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A nepotistic-like succession of Caroline Kennedy to the likely soon-to-be-vacated seat of Senator Hillary Clinton doesn’t seem to be garnering much support, at least amongst those in the blogosphere.  The idea of expanding the Kennedy dynasty…just because…isn’t appealing to people.  Glenn Greenwald wrote last week:

The Senate alone — to say nothing of the House — is literally filled with people whose fathers or other close relatives previously held their seat or similar high office (those links identify at least 15 current U.S. Senators — 15 — with immediate family members who previously occupied high elected office).  And, of course, the current President on his way out was the son of a former President and grandson of a former U.S. Senator.

I think Greenwald brings up a good point, and he’s not the only one.

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Too bad it takes his assistant Patrick Appel to point it out:

While signing off, Andrew mentioned the months long argument he and I have had with regard to Sarah Palin’s fifth child. I am the only other person who has read all the obstetrician interviews, the interview with a reporter at the scene, and all the primary sources. I strongly believe that there is nothing to this story.

Also, on Sullivan’s harping on the birth not being reported in the hospital records:

This is highly misleading. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) (pdf) protects patient information. The “formal record” Andrew is referring to is a list of newborn babies on the Mat-Su website. This list is voluntary. Parents have to give their approval for their children to be listed (The Dish checked with the hospital). Trig not being on this list isn’t proof of anything.

Sullivan wanted the medical records released, even after the election was done and over, insisting that it would all be over only if Palin would do that. To me, that’s like those conspiracy theorists practically screaming for Obama to appear on national television with his birth certificate,because only if he would do that, there would be no question anymore.

Questioning the official record is fine when something seem to smell nasty.  But when, time and again, proof has been offered, it really is time to move on.  Continuing to harp on it makes it look like you have a derangement syndrome.

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Wow!  Almost four months since I last updated this series.  Back on July 31, we had just bought the new building and I was talking about having to pack everything in order to move it.

That was three months and 22 days ago.  Back then, our house had been on the market for a little while.  Fast forward to now: it sold late last month.  Since then we’ve gradually been moving, but have had to pick up the pace in the past couple weeks because the closing is next week.

I’d estimate that about 98% of the major stuff is out of the house.  What’s left are some clothes, remainaing dishes, other odds and ends, and the big beds and couches.  If you didn’t catch what that means, well it means that we’re now living in the new house!

The mattresses were moved over today, and my parents have their bed setup, since it’s a frame bed, unlike my heavy captain’s bed.  So, I’ll be sleeping on a mattress for the next two nights.  It sucks, but you gotta do what you gotta do.

So, we’re practically moved in, and even the cable is on (or I wouldn’t be posting this).  That means this series, which I had intended to be much larger, is drawing to an end.  I’ll be making one final post on Monday or shortly thereafter with some closing thoughts on the process.

Now off to sleep for a busy day tomorrow.

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About a week ago, I wrote an entry warning the two major candidates to not become cocky (in Barack Obama’s case), depressed (in John McCain’s case), or downright complacent, given the “inevitability” of an Obama win.  Now obviously, I didn’t actually think this was going to happen, but Barack Obama said something the other day that shows he recognizes the danger, and will do his best to not let it get to him.

Here’s what he said, as noted by Chicago Sun-Times writer Lynn Sweet:

“Don’t underestimate the capacity of Democrats to snatch defeat from
the jaws of victory,” Mr. Obama said. “Don’t underestimate our ability
to screw it up.”

The idea of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory has a long history with the Democrats.  It happened to John Kerry in 2004.  Obama doesn’t want it to happen to him.

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Basically, I think this debate was not much different than the last two.  There were some good points brought up by both sides, however.  John McCain did better in this debate that the last two, and made a good attempt at defining his economic stances, and calling on Obama to explain his connections.  Obama, meanwhile, remained the cool candidate he’s portrayed himself as in the previous debates, by not letting things get to him.

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It’s amazing how things can change in a matter of hours, isn’t it?  Mere hours ago, I was pondering my options for the future, given John McCain and Barack Obama’s contempt for their critics.

Yesterday, Sarah Palin brought up the Obama-William Ayers connection , saying Obama was “palling around with terrorists.”  Then hours ago, Politico had a report about Obama’s return volley in the form of the Keating 5 scandal, which McCain was embroiled in some years ago.  Our own Michael ver der Galien discussed this development in another article.

Both are misleading at best.  But both are the types of things I thought I’d never see from both campaigns.  And thus, my support for them is lost.  On November 4th, my vote goes to Libertarian Party candidate Bob Barr.