The nobel peace prize is one of the most coveted prizes in global politics. Its significance is mostly symbolic, but this year I believe that is very different and I try to explain how on October 12, 2007 we might have witnessed the most brilliant political maneuver in a generation.

History tells us few people vote for a ticket because of the VP.  That will likely be true for all the potential VP candidates, except one.

Bill Richardson as VP will, because of the new voter registration and turnout his addition to the ticket would engender, change the electoral map now and for a generation or two to come.

His "debate" problem can be fixed by the format...he is inspiring, but not in 60 second sound bites.

Richardson is remarkably qualified and able to be President, and he fits perfectly the Obama persona of change and unity.

Thank you lame712 for suggesting a homage to Bob Marley.

With your idea in mind I decided to expand on my idea to nominate the Bob Marley Family and The Wailers for The Nobel Prize for Peace.

*****I WAS LOST, THEN I FOUND THE HIPPIES ON Kos*****

Peace, Love and Harmony. Rebel ga*

Nominate Pete Seeger for the Nobel Peace Prize

THE PETITION

Pete Seeger has been an ambassador for Peace and Social Justice over the course of his 87 year lifetime. As a prominent musician his songs, messages and performance style have worked to engage other people, particularly the youth, in causes to end the Vietnam war, ban nuclear weapons, work for international solidarity, and ecological responsibility. It is time that a cultural worker receives the recognition that this work has great influence and global reach, that it is not only a medium of entertainment but of education, compassion and action.

Right now you might have a thought on your mind: How to win the 2008 election Marathon?

The presidential election process of 2008 has been different from the start, since it started earlier and with a bigger bang than any presidential election in recent history.

Both party’s contest has turned into a real horse race, and at this point the horses have reached almost the stretch and it still is anyone’s race for the take.

This election will break a record regarding the amount of money needed to keep a candidate on the race.

What should we do to make this election even more exciting and go all the way?

Democratic party rules allow anyone to stand for the presidential nomination in the August convention, irrespective of whether they have fought the primaries. If the delegates fail to provide an absolute majority for one candidate, a second round of voting is held, and delegates are free to vote as their conscience dictates.

And the Democratic Party can come out of its August Convention with the only candidate that can win the November 2008 election – Al Gore.
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I just listened to Al Gore's Nobel Acceptance Speech in full at the DemocracyNow.org website.  I urge everyone to go there and listen to it.  Al really nailed it.  I rank the speech alongside King's "I have a dream" speech.

It's sad but expected that such an important speech about the greatest threat to human beings ever received almost no coverage in the American media.  And where's the discussion about global warming in the presidential debates?  America is whistling by the graveyard but that won't save our sorry asses.

Anyway, check out the speech and maybe some of you technically oriented folks and help get it circulated or at least posted on Youtube.

An Op-Editude

Aliens, Go Home. We can destroy ourselves, thank you.

Al Gore’s real and riveting message about global warming may seem alien to many, especially the world’s behemoth energy producers who envision their day of reckoning if they obey his admonitions and follow his teachings. And to political knuckleheads like President Bush, who steadfastly refuse to watch his award-winning call-to-arms film for reasons that defy logic and who, like a befuddled ship’s captain afraid to change course for fear his crew would criticize him for setting bad compass headings to begin with, prefers the pride of self-righteousness as he and his Panglossian world view down with the ship.

Today Mr. Gore is being honored in Oslo, Norway, along with the IPCC (the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) on their decades of work to alert the world and change course on man made Climate Change caused by Global Warming.

Oslo, Al Gore:  "I have one reason for being optimistic, and that is that I see throughout my own country, the United States of America, and throughout the world the rising of the world's first people-power movement on a global basis," he said.

As Gore gave his Nobel lecture, some things occurred to me... maybe they did to you as well.

1. It was not only a great and well-informed speech, but it was obvious that Gore WROTE it. What do you suppose a speech actually written by George W. Bush would sound like?

2. Gore was not afraid to point the finger at the USA as well as at China as the biggest problems in the climate crisis. How would Bush have handled that issue?

3. Gore SOUNDED like a man who both knew what he was talking about and knew who he was talking with. Bush rarely sounds like he knows what he's talking about (except maybe who he has branded with which comic nickname) and it's never really clear who he is talking to.

How much different our world would have been if there was actually a recount in the 2000 election and the Supreme Court had stayed out of it.

Under The LobsterScope

Before raising my gavel in a charge of hypocrisy leveled against an icon of some of the causes the Cavalry is known to support let me clear my own conscience.  I recently accepted and lost employment with an outlet of a major oil company.  I not only sold refined petroleum fuel product but also tobacco.  In short in moment of desperation to survive I became a death merchant in the employ of war profiteers.  I have spoken my shame.  Now I shall speak of my rage.

Someone should have published this by now.  This is the work of an intelligent statesman, not a hack...  and no one will care.

With tears running down my cheek, I'm watching Al Gore give his speech before the Nobel Peace Prize audience in Oslo - saying all the right things to a concerned, intelligent group of people who genuinely care about the future of this planet. He and all those in the room are looking far beyond next year, the next decade and the next century, to try to do something to control our numbers, our waste and our abuse of this delicate planet.

Al Gore SHOULDA been our president. Al Gore COULDA made a difference in our country's path during the last 7 years.  Al Gore WOULDA made an even greater impact on uniting the people of the world as President of the United States.

Cross posted from My Silver State.

I'm currently in Olso, Norway, and I used the opportunity today to go see Al Gore arrive for the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony at Oslo city hall. First of all, it's amazing how open this country is. We could walk up to the city hall and stand within maybe ten or fifteen feet of the red carpet (you can see more in the pics below).

Al Gore arrived here on Friday and he and Tipper did some sightseeing before the ceremonies. He actually took the high speed train from the airport instead of a limousine. And today, Al Gore and Rajendra Pachauri (the head of the UN's climate panel) just walked to city hall instead of taking a car.

I'm in a hotel room in Ottawa, Canada, for a very serious conference on Afghanistan.  Consequently I was watching CNN while getting dressed.  

I don't know if it is on line somewhere, but someone should check Miles O'Brien's segment on American Morning about Al Gore winning the Nobel Prize for Peace.  What is the theme?  Al Gore is more popular in Europe than in the U.S., just like Jerry Lewis!  CNN then illustrates this profound point by showing a particularly moronic segment of The Nutty Professor.  For you young people out there, this was a 1963 comedy (released just a few months, believe it or not, before Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove), about a science professor who drinks a potion to make himself handsome. I don't have time to search the archives of Cahiers du Cinema right now, but French film intellectuals reportedly found depths of irony in le Jerry that escaped Americans....

Just like Al Gore!  

Apologies for the brevity of this diary entry; but I would like to give some attention to the Virtual Torchlight Parade i honor of the recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize for 2007.

Republicans continue to Destroy themselves and their party as Bush Honors Gore at White House! Bush doesn't care so what's it worth? How will that turn out?
          Today I want to discuss the self destruction of the Republican party but knowing Bush does not care and the fact that some of us are very concerned that one way or the other the 2008 elections will once again be stolen, what's it worth?  I also want to talk about the two faced lying Bush as Gore is going to be there today to be honored by the idiot who lied and stole his election but first a reminder that a week ago we discussed  the underhanded lying disinformation campaigning taught by Rove and used routinely By Republicans now being employed by Democrats against Democrats.
          I have said for quite a while now that if we are to be able to compete with and beat this underhanded Republican disinformation campaign we must like it or not play the game on their level but we must not be damaging our own party for personal gain at the expense of our America. This just plays into Rove's and Republican hands.

From: ABC News's website:

Forget the Mideast peace talks. A meeting that may require even greater diplomacy will take place Monday in the Oval Office, when President Bush receives America's Nobel Prize winners — including his one-time rival, Al Gore.

Ah, the irony. Bush has to suck it up and honor Gore for a prize Bush isn't likely to ever win. Gore's star is rising while Bush's is falling. If you believe in karma coming back to bite you, this is it.
Congrats, Al Gore.

It has been almost 8 years since their last known public conversation (I'm assuming), and I'm betting they haven't exchanged words since the 2000 election.  

Since that time, Bush has shown his true colors as "the guy you want to have a beer with" but shouldn't have running your country.  And Gore has shown his true colors of a visionary, intellectual, statesman, and (I dare say) innovative politican (based on my belief he will be playing a significant role in 2008 before too long) and the guy who should have been running our country the right way the past 8 years.  

On Monday, they are going to have to talk again -- in person and in public -- and oh how I wish I was a fly on the wall!