Charlize Theron has a new film!* A wildly important film about democracy and protest and getting things done. Written and directed by Stuart Townsend and also starring Woody Harrelson and Ray Liotta. The short description is:

Based on one of the most incendiary political uprisings in a generation, Battle in Seattle takes an in-depth look at the five days that rocked the world in 1999 as tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in protest of the World Trade Organization. What began as a peaceful protest intended to stop the WTO talks quickly escalated into a full-scale riot and eventual State of Emergency that squared off peaceful and unarmed protesters against the Seattle Police Department and the National Guard.

This is the movies website:http://www.battleinseattlemovie.com/

There has been much discussion about the crime of NAFTA, and its contribution to the destruction of jobs and whole sectors of manufacturing, and much discussion about its place in political debate. Recently of course there were revelations in this election cycle. Much more needs to be discussed, including how it came about, and why it was pushed forward. Here is where America began the discussion about the WTO and NAFTA and the World Bank, before Seattle it wasn't above the radar in debate, wasn't seriously discussed in polite political discussion. We should all know this story.

Barack Obama will be President of the United States and I could not be prouder. I watched his speech on race and I have read his speech on Iraq and he is the real deal. The leader that America needs. Obama far transcends politics and I feel lucky he has chosen to be a politician and a leader and to offer his judgement and wisdom to a notion that is so sorely in need of both.

To have watched that speech, to hear that sense, to feel that courage just fills me with hope and pride. This is the real deal. The style of speech making is different now than it was in the middle of the 1800's, there is little flowery excess now, few poetic leaps, but Lincoln made speeches like that, FDR moved people with common sense like that. Humble, reaching out, courageous, honest and trusting in the wisdom of the American people.

And today he gave another on Iraq. Powerful direct honest and politically wise. He is in the middle of a long struggle for the right to serve America, he knows that. He knows how best to show why McCain has no right to be President, he understands why the war is so bad for the security of America, why judgement is more important than connections. I urge you to read it.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community /post/samgrahamfelsen/gGBFrl

The phone rang for how long? Waiting and waiting and waiting. Ring RRRRRing RRRing. Has someone picked up and told her that her contribution has if not hurt the campaign at least run it course?

Ferraro the Clinton stalking horse continued to spread fertilizer in the news. It wont grow anything but it smells enough. Ferraro goes on BillO's show, yes that right, on BillO's show to continue spreading it. Who is she preaching to? the massive numbers of Democrats who tune in to see brilliant analysis? She's not speaking to the latte crowd I guess. I cant believe how low they will go, what they are willing to do. RRRRinnnggg!

But what she says is even worse. so read it.

This is the exchange ---

   O'REILLY: This crossed the wire. Apparently you told the Daily Breeze newspaper in Torrance, California, quote, "If Obama were a white man, he would not be in this position. If here were a woman of any color, he would not be in the position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is in a country who's caught up in the concept." Did you say that?

   FERRARO: Yeah, but I also said a lot before that.

   O'REILLY: Right, but you know you're gonna get hammered on that.

   FERRARO: I was not speaking - no, I was speaking to - it was a paid speech. I was not representing a campaign. I go out and give speeches. I don't -

   O'REILLY: Oh, I understand that.

   FERRARO: You know, like you do.

   O'REILLY: I absolutely know they can take you out of context, but do you believe that Barack Obama, if he were a white mean, white senator, would not be in the position?

   FERRARO: Absolutely

   O'REILLY: I got it. I got it. I got it. No, listen, I mean, I'm not saying you're wrong [...]

   but you're gonna get hammered by it, but if anybody does, let me know, and I'll take care of them. Geraldine Ferraro, everybody. Geraldine's too nice, see.

Rinnnggggggg
I have tried twice to comment but I havent done a great job leaving out the bile, so heres what the reality based blog says.

Some readers have suggested that Geraldine isn't racist, she's just stating "the truth." This is such a staggering absurdity that even gigantic-toothed John Gibson wouldn't believe it. The truth is that the black population of the USA is 13%. The truth is that Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton couldn't get anywhere near a nomination. The truth is that Obama's success is based on him being smart, inspiring, and not a Washington regular for two decades. To suggest that being black is somehow an advantage for anyone in this country is to be so myopically blind that you need more than just a refill on your glasses, you need new eyes.

http://www.bobcesca.com/blog-archives/20 08/03/geraldine_ferra_1.html

I am greatly saddened by the HRC campaign. Greatly saddened. We all should be. There are still many many wonderful things to be remembered about the whole Clinton legacy, her campaign will not one of them.

The phone rang for how long? How long?? RrRRRRRrriiiIIINGGGGGG
common decency calling, civil rights calling, riiinngggg MLK on the phone, riiinngggggg legacy calling!!

Riiiinnggggg.

Nobel Prize economist Joseph Stiglitz didn't believe reports on the cost of the war he was hearing and did a study.
This is from The Guardian   http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/feb /28/iraq.afghanistan
 

Some time in 2005, Stiglitz and Linda Bilmes, who also served as an economic adviser under Clinton, noted that the official Congressional Budget Office estimate for the cost of the war so far was of the order of $500bn. The figure was so low, they didn't believe it, and decided to investigate. The paper they wrote together, and published in January 2006, revised the figure sharply upwards, to between $1 and $2 trillion. Even that, Stiglitz says now, was deliberately conservative: "We didn't want to sound outlandish."

So what did the Republicans say? "They had two reactions," Stiglitz says wearily. "One was Bush saying, 'We don't go to war on the calculations of green eye-shaded accountants or economists.' And our response was, 'No, you don't decide to fight a response to Pearl Harbour on the basis of that, but when there's a war of choice, you at least use it to make sure your timing is right, that you've done the preparation. And you really ought to do the calculations to see if there are alternative ways that are more effective at getting your objectives. The second criticism - which we admit - was that we only look at the costs, not the benefits. Now, we couldn't see any benefits. From our point of view we weren't sure what those were."

And this is from The Times (UK)
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment /columnists/guest_contributors/article34 19840.ece

The Bush Administration was wrong about the benefits of the war and it was wrong about the costs of the war. The president and his advisers expected a quick, inexpensive conflict. Instead, we have a war that is costing more than anyone could have imagined.

The cost of direct US military operations - not even including long-term costs such as taking care of wounded veterans - already exceeds the cost of the 12-year war in Vietnam and is more than double the cost of the Korean War.

Nothing has yet been paid for, the costs are still going up, leaving will cost too and then there are the wounded and the costs of dealing with the radicalization that The Bush Horror has caused.

The Costs more after the break.

This is for everyone, HRC fans and Obama fans included, its
very very funny. You have been warned.

Diebold Accidentally Leaks Results Of 2008 Election Early

The Peace symbol, which has been not seen enough lately turned fifty on February 21st.

Here's a link or two
http://www.happybirthdaypeace.com/
http://www.designboom.com/contemporary/p eace.html
http://www.peacesymbol.org/

Originally made from the semaphore symbols for N and D for nuclear disarmament the peace symbol has come to represent all those working for, dreaming of, aching for and desperately needing peace.

"Blessed are the peacemakers."

And a reminder part of what is at stake this election.

"There will be more wars."
     John "10,000-years-in-Iraq" McCain

They shut down the highway as they marched seven miles to cast their votes on the first day of early voting.

Texas Republicans have worked overtime to make it harder for key Democratic voting groups to vote and be represented fairly. The redistricting games they've played are infamous. And for the Prairie View A&M University precincts, they put the early-polling place more than seven miles from the school.

So what did the students in this video do? They shut down the highway as they marched seven miles to cast their votes on the first day of early voting.

THEY SHUT DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND MARCHED SEVEN MILES TO VOTE.

You can hear the woman's voice at the end. "oh my god. . ."

Arlington, Texas (Feb 21, 2008)-- Barack Obama has a double digit lead over Hillary Clinton in Texas, according to a statewide survey of 678 registered voters planning to vote in the March 4 Democratic Primary. The survey was conducted February 20 and 21 by Decision Analyst, a major national survey research firm. Decision Analyst projections indicate that if the election were held today Obama would win 57% to 43% over Clinton. The survey�s margin of error is 3 percentage points, plus or minus, at a 90% level of confidence.

Update: I have determined it's a less than high trust type of poll. It is an online poll. That it has high risk of being wrong doesn't mean that Clinton or Obama is ahead it just means it can be ignored, no more useful than a fortune cookie.