Parade magazine, a supplement to many of the nation's Sunday newspapers, claims to have over 72 million readers.  Today in the magazine's "Personality Parade" section, readers saw this question and answer:

Q Can you give us an update on Elian Gonzalez, the boy rescued off the coast of Florida in 1999, then returned to Cuba over the protests of his U.S. relatives?--Mark Larsen, Calhoun, Ga.

A Elian, 15, has been well taken care of by Fidel Castro. His dad was rewarded with a seat in Cuba's national assembly, and the family was given a spacious home. Says Ann Louise Bardach, whose Without Fidel will be published next spring: "Fidel has been known to forget the birthdays of his own children, but never Elian's."

Heartwarming, isn't it?  That Fidel is such a sweetheart.  So massive is his affection for the young man that he, with the complicity of the U.S. government, forced the terrified boy back to Cuba.  Just yesterday, the Associated Press reported that Cubans:

are preoccupied with staying afloat in a sclerotic economy where basics like toilet paper often disappear from store shelves and most people eat meat only a few times each month.

That's not surprising in a Communist country where, according to CNN, the average monthly income is around $15.  Economic privations are accompanied in Castro's Cuba with a long history of human rights violations.  As AP noted:

The last time Cuba carried out executions was in 2003, when three men went before a firing squad for trying to hijack a passenger ferry to the U.S. Their deaths followed a crackdown that condemned 75 government critics to long prison terms, dashing hopes of any relaxation following Jimmy Carter's visit, the first by a former U.S. president to Castro's Cuba.

In jails scattered across the island, Cuba holds 219 political prisoners, according to Elizardo Sanchez, of the independent Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National Reconciliation. In 1964 Fidel Castro acknowledged holding as many as 15,000 political prisoners.

Parade is correct about Castro placement of Elian Gonzalez's father into the national assembly.  Placement's the right word when, as pointed out by the New York Times: "Candidates for the 609 seats run unopposed. . . "

Readers of more substantial periodicals than Parade may well recall that two of the men who forced little Elian back to Cuba were Greg Craig and Eric Holder.  Craig has been selected by Barack Obama as his White House counsel and Holder's been named his attorney general.  Hope and change, anyone?

There was little hope for poor Elian who, kicking and screaming, was taken back to Cuba.  And for most of the country's 11 million residents, there's little reason for hope for change.  Castro and the other Communist thugs show no signs of leaving. 

If Castro genuinely wanted to take good care of Elian Gonzalez - and Cuba's other citizens - he'd release them from his prison.

Barack Obama is finding out that his honeymoon with the mainstream media may be considerably shorter than he had expected.  Inviting Pastor Rick Warren to pray at his inauguration hasn't endeared him to a core constituency and now Time Magazine has joined in the bash fest.  Its Web site carries the piece, "The Problem for Gays with Rick Warren — and Obama."  Authored by John Cloud, the article begins by citing Warren's criticisms of homosexuality and then clobbers Obama for his association with him:

Gays and lesbians are angry that Barack Obama has honored Warren, but they shouldn't be surprised. Obama has proven himself repeatedly to be a very tolerant, very rational-sounding sort of bigot. He is far too careful and measured a man to say anything about body parts fitting together or marriage being reserved for the non-pedophilic, but all the same, he opposes equality for gay people when it comes to the basic recognition of their relationships. He did throughout his campaign, a campaign that featured appearances by Donnie McClurkin, a Christian entertainer who preaches that homosexuals can become heterosexuals.

NewsBusters managing editor Ken Shepherd has pointed out that Obama also extended an invitation to Rev. Joseph Lowery, who ardently supports gay rights, to give the benediction at the inaugural.  Obviously, that is insufficient atonement for inviting Warren.

Obama's action could well be a ploy, intended to modestly placate conservatives and moderates as he prepares to govern from the Left.  In the meantime, it appears as though he'll have to withstand some withering criticism from his temporarily spurned sweethearts in the mainstream media.  Perhaps he can take comfort in Shakespeare:  "The course of true love never did run smooth."  

On CNN Newsroom this morning, CNN White House correspondent Elaine Quijano discussed with anchor Betty Nguyen Barack Obama's pledge to disclose any contacts between his staff and Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich pertaining to his naming a replacement to Obama's Senate seat:

QUIJANO:  But, Betty, the question remains, when is it exactly that the president-elect and his team will disclose what contacts there actually were between their camp and people within the governor's office? What is taking so long? The president-elect said yesterday his staff was looking into it and would release that list in the coming days. So we continue to wait for that -- Betty.

Hold it a minute.  Barack Obama didn't originally promise on Friday to supply that information.  He made that commitment on Thursday and CNN aired his statement live:

I have never spoken to the governor on this subject. I'm confident that no representatives of mine would have any part of any deals related to this seat. I think the materials released by the U.S. attorney reflect that fact.

I've asked my team to gather the facts of any contacts with the governor's office about this vacancy so that we can share them with you over the next few days.

So it's been two days of waiting for that disclosure, not - as indicated by Elaine Quijano - just one.  Others on CNN have also voiced mild frustration with how long it's taking to get the information out.  On Lou Dobbs Tonight yesterday, CNN congressional correspondent Jennifer Yellin noted that:

There are lots of questions at this point and frustration because Barack Obama has not revealed all that he could about who on his team may have had any contact. This really is Barack Obama's style and I guess something we're all going to have to get used to.

He collects the facts, he gets everything in a row, and he releases it on his timetable. They think they really do have one chance to take a bite at this apple, to get it all out there, and they want to have all the information when they do, so we, in the meantime, are left to wait, wonder, and feel a little frustrated. Lou.

For months we've heard how efficient the Obama campaign is, how perfectly it functions.  It was, we were told, quick and nimble in responding to any challenge.  The day after the election, NPR's Don Gonyea hailed Obama's "well-organized, well-funded and well-disciplined organization that always seemed to know how to respond to crises."

So why the delay and hesitation now?  It reminds me of another president who, a decade ago, started being asked questions about a possible scandal.  Said Bill Clinton:

We are working very hard to comply and get all the requests for information up here, and we will give you as many answers as we can, as soon as we can, at the appropriate time, consistent with our obligation to also cooperate with the investigations.

And that's not a dodge, that's really why I've – I've talked with our people. I want to do that. I'd like for you to have more rather than less, sooner rather than later. So we'll work through it as quickly as we can and get all those questions out there to you.

It's already been more than two days and Obama hasn't responded.  How long does it take to gather information from a relatively small number of trusted aides?  Longer than Elaine Quijano realizes, apparently.

Several mainstream media accounts suggest that about the only thing Barack Obama and Rod Blagojevich have in common is they both live in Illinois. Today at the Washington Post's Web site, for example, we learn that "Obama Worked to Distance Self From Blagojevich Early On." The article begins by noting that the Illinois governor, unlike other major state Democratic politicians, wasn't allowed to address this year's national convention. There was at least one good reason for that, although it wasn't covered by today's Washington Post. Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun-Times explained it last August:

The Obama campaign on Tuesday afternoon released more speakers for the second night of the Democratic convention in Denver, a batch of Democratic governors. Missing from the list: the first governor to back Obama, his homestate Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Blagojevich, who threw a heck of a party in Boston in 2004, has had no profile in the Obama campaign because of the scandals surrounding his administration, notably the Tony Rezko probe.

Because of Rezko, I never, ever expected Blagojevich to be tapped to speak.

Moreover, Blagojevich has for some time been quite unpopular. As Rasmussen Reports noted earlier this week after Blagojevich's arrest:

While this news will certainly further tarnish the governor’s reputation, Rasmussen Reports tracking in the state consistently has shown the Democrat to be one of the nation's most unpopular governors, if not the most unpopular.

Given that, it's little wonder Obama didn't want Blagojevich at the convention endorsing his candidacy. Especially since Obama - far from distancing himself early on - played a key role in electing the now disgraced governor.

Last July, Ryan Lizza of the New Yorker wrote of Obama in 2002:

That year, he gained his first high-level experience in a statewide campaign when he advised the victorious gubernatorial candidate Rod Blagojevich, another politician with a funny name and a message of reform. Rahm Emanuel, a congressman from Chicago and a friend of Obama’s, told me that he, Obama, David Wilhelm, who was Blagojevich’s campaign co-chair, and another Blagojevich aide were the top strategists of Blagojevich’s victory. He and Obama “participated in a small group that met weekly when Rod was running for governor,” Emanuel said. “We basically laid out the general election, Barack and I and these two.”

In June of 2002, Obama said on a local-access program: " …right now, my main focus is to make sure that we elect Rod Blagojevich as Governor. . ."

The talk of scandals and Federal investigations of Blagojevich didn't diminish Obama's enthusiasm for his re-election in 2006. Chicago ABC 7 reporter Andy Shaw reported on August 16:

"We've got a governor in Rod Blagojevich who has delivered consistently on behalf of the people of Illinois and for that reason I am proud to stand behind him," said Senator Barack Obama.

If Obama were trying to keep his distance from Blagojevich, he did it in a most peculiar way. Or, as they admiringly say in Democratic precincts, perhaps he did it "the Chicago way."

Today's Chicago Tribune boasts an interview with Barack Obama.  Carried in both the print and Web editions, the latter version is headlined: "Barack Obama plans to reach out to Muslim world: In exclusive interview, he says he plans to be sworn in like every other president, using his full name: Barack Hussein Obama"

The article begins:

Barack Obama says his presidency is an opportunity for the U.S. to renovate its relations with the Muslim world, starting the day of his inauguration and continuing with a speech he plans to deliver in an Islamic capital.

And when he takes the oath of office Jan. 20, he plans to be sworn in like every other president, using his full name: Barack Hussein Obama.

The problem with this is it's not accurate.  Not every president has taken the oath "using his full name" and the Chicago Tribune should have so informed its readers.  Of the last six presidents, three didn't use their full names: Gerald R. Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan.

Obama's decision to use his full name is particularly interesting as no less an authority than Michelle Obama has, according to the Tribune's own Washington bureau, called using her husbands's middle name "the obvious, ultimate fear bomb."

Some observers will no doubt assert that what name Obama uses to take the oath is essentially inconsequential.  That's their right.  Regardless, the Chicago Tribune owes its readers at least some modest effort to report facts, not just unquestioningly regurgitate what their idol says. 

Reuters today went right to work on distancing Barack Obama from accused Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich.  Its piece, "Obama seen untouched by Illinois governor charges," starts:

President-elect Barack Obama's decision to keep a distance from his state's governor, who was arrested on corruption charges on Tuesday, should enable him to escape becoming tainted by the scandal, analysts said.

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich stands accused of trying to sell the president-elect's vacant U.S. Senate seat for financial and other personal benefits for himself and his wife, among other charges.

And who precisely are these analysts expecting Obama to avoid the connection?

The first one cited is "political scientist Dick Simpson of the University of Illinois in Chicago."  Although it's not reported, Simpson is a former Chicago Democratic alderman who ran in two Democratic primaries for Congress and has been "an Alternate Delegate Candidate in Bill Bradley's Presidential campaign in 2000, Chairman of the Issues Committee for Carol Moseley Braun's Presidential Campaign and as a surrogate speaker for John Kerry for President in 2004."

The next analyst used by Reuters is also a Democrat:

"Obama had the good sense to stay far, far away from Blagojevich and all of his people," said Democratic consultant Dane Strother.

Exhausting its investigative resources, Reuters found yet another authority to quote:

Jay Stewart, director of the Better Government Association, a Chicago watchdog group, agreed: "This is all about Rod, it's not about the president-elect," he said.

Stewart, as it turns out, served for a year as general counsel to Illinois Lt. Governor Pat Quinn.  Stewart's former boss was quoted two years ago as saying of Blagojevich:

"He's always been a person who's honest and one of integrity.  I have confidence the governor does the right thing all the time."

Gathering insightful analysis from unbiased, objective analysts, Reuters tells us Obama is seen as untouched by the latest Illinois Democratic scandal.

So now we can get back to important business, like thanking Obama for all that hope and change the Nation is reveling in.
 

Today's Chicago Sun-Times's editorial, titled "Gov. Blagojevich must go - right now," begins:

If Gov. Blagojevich does not resign immediately, impeach him.

This is the inescapable conclusion that comes after reading Tuesday’s 76-page criminal complaint against the governor alleging a runaway crime spree of political corruption.

Even if the governor were found not guilty of every accusation against him — and given the apparent weight of the evidence against him, we’re not taking any bets — the criminal charges would cripple his already limited ability to lead Illinois.

The newspaper's editorial conveniently overlooks that Milorad Blagojevich is a Democrat.  It also ignores that only two years ago the Chicago Sun-Times endorsed him.  Its October 20, 2006 editorial, "Blagojevich for governor," took passing note of ethical problems and decided they were of little consequence:

There's no denying the cloud of scandal over his administration. One of his chief fund-raisers, Antoin "Tony" Rezko, was indicted last week for alleged shakedowns for campaign contributions. More revelations likely will come right before the election when power broker Stuart Levine is expected to plead guilty. The governor said the charges against Rezko, if true, represent a personal betrayal by Rezko, and that he himself has never been involved in any unethical or illegal fund-raising. Our experience with Blagojevich prompts us to take him at his word. We've chosen to give him the benefit of the doubt and endorse him for a number of reasons.

So in 2006 the benefit of the doubt was extended to Blagojevich, but now, despite an accused person's presumption of innocence until proven guilty, he's got to go.  Now. Stat. Pronto.

Of course, it wasn't only the Sun-Times that backed Blagojevich just two years ago.  So did the AFL-CIO, the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police, the Illinois Federation of Teachers, and the Service Employees International Union.  Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn described Blagojevich this way weeks before the election:

"He's always been a person who's honest and one of integrity.  I have confidence the governor does the right thing all the time."

Another Rod rooter was Illinois Senator Barack Obama.  As reported by ABC 7's Andy Shaw:

"We've got a governor in Rod Blagojevich who has delivered consistently on behalf of the people of Illinois and for that reason I am proud to stand behind him," said Senator Barack Obama.

He was proud to stand with Blagojevich then; now he wants to be about a million miles away.

This evening the Sun-Times printed an "eight-page special edition (that) will bring you the latest on the Blagojevich situation." OK, so it won't sell like all those "special" commemorative Obama editions did, but it may help keep the newspaper in business.  

And maybe the Sun-Times will even include an extra bonus:  An apology for urging voters to keep such an obvious crook in office.

Everything good that happens is because of Barack Obama.  Everything bad is attributable to George Bush or Dick Cheney or Sarah Palin or some other Republican.  In keeping with these mainstream media-manufactured verities, USA Today's Web site reports "President-elect Obama's actions perk up stock market."  The story begins:

President-elect Barack Obama hasn't even moved into the White House yet. But Wall Street is already showering him with praise for injecting confidence into the battered psyche of investors and working quickly to hatch a plan meant to jolt the economy out of its worst funk in decades.

A market that two weeks ago was desperate for political leadership and a clear strategy to repair the economy appears to have found it in Obama, who is fast emerging as a decisive economic commander in chief.

Stocks soared last week after Obama moved aggressively to fill the power vacuum until he's sworn in and demonstrated his commitment to dig the USA out of its economic rut.

How did USA Today determine that Wall Street is "showering" Obama with praise?  Easy.  They found two people who have good things to say about him.  Harris Private Bank's chief investment officer opines that Obama has been "a solid force behind the recent moves in the stock market."  And a hedge fund manager believes "the market is thinking that Obama will put a fix to (the economy)."

USA Today is correct that stocks soared last week.  What the outlet didn't mention was that, as reported by the New York Times, November 4 saw the biggest stock gains of any Election Day in 24 years while the next day the Dow Jones industrial average dropped 486 points.  Bloomberg.com noted: "The stock market posted its biggest plunge following a presidential election . . ."

The Dow was at about 9,600 the day Obama was elected.  As of this writing, it's under 8,500.

That's some real perking up.  It's great to see all that hope and change kicking in so quickly.  In the meantime, the MSM will keep up its mantra that anything good that happens is strictly the result of actions taken by The One.      

If it's Sunday, it must be worship time at the Temple of Obama, at least at the Chicago Tribune.  Today the top of the front page has a picture of Barack and Michelle embracing.  The headline is:  "White House romances: Obamas' affection is notable among presidential pairs."  Page 4 carries the story, also shown on the Trib's Web site with the headline "Scenes from Obamas' love story."  We learn:

Over the last two years the future first couple has made a practice of sharing such small, intimate moments on the grandest of stages, whether trading fist bumps, whispering "I love you" or stealing quick kisses on the campaign trail.

The Obamas' unabashed affection for each other suggests they could become the one of the most engaging sets of lovebirds in White House history. Though the home has known many deeply committed couples (as well as some infamously uncommitted), few were as young, attractive or willing to put their passion on public display.

Page 3 of the newspaper details the availability of Obama Christmas tree ornaments, along with where they can be purchased:

There are ornaments for sale on Web sites such as etsy.com and cafepress.com. Some feature Obama's face with notes such as "thanks Santa." Others simply show the blue and red symbol for change that was used in Obama's campaign materials. One ornament shows Barack and Michelle Obama wearing red and white Santa hats and grinning widely. Prices range from $7 to $56.

On Harris' ornament, available for $56 at etsy.com, Obama is sketched as an angel, carrying a banner that reads "Adeste Fideles," which is translated as "O come, all ye faithful." He has a robe over his stiff-collar shirt, and his tie is flying in the wind.

The account notes the designer of Obama as angel ornaments has only sold 29 so far.  That's to be expected.  After all, being an angel is a demotion for The One.  Still, "he's outselling Sarah Palin 7-1," so there's still plenty of - you guessed it - hope, especially with the nice plug in a major newspaper on a Sunday.

Since readers need more Obama news, page 11 has the heartwarming Washington Post piece titled "Suddenly, their name is the one to have: Obama."  It's about people who share that distinguished name and now are reaping the benefits.  It begins:

Nicanor Obama began to realize he might be on to a good thing when he didn't get a speeding ticket not long ago. After stopping the 28-year-old for a little downtown Washington lead-footing, a District of Columbia police officer looked at his driver's license and put the citation book away.

"He said, 'Well, I'm going to let you go because you have the Obama name,'" is how the Arlington, Va., resident recalled the encounter.

The same page has the Associated Press article "American? Yes. But no regular Joe."  It's about how uncommon names will achieve greater acceptability because of Barack Obama:

The more people hear it, the more mainstream a name becomes, said Don Nilsen, a professor of English linguistics at Arizona State University and co-president of the American Name Society.

"Who is more American than the president of the United States?" he said. "There's no question it will have a ripple effect, because of the power of the position."

Who is more American than the president of the United States?  C'mon, doc, you're killing us with those straight lines.

Readers of the Trib's Web site get even more Obama information.  They're treated to this "Breaking News" from 1:45 AM this morning:

Pool reports on Barack Obama's day:

11:02: p.m. After a three-hour dinner at Frontera Grill, the Obamas left the restaurant with Marty Nesbitt and Nesbitt's wife, Anita Blanchard. The motorcade dropped off Nesbitt and Blanchard at their home and then the Obamas.

8 p.m. The president-elect and Michelle Obama arrive at the River North restaurant after picking up friend Marty Nesbitt and his wife, Anita Blanchard at their house.

11:07 a.m. Obama returns home after morning workout.

9:27 a.m. Leaves house for morning workout.

Distressingly, the paper doesn't report exactly what the Obamas ate during that three-hour dinner.  Or perhaps that vital information will be part of "Breaking News" later today.  More crucially, Tribune readers deserve to know if the young, attractive and willing to put their passion on public display couple engaged in any heavy fist bumping or other acts of affection. 

More Obama, that's what we need.  And the Chicago Tribune keeps delivering.  

Both of Chicago's major dailies have sold out editions containing special "commemorative" sections devoted to Barack Obama.  Judging by today's Chicago Tribune, perhaps the strategy is to push out an Obama commemorative issue every day.

The top half of the front page includes a huge color photo of a smiling Obama in a Chicago deli yesterday, a color picture of Obama with one of his daughters, and a color shot of a Chicago crowd watching Obama's motorcade speed by.  "At home: A brief taste of normalcy" is the accompanying story and it notes:

On Friday, he made time to leave the office briefly to pick up a corned beef sandwich and cherry pie from Manny's Coffee Shop & Deli, a favorite spot for Chicago politicians.

"I'm just glad to be out," Obama said amid applause and shouts of congratulations from surprised diners.

Yet the roughly 15-minute stop seemed more designed to provide a media photo opportunity—the first in nearly a week—than to let the president-elect step out for some fresh air.

Obama has made clear that he wants quality time with family before he is sworn in Jan. 20 as the 44th president.

As he settled into his new homebody life, aides had suggested a block of time for political calls during evening hours when his two daughters are still awake. That didn't fly.

"He said, 'Can we back that up, guys?' " an aide said. "He wanted to read to them and tuck them in, so we do the calls a little bit later."

Obama is a man of discipline and routine, and he has had exactly that in recent days, even finding time Wednesday evening to watch his daughter in a performance at a Michigan Avenue theater.

After his morning workout, Obama typically heads into his transition office in the Loop between 9 and 10 a.m. Most days, he's home by about 6 p.m. The trade-off, of course, is that he has lost some of the few freedoms he had before the election.

Talk about multitasking.  He makes deli appearances, he tucks his children into bed, he work outs, he transitions.  Is there nothing this "man of discipline and routine" doesn't do?

You wouldn't know it by reading the Tribune.  The front page also includes the headline "Market soars on Treasury choice: Obama selects New York Fed chief, solidifies his economic team." We learn that Obama's shrewd move "sent the Dow Jones industrial rocketing up."  Gee, that's funny.  Ever since Obama won, the markets have generally been dropping faster than Bill Clinton's shorts, but Obama wasn't blamed for it.  Now the markets bounce back a little and he's The One responsible.

Additionally, the Trib's page one has a color shot of Hillary Clinton with the headline "Senator 'on track' to be secretary of state."  And if that isn't enough Barack for you, the front page plugs a sports section story: "Obama makes splash with Olympic video."  The first section of the paper has, on page 15, a picture of admirers waiting for the Obamamobile as well as yet another one of Barry waving to fans in the deli.

What we're witnessing is Obamamania on steroids among the mainstream media.  Perhaps the Tribune or another enterprising news outlet will come up with a special audio commemorative for Obama, something starting with "Come Let Us Adore Him."     

The election is over, but quite clearly the Palin Derangement Syndrome suffered by many in the mainstream media isn't.  This morning's CNN Reliable Sources was typical.  Joining host Howard Kurtz to discuss Sarah Palin were Beth Fouhy, an Associated Press political reporter, Baltimore Sun TV critic David Zurawik, and Julie Mason, the Washington Examiner's White House correspondent.  Mason opined: "I don't think she helped herself at all this past week. I think she actually probably made it worse."  To Zurawik, the Alaska governor's recent interview with NBC's Matt Lauer "shows you how in a way, deviously clever Palin is in trying to repair her image."  Then it was the AP reporter's time to take a few shots:

FOUHY: Well, I think what we learned is that she is extremely ambitious. I guess we already knew that, but she's as ambitious as ever despite the brutal campaign that she herself described that she went through. But she's also pretty unprepared.

I was really surprised by the interviews that she did, because she didn't really come with an agenda other than to just put herself out there and say, hey, I'm still around and I like talking to you guys. She didn't clearly articulate what she plans to do next, she didn't focus on issues that she wants to stress as governor. And she also was given a pass on a bunch of things which I thought was very surprising about why she didn't appeal to women more.

I mean, the fact is polling showed that she was a real drag on the ticket. And she was never really confronted with that issue. Like, how could she really rehabilitate herself to go forward as a national figure given how badly overall she did as a candidate?

There are polls and then there are polls.  Fouhy could have mentioned the exit poll cited by the Pew Research Center: "Yet those who cited Palin's selection as a factor in their vote -- 60% of all voters -- favored McCain by 56% to 43%."  Or she could have noted the Rasmussen poll taken after the election that found: "Sixty-nine percent (69%) of Republican voters say Alaska Governor Sarah Palin helped John McCain’s bid for the presidency. . ."

Even the Washington Post's Chris Cillizza wrote today of how Sarah Palin helped the GOP ticket:

For skittish conservatives looking for more evidence that McCain understood their needs and concerns, Palin did the trick. It's hard to imagine conservatives rallying to McCain -- even to the relatively limited extent that they did -- without Palin on the ticket. And without the base, McCain's loss could have been far worse.

On CNN, Reliable Sources aren't so reliable.  Democratic partisans masquerading as objective reporters aren't satisfied merely to have helped put Obama in the White House.  They now need to damage Sarah Palin's political future.

Mainstream media Obamamania continues building.  Today's Chicago Tribune includes yet another "souvenir section" titled "Obama: A Life in Photos."  Moreover, there are articles in the newspaper's first section on the current owner of a 2000 Dodge Neon once owned by Obama, a doodle crafted by the senator that last year sold for $2,075, and how Illinois "bureaucrats are trying to figure out whether they should preserve for posterity the chair that cushioned his posterior."   Page 19 carries "They met Obama when. . . "  Also on the paper's Web site, the article begins:

After the man with the big ears and the funny name became president-elect of the United States, Chicagoans were happy to tell their stories, boasting to anyone who'd listen about that time they met Barack Obama.

Some recalled Obama's confidence; others were struck by his movie-star smile.

The people quoted in the piece include two of Obama's brothers-in-laws and Illinois Senate president Emil Jones, Jr., the former Chicago sewer inspector often described as Obama's political godfather.  Talk about fair and balanced.

A minister who met Obama as a young community organizer says he "was very much impressed."  The University of Chicago law professor who recruited Obama to teach found him "very, very forthright."

In case those encomia are inadequate, White Sox general manager Kenny Williams recalls being "very impressed by Obama's political passion."  A community activist remembers meeting him in 1985: "By the time he left the interview, we knew he was the one."

The One?  Was she among the first to recognize His Messiahship's powers and abilities that are far beyond those of mortal men?  These qualities extend even to the mundane.  A Chicago chef who observes, "When he smiles, you just melt," was able to regain his composure long enough to note "the Obamas really knew something about food.  They had ordered well."

How many of us have left a restaurant bitterly upset with ourselves because we hadn't ordered well?  I know I have.

Can the Tribune maintain its frenzied elation for the next two months?  What does it plan?  A "souvenir section" every day?  More coverage of other Obama in-laws?  In depth interviews with folks who've taken Obama's orders at McDonalds?

Surveys have shown that media types tend to be less religious than most Americans.  Since The One arrived to deliver us from ourselves, however, much of the mainstream media appears to be in perpetual adoration mode.

Perhaps some in the mainstream media are starting to acquire a few of the Superman qualities enjoyed by The One.  Yesterday on the 3:00 PM edition of CNN Newsroom, anchor Rick Sanchez demonstrated his impressive mind-reading abilities.  He had shown a clip of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin speaking.  Discussing her presentation with a panel of guests, he - as anchors are wont to do - moved the conversation into a direction he preferred:

SANCHEZ: Well, let's talk about this, too, because I think this is important. You know, a lot of people are watching at home and they listen to her speak and they're thinking, why don't I understand what she's saying? Is there a syntax problem here?

In fact, we've got one now. This is MySpace, right? Yes. This is a MySpace comment that just came in moments ago. Have you got that, Robert?

"Oh, my God. She did not talk about Joe -- not the plumber. I get confused trying to listen and understand what she's talking about." She says, "I feel dumber and dumber by the second."

You know, I mean it's not to pick on her, but there are people who get that perception from her. Adam, do you think she's held her own in terms of knowing what she's talking about in the public forum?

How in the world does he know that "a lot of people are watching at home and they listen to her speak and they're thinking, why don't I understand what she's saying?"  Or did he base that on the weight of one, count 'em one, MySpace comment?  

I'm going to use my own mind-reading skills and conjecture that it's Sanchez who doesn't understand Sarah Palin.  More precisely, it's her obvious popularity with much of the American public that he can't fathom.  Not that he's picking on her or anything.

Forewarned is forearmed, so I hope that the CNN anchor's regular viewers will protect themselves with aluminum foil hats so he can't read their minds.  On second thought, perhaps they already exercise that precaution.  

On Thursday, CNN aired "Escape from Jonestown," presented by CNN special investigations unit corespondent Soledad O'Brien.  This week marks thirty years since the horrific deaths of more than 900 people, roughly a third of them children, at Jonestown.  The massacre was orchestrated by "Reverend" Jim Jones.  What CNN barely referenced was Jones's connection to several leading Democratic politicians of the time.  O'Brien did identify Jones as a believer in socialism and, with a survivor, passingly alluded to his influence in the Democratic Party:

O'BRIEN: In 1975, Jones moved his church headquarters from Redwood Valley down to San Francis, to a larger stage, where he became a political force and a face in photo-ops.

GOSNEY: Roslyn (sic) Carter was campaigning for Jimmy Carter. I believe that was 1976. And there was going to be a rally downtown. Literally, we stuffed the building. We were -- we were the rally.

Jones was much more than a face in a photo-op.  Democratic San Francisco Mayor George Moscone appointed him to the city's housing authority. Willie Brown, who later served as Democratic Speaker of the California Assembly, in 1976 introduced Jones as a combination Martin Luther King, Angela Davis, Albert Einstein and Chairman Mao.

That same year Senator Walter Mondale, later elected vice president, invited Jones to meet with him on his campaign plane. The People's Temple chief also had a personal meeting with Jimmy Carter's wife, Rosalynn.

Jones referenced that in 1977 when he wrote to the First Lady and recommended the U.S. government give Cuba medical supplies. He mentioned his "deep appreciation for the privilege of dining privately with you prior to the election." She replied by saying she'd enjoyed the experience and hoped the U.S. would adopt his suggestion on Cuba.

When Jones moved his operation to Guyana, he brought with him written accolades from several liberal Democrats.

Wrote Walter Mondale: "Knowing of your congregation's deep involvement in the major social and constitutional issues of our country is a great inspiration to me."

Alaska Senator Mike Gravel thought the People's Temple "was almost too good to be true." California Congressman Don Edwards expressed the wish that "there were more like the people of the People's Temple Christian Church."

Joseph Califano, an official in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations and secretary of health, education and welfare for Jimmy Carter wrote Jones: "Knowing your commitment and compassion, your interest in protecting individual liberty and freedom have made an outstanding contribution to furthering the cause of human dignity."

Former Vice President Hubert Humphrey said that Jones' work "is testimony to the positive and truly Christian approach to dealing with the myriad problems confronting our society today."

No, Jim Jones was more than just a face in a photo-op.  He benefited from the attention and praise of several notable Democratic politicians of the era.  In a two-hour program, that relevant part of history should have been reported.