The Chafe pulls out, Hillary surges, and The Bern cools down just a bit

By Mona Goldwater, Democratic Primary Ed.

This morning, ex-Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee pulled the plug on his long, long, long-shot bid for the  Democratic presidential nomination. On the Democratic side, his candidacy was possibly the most puzzling one of all.

Chaffee sited Hillary's "good week" as one reason he is pulling out.  One of the reasons Chafee decided to drop out now: Hillary Clinton had "a good week," in which Ex-Sen. Jim Webb dropped out, Vice President Joe Biden declined to run, and she successfully underwent hours of testimony on Capitol Hill, and in the end mostly came out smelling like a rose, while the committee looked like petty buffoons. Updated Demo scorecard:

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Caesar, one year later

By Jack Brummet

For several years, I have left a broken concrete bust of Caesar in the elements, watching the slow, slow return to dust.  Here is this year's state of Julius.

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POTUS 42 and POTUS 45 hopeful dressed up as Dolly & James Madison (ca 1993).

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Drawing: Faces #1258

By Jack Brummet

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Drawing: Faces #1260 - Pee-Chee Folder No. 2

By Jack Brummet

click folders to enlarge or save

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Drawing: faces #1259 - in the murk

By Jack Brummet

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Photo: JFK on the campaign trail (1960)

By Jack Brummet

There have been some pathetic turnouts for Republican rallies and speeches recently, especially among the second tier candidates. Rick Santorum gave a speech recently at which one person showed up. Here is a shot of the 1960 Presidential election winner, early in the primary season.

[Provenance and photographer unknown]  

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Drawing: Faces #1257 - the numbered

By Jack Brummet

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Drawing: Faces #1256

By Jack Brummet

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Three million lakes in Alaska

By Jack Brummet, h2O Ed.

Photo of Symphony lake courtesy of Wikipedia Commons.  Photo by Frank Kovalchek, 2009

It's kind of a mind-effer that there are three million lakes in Alaska [statistic via Wikipedia/media].  That is more than four lakes for each person living there. Eat your heart out Minne-land of 10,000 lakes-sota.

Seattle, with 100,000 less people than Alaska, has five lakes. One of them is large.  And then there is the shore of Puget Sound.  Of Seattle's total area, 41% is under water.

Aerial photo of Seattle permission of  Wikipedia User:Jelson25, via Wikipedia Commons.

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Drawing: Faces #1255 - no lift sketch

By Jack Brummet

[#4B pencil on smooth Bristol Board]

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A Seattle rainbow

From the KIRO-TV website (kiro.tv/HeavyRain), a Seattle rainbow:

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