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I know i'm a bit late on this, mainly because i only watched the countdown podcast this evening. I've tried to maintain an interest in US politics, but its difficult to do when you are on the other side of the ocean. After coming here i've tried to make up for lost time, but even then my first real exposure to John McCain was in the Iowa debate. I saw someone who made my skin crawl, he honestly struck me as someone "scary beyond all reason", and when he finally rose to the republican leadership i found my inital gut reaction confirmed time and again. But i didn't have the historical depth to know enough about his history, beyond his status as a Viet-Cong prisoner of war and his rather slimy entry into US politics. Comments like a hundred years in iraq, and lack of any knowledge about the world outside his bedroom, his attitudes to people who disagree with him, all helped confirmed my feeling that this is the president we were warned about. The one that would be so insane as to press the button. Then came the "its not important" comment, and after all the attempts to defend the indefensible, Keith Olbermann delivered this commentary. Part 2 Honestly, countdown can at best be called infotainment, it would not be considered news anywhere in Europe, but Keith Olbermann does sometimes channel the person he attempts to emulate. He may not be Edward R. Munrrow, and the republican party is far more calculating and intelligent than Joe McCarthy, but if enough people listen to him, they might start thinking again.

To my understanding former presidents retain their title, and since Gore won the 2000 Election, he retains that title. Today he has been given the Nobel Peace Prize (Shared with the UN climate change panel), for his actions in attempting to fight climate change and bring awareness of Man Made climate change. While many (including myself) would like to see a Gore '08 ticket, i'm somewhat opposed to him trying to run, because this race is going to be messy on a scale not seen in a generation, and i'd rather not see him get damaged by the fray. I still like Barack Obama both as a Candidate and as a Person who would help restore American legitimacy at home and abroad. I hope he's half as decent as he claims to be.. If Ron Paul gets in i may have to leave because i wont feel safe in this country, to much of who and what i am, he despises. Back to the original, Go Gore :) and unless we get Barack (or even a long game playing Hilary), looking forward to a Gore '12 ticket.

Today, anyone associated with France should have reason to be proud of that association. According to the Guardian, french people, like their brave parents and grandparents have taken to protecting the oppressed from Mr Sarkozy's picture of France. While the picture painted is far from perfect, with idealistic people like these around, i think France has a good future ahead of her. Incidentally fraternité in french actually means sisterhood rather than brotherhood. P.S. the first é would not fit in the title, going to be working on a fix soon for accented characters.

Its now approaching a day commemorated for peace. I'm sure some worry, as usual the weapon builders because of reduced sales, and the right wing christians due to world peace is a harbinger of the apocalypse to them...oh well. For the rest of you, even if you can't go to an event, it wouldn't hurt to meditate, muse, or even just think a bit extra about peace. If you are more interested please check out the website for the group behind the idea. Found via the http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/