This mother's day I'd like to share a poem that for me is a reminder on what the many wars and conflicts in the World inflict on mothers regardless of where they are in the world, what 'race', what religion and what political persuasion.

This poem celebrates the fact that mothers the world over share in their love for their children, and their sadness for losses of their lives when they are sacrificed in the alters of senseless wars and conflicts.

A MOTHER’S TEARS, WHAT FLAVORS DO THEY COME IN?

What flavors do a mother’s tears come in?
What about her heartbroken grief,
Her sobs and cries of pain and anguish,
The pain for a child lost that sears her soul,
For a child she nursed and cared for - for years.
What flavors do a mother’s tears come in?

A MOTHER’S TEARS, WHAT FLAVORS DO THEY COME IN?

Please recommend the diary "Canvass Kentucky for Obama" by Nuisance Industry Fri May 09, 2008 at 08:05:06 AM PDT which has good info on work being done in Kentucky. [The link to diary is below]

Got to help the fight for votes in Kentucky!! "Nuisance Industry" has good info in this diary about the campaign in Kentucky, but it has gone down into the void of diaries that don't get enough recommendations. I'm hoping that you agree that it is important and recommend it.

TO GO TO DIARY CLICK THIS>> Canvass Kentucky for Obama by Nuisance Industry  Fri May 09, 2008

It seems that the attacks and attempts by Sen. Clinton and Sen. McCain to smear Obama with his comments about people being bitter are not working!!!

Sen. Obama, on the latest Gallup Polls has the biggest lead yet of 11% having 51% of people choose him to 40% for Hillary.

I believe that it the lowest number for Hillary. A few days ago she had dipped to 41% which was her lowest at that time and now she is at 40% for the second day.

There is at least one thing that most Democrats and Republicans agree on.

The recent Gallup poll taken March 24-27 shows that most Democrats and Republicans agree that Obama is the tougher Democratic Party opponent to McCain.

Interestingly a majority of Democrats also feel that this drawn out nomination process is doing more harm than good.

These results go against the claims that Hillary Clinton is the stronger opponent against McCain, and that the longer drawn-out primary Democratic Party campaign is good for the party.

I am writing this diary to share with you, a powerful video of two white pastors' recent sermons at the Rev. Wright's Trinity United Church of Christ.

This video weaves these two courageous pastors' sermons as they powerfully defend Rev. Wright from the recent shameful attacks on him, and expose the distortions that painted him as a rabid racist who prays for the destruction of the US.

The fight against the smear attacks on Rev. Wright, and by association on Sen. Obama is one with big implications in the upcoming primaries, but more importantly in the general election campaign against McCain.

The damage from NAFTA-gate lies to Obama's credibility should NOT be underestimated.

It has implications in this primary season BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY for the general elections against McSame!!

A candidate's credibility is one of the key things that has to be protected!! The Clinton campaign's unfair attacks and the damage and doubts they have raised about Obama's credibility should not be left to fester!!

Hillary has kept hammering on this issue even though it is based on LIEs. However for a lot of people who don't have access to different sources of media they will take is as the truth.

The real story around "NAFTA-gate" is one that will expose the Clinton campaign for their deceptions and lies!!! The unfair tarnishing of Obama has to be cleared up!

I am convinced that the impression that Obama says one thing to voters and says another thing to others, like the government of Canada has been engraved in many blue collar workers and others in the small towns and communities of Ohio, Pennsylvania and similar places. Hillary likes to throw in a "Wink Wink" in her attacks - to imply double talk on the part of Obama!!

Obama's historic and very courageous speech on race seems to be turning the tide that had seemed to be going against him after the continuous playing of the video clips of Rev. Wright on TV.

He showed what a great, courageous leader he will be by tackling the issue of race, against the advice of many people.

He showed in action that his words of a new type of politics are more than "just words", by deciding to tackle head-on a topic that is so critical to healing and unifying people for progressive change.

He did it without the use of poll-based politics, but rather from a point of conviction that it was the right thing to do.

He did it from a point of faith in the American people, that they would hear what he had to say and make the right assessment and decision. His faith is being shown as having been correctly placed!!

The numbers for Gallup are showing a clear recover and uptrend! It will only continue as people digest his powerful call and messages.

The Gallup link follows: http://www.gallup.com/...

I'm up in the morning and listening to Morning Joe's show and boy was I in for a disappointment. The discussion was about Senator Obama's yesterday's speech and about Rev. Wright.

Joe Scarborough, Tucker Carlson were on the show together with Mika Brzezinski. Mika was intellectually head and shoulder above these two. From what I have seen on this episode I think it should be her show.

Continued below the fold....

Interesting article that gives surprisingly high numbers of Republicans who have voted for Hillary Clinton in the Ohio, Texas and Mississippi primaries.

Boston Globe in a March 17th article quoted below has some surprising numbers and comments:

Many voting for Clinton to boost GOP seek to prolong bitter battle

By Scott Helman - Boston Globe Staff / March 17, 2008

For a party that loves to hate the Clintons, Republican voters have cast an awful lot of ballots lately for Senator Hillary Clinton: About 100,000 GOP loyalists voted for her in Ohio, 119,000 in Texas, and about 38,000 in Mississippi, exit polls show.

A sudden change of heart? Hardly.

Boston Globe article can be found at:  http://www.boston.com/...

Continued below fold

Thanks Keith for a very eloquent capture of the vile nature of Geraldine Ferraro's comments and Sen. Clinton's pandering to such comments by not administering the medicine that she had asked Obama to apply. Senator Obama moved quickly and forcefully when she called Senator Clinton a monster.

I am submitting this short diary to provide another thread to express support for Keith Olberman's courageous stand.

I have recently been struck by many diaries and comments where people talk about having switched from being Sen. Clinton supporters, some very ardent supporters, to becoming Sen. Obama Supporters. That raised the question in my mind that it would be enlightening to poll how the events over this primary season have affected such changes or switches.

I am therefore putting together this poll that is intended to do just this and asks the question: If you were a Sen. Clinton supporter but now are an Obama supporter, what made you switch?  What action or words on the part of Sen. Clinton's campaign turned you off?

I was won over to Obama as I became aware of the community organization he had done, and how he brought that experience to his approach and belief about bringing change coming from the bottom up that requires people to step up, become involved in bringing about the needed changes. This is an essential difference between the Obama and the Clinton campaigns that is reflected in the chants of supporters at campaign events - Obama's chant "Yes WE can!!" and Hillary's chants "Yes SHE will!"

Continued below the fold ...

Some attacks and charges by Hillary on Obama have not been addressed sufficiently and are still festering!! These charges and attacks are cooking in voters' minds making them more fertile to new attacks. The new attacks will build on the previous ones and the leftover unresolved/un-addressed questions and impressions!!

Let's , in this diary, start a list of attacks against Obama that we feel need to be addressed more strongly or fully!

This will hopefully be a chance to highlight to the Obama campaign the attacks and charges that we feel need to be addressed. If nothing else, this will reinforce other similar messages that they might be receiving.

The first one that comes to mind is ...

Continues below the fold ...

Don't underestimate the Clintons even if some of the things they do seem so brazen and  don't seem to make much sense. These actions might be purposefully targeted at certain segments of the society who they have assessed might not have the benefits of alternative sources of info, and might be impacted by such actions!!

Don't forget that they have years of experience in Arkansas politics which gives them a deep understanding about what works in the small towns, and communities of Ohio, Texas and now coming up - Pennsylvania!!

More below