>>I just had a great phone call. It was unpromising at first, a call from an 877 number. 99 times out of 100 that means a time wasting telemarketing call that I end quickly. and politely This was a nice lady of seasoned age who had my number from a Democratic volunteer list. She said we are sending some volunteers to Iowa this Saturday and are you available? Long story short, I said sure. She assured me no one is being asked to ask for money, you will only be asking for votes. I decided what the hell, why not? This is a tough election and I am happy to give a day of my time. We meet at 6:30 a.m. at the Fox Lake train station and are due back at 6 p.m., four to a car. Direct involvement in our democratic process. I am not so sure Iowa is in play -- it seems to have drifted further right than any state other than Missouri -- but I will give it a try.
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>Good for you. Don't forget sunscreen.
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>>Better to act on your beliefs than just bitch, bitch, bitch.
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>Yep. That's why I've volunteered both in 2008 and this year.
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This is a first for me. I am looking forward to it. I need to line up coverage for Bailey and then off I go.

Did you watch Bill Clinton's speech? You could sense him being a little torn but he has thrown his full measure into it. He has never failed to deliver a big speech and he didn't fail this time. Along with Ronald Reagan, and maybe Barack Obama, he is the most gifted politician of our time. Even to those who don't like him, he is never less than a charming rogue.

For sure he was conflicted. The anger of 2008 can't have abated completely. His wife was the presumptive nominee and expected historic President for quite a while before this skinny guy with the funny name (Obama's description of himself) knocked all the plates onto the floor. So yeah, Bill was irritated, and not without reason. To his credit he lined up for his party last night. The lion in winter. It's quite amazing that just yesterday he was the boy wonder.

It's a big speech for Obama tonight, to say the least. His worthiness for the office is being questioned from all sides. I think he's going to nail it.