Wednesday Notables: A Clock, Hillary, Mitt, Partianship, and Ethics

Some things I found notable as I caught up on the political news tonight:

-A clock which counts backwards till a new president takes office (or until our current president is out the window, so to speak... The clock itself, if you insist on giving it a name, is called The Official George W. Bush "Days Left In Office" Countdown Clock).

-A new ARG poll has Hillary leading big in Iowa: Hillary 34%, Edwards 20%, Obama 19%. Hmmm, what is one to think; just yesterday it was too close to call. One week to go and then we'll know for sure. I can wait. (Go, Hillary...)

-In that same poll, Huckabee leads Romney and McCain on the Republican side though I just finished reading here that Romney is the guy who will probably get the nomination. If it's Hillary and Mitt, that means an all East Coast presidential election which makes me wonder if the Midwest and the West and the South are going to give a hoot. Bet they will. (You remember the networks carrying the World Series always hoping for a team from the west and a team from the east so that ratings would be higher....)

-Paul Krugman making a case for continued partisanship while pointing out that the Nation is drifting left. Progressive is the term he uses and he does make a distinction between a progressive and a liberal:

...a word about terms—specifically, liberal vs. progressive. Everyone seems to have their own definitions; mine involves the distinction between values and action. If you think every American should be guaranteed health insurance, you're a liberal; if you're trying to make universal health care happen, you're a progressive....

Hmmmm, I think that makes me a liberal progressive although my action is currently limited to screaming and yelling that change needs to take place, like yesterday. Does that qualify as action?

-Top ten 2007 ethics scandals list released; Republicans avoid sweep though do capture eight of the ten. Of particular note: Senate Ethics Committee looking into Sen. Craig, but not Sen. Vitter. Personally, I'm much more inclined to read reports dealing with the heterosexual rather than homosexual antics of our elected officials.

Gotta stop and go do something worthwhile, like practice my putting and pay closer attention to the pbs special on Bob Newhart on over there in the corner with the television.

Word still turns. Good job.