Day: January 17, 2006

Oh, this is rich.

Former South Dakota Sen. Tom Daschle is weighing the possibility of running for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008.

“I have received a lot of encouragement,” Daschle said in an email today to the Argus Leader.

Daschle didn’t rule out the possibility of an official announcement in the near future. But for now, he said, he has no plans to run for national office.

In his email, Daschle said the primary factors in his decision “would be my family and our mutual decision to consider the rigors of a campaign and reentry into public life.”

Daschle made similar comments over the weekend to another publication. In a Saturday story in the National Journal, Daschle said he was “taking a look at” entering the race.

Analysts see the 2008 race beginning to take shape, with candidates and possible candidates from both parties hinting more openly about their plans.

Larry Sabato, a political expert at the University of Virginia, said Daschle was not in his latest rankings of likely Democratic candidates because he wasn’t convinced Daschle would run.

“I wouldn’t call him the favorite, or even second or third. But it’s early,” Sabato said.

Can you imagine how much video footage there is of Daschle that can be used against him by the Republicans? Why in the world would he want to run for the highest office in the land when he knows that every other quote made by him on ‘Meet the Press’ can be used to help the GOP remind Americans that Daschle is the KING of obstruction? How could he convince a majority of Americans that he’s the right guy for the job in 2008? Talk about a non-starter. I hope this is a one and only attempt at floating this trial balloon.

Next thing you know we’ll be hearing from Terry McAuliffe. Oooh…scary.

The Democratic Party needs new blood, as does the GOP. Trotting out the same ‘ol has beens, like Gore, Kerry, Clinton, and McCain is a mistake.

He boldly goes where no man has gone before.

An online casino has a piece of Capt. Kirk. Actor William Shatner has sold his kidney stone for $25,000, with the money going to a housing charity, it was announced Tuesday. Shatner reached agreement Monday to sell the stone to GoldenPalace.com.

“This takes organ donors to a new height, to a new low, maybe. How much is a piece of me worth?” he said in a telephone interview.

The money will go to Habitat for Humanity, which builds houses for the needy.

GoldenPalace.com low-balled Shatner, so he held out. They eventually came back and accepted his offer of $25,000.00. Way to stick it to ‘em Bill.

I can’t even imagine where this will lead, but I put out at least one prediction. In 2006, Danny Bonaduce will find some body part to auction. It’s only natural.

Mayor Ray Nagin’s comments made yesterday about  New Orleans becoming a “chocolate” city again have been met with raised eyebrows. And like any typical liberal, Nagin came out today to apologize for his statements, saying he never intended to offend anyone (video). Here’s what he said on MLK day:

“It’s time for us to rebuild New Orleans, the one that should be a chocolate New Orleans, and I don’t care what people are saying uptown wherever they are, this city will be chocolate at the end of the day.  This city will be a majority African-American city — it’s the way God wants it to be.”

Later when he was asked to explain just what he meant by the term ‘chocolate’, Nagin back-pedaled.

“Do you know anything about chocolate?  How do you make chocolate?  You take dark chocolate, you mix it with white milk and it becomes a delicious drink.”

Nagin insisted his remarks were not divisive.

“New Orleans was a chocolate city before Katrina.  It’s going to be a chocolate city after.  How is that divisive?  It’s white and black working together, coming together to make something special.”

This excuse is laughable. I for one don’t believe Ray Nagin in the least. What he said on MLK day was what he believed. Just watch him as he’s making his statement. Is this a man making an off the cuff remark? Did he immediately correct himself and explain what he meant? No, of course not. It wasn’t until the uproar became apparent that Nagin decided he needed to clarify his message. And how does he do that? By explaining how chocolate milk is made. Unbelievable.

Let’s hope and pray that the people of New Orleans (those who are left) do the right thing in April and send Ray Nagin packing. The Big Easy can do without the man.

Given the turmoil this trial has already seen, a change of venue is worth a consideration.

Iraq’s president stepped into the debate over the future of the troubled court trying Saddam Hussein on Tuesday, suggesting it be moved from Baghdad to his own Kurdish home region to improve security.

Jalal Talabani’s proposal came as a split emerged inside the court over how to choose a successor to Kurdish judge Rizgar Amin; he resigned in protest at political pressure, buffeting a trial already rocked by the killings of two defense lawyers.

“If there are judges here who will feel in danger in future, we are ready to take them to Kurdistan and they would be safe there and guarded very well,” Talabani told Reuters in Baghdad.

Ah, but it’s not that easy. The Kurds hate Saddam, and it’s unlikely that an unbiased court could be constructed in Kurdistan.

Meanwhile, efforts to get chief judge Amin to reconsider his plans to resign are falling on deaf ears.

Hopefully things will turn around soon and everyone will get back to the primary objective – serving justice upon that murderer Saddam Hussein and his thug cohorts.