First:  This is, more or less, a defense of Senator Obama's ultimate position on FISA, even though I disagree with it.  Yes, the world is a very complicated place.

Second:  A warning.  I'm not doing any research here.  I'm a very, very lazy man.  I could link to documents, quotes, news reports, other blogs, etc, but I won't.

Third:  I waited until heads cooled a little bit before I put this up for a reason.

Fourth:  This is long and rambling.  Key parts bolded for those as lazy as me, so they don't have to read the whole thing.

Okeydoke.  Actual content "after the jump."  I promise.

First of all, yes, this isn't much of a diary, I know.  But so far as I know, it hasn't been said.  And it certainly hasn't been emphasized enough.

Not long ago, in the earlier portion of the Hundred Years War, Edward III of England faced off against Philip VI of France in a battle viewed to be one of the most historically significant of all time.  Near the town of Crécy-en-Ponthieu, two great armies faced off.  I will use my incisive and highly germane skills of political analysis to examine why the English came away with a decisive victory against a numerically superior French force.

But please, people.  Stop putting so much weight on state by state polls as opposed national polls.

I know I am touching a raw nerve with some people because of the 2000 debacle.  The winner of the popular vote lost the Electoral College and the loser became president.  You'll note, though, that this was because a recount of Florida was stopped by the U.S. Supreme Court.  Were the outcome determined fairly, Al Gore would have won the Electoral College in addition to winning the popular vote.

And even this was a rare exception in the past 130 or so years of American presidential electoral politics.

In her latest column in the "Newspaper of Record", Maureen Dowd pulls out all the stops for her man, John McCain, in attacking Senator Obama.  She, of course, continues to insult and denigrate Hillary Clinton, something less perspicacious Kossacks may be tempted to get behind.  But make no mistake, she is a Republican faithful through and through and will attempt any line of attack she can imagine against Barack Obama.

On tonight's "CBS Evening News", Dean Reynolds took Obama to task for having, well, a campaign event involving his family.

At a picnic in Noblesville Barack and Michelle Obama made like Ward and June Cleaver in a big photo op of family fun.

Stripped of context, that's not all that troubling.  Obviously he's implicitly accusing Obama of insincerity, of being a typical politician.  The "Leave it to Beaver" analogy is a popular one, as well.

Yes, that's right, folks.  Three major Pennsylvanian primary polls came out today that at least partially taken in the wake of the faux "bitter controversy."

Rasmussen showed Clinton expanding her lead from five to nine.  Quinnipiac showed Clinton's lead static at six.  And SurveyUSA showed Clinton's lead shrinking from 18 to 14.

Now, I can't make any well-reported accusations.  I'm just a citizen-blogger, another individual with nothing more than a keyboard and an Internet connections.  I do know that members of the media are not allowed into political fund-raisers.  I certainly know tape recorders are not allowed.

Clinton is shopping an American Spectator story accusing Gen. McPeak of being anti-Semitic.  Of course, if you actually read the article, it's pretty clear he's anti-religious extremism, but that's irrelevant -- remember how Wright got turned into a racist.

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/...

(I posted there as "Seth")

Dear Representative Rahm Emanuel:
Let’s clear the air first.  I am a Jew.  You are a Jew.  I live in Illinois’ Fifth Congressional District.  You not only live here (presumably not in a studio apartment), but represent us in the United States House of Representatives.  I have voted for you and feel you to be a good representative for this district, the Democratic Party, and this country.

Before I continue, I would like to stress that I have no qualms with Christianity – nor, for that matter, any other religious creed.  I respect that Christianity in particular is rooted in the same Noahide tradition as Judaism and, indeed, Islam.  I mean in no way to denigrate the wonderful tradition and faith that is modern Christianity.

That said, as a Jew, I am sure you cringe, as I do, when you hear certain phrases rooted in a deep tradition of anti-Semitism.  Though most modern Christians have purged the belief that Jews are directly responsible for the death of Christ from their belief system, certain wounds still lay bare.