Jan. 14: The Campaign/ Salute to Explorers/ Musicians on Steroids?

*Clintons having to defend themselves on race?

This is how ridiculous presidential campaigns can get. Four years ago, war hero John Kerry had to defend his patriotism. Now, Hillary Clinton, married to the most progressive president in terms of civil rights since Lyndon Johnson, has to defend her stand on that issue.

USA Today has printed both former President and Sen. Clinton's statements:

http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20080114/a_democratsbox14.art.htm


Meanwhile, Clinton supporter Bob Johnson, the founder of Black Entertainment Television, takes a shot at Barack Obama:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/14/clinton.obama/

Johnson said he was referring to Obama's time as a community organizer. Yeah, sure, Bob....

One of NBC's political folks asks a very good question about this sniping:

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/01/14/575787.aspx

Sen. Hiram Johnson was quoted as saying (according to Bartleby.com): “The first casualty when war comes is truth." Truth is also the first casualty of politics. Friendship is the second.

*Yes, we matter

Florida will, indeed, count for candidates in both parties:

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/stories/2008/01/14/CAMPAIGN_FLORIDA_0114.html

But I still say the Democratic Party's shenanigans with the delegates are going to hurt its nominee come November.

For the Republicans, former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani seems to have made South Florida, the other home of New Yorkers, his second home. Meanwhile, Sen. John McCain of Arizona has seen his poll numbers climb in Florida since his win in New Hampshire. Will Giuliani be satisfied with becoming the next president of South Florida?

"The Trail" blog at the Washington Post Web site has a piece by Joel Achenbach about Giuliani's regional campaigning:

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/01/14/rudy_defying_central_dogma_1.html

Whatever happened to trying to be president to all the people? Apparently, it went out when George W. Bush went into the White House and immediately tried to appeal to his "base." Now, even they don't like him very much.

*Separate religion from politics....

David P. Gushee writes a thought-provoking column on the too-tight connection of evangelical Christians to politics:

http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20080114/opledereligion105.art.htm

He's right....And his statements might be extended to people of other religions.

*But broadcast the politics

Here's a Broadcasting & Cable editorial about the coverage of the New Hampshire primary results:

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6522162.html

I agree with the point about more news coverage. And not that "Catch a Predator" garbage. With people starting to tune in to the election, let's have more relevant coverage.

Boo, hiss, by the way, to MSNBC, which invited, then uninvited, candidate Dennis Kucinich to a Democratic debate in Las Vegas:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/01/dbrsvp.html

Ridiculous. Kucinich is a member of Congress and has a more than 30-year career in public life. What, exactly, is a "credible" candidate?


*Tributes to Sir Edmund Hillary

Maurice Isserman writes in The Christian Science Monitor of Sir Edmund Hillary, who died last week at age 88 and did much in his life beyond scaling Mount Everest:

http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0114/p09s01-coop.htm

*Hail to a new explorer

South Florida's own Barrington Irving is carrying on the thrill of exploration; he is the youngest pilot and first African-American to fly solo around the world:

http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0114/p20s01-usgn.htm

Go Barrington, go.

*R.I.P. Johnny Podres

Johnny Podres, the winning pitcher in the game that gave the Brooklyn Dodgers their only World Series title, has died:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2008-01-14-podres-obit_N.htm

Ironic that he and Tommy Byrne, who lost that game for the Yankees, died only a few weeks apart.


*No Globes (at least the ceremony)

The entertainment world had to settle for the reading of the Golden Globe winners last night. Possibly the biggest disappointment was no red carpet walk for veteran actor Ernest Borgnine, who was nominated for a television movie this time and won a Golden Globe (and an Oscar) for his role in the 1955 film "Marty":

http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/life/20080114/d_borgnine14.art.htm

Now the question becomes what will happen to this year's Academy Awards, scheduled for next month.

*Step backward for IAAF

"Technical aids" for a guy who has no legs below the knee? They've got to be kidding:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/14/sports/othersports/14cnd-pistorius.html?em&ex=1200459600&en=222c868ee51318a4&ei=5087%0A

Eventually, the Olympics must open their doors to athletes who overcome bigger physical handicaps.

*Musicians in steroid investigation?

I didn't know these people played baseball:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/14/nyregion/14albany.html?ref=nyregion