Monday Newsbreak: 2/25

--Ralph Nader declared his candidacy for President in another installment of his never-ending quest to throw the election to the Republicans. In 2000, he actually convinced enough people that there really wasn't any significant difference between George W. Bush and Al Gore. Enough to give Bush Florida and the election. Four years later, very few people bought this line. And I predict that even fewer will in 2008!

--Presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain had to endure some nonsense from a New York Times article that insinuated a possible affair with a lobbyist from more than eight years ago. The really scary thing to me is that, with all of the important issues at stake in this election, some people would actually decide whom to vote for because of this sort of thing.

--Fidel Castro officially retired from being president of Cuba, ostensibly handing over power to his brother Raul. I wish that the Cuban people could have a path established for them that led to more freedom and prosperity. I don't believe in U.S. sanctions. All they seem to have accomplished is to consolidate the hold that Castro has kept on this wonderful island nation since 1959.

--It looks at this point as if Barack Obama is in the driver's seat to obtain the Democratic Party's nomination for President. One unfounded charge that I've heard leveled at Obama is that he only speaks in generalities. But he has expressed himself very clearly on many important issues, so I'm left with the conclusion that some people are just swallowing whatever the Clinton campaign is putting out about Barack hook, line, and sinker.

--Apparently, Pakistani president Musharraf is on the way out as opposition parties crushed his party in the recent parliamentary election. Enough, it seems, to make Musharaff's impeachment likely should he "elect" to stay on as president. It is crucial that whoever becomes Pakistan's next president enjoy the support of the people there. And Musharraf has lost his people's support long ago.