Here it is, the first in what I hope will be a long series of “Political SoundBytes,” short videos in which our candidates for state and local elected office introduce themselves to the voters. Thanks to State Representative Jeff Perry for helping me launch this new project!

Before we get into the most recent primary/caucus developments, let’s get this week’s semi-non-issue out of the way.
US Senator Barack Obama took a little heat for a speech he made in Wisconsin over the weekend, part of which sounded very similar to a clip of a speech delivered by Governor Deval L. Patrick during his 2006 campaign.
Both speeches, in touching on the power of words to change the world, quoted a passage from the Declaration of Independence (“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…”) and followed by the refrain, “Just words?”

This isn’t the first time it’s happened, either…

US Senator Hillary Clinton’s camp got a little over-zealous and jumped all over the speech, calling Obama a plagiarist. Obama and Patrick have both dismissed the notion, stating that they often talk and share ideas. Obama offered a small mea culpa and said he should have credited Mr. Patrick for the quote.
I’m certainly no fan of plagiarism, but this smells faintly of desperation on the part of the Clinton camp. Is this really the best hole they can poke in Obama’s campaign?
On that note…
Obama was on the receiving end of a couple of shots from US Senator John McCain’s camp as well. McCain is going after the easy target of Obama’s experience (or lack thereof), while the womenfolk mixed it up a bit when Cindy McCain chastised Michelle Obama for her remark at a Wisconsin rally: “For the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country.”
Obama backpedaled on his wife’s behalf, clarifying that she meant she was proud of the political climate and the level of voter involvement she has seen. Surprise surprise, that did little to mollify conservatives.
Now, let’s get into the good stuff.

It’s another sweep for Obama! He won Tuesday’s primaries in Washington (a slightly moot point since that state already had its Democratic caucus) and Wisconsin, as well as the Hawaii Democratic caucus to firm up his lead over Clinton. It’s still a tight race, however: Obama has 1,301 delegates lined up (1,140 pledged delegates and 161 superdelegates) to Clinton’s 1,239 (1,005 pledged, 234 super).
Meanwhile, Mike Huckabee is becoming an ever more distant speck in McCain’s rear-view mirror. McCain took Washington and Wisconsin and now has 918 pledged delegates to Huckabee’s 214.
Oh, yeah, and Ron Paul’s 16. Yeah, Dr. Paul is STILL hanging in there, along with Democrat Mike Gravel.

US Senator John F. Kerry has landed an early and major endorsement from the Massachusetts AFL-CIO. The state’s largest labor organization is behind Mr. Kerry’s re-election bid, giving him a significant edge over his opponents…because, as you know, a campaign war chest choked with cash counts for nothing in modern politics. Endorsements! That’s where it’s at, baby!
At present, three men are formally seeking to challenge Kerry this fall: fellow Democrat Edward O’Reilly, and Republicans Jeffrey K. Beatty and Jim Ogonowski.
But wait, there’s more! Two new names have popped up among the third-party prospects: Edward McNabb of the Reform Party and Robert Underwood of the Libertarian Party, who join already-announced Socialist Workers Party candidate William Estrada.
Mr. McNabb is a former campaign worker for Ralph Nader, who is quickly becoming our generation’s Pat Paulsen, and Mr. Underwood previously ran for state representative of the ninth Hampden district, according to an old and really lousy campaign website I found.

Speaking of Mr. O’Reilly, the Gloucester resident will be making a stop on the Cape next month, dropping by the Brewster Democratic Town Committee meeting on March 8. That meeting begins at 10:30 AM and will be held at the Brewster Council On Aging building at 1673 Main Street.

State Representative Jeffrey D. Perry (R – Sandwich) is formally launching his 2008 re-election campaign next month. Join Mr. Perry at the Sandwich Hollows Golf Club (in Sandwich, of course) on Friday, March 28 for an Italian buffet dinner and guest speaker Bradley H. Jones Jr. (R – North Reading), House minority leader.

I’m on vacation next week, but I can promise you a special little somethin’ somethin’ to tide you over. Check back here later in the week.

Political news, events, and announcements may be e-mailed to Michael Bailey, senior political reporter, at bailey@capenews.net

Welcome to the first entry in my weekly “enhanced” political column!
I’m assuming you read about this in the print version, but if not, here’s the deal: beginning this week I’ll be re-posting my political column here, and will take full advantage of this wild thing we call the Internet to add all sorts of links, videos, pictures, and whatnot to bring the 2008 election season alive.
So let’s get this ride started!

Fans of schadenfreude, this one’s for you.
Following disappointing results on Super Tuesday, former Massachusetts governor W. Mitt Romney suspended his Presidential campaign. Say it with me: Mitt Romney dropped out of the race.
I will never get tired of saying that.
In a (considering the circumstances) needlessly long-winded speech to supporters at the Conservative Political Action Conference last Thursday, Romney blamed liberals for every ill facing the United States, from the poor economy to the proliferation of pornography to single motherhood, then segued into what sounded like a typical stump speech, with emphasis on the War on Terror.

The led into the dramatic climax:

Allow me to highlight the most offensive part of this speech:
“I disagree with Senator McCain on a number of issues, as you know. But I agree with him on doing whatever it takes to be successful in Iraq, on finding and executing Osama bin Laden, and on eliminating Al Qaeda and terror. If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I would forestall the launch of a national campaign and make it more likely that Senator Clinton or Obama would win. And in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign, be a part of aiding a surrender to terror.”
He also warned America that unless the nation re-embraces conservative principles, the US could become “the France of the 21st century.”
That Mitt. Always a class act.
And by “class act” I mean insufferably pompous dolt. Good riddance.

A cruelly ironic postscript to this development: go to the official CPAC 2008 website and check out the main page, which welcomes visitors with the headline: “A blockbuster event enjoyed by all!”
I can think of one former Presidential hopeful who didn’t have such a great time…

And now some positive news from over the weekend, when US Senator Barack Obama rocked the house and took the lead over US Senator Hillary Clinton thanks to big wins in four states.
Obama won the Louisiana primaries on Saturday, as well as the Nebraska Democratic and Washington caucuses, then made a clean sweep of things Sunday by taking the Maine Democratic caucus. He added 99 delegates to his tally, and as of Monday Obama trailed Clinton by only 27 delegates.
(This is counting both regular and “superdelegates,” those current and former elected and party officials who don’t have to follow the same rules as mundane delegates. Counting only regular delegates, Obama is ahead.)
Over in the GOP, Mike Huckabee pounded US Senator John McCain in the Republican caucus in Kansas and eked out a victory in Louisiana, though McCain still held a three-to-one lead over Hucakbee as the weekend wrapped up.

Obama-rama continued on Tuesday, with Obama sweeping primaries in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC to take the lead over Clinton. Obama now has 1,215 delegates to Clinton’s 1,190.
Meanwhile, McCain extended his already commanding lead over Huckabee, rendering a Huckabee come-from-behind victory impossible, unless McCain does something incredibly stupid, like admit he enjoys eating deep-friend puppies or something. McCain now has 812 delegates to Huckabee’s 217.
Hawaii holds its Democratic caucus on Tuesday, while Washington and Wisconsin hold primaries.

Despite the fact his name was not even mentioned by most of the major media outlets, Mike Gravel is apparently still officially in the running, but to show you what kind of respect the man is getting, check out this quote from the February 6 issue of Alaska’s (no jive) Homer Tribune: “Former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel, who made a short-lived run for the presidency…”
Yowch.
Though it is hard to argue; Gravel has no delegates and, at this stage of the game, the proverbial snowball’s chance of winning.

Are there any non-incumbents running for the state Legislature?
As of this week all six of the Upper Cape’s state lawmakers – Senate President Therese Murray, State Senator Robert A. O’Leary (D – Barnstable), and State Representatives Matthew C. Patrick (D – Falmouth), Jeffrey D. Perry (R – Sandwich), Eric T. Turkington (D – Falmouth), and Susan D. Williams Gifford (R – Wareham) – are the only folks officially in the running for their respective posts.
I’ve heard some buzz here and there about a familiar name or two from past elections gearing up for another shot, but so far nothing official has materialized. By comparison, by mid-February 2006, at least two people — Doug Bennett and Ric Barros, for those of you keeping score at home — had announced their plans to run against Mr. O’Leary, and Jim Powell from Martha’s Vineyard was getting ready to take on Mr. Turkington for a second time.
While I’m grousing about the lack of competition, why haven’t we seen a flood of candidates for the Barnstable County Board of County Commissioners yet? Mary J. LeClair is stepping down and Lance W. Lambros is running for re-election…that’s two reasons for people to step up, and yet, bupkiss.
I hope this apathy wears off soon…getting’ kinda sick of writing about Presidential wannabes every week.

Now that I said all that: Republican Jeffrey K. Beatty of Harwich has officially announced his candidacy for the US Senate! Mr. Beatty, who waged an unsuccessful campaign against US Congressman William D. Delahunt in 2006, has been an informal candidate since late last year.
“My experience and knowledge is rooted in hard work, strong ethics and common sense,” Mr. Beatty said in a press release. “I am proud to be part of the middle class and I understand the difficulty and hardships we face to pay a mortgage, heat our homes and put food on the table. We can do better. Massachusetts has had enough of career politicians who are out of touch.”
“For them it’s politics, for us it’s personal,” he said. “It is time to get Massachusetts and America back on track.”

Finally, I offer to you the most ringing endorsement for McCain I’ve heard yet.
It comes from Ann Coulter — no, don’t stop reading! This is worth it! — who said on last Friday’s “Today” show that she would rather vote for Hillary Clinton than John McCain.
Yes, one of the most fanatically conservative and divisive figures in politics would rather vote for a Democrat than one of her own. Her “rationale” (if you want to call it that): if McCain got elected, his Presidency would be so disastrous that it would open the flood gates for a Democratic takeover in 2012 that would last a generation…and, of course, drive the entire country into the ground like a tent peg.
But if Clinton got elected? Then the stage is set for a 30-year Republican dynasty, again ignited by a Presidency so catastrophic you’d think it’d been directed by Irwin Allen.

Political news, events, and announcements may be e-mailed to Michael Bailey, senior political reporter, at bailey@capenews.net

(This is the latest entry in a semi-regular feature at Snark-Infested Waters, where I point out things that should be really obvious but, somehow, are not.)

This one is for businesses: dressing an employee up in a whimsical costume and having him stand outside to wave at passing traffic is a great way to draw attention.
The same kind of attention you’d get if you relieved yourself on the carpet during a fancy dinner party.
Pity the costumed roadside waver.

(This is the latest entry in a semi-regular feature at Snark-Infested Waters, where I point out things that should be really obvious but, somehow, are not.)

Exxon-Mobil posted a record profit of $40 billion for 2007, the largest annual profit for any American company ever.
According to the latest data posted on Massachusetts Gas Prices, which charts prices at gas stations across the state, Exxon and Mobil stations make up five of the fifteen highest-priced stations as I write this post (four of them are on Cape Cod, I add).
There are many gas stations that charge much less for their gas than Exxon-Mobil. With few exceptions, the lowest gas prices in the state are found at small, independent gas stations.
If you’re sick of high gas prices and Exxon-Mobil making insane profits because of it, don’t buy your gas there.
PS: The Great American Gas-Out is a big fat hoax.

(Welcome to a new semi-regular feature at Snark-Infested Waters, where I point out things that should be really obvious but, somehow, are not.)

The New England Patriots did not lose the Super Bowl because:

* Tom Menino jinxed them by planning a victory parade
* Gisele Bundchen distracted Tom Brady
* Bill Belichick wore a red sweatshirt
* New York Giants fans’ pointless superstitious rituals were more effective than Pats fans’ pointless superstitious rituals
* Mercury was in retrograde
* The Shadow Government operatives working undercover as towel boys spiked the Pats’ Gatorade with Nyquil
* God is a big ol’ meany

The Pats lost because the Giants played better than they did.
Nothing more to see here, move it along.