Obviously right now the issue consuming the most attention is who will be Obama's VP.  The conventional wisdom is that it is going to be Joe Biden.  I am not so convinced.  I think Obama is supremely confident in himself and his campaign.  It has been clear for a long time that he has a plan and he is going to stick to it.  That being said, I think he will go with the person he is most comfortable with.

 The LA Times is reporting this morning that Clinton is $21 Million in debt.  Given the fact that this race is over and Obama has (or soon will) win, there has been alot of speculation that Obama will offer to help Clinton pay down the debt.  I say no...

I am slowly coming to the realization that we may be heading to the worst possible situation - a fight for the democratic nomination all the way to the convention.  We are now 3 days from March 4 and it is looking like the primaries are going to deliver us a split decision.  We may well be at the exact same place we are now on March 5th.  If we are, this race is a whole new ball game.

more after the jump...

Digby's Got it:

Personally, I don't think we'll have a tie much longer. It's hard to see how either candidate can unify the country if they can't demonstrate that they can unify the Democratic Party. Something has to break and I suspect voters will be the ones to do it.

That's the way I see it too.  We are heading for a showdown March 4th that will decide this election.

more after the jump...

Time to start wondering how this will all end.
Maybe its a bit premature, but I think this will be relevant come tuesday night.  

As I see it, TX and OH could end this campaign.  I see two issues to end it:

1.  Will Obama win TX & OH?

2.  Will Clinton see the writing on the wall and bow out if he does?

More after the flip....

This is pledged delegates only, no supers.
This includes projections for those delegates that have not yet been officially awarded from super tuesday.

Thoughts?

So, there's lots of confusion how you count delegates in cali.

I'll take a shot at trying to start off the explaination.  Hopefully someone can do the math....

more after the jump...

MT board of elections web site is reporting that Yellowstone County is doing a complete recount....

Tester 134,769
Burns 127,515

as of 3:30 am EST

Now that Holy Joe is (sadly) going back to the Senate, its time to start a campaign to give Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) his seniority back....

For those of you who read slashdot, this post is in the spirit of the occasional book reviews they post.  And now to the point... John Dean's new book, Conservatives Without Conscience, is absolute required reading.  

There's more ...

PS - I am in no way affiliated with this book. I just thought it was that good.

Here is an interesting report on the GitMo detainees done by a professor and some students at Seton Hall Law School.

It is probably important to note that among the authors of the report are counsel for two GitMo detainees...

Its very short and worth a read.
Summary after the fold....

The tragedy in the southern gulf looks like it might be the greatest disaster in US history.  The cable news has been 24/7 since before the storm.  But where are NBC, CBS and ABC?

Is Dr. Phil really more important that tens of thousands of lives?  Remember that the big 3 are the only "over the air" networks which is especially important in areas without power.  Last night they showed football for god sakes.

After 9/11 it was a week of non-stop coverage.

Am I being crazy here?

With the fillabuster deal, we get Chief Justice Scalia that's what this deal is about.  Get used to it.  It could have been worse.  The right wing wanated Thomas as CJ.

The real fight is who will fill Scalia's seat...another Thomas (very very bad) or (hope of hope) another Bryer...

More after the fold....

Kos posted the newsweek interview with Rove and one thing popped right out at me: the republicans have abandoned the principles of small federal government and federalism (states rights).  They recognize that a strong federal government is necessary to advance the "ownership society" of unfettered darwinian markets and evangelical moral values.

There was a bit of talk on my diary and others after the election about "neo-federalism" - the belief that the only way to protect against this Bush/Rove agenda is to advance the small government/states rights philosphy the republicans had espoused.  This would allow the blue states to have a progressive policy and the red states to have the conservice policy.

I am of the opinion that there's no way Hillary can win in '08.  In fact, right now there seem to be only 3 top contenders for the nomination right now:

1. Edwards
   
2. Vislak
   
3. Obama

Each has problems (Edwards' only job for the next 2 years is to look like he's not running for president. Vislak is pretty much unknown and one great speech and half a term in the senate doth not make a president).  But there is a solution:

Repeal the 22nd Amendment.  

Bill Clinton v. George W. Bush

Assuming the election results hold up in Ohio (and florida given the junk bbv has reported today), I think the dems have to seriously consider fighting the Rice Sec. of State confirmation.

Either Rice is a liar or incompetent.  Either way, she's not qualified to be Sec. of State.

Check out today's daily howler at dailyhowler.com

[update] The original title of this diary was "Neo-Federalist Democrats" and it describes what I see as a philosophy growing in the Kos community on how we can respond to the Repug take over of the federal government. I got the title from a Kos poster (sorry I can't remember who right now). But that seems to sum up the philosopy that's being expounded right now.

If you haven't read it yet, check out jimrice's diary quoting Angry Bear.  Seems Angry Bear and I came to the same conclusion Wednesday morning after the Bush's re-election.

Several folks at that diary have suggested a site dedicated to this.  I am willing to volunteer the empty server space I currently have (and have not used) at my blog.

[Update] Please check out my two previous diary entries here and here for more about this philosophy. Here's how I see the philosophy:

There's an excellent diary entry called END RED STATE WELFARE.  I also had written a similar diary entry.  I urge you to read them.  That's where the effort has to go right now.

The more I think about it, the more this seems like a workable philosophy for the next few years.

WE are never going to "win" the values issue by trying to "re-package" or "get our message out". This is a cultural war based on religion.  You are NEVER going to get the values voters to see your side.  Its faith based vs. reality based.
The message is out folks.  The Republicans won and it will take decades to change the perception.  Should we try ?  Yes.  Is it the top priority? No.