Statistics from CNN.com, and maps provided by Dave Leip.

Democrats

Candidate State Delegates Percentage Pledged Delegates Obama 16,880 79% 15 Edwards 137 1% 0 Clinton 3,655 17% 3 Richardson 0 0% 0 Biden 0 0% 0 Uncommitted 552 3% 0 Dodd 0 0% 0 Gravel 0 0% 0 Kucinich 0 0% 0

Color key (by Dave Leip):
Green – Barack Obama
Red – Hillary Clinton

Republicans

Statistics from CNN.com, and maps provided by Dave Leip.

Democrats

Candidate State Delegates Percentage Pledged Delegates Obama 28,347 76% 14 Edwards 0 0% 0 Clinton 8,835 24% 6 Richardson 0 0% 0 Biden 0 0% 0 Uncommitted 65 0% 0 Dodd 0 0% 0 Gravel 0 0% 0 Kucinich 0 0% 0

Color key (by Dave Leip):
Green – Barack Obama
Red – Hillary Clinton

Republicans

Sorry folks.  I was out of town over the weekend and didn’t get a chance to let you know.  New content to be posted tomorrow.  Hope you all had a great weekend!

During the day, I was torn about what to write about. Like many of you, I was spending the night watching the total eclipse of the moon (and man, isn’t it impressive how it turns red like that). And while watching it, I was wondering if the U.S. Navy’s attempt to shoot down the failed satellite was going to be successful. After coming in, I turned on the TV expecting to see “It’s a hit!” or “U.S. Navy postpones attempt,” but what did I see instead? “New York Times to print front page article on John McCain and Vicki Iseman.” No coverage about the satellite. No coverage about the eclipse. Nope, just the dissecting of a news article about an inappropriate behavior between McCain and a lobbyist, which was somehow tied into the Keating Five scandal. So I said “forget it” and went to bed.

Well, I had a chance to read the news article today, thinking that it would be what I would write about. After all, if McCain was cheating on his wife, accepting gifts from lobbyists, and we need to take him to task for his lack of involvement in the Keating Five, it would have a major impact on the current race. However, the article really was fluff and accusations without any substance. Looks like the New York Times was just looking for a way to increase their lagging sales. So no, I’m not going into it tonight until the New York Times wishes to provide some hard facts and/or apologizes for their poor journalism. Instead, we’re going to cover those who deserve a lot of respect. That’s right, it’s the U.S. Navy.

Talk about having your stars aligned (or many we should say “moon eclipsed”). After years of developing and testing a ballistic missile defense system, coinciding with the failure of a high-tech government satellite, the U.S. Navy was given a real-world test run for their new system. Modifying a SM-3 missile, the Aegis Cruiser Lake Eire took position in the Pacific Ocean and waited for the right moment when the satellite would pass 153 nautical miles overhead. With multiple ground and sky-based radar tracking system providing detailed information to the cruiser, the missile was launched at 10:30pm (at the same time the moon was in full eclipse), taking three minutes to reach its target and hit it directly in the hydrazine fuel tank. Perfect shot. Just one try. Bravo Zulu, Lake Eire!

So what does this mean for us? For starters, it verifies that the technology does work in the real world… at least with targets that are predictable. Can it take out an unexpected ballistic missile? Hopefully we won’t have to find out, but we feel a bit more comfortable about it tonight. And that has China concerned.

If you don’t remember in 2007, China launched an anti-satellite weapon and took out a satellite in orbit without warning or confirming it was actually them that did it for a few weeks. That experiment placed thousands little pieces of debris into multiple orbit levels, causing problems for future satellite and shuttle missions, since it takes just a piece no bigger than a screw to puncture a hole into the space station or damage the wing of a space shuttle, leading to loss of life. So it was a bit surprising to see China come out today, not only condemning the missile strike, claiming it would threaten security in space, but also that they want access to all the data leading up to, during, and after the strike. It makes you wonder what China is up to.

In any case, today is the U.S. Navy’s day. We honor you!

For some additional information, check out these sites:
New York Times – “Pentagon Is Confident Missile Hit Satellite Tank”
Yahoo! News – “Satellite Hit Boosts Missile Defense”
New York Times – “For McCain, Self-Confidence on Ethics Poses Its Own Risk”

For some additional reading across the web, check out these blogs:
Engadget – “Video proof of the renegade satellite’s destruction”
Hotair – “Video: Navy gives rouge satellite the full Death Star treatment”
Peace and Freedom II – “Gates says U.S. will share satellite destruction data with China”
VirtualReview – “China cries foul as US shoots down satellite”
The Atlantic – “Behind McCain’s Counterattack”

By eWorldVu

Cuban President Fidel Castro has outlasted no fewer than nine American presidents during his nearly five decade rule in Cuba. In fact, Castro has ruled Cuba for such a long period of time that more than three quarters of the Cuban people have known no other leader.

The country used to be prosperous and the world’s largest producer of sugar, but the decades of Castro’s rule have been a disaster for the Cuban economy. Today, Cuba is a poor country with an economy dependent on agriculture and tourism. It has shortages in food, fuel, clothing, and books. Fidel Castro embraced the Soviet Union as a trading partner years ago and Cuba has suffered financially since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Cubans refer to these difficult times as the “Special Period”.

For the economy to improve, new trading partners and revenue sources need to be uncovered. Tourism has been increasing in Cuba, but it is an industry held back by the Cuban government’s horrible human rights record and inherent government corruption. The United States has an embargo on Cuba that has been in place for forty four years which also limits Cuban economic growth and tourism.

In July 2006, President Castro underwent emergency intestinal surgery and has not attended any public events since. In recent days, rumors have intensified that Castro’s death is near. The death of Castro could dramatically impact the relationship between Cuba and the United States and provide more opportunity and hope for Cubans and for Cuban exiles in Florida.

Indeed, for some in the exile community in South Florida, the death of Fidel Castro may mean that Cuba and the United States will turn the clock back to the nineteen fifties and become allies once again. For others, it may mean political and economic changes that may indicate a move toward democracy on the island. For some Cubans, it may mean the chance to leave Cuba and join their relatives or friends in Miami. To others in Cuba it may mean a chance to make a brand of socialism work if the United States lifts its current embargo which limits economic advancement on the island.

However, change may not occur very quickly after Fidel Castro dies. The dictator has already turned over power to his brother Raul Castro. Also, two of Castro’s sons are gaining favorable press coverage in the Cuban media and appear to be in line at some point, for succession to the dictator’s brother.

For the United States, the death of Fidel Castro could mean a dramatic shift in its policy toward Cuba. The U.S. embargo should be lifted since it has not worked as leverage for Fidel Castro to improve human rights over the years. With Fidel Castro gone, the time is right for the United States to change policy toward its island neighbor.

With time, economic improvement and reform, Cuba can be a vibrant centerpiece of tourism in the Caribbean. The death of Fidel Castro can be the catalyst for change. A Cuba without Fidel Castro, is an opportunity for a better tomorrow for the island.