What Caught My Eye Today

2008 Presidential Race - Exuding fresh confidence after her Pennsylvania primary win, Hillary Clinton turned attention to contests in Indiana and North Carolina and pressed her case that she can still win the Democratic presidential nomination despite the odds against her. And this comes as a surprise to who? Clinton argued that her feisty act of political survival, defeating Barack Obama in Pennsylvania by 10 points, confirms her contention that she would be the stronger challenger against Republican John McCain because she has shown she can win in big, swing states. Forget about the fact that she had a 20 point lead just 4 weeks ago. The Pennsylvania matchup was fierce and bitter, which seemed to harden attitudes among Democrats even as McCain tended to the unification of the GOP and campaigned across the country in preparation for the fall. Only half of each Democrat's supporters said they would be satisfied if the other Democrat won the nomination, according to interviews with voters as they left polling stations. I've said it once, and I'll say it again. You have to hand it to the Democratic party. No matter how certain the outcome seems, they always manage to snatch defeat from the clutches of victory. President McCain...yeah, I guess we better start getting used to the sound of that.

Middle East - Army General David Petraeus, the four-star general who led troops in Iraq for the past year, will be nominated by President Bush to be the next commander of U.S. Central Command. Central Command oversees the wars in Iraq and in Afghanistan. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and other problems in the Central Command area of responsibility, demand knowledge of how to fight counterinsurgencies as well as other unconventional conflicts. Please don't tell me that Washington is just figuring this out now. Petraeus is widely hailed by the Bush administration and members of Congress for implementing a new strategy in Iraq, including the deployment of some 30,000 additional troops, that dramatically improved security. I imagine that it is all a matter of perspective, but I'm not exactly sure having to deal with two headaches--Iraq and Afghanistan--rather than just one--Iraq--is what I would consider to be a promotion. Then again, I'm a slacker. I revel in my laziness.

Arctic - Denmark has invited high-ranking officials from Norway, Russia, the United States and Canada to meet in Greenland next month to discuss competing claims to the Arctic. Sure, go ahead and laugh. I'm telling you, with this global warming deal kicking into high gear, this could be some prime beachfront real estate in no time at all. Countries around the Arctic Ocean are rushing to stake out claims on the Polar Basin seabed as a warming climate could ease access for drilling for oil and mineral resources there. The amount of ice covering the Arctic shrank to its smallest on record in September, U.S. satellite data has shown. Russia sought to claim the North Pole last summer by planting a flag on the seabed beneath it, while Denmark sent an icebreaker to collect data which would support extending its territory beyond the established 200 nautical miles from Greenland. See what I mean?

Taxes - I didn't get a chance to post this item on tax day last week. Out of an estimated federal tax take of $938.7 billion, the biggest chunk--$337.9 billion--funds Social Security, Medicare, and other retirement benefits. After that, $215.9 billion funds national defense, $178.3 billion pays for assorted social programs, $112.6 billion covers student loans (really?), $75.1 billion goes to paying the interest on our $9.4 trillion federal debt (yikes!), and $18.8 billion funds federal law enforcement agencies. So like, does anyone share my feeling that we're not exactly getting our money's worth?

U.S. Supreme Court - The Supreme Court issued a ruling last week upholding the constitutionality of lethal injection, the most common form of execution in the United States. I hear rumors that they are mulling over whether or not to take on 'waterboarding' as a legal form of interrogation. The decision clears the way for states to resume administering the death penalty, following an unofficial moratorium while the court deliberated. By a 7 to 2 vote the justices ruled that death penalty opponents had not proved that inmates could suffer excruciating pain if an anesthetic administered as part of a deadly three-drug "cocktail" failed to work. Given the narrow scope of what the Supreme Court was ruling on, I cannot say that I disagree with the logic of the ruling. I'm not sure anyone could reasonable expect the death penalty to be a pleasant experience. My problem is that the United States still considers this a legal form of criminal punishment.

Air Travel - For a change I'm not blasting the airlines on their lousy service, but rather reporting on some rather creative ways that they are trying to squeeze out a profit. Apparently, they've given up on providing good customer service and offering on-time performance. Air carriers are trimming weight on their aircrafts wherever they can to combat soaring fuel costs. Japan Airlines has cut more than 260 pounds from the average weight of each Boeing 747 in its fleet by introducing lighter forks and spoons and thinner porcelain dishware. It is also putting slimmer toothbrushes in its passenger amenity kits. JetBlue, meanwhile, has jettisoned bulkier snacks on long haul flights in favor of extra-thin chips and similar fare. Good idea. Those peanuts were really weighing me down. JetBlue believes that it will save more than $800,000 a year in fuel costs. Germany's Lufthansa says it saved nearly 500,000 gallons of jet fuel--about $1.8 million worth--by reducing onboard drinking water supplies. Next up a fuel surcharge for anyone the tips the scales at more than 200 pounds.