With Barack Obama making several appearances in North Carolina this week, attention is starting to focus on our role in the upcoming Presidential primary. It fills me with joy to know that my blue vote will actually matter on May 6th. With that in mind, here are some numbers released today from Public Policy Polling.

Obama 55
Clinton 34

“After a week in which Barack Obama made several appearances in North Carolina and confronted the controversy with his pastor by making a major speech on race, he has expanded his lead in North Carolina to 21 points.

Obama leads Clinton 55-34 in the state. His gains were particularly strong in the Triangle, the media market where his major speech on the war last week in Fayetteville got the greatest amount of attention.

Obama also pulled within a 47-40 margin of Clinton with white voters after trailing Clinton 56-30 last week, an indication that his speech on race in Philadelphia last week may have earned him some points.”

Way to early to tell one way or another, but it does seem to lead to the conclusion that Obama’s Reverend Wright dip is basically over in NC.

For the last several months there have been warning signs that November is going to be bad for the GOP. Throughout the primary season, Democratic candidates have been enjoying record press coverage, record fundraising and record turnout. Some have put the lack of Republican enthusiasm down to the fact that McCain has just now become the candidate of choice for the party. I don’t buy it.

Politico.com is reporting that John McCain raised a mere $11.7 million dollars in January when he was locked in a race with four other Republicans. But in February after he had been declared the winner, his totals actually decreased to $11 million. In comparison Barack Obama raised $55 million in February, the highest monthly total by any candidate in any contested primary, while Clinton brought in a staggering $35 million. And now there is even more bad news for the GOP.

Confirming fears that Americans are moving away from the policies of the Bush Administration’s pseudo-conservatism, comes new Pew poll results:

“The balance of party identification in the American electorate now favors the Democratic Party by a decidedly larger margin than in either of the two previous presidential election cycles.

In 5,566 interviews with registered voters conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press during the first two months of 2008, 36% identify themselves as Democrats, and just 27% as Republicans.”

But perhaps the most startling information contained in the report are the numbers of independent voters who have swung Democratic. Of the 37% who claim no party identification, a full 15% lean Democratic, 10% lean Republican and 12% do not lean either way. Pew suggests that in 2004 the numbers of independents that leaned one way or the other was about equal.

The Pew report illustrates its findings with several tell-tale graphs. Here we see the percentage of voters from North Carolina that identify themselves with each party. Perhaps not surprisingly, North Carolina’s blue leaning population seems to be dramatically increasing, perhaps due to the large influx of Hispanic and white collar voters that have migrated to the state from outside. Historically, North Carolina has seen fit to elect Democrats on the state and local level but always ends up red in the general election. For the first time in decades, this may be changing.

No matter what happens in North Carolina this November, it does seem increasingly clear that the country is decidedly moving to the left. Like some political Johnny Appleseed, George W. Bush has spent the last eight years unknowingly sewing the seeds of a return to progressiveness. Thanks to the never ending war, a weakening economy, increased government spending & spying, GOP corruption, the rising cost of health care and much more, 2008 could turn out to be a bumper crop for Democrats. If they don’t manage to screw things up first.

This week marks the 5th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. It may also mark the 4000th U.S. service person killed in action in that country. As we continue to move towards the 2008 elections, it’s important that we pause and remember Iraq. With all the news being made in the race for the White House, there’s a tendency to turn a blind eye toward that place in the world where so many of our brave men and women are fighting and dying. Lest we forget, here are some facts & figures to reflect on:

Initial cost estimate of Iraq war: $50 billion

Cost of Iraq war to date: $504 billion

U.S cost per month: $12 billion (in 2008)

Estimated final cost: $1-4 trillion

U.S. Fatalities: 3,992

U.S. Casualties: 40,229

Journalists Killed: 306

Contractors Killed: 1,016

Iraqi Fatalities: (89,000 documented / 600K+ est)

Avg Daily attacks on coalition forces: 60 (1.1.08)

Total Iraqi troops trained: 6,000 (as of 5.20.07)

Iraqis Displaced: 2+ million

Bush CNN Approval rating (3.19.03): 71%

Bush CNN Approval rating (3.19.08): 31%

UPDATE: Friend and fellow blogger, Greg Storey says that if Bush was the CEO of a major corporation instead of the President and underestimated the cost of the war to the degree he did, he would have been booted out on his ass long ago. I agree 100%. The only reason why the American people let the war rage on is because there is no draft like there was in Viet Nam. If families were having their kids conscripted for this giant lie of a war, you’d see it end pretty damned quick.

UPDATE II: The grim 4,000 dead milestone was reached on Monday, March 24th when a roadside IED claimed the life of four Marines in Iraq. I cannot stress enough that these 4,000 service men and women did not have to die. This was a war of choice from the start that should never have been fought.

Back in November of 2004, I was riding high. Bush’s first term as President of the United States was winding down and John Kerry seemed to be poised to dethrone King George. Finally, I thought, the American people had had enough of the war in Iraq, fear mongering and the loss of civil liberties that had begun slipping away following 9/11. How wrong I was. Bush went onto beat Kerry and plunged us into four more years of an ill-conceived war, poorly run government disaster responses and turning a blind eye to the problems we faced then and now.

I was so upset after the loss that the very next day I worked up Bush Bingo. I drew up the board based on all of the outrageous things I could think of that might be in store for us over the next four years, printed it out and hung it on my wall. I’ve been keeping score ever since and now I present it to you. If you’d like to play along at home, just download the PDF version and keep score as I have here. I pray that no more spaces get filled, but with so much time left in his second term, he just might pull it off. The saddest part is that even if we win, we really lose. Tune in here from time to time to see how much closer we get to calling out “Bush-O!”. The best chance for a “win” is obviously O 1-5, but given Bush’s track record, anything is possible.

B-3: Oil Reaches $60 a barrel (6/23/05) – This rather quaint milestone didn’t take long to tick off. When I drew up the board and added this space and S-1 I never in my wildest dreams would have thought oil would pass $100 a barrel as it did on February 20th, 2008. America’s dependency on foreign oil has only grown in the 8 years Bush has been President.

B-4: 2nd Conservative Supreme Court Judge Appointed (1/24/06) – After Bush’s failed attempt to nominate his friend and crony, Harriet Myers to the Supreme Court, he instead picked Samuel Alito. Alito was considered so right wing that the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) formally opposed his nomination. The ACLU has only taken this step two other times in its entire history, the last time being the nomination of Robert Bork who was rejected by a 58-42 Senate vote.

U-2: 1st Conservative Supreme Court Judge Appointed (9/29/05) – Bush nominates John G. Roberts, Jr., a former Supreme Court litigator and conservative judge on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.

S-1: Oil Reaches $75 a barrel (5/27/07) – This is the highest price for oil in Bush Bingo. When I created the board, I honestly thought it would never get this high in his second term. Another false assumption on my part.

S-4: # of U.S. Forces killed in Iraq passes 2,000 (10/26/05) – This sad milestone was just the first of many for Iraq. At this point in the conflict, there were also some 15,000 U.S. soldiers wounded.

H-3: Patriot Act Renewed Intact (3/6/06) – This highly controversial piece of legislation was passed hurriedly in the days after 9/11 and proved to be the start of erosion of civil liberties in the United States. Many of the provisions of the Patriot Act were considered by many to be unconstitutional, and Democrats and even some Republicans fought hard to repeal certain parts of the code. Finally, after two extensions Bush signed the Patriot Act back into law for at least another 10 years. Although some small changes were made, including the ability to challenge gag orders in court, the bulk of the Patriot Act remained unchanged.

O-1: # of U.S. Forces killed in Iraq passes 3,000 (12/31/06) – I never would have believed that the United States would still be fighting and dying in Iraq in 2008 when I drew up Bush Bingo. If I had, I might have included a space for 4,000 killed or even 5,000. This number was so beyond what I thought was possible, that I didn’t think to include it. As of 2/21/08 the total number of U.S. forces killed in Iraq is 3,969.

O-2: U.S. Economy enters new recession (2/08) – Depending on who you talk to, you might get conflicting answers about this one, but most economists generally agree that the U.S. economy entered a “downturn” in February of 2008. From CNN: “Economist Bob Brusca of FAO Economics said he doubted that the U.S. was in recession a week ago, but now he believes there’s about a 75% chance that a recession began in January.”

O-4: Tony Blair ousted from office (6/27/07) – When I drew up the board for Bush Bingo, this was one of those spaces that totally came off the cuff. I jotted it down although I didn’t seriously believe it would happen. I might have some Nostradamus blood in my veins however. Pressure from factions within his own government over his support and handling of Iraq as well as growing anger from the general populace forced Blair from office in June of 2007.

O-5: # of U.S. Forces wounded in Iraq passes 10,000 (1/5/05) – This stunning figure pales in comparison to how many of our brave men and women have been wounded to date. As of 2/21/08 the total number of soldiers wounded is 29,080. I wonder how many more there will be before George W. Bush leaves office.

Both the Clinton and McCain campaigns have decided to attack Barack Obama on his seemingly “empty” speeches. They say he speaks eloquently, but actually says very little. I heard the same canard tonight on Alan Handelman’s show from FM Talk 101.1 radio. Both of these factions are desperate, I’ll say that again, desperate to find some point of weakness regarding Barack Obama. He has inspired young and old, has momentum, new ideas, independent voters and is raising piles of donations even as we speak. But if we don’t nip this myth that no one knows where Obama stands on the issues right now, it might gain a foothold.

So in order to help Alan, Hillary, McCain and all those GOP lovers out there who are too lazy to actually do a Google search, I provide you with this hyperlink:

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/

Barack’s issues page is even broken down into small, easily digestible chunks perfect for today’s fast paced world. Wondering what Obama’s take on the economy is? Look no futher than his, get this, economy page:

• Provide Middle Class Americans Tax Relief Trade
• Technology, Innovation and Creating Jobs Labor
• Protect Homeownership and Crack Down on Mortgage Fraud
• Address Predatory Credit Card Practices
• Reform Bankruptcy Laws
• Work/Family Balance

But Ged, what about the environment? I don’t know where to find Obama’s stance on global warming or our dependency on foreign oil? You’re in luck my friend because Barack has another page called energy & environment:

• Provide Middle Class Americans Tax Relief Trade
• Reduce Carbon Emissions 80 Percent by 2050
• Invest in a Clean Energy Future
• Support Next Generation Biofuels
• Set America on Path to Oil Independence
• Improve Energy Efficiency 50 Percent by 2030
• Restore U.S. Leadership on Climate Change

I know it sounds silly, but his official website goes on like this for pages and pages. Answers to all those burning questions you had about things like Barack’s faith, healthcare, social security, immigration and a whole host of other things I’m sure you’re very interested in. Some of his positions are even aligned with that man from Texas you love so much. So please don’t give into the fear, uncertainty and doubt being generated by a man that is running under the credo who seems to be aligning himself as George W. Bush’s third term, or the wife of a former President who thought she had Super Tuesday sewn up. Next time try doing your own homework and spare us the grief.

An absolutely stunning, and quite frankly, sickening display put on by GOP front runner John McCain today. I’ve said publicly that if Hillary got the nomination instead of Obama, I’d vote for McCain, but not after today. I’ve lost all respect for the man after this affair and I hope he loses badly. Crooks and Liars says it best (my emphasis added):

“The Senate voted today to ban the CIA from using torture on suspected terrorists and the most famous POW in the Senate voted against the bill. The Maverick is now most assuredly dead and the betrayal is complete. In other words, the Senator who himself was tortured for years and has previously spoken out against it, voted to allow the use of torture on others to save his political hide and pander to a party base that despises him. Shame on you, Senator. Is this the sort of weakness you want from your Commander in Chief?”

I used to think McCain was unique because from time to time he stood on principals to defy the Republican party when he knew what he was doing was right. Now I know he’s scared and is desperately pandering to the base in order to become the next President of the United States. If he can’t hold fast to his principals on the issue of torture, an issue with which he is painfully familiar, how can any of us trust him to stick to his guns on anything?

Not much was decided this past Tuesday, but from the numbers reported by CNN and other media outlets, one thing seems quite clear. Democrats are more motivated this election cycle than Republicans. It should be obvious to anyone who’s been paying even half attention, but the race between Hillary and Barack has generated the most excitement, gotten more people donating and focused the media’s attention like a laser beam. I also have no doubt that the hate-radio backlash against McCain is also playing a part and keeping GOP’ers at home.

The bottom line is that the majority of people, from Dems to Independents to moderate conservatives have had enough of Bush’s policies these past eight years. They are ready, willing and able to hand the reigns of control over to the left and are chomping at the bit to do it. Let’s just hope they hand them to the right person.

Despite what some local Greensboro blowhards would have liked for us to believe, Rudy Giuliani was never considered by any on the left to be “unbeatable”. From the moment he announced his candidacy it was doomed, and with good reason. The man stood on the backs of the heroic victims of September 11th, 2001 like some deranged kid playing king of the hill. He used fear as a weapon to glean votes and did so while having a very public affair with his wife. He used taxpayer money and the services of the NYPD to escort his mistress around New York, and was in bed with Bernie Kerik, one of the slimiest goons this side of the Sopranos. He spent more time at Yankees games than at Ground Zero and insisted on putting the Anti-terrorism command center in the one building where it didn’t belong.

His utter defeat in the one state he concentrated his pathetic campaign, namely Florida, is laid bare as a thorough rebuke of Giuliani the man. The more they saw of this moral waif, the less they liked. About the only thing that feels better than Rudy being literally shoved out of the race, is knowing that it all happened despite FOX News and Roger Ailes’ best efforts. “America’s Mayor” received more free air time on FOX than any other GOP runner, and was openly endorsed by Sean Hannity and Roger Ailes himself. How very frustrating it must be for them to see the one man they were trying to usher into the Oval Office, humiliated and rejected by the very same seniors that make their top ratings earner, Bill O’Reilly, such a star. Fancy that.

And so, we bid a fond farewell to the less-respected half of the “Frudy” team once and for all. Neither Fred Thompson nor Rudy Giuliani ever had a prayer, but it was still fun watching all those right-wingers boast and flap about for them for the better part of a year. I think I’ll miss that part the most. Good times.

Barack Obama’s win in South Carolina has confirmed that his candidacy is not a flash in the pan. The man inspires where ever he goes and I believe he has the momentum needed to take the nomination. He speaks to the best parts of us and gives young people a reason to get motivated in the process of democracy.

He’s even swaying hearts and minds of those on the right side of the isle with the possibility of what might be. He still has a long journey ahead of him and a great deal of experience to learn, but of anyone running this season, he fills me with the most hope for a better America. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again here. Lord bless him and keep him safe. We need this man.