Monday morning water cooler 8.13.07

There's plenty to talk about this morning, starting with the fact that Turd Blossom is resigning.

Also: The big news out of the GOP's Iowa straw poll was its low turnout. Mitt Romney is basking in his expensive win, while Tommy Thompson has dropped out of the race after his sixth-place finish. Who do you think will be next? Maybe Adam Graham's fave, John Cox, who came in last?

Let's continue to wish a safe outcome for Barbara Morgan and the crew of the Endeavour, who may do a space walk to repair the damaged heat shield. Morgan's downlink with the Discovery Center of Idaho is set for tomorrow (Tuesday, August 14) at 12:56 3:09 p.m. Mountain. It'll be webcast and aired on NASA-TV, which is available on some cable and satellite TV systems. There's more info here.

Dan Popkey wrote yesterday about the fact that Larry Craig still can't decide whether he wants another term in the U.S. Senate. From my perspective on the LaRocco campaign, the most interesting fact was slow ticket sales for a Craig fundraiser Sept. 22 in Canyon County. Is the reason, as Popkey suggests, uncertainty over Craig's plans? Or are Idahoans simply tired of Larry Craig, especially given his unwavering support for the quagmire in Iraq, his lack of attention to veterans' needs, and his unpopular stands on immigration reform?

In lighter news, Boise history was made Saturday night on the Grove as about 50 teens (including mine) held what was possibly the city's first-ever flash mob pillow fight. With all the heaviness children of this generation have had to endure -  9/11, six-plus years of the Bush administration, parents deployed repeatedly to Iraq, and the possibility that they themselves eventually may be drafted to serve in the Republicans'  endless war - it's good to see kids be kids.

Comments

[Adam Graham]

An answer to your question, Julie. I received an e-mail from Mr. Cox on Sunday. The Iowa Strawpoll was never seen as "make or break" for us by Mr. Cox. Merely as an introduction. He gave one heck of a speech, probably one of the top two (the other I thought was great was Mike Huckabee's)

[Adam Graham]

I might look for Duncan Hunter to drop out next, but with Hunter, he's already retired from Congress. Unless he decides to campaign for his son, he doesn't have much reason to quit the race at this point.

Sam Brownback could go soon. 3rd Place was okay, but Huckabee could put pressure on him. Huckabee has got 2nd place, but he needs to raise money to stay competitve. We'll probably know within a month or so on those guys.

[Irwin Horowitz]

Julie,

Just a correction on tomorrow's schedule at DCI. The downlink with the students will occur from 3:09 p.m. to 3:29 p.m. (not 12:56 p.m.). You can click on the link provided in your original post below (Godspeed, Barbara Morgan) to see the update.

[Julie Fanselow]

Thanks, Irwin. I see that the DCI website domain actually expired a few days ago. Bad timing for them! But I'll take your word for this, and I've corrected the post.

[Julie Fanselow]

Actually, I see that NASA has updated its page to 3:09 p.m. now, too.

[Julie Fanselow]

Adam, it's good to see you are keeping faith with your candidate no matter what. He seems to have sufficient personal resources to stay in for a while.

I like Mike Huckabee. I wouldn't want to see him as president, mind you, but I still like the guy. Of course, lots of people were talking seven years ago about how likable a certain GWB seemed, so moderate Republican primary voters need to beware. Still, anyone who says people ought to listen to more music and less talk radio is OK in my book.

[Adam Graham]

Still, anyone who says people ought to listen to more music and less talk radio is OK in my book.

Of course he is, that's 'cause you're not a podcaster. :)

[Bubblehead]

Julie,
As long as there's either a Republican President or 41 Republican Senators, there won't be a draft. A draft would destroy the military, which only the most extreme progressives want. You do know that Rep. Rangel, who introduced the bill to bring back the draft the last two Congresses, is a Democrat, don't you?

[Julie in Boise]

Bubbelehead, I understand what you are saying.

But I don't think it's out of the question that, given current recruitment levels and repeat deployments, we won't be forced into a draft if we can't bring the Iraq occupation to a conclusion in the next two years.

From what I understand, Rangel filed his bills mainly as a protest against the way that poor, rural, and/or black/brown people are shouldering most of our nation's defense burden.