In tomorrow’s Times political memo, he asks What if Iowa Settles Nothing for Democrats?. I think the better question is: “How does someone this fucking stupid get a national podium like a New York Times political column?” I don’t have the resources of the Times and I’ve been posting polling data for a year that shows Iowa to be, essentially a three way tie. In fact, I bet some of the few of you who read this were probably grew bored with my insistence that Edwards really is in this race, especially when the national media has been emphatic to the contrary. Well, after a year of painting Iowa as the first step on Hillary’s path to inevitability, with occasional suspense building side notes about whether Obama might trip her up, it appears that the national media is being forced to reckon with the reality on the ground–AT LAST.

Sadly, I believe that even if Edwards gets the nomination, the national media is going to make it as hard for him to win the presidency as they can. They’re already looking to do the same hatchet job on him that they did on Gore in 2000. With Gore, the plan appeared to be to paint him as a boring liar for months and months leading up to the election. With Edwards, the script already appears to be to paint him as “the angry guy”. This set up then allows the national media pundits to talk about how America doesn’t want an angry leader and that he can’t win. It also allows some of them to paint him as a hypocrite in comparison to the equally manufactured “too nice to win” picture they made up about him in 2004. Some of them are already trying to use the hypocrite angle by saying that you can’t be rich and be an advocate for the poor. I wonder whether that narrative is just brazen dishonesty or if it arises from a complete ignorance of U.S. history

For months and months and months, John Edwards has been right at the top in Iowa. Poll after poll has put him at 23+%, always within the margin of error of being in first or second place. The national media just refused to cover or even tell that story, though. The story has been “Hillary Clinton’s inevitability” or “Hillary vs. Obama”. A poll by Research 2000 is getting a lot of coverage today. It has Edwards and Obama at 29%, Hillary at 28. The real story hasn’t changed. It’s still a dead heat. But today, I’m seeing pundits say that Hillary needs to hope that Edwards wins Iowa if she doesn’t. They believe that Edwards can’t carry the momentum from an Iowa win. It’s an interesting shift in the narrative, but one that still refuses to take Edwards seriously as a candidate. I can’t figure that out. An Edwards win in Iowa will certainly help him in New Hampshire, but it seems to me that it could really help him in South Carolina, Michigan, and Florida. Edwards has long been the strongest candidate in Nevada. Someone winning most of those states is in a great position for the 20 plus state primary on Tuesday, February 5th.

I’m far from saying Edwards is going to pull this thing out, but I think any solid look at the first month’s worth of primaries that starts with an Edwards win would then look very good for him.

J. Edgar Hoover sent a plan to the White House just after the outbreak of the Korean War that would have suspended Habeas Corpus and imprisoned 12,000 Americans indefinitely, without access to a trial.

“Independent Democrat” fucktard Joe Lieberman takes yet another step in his god awfully slow coming out of the closet as a Republican process by endorsing John McCain for the presidency. This comes months before the Democratic party that he supposedly belongs to even picks a nominee and is a hell of a stab in the back for both the DLC and the Clintons.

Strom Thurmond had an easier time giving up on the Democrats than Lieberman has.

If you need a reminder about who controls our government, take a look at DTV Answers. Forget about offering consumers choice or even allowing broadcasters choice. This will sell hundreds of millions of expensive new TV sets and maybe a few million set top digital conversion boxes. You’ve got a little over a year to either buy new equipment or give up television.