Random Thoughts

• The campaigns are turning positive. In two articles in the NYTimes today, both Maureen Dowd and Katharine Seelye (I've never heard of her, either), discussed how Clinton's staying in the race is a good thing. It keeps voters in states like Montana, with late primaries, engaged in the process like never before, which is good for the party, in the long term. They're also talking about how Clinton has made Obama a better candidate, which I've been saying for months.
• Obama suggested that instead of spending money in Iraq, we could give scholarships to students in the crowd. He knows his audience.
• Obama never uses the Windsor knot on his ties, probably because he's skinny. I still can't get over the fact that I know what a Windsor knot is.
• I haven't stopped watching the video of Imogen Heap from Andrew's blog. I don't think I'd like her studio recordings, but this video is incredible.
• Obama floating that he'd consider Gore for a cabinet-level position, or higher (whatever that means), is a great teaser for the environmental community. It's a fantastic idea to have a senior-level member of the administration focusing on the environment, and Gore is the obvious choice.
• Obama was wrong when he said no one could have predicted 9/11. The truth is that many people in the intelligence community predicted 9/11, and that it was Condoleezza Rice's fault that this intelligence didn't get to the President. But that's for another post.
• Fuck it, I'm doing it in this one.
• Condoleezza Rice's job as NSA advisor was to gather the intelligence and make a recommendation for the President. When questioned by the 9/11 commission, she turned her job on its head, stating that function was to convey the President's thoughts to those around him.
• Clinton had an advisor on domestic terrorism that he consulted almost every day, Richard Clarke, especially in the heightened alert before Y2k. One of the first things Bush did was demote Clark, forcing him to report to Rice. Rice failed to tell the President about the dangers Clarke was repeatedly warning her about.
• Obama's statement that he would not punish the messenger of bad news is important. Bill Clinton used to scribble all over his daily briefings, asking questions that would be answered within days. W's daily briefings were abbreviated and sent back without any questions; he preferred an oral presentation.
• This book on the 9/11 commission that Nilda got me is awesome!
• As well respected as Rice is, her failures and responsibility with respect to 9/11 will preclude her from being considered for McCain's VP. My prior prediction was wrong. That's right, I said it!