The Old Warrior Rises

McCain still beating the "clean government" drum. An impressive feat for an old Washington hand. It's like he cares about competence, or something...

Notes from Republican Debate in S.C.

Republicans duked it out in Myrtle Beach last night with the biggest surprise being Fred Thompson actually participating in the debate. Here are my notes:

---Romney solid on his answer to the recession question, but either he's looking over South Carolina (READ: conceding) or he almost forgot he's there, not Michigan.

---McCain must already be senile if he doesn't believe we're heading to recession, only Huckabee and Romney seem to think the possibility of a recession is real.

---I've already lost count of how many times Ronald Reagan has been mentioned.

---Mitt isn't alone; others are also obviously looking beyond S.C. to Michigan.

---Ron Paul is weird.

---Thompson must've gotten a good night's sleep; he's actually awake and sharp for this debate. He just pounced Huck, calling him "liberal" on the issues. Those are fighting words, but Huck is cool under pressure. That's for sure. His "gates of hell" comment was the best of the night, with Thompson's "virgins" comment in close second.

---Is it just me or do the other seem troubled by Paul? FOX producers seem to like to show Mitt when Paul is talking. Probably because the troubled, almost condescending look on his face says that he, like the FOX Network, thinks Paul is a joke.

---Everybody picks on Paul, but I think he had a point with allies to enemies comment. I wonder how much he pays those folks to sit in the audience and applaud and scream after his comments.

---McCain's efforts to get in cheap shots often fail.

---Thompson on Pakistan, right on.

Overall, it was a good debate. Giuliani just as well have not been on the stage; his campaign is not only in financial trouble, it's also quickly losing its "umph". Fred Thompson, though, made his presence felt, and he had to; South Carolina is his last stance, and from where I'm sitting he won this one hands down. But is that good enough to get him a win in the South's first primary?

I doubt it, but we'll have to wait to see.

"A Clean Slate..."

Barack Obama. Catalyst for progress and revival, or an empty vessel in which we place our false hopes? Perhaps the most discussed topic in American politics today. Ten months out from the most important election since World War 2, voters in early primary states have begun to set the course for the world's greatest nation. As study the ballot on primary day, they ponder the world around them, the dangers and the opportunities, and how they can exercise a civic duty to create a better world for their families. Independent of the political punditry, the question must become, who can best solve these problems? And then they must ask themselves, is Senator Obama the answer, or a towering media creation? Or, more simply, can America rely on hope?

Democrats have controlled the presidency for all of 12 years since Lyndon Baines Johnson rode off into the tumbleweeds of Central Texas in January of 1969. Johnson's Shermanesque statement not to run if nominated, not to serve if elected, cleared the fields on both sides of the isle. To the right, the elements of the nascent Goldwater revolution amalgamated behind a paunchy, beedy-eyed tactician from California, a man whom, only 8 years earlier in 1960, bid a bitter farewell to American politics after a humiliating loss to the young, courageous and telegenic scion of political royalty. To the left, anti-war activism boiled among the radicals, while the democratic establishment and labor nervously watched FDR's leftist coalition tear itself apart. Senator Eugene McCarthy, hesitant anti-war hero, was thrust to the head of the field. To his right stood Hubert Humphrey, the "safe" choice for the Washington establishment who hoped that the young radicals wouldn't spook the blue-collar beer-drinkers that formed the corps of the democratic vote. Most important, however, was the emergence of what could be called "another" prodigal from that political factory headquartered in Hyannis, Massachusetts. The former Attorney General of the United States, Senator Robert Francis Kennedy, sailed into the Democratic race with clear and tangible advantages. His mercurial presidential campaign was viewed as the obvious coda to his brother's unfinished symphony. With his gold-plated name and spotless pedigree, he would have had no trouble riding the democratic establishment to an easy nomination, and, perhaps, an even easier rematch with that old Kennedy punching-bag, Mr. Nixon. But Bobby didn't rely upon his obvious strengths. Instead, at great political risk, he ran an insurgent, populist campaign as an outsider to a system spiraling out of control. This great risk was instructive. Bobby riveted a divided nation with soaring rhetoric and otherworldly charisma. He represented a chance reconnecting the severed link between the American people and their government, a chance to take the reigns from spiraling domestic and foreign quagmires.

America began to notice something else about John's younger brother. When Bobby talked, people listened. When a gunman killed Dr. King, and the inner-cities burned with rage, Kennedy revealed the news to a shocked and saddened crowd in Indianapolis. After his earnest call for peace, calm reigned and Indianapolis slept soundly. Kennedy continued to connect with the poor, the middle class, the working people and showed genuine strength, not political expediency, platitudes or pandering, but righteous, honest-to-god courage and selfless devotion to the betterment of the ordinary American. He lead an honest dialog with Americans everywhere he went, inspiring political activism among newcomers to politics, young and old alike. His campaign also suffered the endless criticism of elders; that it lacked gravitas and overflowed with naivete. After winning the pivotal California primary, Bobby gave a stirring victory speech, walked off the stage, and was shot in the head. Like that, in terrified awe, people watched a real chance to change America come to an abrupt halt.

If not for Sirhan Sirhan, who knows what would have happened. We do know that Richard Nixon took office in 1969, and that Humbert Humphrey slipped away to run another day, only to be upended in the Democratic primary in 1972. Nixon promised to end the war, at home and abroad, but hardly accomplished either. The record didn't skip a beat, and the the vindictive Nixon White House began a counterattack on civil rights and the advances in social justice made during the last 30 years. The roll-back only ended when Nixon's paranoia got the best of him, sending his entire administration down in flames.

Like Bobby Kennedy, Senator Obama has a habit of telling people things they may not like to hear. When he addressed the powerful teacher's union (whose endorsement he did not receive), he explained his support for the their biggest pet peeve, merit pay. He made a similarly politically incorrect choice when he addressed Detroit's business and political leaders, telling them that fuel economy standards must be raised. Time and again, his frank discussions of the nation's problems highlight a powerful link with the Kennedy scion. Obama also shadows Kennedy's battle with entrenched barriers and a slow-moving political establishment. Both seek to unify the electorate over hard-truths told with eloquent rhetoric. And where orations fall short, another great quality emerges from both men. They are men of genuine character, convictions and ideals, of strength and honor. Both men are leaders. Presidents are not oracles, they are (to paraphrase Mr. Bush) deciders and delegators of the nation's will. Barack Obama is a principled man, yes, but also a man of impeccable judgment. Like Kennedy, Obama appears on stage at a critical juncture. And like Kennedy, he is, uniquely, a man for his time.

It seems as if we Americans sometimes act surprised when democracy works. When a political movement begins, others question the legitimacy of the majority. Some shudder to stomach any threats to their own cynical belief that each election flips a different side of the same coin. The political-handicappers tell us that fresh faces don't get to play the game; That leadership isn't born, it's bred by a ceaseless gauntlet of incestuous power-brokers anointing our next leader; That our system can't stand the change we seek. Voices intone that "they", know better than we do. But history teaches us differently. Some have said that our system has become ill suited for the nature of transformative politics. However, our nation was founded on and designed for precisely that idea; The notion that the process of creative destruction yields a bounty of robust progress and opportunity. America has always been capable of rising to tremendous tasks. We, as a nation, have traveled arduous roads for the sake of the preservation of our exceptional system of government and for the prospect of liberty, forever, for our people and free people all over the world. So, never let cynics tell you that we cannot change here at home, against the favor of entrenched and self-interested parties.

To move forward, we must embrace that elusive "third" way. We cannot afford to retrench into agglutinative beltway gridlock. We've so obfuscated government with political debris and allowed our expectations to ebb, that America is beginning to forget what it felt like to be the great shining light of the world. A land of that ageless American dream, of prosperity and of equality, of opportunity and freedom. So, the question is, not whether a president has a Cajun's knowledge of the acrid swamp, but whether he can drain the dark water so that we may again farm the rich land beneath. The only leader with this ability is Senator Barack Obama. Like Bobby Kennedy, a generation ago, he stands alone as a dynamic coalition builder and a powerful intellect, with keen instincts and a unique ability to inspire progress. Others harp that this choice is a roll of the dice (suspending for a moment the notion that any new executive carries a certain risk for failure) and that only old weathered hands should be handed the keys. However, I suggest that, in a past time of uncertainty, the American people are willing to bestow such hope and trust upon bright young leader. They are ready to do so for the future, because they know the stakes. They are ready to do so because they understand the power of possibility, but also because they're tired of the ceaseless bickering, the endless gridlock, the fear, and the incompetence. They are ready to put that in the past. They were ready to do so because they are a faithful and positive people. And this they remain.

"Men without hope, resigned to despair and oppression, do not make revolutions. It is when expectation replaces submission, when despair is touched with the awareness of possibility, that the forces of human desire and the passion for justice are unloosed."

---Robert F. Kennedy, Berkeley, 10-22-1966

The Colvin Report: Hot-Button Issues Start Here—Global Warming

First off, I’d like to introduce myself as a political contributor to GS, and welcome you to The Colvin Report.

You’ll quickly see that I am a bit of a skeptic. That’s probably a fair assessment, and looking at both sides and using logic to get beyond the curb appeal, I’ll attack some of the big issues in this election. I challenge you to join me in second guessing the ideas that the world presents.

Lots of people don’t know much about global warming, just the catch phrase which makes sense because that’s all the media portrays. But all this hype behind global warming is political, not scientific, and there are facts that challenge the “consensus” view. If you follow Al Gore much, you might be aware that the world is about to come to an end because of a recent increase in man-made carbon dioxide emissions. If you look further, you would find out that this increase is also responsible for forest fires, the war in Somalia, the war in Sudan, an increase in giant squid attacks, and may lead to the extinction of baseball.

The climate has changed drastically throughout history. Chances are it will continue, and the more likely culprit is the sun and slight galactic changes, not man-made emissions. The theory behind man-made emissions is that an increase of carbon dioxide is causing the Earth’s thermal blanket to get thicker, speeding up the greenhouse gas effect and causing heat to be trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere. Seems relatively simple right? Well, here's the kicker; some scientists believe that water vapor is responsible for 95% of the greenhouse gas effect and carbon is responsible for less then 1%, but activists completely discount water vapor in their calculations. With 99.99% of water vapor is occurring naturally, it seems like its worth consideration.

Global warming activists don’t explain why temperatures were higher in the 1930’s than they are today or why temperature actually declined between 1930 and 1970 despite an industrial boom and massive increase in carbon production. They don’t explain a clear cycle of temperature change irrespective of carbon levels that has occurred for millions of years.

And how about this response from Dr. Keith Shine (a lead scientists on the original United Nations’ IPCC panel (the leading authority for Al Gore and his bandwagon): "We produce a draft, and then the policymakers go through it line by line and change the way it is presented.... It's peculiar that they have the final say in what goes into a scientists' report.” Or how about an editorial article by Dr. Frederick Seitz, the leading author of the science chapter, where he proclaims that 15 statements saying directly that evidence showed no link between carbon dioxide and climate change were removed from the report.

Strange statements for a consensus, and you don’t have to believe me; you can read it for yourself: US Senate Report; Global Warming Skeptics Site; Hot & Cold Media Spin Cycle: Challenges to Journalist Who Cover Global Warming; JunkScience.com; A Major Deception on Global Warming; A Treaty Built on Hot Air, Not Scientific Consenus; and Fred S. Singer & Dennis Avery, Unstoppable Global Warming, (2006).

WSJ Video: Looking Ahead to Three States

In the News...

In an attempt to aid the struggling econonmy, the Fed is set to cut interest rates...again; the Atlanta Falcon's want USC's Pete Carroll on their sideline next year; Tiger Woods calls "lynch" reference a "non-issue" while Sharpton disagrees; Ron Paul repudiates racist, homophobic comments made in his newspaper nearly 15 years ago; Kerry endorses Obama; and Richardson drops out of the race.

COMEBACK KIDS: Clinton, McCain Take N.H. Primaries, Get Swagger Back

After being written off by pundits and polls around the nation, John McCain and Hillary Clinton got surprise victories in last night's New Hampshire primary. McCain received 37% of the votes in the Republican Party's primary, followed by a disappointed Mitt Romney who "got silver" for the second time. Meanwhile, Clinton sustained a rather consistent lead throughout the night over her closest challenger, carrying 39% of the vote for her party and edging Barack Obama by two percentage points.

As I flipped from Fox News to CNN to MSNBC and so forth glued to my tv, anchors all across tv land seemed baffled by Clinton's win. I guess they'd forgotten how politically savvy Bill and Hillary, like them or not, are.

Maybe it was Hillary's tears that brought about "change" in how the voters would vote. Maybe, but I'd say that Clinton was never out of it in the very first place. Obama appeals to a lot of people, but so does Clinton. This race isn't over by a long shot.

And neither is the Republican race, either. Despite two disappointing finishes, Romney--who did win Wyoming but without anyone noticing--has the dollars to go on, and he will. But if he doesn't take Michigan, a state for which his father spent six years as governor, his chances will become even more bleak, as Mike Huckabee and Rudy Guiliani lead polls for South Carolina and Nevada, respectively.

Touted to be the main event for the Clinton-Obama slugfest, the South Carolina primary, where the black vote will be the deciding factor, is must-see-tv as the Clinton's are revered by blacks and Obama is appealing, inspirational, electable, and, of course, black.

It reminds me of the main event of Wrestlemania VI that matched Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior. Both were adored by fans. One was an established icon. The other was a rising icon with a huge following. In the end, the established icon passed the torch to the newcomer.

But don't expect Hillary Clinton to pass any torch. I'm sure she'd agree that in order to be the man Obama's got to beat the woman.

It's Happening: the Obama Phenomenon

It was a cold February morning, probably as cold as I’d ever seen having lived all of my life in Florida, only to find myself now in the dead center of Pennsylvania. Usually I sleep in on Saturdays, but I’d set my alarm the night before to wake up earlier than usual.

When I woke, I rolled over, searching for my remote. Finally finding it, I pressed 2-9, and it wasn’t long before I heard his words.

"It was here, in Springfield,” he said, “where North, South, East and West come together that I was reminded of the essential decency of the American people—where I came to believe that through this decency, we can build a more hopeful America."

He continued. "And that is why, in the shadow of the Old State Capitol, where Lincoln once called on a divided house to stand together, where common hopes and common dreams still live, I stand before you today to announce my candidacy for president of the United States of America."

The first time I saw and heard Barack Obama was likely the same time most people saw and heard him. It was at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. He, of course, the keynote speaker made an impression upon the nation that night, starting a wave that continues to build even as a type this. Some, though, say he’s inexperienced and “not ready” to run the nation. Many wondered whether the nation was “ready” for a black president, whatever that means. They even called his battle cry of change and hope unrealistic.

And then Obama won the Iowa caucus.

Remarkable it was, and even more remarkable was his victory speech.



Obama is quickly becoming an American icon. His unlikely story, one as American as it gets, crosses races, the aisles of the Congress, nations, and continents and reaches all, giving many the audacity to believe in the impossible. Watching CNN interview his uncle and grandmother from a small, simple Kenyan village was nothing short of moving. Obama is the very embodiment of what it is America stands for.

It’s hard to not be attracted to what he’s doing. His message unites the country and reaches young people in a way that has never been seen. He is an inspiration to us all but especially troubled, young black kids. He has changed the game, and because of it he has a real chance of winning the presidency. I, for one, can’t imagine that Martin Luther King’s dream might ever be any clearer than on the day that Obama, if he wins, is sworn into office.

Being just a block away from my aunt’s Arlington condo, I took a walk by Hillary Clinton’s National Campaign Headquarters today. With not much going on, it was rather quiet. But as I passed by, you could literally feel the tension. An Obama win in New Hampshire turns the Clinton campaign upside down. And they know that.

With that, every now and then in trying times a remarkable person comes along to do remarkable things. During the Great Depression, it was FDR. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, it was JFK. And, at the height of the Cold War, it was Ronald Reagan. Even if Obama doesn’t win N.H., even if he’s already come as far as he’ll go, what he has already done is no less remarkable.

But, if he goes all the way, this time he may be that remarkable person that comes along to do remarkable things. And with his circumstances, that would be the story of our generation.