Peter Rodman died of complications from leukemia on Saturday, August 2nd. I didn’t know he was ill, and over the last decade we weren’t close friends but were well acquainted. I think he disliked my foreign policy views and political direction quite a bit — but he was always a gentleman when we crossed paths.
Gung Ho Films Director Michael McDermott in Beijing just sent me these pics of his computer in Beijing. For the first, time he has been able to access Amnesty International and BBC Chinese over the net.
(photo credit: Michael McDermott) My friend Michael McDermott runs the largest foreign film production operation in Beijing, Gung Ho Films, and he sent me this photo that he took on August 1st in Beijing. I have to admit that the air ‘looks’ good — which may bode well for the Olympic Games.
My good friend James Fallows turns 59 today. Wish him a happy birthday. He’s done tons for this country.
Yesterday, Gallup’s daily tracking poll showed Obama and McCain even Steven at 44% to 44%. Intrade though has Obama inching away from McCain at 63% to McCain’s Intrade win probability of 36.9%. And here are some other polls.
John McCain just offered this video called “The One” spoofing the sometimes over the top evangelical-style sizzle of Obama’s oratory: Barack Obama isn’t taking it though and is firing back with a new website, “McCain’s Low Road Express” and his own new video on fabrications and false charges in McCain ads: — Steve Clemons
They are up to it again. I just received a disgusting email from John Kerry’s swiftboat stalker, John O’Neill.
Katrina vanden Heuvel, Jane Hamsher, Juan Cole, Gore Vidal, Robert Greenwald, Matt Stoller and others headline a letter to be delivered to Barack Obama before the Democratic National Convention. To some degree, the letter appeals to Obama to be Obama, the one we saw during the primary and not some faded or compromised version.
Some think former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle may be a dark horse to be Barack Obama’s vice presidential running mate. Most of the rest of the DC chattering class thinks that Daschle will be Obama’s White House chief of staff. Both fine jobs.
Richard Holbrooke triggers incredible passion, some of it negative, among foreign policy professionals. He’s a Democrat, but many don’t understand why he’s not a Republican. Dems, some argue, are supposed to be about achieving moral goods in the world along purist pathways of good behavior and enlightened intentions.
