By Steve Clemons

Tomorrow, Tuesday, at 12:15 pm, I will be chairing a meeting at the New America Foundation with former Senator Lincoln Chafee (R-RI).

I have no independent verification, but MSNBC is out with a news alert stating that “U.S. official tells AP that North Korea’s Kim Jong Il may have suffered stroke.” The U.S. botched the transition (thus far) of Fidel Castro stepping down from power.

(Laura Bush: Librarian and Teacher) I sometimes don’t understand the media.

When I wrote this piece about Sarah Palin which was published here at TWN and also Huffington Post the other night, a good number of progressive readers really wanted to have my head.

Good ad actually — and although it’s pre-Palin, I liked it and think it should go up. My problem is that I think the world needs a Dean Acheson today, not a Churchill.

— Steve Clemons

I know quite a number of Alaskans — Dems, Independents and Republicans — for Obama, but I have to admit, this is funny. I realize that I’m in a silly mood this afternoon — the more serious Steve will be back soon.

Wow. McCain can’t really sing Streisand — but big credit for trying. I know that John and Cindy McCain love ABBA — so Pierce Brosnan, watch out! For a longer clip of his sizzle-free performance, go here.

I just received an email that has just begun to kick around since Friday. Like the email from Anne Kilkenny, this email may be written by an Alaska resident. The email allegedly comes from a lawyer for the National Wildlife Refuge, Don Mitchell.

This is what Hurricane Ike looks like in Baracoa, Eastern Cuba. This pic was sent in by my friend and Havana Note co-editor Gail Reed, who is Director of MEDICC.