December 2003 Archives

Good mayor!

These days, you can find Hickenlooper, his security detail and his staff tooling around in a white hybrid-electric Toyota Prius, a low-emission vehicle that has been known to get more than 50 miles per gallon.

And although it's a small car, Hickenlooper - at 6-foot-1 ½ - and his staff have made do just fine.

"We all squeeze into it," said Hickenlooper's spokeswoman, Lindy Eichenbaum Lent. "It's amazing how many people you can squeeze into a Prius if you put your mind to it."

I'll have more to say on Mike Miles in the coming months I imagine but in the meantime, with Mark Udall bowing out of the race for Campbell's Senate seat, Mike Miles looks to be inheriting some establishment support.

Colorado's Democrats are learning to love Mike Miles.

No big-name Democratic insider has yet accepted the formidable challenge of sending U.S. Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, R-Ignacio, into retirement in the 2004 election.

But Miles, an outsider, has been running hard for more than two years, and formally announced his candidacy last summer. He's traveled all over the state, raised $100,000 - in small donations from folks who know him, or have gotten to know him - and has slowly earned the regard of the party establishment.

"I'm nobody, and I am everyman. I'm an ordinary guy with some extraordinary experiences," Miles says. "I have no currency except for heart and honor."

In an era that's brought us Howard Dean, Governor Schwarzenegger and Mayor Hickenlooper, is Senator Miles such a far-fetched dream?

Christopher Gates, chairman of the Colorado Democratic Party, now ranks Miles on his list of credible challengers, on the strength of his grassroots campaign.

When Rep. Mark Udall, D-Boulder, announced last week he would not run against Campbell, he urged skeptical reporters to consider Miles a serious candidate, with a compelling biographical story.

I'm back out West and easing my way back into blogging while working on some year-end cleaning projects. I don't expect to do much posting until the New Year, but I spotted this article in the Post today and my Hicken-philia required pointing readers to it.

The Hickenlooper appointees are crusaders armed with calculators, neo-liberals with new ideas for running city government, policy wonks scrawling action plans on white boards. In a few cases, they are the millionaires next door.

In the latest Crypto-Gram, Bruce finds signs of the Blaster worm in the official interim report on the August 14th blackout.

Let's be fair. I don't know that Blaster caused the blackout. The report doesn't say that Blaster caused the blackout. Conventional wisdom is that Blaster did not cause the blackout. But it seems more and more likely that Blaster was one of the many causes of the blackout.

BTW, if you're in infosec and not subscribed to Crypto-Gram you are a silly goose.

Kos on Nader.

The national Green Party should steer far clear of Nader. Not only is the Bush administration destroying everything the Greens hold dear, but who would say that Nader has been a strong advocate for the party the last four years?

Nader is out for himself and only himself. His admirable consumer protection achievements might've given him a pass in 2000, but there's too much at stake now to suffer his megalomaniac ambitions kindly.

This has been bubbling for a while, but I hope to pick up some local insight on this when I get back East. The Republican Governor of Connecticut is in trouble. The "i" word has been tossed around.

It may turn out that Mr. Rowland's efforts to upgrade the seasonal cottage into a handsomely furnished, year-round retreat will present the biggest political and legal crises of what had once seemed a charmed career. Indeed, critics have seized on the cottage as an example of what they say is the governor's tendency to accept gratuities, only to be forced later to make restitution or pay fines when they become public.

On Friday, he released a statement listing a number of contractors, state officials and employees, as well as "personal friends," who he says performed thousands of dollars of renovations free of charge. Of particular interest to federal prosecutors are services provided by two of Mr. Rowland's former top aides and a state contractor who are at the center of a corruption investigation into the awarding of government contracts.

The NY Times has picked up on the story in the last week but the Hartford Courant (the nations oldest newspaper in continuous publication, est 1764) have been all over it for a while now.

[ed. oops, bad links, fixed now]

A brief message from the General:

December 31st is the most important fundraising deadline of the entire campaign. Your contribution, up to $250 per person, will be doubled by federal matching funds, providing additional critical funds in February -- in the heart of primary season. If you'd like to contribute by mail, download a contribution form at http://action.clark04.com/ctt.asp?u=1485717&l=12595 . But to put your money to work right away, make your contribution online at http://action.clark04.com/ctt.asp?u=1485717&l=12594 . Thanks for your support!

If you're interested in donating money, now is the time. The primary race approaches and the media is going to use this last quarter's fundraising numbers as a bellwether of candidates chances against the Dean machine. Help put the General's Birthday fundraiser over the top. Birthday donations will also count towards the $1 Million Challenge.

Also, tonight there will be House Party Fundraisers across the country. Find one near you if you'd like to find out more about the General.

Stan!

You're damn right

(Sorry, I just couldn't resist. The picture accompanies an article in the Post about Kroenke's plans for a Denver regional sports network to televise his empire)

The American Prospect has a rundown of the rapidly approaching (one month to go!) primary horserace. This will give you all somethign to think about while I'm gone ;)

Elections are invariably more messy, more contingent, than they may seem in advance, and the coming year's Democratic presidential primaries are unlikely to prove an exception. Former Gov. Howard Dean (D-Vt.), who has fervor, volunteers and money to burn—and now, with former Vice President Al Gore's endorsement, has begun to pick up major establishment support—could effectively end this thing as early as Feb. 3. Or not. On that date, his opposition could be winnowed down to a sole anti-Dean—retired Gen. Wesley Clark seems the likeliest prospect—who'd then duke it out with Dean in subsequent primaries. Or not. The power of the voters is often the power to confound—in the primary process, state by bloody state. Herewith, then, a cheat sheet on who's strong where, what to expect and what defies augury.

I'm getting prepared to head back home to Connecticut for Christmas this weekend. As such, posting will probably be extremely light or nonexistent until next weekend. Plus, I think I'm coming down with the flu. Just in time to travel! Happy Holidays!

I neglected to post the 5th Goal in Clark's Turnaround Plan for America on Friday. Bad me! Bad!

In any case, Friday was dedicated to Health Care. Specifically his goal to extend health insurance to 30 million people currently uninsured by 2008. The plan, which I've spoken of before, consists of:

1. Increasing health care value. Focus on more bang for the health care buck.
2. Increasing affordability. Provide tax credits for families making up to $90,000 to defray rising health insurance premiums
3. Expanding coverage. Extend health insurance through tax credits and cheap government coverage while ensuring workers keep their health insurance between jobs.

Today, Salon has The General telling Dean to forget a Clark vice-presidency.

But just 48 hours before before the capture of Saddam Hussein outside of Tikrit, Clark made his strongest statement to date about why a Dean-Clark ticket is a bad idea. Clark, who says that he's uniquely qualified to go "toe-to-toe" with President Bush on security issues in 2004, said that whether he's on the ticket or not, the Democrats can't win with Dean as their presidential candidate.

"I don't think the Democratic Party can win without carrying a heavy experience in national security affairs into the campaign," he told Salon in a phone interview last week. "And that experience can't be in a vice president."

Asked if he was referring specifically to the much-discussed possibility of a Dean-Clark ticket, he said: "It's no substitute. It won't work, and it won't carry the election for this party."

After today's testimony, Clark spoke to the Netherlands Institute for International Relations on his vision for a new Atlantic Charter.

I believe that, even in this age, we can fight and win wars through collective action.

I believe alliances are indispensable, not inconvenient.

And I prefer coalitions of the committed rather than coalitions of convenience.

I would rather have capable European forces with a say in making decisions, than to have Tonga and the Marshall Islands with no strings attached.

But even more importantly, I believe that if America works with its allies, it can engage in diplomacy, developmental assistance, and a full array of legal actions to deal with crises before they erupt into war, and to ameliorate the conditions that might lead to those crises in the first place.

And that's also what I'm here to talk to you about today: the importance for the United States of strengthening the partnerships and alliances that have served us so well over the past five decades.

We should begin with a common understanding of the world in which we live and the threats and challenges we face.

We must recognize:

The need to be tough on al-qaeda and just as tough on the reasons why terrorism draws so much support from the Arab and Islamic world.

We must recognize that globalization brings the benefits of the free flow of communication, information, ideas and capital.

But that it also has a dark side that allows the spread of terror, weapons of mass destruction, crime and drugs to grow with or without state sponsors.

We must recognize that the deficit of democracy in the Middle East has not only deprived hundreds of millions of people their universal rights -- but it also helps create the resentments on which al-Qaeda and others have fed.

We must recognize that the ongoing violence in Israel and the Palestinian territories has not only made Israelis insecure, and increased the suffering of Palestinians, but it has also been a source of anti-Americanism in the region and beyond;

And finally, we must recognize that the threat of environmental catastrophe is nearing and must be addressed.

With a common threat perception along these lines, I believe we can restore the tradition of collective action that the world wants and people deserve.

He also had some thoughts on Saddam's capture and what it does and doesn't mean for Iraq.

Regardless of your views or my views about the war in Iraq, I am pleased that so many agree that the capture of a brutal dictator like Saddam Hussein is good news. After all, this is a dictator who was responsible for starting two wars in the Gulf, whose regime brutalized the Iraqi people, who committed massive human rights abuses, and who used chemical weapons against the Kurds and against Iran.

It has been a long time since there has been good news coming from Iraq. We were long overdue.

The capture of this dictator is good news not only for the Iraqi people - but for people around the world. And I wish to congratulate the American forces and the intelligence units involved in this mission.

But a day of good news in Iraq doesn't change the challenge we face there. The war is not over. There were insurgent attacks all this week against American forces.

There was an attack yesterday and there was even an attack this morning.

The entire resistance in Iraq was not run by a pathetic ex-dictator hiding in a hole.

We still do not know how many outsiders have come to Iraq for suicide missions against American forces and the international community.

We still not know how many insurgents are driven by a misguided nationalism.

And we still do not know how many of the guerrilla fighters from Saddam's militias and intelligence service will fight harder or will give up now that he has been captured.

Our purpose of going to Iraq was not to capture Saddam Hussein. But in the chaotic aftermath of war, his capture was necessary to eliminate the fear that he inspired in so many Iraqis.

But it is not sufficient. Iraq is still in danger of becoming a failed state.

A failed state would be a stunning success for Al Qaeda.

[...]

So what does success in Iraq mean? To me, it means that we have brought the insurgency under control.

It means that Iraq is strong enough to sustain itself without substantial outside forces, but not so strong as to threaten its neighbors.

It means that representative government has taken root, so that Iraq is not just free of a dictator but can become a model for democratic change throughout the Middle East.

And finally, success means that Iraq will not become a breeding ground for radical Islamic terrorist organizations.

Capturing Saddam Hussein was important; but it was only one step towards those goals for Iraq. Meeting these goals will take years; it will take tens of billions of dollars; and it will take enormous stamina. And that's why I believe it will take Europe and America coming together again.

The Denver Post has its yearly critics roundup of Best Of's. I particularly enjoyed the local music insights of Ricardo Baca and Bret Saunders and thought you might also. Local bands I've been meaning to check out: Mr Pacman, Devotchka, Dressy Bessy and George&Caplin.

Great news!

After eluding coalition forces for months and vowing never to be taken alive, a disheveled Saddam Hussein was found hiding in a hidden hole near a farmhouse and was captured without firing a shot, coalition authorities announced Sunday.

Expanding a bit on the map I mentioned yesterday, here's an interesting conclusion drawn by the author.

El Norte presents the greatest potential for the Democrats to pick up electoral votes.

Of all 10 regions, EL NORTE presents the greatest potential for the Democrats to pick up electoral votes in 2004. It's also the only region carried by Gore that has above-average population growth, meaning that the Democrats can win several states by stepping up get-out-the-vote efforts. Florida is the most obvious target, and Miami-Dade County is where the Democrats are most in need of improvement. Gore won only 53 percent there, compared with 67 percent in next-door Broward County. One could make the case that Elian Gonzalez, the young refugee whom the US government sent back to his father in Cuba, cost Gore the election, since the only two congressional districts in Florida where he ran significantly behind Clinton's 1996 percentages included heavily Cuban-American sections of Miami. Still, the county is by no means predictably conservative. In 2002, a referendum proposal to reduce class sizes in Florida passed Miami-Dade with 68 percent, compared with only 52 percent statewide. The Democrats probably can't win Florida without also paying attention to the Southern Lowlands region (see below), but strengthening its base among the state's fast-growing Latino population is a good long-term strategy.

In the west, Arizona, Colorado, and Nevada, are all split between the El Norte and Sagebrush regions, and every one went for Bush by 50 or 51 percent in the last election, putting them within reach for the Democratic nominee. In Arizona, the Democrats must hope for a near-draw in Sagebrush's mammoth Maricopa County (which includes Phoenix and its suburbs) so that El Norte's smaller but much more Democratic Pima County (which includes Tucson) can break the tie.

Similarly, in Colorado the Democrats must hope for a split in Sagebrush's suburban Arapahoe County (home of Littleton, site of the Columbine massacre) so that their margins in El Norte's Denver and Boulder aren't wiped out even before the returns from the state's rural areas come in. As for Nevada, it's all about Las Vegas's Clark County; it's the only county that falls in the El Norte region, but it casts more than 60 percent of the state's votes. Indeed, the Democrats haven't won a majority in any other Nevada county since 1976, so the odds are against them unless their nominee improves on Gore's weak 51 percent there.

Uhm, wow.

While reading an article on Denver's booming indie rock scene, I came across this:

Hi-Dive owner Matt LaBarge isn't sweating the competitive high jinks. The Denver native hopes to avoid it all by changing the programming at his new indie bar, which occupies the old Seven South/Quixote's space at 7 S. Broadway.

Quixotes closed?!

Sure enough, I found this on the Quixotes message boards:

These masterpieces that we draw our inspiration from form the essence of the ballroom. It has culminated from the mistakes of Quixote's True Blue, which trudges along from failure to failure always seeing another grand adventure in the horizon. It is this sense of adventure, however, failable that keeps the spirit churning. And even as Don Quixote is sacrificed so that Cervantes' may prosper we grow closer to that elusive point of time which Bob Dylan holds in front of us like a carrot: "Someday life will be sweet like a rhapsody, when I paint my masterpiece" We are fast approaching that day, but God forbid we ever finish or complete anything because then the carrot will gone.

So thus ends another chapter of Quixote's True Blue, its star has shown brightly and it will shine again, but for now it must be sacrificed for the greater good. Its' force is stronger now and it will only get stronger as its spirit has been transferred into Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom. Quixote's is now imbedded in the fabric of our community as an integral part and it will not soon fade away. Its' physical manifestation may be gone, but its spirit lives on, grows and flourishesin all of us. The force is with you, please help us to continue this dream...

I don't know how I missed this - probably since I don't drive past it every day anymore - but there you go. Poor Quixotes. You were filled with dirty hippies, but I still loved you.

Instapundit Glenn Reynolds: Objectively Pro-Communist.

Clay Risen over at the TNR Primary likes Clark's college plan which I mentioned earlier this week.

For a variety of reasons, the Democratic candidates have decided that college tuition hikes, and the resulting exclusion of millions from higher education, should be a key plank in their domestic policy platforms. Unfortunately, most take a feed-the-fire approach, pumping more money into the system through financial aid without addressing the causes behind the cost increases. Tuition at most colleges accounts for only a fraction of total funding, which means more money won't necessarily slow the increases; in fact, if simple economics prevail, tuitions might simply inflate to match.

Wesley Clark's "Universal College Grant Plan," a part of his new push to beef up his policy credentials, isn't perfect, but it stands apart from many of the other candidates' in at least recognizing, and in part responding to, the flip side of the tuition coin. It recognizes that, at least at public colleges, the recent skyrocketing in tuition costs (50 percent over the last decade) is due in no small part to the drop in state higher-education budgets. So, to complement a $12,000 grant to students for the first two years of college, the plan would also put $10 billion a year toward helping relieve pressure on states; the plan would also create a commission to "to study the causes of tuition increases and suggest solutions."

EDM's Ruy Tuixeira has some thoughts on Dean's need to start moving to the right.

Findings from a recently-released Pew Research Center poll of likely Democratic primary/caucus participants underscore this problem. Just 5 percent of these Democratic voters choose Dean as a Democratic candidate who would do a "particularly good job" protecting the nation from terrorism (and respondents could select more than one candidate if they wished). Now, if Democrats have a hard time associating this issue with Dean, it's a reasonable assumption general election voters will have an equally or more difficult time.

The Pew poll also finds that just 36 percent of these likely Democratic primary voters favor repealing all of the Bush tax cuts, as Dean does. This is actually less than the number (42 percent) who would prefer to repeal the tax cuts for the wealthy, while keeping the rest of the cuts in place. And this is among Democrats. It'a very fair assumption that Dean's position will be an even harder sell among the general election electorate - particularly the moderates and conservatives mentioned above.

He presents a two point plan which, if implemented, would go a long ways towards convincing me - and I suspect quite a few moderate Democratic liberal hawks - that Dean is an electable candidate.

1. A Sister Souljah moment on the loony anti-war left. Dean, as Robert Kagan and others have pointed out is no George McGovern on foreign policy and fighting terror. Time to let the voters know that. There is certainly no dearth of nutty groups or far-out intellectuals who could be usefully denounced as failing to understand the need for America to fight terror with every means at its disposal. Iraq may have been an ill-conceived use of American power, but that does not mean the exertion of American power is always a bad idea. And so on.

2. Preserve the middle class tax cuts. As Paul Krugman and others have pointed out, eliminating all the Bush tax cuts is not economically necessary. And the polling data couldnt be clearer about what a bad idea it is politically. Time to tell the American people the really serious problem with the Bush tax cuts is the huge tax breaks going to the folks who dont need it. Well take those back, then move toward real tax reform that shifts the tax burden away from work and closes tax loopholes for the wealthy. And so on.

Red State/Blue State doesn't cut it anymore. Let's try this map on for size. Welcome to El Norte.

[via Political Wire]

Wesley Clark has a very long name for today's element of the Turnaround Plan. Wes Clark's Plan To Lift Americans Out Of Poverty And Into Opportunity. What a mouthful. The plan itself isn't nearly as long ;)

1. Create Opportunity
   • $100 billion over two years to jumpstart job creation by investing in local infrastructure and security and providing job creation tax credits.
   • Keep local government fiscally stable with the $40 billion State and Local Tax Rebate Fun.
2. Make Work Pay
   • Increase the minimum wage in steps to $7 per hour by 2007.
   • Expand the Earned Income Tax Credit
   • Fight for Equal Pay for Women
   • Welfare Reform that Works. Provide opportunities for vocational education, occupational therapy, child care, transportation vouchers.
3. Strengthen Families and Communities
   • Guarantee that every child has health insurance through age 22 through a progressive tax credit. The assistance could be used for Medicaid, the State Children's Health Insurance Program, employer coverage or the new Congressional Health Plan option.
   • Reduce health insurance premiums for low-income adults by fully funding state-based programs and providing a tax credit.
   • Provide universal preschool to all four year olds and certain three year olds. Improve preschool standards and expand Head Start to serve one million children.
   • Increase affordable housing by expanding the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, fully funding the HOPE VI program, and fully fund Section 8 vouchers.
   • Expand the New Markets Tax Credit to increase investment in low-income communities.

Clark will be on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart tonight. Check your local listings.

The Clark Community Network got a write-up by the AP.

In other campaign news, the Bushies are ready for Dean.

One Republican who speaks regularly to White House officials said there was serious thought about pursuing the earliest and most aggressive of the plans under consideration: putting Mr. Bush into full campaign mode soon after he delivers the State of the Union address in late January. In that way, the Republican said, Mr. Bush could get a quick start on defining Dr. Dean as too far to the left for the country before the former Vermont governor can wrap up the primaries and begin trying to move himself toward the political center.

There's only one solution to this problem. Tell them wozz[at]0xdeadbeef.org sent you.

Rocky Mountain News columnist Bill Johnson and photographer Todd Heisler are travelling to Baghdad and reporting back daily with slideshows and their impressions.

Wesley Clark introduced his Universal College Plan at a high school in New Hampshire today. The plan would provide $6,000 for college for any student whose family makes up to $100,000 a year. In addition, the plan will push public college tuitions down by providing a $20 billion State and Local Tax Rebate Fund. Finally, incentives will encourage low-income families to save in educational IRA's.

There's a nifty interactive map available on the Clark04 web site that shows in more detail how the plan would affect each state.

File this little tidbit away for the future.

[Colorado Governor Bill] Owens brought his own copy of Mao's Little Red Book for Sullivan to sign. Seems Owens is a Mao fanatic (he once spent a month studying in China) and has a bust of the guy in his office, along with a bust of Stalin. "I have a corner dedicated to failed Marxists," he told me over the din.

Good news for light rail fans.

RTD has begun the process of annexing the Park Meadows shopping center into the transit agency's tax district.

If successful, the Regional Transportation District's plan will raise the sales tax that Park Meadows shoppers pay, generate millions of dollars in new revenue for the agency and lead to the possibility of direct light-rail access to the mall.

Last month's decision by Lone Tree voters to bring their city into the RTD tax area means the transit district surrounds Park Meadows.

Because of that, RTD can conduct an "enclave annexation" of Park Meadows, RTD General Manager Cal Marsella said.

General Clark presented his Clean Air Plan today. I'm running a bit short of time today, but here's the quick points:

1. Set tough standards for the worst sources of air pollution, starting with electric power plants:
   • Tough limits on the major pollutants from power plants: NOX, SO2, mercury and carbon dioxide.
   • Aggressive programs to reduce air toxics.
   • Protect the most vulnerable Americans, including children and the elderly.
2. Crack down on corporate polluters:
   • Restore EPA enforcement budgets.
   • Stiffen fines against polluters, targeting repeat offenders for the most serious penalties.
   • Create a new Environmental Compensation Fund consisting of fines.
   • Require modern pollution control equipment when industries expand.
3. Use American technology and know-how to clean our air while creating jobs:
   • Promote innovative pollution control technologies.
   • Utilize market based approaches to lower compliance costs.
   • Support innovative state programs that provide greater protection than federal requirements.
4. Restore trust in the White House on environmental protection:
   • Tell the truth about air pollution to the American people and the world.
   • Put an end to backroom deals.
   • End the revolving door of regulators who leave government to take positions with industries whose regulations they eased.

A transcript of yesterday's Hardball appearence is now available.

Incidentally, some Dean supporters are demonstrating what it means to be a poor winner over on the Clark campaign blog.

You know you want it. December 16th

They told us it was coming, but we were a little skeptical. If it isn't announced by, like, mid-November, it generally isn't going to happen until next year. December, the holy month of accounts receivable, is usually a dead-spot on both indie and major-label release schedules-- not coincidentally the time of year when print ad rates are through the roof and new music must compete with the likes of "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" and Dan Fogelberg. So we were more than a little shocked to find that Geffen/Interscope have slipped a last-minute goodie under the tree: a Dolby 5.1 surround-sound mix of Beck's Sea Change, complete with six videos (five of which are previously unreleased) and an "art gallery" that displays while you're crying your little eyes out to "Guess I'm Doing Fine."

One last comment on Gore's endorsement. I don't mean at all to imply that Dean didn't earn the endorsement. Congratulations to his campaign for pulling this off. In the end, I think it will clear the slate for a Dean and Clark battle - which was bound to happen anyhow, but should happen sooner now. It's not over, it's just starting.

Assuming we do end up with Dean as the Democratic nominee - as seems almost certain at this point with the Gore endorsement - I will do whatever I can to get him into office.

That being said, in my heart of hearts, Gore just lost the Democratic party another 4 years.

I'm also a bit suspicious of the timing of the leak - despite protestations from the Dean campaign - published just 2 hours before Clark's appearance on Hardball.

When you've got Kris Kristofferson...

Kris Kristofferson, the actor, singer and political activist has endorsed Wesley Clark. The following email was received by our correspondence department.

"Just when the world is being dragged into the death spiral of an unending cycle of violence by a vision-less, coldblooded collection of think-tank warriors goose-stepping their way into the new millennium with a stunning lack of respect for human rights, the environment, or international law, along comes a man with the proven credentials of intelligence, integrity, and courage singularly equipped by his spirit and experience to lead us out of this mess. Don't listen to what the lying liars say about him; listen to what he says. Wesley Clark is a prayer answered."

Peace,

Kris Kristofferson

Hrm.

Former Vice President Al Gore intends to endorse Howard Dean for the Democratic presidential nomination, a dramatic move that could tighten Dean's grip on the front-runner position.

Gore, who won the popular vote but lost the electoral vote in the disputed 2000 election, has agreed to endorse Dean in New York City's Harlem neighborhood on Tuesday and then travel with the former Vermont governor to Iowa, site of the Jan. 19 caucuses that kick off the nominating process, said a Democratic source close to Gore.

[via Political Wire]

General Clark introduced us to his Turnaround Plan for America yesterday.

I, Wesley K. Clark, promise to show the leadership to achieve the following five goals by 2008, while reducing the budget deficit each and every year, and to ask the American people to hold me accountable for meeting these goals:

• The typical family's income will increase by $3,000.

• I will put in place policies that will prevent 100,000 premature deaths from environmental causes by 2020.

• 1 million additional students will enroll in higher education.

• 2 million children will be lifted out of poverty, bringing the poverty rate to lowest on record.

• 30 million people who currently lack health insurance will get it.
  

Every President should be held accountable for failing to improve the lives of American families, students, and children. President Bush has failed to lead. I will not. I will hold myself accountable and will provide the leadership and vision that will turn America around and get it moving in the right direction again.

The General will spend each day this week discussing a specific point of his plan. Today, in New Hampshire, he discussed Goal One of his Turnaround Plan: how he plans to improve family income.

Under President Clinton's successful economic strategy, the typical family saw its inflation-adjusted income rise $7,202 in eight years. By turning around President Bush's failed policies and restoring sound economic policies, the American economy will be able to generate the same income growth it achieved in the 1990s. Specifically, Wes Clark proposes:

1. Making job creation job one. Wes Clark has proposed a Job Creation Plan that will take back President Bush's tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, those making over $200,000 annually, and use the money to jumpstart the economy and create jobs.

2. Restoring fiscal discipline. Wes Clark has proposed a "Savings for America's Future Plan" that will save $2.35 trillion over ten years to reduce the deficit every year and invest in priorities like health care and universal preschool.

3. Promoting economic opportunity for all Americans. Expanding economic opportunity ensures that all Americans will benefit from economic growth. Wes Clark's plans will make preschool universal, make health care more affordable, and invest in education and training.

4. Unleashing the power and ingenuity of America's entrepreneurial spirit. President Bush has supported industry instead of harnessing the power of markets to spur growth, create jobs, protect the environment, and defend the homeland.

5. Creating the conditions for long-run prosperity. Wes Clark's economic strategy is not just about jumpstarting the economy today. He also plans to put in place policies to sustain long-term growth: investments in research and technology, pro-growth tax reform and sustainable energy policies.
   

There's a breakdown of what this plan means to individual states here. Colorado, for example, would gain 18,000 additional college enrollees and 529,146 newly insured. This sounds like an ambitious undertaking, but one that The General is betting his reputation on - something I don't imagine he takes lightly. I'll keep updating as the details of the plan are unveiled this week.

Along the same lines, The General asks us to Imagine an accountable presidency in his new TV ad.

In local Clark news, Keith Trammell over at Colorado For Clark has the first installment of their Grassroots Organizing Manual and Caucus Kit. It has a great collection of information on the Colorado caucuses. While it's oriented towards Clarkies, it is a useful resource for all who are interested in participating. Remember, the 2004 Presidential Primary was cancelled in Colorado, so this is your only chance to have some input on who the Democratic nominee will be.

Lastly, General Clark will be appearing for the full hour tonight at 5 and 9pm Mountain on Hardball with Chris Matthews. This is a very important appearance, so don't miss it!

Which Historical Lunatic Are You?
From the fecund loins of Rum and Monkey.

Bob Ewegen has an entertaining piece on the Post's Editorial page today.

His excuse for appealing Monday's Colorado Supreme Court decision striking down last May's notorious "midnight gerrymander" was as follows: "The issue is whether the people of Colorado will live under laws made by their elected representatives or by unelected judges. We're asking the federal court to clear this up."

OK. Look at that statement again again, then treat it with the respect it deserves. Ready? All together now:

Tee hee. Ha ha ha. Ho ho ho. Har de har har! Ho hoo, har ho, he hee, haargh!

His larger point is that the Republicans didn't really need the gerrymander to hold onto their advantage in the state, but it's the illustrations of Republican hypocritical whinings that I found most amusing. After pointing out that Colorado judges stand for retention in elections after 2 years and that the whiner-in-question above - Senate President John Andrews - was was not elected, but was appointed to fill a empty seat after his predecessor was elected state treasurer, he sums up the situation with this:

So we have an unelected state senator denouncing elected state judges as unelected tyrants. If that's not enough of a knee-slapper, please note that Andrews wants the federal courts to overturn this decision by our elected state judges.

I don't know how to tell you this, Senator, but federal judges ain't elected. They're appointed for life.

Hee.

I wasn't going to bother with a link, because everyone on Earth has linked to it already, but this made me laugh.

I've come up with two possible explanations for the existence of Ann Coulter. Either she's the insane, alternate-reality version of Eddie Izzard, from a universe where biting, clever stand-up is replaced with blood-red anger, or she is Vultron, the shrewish, mentally unbalanced version of Voltron constructed of five bitterly angry gnomes, all of whom, for some unknown reason, have shaggy pageboy haircuts.

And for even more entertainment, the Freepers are frothing all over the comments.

Today in New Hamphire General Clark presented his 10 Pledges on the use of force in a Clark administration. They are summarized here:

1. "I pledge to all Americans that I will bring our soldiers home, with success in Iraq assured and America standing strong."
   • End the American monopoly on on exclusive control in Iraq.
   • Change the force mix to more effectively fight the war we're actually in.
   • Give the Iraqis a rising stake in our success by establishing a sovereign government and turning over power as circumstances allow.
2. "I will never ask our troops to risk the ultimate sacrfice or ask their families to pay the ultimate price of patriotism except as an absolute last resort."
   • Rebuild our alliances.
   • Make a reinvigorated NATO and European relationship the centerpiece of US policy.
   • Use diplomatic, political, economic power and international law in support of preventative engagement.
3. "I will never send American soldiers into combat without a realistic plan to win and the forces necessary for victory."
   • The current Administration failed to construct a realistic plan to win in Iraq: "you can't build a plan on hope."
4. "The statements and actions of a Clark Administration will restore America's moral authority."
   • "We are less secure when our friends suffer for standing by our side"
   • After standing by our side and straining their ties with so-called Old Europe, the Administration cut off all military assistance to several New Europe countries when they wouldn't promise blanked immunity for US soldiers from the International Criminal Court.
   • Lead the global fight against AIDS as a key part of the strategy of preventative engagement.
5. "The guiding principle of our foreign policy will be to lead, not to bully."
   • "General Eisenhower once said leadership is "persuading the other fellow to want to do what you want him to do." When America led the world for the last half century, others followed -- not because we compelled them, but because we convinced them. America needs a President who can lead."
6. "I will never challenge the patriotism of Americans who question my policies or express their disagreement."
7. "In a Clark Administration, America will always have the strongest, best-trained, best-equipped military in the world."
   • "I know the utility of a well-prepared U.S. military, and I know what it takes to make sure that the U.S. has the best military in the world."
8. "America's military will be a complement, not substitute, for diplomacy, law, and leadership in the conduct of our international affairs."
   • Establish a "Department of International Development" to focus our humanitarian and development efforts and bring the same sustained attention to solving deprivation, misery, ethinc conflict and poverty that we've brought to warfare.
9. "I pledge to use all of my experience and determination to fight the terrorists who have attacked our country, to defeat them and to work to prevent them from rising again."
   • Go after terrorists, wherever they are with a three pronged strategy
     • Create a joint US-Saudi commando force to work in the Afghan-Pakistani border area where bin Laden is probably hiding.
     • Fully utilize our intelligence and special ops personnel who are wasting time in a search for WMD in Iraq to hunt down bin Laden and destroy al Qaeda.
     • Repair our relationships with allies and rely on institutions like the UN and NATO to support our efforts.
10. "And finally, by these pledges and with your support, as President I will make America more secure than it is today."
    • "As President, I will ensure that we succeed in Iraq, that we focus our intelligence, diplomatic, financial, law enforcement and military resources on defeating al Qaeda, that we restore respect and support for America, and that we re-orient our foreign policy to meet the challenges of terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, international crime, and environment threats. Taken together, all of these steps will make America more secure."

In other Clark news, the Clark Community Network is now out of Beta. Get Registered and get your own email address @forclark.com and yourname.forclark.com blog.

Over at TAPPED, Nick Confessore brings together a few threads to demonstrate the harm Bush has inflicted on our national interests with his foreign policy bunglings. He starts with this insightful op-ed by Fareed Zakaria which asks why Bush was overshadowed by Chinese President Hu Jintao on his recent East Asia trip.

In Thailand at the meeting for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, "there was no question that Hu was the better appreciated one," a Thai official said to me. "He outshone Bush in most of the attendees' eyes." The trips ended with the two making back-to-back visits to Australia. Bush was greeted with demonstrations, his address to Parliament interrupted by hecklers. Hu, on the other hand, got a 20-minute standing ovation from Parliament. "It is Hu's visit rather than George W. Bush's that will provide a lingering sense of satisfaction and security about Australia's place in the region," wrote the Australian, a newspaper owned by Rupert Murdoch and not given to knee-jerk anti-Americanism.

What is going on here? How does the chief representative of the world's oldest constitutional democracy lose a popularity contest to the leader of a Leninist party?

Confessore goes on to cite Zbigniew Brzezinski recent speech at the American Prospect sponsered New American Strategies for Security and Peace conference which touched on Dean Acheson's solicitation for French support during the Cuban Missle Crisis:

The former Secretary of State briefed the French President and then said to him at the end of the briefing, I would now like to show you the evidence, the photographs that we have of Soviet missiles armed with nuclear weapons. The French President responded by saying, I do not wish to see the photographs. The word of the President of the United States is good enough for me. Please tell him that France stands with America.

Would any foreign leader today react the same way to an American emissary who would go abroad and say that country X is armed with weapons of mass destruction which threaten the United States? There's food for thought in that question.

Confessore concludes that Bush's abandonment of America's long-standing policies will cause the greatest harm to ourselves.

The United States did not build the old international system out of altruism, but out of enlightened self-interest, to use a hoary old phrase. Finding creative and cooperative ways of getting the world to align its interests with ours was the source of much of America's prestige and strength for decades. The Bush administration's policies have begun to unravel that accomplishment. And it's a disaster in the making -- for us.

Luckily though, he's found someone who can see his way clearly through the mess Bush will be leaving for us in 2004.

Incidentally, the only Democratic candidate who I think really, really understands this -- who has systematically thought it through for himself and knows how to articulate the issues at hand -- is Wesley Clark. Much of his thinking was on display in this excerpt, published in The Washington Monthly, from his new book, Winning Modern Wars. I highly recommend reading it for an understanding of the very real fruits of multilateralism.

Clark isn't just a pretty face in a shiny uniform as some opined in the opening days of his campaign. He's been dealing with these issues his entire career and has proven himself time and time again. The man knows what he's talking about. Help him clean up this mess.

The SANS Institute, as part of its regular series of Wednesday Webcasts, departed from its normal focus on IT-oriented Information Security to focus on personal Information Security, or Ten Ways to Hack Proof Your Identity. Identity theft is an increasingly important topic that EVERYONE needs to be aware of, lest you end up fighting thousands of dollars in bad credit rung up by someone who swiped your credit history for their own purposes. While you generally aren't liable for the charges on a credit account (debit cards have different rules), the average cost to fix such a problem is 600+ hours over several years, and over $1000 in personal expenses. Don't buy the hype from your credit card company or the credit agencies who offer you 'protection' for a few extra dollars a month. There is no way for them to protect you from ID theft that doesn't involve you being more vigilant. At this point, no one can protect you but you. It's also important to realize that this is not an online-only problem. I would wager that most ID theft takes place via stolen mail left in mailboxes. Take the time to at least glance over the slides, and take the "Identity Quotient Test". Simple behavior changes such as buying - and using - a shredder, removing your name from pre-approved credit lists issued to credit companies by the credit agencies, and more secure handling of documents could save you a lot of headaches.

The webcast does require you to register with SANS - something anyone interested in Infosec should already have done - but you can always sign up and ask them not to send you any of their newsletters if you aren't interested in the topics they cover.

Two Democrats in the General Assembly are proposing a nonpartisan redistricting commission to put an end to the gerrymandering silliness. The commission would consist of 2 Republicans, 2 Democrats, 2 unaffiliated, and one wild card chosen by those 6. Sounds like a good idea to me. Peter Blake at the Rocky thinks it stands no chance of getting past the legislature, but points out the success some of the groups behind the idea (Colorado Common Cause and the League of Women Voters are mentioned) have had in passing ballot issues. Blake also mentions that some consideration is being given to merging federal redistricting with the already existing Colorado Reapportionment Commission which draws up state House and Senate districts and consists of a combination of elected officials and judicial appointments.

[via Coyote Gulch]