currently accepting applications

McGruff the Crime Dog has a challenger! Huckleberry Hound. Just in case you thought those folks in Kansas had suddenly become liberal after overwhelmingly going for Barack Obama, they decide to offer all of their Republican delegates to Mike Huckabee. As Mike said, when asked why he's still in the race with no hope of winning, "what else am I going do?"

Suggestion. Walmart always needs greeters.

saturday morning matinee

We note with interest that many fewer people showed up for the Kansas caucuses on a bright sunny Saturday morning than at the Democratic caucuses which were held in horrible weather during the middle of the work week. We also note with interest that the 3rd Congressional District caucuses were at the Westglen Theater which is currently offering the following movie treats:
Rambo, Charlie Wilson's War, Fool's Gold,The Bucket List,Untraceable, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Over Her Dead Body, There Will Be Blood, and the movie that we hope they watch, No Country for Old Men.

second line

Turns out the Obama watch party wasn't a bust after all. They will still caucusing which is why they weren't watching. In accordance with the caucus rules, they were supposed to start @ 6 pm and end @ 7 pm. Problems were encountered that keep them going until well past 8 pm, notably, a lot more people (at least 75 percent of which were Obama supporters) showed up to caucus than were expected by the Democratic party, and they didn't have room in the hall for everyone. People waited in line, and the weather was really, really crappy (rain, sleet, snow) for as long as 2 hours to get into the caucus hall and at one location, everyone was eventually forced outside by the fire marshall so the group ended up caucusing in the parking lot.

Such snafus point out the anachronistic nature of the caucus system. First you have a very narrow time slot in which to declare your support for your candidate, and then, you can't just cast your vote and leave, you have to stay until the process is complete which takes an hour or more. So if you're a parent with a small child, work nights, or just not that keyed into the process, then you're going to be out in the cold. Kansas, which has its fair share of cheapskates, likes the caucus because it means that the parties pay for it, rather than the taxpayers. But really, everyone who cares about the outcome pays for it because voters are disenfranchised.

obama endorsed by grizzlies and cobras

Senator Barack Obama was endorsed today by members of the Butler Community College National Championship Football team "the Grizzlies" at a rally in El Dorado, Kansas. Senator Obama spent part of Kansas Day, which celebrates the birth of Kansas statehood, in the birthplace of his grandfather.Kansas Governor Kathleen Seblius gave her support for Senator Obama at the rally with calls for bipartison unity. This stood in stark contrast to one chilly Grizzly, who, after waiting outside for an hour-and-half in single digit temps and blustery winds, told his pal, "dude! I just want a picture for my facebook page!"

The fullback's maneuvering skills paid off, because later he was seen in the front row shaking Obama's hand. He then quickly turned his back on the candidate, whipped out his cell phone, and got the prized picture. No doubt he'll soon be scheduling a meetup with coeds to discuss some serious issues. The Obama campaign was also courting female voters in Kansas and Missouri as Governor Sebelius and Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill were on hand at today's rallies to lend support to the candidate, provide photo ops, and garner local coverage of Obama. Incumbent juniors(McCaskill) and term-limited (Sebelius) Democrats are beginning to hedge their bets about the eventual nominee; early support can bring the spoils of victory.

Just a few hours later at a rally in Kansas City, members of the Marching Cobras Drum and Dancing Corps gave the Senator and the assembled thousand(s) of supporters, a rousing stomp and a joyous welcome. The Cobras may have lost a step over the years, but they can still bring the funk when needed. All the noise couldn't bring out Kansas City Mayor Funkhouser whose invitation to the event was likely withdrawn after being served today with an official challenge calling for his recall. We did note that Alvin Brooks, Funkhouser's foe in last year's election, had a center-stage spot on the podium, directly behind Obaman, McCaskill, and Sebelius.

[correction and apology: The KC Star ran a photo in today's paper that clearly showed the Mayor front and center at the event. Our vantage point, from the cheap seats, while offering a view of some of the backstage manueverings, didn't allow us to see everyone who came and went].