Tell me, which side are you on? Well I’ve got advanced degrees and I’ve worked on Wall Street but I ain’t no part of the “creative class.” If you can’t connect with the working class, you have no business running this country. This is not a country of the creative class for the creative class by the creative class. I ain’t an arugula eating, latte sipping liberal stuck in the realm that I know better than my neighbours down the street. To label some someone, anyone a “low information” voter because they lack a high school diploma is such an affront to me and to them. When I first monitored an election in Haiti back in 1995 in a country where most people barely have a grammar school education, I did not encounter one “low-information” voter nor I did so in Zimbabwe when I monitored the election there. It is an affront to democracy to disparage entire groups of people based on their education. They are masters of their own experience and theirs is no less important than anyone’s else. I am shocked by some of what reading on “liberal” these days touting the arrival of a new politics based on a new liberalism led by the “creative class.” How stupid can you be?
Here is the Sunday May 11th, 2008 edition of interesting reads from the world.
Rebel Attack on Khartoum; Sudan Cuts Ties with Tchad
Sudan says it has cut off diplomatic relations with Tchad after a surprise attack by rebels from Darfur on the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir made the announcement on state television. More on the battle in the environs of Khartoum from the New York Times. The BBC on the diplomatic row that has ensued.
Serbia Goes to the Polls
Serbs began voting on Sunday in an election that will show whether the lure of European Union membership outweighs their anger over the Western-backed secession of Kosovo. Serbia is divided and the two front-runners, the nationalist Radical Party and the pro-Western Democratic Party, will have to woo smaller parties to form a coalition. Some 6.7 million people are registered to vote, including the defiant Serb minority in Kosovo, Serbia’s former province which declared independence in February. Here is some background on the election in Serbia from the Christian Science Monitor plus an op-ed by Vladimir Glodirov in the Wall Street Journal.
Sri Lanka Poll Results
Sri Lanka’s government on Sunday claimed victory in key provincial elections in the ethnically-mixed east of the island, saying the win is a major boost for its war against the Tamil Tigers. The BBC and the Christian Science Monitor offer some perspective on what’s at stake in Sri Lanka.
The Case for Invading Myanmar
There are 115,000 people who died needlessly due to the incompetence and avarice of the military junta in Myanmar and that number is sure to grow as much-needed relief is delayed. Shawn Crisipin writing in the Asia Times lays out the case for invading Myanmar and toppling the generals. The UK Guardian has an excellent thought piece on how this disaster was aggravated by the inaction of the junta.
Costco and the World Food Crisis
Costco was one of my coverage companies when I worked on Wall Street. They are very well-managed firm that treats its employees well. CEO Jim Sinegal is one the best merchants around and CFO Richard Galanti a no-sense do it by numbers kind of guy. Here’s a story from the Seattle Post-Intellingencer on the global food crisis is affecting Costco, the largest wholesale club in the world. Additionally here is an interview with CFO Richard Galanti from June 2006.
I can’t help but wonder if Dorothy, Rose, Blanche and Sophia are die-hard Clinton supporters. I just know they would be but of course they live in Florida so their votes would not count anyway.
Happy Mother’s Day, ladies!
Also send Hillary a Happy Mother’s Day Note.
Here is the schedule of events for Mother’s Day:
Senator Hillary Clinton and her daughter Chelsea will return to the Mountain State to celebrate Mother’s Day. Clinton will also campaign in West Virginia on primary eve.
The first event Sunday is in Grafton, W.Va., where Mother’s Day was founded exactly 100 years ago. Hillary and Chelsea will attend a celebration at the B & O Railroad Heritage Museum at 100 East Main Street in Grafton. Doors open at 2:30 p.m., and the event begins at 3:15 p.m.
The mother and daughter combo will then attend a “Solutions for America” town hall meeting at George Washington Middle School in Eleanor, W.Va. Doors open for the event at 7:15 p.m., and the event gets underway at 8 p.m. Senator Clinton will continue her campaign through West Virginia on Monday, just hours before the polls open for Tuesday’s primary.
Her first visit is to Montgomery early Monday morning. Clinton will campaign at the Montgomery Fire Department. Doors open at 7:15 a.m., and the town hall meeting begins at 8 a.m.
Next, Senator Clinton will attend a “Solutions for the American Economy” town hall in Clear Fork, W.Va. Doors open to the West Side High School Cafeteria at 11:15 a.m., and the event begins at noon.
Clinton will also visit Logan County. She will attend a “Solutions for America” Rally at the Logan Memorial Field House. Doors open at 1:30 p.m., and the rally starts at 3 p.m.
Finally, Senator Clinton will join Governor Joe Manchin at an “Old-Fashioned Democratic Rally” at Fairmont State University. The event at the Feaster Center gets underway at 7 p.m.
All of the events are free and open to the public.
The Clinton campaign encourages supporters to RSVP at HillaryClinton.com.
This is the second in a series of reports shedding light on who is financing the Obama campaign. Today we focus on Obama’s oil & natural gas connections which run deeper than any other candidate. Despite Obama’s claims that he doesn’t take money from oil companies, which are frankly among the most duplicitous claims made by any candidate to date since 1907 Tillman Act prohibits direct contributions to political candidates from corporations. Senator Obama has done quite well with oil & gas executives nonetheless.
Gracie & Robert Cavnar
Both of this Houston-based husband & wife team are bundlers for Obama. Gracie Cavnar does not actually run any oil companies yet she is listed in financial disclosures by the Obama campaign as being the CEO of Milagro Exploration LLC, a privately held exploration and production company. Her husband is actually the CEO. Mrs. Cavnar instead works to combat childhood obesity through a program she founded called Recipe for Success. Both Recipe for Success and Milagro Exploration list the Houston address (1401 McKinney, Suite 925, Houston, TX 77010) as their place of business. Obesity and natural gas, it’s a match.
First Daughter Jenna Bush is getting married today to Henry Hager at President Bush’s Crawford Ranch. We extend the happy couple a heartfelt congratulations and wish them well in all their future endeavours.
Twenty-two children of Presidents have married while their father was serving as President but only nine have chosen to have a White House wedding. The last to have a White House wedding was Trisha Nixon who married Edward Cox in 1971. More on the wedding from the Associated Press.
A clip from a Hillary stump speech in West Virginia on Thursday.
Just watch and enjoy!
This is a new Clinton ad to run in Oregon starring Ambassador Joe Wilson and outed CIA anaylst Valerie Plam-Wilson on why Hillary Clinton is the logical choice on getting us out the Iraqi quagmire.
in every way, and forever more that’s how you will stay . . .