Chevron Ecuador Scandal: Did Chevron Pollute Ecuador?

There's a massive scandal brewing regarding Chevron and Ecuador and involved a nasty oil spill that the government of Ecuador's blaming Chevron for, when it appears that their own state-run oil company (not that I have anything against something state-owned) seems to be at fault. The people leading this charge against Chevron are Ecuador's leftist leader, Rafael Correa, and Pablo Fajardo and Luis Yanza, one a lawyer, the other the leader of the Amazon Defense Front.

Here's the story:

Chevron: Ecuador Tests Flawed

REAL CULPRIT: Chevron says Ecuador's inefficient state oil company Petroecuador is to blame for any contamination in the Amazon.

Chevron denounces faulty "evidence" and "expert" bias in the $6 billion contamination case in Ecuador.
BY LATIN BUSINESS CHRONICLE STAFF

They want U.S. oil company Chevron (CVX) to pay for alleged damages in the Ecuador Amazon. But their tests are flawed and they have blocked eight attempts to inspect the laboratory they use for their tests. Welcome to the $6 billion case against Chevron in Ecuador, which the U.S. oil company says is increasingly becoming "a judicial farse".

More than 75 percent of the laboratory data presented by the group suing Chevron in Ecuador comes from the Havoc laboratory located in Quito. However, an independent test of soil and water samples by the laboratory shows results that are seriously flawed, Chevron says.

"This independent analysis verifies what we have suspected and what the plaintiffs are clearly trying to hide – the Havoc lab is incompetent and the reports they have prepared [on] behalf of the plaintiffs cannot be trusted," Ricardo Veiga Managing Counsel for Chevron Latin America, said in a statement last week.

Chevron has presented the results to the Superior Court of Nueva Loja. U.S.-based laboratory Wibby Environmental at Chevron’s request sent water and and soil samples spiked with specific, known amounts of hydrocarbons and metals to Havoc laboratories to determine if Havoc could get the correct results. "The Havoc laboratory’s analysis showed levels of barium, cadmium, copper & nickel that exceeded the concentrations in the samples they were sent," Chevron says in a statement. "Havoc’s analysis for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or “PAHs” (petroleum compounds) was incomplete. The lab's analysis of soil samples showed “unacceptable” results for barium, cadmium."

The source of the samples, and the sponsor of the analysis, was withheld from Havoc in order to ensure an unprejudiced result, the statement says.

HIDING SOMETHING?

Meanwhile, even local Ecuadorian authorities have been unable to inspect the Havoc laboratory. The eighth attempt by the 20th Civil Court of Pichincha since February 2006 was scheduled to occur three weeks ago, but was like the previous attempts - blocked by the attorneys for the group suing Chevron.

"Plaintiffs’ lawyers are afraid that if the truth were exposed about this lab, the Court and the world would see that their allegations against Chevron are made up of nothing but lies and fabrications," Veiga said. "We insist that the plaintiffs’ attorneys and the activist groups that have brought this baseless lawsuit be called to explain the deceit and the fraud they have perpetrated against the Court, their clients, and Ecuador."

The U.S. oil company calls the last-minute maneuvers to prevent a judge of the Civil Court of Pichincha from inspecting the laboratory "a shocking and deliberate attempt to obstruct justice."

The inspection was aimed at determining whether the Havoc lab was qualified and had the necessary equipment and technology to undertake the required analysis of water and soil samples from oil sites in the Oriente region. The Civil Court of Pichincha ordered the first inspection last year after Chevron had noted to the Superior Court of Lago Agrio that the laboratory was not properly accredited by the Ecuadorian Accreditation Organization (OAE) to perform the necessary analyses required in the environmental trial against Chevron.

CHRONICLE OF BLOCKED ATTEMPTS

On the first attempt - on February 17, 2006 - the Civil Judge of Pichincha, Dr. Germán González del Pozo, went to the Havoc laboratory himself on the day of the officially scheduled inspection only to find its doors locked and access to the laboratory's facilities denied. The same happened when he tried to inspect the lab the following month. Thereafter, the attorneys for the group suing Chevron presented him with motions to stop his next two attempted inspections in March and May.

In August last year, the judge requested both parties to appoint the experts for the next inspection. Havoc failed to appoint an expert, and, therefore, once again the judge was forced to cancel the inspection, Chevron points out. Then - in October - another inspection was scheduled, but a few days before, the lab's attorneys filed a recusal claim, which forced suspension of the inspection. The seventh attempt - scheduled for April 24 this year - was stopped when attorney's for Havoc and the group suing Chevron filed a legal motion to stop the court from carrying out the inspection.

Chevron is also denouncing that Richard Cabrera, the court-appointed engineer responsible for overseeing the ongoing expert determination in the suit - is using unsanctioned teams to conduct unsupervised and unapproved field research, in clear violation of court directives.

In a petition to the Superior Court of Nueva Loja, Chevron has detailed how Cabrera has deployed unidentified teams of researchers to search for evidence of environmental impacts outside the scope of his court-mandated obligations without first receiving the necessary judicial approvals. The teams began their work in advance of Cabrera even being appointed to and days before his official inspection began, Chevron says.

NULL AND VOID

The U.S. oil company has therefore asked the court to declare the evidence collected by the teams to be considered null and void. Chevron has previously denounced Cabrera's bias against the company (see Chevron: US Victory, Ecuador Doubts). However, its petitions urging the court to reconsider Cabrera's appointment have gone unanswered, as have its requests seeking that he be required to comply with court orders regarding how his work should be carried out.

Separately, several Ecuadorians have also sued Chevron in the United States alleging they got cancer as a result of Chevron-instigated contamination in the Oriente region of Ecuador's Amazon. Their case was thrown out last month by a U.S. federal court.

Last week an independent study released by Chevron showed that the consensus view of leading epidemiologists and tropical health experts is that there is no evidence to support the claim that the Oriente region is experiencing higher rates of cancer, or that cancer in the region is the result of exposure to oil field sites.

"There is no question that the people of the Oriente face a series of challenges regarding their personal and community health," Silvia Garrigo, a Chevron attorney, said in a statement. "However, these people are being deceived in the worst possible way by the lawyers and activists who have brought this lawsuit."

ECUADOR'S RESPONSIBILITY

The major health concerns in the Oriente region are not the result of oil operations, but the lack of water treatment infrastructure, the lack of sufficient sanitation infrastructure and inadequate access to medical care, Chevron says.

Texaco operated an oil field consortium with Petroecuador from 1964 to 1990, when the Ecuadorian company took over management of the oil field. Texaco continued with a minority stake in the consortium until 1992. In 1995, Texaco agreed with the Ecuadorian government to conduct a $40 million environmental remediation in the area of the former concession. Three years later, the government of Ecuador declared that the remediation was completed according to the terms and parameters agreed upon and released Texaco from any future liability.

In 1993 a group of Indians in the affected areas filed a lawsuit against Texaco in the United States, claiming the U.S. company had contaminated the area. That case was dismissed by the U.S. Court of Appeals of the Second Circuit in 2002, but another lawsuit was filed in Ecuador.

Chevron also says Petroecuador - widely considered one of the most inefficient state oil companies in Latin America - has to take the blame for any oil contamination. In the seven-year period from 2000 to 2006, Petroecuador was responsible for a total of 882 oil spills, Chevron points out.

CNN Ads "Upskirt" To Gerri Willis, Morning News; Real Short Skirt On

Remember how I've been writing that CNN would get higher ratings for its "day" programs if it had Campbell Brown wear short skirts and show legs as she did on NBC? Well, someone at CNN's reading my blog, because as of today, CNN has anchor Gerri Willis sitting in a high chair and sporting a real short skirt. Then CNN's producers make totally sure you see it. Day upskirt action for ratings.

What does this say about CNN? Well, it shows that CNN's as ratings aware as I believed, and have decided to turn away from the journalistic strategy it has known for decades and mix in sex. Gerri's blonde and looks for all the World like a Fox News star.

Also, CNN's pushing Senator Clinton -- which I think is unethical as they should tell viewers of their bias rather than show it -- and it seems trying to appeal to a "Whiter" audience, which I think is a total error. The problem is that Gerri sounds a little, well, less than smart which impacts credibility. That's not a good thing.

I'm not writing that she's not smart because I think there are different ways to be intelligent, but it's as if someone told her "project a smiling, sexy, bubby look" and she's doing that.

Uh, you mean like Fox?

Yep.

Pope Benedict XVI In Yankees Stadium - CNN TV and CNN.com

Ok, I'm watching Pope Benedict XVI hold mass in Yankees Stadium before 57,000 people and I'm glad I'm seeing it, because I was going to change the channel at first. I was about to do that because I wasn't interested in it, but then I was overcome by the fact that I'd not been to Church in a few weeks -- escaping some negative energy at Glide Memorial in SF -- and needed to see a religious event.

Plus, it's American Culture, or a part of it, and history. What's interesting is that so many people still turn out to see his holliness, which is a good thing, and a God thing too.

CLINTON SUPPORTER HACKS BARACK OBAMA WEBSITE

When Senator Hillary Clinton's staffers said they were throwing the kitchen sink at Senator Barack Obama, they were not kidding. Someone this Saturday night hacked the BarackObama.com website. This video shows what happened when I went to my blog page, then clicked on "Community Blogs" -- I was taken to the front page of Senator Clinton's website.

This means Senator Clinton's staffers possibly hired someone to hack into the Barack Obama website system. Such efforts generally don't go unpaid, either.

Moreover, Blue State Digital is running the site, and has to bear some responsibility for this. Did an ex-Blue State Staffer do this? Was Blue State hired by the Clinton staff recently? There are many questions to answer. But if Senator Clinton bowed out of the race, these games would stop.

This is serious because it means Senator Clinton could also unethically poach donors from the Obama campaign via online website redirects like this. Terrible and unethical.

Barack Obama Oakland Delegate Convention Movie - Oakland,CA

This is a 20 minute movie on the dramatic event that was the convention held in Oakland, CA to elect delegates to represent the 9th Congressional District in Oakland and Barack Obama. It drew 2,000 people.

If you live in Oakland and are politically involved, you're going to see someone you know in this video. It was really a kind of homecoming for people in Oakland politics and of course Oaklanders who have been involved with the Obama campaign. I thank the people in the video from Peralta Community College District Chancellor Elihu Harris to my friends, all of whom are in the movie and listed, and the delegate winners in this movie who are just some of the Oaklanders that will represent Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention, Jennifer Pae, Fred Feltz, Mark Friedman, Ayelet Waldman , and Darlene Brooks.

The estimate of 2,000 people was my own and came from first, eyeballing the event, second from figuring that of 101 candidates, each had perhaps 10 people average who came out for them, which leads to 1,000 people, then adding volunteers, media, and people who just wanted to see what was happening, and then participate.

More Chevron Truth

Chevron, the parent company of Texaco Petroleum (Texpet) has been horribly libeled in the media as well as the courtroom by opportunistic U.S. environmental lawyers looking to turn a quick buck. They were illegitimately sued for its partnership with Petroecuador, Ecuador’s state-owned oil company. Chevron has been falsely linked to genocide and that is patently false as evidenced with the steady increase of the Cofan indigenous population from 1920 to present day.

There is absolutely no basis for the claim of genocide of any indigenous group. Ecuador
government census data and all peer-reviewed published population data agree that the population of the six indigenous groups has either increased or remained stable since Texpet began operations in Ecuador. For example, demographic studies presented by Dr. Bedoya indicate that the Cofán - far from "facing extinction" as claimed by the plaintiffs and their supporters - increased in number from about 300 inhabitants in 1955 to 1,044 in the official government of Ecuador census of 2001. All government (1) and peer reviewed population estimates (23) found by Dr. Bedoya are shown in the figure below. Doctor Eduardo Bedoya has a Ph.D in Anthropology from New York University and has worked as consultant for the ILO, CARE-Perú, WINROCK Corporation, the World Bank, and the IUCN.

Cofán Population: 1920 - 2010
PARAHUACU ATACAPI
DURENO
GUANTA AGUARICO
SACHA
YULE BRA
CULE BRA
RON
ENO
PALA NDA
AUCA
AUCA
SUR
RUMIYACU
CONONACO
Rio
Napo
Aguarico
LAGO AGRIO
Rio
PALO
ROJO Cofán
HUSHUFINDI
Secoya

1970 1980 1990
Period of Texpet Concession
100
300
500
700
900
1100
1300
1500
1700
1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Year
1923: Measles epidemic
Period of
Texpet
Concession
155016
5003
5174
3005 3006
4007
6909
29710
40012
46013
50014
100015
78018
58019
62720
85021

The production took place primarily on government lands and was conducted in compliance with Ecuadorian laws and regulations. Roughly 1.7 million barrels of crude oil were produced, with the Government of Ecuador (GOE) receiving 95% of the total financial proceeds. Perhaps they want more because the Ecuadorian government is in collusion with fraudulent U.S.-based lawyers greedily seeking to extort monies from Chevron over these bogus allegations.

At the conclusion of the venture’s twenty-year concession, the area and facilities of the former consortium were subjected to a government-supervised audit, which, together with other Government data, became the basis for a settlement agreement under which Texpet was required to conduct environmental remediation with respect to the sites in proportion to its one-third interest in the venture. Everything was fine then.

To that end, Texpet executed a $40 million remediation and public works program under close GOE supervision. Texpet’s remediation was fully inspected, certified and approved by the GOE, and the GOE granted Texpet a full and complete release of all further claims, liabilities and obligations associated with Texpet’s operations in Ecuador.

The release documents were signed by the GOE’s Minister of Mines & Energy, the President of Petroecuador, and the General Manger of Petroproduccion—the operational division of Petroecuador. Texpet has had no role whatsoever in exploration and production in Ecuador since 1992.

Petroecuador, the sole owner and proprietor of the oil fields, had 15 years to make remediation and failed to remediate its sites even though it was more than willing to do so when it took the $40 million in funding from Texpet in 1992. The environmental degradation which still takes place today is due to Petroecuador’s poor operations and negligence, and the Ecuadorian government’s unwillingness to fund adequate remediation.

Interestingly, in 1999, seven years after Texpet ceased to have any involvement in Ecuadorian operations, the government of Ecuador enacted a new environmental statute – the 1999 Environmental management Act. This allowed any Ecuadorian to file suit for environmental reparations on behalf of the collectivity. While the 1999 EMA created new substantive rights that did not previously exist, the new law cannot be used to challenge pre-1999 conduct, as per Article 7 of the Civil Code of Ecuador, which expressly prohibits retroactive application of Ecuadorian substantive law. Nevertheless, in 2003 the very same U.S. lawyers whom have been waging this campaign since 1993 filed suit against Chevron using this same 1999 law. They should be disbarred for misrepresenting a legal statute in a transparent effort to extort monies from Chevron.

Chevron is getting blamed for environmental degradation and being illegitimately sued for an environmental crime committed by Petroecuador which accepted Chevron/Texpet’s $40 million pay-out and didn’t fulfill its responsibility to remediate the sites that were explored and extracted. A costly and long-standing legal dispute has arisen between U.S.-based contingency fee-based trial lawyers working in partnership with NGOs and local activists whose goal is to extort a large windfall from Chevron, a large and successful corporation with deep pockets. The general public perceives large corporations such as Chevron as evil-doers, and public opinion tends to scapegoat them.

The litigation in Ecuador has followed the typical pattern for such suits. The lawyers retained a consultant to devise an astronomical estimate of financial liability, which the plaintiffs have attempted to use to frighten the company into a settlement. The expert in question, David Russell, made only a cursory examination of a small handful of sites and did not seek to distinguish between damage caused by Texpet/Petroecuador consortium and damage caused by Petroecuador over the 15 years since Texpet left Ecuador. Also, they did not determine how much was the fault of Petroecuador’s and the Government of Ecuador’s negligence after they had received $40 million in funding to more than cover the costs of this operation from Chevron, as well as being signed off by the GOE upon Texpet’s agreed-upon departure.

Ad-Tech San Francisco Digital Marketing Convention - Video

This video presents sights, sounds, and people at Ad-Tech San Francisco, a digital marketing convention annually held at Moscone Center in San Francisco. What I noticed about Ad-Tech this year is that there was less space used overall but more people, and far more people of color than ever before.

Barack Obama Talks About Clinton; Draws 35,000 in Philadelphia

In Raleigh, NC, Senator Barack Obama talks about the way Hillary Clinton and ABC News ganged up on him in the debate of the previous night. Then on Friday, Obama appeared before the largest crowd of his presidential candidacy: 35,000 people. That's almost twice the number of people he drew in Oakland City Hall last year, which was 18,000 people.

The video below is but one of two that was posted on YouTube. It features Obama supporters yelling "Yes We Can."

U.S. Women Olympic Athletes on Olympic Torch, China and Tibet

U.S. Women Olympic Athletes representing the Synchronized Swim Team talk to me for this vlog about the China Olympic Torch Controversy. Kristina Jones, Megan Kenny and Andrea Nott issued a plea is to allow them to go to the Olympics and in a message to President Bush, Andrea says that an Olympic Boycott would not be effective I can't say I agree, but the point of this is to capture their point of view, not mine.

For more on the team see this account at About.com.

Pro-Chinese Protestor On Tibet - SF Olympic Torch Ceremony

Pro-Chinese Protestor On Tibet - SF Olympic Torch Ceremony

Chinese Protester On Tibet. I asked this man the question of his opinion on China's reported torture and killing of Tibetan protestors and he agreed to be filmed. The result is in my view a very chilling answer which seems quite normal to him. He says, on camera, that "Tibet shamed China." Watch the video. He says that the acts were just an example of "China managing the situation" and that such "social control" was normal. Then he says, "have a nice day."

A YouTube viewer left a rather terrible comment that I lied when I claimed that China killed Tibetan protesters, but I did not. According to the April 5th 2008 Times UK, the Chinese police killed eight people after opening fire on monks and protesters. The Chinese government sent in 1,000 paramilitary police to use force to end the protest.

ABC= Assault Black Candidate Obama Smeared by ABC News In Debate

Once again, ABC News showed its biased and unprofessional approach in this election year with a debate last night that seemed not to be that at all, but an attempt to assault Senator Barack Obama.

Charlie Gibson and George Stephanapolos should be fired for this. They were terrible. It's a good think Obama weathered the storm, but this was supposed to be a debate anyway.

Social Media Marketing - Zennie's Definition At Ad-Tech

What does Social Media Marketing mean to you? Well I was asked that question at the San Francisco Ad Tech conference and gave this answer, with a twist.

Charles E. Johnson and Tano Capital Invest $7.4 Million Into Anil Printers Limited

Tano Capital Invests $7.4 Million Into Anil Printers Limited

Charles E. Johnson and Tano Capital LLC, on behalf of the Tano India Private Equity Fund I, is pleased to announce that it has made an equity investment of INR 300 million (US $7.4 million) into India based Anil Printers Limited (“APL”). APL is a printing company that manufactures prepaid scratch cards, pin mailers, airline tickets, cargo bills, and carbon-less stationery for the telecommunications, banking, courier, and logistics industries.

Tano Capital LLC, on behalf of the Tano India Private Equity Fund I, is pleased to announce that it has made an equity investment of INR 300 million (US $7.4 million) into India based Anil Printers Limited (“APL”). APL is a printing company that manufactures prepaid scratch cards, pin mailers, airline tickets, cargo bills, and carbon-less stationery for the telecommunications, banking, courier, and logistics industries.

APL was founded by Ashokka Agarwal, who has been in the printing business for the past 25 years. APL’s clients include Reliance Telecom, Reliance Infocomm, Bharti Airtel, Hutch, Idea, BSNL, MTNL, Nu Mobile (Bhutan), State Bank of India, Corporation Bank, UTI Bank, HSBC, HDFC, Canara Bank, Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Jet Airways and Indian Airlines.

With this investment, APL plans to manufacture smart cards and RFID labels in technical collaboration with Mühlbauer High Tech International of Germany. APL has identified opportunities for the application of smart cards and RFID technology in several areas, including driver’s licenses and national identification/security card systems such as the R.C. Book Multipurpose National Identification Card (MNIC) project.

Charles “Chuck” Johnson, Tano Capital’s Founder and Managing General Partner, said, “We are particularly excited about the strength and depth of Anil Printers management team. They have demonstrated their ability to continually adapt and reshape their core businesses in rapidly changing business environments in both up and down markets. Their impressive list of top notch clients is a solid testament to the quality of the products that they produce.”

Tano Capital, LLC is an alternative asset management firm founded in 2003 by Charles E. Johnson (formerly Co-President of Franklin Templeton Investments and CEO of Templeton Worldwide) to make private equity investments into rapidly growing private companies in India and China. Tano Capital currently has offices in Shanghai, Tianjin, Taipei, Mauritius, Mumbai, Viet Nam and San Mateo, California.

Bruce Springsteen Backs Barack Obama

Bruce Springsteen Backs Barack Obama

Like a bolt out of the blue and frankly with more empact that Elton John's Hillary Clinton concert , "The Boss" backed Barack Obama today, effectively turning the news cycle in Obama's favor and hitting a demographic group that some said Obama could not reach: White rural dwellers. This is what he wrote.

Dear Friends and Fans:

LIke most of you, I've been following the campaign and I have now seen and heard enough to know where I stand. Senator Obama, in my view, is head and shoulders above the rest.

He has the depth, the reflectiveness, and the resilience to be our next President. He speaks to the America I've envisioned in my music for the past 35 years, a generous nation with a citizenry willing to tackle nuanced and complex problems, a country that's interested in its collective destiny and in the potential of its gathered spirit. A place where "...nobody crowds you, and nobody goes it alone."

At the moment, critics have tried to diminish Senator Obama through the exaggeration of certain of his comments and relationships. While these matters are worthy of some discussion, they have been ripped out of the context and fabric of the man's life and vision, so well described in his excellent book, Dreams of My Father, often in order to distract us from discussing the real issues: war and peace, the fight for economic and racial justice, reaffirming our Constitution, and the protection and enhancement of our environment.

After the terrible damage done over the past eight years, a great American reclamation project needs to be undertaken. I believe that Senator Obama is the best candidate to lead that project and to lead us into the 21st Century with a renewed sense of moral purpose and of ourselves as Americans.

Over here on E Street, we're proud to support Obama for President.

Obama Gets Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Endorsement

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette backs Senator Barack Obama for President, writing...

...Pennsylvania -- this encrusted, change-averse commonwealth where a state liquor monopoly holds on against all reason and where municipal fiefdoms shrink from sensible consolidation -- needs to take a strong look at the new face and the new hope in this race. Because political business-as-usual is more likely to bring the usual disappointment for the Democrats this fall, the Post-Gazette endorses the nomination of Barack Obama, who has brought an excitement and an electricity to American politics not seen since the days of John F. Kennedy.

The primary is this Tuesday, April 22nd.

Fox News, Brit Hume Full Of Shit In My View: Barack's Right, We're All Bitter

Geez, these Fox News guys crack me up. Excuse me, these Fox News guys who insist on telling you or reminding you that they're old and "white male" and by that I mean exhibiting a 1950s kind of social and cultural inflexibility that prevents them from seeing social change . I'm writing about Brit Hume, Mort Kondracke, and Charles Kruthheimer, conservatives all.

They're trying to spin the whole Mayhill Fowler / "Bittergate" deal as revealing that Obama's an elitist, and a "Harvard Leftist" who does not appreciate the plight of working class people. What a bunch of total bullshit. But then I've some to expect bullshit level information from Fox News.

Barack was telling it like it is. Rural cities have been hammered by the erased manufacturing economy America was once know for, and it has not recovered. What's cropped up are people who are struggling, and some are totally pissed off with your ability to "make it" over them. To point that out is "anti-politic" whereas to avoid it is old politics at its best.

That's a fact.

Fox News was more interested in spinning a negative Obama story than telling the truth. Thanks, Mayhill, and you call yourself an Obama supporter?

More like you've been trying to shooting the captain.

Doctor Faust in 2008

The issue is honesty, justice, and fairness in American politics.

Rumors abound questioning Senator Barack Obama's commitment to a free and democratic Israel. Gary Hart says, in this piece at Huffington Post, "I find it outrageous and the height of political cynicism for any other candidate or campaign, Democratic or Republican, to question Senator Obama's commitment to continuation of the U.S.-Israeli partnership and particularly to do so in a sinister, duplicitous, and scurrilous manner by spreading false rumors. When he campaigns against the politics of the past, and attracts hundreds of thousands of young people and independents as a result, that is the kind of politics he means."

Opponents are flinging everything they can at Obama, hoping to find something - anything - that will stick. Lately his wealthy opponents, both veterans of the DC scene for decades (at least if you accept Senator Clinton's math) have had the audacity to suggest he's an out-of-touch elitist. Read about "bittergate" if you've somehow missed it, but rest assured it's backfired. If you don't know the reference to "Faust" you might not get Hart's reference, but it's about hubris, and selling one's soul to the devil.

The issue is honesty, justice, and fairness in American politics. Gary Hart gets it. He knows that Obama gets the bitter voters, and the situation in the middle east.

read more | digg story

Obama talks about Senator "Annie Oakley" Clinton in Steelton, PA

Bittergate? Obama's lovin' it.

Do you feel bitter? Are they playing politics with bittergate? Do you think Senator Clinton would look good in hunter's orange in her duck blind? Obama responds to bittergate today in Steelton, PA. Let's be blunt: the reason we cherish his hope is that decades of self-interest by insiders in DC has disenfranchised most of us normal people. Let's talk about hope!

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AARP millionaires saying OBAMA is out of touch? Get real.

Bittergate? Is that the best they can do?

Lifting a comment out of context that provides Obama a perfect reason to talk about hope versus the same old-school say-anything to get elected politics? The faux outrage of Senators Clinton & McCain is nearly tailor made to have him repeating his message - are his opponents so desperate they've forgotten that people ARE bitter, that it's politics as usual that Obama is AGAINST, and that voters are responding with renewed hope and enthusiasm?

Colin Powell certainly sees Obama positively. Several great vids connected to this article, including the one before somebody convinced CNN to be nice to Clinton instead of calling her out on this issue, as they had earlier in the day.

read more | digg story

That's right, they're looking up... wondering how they'll catch him.

Bitter and Angry in Rural Pennsylvania

"Yes, people ARE angry, and bitter, but Obama never said that they aren't resilient, opitmistic or hard-working. Those are Hillary and McCain's twisted words, and for them to stand up and suggest that rural Pennsylvanians aren't fed up with the way things are, only reveals how out of touch they really are with at least this part of the country." This is a great article from a woman who lives in Rural PA. Take a moment. Bittergate, people, isn't about Obama being out of touch (how dare McCain think he could make that stick?) it's about Obama's opponents so desperate to find another smear that they played the out-of-context card again -- only this time, it's working in his favor, because he's "forced" to talk about... you guessed it... HOPE.

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PA Wrap-Up: The Politics of Fear vs. the Politics of Hope

The PA primary has come to this. No it's not a fallout shelter, just the vault in the Ardmore Obama'08 office mentioned in my previous diary.

This is my last day canvassing in PA. On my way back home, I will stop off northeast of Philly for the campaign-sponsored meeting tonight with Dan Kurtzer, our former Ambassador to both Egypt and Israel. It has been nine years since I last saw him at the Department of State, where he was my boss during my last two-year tour of duty in Washington before we both headed overseas to very different destinations. It will be good to see him again, but even more important to hear how he addresses the concerns of the Jewish community here, which has clearly been influenced by the politics of fear.
Dan Kurtzer is both the consummate diplomat and a great human being. And that is why I was very pleased to hear last month that he had come out in support of Barack Obama. With his Middle Eastern experience and as an observant Jew, Kurtzer should have considerable credibility in addressing Jewish concerns. But I do not want to minimize the challenge here, underlined by the young female rabbi visiting from NYC who told me yesterday that she was surprised by the degree of suspicion of Obama in the Jewish community.
wizinit :: PA Wrap-Up: The Politics of Fear vs. the Politics of Hope
A couple in northern Indiana County [PA] awoke yesterday morning and discovered their Barack Obama lawn sign had been spray painted with a red swastika.
"I was really disgusted. It's completely un-American," said Kamal Youssef, an artist and engineer from Egypt who became a U.S. citizen in 1958. "Everybody should have his own feelings and ideas and opinions," but he and his wife were stunned that someone defaced the sign.
...Mr. Youssef, 86, ...is Muslim...his wife, Maria, 75, is Jewish and Christian Orthodox and became naturalized after immigrating from Czechoslovakia.
--from Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 6, 2008
I do not share the rabbi's surprise, but do feel her disappointment. After all, with his unique heritage and message of unity, I believe Obama transcends historic racial and religious divisions in our society. And when it comes to his past actions, he has a "100 percent pro-Israel" voting record. So what is the reason for the resistance in about half of the Jewish community here to voting for Barack Obama?
For those of us who have closely followed this contest over the past year it would appear that the targeted campaign against Obama in the Jewish community was launched big-time in mid-January of this year. Former Israeli Ambassador to the US Danny Ayalon published an anti-Obama Jerusalem Post article entitled "Who Are You, Barack Obama?" January 23 that questioned the motives and encouraged suspicion of Obama's policy views vis a vis Iran and Israeli military security. At about the same time, at a relative's wedding in Florida, I learned that virtually every member of my family had received a version of the similarly entitled "Who Is Barack Obama" slurmail, which also circulated widely in white Christian communities in the south.
The campaign continued in February, reflected in an email forwarded to me by a relative that apparently originated with Lee Farber at the University of Pennsylvania. It contained Ed Lasky's American Thinker article of January 16 entitled "Barack Obama and Israel". Whatever his intentions, Farber did not mention that Lasky, who has by now published at least five anti-Obama articles, is critical of most Democrats and in 2004 argued "Why Jews Should Vote for Bush". In fact, Lasky's diatribes are very similar to the February 21 Jerusalem Post's "Obama and the Jews" by Marc Zell, who happens to be the Co-Chairman of Republicans Abroad in Israel.
If there is HOPE in this tale, it is that approximately 50% of Jewish voters I have talked to since Saturday are open-minded, or even commited Obama supporters. Many are actively volunteering in the campaign. Most question the Likud and GOP arguments directed against Barack Obama. They all realize that at this stage of the Presidential contest the anti-Obama attacks can only benefit Hillary Clinton's campaign.
Another encouraging indicator comes from the Pennsylvania Secretary of State's party registration data, which yesterday reported that, for the first time in 30 years, Bucks County has joined Montgomery County and "flipped" from Republican to Democrat. Just since last November, there are 300,000 new Democrats in Pennsylvania, while Republican registrations have dropped by almost 60,000.
I ran into five Republicans this week who had recently re-registered as Democrats (since I was only canvassing previously registered Democrats, this was entirely by coincidence). All intend to vote for Obama on April 22. There were two other voters who did not leave the Republican Party, but hope to vote for Obama in November. When you combine these anecdotal stories with the fact that statewide there are now a million more Democrats than Republicans in PA, the prospects for an Obama victory in November are very positive indeed.

Barack Obama gets it! Charges of Elitism ring hollow

“No, I’m in touch. I know exactly what’s going on. I know what’s going on in Pennsylvania, I know what’s going on in Indiana, I know what’s going on in Illinois,” Mr. Obama said, his voice rising. “People are fed up, they’re angry, they’re frustrated, they’re bitter and they want to see a change in Washington. That’s why I’m running for president"

Barack Obama gets it! Mindy is a Pennsylvanian and she said, "I know, he spoke the truth. Some people may choose to stick their heads in the sand and pretend everything is honky dory, but the reality is that things are tough everywhere, and there are many many people who are angry and frustrated. There is no insult there. What is offensive is how the Clinton/McCain camp try to spin a perfectly true and fair observation into something negative. What is offensive is how the Clinton/McCain camp continue to insult out intelligence by assuming that we should all be running around like happy idiots despite what is going on around us."

Even CNN has labeled it as a non-story lacking in credibility, but getting some traction because it's got some potential as more out of context sensationalism when there's nothing much else getting covered - why talk about the actual issues, or keep remarks in context, after all?

Still not sure? Read the transcript, or watch CNN:

read more | digg story

Why vote for Obama?

All politicians say they're for the people.

How many priests, evangelists, and politicians do we have to endure before it's OK to be cynical and expect him to be just one more like all the rest?

Don't his remarks, now being characterized as "bittergate", show a run of the mill, old-school, out of touch politician?

Won't Obama just get greedy and help special interests and line his own pockets if we elect him?

Here's a guy saying there's s fundamental difference about Obama's maturity. Read his reasons, decide for yourself, and if you agree, vote it up at DIGG!

read more | digg story

Mayhill Fowler An Ememy of The Obama For America Campaign

This is my letter to the Obama Rapid Response Team

Hello ORR,

Just some FYI. The person behind the installation of the "video" with Senator Obama's comments on the plight of Pennsylvania small towns is Mayhill Fowler. She's an Oakland resident of 61 years old who I first met online via Amanda Michel of The Huffington Post.

At first, our emails were fine as I wrote about videoing her -- we both live in Oakland But as her coverage became obviously anti-Barack, I not only backed off, I stopped contacting her, except to tell her that she was being biased.

All of her coverage at the time was pro-Hillary and Anti-Barack. Plus, she had the nasty habit of quoting Barack or any supporter without taking notes or using a camcorder. That habit was SO BAD she pissed off key members of the Obama For America campaign in Northern California.

Nuts.

Also, my Huff Post articles were pro-Obama and I was open about it. But they -- the Huff Post -- had a WEIRD tendency to promote Mayhill's anti-Obama coverage over my pro-Obama work, which also attacked Clinton.

Thus, I stopped submitting work to the Huff Post because of that, plus the fact that my interest is in building my blog network and not Arianna's. I love Ariana and I've copied her here, but all's fair in the Internet business.

My point was to tell the world the other story and that was being slowed, so I concentrated on using better "SEO" systems than the Huff Post, to rank higher -- it's worked. One thing I've learned is that once a person in this business finds the right formula, all of the beneficiaries of the "old" way give way to the new.

This will be true for the Huff Post, as much as any other website. You can't sit still, and yet they do. Just how is something I know. It's not that I don't respect the Huff Post -- in fact, I love it -- but I did not like the Mayhill matter. It stuck in my craw and fueled me to make my own news and not contribute to their content, or try to.

Meanwhile Mayhill pressed on. To her partial credit, this article has some evidence which I frankly think is good for the campaign. Barack's a speaker of the truth and the fact is that small towns in Pennsylvania have really been hit hard. He's right to talk about where they're coming from and it should spark conversation. Like the "race" issue, we will come out on top in the end. We're fighting against people who use dishonesty as a weapon -- I've learned that the best counter is honesty.

Also, I suspect that Mayhill's getting some assistance from Huff Post, but if so it's small. That $10 million they got is not going into the pockets of editors and writers as it should -- bully for me!

In closing, if you want to contact Mayhill yourself here's her email:
JuneHill@aol.com

As Scooby Do would say "Rotsa Ruck Roy!"
Dear

As

--
Zennie Abraham, Jr.
Chairman and CEO
http://www.sportsbusinesssims.com
Sports Business Simulations
510-387-9809
SBS Online Marketing at http://www.sbson.com

Why vote for Obama?

All politicians say they're for the people. How many priests, evangelists, and politicians do we have to endure before it's OK to be cynical and expect him to be just one more guy who talks the good talk but worries about himself and those who help him get rich? After all, isn't he really just like all the rest? Won't he just get greedy and help special interests if we elect him? This guy doesn't think so.

read more | digg story

Tavis Smiley Quits The Tom Joiner Show Over Barack Obama

Tavis Smiley Quits The Tom Joiner Show Over Barack Obama

After his disasterous handling of the Barack Obama presidential run and his snub of Michelle Obama during the promotion for his "State of Black America" event, Tavis Smiley has quit the Tom Joiner Morning Show. Joiner himself says it's because of the "hate" he's getting around the Barack matter.

Florida Cheerleader Beating Shows Teenage Cruelty To World

This video is all over the place and on YouTube and various other online video distribution sites. These Lakeland Florida cheerleaders were upset with a girl that wrote "bad things" about them on MySpace page and on text messages, and then set up a plot to entrap and then eventually beat a 16-year old girl.

Here's the video:



That video also shows Ms. Garcia, who's the mother of one of the girls responsible for the event. I feel sorry for the mother as I don't think she knows the gravity of what's happened and is trying to protect her daughter against a angry society.

But the fact is that teenage girls like this have been around us for years. What's happened is that we have sent messages to them that violence and "beat-downs" are just fine, and oh, let's show it all on YouTube.

The kids are teenagers who don't know better and should not be tried as adults in my view. But I think some kind of message should be sent and we also need to take a hard look at how society is raising these 21st Century "Heathers".

This is the video of the incident itself:

TIME Magazine: Obama's Mother

Unlike her son who has been teased and queried about his middle name, Ann Soetoro had an unusual first name: Stanley. Her father wanted a boy.

"It turns out that Obama's nascent career peddling hope is a family business. He inherited it. And while it is true that he has not been profoundly tested, he was raised by someone who was.

In most elections, the deceased mother of a candidate in the primaries is not the subject of a magazine profile. But Ann Soetoro was not like most mothers."

Indeed, her son is not like most sons, either. Time magazine had put Obama on their cover in December 2007. Now, as we head for the Pennsylvania primary on April 22nd, the magazine turns to examine his mother in an article full of information about the woman who first shaped the person we know today as U.S. Senator Barack Obama.

find audacious blogs | read the TIME article | digg story

Obama to receive numerous PA endorsements today

Philly.com is reporting that a bevy of city and state elected officials - specifically, 6 Philadelphia City Council members, 3 state representatives, and state senators Shirley Kitchen and Vincent Hughes - are expected to endorse Barack Obama for president at the Philadelphia City Hall today. The state's governor and the mayor of Philly are both Clinton supporters, so the Democratic party in PA is clearly not of one mind on the presidential race.

Obama supporters seem to anticipate that the contest will go past the April 22 Pennsylvania primary: Cinco de Mayo fund-raisers are already in place on the Obama campaign site.

related blogs | read the original article | digg story

Olympic Torch not Coming To Downtown SF

The Olympic Torch is not coming to San Francisco's Justin Herman Plaza
according to a source

There are too many protesters here and the crowd is intense and full
of both Chinese and Tibetan protesters.

At Coca Cola Stand at Olympic Torch Relay

This is but one of the scenes at this event which draws or has drawn
100,000 people. Every media person is here and both Chinese and
Tibetan Flags -- a sureal scene.

The number of Chinese supporters here is overwheming and in this area
but not outside of it far outnumber Tibetan supporters.

I do not think many of the Chinese supporters get it. They seem to
not want to discuss it.

Lady Calls for NBC Boycott

This woman at the event is holding up that sign you see...

Olympic Torch Relay Day - TShirt Sale

This guy is selling Free Tibet t shirts and the money goes to...him!!

Olympic Torch Relay Protest

I am on way to Embacadero on BART

Clinton "mis-speaks" About Obama's Iraq Record

Even if one were to employ this "Start Counting in January 2005" measurement she's suddenly using as a metric to attempt to prove she was against the Iraq war before Senator Obama was (yes, I know, it sounds fantastic, but work with me here) Clinton did not criticize the war in Iraq first.

Scrambling to support their boss's claim, Clinton campaign officials pointed to a statement Clinton issued on Jan. 26, 2005, explaining her vote to confirm Condoleezza Rice as Secretary of State."The Administration and Defense Department's Iraq policy has been, by any reasonable measure, riddled with errors, misstatements and misjudgments," the January 2005 Clinton statement said. "From the beginning of the Iraqi war, we were inadequately prepared for the aftermath of the invasion with too few troops and an inadequate plan to stabilize Iraq."

Clinton is correct as quoted, and she certainly knows about misstatements. But, as reported by Jake Tapper on Political Punch, Senator Obama still offered his criticisms of the war in Iraq (directly to Secretary Rice) eight days earlier, during his first meeting with the Secretary of State as a new member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on January 18th.

Senator Clinton would be well advised to dispense with the tired platitudes, stop her premeditated posturing as we approach the Pennsylvania primaries in an attempt to appear more presidential than Obama and offer specific, concrete concepts about what she'd actually do to address the situation going forward. Voters are seeking more than politics as usual. Even Peter Idusogie, a candidate for congress from Minnesota, has advanced more cogent suggestions regarding the a resolution of our involvement there than Senator Hillary Clinton.

read Tapper's article | digg story

An Interview With Sarah Ann Hayes And Kelly and Rick Dobbins

Not to put too much pressure on her, but Sarah Ann Hayes is going to be the next big thing in female bodybuilding.

I met her at Gold's Gym where shes' being trained by my friends Rick and Kelly Dobbins in Oakland, CA, but she lives in Minnesota.

Obama Supporters. Home Made Signs

At the California State Democratic Convention I was struck over the
number of homemade Obama signs versus the machine printed Clinton
signs! That is a image that proves Barack's grass roots appeal!!

Zennie Will Mobile Live Blog From Olympic Torch Relay

I will use Blogger Mobile Live Blog to report from the SF Olympic
Torch Relay today. I will have. VIP seating in the sponsor area where
I will report on events and ask questions.

Sent from my iPhone

A380 Takes Off

Is Obama post-racial?

Wyclef Jean on the difference between being on a high horse and dealing with things directly. Short and sweet - and right on point.

www.bigthink.comhosted in Obamesque's "vodpod."

Zennie Dances - Anticipating An Obama Victory

OK, it wasn't really for that reason at all much as I was just plain clowning around after a big dinner with friends. But when Barack Obama wins the presidential race, you can bet money that's the dance I'm gonna do!

Hillary Clinton Lies Again! ABC's Jack Tapper Exposes Iraq Lie

ABC News; Jack Tapper has a online space called "Political Punch" and where Tapper reveals yet another Clinton lie. This one on who spoke out against the Iraq War first after 2005, his first Senate year. She says she did, but Tapper shows that Obama did. Read on..

In Oregon, Clinton Makes False Claim About Her Iraq Record Vs. Obama's

April 06, 2008 9:49 AM

In Eugene, Ore., Saturday. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., attempted to change the measure by which anyone might assess who criticized the Iraq war first, her or Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., by saying those keeping records should start in January 2005, when Obama joined the Senate. (A measure that conveniently avoids her October 2002 vote to authorize use of force against Iraq at a time that Obama was speaking out against the war.) She claimed that using that measure, she criticized the war in Iraq before Obama did.

But Clinton's claim was false.

Clinton on Saturday told Oregonians, "when Sen. Obama came to the Senate he and I have voted exactly the same except for one vote. And that happens to be the facts. We both voted against early deadlines. I actually starting criticizing the war in Iraq before he did."

It's an odd way to measure opposition to the war -- comparing who gave the first criticism of the war in Iraq starting in January 2005, ignoring Obama's opposition to the war throughout 2003 and 2004. (And Clinton's vote for it.)

But even if one were to employ this "Start Counting in January 2005" measurement, Clinton did not criticize the war in Iraq first.

Scrambling to support their boss's claim, Clinton campaign officials pointed to a paper statement Clinton issued on Jan. 26, 2005, explaining her vote to confirm Condoleezza Rice as Secretary of State.

"The Administration and Defense Department's Iraq policy has been, by any reasonable measure, riddled with errors, misstatements and misjudgments," the January 2005 Clinton statement said. "From the beginning of the Iraqi war, we were inadequately prepared for the aftermath of the invasion with too few troops and an inadequate plan to stabilize Iraq."

But Obama offered criticisms of the war in Iraq eight days before that, directly to Rice, in his very first meeting as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Jan. 18.

Obama pushed Rice on her answers to previous questioners regarding the effectiveness of Iraqi troops, and he criticized the administration for conveying a never-ending commitment to a US troop presence in Iraq.

"I am concerned about this notion that was pursued by Senator Biden and others that we've made significant progress in training troops," Obama told Rice "Because it seems to me that in your response to Senator Alexander that we will not be able to get our troops out absent the Iraqi forces being able to secure their own country, or at least this administration would not be willing to define success in the absence of such security. I never got quite a clear answer to Senator Biden's question as to how many troops -- Iraqi troops -- don't just have a uniform and aren't just drawing a paycheck, but are effective enough and committed enough that we would willingly have our own troops fighting side-by- side with them. The number of 120,000 you gave, I suspect, does not meet those fairly stringent criteria that Senator Biden was alluding to. I just want to make sure, on the record, that you give me some sense of where we're at now."

Obama concluded his brief q&a by saying "if our measure is bring our troops home and success is measured by whether Iraqis can secure their own circumstances, and if our best troops in the world are having trouble controlling the situation with 150,000 or so, it sounds like we've got a long way to go. And I think part of what the American people are going to need is some certainty, not an absolute timetable, but a little more certainty than is being provided, because right now, it appears to be an entirely open-ended commitment."

**

The misrepresentation of the record is symbolic of the re-writing of history Clinton has attempted on her record regarding the war in Iraq.

Because the larger context is more important. And Clinton's written criticism of the war in a press statement in January 2005 received little attention compared to the press surrounding her trip to Iraq the next month, in February 2005.

Upon returning she argued that setting a deadline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops would aid the enemy.

“I don’t think it’s useful to set a deadline because I think it sends a signal to the terrorists and the insurgents that they just have to wait us out,” she said.

Describing her trip to Iraq, she said, "It’s regrettable that the security needs have increased so much. On the other hand, I think you can look at the country as a whole and see that there are many parts of Iraq that are functioning quite well."

She also interpreted a series of suicide bomb attacks as an indication that the insurgency was failing.

“The concerted effort to disrupt the elections was an abject failure," she said. "Not one polling place was shut down or overrun. The fact that you have these suicide bombers now, wreaking such hatred and violence while people pray, is to me, an indication of their failure.”

In an interview with NBC's Meet the Press on Feb. 20, 2005, Clinton said that withdrawing some troops or setting a date for withdrawal would be a "mistake."

"I don't believe we should tie our hands or the hands of the new Iraqi government," Clinton said. "We don't want to send a signal to the insurgents, to the terrorists that we are going to be out of here at some, you know, date certain."

"We have just finished meeting with the current prime minister, the deputy prime minister and the finance minister, and in our meetings, we posed the question to each of them as to whether they believed that we should set a firm deadline for the withdrawal of American troops," Clinton said. "To a person, and they are of different political parties in this election, but each of them said that would be a big mistake, that we needed to make clear that there is a transition now going on to the Iraqi government. When it is formed, which we hope will be shortly, it will assume responsibility for much of the security, with the assistance and cooperation of the coalition forces, primarily U.S. forces."

Clinton said that "what the American people need to know is, number one, we are very proud of our young men and women who are here," and second, "there can be no doubt that it is not in America's interests for the Iraqi government, the experiment in freedom and democracy, to fail. So I hope that Americans understand that and that we will have as united a front as is possible in our country at this time to keep our troops safe, make sure they have everything they need and try to support this new Iraqi government."

She soon told New York Daily News editors and reporters that it was important for Democrats to combat the idea that they're soft on national security issues like Iraq.

"If you can't persuade a majority of people that you're going to be strong and tough where we need to protect America and our [national] interests, you can't cross the [electoral] threshold," she said.

**

That same month, while Clinton was talking up the need for Democrats to project strength, and claiming a withdrawal deadline would be sending a signal to the terrorists, Obama was meeting with his constituents, sounding quite skeptical about the war and reiterating his opposition to the decision to go to war to begin with.

The Bloomington, Ill., Pantagraph reported that during a town hall meeting, asked about the Iraq war, "Obama said poor planning by the Bush administration has left Iraq woefully incapable of handling its own security. He expressed hope that more intensive training will be provided for Iraqi forces, saying such measures could allow most American troops to return home next year. While Obama said the recent Iraqi election is an encouraging sign for democracy, he questioned Bush’s rationale for the Iraq invasion. ’I didn’t see the weapons of mass destruction at the time, I didn’t think there was an imminent threat from Saddam Hussein.'"

Clinton made this latest questionable claim the same day that she came under fire for repeatedly telling a story that turned out not to be true about a poor pregnant woman losing her baby and her own life after being denied hospital treatment because she couldn't afford a $100 fee. The New York Times discovered that the woman in question was never denied treatment, and that she did have insurance. “We implore the Clinton campaign to immediately desist from repeating this story,” said a representative of the hospital.

The Clinton campaign said that the senator had been told the story by a sheriff's deputy, and had not been able to fully check its accuracy. "We did try but were not able to fully vet it,” Clinton campaign spokesman Mo Elleithee said. “If the hospital claims it did not happen that way, we respect that."

This latest incident also comes less than two weeks after Clinton had to back off a description of a plane landing during a 1996 trip to Bosnia that she had claimed was under sniper fire. Video evidence surfaced proving that claim false and Clinton admitted that she "misspoke."

- jpt

"McNasty" McCain Loses His Temper, Even With Wife?

According to this account in the "Raw News Story" , in 1992 Senator John McCain referred to his wife as a "cunt" in front of reporters, and in high school, he was called "McNasty" McCain.

Hmm..."McNasty" I like the sound of that.

Mark Penn,Clinton's Top Strategist, Quits

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Hillary Clinton's chief presidential campaign strategist is quitting his post amid criticism of his public relations firm's contacts with the Colombian government over a pending free-trade deal, Clinton's campaign announced.

Mark Penn and his political consulting firm will continue advise the New York senator's Democratic presidential bid, but Penn will give up his job as chief strategist, campaign manager Maggie Williams said.

"After the events of the last few days, Mark Penn has asked to give up his role as chief strategist of the Clinton campaign," Williams said.

Penn is CEO of public relations giant Burston Marsteller and is president of Penn, Schoen and Berland, his political consulting firm.

Friday, he acknowledged he had met with the Colombian ambassador to the United States earlier in the week in his role as Burston Marsteller's chief to discuss the pending U.S.-Colombia trade pact, which Clinton has criticized on the campaign trail.
Penn called the meeting "an error in judgment that will not be repeated," and apologized. That prompted Colombia's government to fire the company Saturday, calling the remarks "a lack of respect to Colombians."

Clinton and top aides were sharply critical of rival Democrat Barack Obama in February when reports indicated that his top economic adviser had suggested to a Canadian official that Obama was not as supportive of changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement as the Illinois senator claimed to be on the campaign trail.

Mark Penn and his political consulting firm will continue advise the New York senator's Democratic presidential bid, but Penn will give up his job as chief strategist, campaign manager Maggie Williams said.

"After the events of the last few days, Mark Penn has asked to give up his role as chief strategist of the Clinton campaign," Williams said.

Penn is CEO of public relations giant Burston Marsteller and is president of Penn, Schoen and Berland, his political consulting firm.

Friday, he acknowledged he had met with the Colombian ambassador to the United States earlier in the week in his role as Burston Marsteller's chief to discuss the pending U.S.-Colombia trade pact, which Clinton has criticized on the campaign trail.

Penn called the meeting "an error in judgment that will not be repeated," and apologized. That prompted Colombia's government to fire the company Saturday, calling the remarks "a lack of respect to Colombians."

Clinton and top aides were sharply critical of rival Democrat Barack Obama in February when reports indicated that his top economic adviser had suggested to a Canadian official that Obama was not as supportive of changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement as the Illinois senator claimed to be on the campaign trail.

Matt Leinart Party Boy In News For Partying With Girls

Two years ago, as Matt Leinart was repped by Leigh Steinberg and preparing to come out for the NFL Draft, I wondered if Leinart could focus in the NFL with all of the partying he's known for.

Well, with his season ending injury and now his photos of him simulating you-know-what with a champagne bottle and some celeb guys, the answer seems to be, well, let's review what I wrote first:

There's a school of thought that once Matt Leinart hits the grind of the NFL, he'll not post the same remarkable numbers that he did at USC. While I do disagree with that -- I think Matt will be one of the best -- I do think his first two years will be a bit hard. He's not going to be able to run the streets as he did at USC.

Look, as a Cal-grad who was getting his master's degree there at a time when most my age were still undergrads, I can identify with Matt's love for parties and the ladies. But now millions of dollars are on the line. Will Matt dump all of this fun?



Well, we have our answer and it's a resounding "no" because of these photos, but as Matt's partying always seems to have some casuality, this one fits the pattern. The Dirty.com is accusing Matt of serving alcohol to underage girls.

All of this was surfaced by a website called "The Dirty.com" which posted these photos of Leinart at his best.

As for the accusation, Leinart himself came forward and told Arizona Cardinals Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt about the party ahd the photos. Also, there's actual proof of this -- The Dirty.com dugg that up too -- so Matt's not off the hook regarding this, and in a way, that's too bad because I still think Matt tries to do the right thing, but that he get caught up in having fun -- and lets face it, it's not like he had to trick the women into being there.

The question is which one of Matt's "friends" leaked the photos. I mean Matt's got to watch his P's and Q's, but that means keeping your friends close and your enemies even closer.

And checking those IDs of girls before they drink.

UPDATE:

The girls age information according to TheDirty.com:

Courtney Elizabeth Halki (age 20 beer bong myspace profile below, this idiot made a picture from this night as her profile pic- same dress and beer pong set up) is a student at ASU. Liv Fierro (age 19 her bebo profile below was a blonde, but now short brown hair in blue big top), Chelsea Antoniono, and Karley Davis (in spa left of Matt zebra top- sophomore from Downers Grove, IL her myspace says in a relationship and ASU nursing major) were three of the other girls in the pictures. Still digging up more dirt so please email me with any info on the ladies pictured.

Clinton Swift-Boats Herself: Clinton Lies, Mistruths Nasty Pattern

Clinton Lies And Mistruths Are Nasty Pattern: Health Care and NC

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, just two weeks from a nasty storm of criticism on the heels of the disclosure that she lied about a trip to Bosnia she made as First Lady, faces a brand new problem of truth regarding an area that was her strength, health care. Then, just today as well, it was disclosed that Clinton is telling lies about Senator Obama's committment to North Carolina.

The Clinton Lies just keep coming.

According to the New York Times, Senator Clinton has crossed the country on her campaign tour, recounting a story of an Ohio woman who was denied health care for an illness that eventually took her life. Well, it turns out that the woman was not only not refused care, but had health insurance as well.

Bloggers are calling this a lie.

And CNN has the story on it's "Ballot Bowl" telecast:



Now the problem with the video is that Senator Clinton tells this story with a great deal of detail, and that the entire CNN segment makes Senator Clinton look bad, even as the CNN anchor's try to "balance" it out.

While this does not seem to count as a "lie" it certainly points to a lack of fact-checking on the campaign's part. They don't follow the Obama rule, which seems to be to talk in general terms and use the names of the people you know -- and make sure you know them.

What this story does is totally wreck whatever credibility Clinton and her staff had. Bloggers are already referring to this as "a lie" because of Clinton's Bosnia error, and it comes at the same day that Clinton is accused of lying about Barack Obama in North Carolina.

Eventually, no one will believe anything Clinton says at all.

Why Should Fantasy Football Owners Watch The NFL Draft?

While fantasy football owners steadfastly wait in anticipation for the beginning of the 2008 season, it’s imperative to remember that one must accrue the necessary building blocks and contributing factors in order to assemble a potent and versatile team capable of emerging victorious in all fantasy league formats. It’s essential to differentiate your team from the competitors by channeling a significant amount of energy, focus and determination into searching for what players in this year’s NFL draft have the ability to add value and provide meaning to one’s team. Still, maintain a vested interest in the excitement and thrill of the two-day spectacular at Radio City Music Hall.

As prospective players wait with overwhelming angst and nervousness, and high level executives remain engrossed in the complexities of the draft room, fantasy players are equipped with a desire to accelerate their overall understanding of the rookie landscape, and transform into stronger, more creative and innovative owners.

The foundation for consistent success in the fantasy realm is to possess the knowledge base and skill set needed to make shrewd and purposeful decisions. The NFL draft affords individuals the opportunity to gradually increase their comprehension of who the rising young stars are projected to be, and in which ways they will cement their impact on the field and in a fantasy owner’s lineup.

Moreover, in order to accumulate the balance required on a fantasy roster, one must harbor a wide assortment of players who excel in a multitude of fashions and mesh well on a continuous basis. To have one or two dynamic players and a significant amount of inferior players will enable your team to survive, not thrive. The same notion remains constant for the draft in which understanding who the premier top five players are, but not recognizing the plethora of other viable athletes scattered throughout the rounds is both ill-advised and detrimental to one’s long term future aspirations in a potential fantasy draft scenario.

From Jerious Norwood and Stephen Gostcowski, to Brandon Marshall and Marques Colston at pick 252, it’s evident that watching the majority of the draft will enable one to discover a full spectrum of players who might not be recognizable to the untrained eye come the end of August, but would certainly be relevant to the person who put forth the effort to tune into eight hours of draft day coverage Saturday and Sunday.

Most notably, I would not have the ability to sift through rookie talent in a fantasy drat and intelligently determine what players are authentic difference makers who can polish out the latter portion of my roster if I did not glue myself to the television for two consecutive days in April.

It’s very important to remember that watching the draft equipped with a gameplan that pointedly describes what your looking to achieve, and in what measurable steps you’ll reach your target is critical to fostering a broad understanding of the incoming players into the league and in what aspect they can affect one’s fantasy team.


It’s noteworthy to include that in fantasy football when one sees the opportunity, they must seize the opportunity. So, when one is tirelessly concentrated on their draft in the waning days of August, and sees several formidable rookies available on the board, it’s advisable to seize the opportunity and draft one’s that could add value to your team.

Undoubtedly, I’d rather select various rookies who’s careers look bright and prosperous, but lack any real track record, then utilize precious picks on established veterans who’s careers appear despondent and gloomy, but have already etched their way into the minds of fantasy players. In order to know who the prominent rookies might be, it’s essential to watch the NFL draft. This all harps back to the notion that to put together a flexible team one must have the needed building blocks, and these building blocks start to grow by doing the homework on the draft, gaining important insights while tuning into the coverage, and then understanding what young players have a viable chance of making a real difference on the field.

In addition, it’s very important to note during the draft proceedings what skill players are being drafted to what teams and where they could immediately fill a starting role. For example, last year the astute fantasy owner recognized that when Kansas City drafted LSU star Dwayne Bowe and Indianapolis selected Ohio State phenom Anthony Gonzalez, they were instantly going to occupy positions that would warrant immediate production and attention. Both players combined for over 1500 yards receiving and eight touchdowns, certainly cementing their impact on fantasy owner’s rosters and potentially serving as the prime reason why an owner could have been propelled to victory during any given week.

For fantasy owners, watching the NFL draft is a shrewd and sensible decision that will pay significant dividends once the regular season commences. Through tuning into the rapid coverage, one can blaze a pathway to success for their team and catapult from the goal line to the finish line.

Brent Turner Talks About Open Source Voting

My friend Brent Turner is on a focused mission at the California State Democratic Convention to make sure our voting process is safe and free from the chance of fraud using "open source voting" where you can see the software code of the electronic voting systems. You can go to openvoting.org for more information.

SF Ad Execs Don't Know Digital Media, But Act Like It

Ok, I warn you. This is a rant of massive proportions and designed to get my dander up for the day. Here it is.

I'm sick and tired of meeting San Francisco Digital Media and Ad Execs who work for or with Linkedin, AOL, Facebook, and other once nice little startups that suddenly became large companies yet don't know the first thing about coding a website, or don't even use state-of-the-art digital communications tools like Twitter, or even know how to make a YouTube channel, let alone upload a video to it....and will not admit it.

These folks are nice enough, but they're doing no one any favors at all and need a massive crash course in online tech, yet work in it! I realized this after a trip to the St. Regis Hotel on March 20th of this fine year 2008 to make a video for a kind of industry networkng group called "SF-BIG" or San Francisco Bay Area Interactive Group.

Now the video was a volunteer matter on my part and part of the agreement was that the video is mine, not their's and so I make it and post it and use it. I mean heck, if I'm not going to get an SF-BIG membership out of the deal, then I've got to protect what I do, right?

Which also means I get to rant, big time.

What I saw in the event discussion -- you can seee the video here after this break --



is a collection of 250 people, with maybe three Black faces inluding mine, and of which the vast majority were not tech-types, yet have some say over which tech-type gets what job if a tech-type dared to wade into their shallow end of the pool. Melinda Mettler , who represents the Academy of Art School of Advertising, made a flip set of remarks, indicating a near dislike forthe very students she's supposed to be trying to find jobs for. She says they're too cool, "life's a party, man."

Maybe it's because the tech-heads know that their real "job" is to go out and make their own company and not work for another large corporate bureaucracy full of game-players and back-stabbers. Maybe they know that the people doing the hiring don't know what they know anyway, so why go there?

Melinda says that tech-types don't want to leave San Francisco because it's too nice. No. The real reason is that the venture capitalists who would fund new firms are most likely to be here than in, say, New York or Chicago. That's why.

Watch the video. The only person who gets a pass from me is recruiter David Greenwald, and that's it. As far as I'm concerned, SF-BIG would do its members a favor if it had a panel on blogs and new media and coding and optimization, ....and a test. Call it a tech industry I.Q. test.

The lecture would be necessary, because as of this writing, most of the SF-BIG members would flunk the I.Q. test.