With all the talk about Presidential Campaigns, debates, etc. these days, I thought the world could stand yet another story about how the caucus process works in Iowa.

copyright 2007 Betsy L. Angert. BeThink.org

PZ Myers scarcely needs your help to keep his job because some nutjob thought he insulted a cracker (check out the links if you want the whole story), but as he says, this is an opportunity to generate a secular counter-campaign in response to Bill Donohue and the Catholic League braying for the University of Minnesota to bring them the head of PZ Myers.

What do you do when there are no more surprises? When you look forward to going to a concert or a game to add excitement to your life? What happens when you achieved the dreams that you had as a child? Why does it feel as if life has passed me by that the daily grind of being a parent and worker has left me seeking something else?

"We continue to believe that someone important someplace cares and will do something before our situation becomes impossible." Fools Crow from "Fools Crow," by Thomas E. Mails. p. 217

Strange week. Saw my first McCain ad this week...and it is clear he is running as a Democrat. Healthcare, alternative energy, environment...all Democratic talking points. We have gone from Democrats feeling like they have to run as Repub-Lite to Republicans trying to hide behind a Democratic facade. You even have a Republican running for Senate in Oregon trying to claim (falsely) that Obama supports him. This is desperation for the Republicans! It sounds like racist attacks have failed them, though I am sure they will try more as time goes on.

The floods in the Midwest have continued and I include some information where I can in the Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin sections. Best of luck to all readers in the hard hit areas.

This week I return to an issue I discussed before: Republican cronies litterally killing our troops with no government oversight. This week Democratic Sentor Bob Casey is demanding an investigation of the electrocutions due to bad wiring that have been plaguing our military bases managed by a Hallibruton subsidiary. More below.

This week's newsletter includes another discussion about the Republican neglect of our infrastructure. Since I wrote it two more levees have failed, flooding Des Moines, which aren't included in my analysis. If you want to help the Midwest, you can go here.

Turning to the election, the attacks have begun in earnest. Republicans rolled out a whole slew of attacks against Barack and Michelle Obama...some borderline racist, some merely lies, and none all that effective. In most states Obama's popularity has surged such that if the election were held today, Obama would easily win with over 300 electoral votes, just like Senator Chuck Schumer predicts will happen. But keep in mind, this is just the first volley of attacks.

NBC journalists pay tribute to Tim Russert.

John Cusack discusses the presidential election and his movie War Inc on Morning Joe