WORLDWIDE ELECTIONS

1.  The UK hung Parliament remains so, but Gordon Brown's announced resignation where he said he would step down by September (2010) now opens the door to a Labour / Liberal Democrat coalition.  But could this also improve Nick Clegg's (LD, left) bargaining position in his negotiations with the election winner David Cameron (Conservatives, right)?  Stay tuned.

2.  My prediction for the hotly contested 1st Congressional District special election is that it will be won by Republican Charles Djou.  Polls show him leading Democrats Ed Case and Colleen Hanabusa.  There are 11 others in the race, all males, providing an advantage, actually, for Hanabusa.  The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee pulling all funds out of Hawaii insures for Djou's victory.  He will enjoy about a seven month stay in DC.  This photo was taken at Magic Island, where I had a Zippy's chile/frank bento lunch today.    Democrats now really need to get their act together, for if Case's and Hanabusa's supporters get royally pissed at each other in the primary, Djou will again prevail at the more important November General Election.

3.  In the Philippines today, Benigno "NoyNoy" Aquino will decisively beat former president Joseph Estrada to replace President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.  The "surprise" was that only ten have thus far been killed at the polls.  Violence is always part of the process in this country.  Fifty seven, for example, died just in one province last November.  Noynoy's assassinated father was the opposition leader to President Ferdinand Marcos.  His mother, Corazon, reluctantly became a cult figure, and in 1986 ended up as president when Marcos escaped to Hawaii.  She passed away last year.  The most popular race, however, will result in boxing champ Manny Pacquiao winning in a landslide for one of the congressional seats.  He lost the last time he ran.

The Dow Jones Industrials skyrocketed 405 (almost up 4%) to 10,785, with world markets all increasing.  The French CAC 40 jumped 10%.  All this because a trillion dollar fund will be created by the European Union to rescue the PIIGS, especially Greece.  Gold fell $5/toz to $1203 and petroleum went up to $77/barrel.

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