Gary Johnson at Freedom Fest in Las Vegas

From the Lost Wages Review-Journal:

Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson is a man with little baggage, political or otherwise.

The Libertarian presidential nominee travels light, two carry-ons, no fees. He has no entourage, opening his own hotel room door at Paris Las Vegas on the Strip when a reporter arrives Friday to conduct an interview.
A trim man in a gray suit and blue tie, the 59-year-old Johnson skis, rides bikes and likes to climb mountains - four of the seven highest summits on the world's seven continents so far, including Everest.

And like many White House hopefuls before him, Johnson has written a new book, laying out his "Seven Principles of Good Government," to promote his ideas on the campaign trail.

They sound more like rules your mother might post on the refrigerator door, if she were a student of Taoism.

■ Become reality based.
■ Always be honest and tell the truth.
■ Always do what is right and fair.
■ Determine a goal and set a plan for reaching it.
■ Make sure everyone who should know your goal does.
■ Acknowledge mistakes immediately.
■ Love what you're doing; if you don't, find something else to do.

Yet the former Republican also has a strong record as a two-term governor in the 1990s. He slashed the New Mexico budget and vetoed 200 bills during his first six months in office, intent on eliminating wasteful spending.

Johnson said his goal in running for president is to win. He's one of three candidates who will be on all 50 states' ballots Nov. 6, along with President Barack Obama, the Democrat, and presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney.

The reality is no Libertarian presidential candidate has ever won more than 1 percent of the national vote. And Johnson's spartan campaign can't compete with the billion-dollar behemoths behind Obama and Romney.

The truth is, Johnson knows he has little chance of winning, especially if he isn't allowed to debate Obama and Romney in the fall. Johnson needs to reach at least 15 percent support levels in national polls to qualify.
So he's trying to raise his profile, traveling the country to attend conferences like the "Freedom Fest" meeting of conservatives and libertarians in Las Vegas, where he's speaking today at one of the sessions at Bally's. He's also doing lots of radio, print and TV interviews, and appearing on shows like Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show," a popular late-night program among political junkies.

Johnson said he loves promoting libertarian ideas, which are socially liberal and fiscally conservative. That means he's running to the left of Obama and to the right of Romney. For example, he thinks government should recognize gay marriage and legalize drugs, including marijuana. And he believes the federal government should balance its budget immediately, which would mean cutting spending by 43 percent his first year in office.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal talked with Johnson for half an hour. Here are some of the exchanges:

What makes you different than the other presidential candidates?

I would be the only candidate proposing a balanced budget in the year 2013. I would be the only candidate that would get out of Afghanistan immediately, end the war. I would be the only candidate that wants to end the drug wars. I would be the only candidate advocating abolishing the IRS, income tax and the corporate tax.

I'd be the only candidate, I think, that really would be talking about marriage equality from the standpoint of it being a constitutionally guaranteed right. I think I would be the only candidate that doesn't want to bomb Iran. And I know we haven't bombed Iran yet, but there sure is a lot of saber rattling. And I'm not rattling a saber at Iran.

How would you balance the budget?

I like to start by talking about Medicaid, Medicare and military spending. I would be proposing a 43 percent cut in military spending.

Would you cut the budget 43 percent across the board?

Some areas I would eliminate completely. Other areas. I think you always want to keep an open mind. Perhaps government is spending money wisely somewhere. I'm not aware of it, but perhaps it is.

Can you really cut Medicare much since it's such a hot-button political issue?

If we don't balance the federal budget, I am in the camp that believes there is a consequence to continue to borrow, spend and print money to the tune of 43 cents out of every dollar that we spend. And the consequence is going to be a monetary collapse.

What about people like you who may retire in a few years and are counting on Medicare?

What about my kids? My kids can't retire - ever - because they're going to pick up the tab for all this. And then if you want to add on President Obama's health care plan, that is a plan that is dependent on healthy people paying for those that aren't so healthy. ... So young people have got it coming at them from all directions.

And how fair is that. They're getting screwed. If I were a young person right now, I would be openly in revolt.

What do you think about the Supreme Court upholding the health care law as constitutional?

I just think it's a horrible precedent that the government can tell me what I can and can't buy.

What do you think of the Arizona law the high court partly upheld that allows police to ask immigrants for proof they're in this country legally?

States should have the right to be able to pass legislation that they think can help themselves out. But in the case of Arizona, much as they should be empowered to do that, I would have vetoed that legislation if I would have been governor of Arizona. I line up with all the negative criticism that gets heaped on it. It just leads to racial profiling.

What should be done about the 11 million illegal immigrants in this country?

I think we should make it as easy as possible for someone that wants to come into this country to work to get a work visa - not a green card, not citizenship, but a work visa. And for those 11 million in the country right now, I think we need to set up a grace period where we can document them, give them a work visa. Would immigrants stand in line to get a work visa to come into this country if the line were moving? I think they would.

Many of your ideas might be popular with the public, but are they politically realistic?

I did serve two terms as governor of New Mexico with the same mind set then that I do right now. And I'm going to argue that was a Libertarian bent. And I don't know as I'm not going to get elected. ... I don't know if Americans really understand that we are in deep doo-doo and that neither party, neither Republicans or Democrats, are going actually to offer up the solutions, the medicine, that goes along with how ill we are.

What do you think of Obama?

I listened to Obama four years ago when he was running for office and he was saying some really favorable things about gay rights. I thought he said some very favorable things with regard to the war on drugs. I thought he said some very favorable things about American military involvement and our military interventions. (Now) he doubles down on Afghanistan. He's raiding medical marijuana facilities in California and Colorado when he said he wasn't going to do that. And then the whole marriage equality thing. He's just taken a cop out on that.

What do you think of Romney?

Romney says he wants to balance the federal budget but he wants to increase spending for defense. And he wants to hold Medicare intact. I finished the second grade and the mathematics that went along with that and it doesn't add up. So are either candidate really talking about the solutions that go along with the problems? No, I don't think so. They're talking about what the other ate for breakfast and the gaseous smells that resulted from the poor breakfasts they ate.

Which man would be better for the country in the White House, Obama or Romney?

I think this is tweedledee, tweedledum. What you're going to give up with Obama is he's a little bit better on civil liberties. He's horrible on dollars and cents. Romney is horrible on civil liberties and he's a little bit better on dollars and cents. I think I'm better than Romney on dollars and cents. I think I crush Romney when it comes to civil liberties. I think I crush Obama when it comes to dollars and cents. And I think I do a lot better on civil liberties than Obama.

What will you do if you don't win?

I have a goal to climb the highest mountain on each continent. I have three of those to go.

What does mountain climbing teach you?

Life is really about the moment. You need to enjoy the moment and you need to make the most out of all the time that you spend. Mountaineering, when you have to concentrate on being warm, or you need to cool off, or you need to eat, or you need to relieve yourself. You know it's very, very in the moment. Life's a journey. It's not a destination. But if you make life a destination, you're going to be disappointed.

On Rootgate

Semi-Libertarian sports handicapper Wayne Allyn Root has managed to stick his foot in it again. 

Drop in on Hammer Of Truth for details. 

I think the important thing now is to make sure Obama is not elected,and that means in my mind, I would love for a libertarian like Gary Johnson the two term governor of New Mexico would actually get elected President, but I think we all know that’s not going to happen so therefore it’s got to be Romney there is no choice.

Root is a fun guy, a nice guy.  John Spivey and I once spent a pleasant evening someplace in Austin drinking most of the free beer that Root had iced down in his bathtub.  He's still shaking off the Republicanism, but I'd rather have him inside the tent pissing out than outside the tent pissing in (to quote LBJ out of context). 

Go here to read Root's obligatory backpedaling. 

I know about a dozen Libertarians who are headed to the National Convention (in Vegas, BTW) with pitchforks and torches. 

Why Penn Jillette is a Libertarian Nut instead of just a Nut, and other stuff

I'm reading magician/comedian Penn Jillette's "God, No".  The chapter "Why I'm A Libertarian Nut Instead Of Just A Nut" is so good, so spot-on, that I was going to pound it into the internet this morning. 

This guy beat me to it.  So all I have to do is copy and paste. 

I don’t speak for all Libertarians any more than Sean Penn speaks for all Democrats. I’m not even sure my LP membership card is up to date. I’ve voted Libertarian as long as I can remember but I don’t really remember much before the Clintons and the Bushes. Those clans made a lot of us bugnutty. When I go on Glenn’s show he calls me a Libertarian, I think that’s my only real credential.

There are historical reasons and pragmatic reasons to be a Libertarian, but there are historic and pragmatic reasons to be a Democrat, a Republican or a Socialist. I don’t know if everyone would be better off under a Libertarian government. I don’t know what would be best for anyone. I don’t even know what’s best for me. What makes me Libertarian is I don’t think anyone else really knows what’s best for anyone. My argument for Libertarianism is simple - personal morality.

I start with the Declaration of Independence: “Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” So, essentially our government does what they do with my consent.

I know barely enough about Max Weber to type his name into Google, but it seems he’s credited with asserting the idea that the state has a monopoly on the legitimate use of physical force. I put those two ideas together (my consent and use of physical force) and figure we all give our government the right to use force. So, the way I figure, it’s not okay for our government to use force in any situation where I personally wouldn’t use force.

For example, if I’m not willing to kill a cute cow, I shouldn’t eat steak. I don’t have to kill Bessy right now with my bare hands, but I have to be willing to snuff her if I want to chow down on a T-bone. If it’s not okay for me, it’s not okay for a slaughterhouse. Asking someone else to do something immoral is immoral. If it’s not okay for me to break David Blaine’s hands so my magic show has less competition, it’s not okay for me to ask someone else to beat him up. Someone else doing your dirty work is still your dirty work.

If I had a gun, and I knew a murder was happening, (we’re speaking hypothetically here, I’m not asking you to believe that I could accurately tell a murder from aggressive CPR), I would use that gun to stop that murder. I might be too much of a coward to use a gun myself to stop a murder or rape or robbery, but I think the use of a gun is justified. I’m even okay with using force to enforce voluntary contracts. If I were a hero, I would use a gun to protect the people who choose to live under this free system and to stop another country from attacking America. But I wouldn’t use a gun to force someone to love something like say…a library.

Look, I love libraries. I spent a lot of time in the Greenfield Public Library when I was a child. I would give money to build a library. I would ask you to give money to build a library. But, if for some reason you were crazy enough to think you had a better idea for your money than building my library, I wouldn’t pull a gun on you. I wouldn’t use a gun to build an art museum, look at the wonders of the universe through a big telescope, or even find a cure for cancer.

The fact that the majority wants something good does not give them the right to use force on the minority that don’t want to pay for it. If you have to use a gun, it’s not really a very good idea. Democracy without respect for individual rights sucks. It’s just ganging up on the weird kid, and I’m always the weird kid.

People try to argue that government isn’t really force. You believe that? Try not paying your taxes. (This is only a thought experiment though -- suggesting someone not pay their taxes is probably a federal offense, and while I may be a nut, I’m not crazy.) When they come to get you for not paying your taxes, try not going to court. Guns will be drawn. Government is force.

It’s amazing to me how many people think that voting to have the government give poor people money is compassion. Helping poor and suffering people yourself is compassion. Voting for our government to use guns to give money to help poor and suffering people is immoral self-righteous bullying laziness. People need to be fed, medicated, educated, clothed, and sheltered. If we’re compassionate, we’ll help them, but you get no moral credit for forcing other people to do what you think is right. There is great joy in helping people, but no joy in doing it at gunpoint.

I’m a Libertarian nut because I don’t want my government to do anything in my name that I wouldn’t do myself.

Here's another excerpt where Jillette explains the connection between his religious beliefs (none) and his Libertarianism.  He doesn't believe that he knows.  He has no freakin' clue what is best for you, sitting there in Clovis New Mexico, or Birmingham Alabama, or Birmingham England.  He doesn't know what you need !!  Neither does Barack Obama, or John Boehner, or Rick Perry, or David Cameron, or The Pope.  They are ALL ordinary people that some of you good folks want to put on pedestals.  Penn Jillette doesn't understand why. 

“What makes me libertarian is what makes me an atheist — I don’t know. If I don’t know, I don’t believe. I don’t know exactly how we got here, and I don’t think anyone else does, either. We have some of the pieces of the puzzle and we’ll get more, but I’m not going to use faith to fill in the gaps. I’m not going to believe things that TV hosts state without proof. I’ll wait for real evidence and then I’ll believe.

And I don’t think anyone really knows how to help everyone. I don’t even know what’s best for me. Take my uncertainty about what’s best for me and multiply that by every combination of the over 300 million people in the United States and I have no idea what the government should do.

President Obama sure looks and acts way smarter than me, but no one is 2 to the 300 millionth power times smarter than me. No one is even 2 to the 300 millionth times smarter than a squirrel. I sure don’t know what to do about an AA+ rating and if we should live beyond our means and about compromise and sacrifice. I have no idea. I’m scared to death of being in debt. I was a street juggler and carny trash — I couldn’t get my debt limit raised, I couldn’t even get a debt limit — my only choice was to live within my means. That’s all I understand from my experience, and that’s not much.

It’s amazing to me how many people think that voting to have the government give poor people money is compassion. Helping poor and suffering people is compassion. Voting for our government to use guns to give money to help poor and suffering people is immoral self-righteous bullying laziness.

People need to be fed, medicated, educated, clothed, and sheltered, and if we’re compassionate we’ll help them, but you get no moral credit for forcing other people to do what you think is right. There is great joy in helping people, but no joy in doing it at gunpoint.

Here's a random Penn Jillette video on the merits of Libertarianism as compared to the other choice.  If you are offended by F-bombs, don't hit "play".  The F-bombs are, however, appropriate. 

The Weekly Radley: Protectionism At Work

I saw this on Radley Balko's site.  I hope you can't read the fine print at the very bottom of the advertisement, the obligatory "this ad paid for by.....".  
But first, try to guess who paid for it !  Doesn't it look like something designed by a group of concerned citizens? 
Give up? 
Ok, think "Bootleggers Dressed As Baptists"
You can hit the label at the bottom of this post to see more "Bootleggers And Baptists" stuff. 

Ok, go here to see who paid for the ad. 
It wasn't a "Parents Concerned About Kids Gambling Online" group, was it? 
It almost never is. 
The Indian Casino monopoly opposes online gambling.  Memphis, Tennessee wine shops oppose grocery store wine sales.  California's recent failed marijuana legalization proposition was opposed by almost all marijuana growers.  The funny thing is the way they all try to posture as guardians of our virtue, when all they're doing is blocking potential competitors.   
Big Bidness loves a monopoly.  And the only way they can have it long-term is if the government helps them preserve it.

Martha Coakley ran a good campaign. Seriously.

I'm watching Chris Matthews, Rachel Maddow, and Keith Olbermann on MSNBC. They're trying to explain how Massachusetts, Massa-freakin'-chusetts, just elected a non-Democrat to The Kennedy Ancestral Senate Seat.

This is not possible. It's like a Republican getting elected in Yellow Dog Democrat-era Mississippi. I betcha two months ago, Vegas wouldn't have even given you odds on this upset.

Note to self: Make a point of watching Rachel Maddow more often. Study her habits. Is she insane? Why is she allowed on national television? Compare her logic to that of the O.J. Simpson jury.

Over on CNN, they're now showing video of disaster relief in Haiti, since it's less gruesome. I bet our Secretary of State, She Whose Name Is Not Spoken, is down there serving soup to refugees, giggling in her pantsuit about The Teleprompter Jesus getting a beatdown like this one from Massa-freakin'-chusetts.

Fox News is downright giddy.

Over here and over here, they're throwing Martha Coakley under the bus, talking about what a poor candidate she turned out to be, and making polite noises about the flawless Scott Brown campaign.

Well, I think Martha Coakley ran a good campaign. Let me explain.

Thomas Jefferson could've been the Democratic candidate. He could have showed up at campaign events with Sally Hemmings at his side (to show his commitment to diversity). T.J. could promise to sign replicas of the Declaration Of Independence all day long at every campaign stop, and he still would have lost.

Imagine any candidate having to support: The Bailouts. TARP. Cash For Clunkers. Card Check. The total lack of promised transparency. The G.M. takeover. The Porkulus package. 10% unemployment. The additional three trillion dollars tacked onto the national debt.

And for the leftists: Gitmo is still open. Wiretaps. We've actually increased our troop levels in the Middle East. The Democrats have all the votes they would need to legalize gay marriage tomorrow, and they haven't done it. We have 5% of the world's population, but 20% of its prisoners, and a sizable percentage of them are locked up for possessing weed.

And for anyone with one eye, half sense, and who can chew with his mouth shut: Have you actually looked at either one of the healthcare bills? Why do unions get a free pass on their Cadillac healthcare plans and the rest of us don't? Why aren't insurance companies allowed to, or forced to, compete across state lines? And why are the insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies lobbying for this bill?

Thomas Jefferson, our greatest statesman, would take one look at that pile of steaming pork and politely decline to participate.

Martha Coakley pulled off a miracle by breaking 40%.

Too bad the Libertarian candidate didn't fare any better. Joe Kennedy seems like a good guy. Oh well.

Picture of someone being thrown under the bus came from here.

The First, and Earliest Post on The Democratic Presidential Debate in Nevada

The theme for tonight’s CNN debates from Nevada: “This Time, The Gloves Come Off!”.
If that’s the case, can someone please stick the gloves in Lou Dobbs’ mouth? Having to listen to his borderline racist, jingoistic, outraged Populist mess prior to this debate has been an ordeal.
If Lou Dobbs was from Mexico, he would be doing anything in his power to get into the United States.
God, I wish someone would catch him employing an illegal Hispanic Nanny.
Lou, ask your audience what is screwed up about Mexico, and try to get your audience upset over that, ok? There’s only a river separating them from us. Same oceans. Same weather. Do an investigative report.
Ok, we’re getting started….
Wulf Blitzer is singing the praises of Nevada. Hasn’t mentioned GREAT blackjack rules.
He’s brought out John “The Carolina Ambulance Chaser” Edwards.
Chris Dodd, who did ok at the last debate.
Barack Obama, who came across very well last time. He’s going to be President one day, but probably not this time.
Hillary Clinton, who will probably spend the evening at the bottom of a dog pile.
Delivered by UFO, Dennis Kucinich.
Bill Richardson, who in my opinion, is running for Vice President.
Joe Biden, who I thought won the last debate.

They’re doing a Photo-op. It would be funny to have each candidate flounce down a catwalk while an announcer describes what they’re wearing, who designed it, and how much it sells for at Wal-Mart.

Wulf Blitzer is saying that the candidates must stay “on-topic”. Good luck, Wulf.

Campbell Brown is asking Hillary about “parsing”. Hillary is happy to be here. Her pantsuit is asbestos. She’s been fighting for 35 years for her positions. She’s been specific.
Wulf is trying to start some stuff…He asks Barack to clarify his attacks on Hillary. Well, Barack is happy to be here also. He thinks Americans want straight answers. Hillary doesn’t give them.. Driver’s Liscences, Immigrants, Social Security, etc. WE NEED A DIFFERENT KIND OF POLITICS. The reason is, Washington (Hillary) doesn’t listen.
Wulf throws it to Hillary….”When it came to step up and support Universal Healthcare, he chose not to do that”. Hillary covers everyone. She’s been fighting that battle for 15 years. Republicans aren’t going to quit without a fight.
Obama: Let’s talk about healthcare….hillary thinks the problem is no one has forced them to get it. Barack thinks they just can’t afford it. Everyone should healthcare as good as Congress. GOOD LUCK PAYING FOR THAT, BARACK.
Hillary: I invented healthcare.
Big muddle. Everyone talking at once.
Barack: Hillary states that she wants to mandate it. But she’s not garnishing wages. She’s not enforcing it. The audience is yelling. This will be like the WWF if someone doesn’t quiet this Nevada audience down.
Edwards: Nobody’s perfect. Can we have a Prez that will restore trust? Edwards is now the first to dogpile. He lists all the ways that Hillary is like Bush. The camera keeps going to Hillary. She looks irked.
Hillary: I respect all my colleagues on the stage. She doesn’t mind taking hits. Edwards is taking his attacks out of the Republican playbook. (audience cheers). Edwards looks irked. We need to put forth a positive agenda for America.
Wulf: we want Biden to weigh in…
Biden: OH NO NO NO….PLEASE DON”T CALL ON ME ! List of things that Americans are worried about….Biden makes a joke, and Hillary does her cackle.
Biden asks who among us can take care of big huge problems…Biden says he has the experience. He comes across as The Adult in The Room.
John Roberts, an older Ken Doll, asks about people attacking Hillary for flip-flopping:
Edwards says it’s ok for people to change their minds. But not in the same paragraph. Nevadans are booing. I think the lights are too bright. Edwards is blinking too much. He’s listing number of poor people in America. We all have choices.
Wulf: why is John Edwards so angry?
Dodd: We have a job to do…(stay in office, funnel money to our contributors, and keep people from worrying.) People quit listening when it gets this shrill.
Bill Richardson: He gets to say something, introduces himself. John wants class war, somebody else wants generational war, Hillary wants any war. He wants to give peace a chance. The governor of New Mexico wants to be John Lennon. Let’s stop the mud-slinging. Let us, Let us, Let us, etc etc etc
Wulf: Are you ready to commit that you will support the Democratic nominee?
John: Yes All others: yes. Dennis: if anti-war. Biden: wouldn’t support any of them.
Barack, on an immigration question: Bush has done nothing. 5 million have come across the border since Bush took office. We have to state a comprehensive solution: tight borders, prosecution of employers of illegals. HE SAID “MAKE SURE THEY’RE LEARNING ENGLISH.” This will come back to haunt him.
Wulf: Do you support D.L.’s for illegals?
Barack: he advocated it as state senator from Illinois. Blah blah, blame Bush.
Wulf does another role call on D.L.’s: Barack: He’s getting hung up trying to parse his answer. Edwards: No. more elaboration. Dodd: Kinda said no. Barack: Yes. (I think) Clinton: No. Kucinich: these people aren’t illegal, but undocumented. Cancel Nafta. Give them a legal path. Richardson: Yes. He did it in New Mexico. Biden: No.
Aging Ken Doll: Asks Dodd about education….Teachers can’t get raises for excellence. Teachers Unions are a problem, aren’t they?
Dodd: Brings up poverty, not merit pay for teachers.
Wulf: Asks Kucinich if he disagrees with Unions about anything….
Kucinich: Yadayadayadayada….I don’t think we’ll ever know. When pressed, he says Teamsters wanted to drill in Alaska, and he didn’t.
Richardson: minimum wage for Teacher’s oughta be 40 grand. Kindertgartens, art, math, no huge loans, Two years tuition = 1 year service.
Clinton: She likes School based merit pay, not individual. The school is a team. (Everything has to be “group” and socialized with Hillary. It Takes a Village”) She won’t say yes or no.
Biden: An Excellent Teacher should be judged by improving him/herself by getting more degrees. (This has been proven to have no effect on teaching ability, BTW.) Who is going to judge what is excellent?
Campbell Brown: Pakistan has a state of emergency. Musharaff (sp?) is in big trouble. Should we keep propping him up?
Biden: He’s gotta keep fair and free elections going in Pakistan, (or get them going to begin with). Joe has a Pakistan plan for the Pakistan middle class. (Then he gets in a great dig at the big 3 candidates, apologizing for having the boldness to answer a question….)
Richardson: We got our principles wrong in Pakistan. Democracy and Human Rights are the most important. Put up 10 million bucks. Conditional on Liberalizing the nation. Free elections, restore the courts, etc.
Wulf wants clarification: What’s more important, Human Rights or American Security?
Richardson: It’s not about what Haliburton wants.
Edwards: Basic Goals….no extremism, dem elections, watch extremists, no nukes. Edwards is going to rid the world of Nuclear Weapons.
Obama: Human Rights vs. National Interests…They aren’t contradictory. The more Human Rights are observed, they more everyone’s national security is improved. (Good Answer.)
Dodd: National Security, (after some Bush slamming). He then says some good stuff about being careful what you wish for. There are a lot of voting extremists in Pakistan.
Hillary: National Security. Hillary isn’t going to parse a single answer tonight.
John Roberts: Asks Richardson about a unit doing it’s 13th tour in Iraq. Looong question. Is the troop increase working?
Richardson: the surge isn’t working. 3/18ths of benchmarks aren’t working. 65% of Iraqi’s say it’s ok to shoot an American. (He’s giving a long, long, long answer. Kucinich looks irked ‘cause he didn’t get to answer the Pakistan question.)
Kucinich: I’m the only one on stage who voted against the war, And has a plan to bring the troops home. Then he answers the Pakistan question. Dennis says we created the Pakistan problem.
Obama: More troops in Iraq are making a difference in some neighborhoods. He’s going to end the war in 16 months. Talk to Iraq and Syria.
Campbell Brown: what about Chinese Toys? Are your co-democrats responsible?
Kucinich: my co-candidates are responsible. John Edwards, you voted in favor of a lot of this. (much audience noise)
Edwards: America’s trade policy has been a disaster. Big corporate interests have taken over the country. Now he’s talking about NAFTA. We shouldn’t replace Corporate Republicans with Corporate Democrats.
Wulf: Asks about Bill’s NAFTA support….Was Ross Perot right?
Clinton can only remember charts. “we need to take a look at it.” Every parent should be worried about China toys, pet food, etc etc etc….
Wulf: Was NAFTA a mistake?
Clinton: It didn’t deliver as hoped. Enforce Labor and Environmental rights.
Dodd: We’re in a global economy. We have to expand those markets.
Barack: Obama supports the Peru Free Trade Agreement. On China…The Japanese send their own inspectors in. We should do the same.
Biden: We can shut this down if we want to. Bush won’t do it.
John Roberts: exposition, exposition, exposition, Obama, where should Nuclear Waste be kept?
Barack: We should work on developing safe ways to store this, as opposed to finessing our “Not In My Backyard” strategies. Obama then asks why Wulf keeps asking “assuming we can’t” questions….”Let’s assume we can”….Good answer.
Richardson: the future is renewable. Turn Yucca Mountain into a National Laboratory. Find a safe way to get rid of this stuff. Plus, we have to sacrifice a little bit.
Hillary is asked about going to Wellesley, and her statements about “the all boys club”. Is she exploiting gender?
Clinton: I’m not playing the gender card, I’m playing the winning card. I’m not attacked because I’m a woman, I’m attacked because I’m ahead. Quotes Truman. “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.” “I’m comfortable in the kitchen.”
What did you mean at Wellesley when you referred to The Boys Club?
Clinton: There are some impediments. It’s the hardest glass ceiling. (She’s doing well here. Good spiel.)
THANK GOD IT’S ALMOST BREAK TIME.
Wulf: do any of you think Clinton is playing the gender card?
Edwards: We gotta have a strong candidate. We have to know the differences. He gets booed on a dig about campaign contributions.)

At this point, I’d say that Obama and Biden are doing well. Edwards is neutral. Hillary is doing much better than her last outing. Dodd, Kucinich, and Richardson haven’t screwed up, but haven’t done anything to get out of last place, either. I’m going to go ahead and post this, As Is. Hope it’s accurate.