Brain Freeze

My brain is a bit too chilled for any biting analysis today. Yeehaw, it is cold in these here parts. And I'm not speaking of the outdoor parts (-4 in my back yard this morning), but rather of the indoor parts (57 in my kitchen this morning). That's what happens when you convert a porch into a kitchen and expect one heating duct to suffice for such a large space.

Speaking of space, my trust little space heater (safely operated, of course) is keeping me company so that I can make a few concise and salient observations before my fingers fall off.

My disappointment in John Edwards' performance in the last two primaries knows no bounds. Realistically, he has no shot at the office. But I had hoped he could continue to shape the agenda of the Democrats and possibly have some pull come convention-time with the ability to throw some delegates to either Clinton or Obama. That plan is not looking terribly grand at the moment.

Nor does the Montana superintendent who canceled a speech on global warming by Nobel-prize winning scientist Steve Running because some in the community thought that the speech would be "anti-agricultural". I refuse to believe that our agrarian brethren (sistren?) would, as a group, be so short-sighted as to believe that global warming should not be discussed because of its potential economic impact on the farming community.

Though, clearly, many believe it is not only acceptable but desirable to artificially shape community discussion. Hence the complete disappearance of John Edwards in media coverage after the Iowa caucuses. Edwards came in second, remember? Yet, during the following week, he received only 7% of the candidate campaign coverage, which was less than 1/5 of Clinton's coverage and less than 1/4 of Obama's coverage.

I've heard the arguments: Edwards didn't have enough money for the long haul, his race wasn't historic like Clinton and Obama. But shouldn't the press be reporting the story as it occurred? Iowa said "Pay attention to John Edwards." The media said "No, don't bother. He won't win later." Seems wrong to me.

Something that seems right to me would be the notion that possibly plastics (or the chemicals in them) are making me fat. Which would let me off the hook for eating too much and moving too little.

Lastly, a reminder of why the Presidential elections are so important: The Supreme Court. Justice Antonin Scalia, placed on the Supreme Court by Republican Ronald Reagan, proclaimed that there is "no painless requirement" in the Constitution regarding executions or punishments. Which part of Constitutional Law do you think he missed at Harvard Law School? Oh, the part where the Constitution says no cruel and unusual punishment?

Liz