keeping me sane

I blog daily during bar review thus far because I can't possibly study for 8 hours straight. My mind just turns to putty after about 4 or 5 hours straight, which is great for the two day long exam I will take starting on Pioneer Day.

Sharing my thoughts with you is partly selfish and the other part is to get a dialog going with the 'sphere so that we can advance knowledge and the debate. So anyway, here are my collection of observations today:

• California liberals in the state legislature are trying to get a "should we get out of Iraq?" question on the ballot in time for Super Duper Tuesday The effect of this proclamation could be akin to gay marriage in 2004-- getting out the anti-war left to vote-- and thereby damaging Sen. Clinton's campaign. This could get very interesting.


• Speaking of HRC, my wife has flipped back to her camp given her commanding performance at last night's debate. I still lean most towards Obama, and he did much better, but sometimes he was a bit too wordy. His answer to Wolf's Osama question could have been one crisp sentence, Yes, assuming I don't have to wipe out a whole city but just a training camp. Again Hillary had the best answer and everyone looked to her at that moment. It was amazing. I wasn't bothered by the lack of time to the "second tier" in fact, I don't think Kucinich or Gravel should ever be allowed back into these debates. "I get my meds from the VA." – Mike Gravel.


• According to the Salt Lake Tribune,

  It's Mormon lore, a story passed along by some old-timers about the importance of their faith and their country.
  In the latter days, the story goes, the U.S. Constitution will hang by a thread and a Mormon will ride in on a metaphorical white horse to save it. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints says it does not accept the legend - commonly referred to as the "White Horse Prophecy" - as doctrine.
  [...]
  Romney says he doesn't believe in the supposed prophecy...

  
  The Constitution is indeed hanging by a thread (due to among other things, the suspension habeas corpus at the executive's will) and I would be happy if a Mormon or anyone would come in on a white horse and save it, but Mitt "We ought to double the size of Guantanamo" Romney clearly isn't the one.


• Maybe this is the real reason some support vouchers

  The fear about voucher programs leading to segregated schools exists because it's happened before. The first state-sponsored voucher programs arose in Southern states as a way to help white families avoid sending their children to integrated schools. The schools were dubbed "segregation academies" and popped up throughout the South.
  Eventually, courts ruled those scholarship programs illegal, although many white students continued to avoid enrolling in public schools and those who did often moved to predominantly white districts. Those familiar with the history of segregated schools say current voucher debates bring up painful memories for many, said Marcia Synnott, a University of South Carolina history professor who is an expert on the history of education in the South.