Click below for live streaming video of the Markos luncheon with Harold Ford, Jr.

http://www.ustream.tv/...

Tomorrow night in Austin, Texas, Daily Kos is bringing the party back to the Democratic Party. If you are in Austin for the Netroots Nation convention, meet us in the lobby at 8:30 - with your NN credential - and join the big orange parade to Maggie Mae's on Austin's infamous Sixth Street.  Space is limited, so don't be late!

http://i296.photobucket.com/...

• While individual states are deciding whether to recognize same-sex marriages, the U.S. Census Bureau has already decided. They will not recognize gay marriages in the 2010 census, regardless of state laws.

  The U.S. Census Bureau, reacting to the federal Defense of Marriage Act and other mandates, plans to edit the 2010 census responses of same-sex couples who marry legally in California, Massachusetts or any other state. They will be reported as "unmarried partners," rather than married spouses, in census tabulations - a policy that will likely draw the ire of gay rights groups.

  The problem goes beyond recognizing couples.....whole families will be dismissed.  More from the Mike Swift at the San Jose Mercury News:

  "I just think it's bad form for the census to change a legal response to an incorrect response," said Gary Gates of the Williams Institute, a think tank at the University of California-Los Angeles law school that studies gay-related public policy issues. "That goes against everything the census stands for."
  Gates, a prominent demographer who was consulted by Census Bureau officials about counting legally married same-sex couples, said one result is that the census will undercount marriages in states with gay marriage. And because the bureau defines a "family" as two or more people related by birth, adoption or marriage, it also will remove many same-sex married couples from being counted as families.

• According to The Tribune's Swamp Politics, Arnold Schwarzenegger had some harsh words for Bush administration's abysmal record on global warming.

  ""This administration did not believe in global warming," Schwarzenegger told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos in an interview that will air Sunday on ABC's This Week.

  "They just didn't believe in it or they didn't believe that they should do anything about it, since China is not doing anything about it and since India is not willing to do the same thing, so why should we do the same thing?" Schwarzenegger maintains - and that's not the American way, says this son of Austria who found his fortune in his adopted homeland.

  "We don't wait for other countries to do the same thing,'' Schwarzenegger tells Stephanopoulos (there's a couple of mouthsful for you). "That's what makes America number one... And I think we have a good opportunity to do the same thing, also, with fighting global warming.''

  Schwarzenegger's comments follow the Environmental Protection Agency's decision not to take further action against global warming during the remainder of Bush's presidency.

  "To be honest with you, if they would have done something this year, I would have thought it was bogus anyway," the governor says. "You don't change global warming and you don't really have an effect by doing something six months before you leave office....

  "This administration did not believe that [carbon dioxide] and greenhouse gases is a pollutant,'' he says. "They fought this in court and then finally the Supreme Court had to tell them, 'Yes, it is a pollutant.''

• Pioneering heart surgeon, Dr. Michael DeBakey, passed away at the age of 99.  He was an early innovator of artificial hearts and pumps.

  Dr DeBakey's patient list included a number of world leaders and international celebrities.

  "Dr DeBakey's reputation brought many people into this institution, and he treated them all: heads of state, entertainers, businessmen and presidents, as well as people with no titles and no means," said Ron Girotto, president of the Methodist Hospital System.

  "He has improved the human condition and touched the lives of generations to come."

• The honey bee crisis continues as scientists struggle to pinpoint the cause of the bee colony collapses around the world. The collapse of bee colonies is a factor in the skyrocketing price of food:

  In 2006, beekeepers began reporting losing 30 percent to 90 percent of their hives. This phenomenon has become known as Colony Collapse Disorder. Scientists do not know how many bees have died; beekeepers have lost 36 percent of their managed colonies this year. It was 31 percent for 2007, said Edward B. Knipling, administrator of the Agriculture Department's Agricultural Research Service.

  "If there are no bees, there is no way for our nation's farmers to continue to grow the high quality, nutritious foods our country relies on," said Democratic Rep. Dennis Cardoza of California, chairman of the horticulture and organic agriculture panel. "This is a crisis we cannot afford to ignore."

  Food prices have gone up 83 percent in three years, according to the World Bank.

• Tony Snow, former Fox News host and White House spokesperson, succumbed to colon cancer and passed away at the age of 53.

Daily Kos is throwing a "grand ol' party" during Netroots Nation for our dedicated readers.  If you are attending the Netroots Nation convention, you are cordially invited to the Daily Kos party on Friday, July 18th.  

(Click on image to see full size.)

How can you get in the party?  Simply meet us in the lobby of the Austin Hilton at 8:30pm on Friday, July 18th (with your Netroots Nation credential) and join the big orange parade over to Maggie Mae's on Sixth Street. Space will be limited, so don't be late!

• The Colorado Springs Gazette examines the waning influence of Evangelicals and why they are no longer a unified voting bloc.
• Congress and the state of Louisiana are still at odds over who is going to pay to rebuild the levees. Meanwhile, in the time it took to read this note, tens or hundreds of thousands of US tax dollars are pouring into a failed war in Iraq.
• Going back to campaigning on division and hate, the Arizona legislature managed to put a gay marriage amendment on the ballot in November. It would seem that denying every American equal rights is the only platform they have left.
• The U.S. Justice Department has reached a $5.8 million dollar settlement with Steven Hatfill, the bioweapons expert once identified as a "person of interest" in the anthrax investigation. Hatfield had been suing the DOJ for leaking his name to reporters.
• Think your wallets are taking a hit from the increased gas prices? If you live in the northeast, just wait until you get your winter heating bills this fall and winter. You could be in for serious sticker shock.
• In case you missed it, we are about to smash our previous goal of 1,000 donations and since we know this group likes a challenge, we've upped the goal to 1,250.  There is no such thing as a small donation.....every bit helps.  

  

Update: That big green needle is slowing rising.  Who's going to be the lucky donor to hit 1,000? Sure there isn't a balloon shower or big parade, but you'll have the smug sense of satisfaction, knowing that you were possibly number 1,000.

Update #2:  1,000 is already in the rearview mirror -- a round of applause for you all!  Can we top 1,100 by the end of the day? Si se puede!  Yes we can!

• The U.S. government has officially removed Nelson Mandela from the terrorist watch list.

  "Today the United States moved closer at last to removing the great shame of dishonouring this great leader by including him on our government's terror watch list," said Senator John Kerry.

  The bill now heads to the White House, where it is expected to be signed by President George W. Bush in time for the anti-apartheid leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner's 90th birthday on July 18.

• Billionaire T. Boone Pickens has backed away from a $1 million dollar offer he made to anybody who could disprove allegations made by the "Swiftboat Veterans for Truth" against John Kerry.  

  A group of Swift boat veterans sympathetic to Mr. Kerry sent Mr. Pickens a letter last week taking him up on the challenge. In 12 pages, plus a 42-page attachment of military records and other documents, they identified not just one but ten lies in the group’s campaign against Mr. Kerry. They offered to meet with him to provide Mr. Kerry’s journals and videotapes from Vietnam and a copy of his full military record certified by the Navy – a key demand of Mr. Pickens and veterans who believe Mr. Kerry lied about his service to win his military decorations.

  Mr. Pickens replied with a one-page letter, thanking the veterans for their research and their service, but politely saying there had been a misunderstanding. "Key aspects of my offer of $1 million have not been accurately reported," he wrote.

  He previously weasled out of this bet once before when John Kerry himself took Pickens up on the offer. I guess there are some things money can't buy. Like dignity. Or class. Or humility.

• Charles Blow of the NYT's has a humorous op-ed discussing McCain's age and the fact that he would be the oldest person ever elected -- should he win in November.  Blow makes a couple of terrific observations:

  It is confusing when you sardonically call Obama a "young man." That makes me ponder your age even more. After all, how old do you have to be to call a 46-year-old a young man? (Old enough to have to issue more than 1,100 pages of medical records to prove that you’re "fit," I guess. The "young man" issued a one-page statement.)

  Add to this joshing grandpa shtick the vast and immutable visual disparity between you and the cover boy, and you get two negatives that do not equal a positive. The camera loves him. You, not so much. It sucks the life out of you, and amplifies your awkward aesthetic — the wispy comb-over, the stilted grins, the blank expressions.

• What ever happened to the Wisconsin delegate who said that she'd vote for McCain over Obama? Looks like she won't be going to the convention after all.
• Tonight, NBC pays tribute to George Carlin by rebroadcasting the first SNL episode, which featured Carlin as the original guest-host.
• Errington Thomas, aka Kossack ecthompson interviewed me and Kagro about FISA. Today he talked with Glenn Greenwald. [mcjoan]

• If you are headed to the Netroots Nation convention, be sure to check out the Netroots Nation Visitor's Guide to Austin.  A hearty thanks to the Burnt Orange Report for pulling it all together.
• Even Faux News viewers think Bush is doing a horrible job. A recent poll Fox news poll showed that his approval rating has slipped to 29%, the first time their poll has dipped below 30%.
• Federal investigators are looking into Justice Department grant-maker, Robert J. Flores, and why he approved grants for golf outings and other projects, overriding recommendations from experts and career staffers.

  The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee focused on decisions by Flores to give grants to the World Golf Foundation's First Tee initiative, whose honorary chairman is former president George H.W. Bush, and a sexual abstinence program promoted by Best Friends, led by Elaine Bennett, wife of Reagan administration Cabinet official Bill Bennett.

  Nonprofit groups that focus on child protection complained that they failed to win funding last year even though they had higher rankings from independent peer reviewers and career staff members in the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

  "The question before this committee is whether the grant solicitation was a rigged game and whether it has best served children around the country," said the committee chairman, Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.). "Mr. Flores, it seems you're the only person at the Department of Justice who thinks your process was fair, transparent and served the interest of taxpayers."

• John McCain announced his fundraising totals for May, his best month yet, with $21 million.  Obama is expected to announce his May fundraising later today.
• While flood waters continue to threaten the midwest, MSBNC.com examines the impact the damage will have on our economy:

  And it is the consumer who will get the bill. Smaller harvests mean food will cost more. Damaged facilities mean it will cost more to process. Crippled transportation means it will cost even more to get into stores.

  Already, "feed prices are skyrocketing," said Patrick Boyle, a corn farmer in Springfield, Mo. "That’s a pocketbook issue for all of us."

• The NW Progressive Institute is having its annual conference this weekend in Tacoma, WA.  Area folks can join fellow activists and bloggers, plus legislative leaders and candidates like Senator Eric Oemig, Darcy Burner, Peter Goldmark, and John Ladenburg. Registration is free, and discounted hotel rooms are available for those who have to travel. (mcjoan)

Disaster struck the midwest last week as flood waters shattered previous records, drowning crops and putting tens of thousands of people out of their homes. The full effects of the flood will be felt nationwide as gas prices could increase another 15% and food prices could increase another 25 - 30%.  No doubt, this would be a serious issue for an aspiring presidential candidate.  Obama answered the call this weekend, touring the hard hit areas, rolling up his sleeves to fill sandbags, and taking action with local leaders.

Obama's camp also began putting out an urgent, nationwide plea to help flood victims -- making it the front page headline on his website:

And how did John McCain react? He was busy rolling up his sleeves -- filling up moneybags at a California "finance event." For all the talk about Republicans disliking California and "west coast values", they sure do spend a lot of time at California fundraisers. You may recall that while New Orleans drowned, GWB and McCain were miles away, sharing a little cake between friends. In a sad case of deja vu, McCain is once again nowhere to be found. What was featured on John McCain's website over the weekend?  John McCain, of course. So, how about today? Is there a serious focus on the growing tragedy of the floods? Nope, back to the alleged former Clinton supporter on the front page.  A small flood donation button does appear, after scrolling a bit, right after the plea for McCain donations and the request that you add five "friends" for McCain.  Apparently, adding more names to McCain's fundraising email list takes priority over a flooded midwest and a country about to be smacked with even higher prices on everything from gas to milk and bread. And despite the fact that McCain's team has thus far tried to mimic every aspect of Obama's website and logo, they don't feel the need to mimic his compassion and leadership in a time of dire need.

And even now, as the midwest continues to flood, McCain is hopping back and forth between Texas fundraisers. Mr. Moneybags doesn't seem to have time for flood victims in the next few days. According to his campaign schedule, McCain is going to be very busy getting to know GWB's oil and energy friends in Texas:

Mr. McSame.  Same Texas oil fundraisers.  Same irresponsible foreign policy.  Same non-response to a natural disaster and Americans in need. It would seem that GWB and McCain have a great deal in common....no matter how badly Mr. Moneybags wants to convince you otherwise.

So, who do you trust when disaster strikes?  The guy filling moneybags?  Or the guy filling sandbags?

Via press release from the Barack Obama campaign, Al Gore's officially jumping in the fray to campaign for Obama:

Message from Al Gore: "My Endorsement"; Watch the Live Stream Tonight at 8:30 pm EDT

Former Vice President and Nobel Peace Prize laureat Al Gore just sent out this email...

Dear Friend,

A few hours from now I will step on stage in Detroit, Michigan to announce my support for Senator Barack Obama. From now through Election Day, I intend to do whatever I can to make sure he is elected President of the United States.

Over the next four years, we are going to face many difficult challenges -- including bringing our troops home from Iraq, fixing our economy, and solving the climate crisis. Barack Obama is clearly the candidate best able to solve these problems and bring change to America.

This moment and this election are too important to let pass without taking action.

That's why I am asking you to join me in showing your support by making a contribution to this campaign today:

https://donate.barackobama.com/...

Over the past 18 months, Barack Obama has united a movement. He knows change does not come from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue or Capitol Hill. It begins when people stand up and take action.

With the help of millions of supporters like you, Barack Obama will bring the change we so desperately need in order to solve our country's most pressing problems.

If you've already contributed to this campaign, I ask that you consider making another contribution right now. If you haven't, please take the next step and own a piece of this campaign today:

https://donate.barackobama.com/...

On the issues that matter most, Barack Obama is clearly the right choice to lead our nation.

We have a lot of work to do in the next few months to elect Barack Obama president, and it begins by making a contribution to this campaign today.

Thank you for joining me,

Al Gore

Looks like Al Gore is fired up and ready to go!

And given the fact that Obama chose Detroit for both the Edwards and Gore endorsements, it would seem he is making a hard push for Michigan voters this fall.  

Update w/ correction:  The Edwards event took place in Grand Rapids, not Detroit.  Nonetheless, the point remains the same....Michigan is important this November.

• Although it's still early, Kossack and notable statistician, poblano, has predicted an Obama win. He's not alone. Historians around the country also give McCain very little chance of winning in November.

  “This should be an overwhelming Democratic victory,” said Allan Lichtman, an American University presidential historian who ran in a Maryland Democratic senatorial primary in 2006. Lichtman, whose forecasting model has correctly predicted the last six presidential popular vote winners, predicts that this year, “Republicans face what have always been insurmountable historical odds.” His system gives McCain a score on par with Jimmy Carter’s in 1980.

• Speaking of poblano - a/k/a Nate Silver, congratulations are in order.  It was announced on Friday that he is teaming up with the Rasmussen Reports.

  Scott Rasmussen, President of Rasmussen Reports, noted that “Nate Silver and fivethirtyeight.com are a great example of how the online community is improving election coverage. His quantitative approach is a welcome addition to the debate and a valuable resource for any serious electoral analyst or armchair campaign manager.”
  Silver said, “I’m thrilled to be working with Rasmussen Reports in this endeavor. In addition to being one of the most active and reliable pollsters, Scott and his team have made every effort to consider other sources of information in order to provide their readers with the most comprehensive electoral picture possible”.

• Charlie Rose will host a health care discussion with Ezekiel, Ari, and Rahm Emanuel tomorrow. - DemFromCT
• Colin Powell told a crowd in Vancouver that he is considering voting for Barack Obama.

  He noted that although both he and Mr. Obama are black, he would not cast a vote for the Illinois senator on the basis of race. "I will vote for the individual I think that brings the best set of tools to the problems of 21st-century America and the 21st-century world regardless of party, regardless of anything else other than the most qualified candidate," Mr. Powell said at a news conference before delivering a speech to about 800 people attending a leadership forum at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

  Given that McCain recently admitted he has never used a computer, it's hard to imagine that he can even grasp the technology and tech driven economy of the 21st-century.

• While the midwest continues to flood and tens of thousands of Americans are losing their homes, GWB is having tea and crumpets with Queen Elizabeth. Deja vu.

• Ted Kennedy left the hospital this morning and returned to his home in Hyannis Port. What will he do next?

  Kennedy's son, Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., told the Providence Journal on Sunday that his father's surgery "went better than anyone expected."

  He said his father is looking forward to returning to the Senate and working with Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama on universal health care legislation should the Illinois senator win the White House.

  "That is what he is talking and thinking about," Kennedy said. "It adds a great deal of poignancy to his recovery. But that's how he sees it -- he has to recover so he can get health care for the millions of people who don't have access to the care that we do."

  Kennedy told the newspaper that his father wants to begin writing the legislation this year so it would be ready if Obama was victorious.

• President Bush is making the rounds in Europe, the last time he is expected to visit during his dreadful term as president.  He's being greeted with the usual hostility, but he's also being greeted with some indifference.  It seems that many in Europe have suffered Bush fatigue and are now more interested in who will succeed Bush in the fall.

  When Bush first visited this ex-Yugoslav republic in 2001 for a summit with then-Russian President Vladimir Putin, he was met with large and boisterous demonstrations.

  This time, reflecting deep-seated apathy for a president increasingly viewed as yesterday's man, only a few small, loosely organized protests were planned. And though security was tight, unlike his 2001 stop, there were no American flags to welcome Bush.

  "I feel nothing for him," said Andrej Sit, a 29-year-old CD vendor. "I don't think about him at all."

• Floyd G. Brown, the man who produced the "Willie Horton" ads against Dukakis, is back.....and this time he has Barack Obama in his sights. He plans to create a series of ads trying to create an image of Barack Obama being weak on crime. Brown says a candidate's record on crime "provides in window into the morality of a candidate." Pffft.....puh-lease. Maybe Brown should examine the morality in needlessly starting and promoting a war that has costs millions of lives and billions of dollars.
• White House press corp pitbull, Helen Thomas, has been absent from her column for the last three weeks recovering from a gastric infection.  Best wishes to Helen as she recovers.
• Obama may have 99 problems, but it doesn't appear that women are one.  According to Rasmussen, Obama already has more support from women than John Kerry did in 2004:

  Pollster Scott Rasmussen says that as of today, based on 3,000 automated telephone surveys over the past three nights, Obama gets support from 52% of the women in his national tracking poll compared with 40% for presumptive Republican nominee John McCain. He says that's better than Democrat John Kerry did with women against President Bush in 2004.

• A massive fire has destroyed much of the Texas governor's mansion in downtown Austin. Authorities are trying to determine the cause of the fire.
• Former (and likely future) Republican presidential candidate, Mike Huckabee, saved the day at a North Carolina GOP fundraiser yesterday:

  The former Arkansas governor performed the Heimlich maneuver on Robert Pittenger, Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, at a lunch yesterday.

  Pittenger said he was laughing when he choked on some food.

  "I stood up and the governor came over and did the Heimlich and got the relief," Pittenger said. He said the food dislodged when Huckabee applied the trademark Heimlich squeeze to the midsection.

  Hats off to Huckabee.  Luckily for us, there is no way for him to stop the Republicans from choking this fall.

• Violence in South Africa continues to escalate against foreigners, particularly against immigrants from Zimbabwe, most of whom migrated to South Africa to escape the poverty and violence in Zimbabwe.

  Mobs of South Africans continue to roam around some townships near Johannesburg, looking for foreigners and looting their shops.
  But there have also been attacks on South Africans from other parts of the country, especially from near the Zimbabwean border.
  Over the weekend, correspondents say central Johannesburg resembled a war-zone, as armed police used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse angry crowds.

• As of this morning, the national average price of gasoline is $4 per gallon.  It is the first time the US average has crossed the $4 line.
• On Friday, the U.S. government officially labeled the Caribbean monk seal as extinct. Although the last confirmed sighting was in 1952, scientists have spent five years searching for any evidence of their existence. Sadly, it is the first seal species to be classified extinct due to "human causes."

• John Edwards is openly dismissing any talk of him being on the Obama ticket:

  "I already had the privilege of running for vice president in 2004, and I won't do it again," Edwards told El Mundo newspaper.

• Sheriff John Green of Philadelphia has upset lenders by refusing to hold a court-ordered foreclosure auction.

  "More of our neighbors, our families and our friends are falling behind on their mortgages and losing their homes" to foreclosure, the 60-year-old Mr. Green writes in a "Declaration of Neighborhood Stability" on his Web site, www.phillysheriff.com. "My staff and I watch the suffering every day and witness the heart-wrenching scenes as families lose their primary means of wealth-building and face eviction."

• Risk communication is a skill used in conveying messages about emotion-laden events (some with unfortunate consequences, such as disasters). Here is some common-sense advice from Peter Sandman and Jody Lanard (well-known risk communicators) for Hillary’s address tomorrow.

  Risk Communication Talking Points for Hillary Clinton:
  Some Primary Principles for This Post-Primary Moment

  – DemFromCT

• GM may finally be recognizing that Americans expect more than 5-10 miles per gallon out of their vehicles. Due to another record plunge in sales, GM is said to be considering dropping the Hummer brand.
• Kossack Kath25 is liveblogging today for the Austin-American Statesman.  Check out her experiences at the Texas Democratic Convention.

• David Kusnet, Bill Clinton's former head speechwriter, reviewed Obama's speech last night and compared it to McCain's speech.  The verdict?  It's going to be a long haul for McCain:

  As for McCain, his speech earlier in the evening offered no grace notes about Obama, simply a full-throated attack on him as not representing "real change." That will be a difficult sell for McCain even if he makes it artfully--and this speech was anything but artful. It relied on assertion, not persuasion. And for all the red meat that he offered, McCain hardly roused himself, much less his audience. Obama, in contrast, spoke with subtlety, but was received like a rock star.

• California's highest court refused to stay it's decision on same-sex marriages. Couples can legally tie-the-knot by the end of the month.....at least for now.

  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- California's highest court Wednesday refused to stay its decision legalizing same-sex marriage in the state, clearing the final hurdle for gay couples to start tying the knot this month.

  Conservative religious and legal groups had asked the California Supreme Court to stop its May 15 order requiring state and local officials to sanction same-sex unions from becoming effective until voters have the chance to consider the issue in November. The justices' decisions typically become final after 30 days.

  An initiative to ban gay marriage has qualified for the Nov. 4 ballot. Its passage would overrule the court's decision by amending the state constitution to limit marriage to a man and a woman.

• Prosecutors have dropped their appeal on the Don Siegelman sentencing.

  MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Federal prosecutors are no longer seeking stiffer prison sentences for former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman and former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy.
  Prosecutors filed a motion this week with the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals asking that their appeals of the sentences be dropped. Their appeal had called for a longer prison term than Siegelman's more than seven-year sentence and Scrushy's almost seven-year sentence.
  The latest filing does not say why prosecutors want to drop their appeal.

• After pressure from MoveOn.org, Scott McClellan announced this morning on Meet the Press that a portion of the profits from his book will go to veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• Although the government "rebate" checks are hitting mailboxes around the country, experts say that there has been little increase in consumer spending.  Turns out that people are not buy luxury items as the government had hoped, but are instead using the checks to catch up on the cost of living.
• Australia has officially ended combat operations in Iraq. All of the Australian soldiers will return home over the next few weeks.
• More problems are being reported with the Air Force's nuclear weapons security:

  The same Air Force unit at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota that was responsible for mishandling six nuclear cruise missiles last August failed key parts of a nuclear safety inspection this past weekend, according to a Defense Department report.

  The 5th Bomb Wing was given an "unacceptable" grade in security of nuclear weapons, according to the review by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. In another category, management and administration, it received a grade of "marginal," based on deficiencies in recording changes that affected the operational status of nuclear cruise missiles and gravity bombs.

One can only imagine what Republicans (and the media) would be saying if these failures happened under the watch of a Democratic president.

• The space shuttle Discovery took off yesterday for the International Space Station. The shuttle's mission is to deliver a new Japanese lab, as well as a desperately needed part to repair the space station's only toilet, which has been on the fritz.

  The vacuum-based commode began acting up about a week ago, losing the suction that is necessary to dispose waste in zero gravity. The three-person crew devised a manual alternative after several days. Flushing now takes 10 minutes and the efforts of two people.

  ``Insert that into your daily life, and you can see it would be quite inconvenient,'' Kirk Shireman, NASA's deputy space station program manager, said in a televised interview from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral.

• The Swing State Project has a terrific June preview of the races worth watching.
• The Alaska Democratic Party wants to dig into the deep, dark secrets of the Ted Stevens Foundation.  

  As the issue of ethics heats up in the Alaska Senate race, the Alaska Democratic Party (ADP) today called for full disclosure of donation and expenditures for the Ted Stevens Foundation. The Ted Stevens Foundation was founded in 2000 with its first event consisting of a fundraiser with lobbyists in 2004. As of 2005, the foundation's net assets reached $2.3 million. Today, the ADP charged that the Stevens Foundation uses an ethics loophole allowing those who donate to seek favors from Congress.

  "Alaskan families have been kept in the dark, and they deserve full disclosure from their public officials," said Bethany Lesser, spokeswoman for the ADP. "The Ted Stevens Foundation could be a wonderful charity or a Congressional pay-to-play loophole. With the lack of disclosure, who knows? Senator Stevens is currently under investigation, and it is not unreasonable that he disclose who has given to the foundation, how much they have given, and how the money has been spent."

• Scott McClellan personally apologized to Richard Clarke, when the pair ran into each other in a NY hotel lobby last night:

  "I should have known how personal it would get when they went after me, well, I mean, after what I said about you," Clarke says McClellan told him in the lobby of New York's Essex House.

  "I think I can forgive you now," Clarke says he replied.

  "I'd like to ask you to," McClellan reportedly answered.

  In 2004, McClellan said Clarke's book, asserting the Bush administration failed to take timely action against al Qaeda, was "flat-out wrong." He told reporters at a March 22, 2004 briefing, "Ask yourself why, one and a half years later, after he left the administration, he's all of a sudden, coming forward with these grave concerns? If he had such grave concerns, why didn't he come out with them sooner?"

  Now White House aides are saying much the same thing about McClellan's assertions, in his book "What Happened," that President Bush waged a deceitful propaganda campaign to promote the war in Iraq.

  Clarke, an ABC News consultant, says McClellan appeared to be "very sorry, repentant" for his role as Bush's press secretary.

• Speaking of Scott McClellan and the aftermath of his tell-all book, it seems he really struck a nerve with Bob Dole, who ripped off a scathing email to McClellan:

  "There are miserable creatures like you in every administration who don’t have the guts to speak up or quit if there are disagreements with the boss or colleagues," Dole wrote in the personal e-mail. "No, your type soaks up the benefits of power, revels in the limelight for years, then quits, and spurred on by greed, cashes in with a scathing critique."

  Ouch! But, Bob didn't stop there:

  "When the money starts rolling in you should donate it to a worthy cause, something like, 'Biting The Hand That Fed Me,'" he wrote. "Another thought is to weasel your way back into the White House if a Democrat is elected. That would provide a good set up for a second book deal in a few years."

  Dole also made clear he has no plans to read the book.

  "I have no intention of reading your 'exposé' because if all these awful things were happening, and perhaps some may have been, you should have spoken up publicly like a man, or quit your cushy, high profile job," he wrote. "That would have taken integrity and courage but then you would have had credibility and your complaints could have been aired objectively."

  "You're a hot ticket now but don't you, deep down, feel like a total ingrate?"

• A Faux News employee is suing the owner of the network's NYC building after she was repeatedly bitten by bed bugs in the newsroom:

  Clark has filed suit against Beacon Capital Partners and Cushman & Wakefield, the companies that respectively own and manage the Manhattan address where Fox News is headquartered.

  She has not, however, filed suit against Fox News or its parent company, News Corp.

  Clark was first bitten in October 2007 and again in November, prompting the network to call in bug-sniffing dogs and exterminators, and ultimately move the personnel in her department from the newsroom to another floor.

  She said the infestation was so bad at the end of last year that she was "catching bugs on a piece of tape as they walked across my desk" and that she would every day examine her chair, which she kept covered in a plastic bag.

President Bush is on the fundraising trail for unrepentent Republicans, with an appearance today in Bucyrus, Kansas - just south of Kansas City. He is raising cash for the Kansas GOP and State Rep. Nick Jordan, who is challenging Democratic Rep. Dennis Moore in KS-03. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the Bush appearance is who isn't there. The KC Star notes who is absent and their list of * cough * previous commitments:

Sen. Pat Roberts will be in California on a long-standing trip to raise money for his own re-election bid, campaign spokeswoman Ashley McManus said. She said Roberts was proud to be named an honorary chairman of the fundraiser and "he was proud to be with the president three weeks ago in Greensburg."

Sen. Sam Brownback, also an honorary chairman of the luncheon, will be traveling in southwest Kansas on a portion of his 105-county tour. Brownback's schedule was set well before Bush's visit was announced, spokesman Brian Hart said.

Rep. Jerry Moran, a Republican who represents western Kansas, will be at another event in the state, while Wichita-area Republican Rep. Todd Tiahrt plans to spend time with his family, spokeswomen for the lawmakers said.

So, Senator Roberts will be in California to raise money for his re-election?  Really? Is this the same California that has been demonized by Republicans for their "values" or lack thereof? Does Pat Roberts share those San Francisco values with Nancy Pelosi and Kay Barnes? After all, Roberts' partner in crime - Sam Graves from Missouri - just launched a scandalous (and laughable) attack on Kay Barnes for her California fundraising.

And, Senator Brownback - who is listed as an honorary chair of the luncheon - can't possibly make it because he's on a 105-county tour of Kansas.  Apparently there was no room in his schedule for one of the largest and most affluent counties in Kansas - where Bush is appearing today. No siree, couldn't possibly squeeze it in his schedule.  

Rep. Jerry Moran didn't provide any details, other than to say that he has "another event."  Perhaps today is the day to wash his hair.  Or maybe he is lined up for the Sex & The City premier. Whatever it is, he couldn't possibly make it.

Endangered incumbent, Rep. Todd Tiahrt from Wichita, is unavailable because he is "spending time with his family."  On a Thursday.  In the middle of the work week. With the President of the United States in town. The president's appearance has been trumped by a day at the pool, a family picnic, or some other family activity to be named later.

Regardless of their lame excuses, republicans can't run far enough or fast enough from the Bush brand or the man himself.....even in (formerly) solid republican states like Kansas. But, it is all too little....too late. Bush is their albatross. They helped create his failed policies and have enthusiastically supported those policies for the last eight years. They can cowardly skip the luncheon, but they cannot run from that albatross. Come November, it's time to pay the piper.....even in places like Kansas.

Last week, Sam Graves released an offensive, but laughable ad aimed at Kay Barnes in MO-06.  The super cheesy ad accused Kay Barnes of having "San Francisco values" and only played in rural markets in Missouri. But, it wasn't long before the absurd ad was circulating in the blogosphere, stirring up a storm of controversy. Experts and pundits around the country called it the "worst political ad of the year" and noted it bordered on outright racism.

“It’s sleazy,” said Rich Fulton, a political science professor at Northwest Missouri State University. “It’s homophobic, and it borders on the racist. It just says to me (Graves) is desperate.”

Sam Graves has a history of sleazy ads, as the KC Star noted:

Pushing the envelope in campaign ads is nothing new for Graves. In his 2004 race against Democrat Sara Jo Shettles, Graves approved a campaign ad that insinuated Shettles was connected to Penthouse magazine. In reality, Shettles sold advertising for a science magazine owned by the same company as Penthouse. Graves rolled to victory with 64 percent of the vote.

Graves campaign spokesman Jason Klindt defended the latest ad as a lighthearted way to show Barnes' view on key issues.

"The images help reinforce the idea of San Francisco values," said Graves campaign spokesman Jason Klindt. "It does it sort of in a tongue-in-cheek way with the groovy music and images, but the ad is not about the people, it's about the values that Nancy Pelosi and Kay Barnes share."

Emphasis mine.  Notice that nowhere in the ad do they specify what those "San Francisco values" are exactly. They are only "reinforcing the idea" that San Francisco values are "bad." Spell it out for us Mr. Graves......why do the values of west coast Americans frighten you so much? How are they so different from your own values? Aren't they simply "living the dream" like all Americans? San Francisco is a world class city. The people and industries in and around the Bay area have helped shape America and the world in immeasurable ways.

So, again Mr. Graves.......what is it about San Francisco that frightens you so?  And why are you so afraid to clearly articulate those "San Francisco values" to Missouri voters, rather than using racist and homophobic innuendo to make your point? Could it be that you are embarrassed to actually say - on record - that you don't like gay people, black people, interracial couples, or women's rights?

Sam Graves has another ad coming out this week. How is he going to try to distract Missouri voters from his own pathetic record this time around?

Change is in the air in MO-06. If you'd like to help Kay Barnes send Sam Graves back to Missouri so he doesn't have to be around all those freaky east coast values (God knows how those people live), please click here.

Update with clarification:  The ad does mention SF values like same-sex marriage, abortion, and amnesty for illegal immigrants.  However, I'm not sure what makes them specific to SF. The last time I checked, Missouri still had abortions, gay people, and illegal immigrants.

Update #2:  It appears the link to the original video is bad.  No worries....here it is again for your viewing pleasure.

Race tracker wiki: MO-06