REMEMBERING AN ENEMY WITH STYLE AND GRACE

I hate to regard those who observe Republican/Conservative ideals as enemies...but in fact when one is adamant regarding a political point of view then one must regard those with opposite points of view as the enemy.
It's not like a physical enemy but more like a spiritual combatant...attempting to destroy ideals and thoughts.
Yesterday one of the classy members of the "enemy" passed away at the age of 82.

WILLIAM F. BUCKLEY died at his desk....which is really a good place for the intelligentsia to step through when advancing to the next dimension.

I wonder what he was writing when Heaven made the final physical call?

I can honestly say that over the years he might be the ONLY Conservative that I actually listened to who not only would make me think...but would always make me laugh.

THE SMUG LOOKS THAT HE POSSESSED WERE LEGENDARY....and even when he was totally wrong on a point his smirk would always make me wonder.

I respected William Buckley's style in a way that I've reserved for no other Conservative thinker in this country. Obviously his Libertarian ideals struck a cord, as they should in any free thinking American....even though the reality of Libertarian ideals will never float in a two-party corporate dominated society...they do ring a certain chime in the inner sanctions of my politically curious mind.

I simply don't understand how anything can be paid for without Taxes.
Even though at the current time it seems that there is an alternative....and that alternative is called...
PRINTING MORE MONEY.

Unfortunately no one has figured out how to print more William F. Buckley's and that's a sad thing because I will have to listen to Conservatives for the rest of my life, and none of them will ever duplicate his style, grace and charm.

I realize he is responsible for the birth of many Conservative thinkers in this country and for that I scream with raucous horror. But he made those of us who classify ourselves as Liberal....smarter and better prepared for the battle.

Thank you Bill and good-bye. I know that Heaven will enjoy your company... even if you do try to change the basic game plan.

Michael Timothy McAlevey

AND NOW IT BEGINS

THE QUESTION REGARDING THE WAR IN IRAQ

AND

THE LACK OF EFFORT IN AFGHANISTAN

THIS IS A MAJOR TOPIC OF CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE TWO PARTIES.....AND IT'S NEVER BEEN FULLY ADDRESSED BETWEEN TWO INDIVIDUALS THAT WANT TO OCCUPY THE WHITE HOUSE.

IN 2004 THERE WASN'T ENOUGH INFORMATION AVAILABLE ABOUT THE MISTAKES MADE BACK WHEN WE ENTERED IRAQ.

TODAY WE KNOW THE FOLLOWING FACTS:

THERE WERE NO WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

THERE WERE NO AL-QAIDA IN IRAQ WHEN WE OVERTHREW HUSSEIN

THAT WE HAVE FAILED TO CONTACT A PROPER EFFORT IN FINDING THE PERSON WHO CAUSED 9/11 BECAUSE HE HIDES ON THE BORDER OF PAKISTAN AND AFGHANISTAN

McCain and Obama are now starting to discuss these issues....from separate venues and this is the opening salvo....

By LIBBY QUAID and TOM RAUM, Associated Press Writers

TYLER, Texas - Republican presidential hopeful John McCain mocked Barack Obama's view of al-Qaida in Iraq, and the Democratic contender responded that GOP policies brought the terrorist group there. The rapid-fire, long-distance exchange Wednesday underscored that the two consider each other likely general election rivals, even though the Democratic contest remains unresolved.
McCain criticized Obama for saying in Tuesday night's Democratic debate that, after U.S. troops were withdrawn, as president he would act "if al-Qaida is forming a base in Iraq."
"I have some news. Al-Qaida is in Iraq. It's called `al-Qaida in Iraq,'" McCain told a crowd in Tyler, Texas, drawing laughter at Obama's expense. He said Obama's statement was "pretty remarkable,"
Obama quickly answered back while campaigning in Ohio. "I do know that al-Qaida is in Iraq and that's why I have said we should continue to strike al-Qaida targets," he told a rally at Ohio State University in Columbus.
"But I have some news for John McCain," Obama added. "There was no such thing as al-Qaida in Iraq until George Bush and John McCain decided to invade Iraq. ... They took their eye off the people who were responsible for 9/11 and that would be al-Qaida in Afghanistan, that is stronger now than at any time since 2001."

I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL THESE TWO GO FACE TO FACE AND TOE TO TOE.

AMERICA WAITS....but now it begins

Michael Timothy McAlevey

TRADE OFF and RALPH

After many years of listening to Dodger baseball on a weak radio signal, the franchise has returned to their flagship station...KABC.

Vin Scully can now be heard strong and clear for the first time in 7 years....and that's a good thing.

Of course there is always a trade off.

The trade off this time is that KABC is now the strongest right wing conservative talk radio show in Los Angeles.

I really don't want to mention their names because they don't need any extra publicity and they are all nationally based talk show hosts.

I've listened over the last few days, off and on, to get ready for the baseball season and it just boils my oil.

Might be a good thing for Democrats to tune in and see how the other side is approaching the upcoming election.

BUT SOMETHING ELSE HAPPENED OVER THE WEEKEND THAT COULD HAVE AN EFFECT ON THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.

RALPH NADER'S ANSWER WHEN ASKED THE FOLLOWING QUESTION

Why did you decide to enter the presidential race?

"Because there are too many necessities of the American people that are being opposed or ignored by the major candidates in the Democrat and Republican parties... They are opposed to a single-payer health insurance [and] Medicare for all, which is supported by the majority of the American people. They are opposed to cutting the huge bloated military budget, which now consumes half of the federal government's operating expenditures, and there's no more Soviet Union. They are opposed to cracking down on the corporate crime wave that has drained and taken trillions of dollars in the last 10 years from pension holders, investors, and workers.... That's just a set of examples of why I am running. "

After listening to Ralph speak on Meet The Press I once again will state the obvious.

WHEN IT COMES TO DISCUSSING ISSUES AND PROBLEMS
IN THIS COUNTRY
AND THE WORLD ......
NO ONE DOES IT WITH THE FLAIR OF.......


RALPH NADER


ANSWERS ARE NOT THE ISSUE......

QUESTIONS ARE THE ISSUE...

ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS SO THAT DIALOGUE CAN BE DESIGNED TO ANSWER THE RIGHT QUESTIONS CANNOT BE ACHIEVED IF THE RIGHT QUESTIONS ARE NOT BEING ASKED.

That sounds like a political doublespeak

It's the position of a great American like Ralph Nader to ask the right questions and hopefully the major candidates will feel a responsibility to speak up and answer them. I fully understand that Ralph Nader will not be elected President of the United States, but I totally believe that he should run and he should be allowed in the final debates.

I ALSO KNOW THAT NEITHER PARTY WILL ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN.

AND .....
THAT IS AMERICA IN THE 21ST CENTURY.

A TWO PARTY SYSTEM THAT HAS FAILED TO IGNITE THE POPULISTS....keeping in mind that 50 percent of the population fails to vote in a Presidential election.

I HIGHLY SUGGEST THAT YOU
GO TO
http://www.votenader.org/
AND
LISTEN
AND
LEARN
AND
START
ASKING THE
RIGHT
QUESTIONS.........YOURSELF

Michael Timothy McAlevey

Turkeys are coming and Muqtada extends Cease Fire while John ignores

Three important things took place yesterday....and depending on where you sit at the dinner table will determine which story has the most importance.

TURKEY INVADED IRAQ.
This story is quite amazing and you should do an extensive research on your own to truly understand the ramifications.

Simply put....I thought Iraq was our Bitch.

It just shows how wrong one can be when one assumes anything at this time in world history.

CEASE FIRE EXTENDED
Maqtada al Sadr announced that the CEASE FIRE would be extended another six months so the United States can continue to believe that the SURGE is working to perfection. As long as his Mahdi Army militia stays out of the mix...there will be a reduction in violence in Iraq...except of course for the quiet northern invasion of Turkey....

I say quiet because it only warranted a story on Page 8 in this morning's LA TIMES.

John McCain doesn't enjoy voting on issues of the environment.

I just received this from the Sierra Club...and it's just another other dealio with Republicans and their non-positions on environmental issues.


Two weeks ago John McCain was the only Senator to duck a crucial vote on the future of clean energy in America -- dooming to failure the measure that would have helped make renewable energy more affordable and accessible. Now it turns out this missed vote is part of a pattern.
Last week, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) released the 2007 National Environmental Scorecard giving Senator McCain a score of ZERO. According to the scorecard, McCain was the only member of Congress to skip all 15 crucial environmental votes scored by LCV.
Can you help spread the word about McCain's 0% environmental voting record and write a letter to the editor? The opinion page is widely read in most communities -- and a well-placed letter can reach a broad audience. We've included sample text to get you started.
McCain's LCV score exposes the real record behind the rhetoric -- a lifetime LCV score of 24, a history of siding with the polluters and special interests, and a consistent pattern of ducking important environmental votes.
Let's place thousands of letters in papers around the country. Click here to let us know you're writing a letter.
Thanks for taking action.
Sincerely,
Carl Pope Executive DirectorThe Sierra Club

Gee Whiz John.....don't you think ZERO is fairly ridiculous?

But then again when one's focus is on military priorities then quite often REAL PRIORITIES become non-issues.

THE ENVIRONMENT IS NOT A NON-ISSUE and it deserves an occasional vote....wouldn't you agree?

Michael Timothy McAlevey

BEHIND THE SURGE SUCCESS

It seems that the Republicans are using the Surge success to validate the continued involvement in Iraq. And John McCain is banking on the Surge success to help him win the White House.

They never seem to mention one major factor why the SURGE appears to be working.

The numbers indicate that attacks are down in the last six months but there never seems to be any mention about the Muqtada al-Sadr's CEASE FIRE that has been in place for the last SIX MONTHS.

IF HE DOESN'T MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT EXTENDING THE CEASE FIRE THAN WE WILL TRULY SEE IF THE SURGE IS WORKING.

When the largest Shiite militant group takes a six month vacation then one could easily determine that the reduction in violence should be related to that action...unless one is a Republican trying to justify further action on the part of the United States military.

I sincerely hope that Muqtada speaks up and extends the cease fire...and it would be nice if he extended it for an entire year...but there have been some incidents that lead me to believe that he will not speak up and the vacation will end.

I would love to know where Muqtada al-Sadr stands regarding Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. That's a show for 60 Minutes. If we could know for certain that he regards all outsiders as intruders then we might be able to turn over some of the responsibility to his band of merry men.

Band of Merry Men might be stretching it.....but I'm fairly certain there are no women in the al-Sadr militia so the question is only based on how merry the men might be. They all seem so dammed pissed off that it might be hard to imagine them as men with families and houses and dogs and jobs and of course dreams for a better future.

The odds are good that some of them are normal human beings just trying to do the job that their esteemed leader has asked them to do.

QUITE SIMILAR TO ARMED FORCES THAT WORK FOR PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH.

A very large difference is that Muqtada al-Sadr lives in the area and George has a ranch in Texas and a temporary house in Washington D.C.

I find it amazing that some Americans still think Iraq had something to do with 9/11.

Just like I find it hard to believe that we aren't able to up the ante in Afghanistan and find the guy who admits bombing the World Trade Center. I also continue to wonder about the Poppy cultivation that has increased dramatically since the Taliban were moved to the mountains...and why no one running for President of the United States ever brings up that fact.

But back to the Cease Fire. If al-Sadr does not speak up on Saturday then the Mahdi Army will be back at work and only then will we be able to determine if the SURGE had anything to do with a reduction in violence.

SURGE SUCCESS WITHOUT MUQTADA'S CEASE FIRE MIGHT BE AN IMPOSSIBILITY.

Let's see what happens Saturday.......and again I'm saying a prayer that he decides to extend the vacation for another six months....at least.

What would be really cool would be if
Maqtada al-Sadr announced
that he was converting to Judaism.

Hey...if we are dreaming....let's dream
LARGE

Michael Timothy McAlevey

TEN & 0

Barack just won his tenth primary in a row which means that Hillary has lost ten in a row and losing ten in a row is a much stronger indicator than winning ten in a row....

THE BIG MO is on his side and I'm just not certain that the Clinton machine can reverse the trend....and knowing how much Bill Clinton always focused on African American support during his two campaigns...I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't a portion of his mind that is actually pushing for a Barack victory....after all he was nicknamed the "First Black President."

Actually it might be a larger portion than we can imagine. There is the other side to the story where Bill doesn't want Hillary to have the same position in American political history that he holds....

Just a hunch...

maybe more important to realize is the negative response to the Bush/Clinton/Bush/Clinton possibilities....

THE COUNTRY ( democrats for sure)JUST MIGHT BE SAYING ENOUGH IS ENOUGH......

Bring on some fresh blood.....which basically eliminates John McCain just on the sheer numbers
game....even though they are trying to make him younger by exposing his stud side with the rumors about him slipping the little McCain to a lobbyist.

Barack is most definitely the fresh blood......

Michael Timothy McAlevey

TRIED BONO but settled for me

I tried to download a video about Bono and an art auction that raised 60 million dollars for AIDs in Africa....but I couldn't get it done...

I've been wanting to add video's to my blog so I guess I have to work a tad bit harder to achieve that goal.

In the meantime I was able to download one of my video's...which contains some of my art that I would love to donate to the cause.

Do you have Bono's cell phone number?

Many of you have seen my video on the UTUBE site.

The BONO project in African is also tied to the Dr. Jeffery Sacks site listed under IMPORTANT SITES on my blog home page. I highly suggest you research the project and watch the videos.

President Bush is in Africa today and AIDs is a focus of his trip....which is a good thing for a lame duck President to do...it will look good at his library.

Thank God Dick Cheney doesn't get a library.....which means that there might actually be some form of karmic justice in the world.

The situation in Kosovo is quite interesting. Yugoslavia has taken another reduction in size, even though it's been awhile since anyone called it Yugoslavia. Recently it's been referred to as Serbia and Montenegro.

After reading about the situation I have learned that this current separation was a direct result of Slobodan Milosevic brutal antics in the 1990's.

I've also learned that Kosovo is predominately Albanian Muslims and it is a Muslim country (almost) that has positive feelings towards the United States. The proof in that pudding is based on the immediate recognition by the United States of Kosovo's right to exist as an independent country.

Apparently Kosovo has a very young population and an extremely high unemployment rate....which means there are a bunch of young Muslims running around with nothing to do all day.

That sounds vaguely familiar.

Serbia on the other hand is a predominately Christian country....and once again religion comes into play.

The population of Kosovo is a little over 2 million.

Russia is concerned because they say it will trigger further separations throughout the region. It's so interesting to look at a World map from 1980 and then at a map from today.

I would say that Russia has a point in worrying about separations...but it seems a bit late to put the cat back in the bag.

I'd say the divorce is final and dividing up the assets seems to be the only question left.

Maybe BONO could focus on problems in that area if he has a few extra minutes in the day. It looks like things could heat up.

Michael Timothy McAlevey

WRONG EDUCATIONAL MESSAGES

I generally choose not to mention some one's name that has committed an act of violence and I generally don't cover stories that involve random acts of violence.

I'm not comfortable writing this story but then again why should I be comfortable. The fact that I'm choosing to address the issue of SCHOOL SHOOTINGS probably has something to do with the Presidential Election and the messages we are receiving regarding CHANGE and HOPE.

Speaking of HOPE and CHANGE, in regards to campaigns being conducted, the other night as Barack was finishing his speech I turned over to John McCain giving his speech and was amazed at what I heard.

These two people were in different areas of the country and Barack has just finished the HOPE portion of his speech and lo and behold one of the first things Grandpa mentions is "HOPE without concrete ideas is simply a platitude."

It was like he was watching Barack (which was impossible) or he had a remote planted in his ear from a speech writer that was watching Barack ( which is quite possible).

I'm not quite sure that attempting to diminish the possibilities of HOPE is such a good idea....but of course the Republicans have always had a tendency toward verbalizing their misguided Practicality message versus the implied Idealism of the Democratic party.

TECHNICALLY SPEAKING.... IT IS BATTLE BETWEEN

MATERIALISM AND IDEALISM

but the Republican Party has always branded their viewpoint as
PRACTICAL...
but continue to use the word IDEALISTIC when speaking about a Democrat who opposes their point of view.

If one is going to use the word IDEALISM then one must also use MATERIALISM in their counter arguments but that won't happen because it just sounds shallow......but Practical has a strong connotation and is used in partnership with their other favorite word....

REALISTIC


PRACTICAL AND REALISTIC VS IDEALISTIC


When one picks up a dictionary ( and I highly suggest you do that right now)and reads the definitions of Materialism and Idealism it seems quite incomprehensible that being anything less than IDEALISTIC is a personal affront to the goal of being a completely actualized human being...which means both physically and spiritually.

BUT SINCE MATERIALISM BASICALLY DIMINISHES ANYTHING HAVING TO DO WITH SPIRITUAL CONTENT..... WHICH INCLUDES

THOUGHT

FEELING

WILL

....then OF COURSE John McCain will attack HOPE

it's his JOB as a dedicated Republican to tell people to forget about HOPE and concentrate on practical issues like...
WAR
and the continuation of advancing FREEDOM'S HIGHWAY and reinforcing the policies that have diligently been constructed by King George and the REAL DICK.

The reason I bring political issues into an article about SCHOOL SHOOTINGS is because
THERE IS A RELATIONSHIP.

ATTEMPTING TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THE RELATIONSHIP AND ATTEMPTING TO FULLY UNDERSTAND WHY SHOOTINGS ARE RAPIDLY INCREASING IN ACADEMIC SETTINGS IS AN ATTEMPT THAT MUST BE MADE IN ORDER FOR REDUCTIONS IN SAID INCIDENTS.

UNDERSTANDING THAT A BATTLE EXIST BETWEEN IDEALISM AND MATERIALISM MIGHT ACTUALLY EXPLAIN WHY PEOPLE
SNAP

AND IT IS A SNAP THAT TAKES PLACE WHEN A PERSON WHO IS DESCRIBED BY FRIENDS AND FAMILY AS...."solid and personable" goes into a college Geology class in Debalk, Illinois and kills five students. ...and then himself.

He was also described by professors as "friendly and respectful."

EITHER NO ONE KNEW THIS GUY OR THE SNAP WAS TRULY CAUSED BY SOME INCIDENT THAT MIGHT HAVE TRIGGERED A MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE RESPONSE.

WHAT IF HE HEARD JOHN MC CAIN CRITICIZE HOPE? And HOPE was all he had left. And while listening to Grandpa he simply realized that he didn't have any materialistic understanding of reality and his IDEALISTIC viewpoints of the world were so convoluted and based in fantasy that he no longer saw the point of existence on a physical plane....and he choose a Geology classroom because of dust to dust and so on and so forth.

MY EXPLANATION MAKES AS MUCH SENSE AS ANYONE ELSE'S EXPLANATION

NONE OF IT MAKES ANY SENSE.

Every SCHOOL SHOOTING completely undermines the very nature of our society.

SCHOOL is a great time in the life of an American citizen...as it should be....and if the school experience can extend into the mid 20's of some one's life, then generally it results in a stable and productive adulthood.

THE NUMBERS JUSTIFY THAT STATEMENT

The word GENERALLY is the key word.

GENERALLY UNLESS SOMEONE SNAPS.

FROM AN ARTICLE
BY STEPHANIE SIMON (LA TIMES 2/16/2008

JEFFERY SPRAGUE, co-director of the Institute on Violence and Destructive Behavior at the University of Oregon, calls today's culture

MEAN-WORLD SYNDROME

"KIDS SEE CRUELTY IN MOVIES AND VIDEO-GAMES AND, TOO OFTEN, ON THE NEWS EVERY TIME THERE'S A RAMPAGE IN A CHURCH, A MALL, A SCHOOL. IF THEY'RE ALREADY A BIT UNBALANCED, THAT CAN BECOME THEIR REALITY."

"THEY WILL PICK UP ON THOSE CUES...AND IT BECOMES SOMETHING THEY WANT TO DO THEMSELVES."

AND THEN HE ADDS....."you want to look for a pattern, but the deeper you look, the less specific it gets."

Ms Simon states that
"guns are widely available, and even children can get their hands on rifles and semiautomatic pistols. In many families, both parents work, and have less time to keep close watch on their kids. High divorce rate could be a factor and cutbacks in mental-health care.

CUTBACKS IN MENTAL HEALTH CARE

CUTBACKS IN MENTAL HEALTH CARE!

AND ONCE AGAIN WE RETURN TO THE TRUE LEGACY OF RONALD REAGAN.....

AND ONCE AGAIN I LOSE ALL REAGAN FANS.....

BUT
DON'T LET THE DOOR HIT YOUR ASS ON THE WAY OUT......

EXPLAINING WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THIS COUNTRY CANNOT BE ANSWERED BY TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHY A "SOLID, PERSONABLE, FRIENDLY AND RESPECTFUL 27 YEAR OLD MAN DECIDED TO CREATE HEARTACHE AND SORROW IN DEBALK, ILLINOIS....BUT SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE EDUCATIONAL MESSAGES BEING CONSTRUCTED THROUGHOUT AMERICA.

AND IT'S NOT JUST EDUCATION TAKING PLACE IN SCHOOLS....IT'S EDUCATION BEING SUPPLIED BY PARENTS, FRIENDS AND POLITICIANS...AND WHEN WE ARE TOLD TO BASICALLY IGNORE THE WORD HOPE...WE ARE BEING TAUGHT TO BE....

MEAN-SPIRITED

WHICH FITS IN NICELY IN WITH MR. SPRAGUE'S
MEAN-WORLD SYNDROME

The American psyche is better off with some one who speaks about HOPE and DREAMS and HIGHER GOALS and LOVE (he hasn't gone there yet...but he will) then some one who tells us to kick ass everywhere.....and whether you like it or not....that means kicking ass in a geology class in Dekalb or Virgina or Colombine or on and on and on
and of course kicking major ass in Iraq.

It's an ass-kicking world right now and MATERIALISTIC PRACTICAL REPUBLICAN THINKERS AND VOTERS are hell bent on telling IDEALISTIC THINKERS TO STEP ASIDE AND LET THE TANKS THROUGH.

WELL.....I SIMPLY HAVE ONE RESPONSE TO THAT

F**K OFF

I PLAN ON MAKING HOPE A BIGGER PORTION OF MY DREAMS...AND I HIGHLY SUGGEST THAT SOMEONE START REVITALIZING HEALTH CARE FACILITIES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE....BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE MEAN-WORLD SYNDROME COULD GET EVEN NASTIER.

Michael Timothy McAlevey

SUPER DELEGATES and the Cartoon

ON February 11th... I posted a cartoon from the LA TIMES. The cartoonist obviously feels that Hillary is a bigger target than Barack but I'm not sure about that....because within the realm of reality, that seems to exist in America, I think the cartoonist is totally underestimating RACISM as an issue.

I understand if someone doesn't possess racial bias that's it's easy to assume the PROBLEM has diminished in 21st century America.

I'm wondering if that form of assumption is on point.

My reasoning behind this is that I have heard the "N" word more in the last month than I had heard it in the last five years. Usually coming from the mouth of an Anglo joke teller....but a rose is a rose is a rose and if it smells like a rose it probably is a rose....and the smell of racial improprieties has a distinct odor no matter how deep it might be buried within the human psyche.

I'm slightly concerned that Barack's target might be considerably larger than Hillary's and larger in ways that cannot be measured because denial is a strong proponent of racial prejudice.

BUT bigger than the issue of who has a bigger target to shoot at.....is the issue of

SUPER DELEGATES

No sooner do I finally accept the Electoral College... than I'm confronted with Super Delegates.....which seem to have just appeared on the political scene.

Read the following article
By Matthew Mosk and Paul Kane
Washington Post Staff Writers Sunday, February 10, 2008; Page A01

For months, Patsy Arceneaux sat on the fence as key aides to the presidential campaigns of Democrats Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama made gentle but persistent inquiries. Ann Lewis, a close Clinton adviser, called weekly. The 2004 Democratic nominee, Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.), called, urging her to jump behind Obama.
This Story
· THE SUPERDELEGATES: 796 Insiders May Hold Democrats' Key
· Presidential Candidates Boost Campaign Efforts
· Full List of Super Delegates
They all wanted to know the same thing: how she planned to vote in her role as a superdelegate at this summer's national convention.
Last week, the Baton Rouge party loyalist, one of 796 Democratic insiders who may well determine the eventual nominee, got the call that finally persuaded her -- from former president Bill Clinton, the man who 10 years earlier gave her husband a job.
"When the president called, I said to him, 'I guess I've moved to the top of the food chain,' " Arceneaux laughed. "He was very persuasive."
The calls were just one aspect of the aggressive campaign underway to win what could be the most important and least understood contest in the race for the Democratic nomination. As a group, the "superdelegates," a category created by party leaders in 1982 to give elected officials more clout in the nominating process, constitute a prize worth twice as much as the state of California.
[View a full list of Democratic super delegates (PDF)]
Though Clinton and Obama have pursued the support of superdelegates for a year, the courtships have intensified in recent weeks as it has become clear that the two are locked in a virtual dead heat for delegate support. Party insiders say this could be the first campaign in more than two decades that reaches the national convention in August without a clear nominee, making the votes of superdelegates -- a group made up of current and former top elected officials and Democratic National Committee (DNC) members from around the nation -- potentially decisive.
"Right now, everyone is busting their chops to try to get the remaining superdelegates to commit. And they're having a real hard time of it," said Mike Berman, a Clinton supporter who worked on Walter F. Mondale's 1984 campaign, the last one in which superdelegates were a factor.
So far, 213 superdelegates have publicly committed to backing Clinton and 139 have pledged their support to Obama, according to a survey by the Associated Press.
The potential for superdelegates to play a critical role has some party leaders worried that the situation could lend the appearance that the nominee will be selected by insiders rather than by rank-and-file voters.

THIS MORNING I READ THAT THE SUPER DELEGATES WERE RECEIVING MONEY FROM BOTH CANDIDATES....MONEY TO HELP WITH THEIR PERSONAL ELECTION CONFERS.

IF THAT IS TRUE THEN THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES WILL BE DETERMINED BY 796 PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN BOUGHT AND PAID FOR.

$UPER DELEGATES
WOULD BE A BETTER SPELLING.

Michael Timothy McAlevey

ON TARGET but ???????

And the Republican game starts unfolding

Now that Mitt Romney has left the race and only John McCain and Ron Paul remain...and Paul is simply refusing to quit so that his fiscal message continues to be heard....the Republican ROVE strategy is starting to take shape.

I realize this might be a stretch for some people to grasp but after watching their game plan during the last two elections I do not underestimate any level or degree that they might go to in an attempt to confuse the voter.

SIMPLE PLAN

Start vocalizing that John McCain is not a conservative and that the right wing of the Republican party does not like McCain because he leans to the left on certain issues. Even one of the conservative radio talk show hosts has labeled him...McLame.

THE REASON FOR THIS PLAN

The powers to be in the Republican party know that a certain percentage of Americans will simply not vote for a black man or for a woman...and that certain percentage includes Democrats and Independents.

The percentage involved seems to be the major question.

Let's assume it is a low number......in the 10% range....and realistically it's probably in the 20% range....and I've even talked to a few people that put it at 30%.

For sake of arguments let's use 10%.

If 100 million people vote and 60 percent of those are Democrats....that adds up to 6 million people who are being targeted by the Republican ploy of bashing McCain....so that at the moment of punching the chad those 6 million racial/gender bias idiots will simply punch McCAIN because they've heard that conservatives don't really like him so he's probably ok.

I'M TELLING YOU THAT IT IS A VIABLE PLAN and it's a workable plan because human nature is human nature.

2 million votes can easily win a close election when you look at the numbers...6 million votes can almost create a landslide difference.

I want to state unequivocally that JOHN McCAIN is a viable WAR MONGER who understandably is still pissed and affected by what happen to him during the Viet-Nam war.

Given the powers of the President of the United States, JOHN McCAIN will move us into other countries in the Middle East....such as IRAN and SYRIA.....and anybody who thinks he won't is blinded in ways that I simply do not understand.

I can't even imagine who he would nominate for Secretary of Defense.....probably Henry Kissinger.

All of a sudden the name Barry Goldwater jumps to mind and if the Democrats have any capabilities then they will be able to make the American public aware of the aggressive possibilities that will result from a McCain presidency....and in that awareness campaign they will be able neutralize any ridiculous racial or gender bias that might naturally exist.

Racial and Gender bias does exist in America and I'm not concerned about the Republican dickheads who will start slamming Hillary or Barack on so many ridiculous levels....I'm only concerned about the Democrats and the Independents who claim that race and gender issues do not enter into the equation but who secretly abhor those antiquated negative and destructive viewpoints.

DO NOT FALL VICTIM TO THE REPUBLICAN GAME PLAN.
DO NOT BELIEVE THAT JOHN McCain IS NOT A RIGHT WING CONSERVATIVE
DO NOT OVERLOOK THE WAR MONGER TAG even if you believe in the war on Terrorism.

ANY PRESIDENT IN THE WHITE HOUSE WILL CONTINUE THE WAR ON TERRORISM.

THE STYLE OF HOW IT'S ADDRESSED WILL BE THE DIFFERENCE IN THE TWO PARTIES.

JOHN McCAIN HAS MADE HIS POSITION VERY CLEAR....AGGRESSION

BARACK OBAMA HAS MADE HIS POSITION VERY CLEAR....DISCUSSION

HILLARY CLINTON IS A TAD BIT WISHY WASHY ON THE SUBJECT

But most of all....just don't let the Republicans manipulate your opinion with games and plans that you simply know are not true.

Use common sense when listening to conservatives state their points of view. Most of the time it's pretty clear cut what they think...but sometimes is a calculated juxtaposition of views just to confuse.

2008 should be an election where people are not confused, without prejudice and not fooled by tricks and stories that have no merit and no reality.

Those American people that want War to continue will have their say during the election....they have a clear cut choice in the matter.

Those Americans who believe there are other methods for spreading Democracy must not succumb to devious games and corrupt plans that simply have nothing to do with honor and the higher goals of human nature.

I think Barack Obama is the most capable person of the three remaining candidates who can lead America into a new reality of Global Awareness and a new paradigm for the way the rest of the world views America.

YES I DO
and
YES WE CAN

Michael Timothy McAlevey

Super Tuesday almost became UGLY Tuesday

I'm not sure how any of this is related but yesterday there might have been too much energy directed in too many different directions and it created some havoc in certain areas....

The stock market dropped 370.03 points and I heard nothing until this morning....I assume the only way it could have trumped the primaries was to fall in the 700 point range and then the political pundits, chit chatting all night on both network and cable, might have woven IT into their reports.

370 is just not big news anymore.....BUT IT IS....because when it drops 370 there is a special reason and the reason this time is a serious indicator of the economy. The SERVICE-SECTOR report showed a number of 41.9 for the month of January...December was 54.4

Numbers below 50 show an economic contraction and contraction is a word that the stock market does not enjoy hearing....along with those other famous terms like SLOW DOWN and the ugliest of them all....RECESSION. Of course I realize that Depression is a far uglier term but with all the safeguards built into the stock market I don't see Depression as a viable possibility.
RECESSION on the other hand has a chance and in fact some business guru's are indicating that we might already be in ONE.

The fact that Mike Huckabee won primaries in Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and West Virginia created such a storm that it turned into a Tornado and ripped through one of the states that supported him.....I sure hope it's not some strange religious elemental war starting between the Mormons and the Evangelical Christians.

That could get ugly....but they both want to remember not to piss off the Catholic elemental spirit soldiers...and of course the Jewish elemental factions are way beyond my understanding but we don't want them pissed off either.

I sure hope the Stock Market plunge and the Tornado in Tennessee didn't have something to do with Pau Glasol's first game with the Lakers. People in Memphis are probably a bit pissed about losing their only true star and in return they get to watch Kwame Brown drop the ball out of bounds...again and again and again.

If they are pissed enough to create a Tornado then we all have huge problems.

Which by the way.....we might ALL have huge problems!

If the White House is not occupied by a Democrat next January....I'm telling you that our problems right now....will seem small.

AND RIGHT NOW....THEY AREN'T SMALL.

THE HOUSING SECTOR is in shambles.
THE TRADE DEFICIT is ridiculously out of balance
THE WAR in Iraq should be the WAR in Afghanistan

WAR SHOULD NOT BE THE MAIN METHOD FOR ADVANCING DEMOCRACY

but through of of this negative stuff....
there appears on the horizon a savior....the best of the best....the quickest of the quick....the fastest of the fastest....

on the horizon appears a savior known as

SPRING TRAINING

BRING IT ON BOYS......STEP UP TO THE PLATE MEN....THROW THAT PEA DOWN THE PIPE ROOKIE.....CATCH THIS ONE MF.

Oh to be in the outfield for Spring Training is to be once more reconnected to the best things in life.....of course I can't personally be in the outfield but trust me when I say that as the Center fielder takes off in pursuit of the deep drive up the alley....I AM RIGHT THERE...not putting my glove out too early but using all my foot speed to run down that little pill....and then at the last possible second I stretch out my arm and the ball settles in the web with one third of it visible to the crowd.

It might have been Johnny Damon or Willie Mays or Andrew Jones or Duke Snider or Matt Kemp or Mickey Mantle.....IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN, but it wasn't....
it was
me
and
it
was
you

and that's what makes baseball the greatest game ever invented.....

Those of us who have had the pleasure of playing the game, at any level, can seriously identify with the gestures needed to achieve success in baseball. And of course each of us has failed miserably at one time or another....

EVEN THE GREATEST PLAYERS WHO HAVE EVER PLAYED THE GAME FAIL 70 PERCENT OF THE TIME ON OFFENSE.

In a year where a player only fails 60 percent of the time on offense...
LEGENDARY STATUS IS GRANTED AND THE HALL OF FAME AWAITS.

I AM SO THANKFUL THAT SPRING TRAINING IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER BECAUSE I SERIOUSLY NEED A BREAK FROM THE POLITICAL BULLS..T THAT HAS DOMINATED OUT LIVES FOR THE LAST FIVE MONTHS.

AND KEEP IN MIND....IT ISN'T EVEN THE REAL ELECTION YET....but of course during the real election we are preceded by playoffs and World Series so that makes everything mellow....

If you don't like Baseball....your summer will be screwed by political nonsense.....unless of course you don't like baseball OR politics....

IF THAT'S THE CASE.....this article was really stupid......FOR YOU.

if not.....

PLAY BALL

MICHAEL TIMOTHY MC ALEVEY

SUPER TUESDAY

5 PM PST
Some of polling places have closed on the East Coast and the first blow was struck by BHO. Barack has just been declared the winner in Georgia.

The Republican race is tight with all three major candidates having a chance. The surprise is Mike Huckabee rising from the ashes and showing strong results in the South....which might not be a surprise to some but I just assumed he was toast.

I'm really interested in what happens in California on the Republican side and of course what the numbers will be for Hillary's victory in California. I think it will be much closer than the polls indicated.

I'm taking Barack and the ten points.

9:26 PST

CNN has just projected that Hillary has won California and although that is a huge feather in her bonnet...the simple truth is that Barack won at least ten states. Hillary got New York and California but Barack got North Dakota and Idaho. Seems uneven when you look at the individual states.

But when one stops to consider the big picture....it truly is possible that both conventions will be open and the political pundits will be in seventh heaven.

Me too.

Michael Timothy McAlevey

Defining moments and leaving the building

There are so many defining moments in someones life and when someones life is short than those defining moments become extremely LARGE.

That first time Sean looked at me in the hospital completely blew my mind. I had been raised around animals and their eyes didn't open for awhile after birth. I just assumed, as I clicked away, that it would be a few hours before he opened those baby blues. ( Blue eyes dominate in the Clan McAlevey)It doesn't show but immediately upon taking this picture I almost dropped the camera. I was stunned because not only were his eyes open but he appeared to be asking me..."what the hell are you doing?"

I shall never forget the moment for as long as I live.

I proceeded to take a bunch of pictures after regrouping my senses but this picture was the very first moment Sean checked out the new neighborhood.

The second picture was Sean's face when he saw his sister Lily for the first time. It was eight years later but his expression that I caught on film was also a moment that I will forever cherish. When eight years passes between children one can't always be sure what the response will be from the older sibling....actually when one things about it....one can never be sure of the response from an older sibling, no matter how much time has passed.

But that moment that Sean looked at Lily for the first time made me not only relaxed but it showed that the young man was an extremely loving individual...which I already knew but that I was now able to capture on film for all eternity.

The next picture is just Sean goofing around one day when I asked to shoot his picture...he was 15 and didn't really care about having his picture taken anymore....except at family dealio's and maybe with his friends....I think when a parent takes thousands of pictures of their children, somewhere down the road the picture thing gets old....unless of course your a woman and then it never gets old...but teenage boys have a tendency to tell camera clicking dad's to hit the highway....

The bottom picture might be one of the last pictures I took of Sean Maximilian McAlevey. When a young man appears one day from early teenage years and you suddenly realize that you now are dealing with another adult....it's hard on a father...

But it's also refreshing, knowing that you've done what you could and now he moves forward with his own decisions and his own choices. Of course you will be there for him but around the age of 15, especially when dealing with a competent person, it's time to step back and watch instead of control.

The unfolding years between 15 and 25 are extremely interesting years and so much of a person's life during that time has nothing to do with his or her parents. Of course there are many times that a parent will be needed but it really is the time that a human being becomes their own person.

The fact that I didn't get to see that unfolding is the greatest single tragedy of my life...and knowing how much Sean dug being physical Sean I imagine it might be upsetting to him also...

.....up to a point of course

because I have complete confidence in the non-physical Sean and he's probably adjusted quite nicely to the environmentt and maybe he's even re-entered the scene with a even more athletic physical presence.

After 14 years I just can't seem to celebrate the day the Sean left the building when there were so many days that were more important in his 15 year, 10 month visit.

So many moments that I remember every single day of my life...that day in 1994 is a day that I don't like thinking about but here it is one more time......

I'm sorry but February 3 is a f--ked up day in my life....and also in quite a few other people's life's.

I'd really like to celebrate April 25 2008 when Sean Maxilimilan McAlevey turns 30....

where ever he turns 30.

and of course February used to be such an important month of me....(note the date at the bottom of the notice along with the name of the Church.....one of life's bigger jokes)

For those of you who might not know...........February 11th is my birthday.

Michael Timothy McAlevey

ONE VOTE

After watching last night's debate between Hillary and Barack at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood I have made my decision on where my one vote will go.

BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA will receive that one tiny singular vote.

Not only is he a better speaker but his presence can help to restore America's global image.
The African nations need to know that America has reached a point in our history where a black man can achieve the ultimate success.

The Muslim nations need to know that America has reached a point in our history where the son of a Muslim man can achieve the ultimate success.

Both of these issues are major factors in my decision.

Simply throw in Barack's stance against the war in Iraq and it's a slam dunk.

I also think that Oprah's energy will help Barack defeat McCain. I don't think Hillary can win an election against the Republicans....and the whole point of this exercise to have a Democrat in the White House on January 20, 2009.

When Barack Obama and John McCain have their debates America will have a clear cut choice regarding military involvement around the world.

I'm really looking forward to that debate...and if John McCain keeps displaying that silly smirk during a debate with Barack...he will look like an idiot.

It's going to be fun...but first Barack has to hold his own on Super Tuesday. He doesn't have to win every primary...but 10 out of 20 would be good....12 or 13 would be incredible.

I'm also taking the Giants and 12 points on Sunday against New England. I think Michael Strahan has one more great moment in his career and that moment could be 3 sacks in Glendale, Arizona.

Michael Timothy McAlevey