Barack uses the “Debacle Debate” to his advantage.

This man never ceases to amaze me. If he lives, there’s no doubt in my mind that he’ll be elected and usher in a new period in our country that we’ll look back on and be proud.

Net Neutrality – The best discussion I’ve heard so far

If you have the time, you MUST listen to this 10 minute interview on Democracy Now.

The importance of this issue cannot be overstated, but most people have no real understanding of what’s at stake.

Listen to this interview and you will know all you need to know about it.

Law Professor Lawrence Lessig on Net Neutrality, the Rise of Google and His “Change Congress” Project to Take on Corruption in Washington

Renowned Stanford law professor Lawrence Lessig is one of the world’s leading figures in the field of cyberlaw. He joins us for a conversation about today’s FCC hearing on net neutrality; Creative Commons; the rise of Google and its efforts to influence public policy; and Change Congress, his most recent project to take on corruption in Washington.

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All five Federal Communications Commissioners are holding a public hearing here in Stanford today to discuss net neutrality and what rules should govern high-speed Internet networks. Net neutrality is the principle that all Internet sites should be equally accessible to any Web user.

The event is part of the FCC’s ongoing investigation into the blocking of Web traffic by Comcast. The cable giant is accused of disrupting video traffic uploaded by users of the BitTorrent peer-to-peer network. The investigation comes in response to a complaint filed by the the media reform group Free Press and a coalition of public interest organizations.

The commission already held one public hearing in February at Harvard University. Comcast was later forced to admit that it paid people to fill seats at that hearing. Harvard said dozens of genuine participants were forced to stand outside the hearing unable to participate.

Today’s hearing will take place at 12 noon at Stanford University. Among those attending will be the prominent Stanford law professor, Lawrence Lessig–one of the world’s leading figures in the field of cyberlaw. He is the founder and co-director of Stanford law school’s Center for Internet and Society and chair of the Creative Commons project. His most recent project is called “Change Congress.” Lawrence Lessig joins me today here in the Stanford studio.

Lawrence Lessig, Stanford law professor and one of the world’s leading figures in the field of cyberlaw. He is the founder and co-director of Stanford Law School’s Center for Internet and Society and chair of the Creative Commons project. His most recent project is called Change Congress.

Time Mag – Philadelphia Daily News Endorses Obama

Philadelphia Daily News Endorses Obama

“The choice in Tuesday’s Democratic presidential primary is not only the one between a white woman and a black man. It’s a choice between the past and the future.”

Also discounts Clinton’s experience. “We are frankly troubled by her assumption that her husband’s administration and accomplishments were her own.”

Plus: The Obama campaign tells Stephanopoulos that “prominent Pennsylvania supporters” will switch their support from Clinton to Obama Thursday morning due to Clinton’s negativity.

Knock on wood… Maybe PA will end this now pointless primary.  We can always hope, right?

Asylum Street Spankers Video

If you haven’t seen this yet, you must.

Just hang on through the first 20 seconds or so of profanity puns and you will be rewarded by a version of “Tie A Yellow Ribbon” that you will never forget. Hillarious, painful and perhaps the best piece of social satire I’ve ever seen as a musical video.

Oil hits another record high as dollar tumbles to record low…

Headline on this April 17. Things suck and are getting worse every day. We have to make it to January in one piece before there’s any hope things will get better.

Haaretz is reporting that Hezbollah’s TV station Al-Manar reported on Thursday that Syrian President Bashar Assad has said that Syria is preparing for war with Israel as a real possibility.

Meanwhile, Huffpo leads with a story about last night’s presidential debate.

Worst. Debate. Ever.

Going into tonight’s debate in Philadelphia, the two millionth one we’ve had so far this primary season, I had one significant worry: that the bulk of the time would be taken up with process questions and media obsessions, and that issues of import would end up getting sidelined. As it turns out, I was depressingly, distressingly correct. In fact, there were times when tonight’s debate ventured into territory so utterly asinine that I could scarcely believe what I was witnessing.

Tom Shales at the Washington Post had this to say:

When Barack Obama met Hillary Clinton for another televised Democratic candidates’ debate last night, it was more than a step forward in the 2008 presidential election. It was another step downward for network news — in particular ABC News, which hosted the debate from Philadelphia and whose usually dependable anchors, Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos, turned in shoddy, despicable performances.

For the first 52 minutes of the two-hour, commercial-crammed show, Gibson and Stephanopoulos dwelled entirely on specious and gossipy trivia that already has been hashed and rehashed, in the hope of getting the candidates to claw at one another over disputes that are no longer news. Some were barely news to begin with.

It would appear the public agrees with this assessment. CNN conducted a poll online.

Will more debates help to narrow down your choice for president?

Yes 12% 6224
No 88% 46537
Total Votes: 52761

The MSM’s disconnect with the people and reality continues unabated.

If you have any doubts, here’s a sampling of what people had to say at ABC’s site:

…This is AWFUL. Thank goodness for Jon Stewart and Comedy Central. He does a better job of interviewing and asking relevant questions of his guests in 5 minutes than these 2 yahoos have in more than an hour. ABC should be ashamed. George should be ashamed. Charlie should be ashamed. This isn’t a debate. This is a hit job.

…Asinine questions – abysmal debate. Fire these silly moderators NOW. They insult the intelligence of the American people.

…I haven’t watched ABC “news” in a few years. I see I haven’t been missing much! MORE THAN half the debate turned over to Bittergate, Rev Wright, the Weathermen, Tuzla, FLAG LAPEL PINS? Most of the televised debates I’ve seen this campaign season have been lame, but this one takes the prize. Either you guys are morons or you think that we are. Either way, I’m glad to have seen the last of you. Really, really bad.No winners in this debate, but a definite loser: ABC “NEWS”

…This is the WORST debate I have ever watched. Never in my life have I been more disenchanted with the news media as a whole, especially a news organization such as ABC that I believed to have some sense of purpose to bring substantive information and perspective to the American people. Americans are tired of the snipping between the candidates and the lack of discussion about what each candidate will do to help the country. ABC News should be ashamed for presenting such a failure of a debate.

…Are you kidding me? “We don’t have much time left. Let’s have a MINUTE to talk about gas?” Charlie and George, you need a crash course on the distinction between “issues” and an “agendas.” Hint: The candidates have the former; you have the latter.

…ABC News . . you should be ashamed of this debate. Where did you get these questions?? Where are the ISSUES. We have heard enough about Rev Wright and what Hillary did or didn’t do in Bosnia. Let’s hear about issues that matter such as the cost of Health Care, the war in Iraq, the Energy Crisi, the Crisis in Our Schools, and THE ECONOMY, STUPID!!

…Geoirge and Charlie= narcissistic elite “journalists” trying to score a rating point, but asking questions that would yield a “F” in middle school journalism. This debate may be used for years in journalism classes, on how to not run a debate. Disney-who owns ABC- get better cartoon characters to run a debate. Elmer Fudd would do much better.

…Has ABC News noticed that your so called “debate” has been universally panned? Charles Gibson is a pandering person more fit for the National Enquirer than a responsible news program. Stephanopoulis is barely better. I am so disappointed but not surprised.