Are you listening Sen. McCain?

The BBC reports on the finding of the bodies of 2 missing American soldiers in Iraq, Alex Jimenez and Byron Fouty. Both had been missing over a year.

Of course I expect nothing but cliches from you. And it goes without saying our hearts go out to the families. But draw a larger picture, Senator. The Jimenez family had to be told in Spanish that their son's body was found.

Juan Cole's new article on Salon gets to the heart of the matter regarding the FBI's new plan to profile Muslims:

James Zogby, the president of the Arab-American Institute. Said Zogby, "There are millions of Americans who, under the reported new parameters, could become subject to arbitrary and subjective ethnic and religious profiling."

And as I'll discuss further, to Cole's point, when did Congress authorize a domestic intelligence gathering unit, which this effectively makes the FBI?

Let's look forward to what I'm sure will be a happy day, Jan. 20th, 2009. The oath is sworn, the nation celebrates.

Now President Obama has to deal with a whole range of issues, and, yes, Virginia, foreign affairs looms large. And over a billion Muslims looms, arguably, largest.

Now we Americans have an insight into Obama, of course, that the rest of the world does not. But, rightly or wrongly, it's the perception that a President Obama will have to deal with first. And perhaps we can start wondering from Al-Jazeera, which posts an analysis from Mark Levine.

Hi, how's it going? All right? Pretty much on track? Good to hear.

I know I've asked for your help, your time, and your money. But today I'm asking you to dig deep and give me your particular insight, your agenda, your experience.

Because I've come from nowhere to run for the highest office in the land, have a funny name, defeated the best, well-oiled political machine in the country for the primaries, raised tens of millions of dollars, apparently connect with people as no one has a long time. And apparently you think I'm a freaking moron.

This story reports the 41 dead at the Kabul car-bombing of the Indian embassy. What's fascinating is that it's from Reuters and details the growing Afghan suspicion that the Pakistanis might be behind this and supporting the Taliban.

For all you MSM junkies, here's the WaPo story with no mention of the suspects.

That's right, no mention that apparently both our allies, the Afghans and the Pakistanis are almost at each other's throats. Oh, and Karzai is threatening border raids into Pakistan to go after the Taliban.

Today's poll round-up from 411mania.com shows Florida a mixed bag of polls with:

-- In Florida, Strategic Vision has McCain ahead of Obama 49% to 41%. We now have a situation where since the primaries ended, Strategic Vision and Rasmussen have shown McCain leading in the state while Public Policy, Quinnipac, and ARG have shown Obama leading in the state.

Obama is up big in CT and MA and Barr's polling 3% in Georgia, with McCain up 8. If as per CNN analysis, third party candidates lose half their support by November, that cuts Barr down to 1.5% in November.

Nancy Benac on HuffPo has a terrific story that on reported donations over $200 from military personnel Obama outdoes McCain:

That Obama attracts support from some in the military is evident in dollars and cents: Among people who have donated at least $200 to a presidential campaign this election cycle, Obama has collected more than $327,000 from those identifying themselves as military personnel, while McCain has collected $224,000, according to an analysis of Federal Election Commission data by The Associated Press.

It's not all roses and sunshine as McCain will obviously garner military support. But the signs are there that is not going to be a cakewalk.

Gail Sheehy's Vanity Fair piece "Hillaryland at War" is a must-read for political junkies.

I'll give credit to Sheehy. How can one NOT read a piece about Hillary's campaign that starts:

Are you here for the Deathwatch?"...That was how my friends in the traveling press corps welcomed me into the bub­ble of the Clinton campaign plane. It was three days before the March 4 Democratic primaries in Ohio and Texas, and they were boarding the 737 with the sullen obedience of inmates after an outing in the yard. Some had been following the once inevitable front-runner since the January 3 Iowa caucus when she was first pronounced to be in a "slump."

In addition to bonddad's excellent diaries, I thought I'd throw in my two cents, literally and figuratively.

We'll start with one of my favorite quotes from HL Mencken:

"Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want and deserve to get it good and hard."

Now the fact that Del Monte is selling Starkist tuna to the South Koreans may not be the hugest deal, but it's a sign that the term "globalization" which once meant US buying of foreign assets due to Clinton-era dominance is going to mean quite the reverse. And those who advocated most fiercely for it are going to get it good and hard. We hope for the lesser-paid that they keep their jobs and have better corporate masters.

Of course the news is out that multilateral diplomacy works with North Korea. A country that actually has the freakin' bomb.

Now is the time to do so with Iran (no surprise) and by extension the Israel/Palestine issue since it all involves multiple nations.

Joe Biden, your time is now. I believe you will be Secretary of State. But you are also the leading Senate Democrat on foreign affairs. Speak now, congratulate the Bushies on North Korea and stick their feet to the fire. If Rudy was "noun, verb, and 9/11", BushCo should be labelled as needing to be "noun/verb/"but remember North Korea" in their run-up to hostilities with Iran.

Since Tom Delay left, there is no Republican I have wanted to lose more than the smug Mitch McConnell. Oh, there are plenty of crazies, sleazies, and just run-of-the-mill jackasses to go around, but McConnell's face on the teevee screen causes an involuntary shudder.

I deferred to my toddler who, in better days, was in his bouncey seat when Delay's mug popped up on the television, and he promptly screamed. Smart kid.

AP reports that former 'tough guy actor' Sonny Landham is looking into getting into the race as a Libertarian. He mocks the Democratic candidate as an 'elitist', but he saves his real fire for McConnell and the GOP. And this SurveyUSA poll shows only a 4 point GOP lead (sorry, no MoE).

From oregonlive.com we get this story about a woman claiming GOP candidate Mike Erickson paid for her abortion. Erickson faces state Sen. Kurt Schrader, D-Canby, Nov. 4th. This CD went 54-43% in 2006 but with an incumbent Dem, Darlene Hooley against Erickson (30K vote differential). Sure to be a story not only in Oregon:

An Oregon City woman who dated congressional candidate Mike Erickson seven years ago said she asked him directly whether he wanted to have a baby. He shook his head no, she said, and paid for her abortion.

If you've clicked here to read a meaningless screed with the bonus of an occasional interior rhyme, then I hope I don't disappoint.

To make it mildly Daily Kos worthy, I'll say it's a waste of real estate and water. Americans are able to do what they want in their leisure time, but I'd like to see thousands give it up for water conservation, if the outright stupidity doesn't do it for them.

The UK's Telegraph reports on the "war over Michelle Obama" that is now out in the open.

Because Michelle Obama is the only real personality among the four protagonists in this spellbinding drama. Her husband is almost too good to be true, a Democratic spin doctor's fantasy candidate: the multicultural embodiment of hope, aspiration and America's future.

I for one know Barack Obama will be fine, his fine-tuned political insights and team of advisers. Michelle is intelligent and talented and has signed up for it, but she's her own person. But she has allies....us.

CNN reporting today that in author Alan Silverleib's analysis, Obama's rejection of public financing won't hurt.

But Russ Feingold is quoted:

"This is not a good decision," said Sen. Russ Feingold, co-author of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance bill. "While the current public financing system for the presidential primaries is broken, the system for the general election is not. The entire system must be updated."

My thoughts, and yours, below the fold.

Well, the smart money is on Obama winning. FWIW, his biggest individual fundraiser seems to be a guy from Goldman Sachs. I believe the "smart money" knows he's going to win, and, despite the conservative naysayers, any return to financial normalcy aka the Clinton years is actually a boon to these guys. How much of a boon and how it plays out, we'll see.

Now I'm not an investment rep, and I'll disclose what I think below the fold. I welcome all comments. I'm of the school of thought that you do need to invest but it would be great to invest in great companies. However, the due diligence is all your own.

I know there are people here that are hurting and without jobs. My first hope from an Obama Administration is jobs, jobs, jobs. Healthcare is next. But a few of us have a coupla hundred bucks or a bit more to save for our retirement, plan our kids' education. And more money in progressive investors' hands is also more money to donate too.

So Mr. McCain asserts that Barack Obama has a "September 10th" mentality. Just like his previous attempts to divert people from his flip-flopping by directing attacks on Obama, this is going to be the new theme, and you can hear the right-wing pundits salivating.

Personally, I think this is a sign of weakness, particularly if answered as above. This card is being played way too early by the GOP and, to me, is a sign of floundering.

It can be answered in the words of Le Monde immediately after the 9/11 attacks. "We are all Americans now" is a phrase for us domestically and for us in foreign policy as the new President Obama reclaims our ideals for the future.

Watching the Obama rally at Joe Louis Arena, some things really impressed me. The at-site GOTV teams were tenacious, the crowd was expectant. Even the usually dour ushers and working folks (who were indeed working that night) seemed upbeat. The unofficial T-shirt vendors were on the streets, and, yeah baby, this was like that big rock concert you've been to.

My impressions are my own. I think Jennifer Granholm needs to realize that she's not running for a Cabinet position, especially after hosing up the primary trying to bolster HRC. Probably following in her buddy Jim Blanchard's footsteps as a possible ambassador to Canada. But when she mentioned supporting Hillary there were noticeable boos.

And Barack called the crowd on that.