I think their making too much of the State based exchanges.

It is also as though the Supreme Court put a Trojan virus in the legislation with their decision to exempt states from the ACA Medicaid Extension.

March 27, 2015
By Sahil Kapur
...The case is about whether (click here) the Affordable Care Act permits the federally-run insurance exchange to provide subsidies to consumers. Crafted by Case Western law professor Jonathan Adler and Cato's Michael Cannon, it charges that the plain language of the statute confines the provision of premium tax credits to "an Exchange established by the State" -- and not the federal exchange, which serves residents whose states opted not to build one....

The decision is suppose to reach the public by June 2015. But, relying on the idea of a state exchange being the only option is not valid. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act enlists the federal government to create an exchange...

The Federal Exchange was written into the law. I started to review my entries here during the ACA legislative process. I read the law from the 2000 pages of words. I know the federal exchange is in there and I remember stating, "Then the federal exchange can take over." Something like that. The lawsuit at the Supreme Court is written by two attorneys who have nothing else to do but create mischief. They wanted to dismantle the law and found a place where words were convenient to manipulate. Now with Roberts leading the charge they decided they could get away with it.

There is also the idea that the federal government is 'hands off' once the state have set up their exchanges. That is not the case. The law has a lot of regulation that dictates the details of the health care insurances and not just the exchanges. There is no relinquishing of power by the federal government.  

The Republicans might have a winner with this law. Europe is already assigning fees to the loser of such a lawsuit.

What really surprises is me that judges don't already do this. They have the capacity to do exactly what they want to. I am sure plaintiffs ask for the refund of their costs. Odd.

By Dustin Volz

...Cornyn also took time to sketch (click here) an overall rosy prognosis for patent reform happening this term, insisting that Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is "anxious to give this subject floor time once it is voted out of committee."
Cornyn's comments are no doubt music to the ears of reform backers, who for years have warned that "patent trolling"—the act of filing frivolous patent-infringement lawsuits against others in the hope of reaping settlements—is a growing menace that saps billions annually from the U.S. economy. The GOP takeover has been viewed as a promising development by the anti-troll movement, and patent reform is viewed as one of a handful of areas where Democrats, Republicans, and the White House can realistically reach broad consensus.
But wonky negotiations remain ahead for lawmakers on sticky subjects such as fee-shifting, a topic that proved especially troublesome last year. Also known as "loser pays," Sen. Cornyn and many Republicans favor strong language that would in some cases force the loser of a lawsuit to pay the winner's legal fees in some patent-infringement cases that are deemed knowingly meritless....

I don't mind the law, but, it is disheartening it actually has to occur. I rather judges make the decision. We have mandatory sentencing that have proven to be a real menace. I would like to think judges would decide fairly and safeguard inventors.

I think there needs to be more than laws passed to take process away from judges. The legislation of judicial decisions should be replaced with a "Congressional Letter of Concern." I think that would be the best way to start. I trust judges. They know the law better than legislators and they know the human dynamics within any case in their courtroom.

I am sure judges don't like to punish those called "Patent Trolls" simply because they don't want to inhibit invention, even if a bit unfair. Additionally, patent lawyers should know better when they are protecting their clients. 

I am curious if many of these lawsuits are about patents submitted by the inventor without the help of an attorney. In other words, the folks providing patent services without expertise so much as 'the kit' that is a do it yourself; is it compromising the inventors more than other methods of filing? If that is the case, the 'do it yourselfers' need an insert to protect their interests. I also wonder if the companies providing the 'do it yourself' information is also carrying out the antics of patent trolls? Probably not.

I hope there was some committee findings from judges before this is passed. Just because Europe is doing it doesn't mean it is a good fit for our judicial system.

Did I say China hacked the F-35? It did.

Meet the China J-31 Strike Fighter. It has stealth. According to speculation it will replace the USA F-35 on the military market. China's model sells for far less than the F-35. Why doesn't the USA just buy the Chinese jet?

November 13, 2014
By Jeffery Lin and P. W. Singer

...Made by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (click here) (SAC), it is highly likely that the J-31 will be China's version of the Joint Strike Fighter; its development is expected to spiral into both PLAAF and PLANAF variants. However, the J-31’s primary mission at Zhuhai has been to hunt for export customers. Beyond Chinese sales, likely customers for the J-31 include nations that have operated earlier generation Chinese export fighters like the F-7 and JF-17 (such as Pakistan and Egypt), as well as those looking for less expensive or non-U.S. alternatives....

So, let's get this right. Edward Snowden exposed the fact the USA military knew the USA F-35 was hacked by China. Mr. Snowden didn't provide information to China, he simply provided the documents the USA knew China stole documents regarding aircraft construction.

What year did the Chinese hack the F-35? 2007, when "W" was in office. 

Der Spiegel published (click here) a new tranche of documents provided to the German weekly magazine by the former U.S. National Security Agency contractor, Edward Snowden. The documents are the first public confirmation that Chinese hackers have been able to extrapolate top secret data on the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter jet. According to sources, the data breach already took place in 2007 at the prime subcontractor Lockheed Martin
The fifth generation F-35 Lightning II is the most advanced fighter jet currently in production in the world. Experts have long argued that the design of China’s newest stealth fighter, the J-31, as well as the Chengdu J-20 fighter jet, are in parts influenced by the F-35....

I think the USA needs to go back to the drawing board and come up with jets that aren't dependent on computers. The USA needs quality military without all the wiz-bang components that cost billions more than they should.

Now about the military budget. Robots are better thinkers than human beings for the US Navy and the Marines.

January 29, 2015

WASHINGTON — President Obama (click here) will propose breaching statutory spending caps in the fiscal year that begins in October, putting out a budget Monday that raises spending at Congress’s discretion by $74 billion — or 7 percent, the White House announced Thursday.

With the era of falling budget deficits coming to an end, Mr. Obama and Congress are hurtling toward a major fiscal clash over spending as the White House and Democrats press for an easing of fiscal spending austerity just as Republicans redouble efforts to balance the budget.

The president’s budget would raise military spending next year by $37 billion over caps set in the 2011 Budget Control Act, a measure reached after hard-fought negotiations with the new Republican-led House. Domestic spending would rise $38 billion over the cap for fiscal 2016....

So, I take it military spending is going up, right? Maybe not.

January 29, 2015 

The U.S. Navy announced (click here) Tuesday that it wants to use robots to make sure Marine forces are prepared for missions.
The Office of Naval Research (ONR) has started an experiment at the University of Central Florida that will continue for several weeks and have of a human surrogate greet and interact with people entering the lobby of the school's Institute for Simulation and Training, according to the International Business Times....

It is coercion.

When the Senate added an amendment to 'consult' with the Indian nations it is meant to intimidate their opposition to the pipeline.

Consulting means they do not have to have approval of the tribes to authorize the pipeline. The Senate today stated they intend to violate every treaty the USA has with the Indian nations. 

The Republicans want to manage the people of the USA and this is just an example of how power within government will break the will of any people. 

When TransCanada enters into mitigation with Indian nations it doesn't have to be nice. It will provide a platform for them to be heard and might make a minor change to appease them, but, ultimately with a Canadian company having absolute power over the land they can do what they want and don't have to cooperate at all.

What Senator Murkowski said, "...the Indian Nations will be consulted...to bring about cooperation." What she didn't say is "They will cooperate whether they like it or not." 

Starting with Democratic Senator Bradley the Indian American nations were finally given attention to their complaints and the abuse of centuries by the USA government. A law was passed with the help of Democratic Senator Bradley. Under President Obama he has listened to their requests and have accommodated them within the law. Does anyone actually expect President Obama to sign a bill as Un-American as this one?

Providing land rights to a foreign country, even Canada, destroys property rights in the USA and sets precedent for more abuse in the future.

Here goes US Petroleum again. It's market is not there to justify the expense of new LNG export facilities.

January 29, 2015
Senator John Barrasso (click here) has applauded the House’s recent passage of a bipartisan bill that will speed up the federal approval process for LNG exports. The House of Representatives passed H.R. 351, the LNG Permitting Certainty and Transparency Act, by a vote of 277 to 133. Senators Barrasso and Martin Heinrich introduced the Senate companion bill (S. 33) on the first day of session. Their bill will be the focus of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee’s first hearing on 29 January....

Domestic natural gas will not saturate the global market.

16% of natural gas consumed in Europe flows through Ukraine. (click here)

This is what happens when voters listen to people like Barrasso who pushes the idea about jobs and profits. It is nonsense. Republicans only carry a populous message, they never speak about the truth and facts.

Sure, voters want to hear the promises carrying good news to them. But, take a good look at the quality of life of Red States. It just isn't there. Promises aren't any good if they can't deliver.

This legislation is BOOM and BUST.  

These are shipping lanes. In order to make the markets work in the way they are suppose to work, the countries along these shipping lanes have to have strong domestic economy.

If each these countries have vibrant Middle Classes there is no end to product demand and profits in well run companies.

A day after the USA announced the TPP would be made public before the President signs it, New Zealand is having a hissy fit.

I think all those waiting to read the TPP needs to file an injunction if it moves in the opposite direction. So in New Zealand democracy is a good thing unless it's the USA's democracy.

January 28, 2015
New Zealand Cabinet ministers (click here) really, really want to notch up the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) they could change tack.
Talk openly about what's at stake and make a stand against the move from some quarters in the United States to insist that rules on currency manipulation ("Hey - pot, kettle, black") are included in a deal whose parameters were set months ago by agreement between the 12 negotiating parties from around the Asia Pacific region.
Not just sit back while some US congressional players indulge in a shoddy late run which is likely to scupper TPP - even if Barack Obama wins trade promotion authority to finalise talks from the American side.
The Prime Minister and Trade Minister are well-placed for some open advocacy. John Key and Tim Groser were both at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week....

It ain't just the TPP. Let's just import everything and watch the world economy melt away. The USA has a good economy. But, it is a good economy because the Middle Class is able to afford more than subsistence income. If the Pacific countries and EU believes they can simply take over the economy of the USA for their own, the entire world's economy will self-destruct. Both the Pacific countries and the EU better make sure the people of the USA are treated well and the country upholds their Middle Class, otherwise, the treaties won't be worth anything.

That is simply a fact. It isn't politics or leanings to a political philosophy. If the USA Middle Class is under assault by having their salaries disrupted by imports, there is no sense in sending anything to the USA.

...Trade Representative Mike Froman - who was plugging both the TPP and the TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership) - talked with Key (among the other leaders on his trade dance card)....

The EU (click here) is negotiating a trade and investment deal with the US - the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership - or TTIP.

• opening up the US to EU firms
• helping cut red tape that firms face when exporting
• setting new rules to make it easier and fairer to export, import and invest overseas.

A full one third of the American people don't even know the facts regarding Keystone XL.

January 20, 2015

...An NBC News/Wall Street Journal (click here) survey released Tuesday shows that 41 percent favor construction of the pipeline to bring crude oil from Canadian oil sands to Gulf Coast refineries, while 20 percent oppose it and 37 percent did not know enough to weigh in.

The nine that voted "Yes."

1. Michael Bennet, Colo.
2. Tom Carper, Del.
3. Bob Casey, Pa.
4. Joe Donnelly, Ind.
5. Heidi Heitkamp, N.D.
6. Joe Manchin, W. Va.
7. Claire McCaskill, Mo.
8. Jon Tester, Mont.
9. Mark Warner, Va.

The US Senate is playing with the Executive Order regarding Indian Tribes. The federal government is ONLY required under this amendment to CONSULT with the Indian Tribes in regard to the Keystone XL Pipeline, not have permission to provide a right of way to the pipeline.

The amendment is unnecessary and is covered in treaties with the USA. 

Senator Cardin states the Barrasso amendment will provide compromise that is much needed in a well researched approach to the KXL. Evidently, Carden had an amendment and he with it since Barrasso's amendment was carried into the bill.

I repeat this is a function of the US State Department and Executive Branch. Any and all modifications with Indian Tribes belongs with the US State Department. Indian Tribes are independent nations of people with treaties and cannot be altered without the express permission of the tribes themselves. 

It looks like the next vote is for the bill itself; so they slid this one in right before they closed amendments and passed it merely with a voice vote.

It appears as though not all the amendments were voted on, this one is submitted by Senator Markey which is to wait until the Executive Branch finishes it's work on the border issue. Why is it that when it comes to blaming the President for southern border problems he gets all the credit, but, when it comes to managing the northern border he gets none? Interesting. An invasion by the foreign petroleum industry is a good idea, but, the undocumented are criminals.

No surprise here the amendment wasn't passed. 

The next Markey Amendment is to require the Canadians have to pay into the Oil Spill Liability Fund. Of course, Murkowski stated there is no need for this amendment because there is a 'sense of the Senate' already passed. Sorry, folks, but a 'sense of the Senate' holds no enforcement brevity. 

This is typical Republican nonsense. They always try to pass words through on bills that are meaningless and carry no enforcement brevity. Typical. 

Think about the bizarre attitude Republicans have when they LEAVE loopholes in country's laws. Republicans in the House are scouring the food stamp program and any other program that doesn't result in profits for someone, but, when in the Senate the foreign oil concerns were going to open the door just a crack to remove any obligation for the Oil Spill Liability Fund. So, if this 'sense of the Senate' were to become the overriding law of the land, that means BP could come back in and ask for a refund from the liability fund. Now, granted it would require a court fight, but, every company that ever paid into the Oil Spill Liability Fund would be looking to get out of their obligation and quite possibly asking for a refund for years past.

Americans have to be careful with a majority legislature of Republicans. They rob American blind and look to be re-elected. Just think about the potential for them to do harm for two years. 

They have already hacked away at bank regulations and are expecting to do more.

There ya go. The Markey Amendment was defeated. Sorry Americans, you lose.

The Senate Keystone XL Bill failed to pass. There were 57 and then a few stragglers came along and passed it. It is going to the President for signature.

Denmark should work toward joining the EU's currency.

January 30, 2015 

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) " Denmark's central bank has decided to cut its interest rate on certificates of deposit by 0.15 percentage points to -0.5 percent to keep the krone currency stable against the euro.
Danmarks Nationalbank says Thursday that the rate reduction will take effect Friday and follows interventions it made in the currency market to keep the krone from rising too much against the euro.
Other key interest rates " the lending, discount and current account rates " were left unchanged.
Denmark is a member of the European Union, but does not use the euro. The central bank typically follows ECB changes as part of a policy of trying to keep the krone stable against the euro. The ECB unveiled a big stimulus plan this month that has weighed on the euro.

Get out there and purchase a home.

January 30, 2015
WASHINGTON (AP) " Average long-term U.S. mortgage rates (click here) rose slightly this week after four straight weeks of declines, while remaining near historically low levels.
Mortgage company Freddie Mac said Thursday the nationwide average for a 30-year mortgage edged up to 3.66 percent from 3.63 percent last week. The new average rate is still at its lowest level since May 2013.
The rate for the 15-year loan, a popular choice for people who are refinancing, increased to 2.98 percent from 2.93 percent last week.
A year ago, the average 30-year mortgage stood at 4.32 percent and the 15-year mortgage at 3.40 percent. Mortgage rates have remained low even though the Federal Reserve in October ended its monthly bond purchases, which were meant to hold down long-term rates.
The Fed sent a message Wednesday, after its latest policy meeting, that it will be "patient" in raising interest rates from record lows despite the steadily brightening outlook for the economy. The central bank indicated that no rate hike is likely soon because inflation remains well below its target rate....

I worry a little bit more if the summer sales fall off. The children are out of school in most areas of the USA and it is easier to move then rather than move them during a school year.

January 30, 2015
 
WASHINGTON (AP) Fewer Americans (click here) signed contracts to buy homes in December, a sign that low mortgage rates have yet to coax more buyers into the market.
The National Association of Realtors said Thursday that its seasonally adjusted pending home sales index fell 3.7 percent last month to 100.7. The index ended the year below its 2013 average. But the Realtors project sales of existing homes will rebound in 2015 to 5.26 million, a 6.6 percent increase from last year.
Pending sales are a barometer of future purchases. A one- to two-month lag usually exists between a contract and a completed sale....

There are ways forward for Detroit residents not appreciated.

January 30, 2015

DETROIT (AP) Chris Mathews' (click here) crew showed up to demolish a vacant home as part of Detroit's grand plan to bulldoze its way to prosperity when a call from his office stopped them in their tracks: Someone was living there.
A middle-aged woman who watched the crew tear away the home's warped wooden steps the day before had called their company, Adamo Demolition, to point out she was living on the second floor, despite no power, heat or gas and a flooded basement.
"It was like a swimming pool. We would never have thought anybody was upstairs," said Mathews, noting that the incident cost his crew time because the demolition wasn't called off until after they had shown up with their equipment.
As Detroit carries out its plan to tear down tens of thousands of homes to combat blight and tailor the city to fit its population, which has dwindled to about a third the size of its 1950s peak, it will have to deal with an unknown number of squatters. About 10 percent of the houses Adamo goes out to demolish have squatters or evidence of squatters, according to Mathews....

There are other approaches to simply creating a larger problem in homelessness. Plutocrats simply think if they own the property all that needs be done is to evict human beings and demolish the buildings to make a profit on the new construction. "W"rong. There are people living in these buildings and have for a long time. There were residents complaining about having their water turned off. It is called abject poverty and it requires the attention of the city government and quite possibly the governor and legislature that came up with these plans.

March 18, 2015
The message implicit (click here) in the prizewinning documentaries “Detropia” and “Searching for Sugar Man,” in Detroit’s declaration of bankruptcy in 2013 — in even a casual drive along Gratiot Avenue, past mile after mile of burned-out or boarded-up houses and stores — is that Detroit is in a pitiable state....

The facts are obvious. There are people living in old buildings in Detroit that actually are a part of a new economy. Where the poor have congregated simply to find a place 'to be' can be the leaser of the new residential areas of Detroit. If Detroit is going to consolidate their residential areas, it has to make room for residents they displaced in demolishing the old structures. There may be a need for a government program to assist with rents, but, it has to be addressed and not ignored as an unfortunate reality to one person.

That is the mistake of American capitalism; it sees human beings as disposable when one can't make the rent or pay a bill. If an entire city is disregarded as important, especially the elderly, it turns into Detroit. That mistake should not be repeated. Detroit was abandoned by those that could be mobile and find better standards of living, but, the reality is there are those that simply couldn't and became those left behind.

"The True Detroiters" are the residents that have stayed. I am confident they have valuable stories and insight to the years of deterioration and blight. Those stories need to be captured and regarded as some of the most important stories about the survivors of Detroit's abandonment. 

It is cold outside in Detroit. There is absolutely no way people can be dismissed as unimportant and in the way to be turned out on the street only to succumb to capitalism's cruelty. They are people. They deserve to be part of a picture that includes them as part of the continuing residents of Detroit. They, of course, have choices if family can be found and they are loved by their family, but, if they are alone, they belong to the new renovated residences and not simply the street. Every person is an economy, without exception. The impoverished are, too. They simply need to be appreciated and found a place to fit into the picture of the new Detroit. 

West Hollywood conducted renovations to deteriorating areas differently.

January 14, 2015

...In a letter delivered to residents (click here) of the 8 bungalow units, which are on Detroit Street between Lexington Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard, WHCHC’s director of real estate development, Jesse Slansky, said: “You are not being evicted. If a project is approved by the city, everyone will be relocated temporarily, and only if you so choose, permanently.”
“You will have first preference for a unit at the new building,” Slansky said in the letter. “If you have a qualifying disability, there is a high likelihood your future rent will be lower than what it is now.
“A relocation consultant will help you, if you like, to identify a variety of options for temporary housing. We are also looking into the possibility of providing units together in one building, if that is an option you would prefer....

Alibaba has poor quality control.

The company is just a clearinghouse for merchandise that already exists. It has no quality control oversight.

January 30, 2015
...Its revenue surged 40 percent (click here) during quarter that included the holiday season but analysts were expecting more. That sent shares down 7 percent in premarket trading.
The news comes as the company, which went public in September in the U.S. in the biggest IPO ever, is facing a critical report from Chinese regulators that it is failing to do enough to prevent fake goods from being sold on its websites. Alibaba said the report is unfair and it is preparing a formal complaint.
In the October to December quarter, net income fell 28 percent to 5.84 billion yuan ($957 million), or 37 cents per share, from 8.27 billion yuan a year ago. Excluding one-time stock option and other costs, earnings totaled 81 cents per share. That beat analyst expectations of 75 cents per share, according to a survey by FactSet....

Young people in Nigeria are terrified.

Youths angry at failure to fight Islamic uprising stone Nigerian president's convoy in Yola

YOLA, Nigeria (AP) " Youths angry at failure to fight Islamic uprising stone Nigerian president's convoy in Yola.

There are other problems in Nigeria that can be one of the reasons the rebels exist. 

January 28, 2015
By Chris Arsenault
Rome — Thousands of small farmers (click here) in northeastern Nigeria are facing eviction from their ancestral lands without consultation or compensation to make way for a U.S.-owned rice plantation, according to a report released on Wednesday.
A new 30,000 hectare rice plantation, owned by Oklahoma-based Dominion Farms, will displace up to 40,000 people in Taraba state, said Mariann Bassey Orovwuje, a spokeswoman for the NGO Friends of the Earth Nigeria, one of the environmental and activist groups behind the report.
"The people living on this land didn't even know the deal was happening," Orovwuje told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
"Compensation is not coming; the people were never asked and never told. Eventually, they will all be forced off the land."
Calls to Dominion Farms' headquarters went unanswered....

The for profit farm of Oklahoma-based Dominion Farms is not the same as the programs to rehabilitate land use in Africa.

The agricultural program was begun because there were many problems with the way land was utilized by Africans. The land is often inherited by the sons of a land owner. It is divided into smaller land plots for each son. As the generations pass and more divisions occur, the land becomes meaningless in providing for it's owners. African agriculture had to take on a new definition for it to be productive again, however, 'for profit' by exporting countries is not the answer or in the plan. How the heck did an Oklahoma company acquire land for profit in Nigeria?

January 29, 2015
By Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, President of Mauritania and AU Chair
 On the 10th Anniversary (click here) of the adoption of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), African Union declared the year 2014 to be the Year of Agriculture and Food Security in Africa. There is much to celebrate; agricultural production in Africa has increased steadily over the last 30 years: its value has almost tripled showing an increase that clearly exceeds the growth rate for global agricultural production over the same period, almost identical to that of South America and below but comparable to growth in Asia based on NEPAD statistics.

The Jewish diaspora is more welcome than ever in Europe.

LISBON, Portugal (AP) Portugal (click here) is following Spain and granting citizenship rights to the descendants of Jews it persecuted 500 years ago.
The government approved Thursday a change to its nationality law that provides dual citizenship rights for Sephardic Jews " the term commonly used for those who once lived in the Iberian peninsula. Spain adopted a similar law last year
Applicants will be vetted by Portuguese Jewish community institutions, as well as by government agencies....

January 30, 2015

WASHINGTON (AP) The number of people (click here) seeking unemployment aid plunged last week to the lowest level in almost 15 years, a sign hiring will likely remain healthy.
Weekly applications dropped 43,000 to a seasonally adjusted 265,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. That is the lowest level since April 2000. It is also the biggest decline in two years. The four-week average, a less volatile measure, fell 8,250 to 298,500.
The latest drop may have been exaggerated by the federal holiday, which likely slowed the processing of some claims.
Still, applications are a proxy for layoffs, so the sharp decline means companies are cutting fewer jobs. The four-week average has fallen 11 percent in the past year. At the same time, hiring has picked up. Employers added almost 3 million jobs last year, the most since 1999. Strong economic growth has encouraged companies to add more workers....

Graphics: Tracking U.S. Monthly Unemployment (click here)

Let's see if others can follow the trend of how the Middle Class provides the basis of a strong economy. Once the trend begins by added funds in government spending it then takes on exponential growth characteristics in people returning to work as there is a higher and higher demand on services. 

This will happen in China and India and any other third world country that creates a path for the Middle Class. And the best part is when benevolent leaders begin their support of a strong Middle Class economy, they will be loved by their people.

Mitt Romney's Superbowl Ad

Bless that woman.

Could it be Democrats can actually go on vacation? 

The political season has gotten to be ridiculous. All Congress does is raise money for their next election and pander to cronies in their issues and votes in Congress to prove what they are made of. I hope Mrs. Clinton will return function to the American political system.

January 5. 2015
By Annie Karni
The first time (click here) she ran for President, Hillary Clinton declared herself a candidate in January 2007 — almost two years before Election Day — with a confident, in-your-face slogan: "I'm in, and in to win."
Eight years later, the presumptive Democratic frontrunner is clearly in no rush to announce this time that she is "in."
Even Chelsea Clinton told People magazine last week that when it comes to her mom's political plans, she's "waiting too."
In fact, the longer Clinton keeps people guessing, the better, supporters and opponents agree.
"It makes no sense to announce what she's doing now," said one longtime Clinton confidante. "There's no advantage for her to become the lightning rod of the Democratic party. I would not pick a date: I would try and stay out as long as I possibly could. "...