One reason this year's election seems so long is because it really began when the 2006 election ended. That contest, which saw Democrats unexpectedly sweep both the House and the Senate, finally turned in favor of the good guys—after distractions over relatively minor issues—because it finally became a mandate over one sweeping, presidential issue: George W. Bush. The electorate, of course, mandated a change.

That’s where we started. Now, with Democrats battling longer than expected, and voters again getting distracted by relatively minor issues like whether Barack listens to his ex-minister or Hillary listens to economists, Philly For Change is launching a new campaign to focus attention back to the BIG issues: Bush, his policies on war, healthcare, Social Security and the environment, and the one man who stands in the way of changing them.

That’s why from now until November and in more ways than one, Philly For Change is Philly Against McCain.

I don't think very much of people who say the fight between Obama and Clinton undermines progressives generally in the upcoming general election. When you see that most average voters like both, that most are excited by the race and that people refer to a shared ticket as a "dream team," it just doesn't seem plausible. In other words, I'm with The Daily News on this question. My explanation? In a 24-hour news cycle with their race in the constant loop as the top story, it's just something for talking heads to say.

And keep saying.

Ad nauseum.

One way or another, we have to end this Bush'ly era, and I think we will. One way or another. The GOP, it turns out, isn't that great for the economy. You might have seen that jobless claims have hit a two year high and that it has been three years since so many people were drawing Unemployment.

The Labor Department reported Thursday that new applications filed for unemployment insurance jumped by a seasonally adjusted 38,000 to 407,000 for the week ending March 29. The increase left claims at their highest point since Sept. 17, 2005, following the blows of the devastating Gulf Coast hurricanes.

Turns out that this is just a paragraph in a larger story of GOP mismanagement of the economy. Under the Republicans watch, inequality tends to rise.

As everyone here knows, I am a vocal supporter of Barack Obama's Presidential campaign, and have been for a while. My wife, meanwhile, is a supporter, albeit a somewhat less vocal one, of Hilary Clinton's Presidential campaign. That's right- Zorro is in a mixed marriage.

This weekend, Ilana + I had a rather, shall we say, enthusiastic discussion of the campaign. This wasn't a campaign of whether Obama or Clinton is the better candidate- each of us respects the other candidate + agrees that the other would make a fine President- the conversation centered on my fears that what we do this spring is, in the end, irrelevant, since the GOP will steal their third consecutive Presidential election. Ilana challenged me that, if I really feel that way, why do I even bother working to register people to vote, or even to bother to vote myself.