And I Miss Tim Russert

In his warm-up remarks just before the debate began, Bob Schieffer mentioned how much he missed Tim Russert. (*1) Then last night at the Al Smith dinner, Senator Obama also took a moment to remember Tim. I'm glad they did. I've truly missed Russert. He was having the time of his life during the long primary season. Oh, how he would have loved this post-convention campaign.

Tim, you're gone too soon.

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*1: I watched the debates on C-Span, which covers all the intro stuff that takes place before the debate itself begins.

Damn! I Love David Gergen, Too

Turns out I'm not the only one who loves David Gergen! Who knew?? He is a "handsome baked potato" indeed. That voice. That calm. And I nearly swooned during the post-analysis on Last Debate Night. CNN's debate-watch poll numbers were rolling in and they were, um, not good for McCain. On every measure, viewers preferred Obama's "debate" performance.

Anderson Cooper (who is himself more than a bit swoon-inducing) turned to Gergen and said, in effect, "Okay, the McCain campaign has tried everything and nothing works. So what do they do tomorrow?" And Gergen looked up at Anderson, gazed at him for a few seconds, and said "Beats the hell out of me."

Ahhhhhhhh. David . . . Let me count the ways.

On A More Somber Note . . .

Denver was not all joy and light. On Friday, I was walking to an event with some of my beer friends. One of them wasn't saying much and he looked upset. I asked him if he was okay. "I'm just worried," he said. "The economy." I knew what he meant. We're all worried and frightened.

When I was in Denver I sense a mood of -- finality. That once we all headed for home, well, it might be awhile before we see each other again. The economy is so unsettled. Life feels so --- fragile. The world feels fragile.

But in this dark moment, I hope all of us, separated by miles, will be united in hope and courage. That's what will light the way.

Character Assassination = "Country First"?

The McCain campaign has announced its new strategy for the waning weeks of the campaign: " . . . McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds told FOX News they would continue to point out Obama's 'associations that are questionable and point to his character and his judgment.'" (*1)

But didn't McCain say that his campaign puts "country first"? Sounds more like his campaign is resorting to character assassination.

How does that put "country first"? And can a person's "character" really be reduced to occasional encounters with people who live in your town or city? Isn't "character" the result of a lifetime time of deliberate choices? Isn't "character" the sum of our ideas, our actions, our hard-won wisdom?

If McCain truly wants to put "country first," perhaps he ought to ponder the words of Dr. King: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." (*2)

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*1: Source: McCain campaign spokesperson Tucker Bounds speaking on Fox News, October 4, 2008. Emphasis added.

2: Martin Luther King, "I Have A Dream" speech, August 28, 1963. Emphasis added.

Election Day Is Coming Up. Are You Registered And Ready To Vote?

Election day is just a few weeks away, and in some states, early "satellite" and absentee voting have already begun. Regardless of your political beliefs, I hope you’ll vote. It’s one of your most important rights. Learn more about how and where to register to vote in your state here or here. Neither site is affiliated with a specific political party.

On A Cheerier Note: Clear Creek Distillery And Other Matters of Note

Enough wit da doom and gloom already, says I to myself.

I'm a big fan of the liquids that roll out of Clear Creek Distillery in Portland, Oregon. You don't know the meaning of sublime until you've tasted its pear brandy. Swoon City.

Anyway, nice piece about Clear Creek written by the Wall Street Journal's "drinks" writer, Eric Felton. I've given up trying to figure out what's free and what's not at the WSJ website, so if the link doesn't work, take it up with Rupert Murdoch.

While you're there, take a detour from sublime to sad and read the Journal's obit of Bill Leinenkugel. Although maybe not sad? After all, Mr. Leinenkugel's was a life to celebrate.

Side note: the Journal's obits are few in number and run on Saturday in the "Remembrances" feature in the main section of the paper. The editor sticks to the offbeat, meaning the column features the lives of people who don't show up on the obit pages of the New York Times. (Indeed, according to the "Remembrances" editor, with whom I spoke on Thursday about Mr. Leinenkugel, the Journal's house rule is: It's gotta be someone who's not in the Times.)