Air America Radio has launched. I'm listening to The O'Franken Factor.

I was reading an article about Jocelyn Elders, and she pointed out that about half of the children in America qualify for free or reduced lunches. I just went searching for the government numbers on this. As far as I can tell from the chart, the number for FY2003 is 58.5%.

We are #1 in GDP, in wealth, in military technology, in military spending, in health technology, but we haven't figured out how to be better than last in rankings of child poverty among the 18 wealthy industrialized nations.

Wondering about the title of my post?

"Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?" — George W. Bush, Florence, S.C., Jan. 11, 2000

I'm headed out to vote for Dennis Kucinich in the primary. Go read Matt Taibbi on the Congressman from Ohio who actually believes we all deserve health care.

I've set up Jay's web site (jayblotcher.com) with Movable Type and started putting some more information up for him.

For people looking for background information or articles and letters related to the NY Times dismissal, that's the place to look.

This is considered an appropriate question from a New York Times reporter in a debate between the Democratic presidential candidates?

Q. Really fast, last, on a Sunday morning, President Bush has said that freedom and fear have always been at war and God is not neutral between them. He's made quite clear in these speeches that he feels God is on America's side. Really quick: Is God on America's side?

I love the "really quick" part.

Becoming an expatriate in Germany or France is looking better and better.