Politics & Data Mining

John Gartner:

If such a scenario sounds far-fetched, it shouldn’t. With the presidential election less than three months away, such tactics are gaining momentum, as organizations attempting to influence the election are betting the necessary votes are hidden within consumer databases.
Activist groups including MoveOn.org, along with the major political parties, are spending unprecedented amounts of money to find out where you shop before trying to sell you on their candidate

Hollywoods Tax on ALL of us

Wisconsin Public Radio’s Home page tells the story:

NOTICE: Due to rights issues, the Ideas Network internet streaming service cannot carry the BBC and CBC programming from 11:30pm to 6am weekdays and 12am to 6am on weekends until the conclusion of the Olympics on September 1st. Our live streaming for the Ideas Network will be off the air during these periods.

This absurdity, due to NBC’s broadcast rights deal with the IOC (International Olympic Committee), is yet another example of how the media has had its way with our politicians.

The New Caesars – Gary Hart Opinion via Salon


The cause of imperialism, weakened for a time by the fall of the European and Soviet empires, has found new advocates. The fact that the 21st century imperial power happens to be the United States of America, whose independence from colonialism was declared 228 years ago, seems not to matter. The neoconservatives’ project to position the United States as the world’s dominant power — and to use that power to govern in venues chosen seemingly by them alone, and collectively where reasonably easy but unilaterally where necessary — has been advanced and saluted.

Community Pools – Minnesota


Tim Post:

For years the old neighborhood pool was the best place to cool off on hot summer days. But across the region, cities have had to close those old pools because of expensive repairs and declining attendance. In a day of air conditioners and cable TV, pools don’t serve as community gathering places much anymore. But now city leaders are trying to attract a new generation of swimmers and splashers with more exciting pools.

Structural Corruption

Steve Clemons on an example of the structural corruption in government (Clemons cites an example of ex CIA director James Woolsey, whose wife is a director of Fluor corporation (recipient of $1.6B in Iraq contracts). Another example is Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, whose wife, Linda, is a lobbyist who mostly represents airlines, aircraft makers and other aviation-related interests ? all of which have a steady stream of issues before the Senate.

Wisconsin Voters


Monica Davey talks with some Wisconsin voters on the upcoming presidential election:

“Honestly, I don’t know what to do,” Ms. Zavala said as she wandered near Lake Michigan clutching the hand of her young granddaughter. Ms. Zavala voted for President Bush in 2000 and says her relatives still adore him. Never far from her thoughts, though, is that her son-in-law is a soldier, and so her uncertainty keeps growing.
“Now, when I look at it, I think Bush misled the people about Iraq, and I feel sad for all the families, for all these soldiers that had to die,” she said. “But then I don’t really know what Kerry would do about it either.” Ms. Zavala stopped, then finally said, “I guess I can only wait and see what happens.”
There lies a central complication for the campaigns as they fight for a state that gave Al Gore just an ounce more support than George W. Bush four years ago. From working-class neighborhoods in Racine in the southeast to the pine- and fern-covered hills near Lake Superior, voters speak of factories that have closed, schools short on money and health insurance beyond reach.