Well, there's nothing halfway about the Iowa way to caucus

I suppose as a newly-minted Edwards supporter, I should say something about the Iowa caucuses tonight.

As you undoubtedly know by now, Obama won handily -- far more handily than I ever would have expected. I liked him fine until he started pandering to the Christianists and running to the right (Schwarzenegger on cabinet?).

But Edwards in second place, narrow though his margin over Clinton was, is a nice statement. Especially when you consider that his showing came with far less money in his campaign coffers than his other two chief rivals had. Which, of course, means he needs more turkee.

Saith Edwards tonight:

Change won, the status quo lost, and the fight is on to see if we're going to have the kind of change we need to save the middle class.

Exactly right. Although the Obama victory doesn't thrill me, it does signal a desire for change, even if people apparently aren't looking more than, well, skin deep when it comes to Obama. I'm more convinced than ever that a policy of appeasement and "getting along," as Obama advocates, will be disastrous for the Democrats. Just as it has been in recent years ...

But I'm generally pleased with tonight's results. We'll say farewell to Joe Biden and Chris Dodd (go for Senate majority leader, Chris!) and see how New Hampshire goes on Tuesday.

In Dodd we trust

Well, Senate Majority Wanker Harry Reid (D?-Nev.) pulled FISA from consideration until after the holidays. Apparently the Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) threat to filibuster, joined by Russ Feingold (D-Wisc.) among others, had its desired effect. Good.

But that doesn't make Reid a good guy. He's complicit in everything the Republicans are trying to do to force retroactive telecom immunity on us through FISA. I still don't understand why Reid can't act in a way that benefits his party -- you know, the party he's supposed to be leading in the Senate.

However, I do know that I'll be taking a closer look at Chris Dodd's presidential campaign ...

Four hundred days

That's how much time is left in the Bush crime syndicate. Four hundred days until January 20, 2009.

And, sadly, even though we are approaching the end of this, the most destructive and corrupt administration in history (yes, even more so than Nixon, and I'm confident history will bear that out), the Republicans still are able to get their way almost unimpeded, because so-called "Democrats" like Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, whom we trusted to use the Democratic congressional majority to make some real, substantive -- and positive -- changes, have done virtually nothing other than roll over whenever Republicans wanted something. Why in the high holy fuck would a Democratic majority leader -- Reid -- refuse to honor the "hold" Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) wanted to place on FISA, yet he honors the hold by Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) on a funding bill that enjoys overwhelming congressional support?

I really don't get it. I honestly, truly don't.

We need progressive challengers next year to these so-called Democrats. A lot of challengers. In the meantime, we have 400 more days to watch the Bush crime syndicate -- and their congressional enablers -- wipe their collective asses with the Constitution. Four hundred days. And the damage continues ...

Nice try, Chris Dodd, but no cigar

Chris Dodd, whose longshot bid for the presidency is in need of a boost, got just the opposite from Major League Baseball the other day:

Presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd says he'll still be cheering on the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, but without a randomly selected campaign donor by his side.

Major League Baseball officials warned the Connecticut Democrat this week that his plan to raffle two tickets to an American League Championship game -- in return for donations to his presidential campaign -- violates the organization's rules.

Dodd, a longtime Red Sox fan, offered a chance at the tickets to anyone who donated $20.04 to his campaign, an amount selected because the Sox last won the World Series in 2004. Supporters could also enter by recruiting two dozen like-minded voters to sign up on Dodd's campaign Web site.

But his office called off the raffle after MLB officials cried foul.

"This isn't quite Bucky Dent or Aaron Boone, but we are disappointed nonetheless," Dodd spokeswoman Colleen Flanagan said, referring to former New York Yankees sluggers whose home runs ended Red Sox playoff hopes.

The raffle winner would have received two tickets to Game 6 of the American League Championship series against the Cleveland Indians. If Game 6 is not necessary, the winner would have received tickets for Game 2 of the World Series instead.

There were two catches: The winner had to sit with Dodd at the game and, if the Red Sox were eliminated, the baseball tickets would be replaced with airfare to a Dodd campaign event in Iowa or New Hampshire.

To his credit, at least Dodd wasn't asking donors to chip in $9.11 like a certain other candidate I know ...