Irish Trojan in Tennessee

Shuttle in orbit; visible with ISS next weekend

By Brendan Loy

I somehow missed this, but the Space Shuttle Atlantis blasted off yesterday for a planned 12-day mission. The schedule calls for Atlantis to dock with the International Space Station tomorrow, and remain docked until 6:35 AM EST next Saturday, February 16.

That timetable creates the potential for some awesome spaceship-gazing opportunities in the continental U.S. next weekend, as the ISS is scheduled to make three separate evening passes over our neck of the woods shortly after undocking -- on the 16th around 6:40 PM and again around 8:15 PM, and on the 17th around 7:00 PM. If past experience serves, the ISS and Shuttle will at that point be visible as separate dots traveling side-by-side through the sky, and will be very, very cool to see. You can bet I'll be keeping you updated as those viewing opportunities get closer, assuming the schedule holds.

To find out when you can see the Shuttle and ISS from your location (including some more immediate viewing opportunities while they're docked), as well as other satellites, Iridium flares, and so forth, go to Heavens Above.

Super Tuesday drags on in N.M.

By Brendan Loy

They're still counting in New Mexico, where Hillary Clinton leads Barack Obama by 1,123 votes (about 0.8%) with thousands of provisional ballots still to be tallied.

Hanging in the balance: one delegate, "bragging rights to another popular vote victory," and of course, the outcome of the Irish Trjoan Super Tuesday Contest -- a crucial implication that the Associated Press inexplicably failed to mention. :)

(Hat tip: my dad, who will clinch the combined contest and stay alive in the Democratic contest if Clinton hangs on.)

The freedom pledge

By Brendan Loy

In my obsessive political blogging throughout the last month or so, I've occasionally been criticized for focusing too much on the horse race, at the expense of the issues -- a criticism that is unquestionably well-founded. :) So here's an issue for y'all to discuss: the Presidential Freedom Pledge.

I learned about it via this post on TPM. Basically, it's a ten-point list of constitutional committments that each presidential candidate was asked to sign. Obama did; Hillary didn't. (She wrote up this letter instead.)

Reading over the pledge, I think I agree with every point except possibly #10 -- at least as applied to organizations -- and the last sentence of #7. But I've only very briefly considered. I'm curious what my readers think of it, and what significance, if any, to ascribe to Obama's signing it and Hillary's not doing so.

P.S. Relatedly, here are Clinton's and Obama's responses to the Boston Globe's survey about executive power. And while we're on the subject, here are McCain's.

Big games tomorrow for USC, ND

By Brendan Loy

I've been so focused on politics during my limited, non-baby-consumed free time over the last month that I haven't been able to pay much attention to college basketball -- and when I have, my attention has usually been focused on USC or Gonzaga. But Notre Dame has been doing really well, building a 7-2 Big East record, with two of those wins (along with both losses) on the road. The Irish are currently alone in second place in the conference standings, and ranked #21 or #22 in the country, depending on which poll you believe. Admire Mike Brey!

Anyway, tomorrow at noon in a nationally televised ESPN game, they'll look to avenge one of their road losses -- their worst loss of the season, in fact -- against #16 Marquette. That's always a fun game at the Joyce Center, with a boisterous visiting crowd. Hopefully the Leprechaun Legion will be up to the challenge. Go Irish, Beat Golden Eagles!

Also tomorrow: USC vs. Wazzu. The Trojans have improbably rallied from their 0-3 conference start to take sole possession of third place in the Pac-10 with a 6-4 record -- and five of their remaining eight games are at home. Tomorrow is one of the three road games, against struggling Washington State (the Cougars have lost 4 of 5 after starting 16-1 overall and 4-1 in conference). Big-time game for 'SC, though alas, the ABC telecast at 3:30 PM is regional; we get Texas-Iowa State instead. Harumph. Regardless: Fight on Trojans, Beat the Cougs!

Dobson to endorse Huckabee

By Brendan Loy

That'll help in Kansas and Louisiana tomorrow...

What Huck needs is for some other unrelated major breaking-news event to happen tomorrow, distracting the media, so he can quietly win KS and LA, thus signaling to his attentive Virginia supporters that he's still viable, without getting the attention of McCain's Virginia supporters. Thus, the McCainiac independents/centrists in the Old Dominion State will vote for Obama on Tuesday (and perhaps a few McCainiac security/experience voters will vote for Hillary), and Huck's true believers will be able to drive a low-turnout, winner-take-all upset...

P.S. Halperin's schedule shows that Huck is in Kansas -- not Louisiana -- all day today. Does that mean he thinks Louisiana is in the bag, or that it's unwinnable? Or just that he's only one man, and can't be in two places at once? (This is one of those times where a super-superdelegate would come in handy.)

P.P.S. After the jump, I do my flips about Huck's chances in Washington state, which may be better than you think!

The check's in the mail

By Brendan Loy

Well, not really. Not until May, in fact. But the economic stimulus package is headed to President Bush's desk, and he will sign it.

You can view the full text of the bill in PDF form here, or in HTML form here (click the bottom link).