Look – I can understand the frustration at Nader, but it’s not entirely without precedent. National Review is getting in on bashing Bush for abandoning conservatives, and H. Ross Perot’s two campaigns in ’92 and ’96 appear to have given Clinton the election both times.

I honestly give GWB only about a 55% chance of getting re-elected, mostly due to his co-option of the left’s agenda. President Clinton moved severely to the right during his tenure, and the rising feelings in the Democrat party that he’d abandoned the left lead to Nader’s run. Going from calling for nationalization of health care after election to taking credit for welfare reform is a pretty radical change, and bound to create some backlash.

I see similar things afoot for GWB. Caving on adding a prescription drug handout to Medicare without dealing with the fundamental problems with the system is a huge failure, IMHO.

I’ve also been using Dean as a balm for the terror that GWB heaps on my psyche. His rising campaign star of the past few weeks along with a deteriorating situation in Iraq at times gives me a glimmer of hope that George might not end up as president-for-life with a Supreme court of William Pryors to keep him there while we’re forced to watch on Fox News.

Then there’s this kind of talk.

And I’m tempted to return to my protective shell of apathy. I guess things will become clearer as the campaign presses on.

I’m still hopeful though. If nothing else, even if Dean turns out to be just the candidate that Bush would want to run against, he’s got to get through a Democratic convention to do it.

And that has to prove something about his fitness as compared to the rest of the Democrats. So this time, it may be possible to vote your conscience without screwing your country in the process.

I have been floundering for a presidential candidate to support and it just may be Dean.

“…Not so fast, say some moderate congressional Democrats who would be affected if Dean is at the top of the ticket. He also supports gun rights, the death penalty and a balanced budget…” from the Wires at Salon.

Austin is loosing people! I remember when a local band was making t-shirts for their SXSW show with this on the back:

Page 2’s Daily Quickie has huge Karl Malone news.

Bigger than the pay cut. Bigger than the beer gut.

Malone is going to wear 32 for the purple and gold next year. Yep, the same 32 which is hanging in the rafters with ‘Johnson’ written across the back. Magic’s given his thumbs up. I don’t know how I feel about this. I might could dig it more if he had Magic’s name on the jersey.

In any case, next season is going to be a circus. I’m already looking forward to it. The only thing that could be better would be if Jerry West and Mark Cuban swapped teams. Could you imagine Cuban sitting at every Lakers home game with a rapidly decaying Jack Nicholson? Gah. There’s still half a baseball season and a football season before the NBA heats up again.

Two fellas left the peleton behind for 125 miles at an average speed of almost 45 km/h (28 + mph) before being caught about 500 yards from the finish. Huge effort. Decent recreational riders are huffing to keep up 20 mph for a couple of hours. 28 for 5 hours is flying.

Need interesting suggested links. Please send or comment.

www.snpp.com

Your source for all things Simpson. Want to track down an obscure quote? It’s here baby. Guest stars? They’re here.

Don’t click over now, you’d be done until lunch.

I’ve got a love/hate relationship with NPR.

But they always throw asinine tear jerk stories up with next to no resolution. Usually, I can give them a pass, but last night and this morning were particularly bad. Then, I go to check news there this morning, and find, lead story: The Tipping Divide “Study Finds Differences in Tips by Black, White Restaurant Patrons”

And another one from this morning: Message in a Bottle. Scroll down to read the heart-wrenching story of a woman with a littering son. Son later gets killed in motorcycle accident, mom mourns, man finds trash while fishing, calls mom, lots of tears on lots of shoulders.