Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame

I had the pleasure of witnessing the 2nd annual Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The American Trial Lawyers Association recognized the lifetime achievements of Fred Levin, Stanley Preiser, Morris Dees, Bobby Lee Cook and Gerry Spence.

The MC for the Hall of Fame inductions was Keith Givens of the Cochran Firm.

This was one of the most inspiring moments in my legal career. Listening to the awe-inspiring presentations (to say nothing of their lifetimes of accomplishments) by Morris Dees, Bobby Lee Cook and Stanley Preiser brought tears to my eyes. These five men made it clear why trial lawyers exist - to right wrongs and bring justice to people who don't have the resources or the ability to protect themselves.

We should be proud to be called trial lawyers - the last thing we should do is run away from that name.

John McCain without a teleprompter???

I have heard several conservative commentators state that Obama can't string two words together without a teleprompter. The implication is that someone else is giving him the words and he is just a mouthpiece.

Reminds me of George W. Bush....

The difference is that Obama is one of the most thoughtful people I have ever heard speak. And it is pretty clear that he is the brain at the top of the organization - unlike in the current administration.... You don't get to be editor of the Harvard Law Review if you can't think. Moreover, anyone who has read his books can see that he is a thinker. Yes, he does occasionally struggle to get his thoughts out - but that is usually because they are complex thoughts. Most of the time, he communicates clearly and effectively.

John McCain is another matter. Because of his long history of making stupid statements off the cuff during conversations with reporters at the back of the bus - e.g., not knowing the difference between Sunnis and Shia or not knowing where Iraq's borders are, Steve Schmidt has now enforced a carefully scripted campaign. And it is working. He has closed the gap in the polls since that strategy has been enforced.

The only problem is that John McCain can't help himself. He continues to make stupid statements whenever the teleprompter is turned off and he has to think on his own. Recent examples of John McCain's inability to think for himself include his comment about needing to renegotiate the Colorado River Compact and the even more stupid gaffe about how many houses he owns.

McCain is the one who needs the teleprompter.

Obama should choose Hillary

Ralph Nader is right, the best choice for Obama's VP is Hillary Clinton.

I have come to this conclusion after much deliberation - and after changing my own views about Hillary. When the campaign started, I supported her for the Democratic Nomination. As it progressed, I gradually became an Obama supporter. Eventually, I even posted some blogs objecting to Hillary's tactics.

I am glad that Obama won the nomination. He is the right person to lead the US going forward. And, although I initially thought it would be a bad idea, I now believe that Hillary is the best choice for VP.

I will outline my reasons for this conclusion below, but first, a word or two about each of the other names being bandied about -

Joe Biden - Boring. Brings lots of hot air to the party. Very smart. Could be president, but won't energize anyone and won't bring a single red or purple state with him. Six term Senator - not the epitomy of change.

Evan Bayh - Boring - Good looking. Good experience. Smart. Could bring Indiana (although that is a question mark). Did I say "boring"?

Tim Kaine - I like this choice. Could bring Virginia to the Blue side. More interesting. Some ability to work across the aisle. Could attract white/Catholic/middle class voters. Obviously, someone that Obama could work with. Young and fresh - maybe too young and fresh considering that Obama also is young and fresh. Doesn't bring the foreign policy or military experience gravitas to the party.

Sam Nunn - My personal favorite other than Hillary. He is boring, but he does bring the gravitas and is a conservative who will calm many independents. Ability to work across the aisle. He may be a little old (McCain's age), his experience in military and foreign policy areas would counter Obama's perceived weakness. May help in Georgia depending on what happens with Bob Barr. If he doesn't choose Hillary, I would like to see Sam Nunn.

Kathleen Sebelius - I like her a lot too. Ability to work across the aisle. The three negatives in my view are that she can't bring a state, no foreign policy or military experience and she is a woman other than Hillary (meaning it might be perceived as a slap in the face to Hillary).

So that bring us to Hillary. Here are my reasons why I believe she is the best person Obama can choose for this position:

• She is ready to be President. This is after all, the #1 criteria.
  
• 18 million voters voted for her - she has an immediate base
  
• Choosing Hillary will push up the number of former Hillary supporters who will vote for him from 75% (currently) to at least 90%.
• Many women will love it and will work hard for her (them).
• Fundraising - imagine what will happen if Bill and Hillary start really trying to generate revenue for Obama
• She has the gravitas that it is perceived he lacks.
• Choosing Hillary won't further divide the country. I used to think that was Hillary's weakness, but after listening to Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh hammer at Obama for the last four months, I am convinced that they will attack whoever he chooses with the same gusto. They have even complimented her ( by contrasting his experience with hers) in recent weeks.
  

The question is whether he feels that he can work with her or whether he believes she (or Bill) will undermine him. I am confident that Obama is strong and since she will "only" be the VP, he can control her (and him). It will be his policies - which after all are almost identical to hers - that will be implemented.

It is true that Clinton somewhat hurts his "change" theme. But he will be running the show, not her.

Bottom line - Obama-Clinton will be hard to beat.

Conservative Complaints about Obama News Coverage

I am fortunate in that I have the time to read and listen to multiple information sources. I watch the political TV shows in the evening - Anderson Cooper, Larry King, Glenn Beck, Chris Matthews, Keith Olberman, Bill O'Reilly and Hannity and Combs. I watch CNN and Fox News to compare how they present their stories and which stories they present. I listen to NPR, Ed Schultz and Randi Rhodes as well as Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity on the radio. I also read online and offline political commentary from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The LA Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer. I read the AP and Reuters political wires, RealClearPolitics.com, Politico, and many bloggers.

I find it fascinating. Sometimes I try to stop because it sucks up so much time. But I am an addict and I always come back.

Recently, I have been amused by the complaints about how much news coverage the Main Stream Media is giving to Barack Obama - particularly when compared to John McCain. I find it amusing because in reading and listening to all of the conservative commentators, talk show hosts and bloggers, I have noticed that they do the same thing. Just an example, try listening to Sean Hannity's syndicated radio program for a day or two. All he talks about is Barack Obama. He spews out negatives on Obama for hour and hour on end. Whether he is complaining about the news coverage or talking about Obama's associations with Reverend Wright and William Ayers or even Obama's lack of experience, it is Barack Obama all the time, all day long. Even when he brings up John McCain, it is only to contrast McCain with Obama. Sean Hannity and the rest of them don't realize it, but they are doing exactly what they are complaining about in the MSM. They are focusing the entire election on Obama.

The truth is that this election is about Barack Obama. There is only one candidate who matters. It is just a question of whether the votes for him outweigh the votes against him. The last election was always about whether to re-elect President Bush. John Kerry just happened to be the alternative. This election is just about whether the voters are comfortable with Barack Obama.

Oh, and for those of you who are trying to get comfortable with who he is and what he stands for, stop listening to the bloggers and pundits - read Obama's Berlin Speech. Obama is a statesman. As Maureen Dowd says - "He is The One."

Bush is following Obama's lead on Foreign Policy

Great column in today's Philadelphia Inquirer about how the Bush Administration foreign policy seems to be evolving in the direction that Obama has been advocating for months.

Anybody paying attention has seen that the Bush Administration is finally starting to realize that its heretofore untouchable policy of "No Negotiation with Enemies" is starting to thaw.

We saw it with North Korea with very positive results

We are now seeing it with Iran as the Bush Administration is belatedly sending an envoy along with European negotiators to discuss Iran's nuclear policy.

Even better, Nouri al Maliki has effectively endorsed Obama's plan to pull out of Iraq within 16 months. While he is backing off the original endorsement now, he still advocates a rapid pullout of US forces.

As for Afghanistan, Obama has been arguing that this was and should have remained at the forefront of the battle against the terrorists. Our military has been asking for more help in Afghanistan as well. Apparently, both Bush and McCain are starting to come around to that point of view too.

I wonder how they will package all this. They can't acknowledge that Obama is and has always been right, but smart people will see it for what it is. However, now that al Maliki wants the US to leave Iraq sooner rather than later, they may have to stop tamping down on the superficial position that withdrawing from Iraq means surrender.

For a guy with "very little foreign policy experience" and "a thin resume", that Obama sure is smart....

Leadership for America's Future

Just read this - http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/07/a_new_strategy_for_a_new_world.html

He is the real deal. He is serious and focused. You won't find this level of sophisticated and in-depth thought with George W. Bush or John McCain.

Being a political junkie

I admit it, I am a political junkie. I get up every morning and check out the latest from multiple online sources. I usually check two or three times throughout the day and then I often come home and flip between CNN, FoxNews and MSNBC depending on who has the most interesting political commentary going on at the time.

A lot of the analysis seems to be focused on the "gotcha" politics. Yesterday, my wife and I agreed that very little of the commentary really matters to most of the people out there. In the end, I am not sure that most of the day to day stuff will make a big difference, but I can't seem to pull myself away from it. And, from time to time, I even contribute to it here in my own small way. Oh well...

I am heartened by a couple of things. First, I believe in the Obama organization. They demonstrated not only their grit and determination, but their focus and thoroughness during the primary season. I believe that the registration efforts and their organization building will help him pull off a victory. It may not be a landslide, but I believe it will be a significant victory.

Second, the recent polling seems to be moving in Obama's direction. Today's state polls in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania show a definite trend in Obama's direction. In fact, virtually every battleground state poll since Hillary dropped out has favored Obama. There is a long time to go, but he seems to be in a position of strength.