For those of you who enjoy HBO as part of your cable package, make sure you don’t miss  “John Adams” which debuted last night with Paul Giamatti as the “Colossus of the Revolution” and Laura Linney as his unstoppable wife, Abigail, who was as much a player in the revolution as her husband.

I found myself tearing up near the end of the second hour as Linney, exhausted by holding down the family farm, runs her hands over a letter from Adams days after the Continental Congress had cut the chord.

The supporting cast is top notch, the dialog in keeping with period syntax and pace. It is not preachy, or campy. It lays out what a mighty task the founders faced and the guts they showed every step of the way. They literally put their necks on the line for a cause they believed was delivered by Providence, and they didn’t appoint a study committee or a task force to see which was the wind was blowing.

There were many members of the Congress, who had doubts and some who opposed to independence. But when the decision was made, they were all in to defeat the King. 

It seems corny to believe that there were men and women who were so smart but so strong to face down the British Empire and unleash an experiment of freedom that has no peer. But they given to this country by God, and it was God and each other they derived their strength from to ensure we have a country that allows us to pop off on any street corner.

Today, many in our political class routinely engage in rhetorical flourishes as if they had powdered wigs and walking sticks. They would be better served to read David McCullough’s book which this production is based on and take a few notes on how to temper one’s sense of self-importance.

 In the meantime, the work of those brave men allow us to sit around and watch TV, blog late at night or dream of what our country can still become if we honor their sacrifice with some humility and hard work for a common purpose.

Corny still has its uses.

Arizona Senator John McCain and his cohorts are planning to make the November 2008 Electoral Map look far different from 2000 or 2004.  So says crack Politico reporter Jonathan Martin:

Such a list starts here, in famously flinty New Hampshire, one of only three states to switch allegiance in presidential voting between 2000 and 2004. But it could also include Maine, which has elected an independent governor and which gave Ross Perot his highest vote share in 1992. Connecticut would be tougher but has also elected two third-party candidates to statewide office (Lowell Weicker and Joseph I. Lieberman).

With many Connecticut Republicans considering the impending McCain candidacy, there seems to be a growing belief that the maverick from Arizona could certainly make Connecticut a swing state in the general election. We look forward to it being so.

It never fails to deliver. When the going gets tough, the Democrats often use the race card. But this time, the two Presidential candidates, Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama, are using it against each other. 

Finally, the main stream liberal media has awakened to this fact after glossing over similar incidents earlier in the campaign, led by the former “First Black President” - William Jefferson Clinton. It was Bill who unleashed a tirade against ungrateful African Americans in South Carolina that further propelled Sen. Obama to front runner status.

Support by persons of color has been bottoming out for the Clintons every since. In the Mississippi primary Tuesday, Sen. Obama received 90 percent of the black vote, while Sen. Clinton received 78 percent of white voters.

When former Congresswoman and 1984 VEEP candidate Geraldine Ferraro made the politically incorrect statement about why Sen. Obama has enjoyed considerable success without media inspection because of his race, the Senator from Illinois said that was racist.

Geraldine hit the silk yesterday but continued to press her case last night on FOX and other cable outlets.

Meanwhile, Sen. Obama and his surrogates continue to use race as their political heat shield. When anyone questions Sen. Obama on policies or his experience or qualifications, his campaign says those critics are about the politics of division. Translation - you are racists.

It won’t work because the American voters see a poser - whether they are black, white, yellow or plaid. The real consummate issue is whether the candidate can assume the most powerful job on the planet and do it with skill, courage and honesty. Those character traits are built through time and life experiences. When  Sen. Clinton or Republicans ask whether Sen. Obama has those traits, he should answer them, and not hide behind old political tricks of the trade that he and others have long sought to end.

There is more news coming out of the 22nd Senate District today in the wake of Rob Russo’s big victory yesterday.  Consider this the round up:

Connecticut Local Politics: Genghis Conn has his map up which shows how Russo fared in the three towns.  It doesn’t do justice to the margins in Bridgeport.

Only in Bridgeport: Simply summed up with the title, Russo Kicks Butt.  The contest for Bridgeport Democrat Town Committee Chair will only get more competitive in the wake of the defeat.

MyLeftNutmeg: Two fun things from the good folks over at MLN.  In a post entitled “The Unreliable Ally” the author characterizes Senator-elect Rob Russo as a “Healyite”.  To quote:

I bring this up tonight because, while the “unreliable ally” argument isn’t going away anytime soon, the special election that’s happening tonight is an excellent lesson that a reliable ally isn’t necessarily called upon to support every candidate. Mulligan – who’s a pretty good guy with a truckload more honesty and honor than the disgraceful Healyite Rob Russo – is quite likely going to lose tonight, and he was, for all intents and purposes, fed to the wolves.

The other fun thing from MLN is the casting of blame for last night’s defeat, pinning some of it on Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch.  Chairman Healy keeps a clipping on his bulletin board, “Six Phases of a Project”.  It lists the following:

1. Enthusiasm
2. Disillusionment
3. Panic & Hysteria
4. Search for the Guilty
5. Punishment of the Innocent
6. Praise and Honor for the Non-Participants