According to the LA Times, 40 states won't matter much in the November election. Obama v. Romney will be decided by voters in 10 battleground states. Here's the map. Colorado is among them.

Yesterday, Mitt Romney officially won the Republican nomination. Election season has begun.

I think President Obama will win. I know that Big Tent Democrat and I intend to do our part by urging people to vote for him here on our tiny corner of the Internet. Why? The most important reason I can think of is to avoid saddling our children with decades of bad rulings by the conservative federal court judges and Supreme Court Justices that Romney would appoint to lifetime judgeships. That just about trumps every other issue for me. (I'll let Big Tent Democrat speak for himself as to his reasons.) [More...]

Mitt Romney supporter Donald Trump (The Donald is hosting a fundraiser for Romney tonight) still a birther (via Daily Kos):

Thank you Mitt Romney for giving me an excuse to ridicule Trump one more time.

Speaking for me only

In his column today, David Brooks invokes Alexander Hamilton in a completely dishonest way. Brooks writes:

[T]he federal role has historically been sharply limited. The man who initiated that role, Alexander Hamilton, was a nationalist. His primary goal was to enhance national power and eminence, not to make individuals rich or equal.

[... T]his nationalism meant that policy emphasized dynamism, and opportunity more than security, equality and comfort. While European governments in the 19th and early 20th centuries focused on protecting producers and workers, the U.S. government focused more on innovation and education.

[...]

I've generally stayed away from speculative discussions of timelines and possible routes of George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin the night Travyon Martin was shot, except in relation to the released discovery materials and other material released by the State or City of Sanford.

But we've covered the law and discovery this weekend, and commenters here want to discuss their theories. So here is a thread to do that.

I have put what I think the relevant times are below, as well my latest map showing the possible routes, followed by what I think are the likely possibilities. I don't think we have enough evidence to arrive at a final conclusion, so I don't make one. [More...]

From Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address:

"With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan—to do all which may achieve and cherish a just, and a lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations."

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

I've obviously been glued to the Zimmerman discovery rather than following other news, and it's now time to break away from the computer and enjoy the beautiful Colorado weather.

Here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

More discovery in the George Zimmerman-Trayvon Martin case will be disclosed to the media on May 31. On June 1, Judge Lester will hold a hearing on the state's motion to seal and prevent public release of some of the discovery. Notice of the hearing was provided to lawyers for the media (order here) who have previously intervened in the case objecting to the state's withholding of information.

The state's motion is here. George Zimmerman's lawyer, Mark O'Mara agrees with the state and is asking for at least 30 days to review the material before it is released so he can decide what objections to make.

O'Mara says he's received thousands of pages of discovery as well as recordings. The documents released to the media consist of 183 pages, some videos, photographs and audio recordings. What's in the rest of the thousands of pages? [More...]

As I've written previously, the changes in statements of W-6 (John), W-12 (wife of w-13) and W-2 (the sister without her contacts who saw, and then didn't see, two figures chasing each other) are not a big deal.

Now that I've listened to all of the witness recordings, and most of them several times, I think the most important witnesses are W-11 and W-20, W-13, and W-6. They heard or saw the most, and were in the best position to discern what was happening. None has the whole story, but each of their accounts mesh and each fills in gaps in the accounts of the others, combining to make a coherent and consistent chronology. [More]

Indonesia President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono granted Schapelle Corby clemency this week by cutting five years off her 20 year sentence. What does it mean? The latest her sentence will now end is September, 2017.

Kerobokan Prison Chief Gusti Ngurah Wiratna confirmed at a press conference yesterday Schapelle is eligible for parole starting Monday, since she has served 2/3 of her sentence. But, she's unlikely to be granted parole immediately, and there are other issues. [More...]

The District Attorney of Boulder, CO says no charges will be filed against a couple who shot a 21 year old student who walked into their home and their bedroom at 3:30 a.m. a few days ago. The lights were out and the couple had been asleep when they heard an intruder. Colorado's Make My Day law justifies shooting an intruder in the home if the homeowner "reasonably believe[s] a trespassing person intends to use any measure of physical force on any occupant of the home."

Zoey Ripple, who graduated from the University of Colorado two weeks ago, was intoxicated and ignored the couple's warning to leave, even though they said they had a gun. She was shot in the hip and is recuperating in the hospital. [More...]

Uh-oh. No, I don't think it's the flirting juror. It sounds like some jurors have discussed the case in a small group. The judge held a closed meeting with counsel for 35 minutes today and then sent the jury home with a stern warning:

"All of your deliberations should take place while you are in the jury room and together," Eagles said. "Don't discuss the case in small groups."

Is this related to the coordinated clothing? Four alternates and 2 jurors wore bright red shirts today.

The judge will start court early on Tuesday and make take up the issue again then. If an alternate gets on, the jury has to start deliberating all over. What's transpired so far doesn't count.

A new Quinnipiac poll in Florida shows a majority of Floridians still approve of the state's Stand Your Ground law and oppose gun control

Republicans lean heavily in favor of the law, with 78 percent supporting it, while 59 percent of Democrats are against it. Fifty-eight percent of independent voters support the law, while 35 percent are against it.

The poll shows there remains a gender gap on the law as 65 percent of men and 48 percent of women say they support "stand your ground." There is also a major gender gap in Florida over gun control. According to the poll, 62 percent of men are against more gun control. A majority of women surveyed -- 54 percent -- back increased gun control in the Sunshine State.

The George Zimmerman-Trayvon Martin shooting doesn't seem to have changed their opinions. [More...]