A list of interesting things that together are part of the political Web.
April 24, 2008
April 18, 2008
It’s clear, and appropriate that NBA owners vote in their own interests. But when they push that interest beyond the law and beyond contractual obligations, that’s a moment where they’re standing under the hoop and take a dunked ball facial.
They voted today, 28-2 to welcome and accept The Seattle Supersonics move to Oklahoma City, which was recently the home of the displaced New Orleans Hornets.
Here’s video of today’s press conference with NBA Commissioner David Stern and close friend and, since 2006, Sonics owner Clay Bennett. Bennett, by the way, sold off the Seattle Storm saying Oklahoma didn’t need “those type of women.”
I’ve written here before about the power and the nobility for municipal government to say, “no” to owners who have, traditionally made hundreds of millions of dollars as individuals or a small group of individuals. To say no to owners who ask too much.
Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, who was singled out as an obstacle by Sterns and Bennett, today, also had a brief public comment and Q&A Session (video) He said the city and the state have not given up, and the owners’ decision does not change anything about their approach.
Washington Governor Christine Gregoire’s statement today:
“This is a sad day for basketball fans across Washington state. The Sonics have a proud, storied 41-year history in Seattle and, as a sports fan, I am very disappointed with today’s action by the National Basketball Association (NBA) owners to relocate the Sonics to Oklahoma City.
“The owners’ action is especially frustrating in light of recent revelations that (owner) Mr. Bennett and his partners were not acting in good faith when they purchased the team and agreed in writing to make every effort to keep the team in Seattle. We now know that was never their intention.
“Despite today’s action, the team’s former owners have announced plans to sue the team’s current owners with the intention of reversing the sale of the Sonics. The City of Seattle also has a pending case to force the current owners to honor their KeyArena lease and keep the Sonics in Seattle.
“Seattle is a great sports city and a great city for professional basketball. I want to thank Sonics fans for their support for the team through the years. Their recent efforts to keep the team in Seattle in recent months have been nothing short of impressive.”
March 30, 2008
The infamous Texas Two-step voting system for delegates has turned into the trots.
The “two-step” process on March 4 was a primary, followed by a caucus. The caucus was set up so anyone one who had voted in the Democratic primary earlier that same day could do so again for their candidate of choice. The number […]
March 21, 2008
Weight: 170
Height: 5′11″
Eyes: Green
James Sliter was convicted in 2006 of the single charge of trying to solicit sex from and attempted assault on a 15-year-old girl. He was put on probation for 10 years.
He wants to mayor of Wilmer, Texas and the first (?) in the nation with his own registered sex offender Web page.
He may also be one of the few to have a criminal record and a mug shot before he enters office, rather than as he leaves office.
Wilmer is a city of 3,400 about 15 miles southeast of Dallas.
(H/T to USA Today: On Deadline)
March 7, 2008
John McCain has an interesting choice to make as to who should be his vice presidential running mate. In the most basic of terms the considerations are wide. It’s not even clear the so-called “Maverick” would pick a Republican, though it would be a pretty craven Democrat who would accept his request. What’s that, Joe Lieberman?
A woman? Someone in a wheelchair? A general?
How about Colin Powell? Woah, that one is worth a long, considering pause isn’t it?
Regionally does it matter? Likely not another southwest presence but what about Arnold Schwarzenegger to help drag California to his side? I think it is technically constitutionally legal for a naturalized American to be vice president. National media would shine the biggest spotlight on this campaign.
Laura Ingraham? McCain likes the blondes.
Would he want to strengthen his hawkish (to put it mildly) positions or push someone who would balance where he is perceived as weak.
Does he accept that he is not conservative enough and that being more conservative would actually help with the general electorate?
Would he bring Jonah Goldberg aboard so the right-leaning blogosphere would finally come aboard?
Michael Bloomberg is a serious consideration. What say you?
March 5, 2008
With his own confetti strewn picture atop his Web site, Independent candidate Ralph Nader wants people to not only listen to his views but to vote for him and send him money to become the 44th President of America.
Currently there sure do seem to be a lot of potential defectors from the Democratic Party if their preferred candidate doesn’t get the nomination. From the right, it’s hard to think Nader’s anti-corporate stance - not a bad thing - will draw many Republican defectors unhappy with John McCain. After all, they don’t like him because of McCain-Feingold’s attempted stripping of money power from corporations. McCain isn’t right enough.
Nader lays down 12 major issues he says are “off the table” of the other candidates. They are:
• Adopt single payer national health insurance
• Cut the huge, bloated, wasteful military budget
• No to nuclear power, solar energy first
• Aggressive crackdown on corporate crime and corporate welfare
• Open up the Presidential debates
• Adopt a carbon pollution tax
• Reverse U.S. policy in the Middle East
• Impeach Bush/Cheney
• Repeal the Taft-Hartley anti-union law
• Adopt a Wall Street securities speculation tax
• Put an end to ballot access obstructionism
• Work to end corporate personhood
Here Nader makes the pitch why he’s a better choice than McCain or Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton:
This is a transcript of the speech in Ohio while the Texas primary and caucus results were still undecided.
“For everyone here in Ohio and across America, who’s ever been counted out but refused to be knocked out and for everyone who has stumbled but stood right back up, and for everyone who works hard and […]
There were five Democratic primary contests last night with the Texas primary and caucus. There were four Republican contests, which John McCain swept.
The results follows. The delegate splits are not yet known for Texas or Ohio. Clinton appears to have gained 16 delegates overall on the night, with Texas caucus figures not included. The total given are those estimated so far but final numbers will be included here when known. Neither candidate will make it to the convention with enough delegates. 2025 are needed.
They are:
Vermont:
Barack Obama 59% — 9 delegates
Hillary Clinton 39% — 6 delegates
Obama won with a lead of about 31,000 out of 150,000 votes cast.
Barack gained +3 in delegates.
Rhode Island:
Hillary Clinton 58% - 12 delegates
Barack Obama 40% - 8 delegates
(Uncommitted 1%m still just 99%)
Clinton won with a lead of about 32,900 out of 181,000 votes cast.
Clinton gained +4 in delegates
Texas primary (228 delegates):
Hillary Clinton 51% - 65 delegates (est.)
Barack Obama 48% - 61 delegates (est.)
Clinton won with a lead of about 98,500 out of 2,808,000 votes cast.
Clinton gained +4 in delegates
Texas Caucus (228 delegates, 67 from the caucus): (Just 40% reporting)
Barack Obama 52% — none called
Hillary Clinton 48% — none called
Obama won with a lead of about 1,500 out of 38,800 votes cast.
Obama gained ???? in delegates
Ohio:
Hillary Clinton 54% — 71 delegates (est.)
Barack Obama 44% — 59 delegates (est.)
Clinton won with a lead of about 229,000 out of 2,187,000 votes cast.
Clinton gained +12 delegates
Clinton gained 16 delegates overall, with Texas caucus figures not yet included.
John McCain won the four states: VT:72% (28,300) — OH:60% (636,000) — RI:65% (17,300) — TX: 51% (707,622)
The “pri-caucus” or Texas Two-Step produced wins for both Democratic candidates.
Clinton took the popular vote in the Lone Star state with 51 percent of the vote, which translated into 1.3 million votes (and 1.2 million votes for Obama). (Final numbers not in). Early it looked like Obama would cruise to an easy victory and a big push for Hillary out of the election door. First figures showed him in the 60 percent range.
As the night went on the gap ever so slowly closed. It was stuck at about 10-12 percent for Obama for a long time, until about 50 percent of the vote was in. Then it was tied and then in an even slower fashion, Hillary Clinton pulled away, despite beliefs that high-density areas would radically swing the Texas race back in Obama’s favor.
The caucus, which counts for a third of the Texas delegates awarded last night was 56 percent of the gate for Obama and it has barely wavered since then, with now about 30 percent of the caucus vote accounted for.
How many of the states 228 delegates each won is difficult to work out, but Obama could actually win a few more than Clinton once the results are combined and final.
Barack Obama’s March 4 Speech, which some are calling a concession speech even though it was not at the time, was the first since before Feb. 5 that he had to deal with a big loss, Ohio.
He spoke at that time because he wanted his voice out there before people went to bed.
In his speech, in San Antonio, Obama emphasized that the delegate count, and therefore his lead, had not changed much during the evening.
He also paired Hillary Clinton and John McCain together as essentially the ame. time and again he put their two names together to emphasize that there’s was a similar approach and one of the past.
Text as prepared. (I believe, as delivered, it was substantially different so we’ll find video):
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