Just Another Windy Day Here On The High Plains of NM...

I was the beneficiary (?) of an anonymous, drive-by shooting comment from a Barack-Booster yesterday. Said Obamaphile quoted a Gallup poll and pooh-poohed the impact of Senator Obama’s foot-in-mouth moment out in SFO… to wit:

He's two points up since then, according to Gallup; Hillary's down two. Obama spoke the truth in San Francisco, but only Clinton and McBush have twisted their knickers over it. So dream on, Gentle Blogger.

Well, now. One can spin all one wants… but then there’s this:

If the Pennsylvania primary to select a Democratic nominee for president were held Tuesday, a week before the actual primary, Hillary Rodham Clinton would defeat Barack Obama by double-digit figures, a new SurveyUSA poll found.

The fourth SurveyUSA tracking poll, released exclusively for NBC 10 and three other television stations throughout the state, concluded that the contest is "not necessarily tightening, nor is it considered a "tight race."

It concluded that 54 percent would vote for Clinton and 40 percent would vote for Obama. Three percent chose the "other" category.

The Quinnipiac poll shows similar results.

Hillary’s down two, eh? Someone didn’t get the memo…

More at The New Republic, which is hardly a hotbed of right-wing thought:

Some liberal commentators have downplayed the effect of Barack Obama's fundraising speech at a San Francisco fundraiser last week. But that's wishful thinking. Along with the revelations about Obama's pastor Jeremiah Wright, his remarks in San Francisco will haunt him not only in the upcoming primaries in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Kentucky, and West Virginia, but also in the general election against John McCain, assuming he gets the Democratic nomination.

While Obama may not be toast at this point, he’s definitely toasty.

Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.

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Well, I can’t leave the Obamanon alone, it seems. But you should be aware of this, Gentle Reader:

The co-founder of the radical anti-war group Code Pink has “bundled” more than $50,000 for Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, and pro-troops groups are demanding that he return the money.

Jodie Evans, a Code Pink leader, gathered at least $50,000 from friends and associates and donated it to Obama’s presidential campaign, according to information compiled by the nonpartisan watchdog group, Public Citizen.

Evans and her son, a student who lives at her Southern California address, each also gave the maximum individual allowable donation of $2,300 to Obama’s campaign.

The donations have raised questions about Obama’s association with the more radical elements of his base. Code Pink has harassed, vandalized and impeded military recruiters across the United States in a campaign it calls “counter-recruitment.” The group also gave $600,000 to the families of Iraqi terrorists in Fallujah, whom it called “insurgents” fighting for their homes.

Mom always told me “you’re known by the company you keep.” Code Pink’s “support” just might be enough to finish Senator Obama off. In a just world, that is. But: politics, strange bedfellows (I’ll leave that alone!), and all that. (Aside: I’m all about free speech, but it would do my heart good to watch either Jodie Evans or Medea Benjamin get bitch-slapped by an angry military Mom. I don’t want to see real damage, mind you… just a well-placed smack on the cheek. Hard. Leave a mark, ya know?)

But, to get back on point: there’s always the chance Barack might come to his senses (such as they are) and give that dirty money back. But I kinda doubt it.

―:☺:―

Your hockey Wings update:

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -The Nashville Predators are back in the series. The Detroit Red Wings are searching for their lost momentum.

Jason Arnott scored with 3:58 left in the final period, the second Nashville goal in 9 seconds, and the Predators rallied to beat the Detroit Red Wings 5-3 Monday night and cut the first-round series deficit to 2-1.

"There's moments that are going to happen in a series that can change the whole series," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. "I don't know, we might have just had ours."

So it would seem.

I dunno about the series, but the Preds sure had their game-changing moment last evening. Nashville avoided falling into the black hole that is an 0-3 series deficit by winning one at home. Still and even, there’s a lot of hockey left to be played. Nashville has to win three more to take the series, Detroit only two. And as for last night’s loss: “you can’t win ‘em all,” as Mom (and every sentient being in America, at one time or another) said.

Speaking of that 0-3 black hole… that’s exactly where Dallas wants to put Anaheim tonight. I think the Stars have a very good chance of doing just that, too. The Stars are fresh off of taking two games from the Ducks… at The Pond, no less… and are looking pretty danged good at this point. Blog-Buddy Phlegmmy will be at tonight’s game in Dallas, and I’m GREEN with envy. Simply Green! Given: I’m not a Stars fan, far from it. But I’d be happier than the proverbial pig-in-you-know-what to be at the Stars’ game tonight. There’s nothing in all the world like play-off hockey!

One more thing… Last night was a late night at the Pepsi Center in Denver:

DENVER (AP) -The Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche are so evenly matched that neither team can win in regulation and what keeps separating them in overtime is a funny bounce.

Pierre-Marc Bouchard took the pass from Brian Rolston from behind the net and sent it past Jose Theodore 11:58 into overtime to give the Wild a 3-2 win over the Avalanche on Monday night.

It was the third straight overtime game in this first-round series, with the Wild winning two of them.

Going back to 2003, the teams have played five straight overtime games in the playoffs, all of which ended in 3-2 scores.

Weird, that. It must suck to be an Avs fan right about now. OTOH, it sucks worse if you’re a Sens fan… coz Ottawa will probably be swept tonight. What an ignominious end for last season’s Eastern Conference champions.

―:☺:―

So…yesterday’s 50,000^th visitor was yet another googler. I have no quibble with this person coz he was looking for plane pr0n. That’s cool. As most all y’all know: it could have been worse. We haven’t done a “Fun With Site Meter” post in quite a while now. But we’re saving that meme for when the well goes truly dry. Coz there’s always weirdness in Site Meter. It’s like shooting fish in a barrel.

Aside: Blog-Bud Morgan was visit # 49,999 yesterday, he missed being 50,000 by six minutes. I thought about disqualifying the real 50,000^th visitor and giving the prize (?) to Morgan, but didn’t.

It is what it is.

―:☺:―

Today’s Pic: …is a sorta re-run from last year. Or, to put it another way… this is what I didn’t see this year, as the cherry tree failed to bloom… more’s the pity. The failure to bloom must have something to do with climate change. Or Cheney. Or maybe Halliburton.

Whatev. As always... click-for-larger, if you're so inclined.

March, 2007.