For the past few weeks I've been doing small community development projects and co-instructing a course on international development in the small town of Kayanga, Tanzania - Karagwe District. Smashed between Rwanda, Uganda, and Lake Victoria, this place has seen its share of global disasters. This is an area ignored by travel guides and disconnected from much of the continent. News travels slowly here, and most families have been farming these lands since well before Livingstone rolled through. But thanks to this new internet cafe that I'm sitting in, the sporadic television set, and the two new radio stations in town, Kayanga is connected to the world, and the people here have an important message for you...

As this is not a candidate diary, I'm sure it will go largely unnoticed. However, let it be known that if you do continue to read this, in the two minutes that it takes you, an estimated 10 people will die from AIDS. I promise I'll keep it short and to the point.

Dear God,

I understand that it is unpopular to invoke you in public, let alone in a political conversation. I also understand that you and I have had some run-ins in the past. Sometimes I've felt your presence, sometimes I haven't. In fact, funny as it may seem, I actually grew up thinking you were an elderly white-guy with a beard and lived in the clouds. As you know, years later this led me to reject you all together. But whatever, wherever, and if-ever you existed, I feel that now is the time for me to talk to you. Given the state of the planet and the popularity of "open letters", I thought that I should put forth a grievance (just in case you read the dailykos). Before I dive into things though, let me thank you. Although times are tough around the world, there's a lot to be excited about. Summer is on the horizon, the Democratic primary is almost officially over, and a certain world leader (that you so humorously created to look like a monkey) is on his way out of power.

In yet another sign that her campaign is over, the Washington Post reports that a good deal of the press and  many of Clinton's supporters have pretty much stopped caring about her next moves. In a hilarious and sometimes sad article, Dana Milbank tells a new story of Hillary Clinton - that of an "Ex-Candidate." In chronicling a day in the life of the new-and-not-so-improved Hillary Clinton, Milbank shows just how delusional her campaign has become.

For the hilarious (and depressing) Clinton campaign antics, follow the jump...

Today is Cinco de Mayo - the fifth of May. And unless you live in Puebla, Mexico, it's one of the least important holidays of the year. Contrary to what many people think, it's not Mexican Independence Day. It's more of an Easter Bunny meets Valentine's Day card kind-of holiday (with a Corona twist). It's not a complete phony, but much like Rush Limbaugh's "Operation Chaos", it's not entirely honest either. It's got a real history, but has been corporatized and exploited to the point of no-return. In many ways, you could say that Cinco de Mayo is a fairly good microcosm for some trends going on around the world.

So, in honor of large historical inaccuracies and corporations looking to expand their markets, I would like to make my own little twist on Cinco de Mayo and offer a few wishes for the world. I'll call it, my pre-Festivusairing of the grievances.

More below the fold...

Kos has often argued that only machine-driven endorsements - like that of a Rendell - mean anything in an election. Maybe this is true, maybe it's not; but there's only one type of endorsement that has ever worked with me: loved ones. When it comes to endorsements, I don't think it's about status or ranking; it's about connection. I'll listen to what my partner, my sister, or my friends have to say before I'll ever listen to a name. I don't trust names; I trust my loved ones.

Last year, one of my dearest friends, Eric J. Tang, tragically died at the young age of 25 while travelling in Mexico. He was a brilliant activist who dedicated his life to fighting for progressive ideals like clean money elections, universal healthcare, and an end to superfluous wars. He opened my eyes to so many wonderful and important things about this world, and his opinions shaped me more than any politician could dream of. Although he passed away before endorsing any candidate for this election cycle, I always felt that he would be fighting on the front lines for an Obama presidency. And recently, I found an old email that confirms that my friend and hero, Eric Tang, has endorsed Barack Obama.

More on love, politics, and real important endorsements below...

I just got word from a good friend that there are some serious voting issues in the Bloomfield and Lawrenceville sections of Pittsburgh. And now I'm also seeing that KDKA and the Post-Gazette are reporting some different (more minor) problems here and here. And now here too: http://www.philly.com/...

More below the fold:

It's official: everyone I know and love has endorsed Barack Obama. Union members, homemakers, students, business owners, and yes, even my elderly Jewish grandmother. Why is this noteworthy? Because nearly everyone I know and love lives in Western PA, and many of these people are the small town, uneducated, "Reagan Democrats" that you've recently heard so much about.

Today I received a wonderful letter from my cousin - the son of a Vietnam veteran and factory worker - making the case for all Western Pennsylvanians to actively support and vote for Barack Obama. It may not seem newsworthy, but the letter was just too good not to be published. I implore you to read this, think about this, and send this to your family and friends who live anywhere West of Harrisburg.

Are we up for a surprise on April 22?

Well, not exactly, but the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting that loved owner Dan Rooney is endorsing Obama today. This may seem like a meaningless endorsement, but if you are from Pittsburgh this is the equivalent of 10 superdelegates and Abe Lincoln himself endorsing Obama. Also, it's interesting to note that Rooney, unlike Hillary Clinton, did actually play a vital role in the Ireland peace process. Rooney nicely compliments the previous endorsements by Jerome Bettis and Franco Harris. But seriously, this is a pretty important endorsement in the city of Pittsburgh. And if nothing else, it puts a smile on a lot of faces...

First off, the Democratic race for the presidential nomination is not over. Let's get that in our heads. She's still on the ballot, she's still attacking her opponent, and she still has a fair amount of resources. And that's fine. Hillary Clinton is welcome to stay in the race as long as she'd like. Nonetheless, it's getting to the point where - like a good company or non-profit - we need to look at the long view, and prepare for Clinton's likely concession.

This diary is not intended to be an "in your face" or a "ha-ha" to Clinton supporters. Rather, I would like to create a forum to discuss how Obama and Clinton supporters will come together to beat John McCain and (finally) take back the White House. Time is ticking, and we all know that the longer this race continues, the more it hurts our eventual nominee (Barack Obama). The time has come to lift our heads up high, pause our internal disagreements, and craft a plan.

More below the fold...

Today, Elizabeth Edwards told Good Morning America that Hillary's healthcare plan is better than Obama's. While I don't particularly like Barack's plan, I respectfully ask that Ms. Edwards come to Massachusetts and say that to those of us who currently live with mandates. This rhetoric - that universal healthcare is the same as guaranteed healthcare - is simply not accurate, and has got to stop.

The mandate system is very young and much research is needed to actually comprehend the mess we have on our hands. Unfortunately, because this system is so new, I don't have any convincing links or interesting op-eds to share with you. All I have is my personal anecdote and stories of those around me. But one thing is for sure; it is becoming clearer by the day that mandates are not the answer to our nation's healthcare crisis, and we should continue looking (perhaps North) for alternative solutions.

More on malicious mandates below...

If you're an Obama supporter then the last several weeks have infuriated you. You've seen your candidate smeared beyond belief. You've seen him pushed down by the Clinton campaign, kicked by Fox News, and then spit on by Sean Hannity. To many of you, your political hopes have continually been marked by screams, swiftboating, and madrassa-ing. Well my fellow progressives, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we ain't seen nothin' yet. In this age of google, facebook, youtube, digital cameras, cell phones, and all other related technologies, the dirt will only fly faster and further in the future.

More on Obama, culture, and human integrity below the fold:

For the past several years I have secretly, quietly, and sometimes obsessively come to the Daily Kos for updates on progressive thinking. As you know, recently there has been great debate over the Clinton-Obama divide, and while I've never written a diary, I'm here to finally tell you that I know you, I feel for you, and I look forward to transforming this party with you. This place isn't made for the status-quo; it's made for you. And there is a reason why much of this site is seemingly pro-Obama; it's because he represents the clear next step in the agenda-changing progressive shift we've been fighting for.

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