The Last Weekly Tracking Polls & The Prospect Of A McCain/Clinton Matchup and Love Fest

Pals

The latest weekly tracking polls (from 1/20/08 by Rasmussen Reports) show Senators Clinton and McCain in the Dems lead, and McCain and Romney heading up the G.O.P. heading into the southern primaries and on to Super Tuesday.

G.O.P.

9% Giuliani
19% Huckabee
11% Thompson (oops...he's outta there and his supports are swinging to McCain)
19% Romney
23% McCain

Dems

39% Clinton
31% Obama
16% Edwards
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If Hillary Clinton and John McCain are nominated, this could be the most civilized election ever, at least according to Bill Clinton.

According to CNN, former president Bill Clinton "brushed aside suggestions his wife would prove to be a divisive nominee for the Democratic Party, pointing out how she has successfully worked with Republicans in the Senate," including Senator McCain.

"She and John McCain are very close," Clinton said. "They always laugh that if they wound up being the nominees of their party, it would be the most civilized election in American history, and they're afraid they'd put the voters to sleep because they like and respect each other."

At an ABC debate in January, the two were seen chit-chatting. A Clinton side said "she told the Arizona senator he’d done a “good job” staging a comeback in New Hampshire. He asked that she say hello to Bill Clinton for him."
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Attorney General John Edwards

I have never even considered this prospect. . .but it is a tantalizing one. John Edwards would be an incredible ass-kicking attorney general. In my booklet, he'd be way up there. . .with the likes of Ramsey Clark, and Bobby Kennedy. He would be pro-labor, and pro La Raza, and a genuine force to be reckoned with who would not shy away from the tough fights.

According to Robert Novak: "Illinois Democrats close to Sen. Barack Obama are quietly passing the word that John Edwards will be named attorney general in an Obama administration. Installation at the Justice Department of multimillionaire trial lawyer Edwards would please not only the union leaders supporting him for president but organized labor in general. The unions relish the prospect of an unequivocal labor partisan as the nation's top legal officer. In public debates, Obama and Edwards often seem to bond together in alliance against front-running Sen. Hillary Clinton."
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The Fiesta of our Lady of La Paz in Bucerias, Nayarit, Mexico

It's so great to be back here, and not just for the weather (84 degrees today) or the food, but for the spirit of the people. With a fiesta going on in town, you get to see hundreds of locals having fun. And one thing that has always touched me about the people here are their sweet dispositions and their obvious love of family and friends. In the four times I've been here, I've yet to hear a cross word, or see anyone angry. They take life as it comes. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to live here as an Ex-pat...one of those overtanned, coupon clipping 50-60-70 year old honkies you see on the margins and meet once in a while on the street returning from the markets.
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Mexico Travelling Partners

I arrive at the beach late (after having to do some work!)


Dave Hokit tries on a pink Puerto Vallarta hat, which the vendor refused to sell him because it was pink!


Maureen Roberts at Cocina de Jorges


Keelin emerges from the Pacific (81 degrees in the water today)

I joined Maureen, Dave, and Keelin one day into the vacation after a work thing in Los Angeles. They were glad to see me arrive, since I am in charge of both comic relief and cooking. I've been here 30 hours and have already cooked two dinners.

It is an incredible callback to be here again with all of them, since we have been here together on vacation twice before. This really isn't supposed to work, but we have taken at least ten vacations together (the Olympic Peninsula 2x, Methow Valley 3x, McCall Idaho, Lopez Island 2x, Orcas Island, and Salt Spring Island) since we met in 1986. This is the first one without our six children. And while we do miss The Youth, we're getting by somehow.
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Back in Bucerias

La Cocina de Jorges --click to enlarge. Jorges runs our favorite breakfast place, an open air restaurant with great eggs, fresh orange juice, tacos, etc. When we first came to Bucerias, it was Cocina de Linda. But Jorge took over in about 1999. He now talks to us in English even though we prefer Spanish. A great local spot where you rarely ever see gringos.

Click to enlarge - A taco stand at the fiesta, this one specializing in tacos made from the heads of cows (or Beeves as Shakespeare

would have said): lengua=tongue (I have had some excellent tongue tacos); labio=lips; carnaza=tidbits (which I assume means

the tasty bits of the headthat are sometimes used to make things like headcheese and scrapple; sesos=brains.

I flew into Bucerias from L.A. (and got bumped to first class) this morning, to meet Keelin and our friends Dave and Maureen. We are staying in a different house than our previous three visits, and as often happens, there is a fiesta in town. As also often happens it is a fiesta dedicated to the Virgin Mary in one of her forms (this one I think being our Lady of La Paz).

The town is full of Mexican tourists and people from nearby villages and towns. There are dozens of food booths, the usual, rickety travelling amusement rides, souvenir booths, hot dog stands, and many taco stands, agua freesca booths, and fruit stands. Different than previous fiestas we have witnessed are about ten drink stands purveying tequila and rum (ron) drinks. Obviously not all are dedicated to Mechicanos...check out some of the names of drinks apparently aimed at the honky/gringo/gabacho audience. Since I'm fried, I'll just add a few pictures and tell you more tomorrow.

The heartbreakingly simple Catholic Church in Bucerias (it's always open). You might not scoff at religion if you walked in on Sunday and saw the place filled with true believers. Click to enlarge.

Click to enlarge - You'd think we were in Puerto Vallarta with the retarded drink names like Adios Motherfu**er and Orgasmo, and Sex On La Playa. This is our fourth trip here, but the first time we've seen the locals get into serious drinking. But in moderation, of course. . .I have never seen anyone drunk here, except American tourists. But you have to admit Adios MF is a pretty good name for a drink. I was tempted!

Click to enlarge - The town square or Zocolo. They also have a bandstand in the middle of the square, and during the festival, there are many (we saw at least ten or fifteen) traditional Mexican brass bands--with trumpets, trombones, tubas, and I even saw a French Horn, along with a couple of drummers. In the town square there were at least three playing simultaneously at all times.

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Vaginas 'R Us::::life on the road in between airplanes::::::::heading for the beach in Mexico

click to enlarge

It's ten-thirty. I guess this is the start of my travelogue of Mexico.

Just up the street is a king-sized readerboard advertising Vaginas Are Us. Live Sex! It is apparently not a very popular sign with the local merchants. a controversial sign: click here to find out more. On the other hand, hey! merchants!, I still patronized your Circle K and Denny's, despite being traumatized by the sign. That's quite a motto anyhow.. . .

Vaginas are us. They're like God's second greatest invention, right behind the sun.

Tomorrow I join Keelin, Dave Hokit and Maureen Roberts in the little beach town where we've vacationed together twice before (we went sans Hokits in 2003). It's a sleepy town, and you mostly just walk, go to the beach, swim, and cook. One of my favorite part of our trips there is doing the cooking and shopping from all the Little markets (I have to be writing about this because I just had a salad from Denny's). There are fantastic briny red snapper and shrimp, unbelievable mangos and pineapple, shockingly fresh eggs and still warm corn tortillas, bunches of gleaming onions and radishes, tomatoes better than Maranzanos, bundles of mint and cilantro, massive piles of sweet Mexican limes, the chicken you meet in the morning, and pick up at noon, plucked, dressed and ready for the fire, the marinated slices of flavorful beef that you toss on a wood fire for a few minutes....this is food porn, isn't it? Like I sad, blame Denny's, sleep deprivation and aviophobia.

I just arrived in Los Angeles, to a sprawling, not quite ramshackle Travelodge anchored around a Denny's . Last night, I went to bed at 3:00 and the alarm went off 4:45. I was on the plane by 6:20, and tomorrow, it's one more plane at 8 and I'll be in Puerto Vallarta by noon, and catch a bus or cab to Bucerias). I am feeling hale for sleeping not even two hours (but I did catch at least a half hour booster nap on the plane to OC). More tomorrow, from Mexico.

The house we're staying in the next week:

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Freddie's Dead! Ex-Sen. Thompson throws in the towel

Ex-Senator Fred Thompson pulled the plug on his moribund campaign today. Only last night, we guessed that, based on the absence of recent Jeri Kehn photographs on their website.



According to the Associated Press: "Thompson did not say whether he would endorse any of his former rivals. He was one of a handful of members of Congress who supported Arizona Sen. John McCain in 2000 in his unsuccessful race against George W. Bush for the party nomination."

I am sure Fred will now enjoy a lucrative career as a highly-paid consultant. And here is the last Jeri Kehn photo compendium:

Where is Jeri Kehn Thompson? A dearth of photos plagues the internet. . .

Jeri Kehn Thompson On The Road/All This Is That's Comprehensive Jeri Kehn Coverage Continues With New Photos

Even Jeri Kehn can't resuscitate her husband's wheezing, tubercular campaign (but it's fun to watch while she tries)

This week's photographic update on Jeri Kehn Thompson

Photomontage: Jeri Kehn pressing the flesh (includes one photo of her husband) and links to Jeri Kehn photo motherlode

Latest Jeri Kehn sightings and photographs

Two more Jeri Kehn Thompson Photos

Latest Jeri Kehn sightings and photographs

Jeri Kehn Thompson photo update No. 12--eleven new Jeri Kehn photographs

Two more Jeri Kehn Thompson Photos

A Jeri Kehn Thompson cameo appearance in a Fred Thompson campaign video, four new Jeri Kehn photographs, and a Mrs. Fred Thompson photo roundup

Three additional photos of Mrs. Fred Thompson a/k/a Jeri Kehn

Meet the Thompson Twins: Fred Thompson's wife, Jeri Kehn (with photos)

One More Jeri Kehn Thompson photo

Jeri Kehn Photos, Part 3: Three more photos of Mrs. Fred Thompson

More Jeri Kehn photos--> A follow-up to "Meet the Thompson Twins: Fred Thompson's wife, Jeri Kehn (with photos)

Not Jeri Kehn: people who are not Mrs. Fred Thompson, yet who often turn up in search engine searches on "Jeri Kehn"

Three new Jeri Kehn photos; links to Jeri photos; and Fred Thompson describes the beauty of having a hot first lady;New photographs of Jeri Kehn Thompson on the campaign trail (and a couple of her husband Fred too)
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Where is Jeri Kehn Thompson? A dearth of photos plagues the internet. . .

Ex-Senator Thompson's website has, in the last few weeks, neglected to post any photos of bright and scrumptious Ms. Jeri Kehn. Have they decided against sending her back out on the hustings? Has she virtually thrown in the towel (not likely since she was one of the campaign's main strategists)? Clearly, the moribund campaign is on its last legs.

Have they elected to keep her under wraps since any appearance she makes juxtaposes her winsome MILF-ness against Fred's lumpy and sagging visage? Or is it just to thwart the ongoing Jeri Kehn photo series on All This Is That? We may know more soon. Certainly, the ex-Senator seems likely to throw in the towel, at the latest, by February 5th. Unless he comes to his senses and names Ms. Kehn as his running mate...





If you're jonesing for a Jeri Kehn photo fix, you don't have to paw through Fred Thompson's web site. . .because we;'ve done the mining for you. Check out these Jeri Kehn photo links from the last few months on All This Is That:

Jeri Kehn Thompson On The Road/All This Is That's Comprehensive Jeri Kehn Coverage Continues With New Photos
Even Jeri Kehn can't resuscitate her husband's wheezing, tubercular campaign (but it's fun to watch while she tries)
This week's photographic update on Jeri Kehn ThompsonPhotomontage: Jeri Kehn pressing the flesh (includes one photo of her husband) and links to Jeri Kehn photo motherlode
Latest Jeri Kehn sightings and photographs
Two more Jeri Kehn Thompson Photos
Latest Jeri Kehn sightings and photographs
Jeri Kehn Thompson photo update No. 12--eleven new Jeri Kehn photographs
Two more Jeri Kehn Thompson Photos
A Jeri Kehn Thompson cameo appearance in a Fred Thompson campaign video, four new Jeri Kehn photographs, and a Mrs. Fred Thompson photo roundup
Three additional photos of Mrs. Fred Thompson a/k/a Jeri Kehn
Meet the Thompson Twins: Fred Thompson's wife, Jeri Kehn (with photos)
One More Jeri Kehn Thompson photo
Jeri Kehn Photos, Part 3: Three more photos of Mrs. Fred Thompson
More Jeri Kehn photos--> A follow-up to "Meet the Thompson Twins: Fred Thompson's wife, Jeri Kehn (with photos)
Not Jeri Kehn: people who are not Mrs. Fred Thompson, yet who often turn up in search engine searches on "Jeri Kehn"Three new Jeri Kehn photos; links to Jeri photos; and Fred Thompson describes the beauty of having a hot first lady;
New photographs of Jeri Kehn Thompson on the campaign trail (and a couple of her husband Fred too)
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Rudy Giuliani's campaign is on life-support. . .even in New York::::::can the end of the line be far away?

The Mayor of 9/11 in one of his favorite gowns

From today's Reuters.com: "Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani is trailing in the race for the Republican presidential nomination even on his home turf of New York state, a new poll showed on Monday.

"The WNBC/Marist poll ahead of the February 5 primaries in New York showed 34 percent of registered Republicans support John McCain, compared to 23 percent for Giuliani. Among Republicans likely to vote, McCain kept his 34 percent support, while Giuliani was tied in second place with Mitt Romney at 19 percent."

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Video: President Bush Screws The Country (probably not SFW)

From Mojoflix.com, comes this video re-enactment of what gets The President excited. There is no information about the creator or actors in the video.

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"He's being mean!":::::Obama Hits the Ex-Prez Over 'Troubling' Attacks

Sen. Barack Obama says he's ready to confront former President Bill Clinton, calling his advocacy on behalf of his wife's presidential campaign, "troubling."

Jump here to read more about Barack's snipes at President Clinton.
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My Crib: an aerial view of Jack's place

click to enlarge

This is an aerial view of my house in Seattle. To the left, is Puget Sound, an arm of the Pacific Ocean, connecting to the Pacific about 75 miles north, and also connecting with the Strait of Georgia, leading up to Canada, and even further on the inland waterway to Alaska. Puget Sound is technically a fjord system of flooded glacial valleys, linked to the ocean by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, a narrow channel whose name is often joked about. My house is a short walk down the hill to the sound, and Golden Gardens, a Seattle park directly left (west) of our house. You can see hundreds of boat slips along the coast at the marina there. The body of water to the east (right) is Green Lake. At the far right side, you can see the ribbon of Interstate 5. To the bottom (south) of the photo, you see what looks like a river. This is the Ballard Locks that connects with the Montlake cut/Ship Canal and connects Puget Sound to Lake Union, Salmon Bay, Portage Bay, and Lake Washington.

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