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Here in Washington, D.C., we see a lot of lobbying advertisements, far more than the rest of the United States. Since most of the Congressmen and their staff reside here, we are the target market for these “issue ads”.

Today, I saw a link to an issue add from Northrup Grumman claiming that “KC-45: It won on the most American of Values: Merit”. As you may remember, the decision to award the contract to Northrup and EADS, the European manufacturer of Airbus, was somewhat controversial. However, the only argument put forth by Boeing seems to have been “we’re Boeing. We’ll give you the privilege of giving us lots of money through sub-standard leases in exchange for a substandard aircraft”.

From what I can remember, this is the first time I’ve seen an ad asking to keep a contract award, to to be given one.

[From America's New Tanker - KC-45]

PBS’s FRONTLINE program, which always achieves an incredible level of journalism, recently ran a program on healthcare systems around the world. The premise of the program is whether the U.S. could learn anything from other modern, post-industrial, capitalist societies. The answer, of course, is “yes, the U.S. has a lot to learn.”

[From FRONTLINE:sick around the world | PBS]

Hillary Clinton today stated that “When it comes to finishing a fight, Rocky and I have a lot in common. I never quit.”

I would like to point out that in the movie Rocky, he lost.

[From BBC NEWS | World | Americas | Clinton will fight 'like Rocky']

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) cut the federal funds rate by 75 basis points today, on continuing concerns that the US economy is going down the tubes fast. With inflation on the rise, the dollar on the slide, and more and more jobs simply ceasing to exist, it’s hard to argue.

According to the BBC, the Bank of New York is quoted as saying that “By cutting 75 points rather than 100 points, the Fed sought to restore leadership over the market and indicate that its actions would not be entirely dictated by market expectations.”

How exactly is this not giving in to “market expectations” entirely? Its as if the Fed said to the (stock) market: “Okay. We’ll bake you a cake. We’ll ice the cake for you. We’ll even put candles on the cake. But you better believe we’re not going to light the candles for you. You can’t tell us what to do.”

From [BBC NEWS | Business | Federal Reserve slashes US rates]

Congratulations to Barack Obama for obliterating Hillary Clinton in Maryland, Virginia, and the District. Now that you’ve won the delegates in the District (90% registered democrats), we won’t be seeing you again until January 20, 2009.

I know it seems like I’m really against Hillary Clinton for President, and maybe I am. But in reality, the rationale for voting for Clinton isn’t much more than “well, she’s a woman.”

Take, for example, this page from the BBC. The Beeb posted photos and testimonials from Baltimore voters. The woman in this photo pretty much encapsulates why I hate Clinton supporters:

[Obama]‘s more of a visionary but it’d be very exciting to have a woman in the White House.

If I understand her point of view, she’s voting for Clinton not because she think’s Hillary’s the best candidate, but because she thinks a woman would be “exciting”?

To be fair, motivations for voting for Obama aren’t always fair, either. Consider this post from the same BBC spread.

*sigh*

I’ve been going through the DC Voter Guide for the primary election on the 12th. In the booklet, each candidate has the high-school-student-government statement about “why I should be president”.

For comparison:

Barack Obama

At this defining moment, we need to unite this nation around a common purpose. That’s why I’m running for President.

I’m running to tell special interests that their days of setting the agenda are over. I’ll invest in jobs and affordable housing. I’ll forge bipartisan solutions, and pass universal health care. I’ll make world-class education affordable from birth through college. And I’ll end the Iraq war.

Over my two decades in public service, I brought people together to solve problems and make a difference in peoples’ lives. Let’s stop settling and reach for what we know is possible.

Hillary Clinton

Hilary Rodham Clinton, 60, graduated from Wellesley College in 1969 and Yale Law School in 1973. She was the First Lady of Arkansas from 1979 to 1992 and the First Lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001. She was elected twice, in 2000 and 2006, to the U.S. Senate to represent New York. She is a proud supporter of the District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act and the No Taxation without Representation Act. She believes District residents should have the right to elect two Senators and a Representative whose political powers equal those of other Members of Congress.

That’s right, Hillary Clinton just copied and pasted from her resumé. I haven’t gone looking for similar statements in other states, but I image the template looks something like this:

Hillary Rodham Clinton:

[insert resumé material here]

[Reference Bill Clinton here]

[If not in south, Mention I live in New York]

[Insert pandering state issue #1 here]

[Insert pandering state issue #2 here (space permitting)]

Vote Obama, DC. He’s not running as ‘First Lady’.