, Jonathan Baptiste, and Allen Toussaint. Truly an all star lineup. It beat Las Vegas’s performances of last year. I still have nightmares about Wayne Newton performing a cover on “I feel Good” by James Brown.

History is important. Featuring footage and background on the late Pete Maravich was quite a spectacle. Listening to Magic Johnson, Charles Barley, Kenny Smith, and other Maravich contemporaries was touching . The footage displayed some of his unbelievable moves and how easy he made it look. He would have been perfect for today’s NBA. Can you imagine how much he would be worth now? The NBA does the best job in professional sports of turning an exhibition game into a weekend happening. Baseball is working on getting it right, Hockey is what it is, and the NFL Pro Bowl is much to do about nothing. Commissioner David Stern, my hat is off to you, your league, and TNT. Checkout these links: www.harryconnickjr.com , www.radiocoach.biz, nba.com:petemaravichsummary
www.EllisMarsalis.com/#homer

Hillary's Image and Texas Primary/Caucus

I understand why Hillary’s campaign has ventured into mild negative Ad’s in Wisconsin. In the past, this has been the way to challenge an opponent. However, this is a unique campaign with a unique set of circumstances. As a woman, she has to be careful. There is a lot of sexism in this country and any kind of negativity plays into the “Hillary’s a b**ch”. Also, with Obama being an African American, any type of criticism seems to be perceived as racist. HRC needs to lay-off any negative campaigning and promote her policies for this country. By the way, in Texas, on the day of the Democratic primary, the polls close at 7pm. Then caucuses are held from 7pm until 9pm. This makes the race for delegates somewhat tricky. Winning the primary does not seal the deal for a democratic primary candidate in the Lonestar state.

Here is how it works:

Texas will send a total of 228 delegates to the Democratic National Convention. 126 delegates will be assigned based on primary results in 31 State Senate Districts (instead of allocating delegates by its 32 Congressional Districts like many states). The number of delegates in each Senate district varies based on previous Democratic turnout in the last two general elections. The delegates from each Senate District are assigned to candidates proportionally based on the percentages they receive on primary day.
Of the remaining 102 delegates, 67 are determined through a convention process that begins at precinct conventions (caucuses) on the night of March 4 and culminates with delegate allocation based on each candidate's delegate strength at the State Convention on June 6-8. Of those 67 delegates, 42 are "at large" rank and file delegates and 25 are pledged party leaders, legislators, and local elected officials.
The remaining 35 delegates are "unpledged" delegates, including 32 so-called "superdelegates".