endorsements at Brave New Films

McCain Struggles to Remember Sec. of State Endorsements

2008-11-03T08:56:04Z

John McCain on NBC's Meet the Press, October 26, 2008

Watch the video

Joel Nathan Rosen - Do Athletes Make Good Role Models?

2008-10-19T03:30:20Z

Complete video at: fora.tv

Author Joel Nathan Rosen questions the pop cultural practice of casting professional athletes as role models.

-----

Athletes as Role Models in the Steroids Era

The Mitchell report revelations of baseball's "steroids era" led to outrage and dismay. Now the government is involved, with Roger Clemens testifying before Congress. But that's not all - 2007 turned out to be a year of scandal in sports: Michael Vick's dogfighting, Bill Belichick's "spy-gate" and Isiah Thomas' sexual harassment trial, to name a few. In light of all this, many have criticized professional athletes for unacceptable behavior. But are athletes held to a higher standard? Should they be judged as role models? At a time when the sports pages seem to contain more social commentary than game breakdowns, the NY Salon has assembled a panel of experts to discuss what this all means for both the sports world and our society at large - NY Salon

Joel Nathan Rosen is Assistant Professor in Sociology at Moravian College and author of The Erosion of the American Sporting Ethos (2007).

Watch the video

Obama Endorsements: The Epilogue

2008-03-22T11:13:59Z

Who's in the mood for gossip? Hands? Okay, but you never heard it from me:

Richardson, in a statement posted Friday on the Web site of his defunct presidential campaign and e-mailed to supporters, also called for New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton to end her own campaign for the nomination for the good of the Democratic Party.

Need more? Feeling feisty? Want some fodder? As in The Fodder of Our Country? Sorry, it's Friday.

Bill Richardson criticized a Clinton campaign adviser Friday for suggesting his endorsement of Barack Obama is insignificant.
"I resent the fact that the Clinton people are now saying that my endorsement is too late because I only can help with Texans — with Texas and Hispanics, implying that that's my only value," the New Mexico governor told CNN's John King. "That's typical of some of his advisers that kind of turned me off." [...]
In the interview Friday, Richardson also said he called Hillary Clinton Thursday to inform her of his decision to back Obama, a conversation he described as "painful."
"It was painful and it wasn't easy," he said. "I've spoken to others who have had that same conversation and they say at the end, it’s not all that pleasant."
The former Democratic presidential candidate declined to elaborate further on his conversation with Clinton.
Last month, Chris Dodd — another former presidential candidate who decided to endorse Obama last month — said he had a "not comfortable" conversation with Clinton informing her of the news.

That's it from Laffy Gossip Central.

John Edwards still not endorsing

2008-03-21T18:47:24Z

He still won't endorse, but here are a few tidbits:

The former North Carolina senator suggested he might be willing to accept a Cabinet post in a Democratic administration. "I want to serve my country in whatever way I can," Edwards said.
He also didn't rule out a third presidential bid.
"I'm not thinking about running again," Edwards said. "But never say never."
Edwards said he did not expect the Democratic presidential fight between Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama to last as long as it has.

Hey, I didn't say they were major tidbits... just tidbits!

John Edwards joins anti-war Obama supporters

2008-02-26T11:07:22Z

An alliance we can all endorse:

Former presidential candidate John Edwards (D-N.C.), whose endorsement is sought by Democratic presidential rivals Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) and Barack Obama (Ill.), will join several groups that have endorsed Obama in a new effort to end the Iraq war.

This doesn't mean he'll endorse Obama, but it's awfully good to see an anti-war effort like this, one that highlights the cost in dollars as well as lives.

Edwards will appear on a Monday morning conference call with officials from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and MoveOn.org, which have both endorsed Obama. Edwards has yet to make an endorsement since he left the presidential race in January after placing third in several early primaries.
Edwards, his wife, Elizabeth, and other members of the effort will announce a "multimillion dollar" effort called the Iraq/Recession Campaign that aims to highlight the ongoing cost of the Iraq war, according to a press release. The group is attempting to tie the Iraq war to fears that the U.S. is entering a recession.

It's the economy, stupid.

Other Democratic groups joining the campaign include VoteVets.org, Americans United for Change and the Center for American Progress, the liberal think tank led by John Podesta, a former aide to President Bill Clinton. None of those organizations, however, has endorsed a candidate for president.

So what do you think... will Edwards eventually endorse Obama?

Icky endorsements: The land-scammer, the foot-tapper, and the sinner

2008-05-13T08:08:19Z

Is it worth getting an endorsement when it comes from one of these sleazebags?

Today Republican Congressman Rick Renzi of Arizona was indicted on charges of extortion, wire fraud, money laundering and other matters in an Arizona land swap scam. Renzi is also one of the Arizona state co-chairs for Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign.

Next up: The Willard Romney Endorser:

Republican Senator Larry Craig was a big-time backer of former Gov. Mitt Romney, before being accused of soliciting sex in a Minnesota men’s bathroom.

Oh, and how can we forget the Vitter For Giuliani campaign?

And Senator David Vitter was a big part of Team Giuliani, before his name turned up in the blackbook of "D.C. Madam" Deborah Jeane Palfrey's. Vitter was forced to apologize for "a very serious sin in my past." (By that he mean soliciting prostitutes, not backing Giuliani.)

Oh, but it doesn't just stop at accepting an endorsement. What do the candidates do when they discover their groupies' indiscretions?

But how they handle their relationship when the chips are down is a bit revealing. Today, McCain expressed more concern than anger when he learned of the Renzi indictment. [...] "I’m sorry obviously, you always feel for the family as you know he has 12 children. But I don’t know enough of the details or anything to make a judgment, this kind of thing is always, is always very unfortunate. I rely on our department of justice and our system of justice to make the right outcome.”

Larry "I Love My Wife" Craig was none too happy when Willard reacted to his foot-tapping:

Mitt Romney on the other hand chose the nuclear option when dealing with the Larry Craig matter. He called Craig’s reported actions, “disgusting.”

However:

He is still a Senator, and Mitt Romney is no longer a presidential candidate.

Ooooh, snap! That nasty, naughty boy got the last laugh.

It's good to see these stellar paragons of our community putting themselves out (no pun) for the Family Values Party. Keep up the good work.

Teamsters endorse Obama

2008-03-11T09:44:23Z

Did anyone notice that the Teamsters, who have long backed Hillary, endorsed Barack Obama?

"This is not about the Clintons, this is about Obama and the momentum he has that I think everybody detects out there that we really have a phenomenon of him having the opportunity to win in November and to basically remake America and speaking out on issues that resonate with our members," Hoffa said.
Hoffa said the union, which has a history of supporting both Democratic and Republican candidates, chose not to support Sen. John McCain because he is "lock-step with the Bush administration. ... I think America has had enough of that and that's why we can't support McCain."

And check out these numbers:

The 1.4 million-member Teamsters union is the third labor organization to throw its support behind the senator from Illinois in less than a week.
The 1.9 million-member Service Employees International Union endorsed him Friday and the 1.3-million member United Food and Commercial Workers Union endorsed him Thursday.

Here's how it helps him:

Union members often act as "ground troops" to canvass neighborhoods and work the phones.
It could help among the lower-income voters Clinton is targeting.
The Teamsters backing may also help Obama in Ohio, which holds primaries on March 4, and Pennsylvania, which holds its primary on April 22.

There are no guarantees, but this sure couldn't hurt.

Two big newspaper endorsements for Obama

2008-02-17T07:29:36Z

I'm sure you've heard by now, but if not:

Sen. Barack Obama received a big boost today, receiving the endorsement of the politically moderate Houston Chronicle in the key battleground state of Texas.

His opponent for the Democratic nod for president, Hillary Clinton, needs a big win in the state to try to blunt the momentum gained by Obama.

Obama also got the nod today from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Wisconsin votes on Tuesday in another key matchup.

You can follow the link to read an excerpt from the Houston Chronicle.

Now let's hope this all translates into a win. You never know.

Al Gore won't endorse

2008-02-11T20:15:07Z

Would it really matter? Or would his endorsement put a stamp of legitimacy on either candidate?

He's the most prominent Democrat yet to take a side in the presidential election, but two sources close to Al Gore tell us not to expect the former vice president to endorse either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama any time during the primary season.
The sources say Gore talks with both Clinton and Obama, and is on good terms with both. But with Sen. John Kerry and Bill Clinton both aligned to a candidate, Gore has a role to serve as the neutral elder statesman in the party.
If an agreement needs to be struck between Clinton and Obama down the road, Gore is in position to be the likely facilitator of that discussion.
Gore also will want to work closely with whoever wins the nomination to promote an environmental agenda.

Al Gore is a super-delegate, per Rachel Maddow just now on KTLK.

La Opinion endorses Obama and McCain

2008-03-17T17:08:21Z

Chalk another one up for Obama:

Yesterday word emerged that the Los Angeles Times would offer its first endorsement since 1972 for president to Barack Obama and John McCain, with the key California primary coming up on Tuesday. Now La Opinion, the popular Hispanic paper, has made the same endorsements. The Obama-Clinton race may hinge on the Latino vote.

Maybe so, but:

Hillary Rodham Clinton, 48 percent
Barack Obama, 41 percent

Then again, since when have endorsements and poll numbers meant that much?

And given that, why do we give them so much attention?

The Obama Endorsements just keep coming

2008-02-01T23:30:24Z

First this, then this, then this, then this. Now this:

The largest labor union in California, the Service Employees International Union, with 650,000 members in the state, decided Friday to endorse Barack Obama.

Talk about being on a roll...

That endorsement, by the California state chapter of the nation’s most political potent union, will help build momentum for Mr. Obama. In addition, because of the union’s large Latino membership, the endorsement could prove important in persuading more Hispanics to vote for Mr. Obama in the California primary next Tuesday.
The S.E.I.U. in California had enthusiastically endorsed John Edwards, and had led the push in the 1.9-million member national union to back him.

And why is this important?

With the S.E.I.U. endorsement, two unions that are specially powerful among immigrants in California — the other is Unite Here, which represents hotel, restaurant and apparel workers — have backed Mr. Obama.

Sounds good to me. What exactly swayed them?

Mr. Garcia, head of the janitor’s local, said the union’s leaders were swayed in part by the Thursday debate in which he said Mr. Obama appeared friendlier to immigrants. He cited Mr. Obama’s support of providing drivers licenses to illegal immigrants.
“He was good on not scapegoating immigrants and I think Hillary did not do strongly on her position on immigration reform last night.”

But before Obama supporters get too cocky:

Hillary Clinton has been endorsed by two other large, politically savvy unions with more than 1 million members the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the American Federation of Teachers.

But here's the bottom line. Richard Trumka, the A.F.L.-C.I.O.s secretary-treasurer:

“We think they’re both very good candidates,” Mr. Trumka said. “They’d both be a vast improvement over the person now in the White House.”

I'd say that's an understatement.

L.A. Times endorses Obama and McCain

2008-02-02T11:54:28Z

This from my local paper:

Barack Obama and John McCain Friday won the backing of the Los Angeles Times, one of the most-read newspapers in the United States and most influential in delegate-rich California.
In separate editorials, the paper praised Obama as an "inspiring leader who cuts through typical internecine campaign bickering," and McCain as a consistent conservative with "fundamental individualism."
Both presidential endorsements are the paper’s first since 1972.

Wowzers! Not since '72? That is impressive endorsing, then.

On Obama:

"[Obama] electrifies young voters, not because he is young but because he embodies the desire to move to the next chapter of the American story," the editorial read. "He brings with him deep knowledge on foreign relations and on this nation's particular struggles with identity and opportunity. His flair for expression, both in print and on the stump, too easily leads observers to forget that Obama is a man not just of style but of substance."
The paper also praised Hillary Clinton, but faulted the New York senator for her original Senate vote authorizing use of force in Iraq.
"Experience has value only if it is accompanied by courage and leads to judgment. Nowhere was that judgment more needed than in 2003, when Congress was called upon to accept or reject the disastrous Iraq invasion. Clinton faced a test and failed, joining the stampede as Congress voted to authorize war," the editorial read.

On McCain:

[The]editorial board noted it disagrees with many of his stands on social issues, but wrote, "The Arizona senator's conservatism is, if not always to our liking, at least genuine.
"It reflects his fundamental individualism, spanning his distrust of big government, his support for immigration reform and his insistence on a sound American foreign policy," the editorial read.

Uh huh, putting our soldiers in jeopardy for another 100 years sure telegraphs "sound" to me.

At least they got the Obama part right, IMHO.

More endorsements: Time to MoveOn for Obama

2008-02-02T22:00:21Z

They just keep rolling in:

MoveOn.org announced Friday that it will endorse Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) for president, adding to the momentum that Obama hopes will carry him past Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.).

The liberal group, with its 3.2 million members, is expected to provide a boost to the Illinois senator ahead of Super Tuesday. MoveOn said it has 1.7 million members in the states in which voters are going to the polls next week. [...]

MoveOn voters favored Obama over Clinton by 70 percent to 30 percent. [...]

[T]he group would also strongly support Clinton should she win the nomination.

There's more:

Reps. Jim Oberstar (D-Minn.) and Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for president Friday, adding two more House endorsements to the quickly rising total of the Illinois Democrat. [...]
Oberstar, the 17-term chairman of the House Transportation Committee, had initially endorsed former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.), who has dropped out of the race.

Reps. John Larson (D-Conn.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Earl Pomeroy (D-N.D.) all announced their backing for Obama on Thursday. Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) endorsed him on Wednesday.

Anyone keeping score?

Anti-Joe Lieberman endorses Obama

2008-10-17T15:31:00Z

From the drab to the anti-drab, they're endorsing Barack Obama:

On the same day that Barack Obama scored the endorsement of John Kerry, he's set to get the support of a decidedly non-establishment Democrat: Ned Lamont.
Lamont has revealed on his Web site that he'll be backing the Illiniois Senator.
Lamont's backing is a decent get for Obama, for several reasons. It could open up more Web fundraising channels to him. And since Lamont has become a national figure among Dem primary voters for his successful primary challenge to Lieberman, Obama can argue the endorsement shows he's the one mounting a true challenge to the Dem establishment.

Of course, the vote count won't match the exit polls, so all of this will become irrelevant.

The video is a whopping 8 seconds long. Do you have the attention span for that? I nearly made it to the end, myself.

Watch the video

Lance Armstrong - On Surviving Cancer

2008-11-19T14:14:22Z

Complete video at: fora.tv

Champion American cyclist Lance Armstrong discusses his experiences as a survivor of testicular cancer, and explains the origins of the ubiquitous yellow "Livestrong" bracelet.

-----

Bob Schieffer interviews Lance Armstrong at the 2007 Aspen Ideas Festival.

Some of the most inspired and provocative thinkers, writers, artists, business people, teachers and other leaders drawn from myriad fields and from across the country and around the world all gathered in a single place - to teach, speak, lead, question, and answer at the 2007 Aspen Ideas Festival. Throughout the week, they all interacted with an audience of thoughtful people who stepped back from their day-to-day routines to delve deeply into a world of ideas, thought, and discussion.

Lance Armstrong is a retired American professional road racing cyclist. He won the Tour de France - cycling's most prestigious race - seven consecutive times, from 1999 to 2005. In doing so, he beat the previous records of five wins by Miguel Indurain (consecutive) and Bernard Hinault, Eddy Merckx and Jacques Anquetil. Previous to this achievement he also survived testicular cancer, a germ cell tumor that metastasized to his brain and lungs in 1996. His cancer treatments included brain and testicular surgery, and extensive chemotherapy.

Armstrong's athletic success and dramatic recovery from cancer inspired him to commemorate his accomplishments, with Nike, through the Lance Armstrong Foundation, a charity founded in 1997. The foundation's yellow rubber "Livestrong" wristbands, first launched in 2004, have been a major success, netting the foundation more than $60 million dollars in the fight against cancer, while helping Armstrong become a major player in the nonprofit sector.

These achievements have at times been clouded by allegations that Armstrong used performance enhancing drugs to achieve some of his wins. However, no conclusive evidence has been presented to verify these allegations, which he vigorously denies, and Armstrong has never failed a doping test.

Bob Lloyd Schieffer is an American journalist who has been with CBS News since 1969, serving 23 years as anchor on the Saturday edition of CBS Evening News from 1973-1996; chief Washington correspondent since 1982, moderator of the Sunday public affairs show Face the Nation since 1991, and, between March of 2005 and August 31, 2006, interim weekday anchor of the CBS Evening News. Katie Couric, formerly of NBC's The Today Show, succeeded Schieffer as anchor on September 5, 2006.

Watch the video