Ten days short of his 66th birthday, the original Black Moses, the baddest of the baddest of the cool, Oscar and multiple Grammy award winner, soul and funk master Isaac Hayes died this morning in Memphis.

Another member has posted a single-word diary, but I thought that Mr. Shaft himself deserves a whole lot more than a single-word diary. More over the fold.  

I almost never write letters to editors, let alone individual journalists, yet given what is rapidly becoming a pattern, of journalists peddling all manner of narratives to try and sway this election this year, I've really felt that we should begin to push back not only as a movement, but as individuals. Which is why after reading Bob Sackamento's rec'd diary, "Why Can't Obama Close the Deal on Fat Americans?" and the article that inspired it, I decided to write to the author of the article at the Wall Street Journal. Letter over the fold.

First, my tip to raoul78 for his diary currently on the rec list in which he questions the recent decision of the Federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to halt further lease applications for large-scale solar applications beyond 125 applications already in hand, while BML and the Department of Energy conduct a thorough study of the possible environmental impact of such massive surface installations in 6 states. Having tipped my hat, I respectfully believe that raoul78 (and the NYT and the solar energy lobby) are wrong, and that the BML has made the right decision. However you cut it, one million acres of solar panels is an absolute environmental disaster the impact of which cannot be justified by the prospective energy benefits. More over the fold

As most clear-headed people have come to agree, what could have been an earth-shaking historic moment in American political history, and to all intents and purposes seemed so inevitable only a year ago, instead came to an end Tuesday thanks to a long string of errors by Senator Clinton, her campaign, and her surrogates including and especially her husband.

And if you thought it would come to end, Hillary continues to add to what has already become a sad comedy of errors.

She may concede tonight, she may not, but her towel is already in the ring and her corner has packed up to leave the ringside. This marathon fight is effectively over, and even as a staunch supporter of her opponent I cannot help but feel a little sadness for Senator Clinton tonight as she makes her last move, whatever it may be.

I know most Kossacks watched the events at Wesleyan live earlier today and the open thread was on the rec list forever (Al Rogers's diary is on now), but not everyone watched the full ceremony live, and one of the items that has not been in the news much is that Wesleyan also awarded Barack an honorary degree of Doctor of Law. Short diary and links over the fold for those who missed the live streaming and also missed Wesleyan President Michael S. Roth's great speech against the politics of fear and intolerance.

She's a strong woman; we've all come to know and witness that. Elegant, brave, unwavering, far from easy to intimidate. And she wears it all so lightly.

Yet, after Senator Clinton's quip today about a primary assassination in June, I wonder what Michelle Obama and her children are thinking tonight, what they're doing, how they're processing this latest salvo from the other side. The rest over the fold.

NAACP, the nation's oldest civil rights organization, has broken with tradition and chosen Benjamin Jealous, a young, radical organizer as its new president. A former-teenage protest organizer and later Rhodes scholar, Jealous would be the youngest leader of the organization in its 99-year history, and a leader whose track record very much parallels Barack Obama's. The rest over the fold.

Yes, indeed. First was Rep. John Lewis. Then Senator McGovern. And now the rothweiler of the Clinton camp is about to defect as well. He's practically called the nomination for Barack Obama and promised to send a check. The ship is all but sunk, folks.

This has to be a very short and quick one as I have to rush to work, but I thought I should raise it so that Kossacks can decide it once and for all, hopefully. Is Senator McCain's age a legitimate issue to call him out on this election year? Do we gain from making a big issue of it or bringing it up as a talking point, or do we make a big mistake that is not only legally indefensible but also distracts from the real issues and makes us look bad. Your opinion on this one is desperately called for.

One of the most impactful diaries today is all about managing expectations before Tuesday. More precisely, it is about how we must not raise our hopes too high, or even high for that matter, lest we find them dashed on the harsh rocks of the Allegheny. The diary claims that Obama supporters are once again getting their expectations "out of whack". We must thus subject ourselves to a "reality check". Well, I prefer to hope that we'll push this thing close. I strongly believe that there's never been anything false about hope in this campaign. That's why I wake up and I make every effort that I can to make it close in PA. All this expectation game play can dampen morale, people. I'm not sure I want more of it.

So, John McCain is now the people's man. He tells his audience at the Associated Press annual meeting in Washington, DC that he thought Senator Obama's statement about small town America is "elitist", and went on to give a little history lesson on small town America. But I've got a history lesson for John McCain, yes, and an economics lesson as well, just so he knows...

I'm elitist. So what? Can't apologize for everything, can I? I have a doctoral degree and I earn more than the average American, whoever that is. I drink tea and wear a hand-woven tie. But I'm bitter too because I can't afford to heat the whole house and fill the tank at the gas station daily and pay for my old parents' medical care, and I've put off getting married because I'm not sure I can afford it, and I work real hard. I want a President who understands that even tea drinkers have unemployed family to support and student loans to repay. That we're not all millionaires and that we're all hurting, too.

Since all hell broke loose last month regarding Rev. Jeremiah Wright's sermons, a great deal more has happened in America. Most of us swore, cussed, all but called for the burning torch. Fingers were pointed, self-righteous accusations made, and a candidate was forced to not only renounce and denounce, but also rise up to a near-death challenge and deliver one of the most memorable speeches in our history.
However, by allowing Rev. Wright to be thrown under the bus instead of pushing back, did we make a very costly mistake for which Democrats stand to pay a very high price this year? If so, how and what must we do to avoid the otherwise inevitable reprisal?

On Friday, April 4, while the nation celebrated the legacy and memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Senator Obama gave one of his shortest and most memorable speeches this year: on the true legacy of Dr. King, and the need for Economic Justice for all Americans. My transcript of speech below. Please rec so others can read this remarkable speech.

This is going to be a short painless one as I have to run to work. After reading DHinMI's diary "Dems Prove They Can Do Rovian Dirty Tricks Against McCain" I stayed up all night playing with photoshop. Below are a few of the results. The typefaces could be better.

While it's still uncertain how the "More Perfect Union" speech will resonate with the larger electorate not only in the critical remaining primary states but also across America, and while his national poll ratings against McCain and Clinton are still taking a hopefully temporary mild beating, this latest Gallup Poll of general opinon of the three presidential candidates is worth sharing.