Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Your Morning News 3.18.08
Posted by Jeff in Barack Obama, dalai lama, david paterson, eliot spitzer, florida primary, tibet, Your Morning News
Kennedy gave the “Catholic speech,” Romney gave the “Mormon speech,” and now today, Barack Obama plans to give his “black speech,” directly addressing the issue of race in the current presidential contest. (We’d make some joke about Hillary giving a “bitch speech,” but Tina Fey beat us to it.) This comes as a result of renewed attention to comments made by Obama’s pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, that have been characterized as ‘inflammatory’ and ‘anti-American.’
State party leaders have apparently realized that their lemonade stand isn’t going to raise $16 million in the next two months, and plans for a do-over Democratic primary in Florida have been scrapped. No word yet as to a final agreement for the 185 delegates.
Turmoil continues in Tibet, with pro-independence demonstrators burning Chinese flags and toppling cars. The demonstrations and reciprocal violence have reached such a point that the Dalai Lama has threatened to step down as the leader of the Tibetian government-in-exile. In response to video of China’s violent response to the protesters being posted online, China banned access to YouTube and other news sites last week. Chinese workplace productivity instantly shot up 1500%, though as one worker said, “Now how am I going to watch my hilarious Pulp Muppet mashups?”
Finally, David Paterson was sworn in as the new governor of New York yesterday, and promptly admitted to having had an extramarital affair for several years during a rocky time in his marriage. But don’t worry, none of this fancy schmancy Mayflower Hotel business like Spitzer – Mr. Paterson’s affair was carried out at a local Days Inn.