The U.N. Climate Change Conference began in Bali today. Delegates from over 180 nations are participating along with observers from intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations. The purpose of the Bali conference is ”to negotiate a new pact to succeed the Kyoto protocol, which expires in 2012.” Among the non-govermental participants at the conference will be a group of islanders from Papua New Guinea’s New Britain island. AP News reports villages on the island are being flooded from “unprecedented high tides.” It’s not...

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Time for a little distraction from the front-runner slugfest happening in the  media and blogosphere. The Clinton and Obama campaigns are slugging it out and they may want to watch their backs for these guys… The IAFF worked wonders for the Kerry campaign in ’04. Members of the union are on the road in Iowa now on a bus tour for Chris Dodd, who they endorsed back in August. We’re inching closer to the first contest and there’s so much...

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If you pay attention to political news, you’ve heard of Mike Huckabee. My formal introduction came Sunday morning on This Week, and I found it interesting. Not as interesting, perhaps, as if Stephanopolus had tried to get original in his questions. There are a set of “issues” that are supposed to be difficult for Huckabee, (immigration, raising taxes) and he seems to receive regular scrutiny on these points. Because of that, however, he has his answers well prepared, and...

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As someone with nearly 40 years of political experience as paid staffer or volunteer, I’ve eliminated some candidates from my political radar. With a field this big it’s a necessary effort. So the question to myself was “Who?” Ok. Here’s my list of people who’ve earned being off my radar. 1. Bill Richardson: For a man with his foreign affairs background and state level...

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He Can Rise Above Partisanship to Get the Work of the American People Done Senator Joe Biden’s plan for a federal system in Iraq passed the Senate by a vote of 75-23. For the American people, this is the first step in bringing home many of the fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, daughters, and sons who are serving in Iraq. It also serves as an example of what is possible...

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Senator Clinton gave a speech today in Clear Lake, Iowa that directly addressed the attacks she been getting directly or through surrogates from Barrack Obama and John Edwards. It’s a telling speech and one that may show the forthrightness that will be necessary to win the 2008 general election and govern thereafter. The full transcript is here. Here are some samples from the speech drawn from MyDD. “A couple of my leading opponents, directly and through surrogates, have spent...

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The Bush administration has just lost their number one excuse to bomb Iran. All the posturing and blustering from Cheney and crew has been proven to be based on lies and propaganda: A new assessment by American intelligence agencies concludes that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003 and that the program remains on hold, contradicting an assessment two years ago that Tehran was working inexorably toward building a bomb. The conclusions of the new assessment are likely...

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Speaking of the homeless in America, Brad Pitt was on The Today Show’s Ann Curry this morning talking about his efforts to help rebuild that still devastated Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans. Pitt said he “expects the foundations to be built for at least 150 eco-friendly homes by the end of next summer.” Sphere: Related Content

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