Last week Giuliani put forward his twelve top priorities without mentioning Iraq:

"Iraq may get better; Iraq may get worse. We may be successful in Iraq; we may not be. I don't know the answer to that. That's in the hands of other people."

Perhaps now we know who he meant. So much for decisive leadership.

The notion that the Democratic Party needs Philadelphia's machine bosses in order to win elections in Pennsylvania doesn't hold up to examination. Do Philly voters need their ward leaders to tell them where their interests lie?

If Philadelphia's political bosses like Johnny Doc and Vince Fumo were to disappear from the scene tomorrow, the city would still be a Democratic, and increasingly progressive, stronghold.

In the meanwhile, reform leaders are rising to the fore. Anne Dicker nearly pulled off a primary win last year in the PA's 175th House district. She clobbered Fumo's guy and came close to beating Mike O'Brien, a tough, smart street politician.

This year, I am hoping that one or more reform candidates like anti-casino activist Matt Ruben will break through to win election to City Council.

The reform moevement isn't weakening Democratic politics, but reinvigorating it.

First they come for the mix tapes...

Those of us who follow politics day to day can find our senses dulled, and imagine that our own lack of excitement is somehow indicative of the mood of the larger public. Following the news cycle day after day, week after week, can numb us to the shifts in public opinion that will determine the election.

James Carville once said of political professionals that when we've heard a message a hundred times, maybe one percent of the voters have heard it once.

But Blair has succeeded in one important respect: Economic growth in Britain has benefitted all income segments, not just the well-to-do.

Here the comparison to Clinton holds. Remember the 1990s? Many U.S. cities prospered as they hadn't in decades. We shouldn't be unmindful of the importance of sound economic management in a leader.

Even the laziest media stars can't avoid noticing the disconnect between what Bush says and the facts on ground. It's the old Marx Brothers line, "Who are you gonna believe: me or your own eyes?"

Perhaps it's why bloggers such as Steve Clemons at The Washington Note have become so influential. If TWN hadn't done so much hard, independent reporting, John Bolton might already be confirmed as UN Ambassador.

I'm hoping that we are having an effect on stories such as the Downing Street Memo, which is getting more mainstream attention than it was three weeks ago.

Some see bloggers as speeding up the flow of information. I think the opposite may be true: Progressive bloggers ar making it possible for stories to percolate through the public discourse and build interest separate from the 24 hour news cycle.

If the right wing bloggers are simply repeating the message of the day, then we are making better use of the medium by creating opportunities for independent voices to be heard.

Consider Democratic senators such as Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Ken Salazar of Colorado. I may disagree with them on some issues such as gun control, but that doesn't mean they can't claim full membership in the Democratic Party.

If you go to South Dakota Senator Tim Johnson's website, you will see front and center a Social Security card that clicks through to allow viewers to sign a petition that reads, "I would like to join Senator Johnson in opposing efforts to privatize Social Security."

There is no reason why we can't make inroads in the midwest and the mountain states. It's when we fall into a defensive posture that we lose.