Obama-Richardson: Will They Be the Democratic Ticket?

Political observers in some of America’s Western states have been floating the idea of an Obama-Richardson ticket since well before Barack Obama announced his candidacy for President.

Of course, most of them were projecting—and hoping--that the ticket would be Richardson-Obama. Despite his Washington experience and wide-ranging resume, however, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson quickly saw his presidential campaign overshadowed and overwhelmed by Hillary Clinton’s and Barack Obama’s high-profile battle.

The primary season finally will drag to an end in June, and then it will be up to the delegates and superdelegates to pick the Democrats’ standard bearer. Likewise, it will be up to the candidates and their campaign staffs to not alienate voters by endlessly playing “gotcha” politics with each other in the long, weary weeks until the Democratic convention in Denver, Aug. 25-28.

Most pundits predict that Senators Clinton and Obama will end up roughly splitting the remaining primary delegates, and no clear nominee will emerge in June. This projected stalemate already has resulted in some Obama supporters demanding that Hillary Clinton drop out of the race. And some Hillary Clinton supporters have responded by demanding that Barack Obama drop out.

Alarmed party leaders now worry that nasty rounds of charge and countercharge from the Clinton and Obama campaigns will alienate many voters and drive them toward John McCain or cause them to just stay home during the November general election.

Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen has suggested that the Democrats should stage a “superdelegate primary” in June to break the Obama-Clinton deadlock, so one candidate can emerge with clear sailing and avoid a bitter showdown at the convention. Party leaders including Gov. Howard Dean and Sen. Harry Reid recently were considering this and other strategies for ending the potential impass.

No matter which one finally gets the go-ahead, however, international credentials will be absolutely crucial to the next Administration. Barack Obama is a political rookie on the world stage. As a former First Lady, Hillary Clinton has been a lot closer to the action. Yet, much of her experience can be summarized as flying around in White House jets and dealing at ceremonial and informal levels with a wide range of major and minor issues. That counts for something, of course, and could shorten her learning curve in the Oval Office. Yet neither Democratic candidate actually has the kind of down-and-dirty international experience they will need to cope with the diplomatic and military disasters the Bush Administration will leave behind next January.

Former U.S. Energy Secretary and U.N. Ambassador Bill Richardson could be an excellent Vice President for either Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton. He has been an able negotiator during dangerous situations in North Korea, Iraq and Cuba. But so could one other former Presidential candidate who has been a strong background player in this election: Retired four-star Gen. Wesley K. Clark, who was NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe from 1997 to 2000. Clark has extensive combat experience and held numerous command posts during his 34-year Army career. The next President may well need someone with this wide range of experience to help oversee getting the U.S. out of Iraq.

Indeed, Richardson and Clark likely will both be needed in some major capacity by the next Administration, even if the next President turns out to be John McCain.

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Video of the Day

Wow, they're really giving Obamagirl a run for her money!!! The singing is horrid and they all look so damn tacky! It's still funny as hell that someone would even upload this mess! Sorry for all the damn exclamations, but seriously! lol

Congratulations Girl!!!

AFP

It's about damn time that Angela gets her just due! Mrs. Bassett received a star on the "Walk of Fame" on Thursday. I've been a fan since her performance in the biopic " What's Love Got To Do With It" in 1993. I think most will agree that she should have won the Oscar. She's currently starring in the Tyler Perry drama/comedy " Meet the Browns" that premiered on Friday. Tyler Perry is featured on Yahoo for his box-office gross over the last few years. I think a nomination for " Akeelah and the Bee" would've been nice as well, just my two pennies!

Will The Sun Be Sued?

If you have been watching any of the entertainment media shows then you know that Lindsay was in a bit of a little sex scandal. She would've joined Pam, Paris, Kim, and others on top of the celeb sex tape list. Thank goodness someone is honest these days. Lindsay's ex, Calum Best immediately denied that it was her in the video. The tape has been all over Youtube and other viral sites. TMZ alleges that other images became available and the young lady in the vid doesn't even favor Lindsay. Congrats girl, you dodged a cokeless bullet!

Iraq: The American Surge...Toward Indifference

Once again, the Bush Administration’s Middle East political theater group has taken to the stage. It has struck its well-rehearsed poses and emoted its newest “We will prevail!” proclamations.

However, these latest performances almost could be likened to a Mel Brooks comedy, with various spokespersons singing, in chorus: “It’s springtime for bin Laden and Ahmadinejad!”

First, there was Vice President Cheney in Baghdad—again—for the (100th?) obligatory handshake photo with Nuri al-Maliki, then briefly—albeit bravely--venturing a short distance outside the Green Zone for “private discussions” over a well-guarded meal.

Then, President Bush went to the Pentagon, his own personal Green Zone, and declared that winding down his immensely unpopular war would show “evidence of weakness and lack of resolve.”

And John McCain, the man who would be Bush if elected this fall, met with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and declared: “We are now succeeding in Iraq.”

The looming problem for the Administration, of course, is that almost nobody is paying attention to these political skits anymore. The crowd mostly has surged home, numb to any more exhortations and proclamations about “victory” and “staying the course.”

That giant sucking noise the Bush White House now should be hearing is the sound of Americans increasingly growing indifferent toward the war as they hunker down to try to save their households, their jobs, their health insurance, their life savings, their lifestyles and their college funds for their children and grandchildren.

You don’t have to ask: What is the sound of one hand cashing a 401(K) withdrawal check…while the other hand is selling off the family jewels on eBay? It’s now happening all around you, and maybe to you, too.

Yes, Osama bin Laden may be hiding in the hills of Tora Bora; he may be ensconced in an apartment in Islamabad; he may be delivering pizzas in disguise in Cincinnati . (If we knew, maybe we could just sic him with a Hellfire missile and declare victory.)

But bin Laden doesn’t have a bad mortgage or a five-miles-per-$5-a-gallon Hummer. He doesn’t have grown children who no longer can afford to live on their own and have started moving back home or appealing to Dad and Mom for more financial aid. He also doesn’t have neighbors falling into foreclosure on each side of his cave--or condo--and burning down their homes or killing themselves out of desperation.

A recent CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll found that 71% of Americans now believe spending on the Iraq War is hurting the troubled U.S. economy. The poll also found that only 32 percent of American continue to support the war, while 66 percent now oppose it.

In a CBS News poll taken near the fifth anniversary of the Iraq invasion, 64 percent of respondents answered that the Iraq War has not been worth the cost in blood and treasure. And another CBS News poll has tabulated that three out of four Americans now rate the national economy as at least somewhat bad.

Here is one other painful statistic: The price of oil has more than quadrupled since two particular ex-oilmen took office in 2001.

George Bush and Dick Cheney likely will have their unfocused and unwinnable Global War on Terror for at least a few more months. But most of us will be paying scant attention. We are now engaged in our own desperate battles: for personal economic survival.

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Heather Mills is a Piece of Work

The saga of the divorce between Heather Mills and Paul McCartney is finally nearing a conclusion. This week, the judge and jury determined a dollar amount that Heather would receive for her short four year marriage to Paul. And it ends up being no chunk change - $48 million dollars! That works out to $33,800 per DAY of their marriage. There aren't too many jobs out there where you can earn that much...legally anyway.

So she gets the huge sum and then what does she do? Heather pours water over the head of Paul's lawyer, Fiona Shacklefort.

This is the before heading in to court picture and the one on the right is the after. She obviously had a bunch of water, not just a small glass.

What on earth would make a grown woman have such a tantrum - in a public place, no less - and dump water over another in such a childish manner? Heather said it was because Fiona called her a bunch of names before she met her. Hmmmm....

I think the judge is probably more on target...he said Heather was devoid of reality. Ouch.

John Daly: Failed Again

Remember John Daly, the golfer from the PGA who had a great reputation going about a decade ago? Then we had the fall from grace, a divorce and a little problem with alcoholism. With me now? Good, because he has surfaced again, in not so good light AGAIN.

See, John lost his PGA pro card from offenses during his pro playing time. The PGA gets to control things like that I guess...other sports should too. Repeatedly fail drug tests? No more $45 million dollar contract for you. Banned from the pro sport. How many athletes would clean up their act if there were severe - I mean real - punishments for their actions? A few, I bet.

Back to John Daly. See, their was this little known guy named Arnold Palmer (I hope you read the sarcasm there) who was hosting a charity event/golf tournament this week. And John Daly was granted an exception by a sponsor and allowed to play. He appeared for the first two rounds and managed a reasonable score. Then it went downhill from there.

He says he called the Pro shop to get his tee time and was told 9:47 by a woman. It turns out, that wasn't the right time. John slept in and missed his chance. See, any player that is late gets the boot and a substitute is called in to replace them. And John's sponsor who has been getting him in to venues with an exemption fired his sorry ass. He said John is more interested in getting his next drink on than playing a round of golf. He called to fire him and didn't even do it in person he was so peeved. Maybe John should take the hint and go to rehab! Look at him - does he look like a healthy golfer?

Video of the Day

I just want to say thank you to Tina, Cherri, and Si for keeping the sight afloat. I've been really going through it, but with the help of these awesome writers, All Things Scorpia has still been successful. I appreciate the dedicated readers as well. Hopefully, I can post more often in the near future.


" Ken Lee" is my favorite song by Mariah Carey! lol

Of Lust, Stupidity and Testosterone Suicide

Lust can be instantly fatal to your political career, as now-resigned New York Governor Eliot Spitzer has discovered. So can acts of incredible stupidity. Score a big one there for Spitzer, as well. He scheduled one of his high-dollar hooker trysts on the night before Valentine’s Day.

To his credit, at least Eliot Spitzer did not try to claim he was conducting a secret, undercover investigation under the covers at several hotels.

Former President Bill Clinton still remains America’s all-time champion bonehead, of course. He presided over strong prosperity and a balanced budget, then got hauled into Congressional impeachment hearings for playing tawdry tiddlywinks with a 22-year-old unpaid intern, Monica Lewinsky, inside the supposed sanctity of the White House.

President Clinton’s testimony to the effect that “I did not have sexual relations with that woman… (she merely had sex with me)” will long linger as an idiotic stain on what could have been a much grander legacy. Ms. Lewinsky, meanwhile, went on to sell handbags and have a brief TV career. More recently, she earned a master’s degree in social psychology from the prestigious London School of Economics.

In Spitzer’s case, a key to his downfall turned out to be a 22-year-old prostitute from New Jersey who was trying to earn enough money to stay in New York and make it as a rhythm-and-blues singer. By making it in a different way, of course, the infamous “Kristen” now likely will get a recording deal, as well as a book contract and movie offers. Entertainment moguls and publishers are quick to see the dollar signs where others just see sin and shame. (And, yes, we’ll probably buy her recordings, read her book, watch the made-for-TV movie and tune in once she starts showing up on Oprah and the late-night TV talk shows.)

Spitzer himself will go away in disgrace for a while and likely will face a ton of legal, family and marital troubles. Eventually, however, he may be back with his own tell-all, confess-all book, plus a movie deal and TV talk-show appearances—though probably not a recording contract.

Put lust and stupidity together, and you have dramatic downfalls stretching back through the entire history of human leadership. Senators, televangelists, judges, police chiefs, sheriffs, mayors, prosecuting attorneys, ministers, priests, star athletes—the list goes on and on.

Yeah, we men supposedly have been in charge during most of that time. And too often, we do a few great and noble things along the way, and then, seemingly at the peak of success, wake up one morning and can’t get our brains out of our boxer shorts.

Is social and political self-destruction somehow hardwired into our testosterone? Perhaps astute researchers can read all of the tell-all books and watch all of the tell-all movies and talk-show appearances and draw some scholarly conclusions.

Or maybe, we can just start putting more women into high office and see if they get caught with any boy toys.

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Elizabeth Smart: Five Years Later

It's been five years since Elizabeth Smart was returned to her family after being missing for nearly a year. The happy event is not one that many families with a missing loved one get to celebrate. And the Smart's know that and cherish the fact they were lucky.

In light of the five year anniversary, Elizabeth Smart and various members of her family have been making the press rounds. They are being advocates that you really can find missing children. Don't give up hope and never lose faith. Elizabeth is working with Federal officials to write a book detailing the experience and how to survive and thrive afterwards.

While no mention is ever made of what exactly she endured during those months of captivity, she was traumatized. Elizabeth's captors are still awaiting trial and Elizabeth says she will testify against them. In an interview with Good Morning America, she even fears they would seek her out again if they were ever released. She doesn't want that to happen, nor does she want them to be able to kidnap anyone else.

Elizabeth is a sophomore in college and appears happy and well adjusted. She doesn't seem to crave the spotlight, but knows that people want to see how she is doing, so she is doing interviews with the major news outlets. And for once, we hear and see a happy ending on the news.

Jessica Simpson is a Piece of Work

Jessica Simpson makes a big deal out of going overseas for the USO to entertain the troops. There is PR about it, she looks like a singer giving her heart, caring for the troops, blah blah blah.

Until the little report comes out from those handling her 'accommodations.' It seems Jess is pulling a little of her inner diva out. This is what is really happening...

She is traveling with an entourage that costs the government:

$20,000 per DAY for a stylist
First class airline tickets
First class hotel accommodations...not staying in the barracks

Oh wait - where is Tony Romo? He's on vacation, isn't he? Why didn't he go to support the troops?

The better food than the troops

Spring Water...

Anyway, Jess' rep denies the absurd allegations and claims the star is roughing it. Yeah, roughing it. This is what anyone would wear in a war zone in the desert...Kevlar vests and Daisy Dukes with full makeup on.

Brett Favre Reign Ends

It's been a sad week in Green Bay. After a few false reports during the past two years, the true one came out this week. Brett Favre announced he is retiring from the NFL after 17 years.

Brett set all kinds of records during his reign with the pigskin, namely a starting streak that goes back 275 games (starting in 1992!). He also has a touchdown pass record of 442, which surpasses Dan Marino's record of 421. Then there is the other records, like passing yards, number of pass completions and wins.

How will Green Bay replace him? Not only with a starting QB, but an icon for the city of Green Bay. In this day and age, it is rare that a quarterback can stay in one city for three or fours years, let alone 17! And have mostly positive seasons. AND go out very popular. And at the top of his game. The list of insurmountables goes on and on for Green Bay.

But, like anything else, Brett Favre has class. He made his decision and announcement well beyond the draft and trade deadlines, allowing Green Bay plenty of time to look for a suitable replacement. Except replacement isn't possible, not for a player with as much class as Brett Favre.

Watch his emotional retirement announcement. Tell me this man does not love the game...

Fleeing McCain and ‘More of the Same’?

An angry registered Republican told me this the day after the Texas primary gave John McCain clear sailing to the GOP nomination: “If McCain is elected President, I may move to Canada. He’ll just bring four more years of the same. We can’t afford that.”

He was particularly outraged that McCain had gone straight to the White House the day after the Texas primary and gotten George W’s praises and blessings, rather than distancing himself from Bush’s deeply unpopular Administration.

The Republican, a young, pro-life Internet technician, admitted he had crossed party lines and voted for Barack Obama despite the Illinois Senator’s limited and liberal voting record. “His speeches inspire me,” he said. “Have you listened to how well he speaks? How positive his messages are? I think he can bring Americans together and get us moving forward again. I’m just sick and mad about what has happened to my party under George Bush.”

A day before the Texas primary, I had another unexpected encounter with an upset Republican. I was in a bank, making some changes to one of my accounts. When the process was completed, the banker looked at me and asked very quietly: “Have you voted yet?” (In Texas, as well as some other states, registered voters can go the polls starting more than a week before the official primary or general election day.) After I nodded yes, something odd happened. The banker pressed me with another question, trying (without being too impolite) to find out how I had voted.

“I voted for change,” I told her, leaving her to guess whether I had supported Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton.

She smiled. “I voted for Bush twice. But this time, I voted for change, too,” she admitted quietly. “And experience.”

“That’s code for ‘Hillary,'” I said.

She nodded. “In our bank meetings, we keep saying things are going to have to change soon. We can’t afford what’s happening to the economy, and neither can our customers.”

While her candor and vote pleased me, it also struck me as odd that a banker would reveal this much during a penny ante transaction. The big picture, however, quickly came clear after I got home and did a little Web surfing. Many economists increasingly are worried that the current recession may trigger a wave of bank failures that would rival the savings and loan meltdown of 1989.

For example, CNNMoney.com reported: “The banks most at risk for failure are generally smaller ones, not the huge global banks hit by billions in writedowns from subprime mortgage problems.” The small banks, CNNMoney pointed out, “are big players in the business of construction loans made to homebuilders—loans that were backed by new homes now worth a fraction of the original estimated value.”

I had just driven home from a small bank in a small city where new housing construction has boomed for several years but recently has slowed to a standstill. With the economy very much on her mind, my worried banker had crossed party lines and voted for her number-one issue, her pocketbook and her job.

Now that the price of gasoline is pushing quickly toward $4 or more a gallon and the endless Iraq War is still staggering forward on mountains of borrowed cash, America is tilting toward economic disaster. And average citizens in the heartland are both feeling it and fearing it.

Bold new leadership is needed now. But now can’t start happening until next January, when a Democrat, chosen by voters from both parties, takes the oath of office.

Yes, we will need words that inspire us. And we will need experienced leadership that can help pull us together quickly and show us how to make sacrifices for the common good: our survival.

We will need both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in the White House in January, 2009.

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Hillary Clinton Pulls One Out...

Yesterday was a big day on the political front. Not only did Hillary manage to save her campaign and keep moving forward, but Republican Mike Huckabee dropped out of the race. Huckabee's exit leaves the Republican nomination to John McCain. Great.

It's probably a good thing Hillary managed to win three of the four states. Seeing as how she had appearances booked on all three major network's morning shows on Wednesday...it might have been a little embarrassing had she lost! She was up all night celebrating...

What does Obama have to say about Hillary's three wins?

I still have more electoral votes. Nah na na na nah. I'm going to the be-eachhh.

OK, he didn't exactly say that. Are you eagerly anticipating who will win the nomination or anticipating for it to be OVAH already?

Is It Contagious? Reese Witherspoon's News

While we all love hearing good deeds, we also loving hearing the dirt. But now, two days in a row, we have great deeds being performed by young starlets. Is there something in the water?

Reese Witherspoon was in New York at none other than the United Nations building. Was she touring? No way! Reese was seated in on a press conference where she announced that Avon and the UN (she is the spokeswoman for Avon) are partnering up for the Development Fund for Women.

And of course, Avon is selling an Empowerment Bracelet to raise funds. The first $500,000 in sales will be matched by Avon, making a donation to the fund worth at least $1 million if all goes well. (Reese is modeling the bracelet above). Bracelets are $3 each and can be purchased from your local Avon representative or through the website. Click here to find out how you can get your own Empowerment Bracelet.

Photo courtesy of People.

Hopefully tomorrow we can get back on track and get some dirt from Hollywood!

A Star Worth Noting: Drew Barrymore

Finally, a star (OK, another, there are a few stars with consciences) has stepped up to the plate. Drew Barrymore announced (or will announce if you are on the west coast) on Oprah today that she is donating $1 million dollars to the World Food Programme.

Oprah is known for giving a lot and it is great that she showcases stars who do something instead of just talk about it. Where is all of the difference Paris Hilton was going to make when she got out of jail? No where. Luckily more stars are stepping up quietly, without bells and whistles, to do something about the condition of the world. Drew was on the Oprah show, along with the program director of World Food Programme, where she has been an ambassador for children's hunger since 2005. She has made trips to Africa and seen hunger firsthand and knows that just a little bit of food and money can bring relief to these children.

The World Food Programme helps organize programs to feed children in Africa who are starving, literally. Visit their website to see if you can help.

Picture courtesy of People Magazine.