General game plan:

1/10: Wheels up from NM to Vegas with the 815 crew
1/10-1/13: Vegas.
1/13-1/14: LA
1/14-1/15: San Diego (Dad is running a food show. Yum.)
1/15-1/18: LA, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, depending on where I can crash
1/18-1/19: Sleeping over at San Francisco
1/19-1/20: Travel to Salt Lake City
1/20-1/21: Travel to Boulder, CO/Denver
1/21-1/22: Travel to either Great Bend KS (aka, damn smack in the middle of nowhere) or eastern Nebraska
1/22-1/23: Crash in IA (sleep. not like into tree).  Not sure where.
1/23: Stop in Chicago.  Depending on what folks are up to, either crash in Chicago or Pittsburgh.
1/24: Stop in Pittsburgh for the grandparents and my cousins.  Arrive in Atlantic City that night.

Of course, there could be snow storms, parties, job stuff, or other things that'll move this all around, but thats what its looking like.  If you are on the route, let me know.

I'll try posting updates from the road.  (Thank you iMT!)

Wish me luck.

I started asking around about his campaign in December 2006, and started working as the Web Production Manager on March 21st, 2007 - a few hours after I got my wisdom teeth removed. Always the right way to start a job.

I moved from DC, where I lived since August 2003 to Santa Fe, NM in early May, and today, I head out of New Mexico. So I go from major mid-atlantic metropolis of 2+ million people to a "metro" of 60,000 without a major college in the Southwest so I can work on the campaign.

I am proud to have worked for such a fine patriot and decent person. While we did not have the glitz and glamor of the other candidates, we did have a strong, lengthy, and varied record of accomplishment, domestically and internationally. I like folks who get shit done, and of all the candidates, Governor Richardson got the most shit done.

Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to win (although we did last longer than two Senate committee chairs), but the American political process is bigger than any individual's set of values, and this time, it did not align with mine.

Next time, America. Next time.

I promised myself when I chose politics to always go where my heart is, which more times than not, isn't the easiest path. This experience wasn't easy, but I'm glad that I kept to my promise.

Now I go back to DC and get back to the life I've had on pause for eight months. Time to press play.

College Democrats in the nation's first two contests can tell you that the excitement was real and that voter turnout on college campuses reflected that energy. According to CIRCLE (Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement), 19% of New Hampshire voters were young people - up 42% from 2004. That's 84,000 votes - a majority of them for Democrats.
In Iowa, young voters were 22% of all caucus goers, up from 17% in 2004 and matching the number of seniors who participated. And their support for Democrats was overwhelming: of the young people who caucused in Iowa, 80% of them supported Democrats.

Anyone who has been working on youth organizing knew this already. We've consistently seen youth turnout for Democrats increase in the past two elections, but the results in Iowa and New Hampshire show that we are well on our way to unprecedented numbers in 2008.

Me on the other hand, as you may be able to tell, have nutmeg pride.

But before all else, I have Redding, CT. Pride. And we're #1, folks!

Redding gets to keep its bragging rights. Connecticut Magazine has once again named it the best small town in Connecticut in its population category.

The magazine's March issue contains its biennial rating of the small towns in the state. Redding falls into the 6,500 to 10,000 population category with its population of 8,270. The category includes 23 towns. Its closest rival is Easton, with a population of 7,272, which took the top spot away from Redding in the 2003 ranking.

And, PS Easton, don't be dirtying up my town!

For all of you who drive in CT, take the following to the road.

1. Turn signals will give away your next move. A real Connecticut driver never uses them.
2. Under no circumstance should you leave a safe distance between you and the car in front of you, or the space will be filled in by somebody else, putting you in an even more dangerous situation.
3. The faster you drive through a red light, the smaller the chance you have of getting hit.
4. Never, ever come to a complete stop at a stop sign. No one expects it and it will result in you being rear-ended.
5. Never get in the way of an older car that needs extensive bodywork. Connecticut is a no-fault insurance state and the other guy doesn't have anything to lose.
6. Braking is to be done as hard and late as possible to ensure that your ABS kicks in, giving a nice, relaxing foot massage as the brake pedal pulsates. For those of you without ABS, it's a chance to stretch your legs.
7. Never pass on the left when you can pass on the right. It's a good way to scare people entering the highway.
8. Speed limits are arbitrary figures, given only as a suggestion and are apparently not enforceable in Connecticut during rush hour.
9. Just because you're in the left lane and have no room to speed up or move over doesn't mean that a Connecticut driver flashing his high beams behind you doesn't think he can go faster in your spot.
10. Always slow down and rubberneck when you see an accident or even someone changing a tire.
11. Learn to swerve abruptly. Connecticut is the home of the high-speed slalom driving thanks to the State Highway Department, which puts pot-holes in key locations to test drivers' reflexes and keep them on their toes.
12. It is customary in Connecticut to honk your horn at cars that don't move the instant the light turns green.
13. Remember that the goal of every Connecticut driver is to get there first by whatever means necessary.

What do the Owner of the Washington Nationals, President of the New York Yankees and the Manager of the Baltimore Orioles all have in common? They are all graduates of The George Washington University.

Please join Ted Lerner, LLB '50, Law; co-owner of the Washington Nationals; Randy Levine, BA '77, CCAS; president of the New York Yankees; Sam Perlozzo, BS '73, GSEHD; manager of the Baltimore Orioles as they participate in a candid and lively panel discussion providing insights into the current challenges and future opportunities of MLB.

Wonder if GW is going to add "managing sports teams" as a major.