The married duo of James Carville and Mary Matalin are regular speakers at various conferences.  Just for example this year, they'll be speaking at conferences for:

National Association of Housing & Redevelopment Organizations

American Optometric Association

Independent Community Bankers of America

American Health Care Association

And that was just from a cursory Google search.

I've been trying to spruce up my own blog a bit with some quotes or lyrics about Christmas that I thought might add a bit of good cheer, and I stumbled onto this gem from Rudolph:

Narrator: Sam the Snowman: Meanwhile, the elves are bustling with activity. Christmas is over, but they still keep busy with lessons in elf improvement.

All these years I have watched this show, and I never caught this play on words until Wednesday.

Which brings me to the point of this diary: What holiday program - television show or movie - adds to your enjoyment of the Christmas holiday most?  What could - or do - you watch every year?  

There are times when a candidate for President should run for the nomination of a major party because of the issues that he or she brings to the race - issues that can't be separated from the candidate, and because of that, force a subject or issue into an election campaign, particularly the primary.

Because of that, I'd like to see the blogosphere discuss the value of a campaign in 2008 for the Democratic Presidential nomination by one Kathleen Blanco, Governor of Louisiana.

It's not that I see her as being a particularly good candidate, or a candidate that can win, or as a candidate that brings anything in particular to the campaign other than Louisiana, 2005 to date. There are a lot of issues relating to NOLA, Katrina, FEMA, state and federal responsibilities and coordination, land use planning, the disconnect between wealth and poor, etc., etc., that she could force into the primary debate in a way that most other candidates cannot. I think the Democrats need to have that debate, and that the Gulf Coast deserves that debate.

So why shouldn't Blanco run?  Why would she bring to the primary?

Don't we need a clearer term - and don't Iraqis deserve a clearer term for purposes of history - for where that "country" is today?

Unfortunately, we may be at a point where we need to more specifically classify civil wars to cover those instigated by attacks from another country. The term "Civil War" implies that the society pushed apart at the seams, rather than pulled apart by other-sovereign forces.  According to Merriam-Webster, civil war is defined as "a war between opposing groups of citizens of the same country."

But Iraq isn't just that while we're there, and it didn't start because of those opposing groups.  The U.S. and other foreign powers broke Iraq and allowed civil war to arise.  It's unfair to Iraq to label this solely as a civil war at this point, a label that implies that this is solely their issue and fault that it's at this state at this point.

So we need a more specific term than just "civil war".  Maybe it's Foreign-Induced Civil War. Maybe it's Exported Civil War. Suggestions?

I had a weird idea...

Take 50 political talk radio talk show hosts from around the country, including some of the national ones. Make it half and half, conservative and liberal. Ask each one of them for one legislative idea that they'd like to see passed by Congress.

And welcome to the newest reality program: "The Senate".

Each talk show host is a Senator, and must try to convince a majority of the remaining members of Congress to pass their idea. Each Senator puts their one idea in the hopper as a bill, and then they begin to try to work each other to pass their ideas. They're all locked in some huge estate until a bill is passed. The bill passed will win some ungodly amount of money for the author(s) of the idea. However, no bill can pass that encompasses more than 3 ideas.

And then videotape all the intrigue and dealmaking.

I'm not sure it would make for interesting television.  But I think it would be illuminating to the skills and intellectual capabilities of talk radio hosts when having them compete against each other.

And hopefully it would highlight that it is so much easier to take public potshots from a sound booth than it is to actually negotiate change.

Several days ago on my own blog, I asked many other bloggers the same question I'm now asking you:

What does the federal holiday, "Labor Day", really mean to you?

I'll post my own response after the break, but I'd appreciate anyone else's opinion on the holiday in comments.

Once again, I'm here to ask Kossacks for opinions and recommendations of things to do in a particular location.  We'll be going to the Boise, Idaho area for a few days for a wedding - the family of four, with two kids - and we're going to have at least one day to fill for ourselves.  Any suggestions?  Any "must do" activities?  I look forward to your suggestions.

Alright, would appreciate suggestions.  We're going to spend a week in and around Yellowstone in a little over a month, and I'm looking for ideas for things to do with our kids (9 and 5) that are fun and different and not really on the "obvious" list of things to do.  

So, share your experiences and let a first-timer to Yellowstone in on some of the lesser known gems of the area.

I have found a story that I will love to bring up the next time some conservatives talk about the strength of the economy.  Surely, part of this supposed strength of the economy has to do with government spending, and the war effort.  I'm sure they will take the bait, since they're rather desperate for any positive spin at this point.  Then I can talk about the new war boom industry.  The Iraq War apparently has been a godsend for...

teledildonics

It's just a great word to throw around conservatives - financial conservatives, religious conservatives, hawk conservatives.  Teledildonics.

Bob Casey, Jr., Alan Sandals, and Chuck Pennacchio all square off in the first of what appears to be only two debates for the Democratic Party candidate for U.S. Senate. For those that get Pennsylvania Cable Network, they will be broadcasting live at 7 PM on April 8. PCN will replay the debate at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 9.

Unfortunately, not many folks watch PCN on Saturday evening, so viewing is not going to be high. It would be useful if Pennsylvania bloggers would post their debate and candidate assessments after viewing. Maybe we should have a live blog post here on Saturday if enough folks plan to view.

I've been thinking about my role as a blogger in asking candidates for state office questions I think are important.  Not already elected officials - they have a soapbox already - but the challengers.  As a blogger, I think this is probably my most "useful" time to ask and get responses to questions on an issue that most elected officials don't publicly discuss much. Candidates need publicity. Online candidates appreciate online publicity. The fact that they're responding to an issue of my concern is a benefit to them and to me.  So I've been asking Pennsylvania candidates about an issue of interest to me - lobbyist registration/regulation in Pennsylvania.

It seems to me that more bloggers ought to take a structural approach to asking candidates about the "quiet issues" they find of interest and importance, because this is probably the best time to get answers on the table and to raise the issue in the first place. This is a good time for bloggers to leverage their candidate promotional position to ask questions.

So... what are you asking candidates about?

I have a suggestion.  In your search to become politically relevant again, I suggest you take a good, long, hard, cynical, sarcastic, over-the-top look at the Gridiron Dinner last Saturday.  I can't think of a more easy target for laughs than when VSIPs (very self important people) engage in a public show of fools spoofing fools.  Tim Russert in a blue dress?  Bush joking about Cheney shooting people?  Lynne Cheney telling jokes?  The mind boggles at the options.

Honestly, you could go all the way with this - after all, you're making fun of some of the dullest politicians and journalists making fun of themselves.  I realize this is a skit ensemble better suited to Monty Python, but you'll have to do - if you can.

An editorial from the Herald-Journal in Spartanburg, SC:

Solution to earmark problem is more congressional responsibility, not more presidential power

In pushing for a line-item veto, President Bush is trying to resurrect a failed idea that is unlikely to solve the problem he wants to address. Bush proposed legislation Monday that would give him the power to veto individual spending items in appropriations bills. The president said it would allow him to strip out pork-barrel spending.

...

More presidential power is not what's needed.

The answer is more responsibility in Congress. Representatives and senators have to change their budget system to disallow special projects and focus on national priorities.

Can you define America in a short paragraph, say no more than 50 words? I'm not talking about America the geographical location, I'm talking about America the concept. America the future. America the desired. America the good. I'm not sure I can. But the Democratic Party sure needs to find somebody that can do it, can do it well, and can do it constantly, and get that message out, over and over and over and over and over and over and over. Because until we can quickly and calmly and popularly declare what America is, the slow people and the evil people and the lost people in this country aren't going to grasp the choice between what we have and what we could have.

I love this campaign plank of Ross Schriftman, who is running for a State House seat in Pennsylvania:

Ross Schriftman, candidate for the Democratic nomination in the 152nd Legislative District (Portions of Eastern Montgomery County and Northeast Philadelphia) has proposed that all legislators be required to attend an annual class to review Pennsylvania and U.S. Constitutional Law.  Speaking before a crowd of 70 Upper Dublin Democrats on Sunday, Schriftman said "All professions require continuing education for their members. We should expect no less from those whose primary job it is to make the laws."

A few days ago, the Edmond Sun, in Edmond, Oklahoma, ran what I think is an important piece for people to remember:

Look at what we get for our tax dollars

I enjoy preparing my tax returns because I am reminded of all I get for the taxes I pay. The government services bought by the money are large. They include not only the obvious ones such as national defense and national police protection, but also ones that are not so obvious to everyone, such as management of public lands.

Tax dollars provide the money that supports scholars striving to become our next generation of scientists, and much of the money that universities spend on scientific research comes from government coffers. The public sees the big projects, like NASA sending robot explorers to the moon. The public doesn't see much of the research activity that goes on, smaller projects carried out by small laboratories headed by a single faculty member at a university. But those projects are important, both for the results they produce, and for the scientists they train as graduate students and postdoctoral researchers.

Apparently, Presidents' Day is not really much of a holiday.  Not like Christmas, not like New Year's Day, not like Independence Day, not even like Labor Day.  So for all of you who believe the Executive Branch is sacred, take heed - much of commercial America doesn't feel like celebrating the boss.  Even "bankers hours" don't automatically include the day.