Steven Joseph Christopher, 42, proves once again why you can’t trust people with the multiple first names.

The Wisconsin native was arrested in Mississippi by Secret Service agents Friday for making threats against President-Elect Barack Obama, U.S. Attorney Dunn Lampton announced.

Authorities say Christopher made threats against Obama on an internet chat forum over a three day period, January 11, 15 and 16.

“Threats against the President-Elect will be taken very seriously,” said Lampton. “Use of internet chat rooms to express those threats is as much a crime as uttering the words. Threats of this nature will be pursued swiftly and vigorously.”

According to an Affidavit filed by Secret Service Special Agent Kelly Adcox, Christopher posted the following on the Web site www.alien-earth.org on January 11:

ok we have 6 days until my Presidential Assasination.

Yes, I have decided I will assasinate Barack Obama. It’s really nothing personal about the man. He speaks well, has a loving although controlling wife and two cute daughters. But I know it’s for the country’s own good that I do this. And I’m not racist either, my family is a little, but isn’t all Italian and european families? I mean how many times have you heard the word (racial slur) in the comforts of your home? I have a lot, and it really bothered me and I would confront them about it. No, it’s not because I’m racist that I will kill Barack, it’s because I can no longer allow the Jewish parasites to bully their way into making the American people submit to their evil ways. How many of you Obama supporters are now disappointed after some of his arm-twisted Jewish appointee decisions??? Make’s you think he’s not really in charge (which he isn’t). No it’s the same old, same old filthy (expletive) (racial slur) who are poisoning America, who have murdered thousands of innocent lives on 9-11-01, and are thinking that they are going to get away with it again.

Barack, I view more as a sacrificial lamb, but the sacrifice MUST take place. He had good intentions, but like the Steve Taylor song goes, “a politician next door, swore, he’d set the Washington arena on fire, thinks he’ll gladiate them, but they’re gonna make him a liar.”

So, I’m stuck here in Mississippi, and I’ll need bus fare or some way of getting to Washington. I don’t own a gun, so maybe someone can give me one. And I’ll need a leak in the secret service to get a close up shot, somewhere close to the podium, since I’ve never fired a gun, so I need to get an easy shot off. Wattdysay fellas? Any help?

You all know we can’t live with the jewscum any longer, dont cha? You got a better solution? I’m all ears.

Stevie

Also, according to the Affidavit Christopher posted the following on the day he was arrested, January 16:

To those who still think I’m a nobody, who antagonize me, who seek for my capture and arrest…..

I wll have you found, arrested and executed, if you push me too far.

Christopher faces five years in federal prison and up to $250,000 in fines.

If one was to judge by the calendar alone, the 21st century started eight years ago this week. Although, when people refer to the 21^st century in conversation, often they aren’t talking about the specific time period between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2099, but the attitude, philosophy, and technological savvy that is becoming a requirement in the modern world. Unfortunately for us, while individuals in the United States might be existing in the 21^st century, our government’s attitudes and actions over the past eight years have been stuck squarely in the 20^th.

When history is written, George W. Bush’s worst critics will accuse him of everything from willful negligence in handling 2008′s economic crisis to war crimes in the context of the catastrophic mistake that is the war in Iraq. In the end, they very well may be correct, but it is possible that all of his mistakes were not of the completely sinister nature like they’re sometimes characterized, but rather can be traced back to overall tragedy that he was simply a president stuck in the wrong century. Bush’s core beliefs “" that the free market could police itself, that oil is always our answer, and that we can bomb and kill others into submission without chain reactions of consequences “" were dying an eventual death around the time of Y2K, but Bush made sure to keep them on life support much longer than they ever should have survived.

There is no bigger example of The Past sucking the blood out of The Future than GM, Ford, and Chrysler begging for money from the U.S. Government yet again. This past month, we saw the Big Three auto companies fly in their private jets to Washington to request billions of dollars because for the past 25 years they have steadfastly refused to look at the calendar. They defiantly rejected efforts to increase their fuel efficiency standards as every country”"even China”"passed us in their mandatory requirements. Because executives lobbyied Congressmen to vote against everyone’s interests but theirs, their companies made short term profits that both crippled them and damaged the country. After all, only a 7.6 mile per gallon increase in our collective car efficiency would be enough to completely free ourselves from Middle East oil, while saving the individual American consumer critical pocket money. Instead, these companies marketed trucks that could pull airplanes down a runway and consumed oil at a breakneck pace. But why would they care about those details? They could just shove SUVs down Americans’ throats by luring them through tax breaks into a choice so obviously against their interests.

This is just the most blatant example of our chronic sickness of holding onto the past. It illustrates that the worst flaw of George Bush, and in turn of the corporations he represents, may be that he simply did not realize what century we lived in. The banking crisis, car company meltdown, and failed fight against Islamist extremism can be boiled down to using 20^th century policies in a 21^st century world.

———

As tears were streaming down the faces of millions of Americans on the night of November 4, 2008, President-elect Barack Obama said, in words that would ring loudly far after the last piece of confetti had fallen, “The time for change has come.” It was a beautiful sight for more reasons than one. Many were crying because the sight of a black man winning the American presidency was possibly the most powerful symbol of American exceptionalism anyone had ever seen. But those words were much more than a symbol of tolerance and the triumph of ability. They were a prologue to the tangible changes that will dramatically alter this country in the coming months”"much more change than has ever happened in our lifetime.

Obama has spent his transition months putting together what has been almost universally lauded as a cabinet filled with experience, pragmatism, and overall excellence. It is a cabinet based solely on achievement, without regard for partisanship or political and financial connections.

While all of Obama’s cabinet picks have been praised for their qualifications and temperance, none exemplifies the stark realities of the new way of doing things better than Obama’s pick for Energy Secretary, Dr. Steven Chu. Chu is a Nobel Prize winning physicist who is a professor at the University of California at Berkeley and the director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, a global warming research center whose primary goal is “to develop methods to “store” solar energy in the form of renewable transportation fuel.” There is a reason Al Gore is planning a Green Inaugural. It’s because The Age of Oil is coming to a close and Obama plans to kick it out the door.<!–nextpage–>

Bush’s pick for Energy Secretary, on the other hand, was Spencer Abraham, a Michigan senator most famous for taking more campaign donations from those same dinosaurs in the American Auto Industry than any other senator, and led the fight against corporate average fuel efficiency standards in automobiles. Change indeed.

But this is not just a Liberal president replacing Conservatives with more of the same from the other side. It’s a complete change in a philosophy that has run our government since its inception. Obama, when asked what he would do to help his “friends” in Springfield, Illinois to stem their State’s budget shortfalls,‚  challenged the very nature of the question.

“Part of the charge [of the budget team] is to make sure that we are proceeding on projects and investments based on national priorities and not based on politics,” he said. “Now you mentioned, sort of, ‘my friends.’ I want to be clear friendship doesn’t come into this. That’s part of the old way of doing business.

“The new way of doing business is, let’s figure out what projects, what investments are going to give the American economy the most bang for the buck. How can we protect taxpayer dollars so this money is not wasted; restore a sense of confidence among taxpayers that when we spend their money, it’s on things that are actually gonna improve their quality of life; create the jobs that are so desperately needed; help to spur on economic growth and business creation in the private sector? That’s all part of the new way of doing business.”

Being friends with the President is no longer a means to an end in any sense. Just ask John Kerry, one of Obama’s biggest and earliest supporters. He was passed over for Secretary of State in favor of Hillary Clinton, a person many accused of secretly rooting for Obama’s political destruction only months ago. While Kerry was certainly qualified, Obama’s decision underscored the notion that the age of cronyism is over. No more “Heckuva Job” Brownies or “I do not recall” Alberto Gonzaleses.

This Cult of Competence has been put in place to help Obama alter our policies as smoothly as possible, and the cornerstone to this change will come in the form of a massive stimulus package that Obama plans to sign perhaps as early as Inauguration Day, every single element of which is designed take take us out of the antiquated 20^th Century once and for all.

For a month now, Obama’s economic team has been crafting this new package, not aimed at Wall Street Banks or the crumbling car companies, but for Middle Class Americans. And it starts with the Internet. The money will be spent on laying broadband across the country, with the goal of giving every American free Internet access, a move that’s been on the FCC’s desk for years but which the Bush Administration has stubbornly tabled. As Obama has said, “we are the nation that invented the Internet, yet we are 15^th in the world in broadband adoption. It is unacceptable that the United States ranks 15th in the world in broadband adoption. Here, in the country that invented the Internet, every child should have the chance to get online.”

But that is just the start of what may come to be known as America 2.0. Every goal of the stimulus bill is designed to put Americans to work immediately, but even more importantly, set us up for the future. A nationwide high-tech power grid that will allow states to share solar and wind power will accelerate our ability to get off our dependence on foreign oil. Along with that universal access to the Web, a transfer of all hospital records to an electronic broadband system will eventually save the country billions of savings in administrative costs annually. Moreover, massive construction efforts to modernize public schools will encourage young Americans to learn and save massive amounts of money by making the buildings more energy efficient with new lighting and insulation.

As Obama often said during the campaign, the money that we spent on the Iraq War could have been used to rebuild every road, bridge, and school in our country “" an intriguing thought that some might say is farfetched. Not anymore. This stimulus package could reach as high as $800 billion, actually approaching the number we have fiddled away in Iraq.

With all of this new technology helping the lives of people in the United States, Obama’s foreign policy will be aimed at change for everyone that lives outside of the country. He is in the midst of planning a major foreign policy speech to be given in an Islamic country in his first 100 days, through which he hopes to win the hearts and minds of everyone looking for an end to the seemingly never ending violence in the Middle East and beyond. This has never taken on greater importance than now as Israel’s War against Hamas threatens to put the region and the world on an even greater imbalance. The 20th Century was filled with religious wars and intolerance on a global scale, and as the leader of the Free World, the weight of moving not only our country, but the world in a new direction has fallen squarely on Obama’s shoulders

Our new president will face tough questions about how to bring the Iraq War to an end and how to fix a war in Afghanistan that now includes Pakistan, India, and even complications with Iran”"a daunting challenge. But if we learned anything from Barack Obama on that historic November night, while the path to the future may be tough, there is only one answer to the question as to whether this country and the world can succeed. Yes We Can.

There are still many unknowns about how Barack Obama will govern when he takes office later this month, but one thing is clear: Obama will have enormous power.

The economic crisis has literally changed the rules of government. The executive branch has overseen an injection of trillions of public funds into the private sector — and without admitting it, has essentially conceded that American-style capitalism, which has been viewed as holy writ by economists, journalists, academics and politicians for 30 years, is not sustainable.

As a result, the Obama administration’s first six months will be dominated with plans for a massive (though many say, not massive enough) $850 billion stimulus plan that, while not yet fully crafted, will involve a major public works project, large amounts of aid to state governments – most of which are running large deficits and are in or near recession — increased aid to homeowners and endless other possibilities for major reform and ambitious programs.

Obama is also taking the reigns of two wars and the largest military in the history of humanity just as the country faces complicated geopolitical conflicts in India, Pakistan, Palestine, Israel, Africa, Lebanon and elsewhere.

While few presidents aspire to take office while the country is in war, the economy is sputtering and the quality of life for Americans is expected to decrease dramatically, it does give the president enormous power.‚  “You never want serious crisis to go to waste,’” said Obama’s chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel.

But what Obama makes of the opportunity remains to be seen. Obama has continued to trump the idea that his recovery package will serve the interests of “Main Street” as well as Wall Street; however, like all U.S presidents, Obama was put into office with the help of elite, moneyed interest – he received more money from the finance sector than any other candidate in presidential history.‚ ‚  And despite his rhetoric of helping out the regular guy, Obama, while in the stretch run of the 2008 campaign, elected to support a $700 billion bailout to the financial sector which was opposed by virtually the entire population and, unlike packages implemented by other developed nations struggling with recession, was practically toothless in regulating these businesses and in limiting executive pay.

On the other hand, Obama could implement something akin to a new “New Deal” which could shape American governance for decades.‚  He has amassed a mountain of good will from his supporters, as well as the media; and a weakened Republican party will be unable to kill most of his proposals, as the electorate is yearning for wide scale changes.

So many are left to wonder what Obama’s first six months in president will look like. Here, we seek to assess the possibilities. But before we do so, it is important to understand the ebb and flow of the power structure of the federal government. For it is not only the economic crisis that has afforded Obama such immense power, but also and eight-year campaign to expand the power of the executive branch by the office of his predecessor.

The precedent of power

During the last few years of George W. Bush’s presidency many speculated power the executive branch would be diminished when a transfer of power took over.‚  Bush went as far as any president in recent history – maybe ever – in expanding the power of the executive branch.

His unrivaled use of signing statements, which undermined legislation behind the scenes in lieu of making a far more visible veto, were condemned by legal groups and politicians alike. In his first six years a Republican-controlled Congress, gave him a blank check on foreign policy issues: torture, wiretapping, rendition, troop escalations and unconditional funding for two brutal military campaigns. When the Democrats took over in 2006, things did not change much; Democrats continued to fund the war in Iraq and refused to prosecute executive branch officials for their clear abuse of powers.

President-elect Barack Obama announced Tuesday some key staff appointments in the financial sector of government.

Timothy F. Geithner, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, will serve as Secretary of the Treasury. Lawrence H. Summers, former Secretary of the Treasury under President Clinton, will serve as Director of the National Economic Council.

Christina D. Romer will serve as Director of the Council of Economic Advisers, Melody C. Barnes will serve as Director of the Domestic Policy Council, and Heather A. Higginbottom will serve as Deputy Director of the Domestic Policy Council.

Peter Orszag, currently Director of the Congressional Budget Office, will serve as Office of Management and Budget Director, and Rob Nabors will serve as Deputy Director.

“Barack is bringing together some of the best minds in the country to make swift progress on the economic challenges we face,” said David Plouffe, Obama’s campaign manager, in a statement. “While we can’t underestimate the challenge we face, we also can’t underestimate the opportunity we have to bring the change our country needs.”

Tina Fey just sticks to your mind, doesn’t she? Talented, beautiful, and politically motivating?

A recent survey shows, not necessarily surprisingly, that 10 percent of voters went to the polls Tuesday with the recent political parodies from Saturday Night Live on their minds.

A national survey released today by Roll Call, Strat@comm and Fleishman-Hillard Public Affairs also shows that two-thirds of voters viewed the SNL’s political parodies this election season.

“The ‘SNL effect’ absolutely impacted the election,” said Mike Dabadie, a FirstView researcher. “We saw that 10 percent of voters said they were influenced by the skits. At the same time, the data shows that 59 percent of those who saw the skits voted for Obama and 39 percent voted for McCain.”

The survey also found that 6 percent of respondents indicated the skits made them more likely to vote for Obama/Biden and 4 percent said the SNL skits made them more likely to vote for McCain/Palin.

The survey also shows that while voters listed the economy as a top concern, the biggest motivating factor — what drove them to vote — was the desire to restore trust in the government for future generations.

The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percent

SHARON, Mass. — I voted today, and so should you.

It was busy in the little town of Sharon, 25 miles south of Boston and 25 miles north of Providence. Everyone in town voted at the high school, adding to the parking and crowding fun.

It’s best to escape from work early or to try to go at an off peak time. It was still busy, but I got right in and out with no delay.

But I didn’t get an “I voted today” sticker. Bummer. Also, no exit polling was being done around noon time here in Sharon.

Massachusetts has three big ballot questions to consider. Question 1 eliminates the state income tax. Question 2 decriminalizes under an ounce of marijuana and replaces criminal penalties with a civil fine, and Question 3 would make dog racing illegal in the state.

Thanks for sticking with Blast Magazine for your Election Day 2008 coverage!

Here’s our gameplan:

Sachin Seth will man the news desk. One of our top newsmen, he will be constantly updating you throughout the night with breaking news, results, and key information.

Heidi Buchanan, our Washington reporter, will be providing top analysis. She’ll talk about what certain results from certain states mean and tell you exactly what’s going on as it happens!

Trevor Timm is in New York and will be our man on the street. He will provide color commentary, reaction, and analysis.

Michael Corcoran will be offering commentary and news reporting. His work has appeared in The Nation and The Boston Globe’s “Thinking Politics” blog.

Bradley Ouellette is in Washington State and will provide a feature on the polling in that state.

We’ll be filing stories, photos and analysis all day and all night, so just keep hitting refresh and don’t forget to comment!

Below is an open letter to the national media from Ralph Nader.

Dear Members of the 4th Estate:

Having spoken to numerous reporters and some editors with the national media (as distinguished from the local media) about the blackout or near blackout of the Nader/Gonzalez presidential campaign, striving to challenge the two party, exclusionary duopoly, (debates, ballot obstacles, etc.) I must ask a general question:

What journalistic criteria have you been employing in this presidential year that guides your pronounced non-coverage of the number three campaign that advances majoritarian agendas based on long experience, involvement, and accomplishment. These agendas are either opposed or ignored by McCain and Obama (see www.votenader.org) and are often rooted in the very investigative reports by your reporters?

It is puzzling how editors and publishers who oversee these prize winning stories seem to lose interest in covering Americans who are trying to do something with that information for a better country.

We asked one top editor of a major daily why his paper was not covering us at all and he said, “Because you can’t win.” Besides being a catch-22 that he quickly acknowledged, that is not a supportable newsworthy judgment. News Media have covered many stories outside the electoral arena of people “who can’t win” and such coverage extends to both the import of the struggles and the reasons why “winning is not possible” given the stacked deck against them.

There has been a witting or unwitting political bigotry against third parties and independent candidates, as there was years ago against minority voters. Against the status of such candidates obstructed through ballot access laws by the two parties that dislike competition they present other rigged ways to secure their domination over the electoral landscape, including gerrymandering each other in the majority of Congressional Districts, for example.

This is meant to be a short letter. Journalism scholars, reporters, and other post-election writers of books and articles will be chronicle, no doubt, the quantity and quality of media coverage (see the previous analysis by such scholars as Stephen Farnsworth and S. Robert Lichter).

For now, please verify for yourselves your own non-coverage or coverage and inform us what your journalistic criteria standards or policies led you to this definition of your readers, listeners, and viewers rights to know.

Thank you for responding, even though there is obviously no obligation to do so.

Sincerely,

Ralph Nader

Beer has long been a part of American politics, and today is no different, from “who would you rather have a beer with”, to brewers crafting recipes named after candidates.

From the early days of George Washington’s home-brewed ales and James Madison’s attempts at creating a national brewery, patriots and early American leaders relied on beer for nutrition and inspiration.

In more recent history, Jimmy Carter’s brother, Billy, promoted his own brand of brew, Billy Beer, shortly after the Georgian peanut farmer was elected. During the last presidential election in 2004, polls found that Americans would rather have had a beer with George W. Bush than John Kerry.

Throughout the country’s existence, the humble hopped beverage has lubricated the wheels of democracy by sparking debate or resolving conflicts. And the beverage has come up in some pretty interesting ways this year on the campaign trail.

Senator John McCain faced criticism after the Associated Press highlighted the candidate’s extensive fundraising connections to Anheuser-Busch through his wife’s fortune and high-powered position in Hensley and Co., the nation’s third-largest A-B distributor. Although McCain’s financial connections to the brewing giant may be close, don’t expect the White House to replace the stemware with Pilsner glasses. McCain’s campaign manager Jill Hazelbaker told the Associated Press that he “very rarely, if ever, drinks alcohol.”

But who could forget Governor Sarah Palin’s now infamous appeals to “Joe Six-Pack”?

In August, Democratic candidate Barack Obama’s taste for beer was challenged during an interview on CBS’ 60 Minutes. During a discussion of his campaign’s attempts to court blue-collar voters, Steve Kroft, the interviewer, remarked to Obama, “You tried really hard to reach these people. You went and sipped beer, which I know you don’t particularly like.” Obama promptly told the reporter that he had a beer the previous night and then said, “Where does the story come from that…I don’t like beer? …C’mon, man.”

Though politicians may use beer as an image to appeal to the common person, some breweries and drinking establishments have long abided by the folk ethos of not combining politics and alcohol, while others embrace the mix. With the heightened energy of the upcoming election, many brewers and barkeeps around the country are getting into the spirit of the election season.

“What better way is there to celebrate the diversity of ideas and thoughts that come out every four years during our election process with something that goes way back to our founding fathers, that’s beer and ale,” said Wayne Mayer, director of marketing for the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company.

The northern California based brewery’s ALECTION lets customers “vote” for a candidate by buying either the “Obama Ale,” or the “McCain 2008,” re-labeled versions of their English-style light ale. Each week the results are tallied on the brewery’s website.

While encouraging their drinkers to show their preference for the candidates, the style of the beers themselves is the same.

“We did that for political reasons so no one could say that we were trying to favor one over the other,” explained Mayer.

Currently the Democratic candidate is in the lead “by quite a bit,” according to the brewery. When Blast contacted Half Moon Bay in mid-October, Obama had 4,991 bottles over McCain’s 1,274.

“We’ve seen a huge jump in our incremental beer sales” said Meyer.

Unlike the real upcoming vote this November, Mayer jested, “This is the only election where you can vote early, often, and legally.”

Magic Hat Brewing Company, based in South Burlington, Vt., released a politically themed Participation variety 12 pack, containing a few of their normal offerings and a special pre-prohibition style “Participation Lager.”

“Beyond the political packaging and beyond the beer itself, which is also politically themed, we actually as a sales team go into our bar promotions and register voters,” said Krissy Leonard, spokeswoman for Magic Hat.

Magic Hat partnered with HeadCount, a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization to register people to vote. On the night before the election, the brewery is sponsoring a concert at the Highline Ballroom in New York City to benefit HeadCount featuring Robert Randolph, Joss Stone, and other artists.

Winter variety packs are now being shipped but there should be more of the politically-themed 12-packs in stores until Election Day, Leonard said.

Below the Mason Dixon line, the Flying Saucer Draught Emporium, a chain of beer bars, is conducting another presidential poll. Patrons at the bars can buy a pint glass for $5 bearing either Obama or McCain’s face drawn as a cartoon, which is counted as one vote.

With 13 locations in Texas, Arkansas, North Carolina, and other traditionally red states, some might find the current standings a bit surprising. Obama’s 11,420 bottles leads McCain’s 9,220 as of Oct. 28, according to the company’s website.

Fort Worth, Texas and Cordova, Tenn. are the Flying Saucer’s only locations where McCain is holding a lead.

In New York, one of the strongest Democratic support bases, Sixpoint Craft Ales located in Brooklyn created the “Hop Obama” in honor of the democratic candidate’s grassroots campaigning style.

“We were tossing it around as far back as late September last fall,” said Jeff Gorlechen, one of founding members of Sixpoint. “Then his campaign started steam rolling. At the time it was all word of mouth, and we identified with that.”

After Obama won the first few primaries, Gorlechen and the other four workers at the brewery decided to brew the ale.

While the brewers may admire the candidate, Sixpoint stopped short of fully endorsing him, as their label points out: “Although we do not intend this beer to be a direct Sixpoint endorsement of Obama, we do believe the delicious and refreshing quality it represents reminds us of the Senator’s successful grassroots campaign.”

There are “many parallels” between the rise of craft and micro brews and Obama’s style of campaigning, he said.

“There was no marketing, no advertising dollars behind it. It’s hard not to admire him,” explained Gorlechen. “In the last five years the craft market segments exploded. It kind of caught the major breweries off guard. I think [Obama] did the same thing when he won Iowa.”

Available on draft in N.Y. and Mass., Gorlechen described the Hop Obama as a hybrid ale “sort of like a British session ale, sort of like an amber, sort of an ESB [Extra Special Bitter]” that uses Scottish, English, and German malts and three different hops from the Pacific Northwest. Also, a part of the profits go to Get Out The Vote, an organization that registers voters.

Of the seven ales produced by Sixpoint, it is currently their second best seller and the brewery sold its stock of the beer faster than any other single batch released for the first time.

Although one of Sixpoint’s best selling products, some bar managers have refused to serve their beer because it is mixing beer and politics, he said.

The “Ale to the Chief” by Colorado’s Avery Brewing Co. has hit shelves in the 32 states. “Instead of an Imperial Pale Ale we’re calling it a “ËœPresidential Pale Ale’ because it’s a democracy here, it’s not an imperialistic nation,” mused Matt Throll, beer manager for Avery.

This past spring, Adam Avery, the owner of the brewery, returned from a road trip with the idea of creating a politically themed beer.

Overall, the reaction to the “Ale to the Chief” has been positive, the Brewery said.

“We’ve only had one person call up and complain to say “Ëœleave politics out of beer,’” Throll said. “We had to tell them that beer has been a part of politics a long time, that’s just the way it is. We weren’t setting out to offend anybody, but of course that’s going to happen.”

“It was not necessarily pro any of the candidates but pro change,” said Throll

Avery’s brewmasters have another batch of “Ale to the Chief” underway for Inauguration Day.

In the Midwest, the St. Louis Brewery Inc., producer of the microbrew Schlafly, is selling posters and T-shirts with altered versions of their labels featuring the candidate’s images.

“I changed our Hefeweisen to‚  “ËœHefe-Biden,’ our Oktoberfest became “ËœBaracktoberfest,’ and our actual flagship pale ale became “ËœPalin Ale,’” explained Troika Brodsky. graphic designer for Schlafly Beer.

Two days before the Vice Presidential debate at Washington University in St. Louis, Brodsky learned that a church group would be screening the debate at Schlafly’s downtown brewery and restaurant.‚  To celebrate the debate, Brodsky made four custom tap handles and posters featuring altered “Ëœpolitical versions’ of the brewery’s labels.

Although the other candidates’ names were easy to juxtapose with the labels, Brodsky said creating one for McCain was difficult. He settled on “ËœMcCain’s Maverick’ American Pale Ale.

“Its basically just parody,” he said. “They were a big hit, actually.”

Even though the church group holding the screening was “more conservative-leaning,” Brodsky said, “Still, the Baracktoberfest and the Hefe-Biden taps sold far more.”

Schlafly is now selling a limited number of Baracktoberfest and Palin Ale T-shirts on its website.

Beyond the tension and mudslinging of the election, it’s all in good fun, he said.

“The point of this is that everyone’s really exited about the election around here. We want to encourage that energy, encourage people to vote,” said Brodsky.

The Associated Press is reporting that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives has foiled a plot to assassinate Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama.

The ATF says the plot also involved shooting or decapitating 102 other black people in Tennessee, in a planned killing spress.

Stick with http://blastmagazine.com/news as the story unfolds!

Funnyman Will Ferrell returned to Saturday Night Live during the intro of one of SNL’s special Thursday updates.

We stood beside Tina Fey’s Gov. Sarah Palin, making it the only time the two most highly-rated SNL parodies of all time appeared together. SNL regular Darrell Hammond’s reluctant John McCain later appeared in skit, where Farrell’s GW endorses McCain/Palin.

SNL has generated some of its highest ratings of all time during the 2008 presidential election.

There was also a hilarious Fred Armisen impersonation of CNN’s John King and his super-touchscreen-computerized-election-map

The Republican Jewish Coalition lashed out against Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama Monday, saying his policies and advisors posed threats to Israel and American Jews.

“Sen. Barack Obama surrounds himself with a number of individuals and advisors who are hostile to Israel and American Jews,” the coalition said in‚ a statement. “They include Zbigniew Brzezinski, General Tony McPeak and Reverend Jeremiah Wright. All are known for their anti-Israel views.”

Jeremiah Wright’s name gets mentioned again and again in this election.

They also say Obama voted against legislation to designate Iran’s Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization and‚ ”his willingness to meet with Iranian President Ahmadinejad without any preconditions,” echoing a popular John‚ McCain sentiment.

One word: accurate.

Two words: comedic timing.

Tina Fey did another spot-on impression of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live. We watched it, live, and loved it, live.

SNL also parodied Friday night’s presidential debate, but it didn’t get very good reviews.

But for putting this together (they even got the flag lapel pins or lack their of correct) in less than a day, I give props.

From Dow Jones

NEW YORK — Results from the Dow Jones Insight-2008 Presidential Election Media Pulse show that Sarah Palin continues to hold the lead in overall media coverage of the four nominees for president and vice president — clearly giving a boost to Republican running mate John McCain, whose recent coverage has matched or exceeded that of rival Barack Obama after trailing the Democratic candidate for most of the year.

While Palin had virtually zero coverage in the days prior to her August 29th unveiling as the Republican vice presidential nominee, in the period from August 30 through September 13 her coverage surpassed that of presidential nominee Obama, and left vice presidential rival Joe Biden far behind, according to analysis of mainstream and social media sources tracked by Dow Jones Insight.

When considering coverage of the two presidential candidates only, McCain had 179,004 total mentions in all tracked media sources during the same time period, or a 55 percent share, to Obama’s 148,000 mentions, or 45 percent share. McCain also led in terms of headline mentions in the mainstream press, with 21,995 mentions, or 54 percent, to Obama’s 18,769, or 46 percent, while in social media sources (blogs and boards) Obama had 33,120 headline mentions to McCain’s 32,900, for a 50-50 split.

Palin May Have Stolen the Show in Minnesota, but Obama Still Pulled in Higher Convention Coverage

The timing of the Palin announcement could be viewed as a clear effort to steal Obama’s thunder, but it couldn’t quite offset his coverage during the Democratic convention itself. While the spotlight has shifted toward the Republicans over the past few weeks, when comparing mainstream and social media coverage of both candidates around the time of their respective conventions, Obama still came out ahead.

Dow Jones Insight tracked coverage of the candidates on the four scheduled days of each convention, plus the preview day before and the wrap-up day afterward — or August 24-29 for the Democrats and August 31-September 5 for the Republicans — and found that the Democratic convention time period saw 91,395 total mentions of both candidates, 14% more coverage than the 80,250 total mentions in the days surrounding the Republican convention. Since the Republican convention was shortened by a day due to Hurricane Gustav, the higher overall total for the Democratic convention is understandable. However when comparing each candidate’s percentage of total mentions, Obama had a more dominant share of the conversation during his convention than McCain had during his.

• Obama had 54,624 mentions, or a 60 percent share, during the Democratic convention time period tracked, compared to McCain’s 36,771 mentions, or 40 percent, in the same timeframe.
• In the days tracked surrounding the Republican convention, McCain received 45,448 mentions, for a 57 percent share, compared to Obama’s 34,802 mentions, or 43 percent
• When combining mentions from both time periods, Obama received 52 percent of the total to McCain’s 48 percent

If Money Talks, Which Candidate Speaks Loudest?

With Barack Obama’s announcement this week that he had raised a record $66 million in August and lined up more than 500,000 first-time donors, he is by far the leader in donations from the public, and also leads the way in terms of media coverage on the topic. According to analysis of mainstream and social media sources tracked by Dow Jones Insight, there were 1,740 mentions of Obama’s name in close proximity to fundraising-related terms in the previous seven days, or 36 percent of the total 4,826 fundraising mentions of the four candidates over that period. His running mate, Joe Biden, who has not played a very public fundraising role, netted just 279 mentions, or 6 percent.

While Obama declined to take public funds to finance his campaign, McCain, who has accepted public financing and is therefore limited in how much he can raise and how he can spend it, is expected to spend far less time drumming up donations. In the previous week McCain drew 1,665 mentions in reference to fundraising, or 35 percent of all fundraising mentions of the four candidates. Meanwhile, Palin received 1,142 mentions on the issue, or 24 percent, as she took on a major fundraising role for the McCain campaign.

Higher Overall Coverage for McCain Translates to Ownership of Additional Issues

In the period August 15 – September 15, media coverage of the campaign issues being tracked by Dow Jones Insight surged again, with a trend in issues ownership toward McCain reflecting the overall increase in McCain- related coverage. McCain had the lead in 17 of the 25 issues being tracked, up from six in a previous analysis. Among the issues he led were the economy, taxes, terrorism, health care and abortion (each with a split of 54 percent for McCain to 46 percent for Obama), as well as energy (59 percent to 41 percent) and the environment (56 percent to 44 percent). Obama owned just five issues, down from seven in a previous analysis, including faith, race, Israel, gun control and NAFTA. Total issues- based coverage was up 22 percent during this period, reaching 1,137,582 mentions of all 25 issues compared with 934,408 from the previous analysis.

The Dow Jones Insight-2008 Presidential Election Media Pulse (http://dowjonesinsight.blogspot.com/) provides a high-level view of a competitive media landscape and demonstrates how candidates and issues are covered in the media and how that coverage changes over time. Dow Jones Insight combines proven research methodologies, trusted content and advanced text-mining and visualization tools to deliver strategic qualitative and quantitative media measurement metrics. Organizations use the analysis to nurture their reputation, demonstrate the effectiveness of their communications strategies and achieve business objectives. The platform processes nearly a million articles, Web pages, blogs and message board posts per day.

After two years of rumors, expectations and political dramas, America finally has its four main contenders for the presidential race. Democrats Obama and Biden are up against Republicans McCain and Palin. As they prepare to face what will become one of the most historic and awaited elections, there are many questions still unanswered by either party.

Both presidential candidates have been in the limelight long enough to talk of their life experiences and ideas for how to better the nation. However, they have been so involved in obtaining the nomination that until now will they be able to further explain how exactly they plan to fix the economy, offer health care to the more than 47 million uninsured Americans, restore the ailing educational system and figure a way to deal with the 20 million plus illegal immigrants and their American families who are in the country-amongst many other important issues.

While trying to build their case and be viewed as political saviors, both candidates must also prove that their vice presidential picks were good choices… and survive the gossip media frenzy that has been unleashed. Biden has had several years of political experience, becoming a senator in 1973 at the Constitutional minimum age of 30. He was the fifth-youngest senator in U.S. history and is the current chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee aside from serving as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. He can give Obama the credibility amongst voters who are doubtful he is able to run a country after only eight years as senator.

Still, Biden is not easily recognizable by the youth of America and because of his age he can be seen as just another high up politician from the bunch. On the other side we have Palin, the young charismatic female governor of Alaska. If the Democrats were making history by having a black man and a woman running for the presidential candidacy, the Republicans are offering retribution by giving the people the first ever-female vice president hopeful.

The difference between the two parties, though, is that in the Democratic side both candidates launched themselves into the race. The Republicans front chose their woman practically out of the blue and shocked even its own members by doing so. The same doubtful voters can see Palin as an inexperienced, beauty-pageant contestant who needs to fill a void to attract those who were planning to vote for Hillary. Palin served in the city council of Wasilla, AK, in the 90′s until she became its mayor in 1999. The young politician, who has a bachelor’s degree in journalism, won the position of governor in 2006 and serves approximately 670,000 Alaskans.

After all these political character identifications my fear remains. Is this going to be a historic campaign because America will elect either its first black president or first female vice president? Or, will it be historical because America will elect the candidate who can solve the thousands of problems that are bringing the country down the drain?

True, race, gender and experience can be considered when making a decision. But what I want to suggest is blind, educated, decision making. Blind and educated in the sense that whenever listening to debates or political commentary we, as responsible voters, listen to the facts and the options offered.

So far, neither candidate has had a face-to-face debate. Democrat team has laid a blueprint for how they plan to refurbish the educational system by providing the necessary tools inner city and poor neighborhood schools are missing. They have also expressed their interest in a type of universal health care system and offered a plan for how to better the economy by investing in fields like energy independence. In the spirit of bipartisanism it must be said that the Republican presidential nominee and his VP gal have spoken of these issues and others like immigration. The pair would implement a clear two-step immigration process that offers various levels of working permits.

It is still safe to say we do not know each candidate completely. Whoever wins the presidential seat will have to grow into the position just as the country will grow to know them. Yet one thing remains clear. In this race it is extremely important to stray away from what the two parties are constantly shoving at us, this race is important because of one black and one female candidate.

The yellow journalists will continue, “uncovering” facts behind the specified candidate’s life and personalities. And although this is important-yes a black candidate and a female candidate are a first-EVER, please don’t be blinded.

The facts, the plans, the solutions being discussed are most meaningful part. These will make or break our America. These will ensure we do not have another four or eight years involved in warfare under economic and societal emergencies. These will prove that as Americans we can look past gender and color, like many claim to do, and truly elect a candidate for what they stand for.

I just saw, on CNN, some guy holding a black sign saying “You can’t win an occupation” during John McCain’s speech at the Republican National Convention.

Anyone else see that? Anyone capture it on video/screen grab?

Security also threw out a protester in a pink dress after someone ripped a sign out of her hands.

McCain rolled well with the punches: “ignore the static and background noise.”

I dunno, folks. There’s a time and a place for this, and there are some legitimate gripes to hear heard. But let the man speak.

Our heralded PSA Blog makes the case against Sarah Palin. Check it out.

Here’s a snippet:

Late last week, John McCain picked his running mate, the relatively unknown Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska. Aesthetically, for McCain, it was a great pick. The grumpy, ugly, old man picked a smiling, attractive, young woman as his potential Vice President. The excitement over the first woman Republican VP nominee in history also probably blunted Obama’s poll bounce after his rousing convention speech on Thursday.

But while McCain’s pick got relatively good press over the weekend (and made him some money: The campaign has raised over $10 mil since Friday), it’s about to explode in his face, and I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if she is off the ticket for good by the end of September. I had to make this a bulleted list because it is extremely long and probably will need to be updated almost hourly because right now, there is an army of progressive bloggers vetting her much more thoroughly than the McCain campaign ever did.

If you are anything like me, or the millions of utterly confused Americans (yes I live in Canada but I am an American citizen) following the blisteringly long 2008 presidential election, you were baffled by Senator John McCain’s running mate choice.

Sarah Palin?‚  Apparently the most popular governor in the United States.‚  I guess we all missed that memo.

Palin is an ultra-conservative who is pro-life, pro-guns, pro-offshore drilling, against gay marriage and a staunch supporter of McCain’s stance on the war in Iraq.‚  She has been described, by republicans mind you, as a ‘gun-toting’ mother.

From 1996-2002, Palin was mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, a small town of under 7,000 residents. In 1984, she wore the crown of Miss Wasilla, and competed in the Miss Alaska competition, placing second.

She was elected Alaska’s 11th governor in 2006, defeating republican incumbent Frank Murkowski.

By choosing Palin as his running mate, McCain has effectively shattered the argument he so often uses to belittle his adversary, that Obama is too inexperienced to govern the country.

I know Palin is the VP choice and isn’t running for president, but when you are faced with the prospect of electing a 72 year-old man into office, the VP plays an important role.‚  It isn’t absurd for the public to be concerned about this, and the fact that McCain has had serious health problems in the past only heightens the public’s anxiety.‚  His recently released medical records show a pretty clean slate, but still concerns are concerns and the public is entitled to them, and will continue to have them for as long as he is in the running.

With Palin as the VP choice, if McCain is elected to office she will be next in line for the presidency.‚  If in, let’s say, two years McCain (if he is elected) is unable to continue his presidency, Palin will be sworn in as the President of the United States.

That’s something, even taking into regard her wonderful work uncovering corruption, managing the budget and improving energy and environment situations in Alaska, that will be a constant fear for all Americans since she, among many other things, has no foreign policy experience.

Clearly I disagree with Fox New’s Steve Doocy, who said Palin does have foreign poilcy experience because Alaska is next to Russia.

What Palin lacks in foreign policy experience, McCain claims he has.‚  What Obama lacks in foreign policy experience, Senator Joe Biden certainly has.

The fact remains, even though Obama is not a very experienced leader, his ideals, goals and ambition for his country are genuine.‚  With Biden by his side, experience is there.

People can argue that McCain has the experience Palin lacks, but it seems that McCain’s choice might do more harm than good.‚  She is a dark horse pick, she has uncovered corruption in her state and propelled Alaska to a better balanced budget.‚  But she lacks what Biden has, and it will be very interesting to see how she fairs in a debate against him.

She has been described as aggressive, and was known on her high-school basketball team as ‘Sarah Barracuda.’‚  But how far can aggressiveness get you in a debate against one of the most seasoned politicians in Washington?

McCain has come under much criticism for the pick, which many thought, and think, was made as to attract disenchanted Senator Hillary Clinton supporters.‚  That probably won’t work because of their different views on many important issues.

McCain obviously sees something in Palin the public currently doesn’t.‚  We’ll see how many republicans warm up to the selection in the coming weeks.

The Massachusetts Republican Party released this statement seconds after Governor Deval Patrick walked off the podium at the Democratic National Convention.

Boston, MA – The Massachusetts Republican Party issued the following statement today in response to Governor Patrick’s speech to the Democrat National Convention

MassGOP Chairman Peter Torkildsen said, “Tonight, Deval Patrick spoke in Denver, but he might have well as spoken in Hollywood, because what he talked about had no basis in reality and no relation to his own dismal record of broken promises. Having an eloquent, but extremely inexperienced Governor is bad enough: an eloquent, but extremely inexperienced President would be much worse. The bottom line is this, Barack Obama is not ready to lead and not ready to govern.”

Tharin Gartrell, 28, was arrested early Monday morning after an Aurora, Colo., officer pulled him over for reckless driving. What the officer didn’t know was, by making this routine stop, he may have saved Senator Barack Obama’s life.

Two rifles, a high-powered scope and a score of methamphetamine were all found in Gartrell’s rented car.

The traffic stop ignited a chain of arrests–two more men and one woman — all believed to be planning an attempt on Obama’s life during his acceptance speech this Thursday night. One of the men — not Gartrell — is said to be a white supremacist.

Inside Gartrell’s car, officers, in addition to the weapons, scope and methamphetamine, found a bulletproof vest, camouflage clothing, walkie-talkies and several licenses with different names on each.

The series of arrests took place about 11 miles from the Pepsi Center, the site of the Democratic National Convention.

According to the Denver TV station CBS4, when one of the suspects was asked whether he had come to Denver to assassinate the presidential candidate, “he responded in the affirmative.”

CBS4 also reported that one of the suspects told authorities he planned to, “shoot Obama from a high vantage point using a … rifle sighted at 750 yards.”

Some police sources are saying the case concerns drugs more than a possible plot against Obama’s life, which does contradict what media reports the suspects told authorities. Regardless, the FBI is currently investigating the event.

Colorado U.S. Attorney Troy Eid told media he is “confident” there is no threat to Obama’s safety during the convention.

After headlining a concert on the first night of the Democratic National Convention, Fall Out Boy announced they would release their enw album, Folie A Deux, on November 4, Election Day.

Fall Out Boy’s ‘Beat It’ nominated for Best Rock Video at 25th annual MTV VMAs

The first single will be the track “I Don’t Care.” Radio dates to be announced shortly.

“For Folie A Deux, Fall Out Boy spearheaded a politically charged group that unveiled cryptic ‘big brother’ type messages in order to support and ignite a democratic process,” Island Def Jam Music Group said in a statement Tuesday. “Impressively, the creative album roll-out garnered over 1 million impressions in just one week online across literally hundreds of websites such as absolutepunk.net, friendsorenemies.com, Live journal communities and many other popular music websites, including the band’s own site, www.falloutboyrock.com.”

“This roll-out was started to engage people and let them tell their own stories.  We came up with the beginning and the end, while the rest happened organically,” said bass player Pete Wentz.

Fall Out Boy’s cover of Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” has been nominated for Best Rock Video at this year’s 25th annual MTV Video Music Awards.  The worldwide cablecast takes place live from Paramount Studios in Hollywood, September 7 at 9 p.m.

Michelle Obama has been described by many as a “firecracker.” Now when I hear that, I think of Teresa Heinz Kerry. A strong woman who isn’t afraid to speak her mind, people act like that’s such a bad thing. To me? It’s inspiring.

She has a strong and respectable background, coming from a family with parents who wanted more for her and her brother, parents who worked hard for what they had and knew that they wanted more than that for their children. Michelle Obama has dedicated herself to her work, her community and her family. She is, what I would call, a very respectable woman.

Her speech was full of heartfelt anecdotes about her older brother and her late father as well as why she believed her husband was the best for the job of President of the United States. A speech that was unexpectedly emotional, moved many of the delegates on the floor of the convention hall to tears.

The most inspiring aspect of Michelle Obama is how well she believes in her husband. From the beginning she hadn’t been a big campaigner, however as the primaries progressed she spoke out in favor of her husband, and in favor of what she believed in – her husband leading America in a better direction and to a better future.

In an email to supprters, Senator Joe Biden introduced himself and his plans as the Democratic vice presidential candidate.

The email:

I’d like to thank you for the warm welcome I’ve received as the newest member of this campaign.

What you and Barack have accomplished over the past 19 months is incredible, and it’s an honor to be part of it. I’m looking forward to rolling up my sleeves and getting involved.

I recorded a short video message about how I hope to help in the weeks ahead.

Please take a minute to watch the video and share it with your friends:

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be doing a lot of the things you’ve done to grow this movement — reaching out day after day in neighborhoods all across the country, connecting with people who are hungry for the change we need.

This is no ordinary time, and this is no ordinary election. I plan to do everything I can to help Barack take back the White House.

I don’t need to tell you that John McCain will just bring us another four years of the same. You can’t change America when you supported George Bush’s policies 95% of the time.

Barack has the vision and the courage to bring real change to Washington. But even he can’t do this alone.

Join me by getting involved in your community — and reach out to your friends and family to get them involved as well.

Thank you,

Joe

The AFL-CIO, in a statement Sunday, voices its approval of Senator Joe Biden as the presumptive Democratic presidential running mate.

In asking Sen. Joe Biden to be his running mate, Barack Obama has affirmed the judgment it takes to be President of the United States and an understanding of the team it will take to turn around America. Sen. Biden is not only one of the most experienced foreign affairs experts in our country, he’s an eloquent and unwavering defender of working families and opponent of the Bush Administration’s war on workers. He’s a man of great faith and modest means who has lived his life in direct contrast to those who support Bush and his would-be successor, John McCain. He’s honest and outspoken and he’s never forgotten his working-class roots. Joe Biden will be received and supported wholeheartedly by the working women and men of America and our unions. We are more enthusiastic than ever about electing Barack Obama and Joe Biden and getting on with the job of changing America to work for all.

American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly known as the AFL-CIO, is the largest organizatio of labor unions in the U.S., with more than 10 million members. The million American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) workers comprise its largest member union.

In what are bound to be his top liberal validations, Senator Joe Biden, the Democratic vice presidential choice, received sharp criticism from a right-wing Christian group and a nodding affirmation from Senator Ten Kennedy (D-Mass.).

“Barack Obama’s choice of Joe Biden sends a clear message, true Christians need not apply in the Democratic Party,” said Dr. Gary Cass, Chairman and CEO of the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission, in a statement Saturday. “Biden is a liberal on social policy in defiance of Christian moral teaching.”

Dissatisfied with both Obama and McCain as “not true Christians,” the comission was lobbying both to pick “true Christian” running mates.

We’re not exactly sure what a “true Christian” is, but we think it has something to do with conservative evangelicals.

“Now we are watching what McCain will do. Will he pick a pro-choice Republican or perhaps a moderate Mormon or a liberal Jew? I urge McCain to pick someone that conservative evangelicals and Catholics can support,” said Cass.

On the other hand, Kennedy was all for Biden.

“Barack Obama said he wanted a strong independent leader and a strong advocate for average Americans, and he got one in Joe Biden. He has a deep devotion to his family and his country and an impressive record not only in standing up for American security interests around the world, but for middle class values and safe neighborhoods here at home. An Obama-Biden Administration will bring the real change Americans want and the country needs.”

Well, he finally did it.

“Barack has chosen Senator Joe Biden to be our VP nominee. Watch the first Obama-Biden rally live at 3pm ET on www.BarackObama.com. Spread the word!” the text came at 3:26 a.m. EDT.

This email followed:

I have some important news that I want to make official.

I’ve chosen Joe Biden to be my running mate.

Joe and I will appear for the first time as running mates this afternoon in Springfield, Illinois — the same place this campaign began more than 19 months ago.

I’m excited about hitting the campaign trail with Joe, but the two of us can’t do this alone. We need your help to keep building this movement for change.

Please let Joe know that you’re glad he’s part of our team. Share your personal welcome note and we’ll make sure he gets it:

http://my.barackobama.com/welcomejoe

Thanks for your support,

Barack

P.S. — Make sure to turn on your TV at 2:00 p.m. Central Time to join us or watch online at http://www.BarackObama.com.

So what do we think?

Barack Obama has confirmed, on his official website and through text message, that he has chosen Delaware Senator Joe Biden as his running mate for the 2008 presidential election.  Senator Obama will make an appearance in Illinois later today, with Senator Biden by his side.

The choice brings a much needed degree of experience and credibility to Obama’s campaign.  Biden’s inclusion should ease the minds of fence voters who are worried about some of Obama’s foreign relations policies.

What remains to be seen however is how Clinton backers will react to the decision.  Many are still torn on Obama, something I find quite astonishing.  A true democratic supporter would get behind a candidate like Obama, an American through and through with, as he touts and I believe, only the nation’s goodwill at the forefront of his personal and political heart.

A true democratic supporter would rally behind the newly formed Obama-Biden ticket, applauding Obama on choosing a mate that will surely increase his chances of becoming America’s 44th president.

On the other side (where the grass is not greener), McCain supporters eagerly await his VP announcement. Personally I hope it’s Lieberman, only because it would give Obama a better chance.  A McCain-Lieberman ticket would be horrifying, with 138 years between them, they are, together, only a few years younger than my country of residence; Canada.

The latest CNN National Poll of Polls (a combined tally of the results of five different surveys) has Obama’s lead at just two percent over McCain.  The poll has no margin of error, and unsurprisingly, lists 14 percent of the polled as unsure.  In order for Obama to widen the gap, he needed to pick a good running mate, one that would bring in the majority of this magical and mysterious 14%.  He’s done that.

Biden will deliver his first speech as VP at the Democratic convention on August 27th.

Now we wait.

Time is up, Senator Obama. It’s time to text message everyone and let us know who your veep is going to be.

In a rare exclusive, Blast Magazine obtained from credible sources a list of 10 candidates who were rejected as possible choices for vice president under the 2008 Democratic ticket.

No, we didn’t really, but we hope you’ll enjoy anyway

10. Bill Clinton

When asked if he would be interested in the VP position and have a shot at the White House after his wife’s failed candidacy, former President Clinton had this to say:

“Yippie skippie!”

He was quickly removed from the list.

9. Nancy Pelosi

Nancy Pelosi approached Senator Obama after he became the presumptive Democratic nominee, offering him roughly the same amount of looks but only half the bitchiness

8. Batman

Batman would have strongly bolstered the campaign’s anti-crime stance and popularity among 18-30 year olds, but Batman’s popularity crashed faster than Barack’s last two weeks in the polls after everyone that saw “The Dark Knight” then went out, saw “Pineapple Express,” got stoned and stopped caring.

7. The Rev. Jesse Jackson

Now wishes he kept his mouth shut

6. Darren McFadden

Senator Obama’s original logic was, “if the Raiders took a chance on him, why can’t I run with the D-Mac? Seriously, 1,800 yards on the ground last year.”

5. Abraham Lincoln

As if rumors of a Republican/Democrat ticket in 2004 weren’t enough, Obama saught to recruit one of the most beloved figures in American history.

4. Dick Cheney

A junior Obama intern was fired for suggesting: “He’s done it for the last eight years, so he must know what he’s doing, right?”

3. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili

Obama figured he would be out of a job soon enough once the Kremlin decided to show Secretary Rice what it really thought of the withdrawal treaty.

2. Clark Rockefeller a.k.a. Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter

In the early days of the campaign, Rockefeller tricked a senior Obama official into believing he was Joe Biden

1. Hillary Clinton

Obama wondered why all of his death threats suddenly stopped when he started being nicer to Senator Clinton

Fiction. Duh

Blast puts this out as information and opinion only. It neither agrees with nor endorses the opinions expressed by the third party.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Dianne Haskett, Executive Director of Washington Contact, is available for media interviews to discuss her treatise of eight reasons Obama is choosing Hillary Clinton as his vice presidential running mate.

Eight Reasons Why Obama is Choosing Hillary for his VP:
By Dianne Haskett, Executive Director of Washington Contact

1. Clinton is the only potential VP pick who significantly increases Obama’s poll numbers-in one national poll by as much as eight per cent.
2. Obama is choosing the Illinois State Capitol from which to announce due to the connection to the state for both of them-Hillary is from Illinois and it is Obama’s adoptive state. Obama hopes this will reinforce a connection for the Democratic ticket to America’s heartland of which Illinois is a part.
3. The threat of Hillary supporters ruining both the convention and Obama’s nomination is not worth the risk.
4. The only reason Obama agreed to let Hillary’s name be placed on the ballot at the convention was because he knew he would name her as his VP selection, thereby causing all her supporters to make his nomination unanimous.
5. Hillary can help him win in November with working class and women voters.
6. An Obama/Clinton ticket will bring healing to the Democratic Party.
7. Hillary’s place at Obama’s side makes his candidacy even more historic-the first African American and the first woman.
8. An Obama/Hillary ticket will entrance the nation.

Outspoken activist Rev. Jesse Jackson responded to footage of him making controversial off-air comments about Sen. Barack Obama for the first time in an interview with Essence.com.

On Remarks About Obama:  “It should not have happened. What was private talk became public controversy, and I am embarrassed by that. There is no virtue in that kind of talk, and it should always be discouraged. My appeal even then was that responsibility is a significant message, but our needs require real government intervention and private sector incentives to address the issues of unemployment, building affordable housing and making education more affordable, which really was my point. It was a very painful period for me to have gone through that.”

On Son Jesse Jackson Jr.’s Response: ” … He’s free to express himself, and it does not bother our relationship as father and son at all. He was taught to give his opinion in our household, and he did it in love. He’s tough, he’s smart. He has a future in politics. He didn’t want the impression to be that that my faux pas was his faux pas, because it was not. I respect his right to express himself.”

On Reaching the Younger Generation: “This “old guard, new guard” is an unhealthy division. Politics must be inter-generational. You need Barack on the one hand to talk, you need Charlie Rangel, chair of the House Ways and Means [Committee], and John Conyers, chair of our House Judiciary [Committee]. In politics you grow by adding and multiplying, not by subtracting and dividing. So “old guard vs. new guard” is not a healthy combination. The reality is that we achieved the right to vote, we achieved freedom, but we didn’t achieve equality, and that is the remaining civil rights work.”

On Obama’s Campaign: “I think we have an outstanding candidate. We have the burden now to fully register and vote. There are still maybe 6 to 8 million Blacks unregistered who should not miss this hour, this opportunity. Now that we have a who, let’s focus on the what.” …

Essence magaizne is lifestyle magazine targeted at African-American women, with a readership of 8.5 million.

Dear EarthTalk: What’s going on in the music industry with all the CDs and plastic CD holders undoubtedly generating a lot of plastic waste? – John S., via email 

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), CDs and DVDs are typically manufactured by combining various mined metals (aluminum, gold, silver and nickel) with petroleum-derived plastics, lacquers and dyes. Given what complicated beasts CDs and DVDs are-products with thin layers of different materials mixed together are nearly impossible to recycle-most municipal recycling program won’t accept them, leaving consumers to fend for themselves in figuring out how to dispose of them. As a result, most discarded discs end up in the trash. 

These difficult-to-recycle materials can pollute groundwater and, in turn, contribute to a whole host of human health problems. But the low cost of producing such top-selling consumer items means that replacing them with something greener is not likely anytime soon. 

Research has shown that polylactic acid (PLA), a biodegradable plastic-substitute derived from corn and other agricultural wastes, could replace plastic polycarbonate as a disc’s main substrate, but the present high cost of using such a material makes it unlikely to catch on any time soon with those paying to produce mass volumes of CDs and DVDs. 

As for jewel cases, most are made out of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), an inexpensive petrochemical-based plastic that is notoriously difficult to recycle and has been linked to elevated cancer rates among workers and neighbors where it’s manufactured. Furthermore, when PVC is thrown in with regular recyclables it can contaminate entire batches, ruin equipment and cause human health problems. While cardboard and paper jewel cases may be all the rage among a few record labels-Warner Music Group’s U.S. division, for example, has been using 30 percent post-recycled paper for the packaging in all of its CDs and DVDs since 2005-the high cost and low durability of such alternatives have kept them largely out of the mainstream. 

So what’s a conscientious consumer to do? Those willing to pay a small processing fee can send old CDs and DVDs to one of a handful of private companies (such as Washington-based GreenDisk) set up to recycle them into high-quality plastics used in auto parts, office equipment, alarm panels, street lights, electrical cable insulation, jewel cases and other specialized items.  

A shift in consumer preferences already underway may be just the thing that will make everyone’s personal collections of music and movies greener. Consumers are already able to download some six million individual digital songs via the 500 or so legal online music services now up and running on the Internet. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, digital sales now account for some 30 percent of all U.S. music sales and 15 percent globally. And most consumer analysts expect these percentages to grow steadily in the coming years, which is good news for the environment. 

CONTACTS: EPA’s “Lifecycle of a CD or DVD,” www.epa.gov/osw/students/finalposter.pdf; GreenDisk, www.greendisk.com; International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, www.ifpi.org. 

Dear EarthTalk: What are the major environmental issues that our next president, be it Obama or McCain, will have to confront? – Melinda Barnes, via e-mail 

Global warming is unquestionably the most pressing environmental issue facing whoever ends up in the White House in January 2009. Not only does climate change impact-and in most cases exacerbate-other environmental problems, it has even wider implications for the economy and society at large. Luckily for all of us, both Barack Obama and John McCain are committed to tackling climate change, although their proposed approaches differ in significant ways. 

The non-profit League of Conservation Voters (LCV), America’s leading voice for environmental advocacy within electoral politics, would prefer to see Obama elected president given his environmental track record and plans for the future. While both candidates favor instituting a mandatory “cap-and-trade” program (whereby the federal government allows polluters to trade for the right to emit a reduced overall amount of greenhouse gases), Obama is for more strident cuts. He would like to see the U.S. reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by some 80 percent by 2050, while McCain supports only cutting back by 65 percent. Both candidates have authored legislation in the Senate designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, although no such bills have come close to passing. 

Even though McCain is by far the most forward-thinking of the original Republican presidential contenders on global warming and the need to take action, LCV still gives him poor marks, only a 24 rating (out of 100) lifetime and zero for 2007. LCV says that McCain missed all 15 critical environmental votes last year and that he “repeatedly clings to outdated policies and flip-flops on core environmental issues.” By comparison, Obama earned a score of 67 in 2007 and has a lifetime LCV rating of 86. 

One area where environmentalists take issue with McCain is his support for expanding the role of nuclear power in cutting fossil fuel use. Obama would rather bolster alternative energy sources like wind and solar power that do not have the nasty side effect of radioactive waste in need of storage and disposal. (McCain also supports the development of new renewables, but not to the extent that Obama is willing to commit). 

Some of the other hot button environmental issues sure to occupy the next president’s time include: how to best protect the nation’s water resources and wetlands; whether to allow more drilling for oil and natural gas both offshore and within Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge; whether to reinstate the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, a Clinton-era law (subsequently overturned by the Bush administration) calling for protection of some 58 million acres of public land from logging; how to meet U.S. commitments on existing environmental laws in international trade agreements; and whether to bring back the so-called “polluter pays” part of the government’s “Superfund” toxic waste clean-up program. 

While Obama is clearly the greener candidate on most of these issues, the fact that McCain even takes them seriously-and is committed to any greenhouse gas reductions whatsoever-is a plus for environmental advocates exasperated by eight years of green naysaying by the Bush administration. 

CONTACTS: Obama ’08, www.barackobama.com; McCain for President, www.johnmccain.com; League of Conservation Voters, www.lcv.org. 

GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION? Send it to: EarthTalk, c/o E/The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; submit it at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/thisweek/, or e-mail: earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php.

Editor’s note: BLAST officially endorsed Senator Barack Obama Jan. 10 as the Democratic candidate for president.

It was a tale of three speeches. On the night when the Democrats finally had their nominee, the two general election candidates — and the one just vanquished – all gave speeches laying claim to the title of Best Equipped to Be President.

The first, a plodding and awkward ramble, given in front of a grotesque lime green backdrop to what seemed like only a few dozen onlookers, gave viewers a taste of the John McCain they will see over the next few months: a grumbling curmudgeon who will try to steal the “change” platform from Obama by explaining his “change” means a third term of George Bush domestic and foreign policies that promise to change absolutely nothing. The listless, same-old speech from McCain was roundly panned by critics, even his buddies at Fox News, as not what he probably wanted compared to what everyone was about to witness from the new Democratic-elect.

The last orate, by contrast, was a soaring, transcendent victory claim given in front of 33,000 people; 18,000 who filled the arena and 15,000 more that stood outside in a constant, frenzied state. Everything that John McCain’s speech wasn’t, Barack Obama’s was.

In a booming voice that crescendoed over the uninterrupted screams and applause of the massive crowd, he gave the American people a taste of the Obama presidency: An end to the war, negotiations with our enemies, rescinding the ridiculous tax cuts for the rich and an actual energy policy were laid out as rebuttals to McCain, who has been in lockstep with George W. Bush on all the vital issues facing the people of the United States.

On the historic night when Obama finally became the west’s first real African American candidate for president, he pronounced, “America, this is our moment. This is our time. Our time to turn the page on the policies of the past.”

And then there was the speech in the middle.

A defiant, grasp at something that has been lost for months, Hillary Clinton, who many were expecting to at least concede something last night, gave what was at best a confusing quasi-victory speech for someone who had just lost and at worst a selfish narcissistic view of the contest that dripped with delusion and self denial. Ceding no ground to Obama, except that “he and his supporters have run an excellent campaign,” she went on to mimic asking what everyone in the press has been for the last few days, “‘What does Hillary want?’” and then refused to answer. She left the door open to her future plans and addressed the crowd as if she had not just lost the Democratic Nomination for President, which, unfortunately for her, she just had.

What Hillary Clinton will do in the next coming months for now remains a mystery. She will almost certainly have to admit she lost in the coming days, and with any luck, will fade into the background. But the two who remain will undoubtedly give us more of the taste they gave us last night. For John McCain, it will be idea that the world is extremely dangerous and only a war monger like himself can run it. And for Barack Obama, it will be the chance to bring a new face, a new voice, to the Presidency, one that has never been heard before.

Let’s hope, this time, the American people make the right decision. Though, if they just listen to the speeches from last night, it will really become an easy choice.

Indecision 2008 Continues as Senator John McCain — the certain Republican presidential nominee — faces John Stewart on “The Daily Show” Wednesday at 11 p.m.

This is McCain’s 13th time on the comedy news program. He also appeared April 24, 2007, the night he announced he would be running for president.

Each episode of “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” repeats at 1:00 a.m. the same night and at 10:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. the following day (all times ET/PT).  The May 7 interview will be posted for viewing the following day at both www.thedailyshow.com and www.indecision2008.com with URL links and embed codes, so go nuts, all you bloggers!

Howard Dean, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, gave the Democratic radio address to the nation this week. He used it to come out strongly against Senator John McCain, the presumed Republican presidential candidate.

“Citing Senator John McCain’s belief that the country is better off, when more than a quarter of a million jobs have been lost this year and many people are struggling to make ends met, Dean noted how out of touch McCain is with the challenges facing American families,” the DNC said in a statement Saturday. “Despite his talk about fiscal discipline, Senator McCain has failed to account for the costs of a long-term engagement in Iraq, making the Bush tax cuts permanent, and giving additional tax cuts to billionaires.”

Transcript:

Good morning. I’m Governor Howard Dean, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee. I want to start by offering Pope Benedict XVI the warmest welcome as he travels here in the United States. He is in our thoughts and prayers while he visits America.

His visit reminds us of the Catholic values of social justice, working for the common good, and caring for those most in need.

These are also the values of the Democratic Party.

We face challenging times in our country and our world. Our troops are in Iraq – many on their second or even third tour of duty. The gap between the most fortunate and everyone else is widening. As we elect our nation’s next leader it’s important that we choose someone who understands the struggles that so many families here at home face as they try to make ends meet.

As I listened to Senator John McCain’s remarks about the economy this week, I heard more of the same Republican policies that George Bush has brought us for the last eight years.

This year, more than a quarter of a million Americans have already lost their jobs. Since the Republicans have occupied the White House, seven million more Americans have lost their health insurance. Wages have fallen. Gas prices are at record highs. And even groceries cost more than they have in the past 17 years. And America has the largest deficits in our history.

Senator McCain believes we are better off.

On the campaign trail, Senator McCain talks about spending American tax dollars responsibly. But how can he think he’ll pay for a $12 billion a month war in Iraq, make the Bush tax cuts permanent, and give additional tax cuts to billionaires without making our deficits even bigger?

So far in this campaign we have heard very little “straight talk” from John McCain.

He was against the Bush tax cuts before he was for them. He was for comprehensive immigration reform before he was against it. He was for campaign finance reform before he said it didn’t apply to him.

Next week, Senator McCain will embark on what he’s calling a compassion tour. We haven’t seen much compassion from George Bush and I don’t think we are going to see any more from John McCain: privatizing social security, denying our children health care, adding eight trillion in new deficits, no plan to turn our economy around, or help people keep their homes.

We honor John McCain’s service to our country, but John McCain is not the right choice for America’s future. This November, voters do have a choice. If you want to see more of this Bush economy, if you want to see our troops in Iraq for a long period of time, we can stay the course with Senator McCain.

But the Democrats have a different vision for America’s future. Both of our candidates for president have a plan to get us out of Iraq responsibly so that we can invest in the American people and American jobs.

We have a history of balancing budgets, the only party to do so in the past 40 years. Both of our candidates will turn our economy around with fair and honest tax policies, will help people keep their homes, and finally have a health care system that makes sense for all of us.

But most importantly, both of our candidates will restore America’s moral leadership at home and around the world.

I’m Governor Howard Dean, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Thanks so much for listening.

In the “old days” a bunch of states held their primaries this week. This year, only Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island maintained their traditional dates in yesterday’s “not-so-Super-Tuesday.”

Barack Obama finished the night with one win, a disappointment to that camp as Hillary Clinton was expected by many to end her campaign if she suffered losses in Ohio and Texas.

But suffer losses she did not. Senator Clinton clinched wins in Ohio, Texas and Rhode Island, and her campaign will trudge on to Pennsylvania’s April 22 primary, which looks critical for both sides.

It is estimated that Senator Clinton may have picked up 187 delegates to Senator Obama’s 183 yesterday. It is also rumored that Senator Obama has 50 super delegates waiting in the wings to be announced as a block in the near future. However, super delegates are not committed, and as we’ve already seen are not committed to anyone regardless of whether they’ve already pledged support.

Meanwhile on the Republican side of the aisle, Governor Mike Huckabee ended his campaign Tuesday night as Senator John McCain officially clinched the Republican Nomination with decisive wins in all four contests.

Governor Huckabee still lagged behind already dropped out GOP candidate former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney in delegate counts.

Senator McCain now has until August when the conventions will take place to attack the Democratic candidates and win over the crucial independents throughout the country. They will be vital for a win in November.

(See also: “Hillary wins round 2, shocking the Obama crowd” on Blast’s PSA Blog)

NASHUA, N.H. — Senator Hillary Clinton took an early lead and held on to defeat Senator Barack Obama.

The Associated press was the first to call the race for Clinton, NBC News followed before CNN around 11 p.m.

Obama was hoping to get a boost from college towns, but in the end he came up short.

Former Senator John Edwards finished a distant and disappointing third with about 17 percent of the vote.

Senator John McCain has won among the Republicans, it is projected. Iowa winner Mike Huckabee looks to finish third ahead of Rudy Giuliani

Turnout has been upwards of 70 percent statewide — over 500,000 votes.

McCain gave his victory speech around 9:30 p.m. local time. No word from Mitt Romney. Senator Obama conceded around 11 p.m.

Though he talked about winning and had the crowd cheering "Mich-i-gan" and "Mac-Is-Back," his enthusiasm giving a prepared speech seemed to be lacking … his crowd didn’t seem to mind though.

As the world looks to New Hampshire, turn to BLAST.

Stick with Blast’s political blogs, PSA and Touch of Class for more developments.

Blast’s reporters be updating their stories all night as returns come in and reactions start.

Trevor Timm reported from Nashua, N.H. Blast Magazine staff writers Heidi Buchanan and John Guilfoil and correspondents Colin Vallance, Kellen Rice and Ryan Rice contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON — In what could become one of the most spectacular front-runner failures in presidential politics, rivaling that of Howard Dean in 2004 and Edward Muskie 1972, Hillary Clinton is now rumored to be considering whether or not to drop out of the election if she suffers a heavy loss in New Hampshire as she did in Iowa.

Senator Clinton is facing double defeats in Iowa and New Hampshire if current polls are indicative of the way the Tuesday night primary election will swing with Senator Barack Obama currently leading the way in New Hampshire with 39 percent to Clinton’s 29 percent in the most recent polls. (CNN, January 5).

Insiders are rumored to be split on the issue with advisers like James Carville who led her husband’s campaigns “urging her to fight it out through at least February and Super Tuesday, where she has a shot at thwarting Barack Obama in a big state” according to the Drudge Report.

“She can’t take multiple double-digit losses in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada,” laments one top campaign insider told the Drudge Report. “If she gets too badly embarrassed, it will really harm her. She doesn’t want the Clinton brand to be damaged with back-to-back-to-back defeats.”

Officially, Senator Clinton’s campaign has indicated that she has no reason whatsoever to drop out after only one loss. But with her national lead eroding, and fundraising numbers down it, will be interesting to watch how her strategy changes to handle her shattered myth of her inevitability. Given her show of emotion at an event in New Hampshire last night, her patriotism and passion finally showing through her thick skin, the speculation of her withdrawal is likely just that…

Dear EarthTalk: Where do the leading presidential candidates stand on the issue of climate change and other environmental issues? – Max S., Seattle, WA

The outcome of the 2008 presidential election could very well have a big impact on a wide range of environmental issues, especially climate change.

All of the Democratic candidates—Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, Bill Richardson and Dennis Kucinich—support reducing carbon dioxide emissions nationally upwards of 80 percent by 2050 in order to stave off global warming. Likewise, each would like to see fuel efficiency standards for cars and light trucks raised to at least 40 miles per gallon within the next few decades. Meanwhile, only one of the major Republican contenders, John McCain, has even articulated a position on the issue of global warming, with most favoring expanding our base of greenhouse gas-spewing coal-fired power plants.

As for specific track records, Clinton has an impressive record of introducing pro-environment legislation into Congress, and for her time in the Senate scores a 90 (out of 100) on green voting from the nonprofit, non-partisan League of Conservation Voters (LCV). Obama is newer to the politics of the environment, but scored a 96 for his two years in the Senate from LCV, and has garnered kudos from environmental leaders for the aggressive climate and energy plan he unveiled in October 2007.

Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich wants to launch a Works Green Administration similar to the Works Progress Administration of the Great Depression, only this time to benefit the environment through the development of alternative energy technologies and infrastructures. Bill Richardson, who served as Secretary of Energy under Bill Clinton and more recently as governor of New Mexico, wants to be the "energy president," and has an 82 lifetime rating from LCV to back it up. He has proposed the most ambitious carbon reduction plan of any of the candidates (90 percent by 2050). John Edwards was the first candidate to make his campaign carbon neutral in March 2007, and greens consider him perhaps the most progressive of all the Democrats on the climate issue.

On the Republican side, the environmental bright spots are few and far between. McCain is really the only choice with any declared concern for the environment. In 2003 he co-sponsored the first Senate bill aimed at mandatory economy-wide reductions. While the bill didn’t garner enough votes to pass, it set the stage for future iterations that could put the U.S. on par with European nations as leaders in the fight to cut carbon emissions. McCain is also the only Republican candidate specifically opposed to drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Mike Huckabee scores some points with greens for his willingness to consider a specific increase in automotive fuel efficiency standards and for his (limited) embrace of alternative energy. Mitt Romney is willing to consider a cap on emissions, but only if enacted on a global basis (including China and India, that is). The remaining Republicans (Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson and Ron Paul) have best been non-committal on climate change and environmental issues in general.

CONTACT: For more detailed information on specific candidates’ positions and track records on environmental issues, check out the League of Conservation Voters’ Voter Guide, www.lcv.org/voterguide.

Dear EarthTalk: Most of us know how to recycle paper, plastic and glass, but how do we find out about recycling the many other items we use that eventually break or die out, such as light bulbs, disposable batteries, portable electronics, and so on? — Elizabeth Lauer, via e-mail

It’s true that recycling items other than paper, plastic and glass is still no easy task. But if you’re committed to unloading something without adding it to a landfill, a little research can go a long way. Fortunately there are some great resources out there to help.

One of the best is a May 2006 article published in E — The Environmental Magazine by Sally Deneen entitled “How to Recycle Practically Anything.” Besides debunking myths about the ineffectiveness of municipal recycling programs, Deneen outlines where and how to recycle dozens of different types of household items not typically picked up by the recycling truck at your curbside.

Regarding compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs)—which shouldn’t be thrown in the trash as they contain trace amounts of the toxic heavy metal mercury—Deneen recommends first checking with your local household hazardous waste disposal facility to see if they will take them for recycling. If not, many hardware stores will take back spent CFLs. If none of these options pans out, a free online listing of companies that recycle CFLs can be found at the lampecycle.org website.

As for disposable batteries, Deneen says they, too, can usually be dropped off at municipal hazardous waste facilities, where they will be disassembled and their parts recycled for use in other products. If such facilities in your area won’t take them, some local or national retailers (such as Walgreen’s in some areas and Batteries Plus nationwide) may—just call and ask. Another option is to pay for the privilege by sending them to Battery Solutions, a mail-order company that will recycle them for 85 cents per pound.

Another common question is how to recycle (or at least responsibly dispose of) portable electronics—cell phones, video games, MP3 players, etc.—given that they usually contain heavy metals and chemicals that can pollute soils and groundwater. Deneen recommends dropping them off at your local Staples, Office Depot or Radio Shack store, which should take them back free of charge even if you didn’t buy them there. Another option would be shipping the worn out items to CollectiveGood (4508 Bibb Boulevard, Tucker, GA 30084), which will recycle them and donate the proceeds to the charity of your choice.

If you’re stumped about how or where to recycle an item, check out the Earth911.org website. It offers a free keyword-searchable, zip code-based database of municipal and commercial recycling and hazardous waste disposal facilities across the United States. The frequently updated database, which is funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as well as state governments and several non-profits, can also direct you to the proper municipal facility or local business to off-load potentially toxic items, like old tires or unused paint, in a safe and responsible manner. If you don’t have handy Internet access, give Earth911′s toll-free telephone hotline a call at 1-800-CLEANUP.

CONTACTS: “How to Recycle Practically Anything,” www.emagazine.com/view/?3172; LampRecycle.org, www.lamprecycle.org; Battery Solutions, www.batteryrecycling.com; CollectiveGood, www.collectivegood.com; Earth911.org, www.earth911.org.

GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION? Send it to: EarthTalk, c/o E/The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; submit it at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/thisweek/, or e-mail: earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php.

News editors/bloggers: Contact us if you wish to use any of the photos in this story.

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — A large crowd formed at 8 a.m. Friday outside of the Pan Am Hanger here in Portsmouth, where Barack Obama was scheduled to appear.

Obama read through his speech to the unstoppable cheers of the crowds in front of him. “The American people began down the road to change,” he said. Entrance polls in Iowa showed that 51 percent of voters seeking “change” caucused for Obama Thursday.

People were there to show support, yes, but also to meet the man.

There were also others that were less certain still wanting to learn what he stood for and if they should back him on his run for the White House.

“I got here at 8:30 … I’m still trying to decide who to vote for,” said “Angelynne,” who was standing on line to greet the senator. She said that she was enjoying the attention the candidates were giving New Hampshire voters. “People in other states have to pay money to see these people, we get begged!”

With a debate scheduled for Saturday, many of the candidates are showing up in New Hampshire to prepare and use the opportunity to get voter support. Even the cold did not deter people from filling the Hanger. The temperature hung in there at four degrees.

Obama started out talking about where he came from and how that influenced who he is. He said that he didn’t always live in Chicago, but he wanted to work at the grass roots level.

“There were a group of churches who had come together to try deal with the devastation of steel plants being closed, and for three and a half years I worked as an organizer, with them to bring job training to the unemployed, economic development to communities that had been torn apart,” he said. “It was the best education I ever had … One of the things that I learned was ordinary people can do extraordinary things when given a chance.”

He said many times throughout the speech how he was trying to bring all of America together. “We are one nation; we are one people; the time for change has come.”

He talked about the different people that came to the caucus where he stood shaking hands — the high school seniors, unsure of how a caucus works; the Democrats; the Independents that believe in him; and even the Republicans, who broke party lines to caucus for the Democrat. He said that he was trying to make “a new working majority, go out and remake America, and then change the World.”

He believes in “Hope over Fear,” “Unity over division,” — that he will be the president that “Will be willing to disagree with you, without being disagreeable.”

“I won’t tell you what you want to hear, I will tell you what you need to hear.” He said he will be the president that doesn’t owe his election to big businesses and special interests.

Hope was an ever-present theme. He acknowledged that the other politicians are criticizing his experience, calling him a “Hope Monger.” They want him to be “Seasoned and Stewed.” They want to "boil all the hope out of me," he said. “Hopes that I saw in the eyes of the people walking into the caucus.”

What does Obama believe hope is? “Hope is that belief that we can work for and fight for that which was denied to us.”

He ended his speech talking about old fashion politics and shook hands with everyone in the crowd that he could.

WASHINGTON — In recent conversations, many of my Democratic friends have begun camping out for either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama. Now, I must say, being in Washington for the past year and half has somewhat, how do you put it, numbed me to politics. Presidential campaigns began rallying their troops nearly two years before the 2008 Election Day with a few candidates throwing their hats in the ring before the end of November 2006.

But among Democrats, I’m finding conversations about the candidates to be the same. People are voting for their candidates for hopeful reasons. Hillary supporters by and large are looking to her to lead us forward based on her experience. Or maybe there’s a hint of nostalgia, having gone astray the past eight years from the good old years with Bill. Hopeful Hillary supporters are hoping that she can bring us back to the good times but forward from the havoc that the “evil Republicans hath wrought on America” over the past couple of years.

People who oppose Senator Clinton cite her lack of passion — her voice, which is often seen as being harsh and cold. Senator Clinton has been criticized vastly for coming off as too harsh however, if she were to show a softer feminine side, would this change the views of people who may have held critiques of her since 1992?

While Obama may not have the advantage of being in the West Wing previously, he does have one thing to give his supporters — hope. For many people, Democrats and Republicans alike, he creates an excitement when he brings a Kennedy-esque youthfulness to the stage, much like he did after his victory in Iowa on Thursday night.

However, even those he manages to rouse excitement in are skeptical about his lack of experience on the Federal level which is something he will have to overcome when being compared to Hillary Clinton.

What is really going to differentiate the winner from the loser in this race to the top of the Democratic ticket is really going to be how the voters value experience over passion. Voters this year seem to agree that we need a candidate who will take us forward but it’s going to be a fight to determine who will be the better candidate to take us there.