…for our country’s disabled veterans. 

Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., wipes her eye as she listens to a disabled U.S. veteran in the audience tell his story during a campaign stop at The City of Lewiston Memorial Armory in Lewiston, Maine., Saturday, Feb. 9, 2008.
(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

I hope Howard Dean and Barack Obama come around to accepting the votes of more than 1.7 million Florida Democrats on Jan. 29th and seating their delegates at the convention. The last thing I want Democrats to go through is another fight for votes to be counted because someone doesn’t like the results.

Despite rumored pressure from the DNC for Florida to consider holding caucuses this spring to again ask the state’s Democrats to pick their favorite contender, the idea is being nearly universally rejected.

Holding caucuses around the state would cost between $3 million and $4 million - and the national party has only agreed to foot $850,000 of the bill. And on Jan. 29, Florida Democrats came out in record numbers - more than 1.7 million - to cast a vote for their favorite contender while a caucus might attract only 80,000 or so voters.

“That’s basically a do-over. And, the only sport that has a do-over is volleyball,” said Ausman.

It takes 2,025 delegates to win the nomination. An Associated Press estimate now has Clinton with 1,045 and Obama with 960. Clinton has promised to seat Florida’s delegation - Obama has not.
[Florida Dems stuck in limbo over delegates - Sun Sentinel - 02-07-08]

I confirmed the following account with the Rutherford County Election Commission who seemed to distance themselves from the actions taken by law enforcement. They also said they would like to see laws in place preventing use of cameras in the polling place.

Here is video I shot of my vote in plain view of poll officials in the Rutherford County Election Commission offices on the square in Murfreesboro.

At that point, I’d had enough. I said, “Sir, you have already very rudely informed me that you didn’t like that I had taken a picture. I put my phone away. That was almost an hour ago.” The lady beside me spoke up and said, “She hasn’t done anything wrong!” He said that he was going to report me. I said, “Sir, you have crossed the line with me into harassment. I don’t know what right you think you have to berate me over and over again about an innocent mistake.” He said, “Fine, you want my supervisor’s name? I’ll give it to you.” I said, “Yes, I want it.” He said, “I’ll give it to you when you step outside.” I said, “Absolutely not! I am going to tell you right now in front of this police officer that you are harassing me. I don’t want you near me, I do not want you to speak to me. Now, this conversation is over. Go away!” The police officer told the crossing guard to leave and he told me not to worry and that he would be outside when I was finished.
[Inconsistency and Intimidation - GingerSnaps - 02-05-08]

People in lines to vote in America love the camera. People who vote are patriotic and they love their country and they don’t mind you knowing. Today you will see the cameras of channel 2, 4 and 5 just feet away from people pushing buttons and voting, and you will see those images all across America. It is legal for citizens to document their voting experience in America. The Tennessee voter’s story is the story of one person with one vote and the crap they have to get through to make it count.

Vince and I early voted in the 2008 Tennessee Democratic primary here in Rutherford County. Vince took a picture of his vote on his cell phone. Here is my video verification. If you are in one of several states holding primaries today, do what ever it takes to vote.

A couple of moments stood out in the Democratic debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama at the Kodak Theater. Overall, I was impressed with both candidates’ performance.

At one point, CNN moderator Wolf Blitzer began asking a question about Hillary’s experience, but reduced it her time as First Lady as though being the wife of President Clinton was the only part of her 35 year career that mattered. Watch Hillary’s response as she frames her record for the Super Tuesday (February 5th) voters.

Clearly the longest applause from the audience tonight was in reaction to Hillary’s answer as to why she believed she represented change. Take a look at this video and watch as Blitzer is forced to go to a quick break. CNN later said the Obama camp was not happy that Obama wasn’t given a chance to respond.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is the projected winner tonight in the Florida Democratic primary. No Democratic presidential candidate campaigned in the state under an agreement between the campaigns and the National Democratic Party, leaving Florida Democratic voters to look at each candidate through the lens of national politics to decide who would make the best President. All things being equal, a majority of the voters in the Florida Democratic primary chose Hillary Clinton. The same thing happened in Michigan.

Tonight, Clinton reiterated her pledge to work with Florida Democrats to seat their delegates (watch the video). Hillary Clinton is the only Democratic candidate to pledge her support in making the votes and the voices of Florida and Michigan count.

President Bill Clinton’s last State of the Union address to Congress on January 27, 2000 was the best report card to the American people in U.S. history. It was a record of historic successes that marked a decade of unprecedented economic prosperity under the first two-term Democratic president since Franklin Delano Roosevelt. They won campaigns. They drove the national agenda through fierce opposition, and they got results.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, honored guests, my fellow Americans: We are fortunate to be alive at this moment in history. Never before has our Nation enjoyed, at once, so much prosperity and social progress with so little internal crisis and so few external threats. Never before have we had such a blessed opportunity and, therefore, such a profound obligation to build the more perfect Union of our Founders’ dreams.

We begin the new century with over 20 million new jobs; the fastest economic growth in more than 30 years; the lowest unemployment rates in 30 years; the lowest poverty rates in 20 years; the lowest African- American and Hispanic unemployment rates on record; the first back-to- back surpluses in 42 years; and next month, America will achieve the longest period of economic growth in our entire history. We have built a new economy.

And our economic revolution has been matched by a revival of the American spirit: crime down by 20 percent, to its lowest level in 25 years; teen births down 7 years in a row; adoptions up by 30 percent; welfare rolls cut in half to their lowest levels in 30 years. My fellow Americans, the state of our Union is the strongest it has ever been.