Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have an opportunity to make history, and give the United States and the world several years of progressive leadership that could extend the life of the planet. As of today, they're squandering it.
Smug political pundits keep telling us that a Clinton-Obama ticket will never happen -- they can't stand each other, supposedly, or Bill Clinton won't approve the partnership -- and so the campaign for the nomination goes on, with attacks increasing the likelihood of a fractured party and the possibility of a John McCain victory in November.
This battle of egos will only get uglier, and we'll hear more of the media-stoked inanities that came out of Pennsylvania during the last couple of weeks -- all of it a distraction from the real mess at hand: Recession and a costly, endless war, energy crisis, food crisis, global warming and the extensive, long-term damage from the worst presidency in history.
The Democrats can only claim two presidencies out of the last six; Obama, Clinton and party leaders seem determined to maintain tradition and give the Republicans the White House yet again, even as the call for change has reached the level of scream.
Last week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that, world over, land and sea surface temperatures in March were the second highest in 129 years of recordkeeping.
Geoscientists meeting in Vienna said glacial and mountain snow has been melting earlier in the year than ever, releasing water needed in summer for crops in the earth's sub-tropic zones, where about 70 percent of the world's population lives. A European hydrologist referred to the trend as a water "time bomb."
Climate change is considered a major contributor to the global food crisis, which has led to increased hunger, political upheaval and violence in some countries.
George W. Bush, meanwhile, announced a goal of stabilizing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 2025, when he will be nearly two decades removed from office and pushing 80.
Maybe all those YouTubers got in the game this year because they were excited about Obama's candidacy.
They might also be worried about theirs being the last generation that gets to have a full life on the planet. Many of them certainly realize that they might not live as long or as well as their baby boom parents have.
