Stoopid is.

Unless I missed something different, what Michelle Obama said she would have to “think about” is actually *campaigning* for Hillary. And why should anyone expect her to do that. The woman has a life and two young children. She is *not*, no matter what Hillary might suggest, essentially equivalent to Bill Clinton as a political spouse.

There’s stupid, and then there’s “I don’t give a crap who or what it hurts, I’ll do anything to win.” It’s disgusting.

Nope, the question involved “support.” It wasn’t “campaign.”

The answer to that question is “absolutely. We need a Democratic president.”

Barack Obama saying that his top choices for cabinet posts will be Republicans indicates that he hold the judgement of Republicans in higher regard than Democrats. He seems to be buying into the spin that only erpublicans can handle national security.

I’m sure Mr. Hagel and Mr. Lugar would make fine cabinet ministers for a REPUBLICAN administration, but it is a slap in the face of many fine Democrats to state that you hold more faith in Republican values and judgement than any of the democrats who have been supporting him.

Gotta link?

But, but, but – there’s that OTHER brand to protect, Blue Texan – the Clinton brand, which is remarkably similar to the McCain brand…

now that’s bad judgement, that hillary would even consider giving mccain the brand he claims is rediculous

I refuse to follow another half-ass Democratic campaign. If that’s the kind of crap we have to look forward to from a Clinton ‘08 general election campaign, I think I’d be tempted to stay home on Election Day.

New York has fusion, where you have minor parties supporting (or refusing to support) major candidates on their own ballot lines. Can you imagine what might happen if the Working Families Party decided to support Ralph Nader? Hillary might still carry New York, but it would be a major embarrassment where she really needs to work hard to win.

Speaking of stupid, CNN is running another of their insane online polls on their front page. It asks “Who would you prefer to have answer a White House crisis phone call at 3 am?”

The votes now are McCain 27,986, Obama 27,779 and Clinton 20,326. Her ad did no good for her.

Do you, or does anyone, have a link for that? I’m only asking because, as I suggested above, the only story I read about something like that specifically addressed “working” to support Hillary in some way.

Good moring Blue Texan. Sure wish the Democrats would understand that we have to defeat McCain. This ain’t the Senate we’re talking about. He’s not “my good friend…”

ET, heard about your latest take on the Alaskan scandals, hope things turn out ok.

Yeah, it was a clumsily worded question. “Would you consider working to support…”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…..84900.html

The answer is still yes, absolutely, we need a Democratic president. Period.
End of story.

I’ve ended up defending HRC a lot, even though I didn’t vote for her, because I thought she was being treated unfairly. But you’re right. The quote above is stupid and self defeating. After that statement, she should be asked if she accept the VP spot on the McCain ticket.

The kindest interpretation is that Hillary Clinton has lost her perspective. A more cynical possibility is that she would prefer a McCain win over an Obama win, so she can run again in four years. If this isn’t true (and I don’t think it is) she’d better stop acting like it is true.

How does this make you feel?

‘Did I say Osama? I meant Obama!’ says Clintonite

by James Oliphant

A lawyer in a predominantly Democratic suburb of Cleveland relates this tale to The Swamp on the day before the all-important Ohio primary:

So last night around dinner time, the phone rings. It’s the Hillary campaign–official number, per the caller ID. The woman on the other end asks me if Hillary can count on my support Tuesday. I say I have not decided.

She asks what would help me decide. I say, “Well . . . maybe she can make Bill her vice president.” She does not know how to take me, of course, but has to assume I am serious. “I don’t think she can do that.” “Bill will have a significant role in major decisions, though, won’t he?” I ask. “Oh, certainly he will be very involved. Do you like Bill?” “Very much.” I reply.

She then launches into a two-minute spiel on all the very specific initiatives and proposals Hillary has put forth on health care, the war in Iraq, etc., etc. At the end of her spiel, she says, “And we haven’t heard anything that specific from Osama bin Laden.”

I say, “You did not just say that.” She replies, “I’m sorry . . . just a slip of the tongue.” She then thanks me for my time and encourages me to vote for Hillary on Tuesday.

The lawyer says he was “stunned” and tells The Swamp the call originated from the Clinton campaign in Columbus. Are the dirty tricks ramping up as we get down to the wire? Swamp readers in Ohio and Texas, relate your own encounters with the Clinton or Obama campaigns if you’ve had them.

It appears that, just as many here felt, they’re slowly working their way up the food chain.

This post points out why will only vote for Clinton with great reluctance, if at all. And don’t say she’s better than any Republican. From what I’m hearing, she IS the Republican.

That’s essentially what Rachel Maddow said to KO when he brought this up last nite.

Poor Tim Pawlenty. He’s the Minnesota Governor who has been starving his state of funds for nearly six years in order to prove his bona fides as a neoconservative tax hawk. The other day six Republicans bucked their party in order to override Pawlenty’s veto of a highway funding bill, following the collapse of the 35W bridge last August. Then his Lieutenant Governor, Carol Molnau, was removed by the legislature from her role as head of the MN Department of Transportation, where she served to crush morale and deny funding to projects around the state.

But here is the final blow. After years of practicing his coy “kid next store” smirk, Pawlenty’s vice-presidential ambitions are about to be trumped. Apparently looking to build a presidential “dream team,” Hillary Clinton is aiming to steal Pawlenty’s spot as the Republican Vice-Presidential candidate.

Maybe Pawlenty can start sucking up to Obama…

Hillary Clinton could put the country first by stopping her Presidential campaign and starting a campaign to replace the feckless Harry Reid. Instead, she will continue to put herself first and enable yet another Republic win in the general election.

Still, I think the best frame of mind for people who want a Democratic president, is to try to ignore what the other side says in the primary and consider the loser as the prodigal son or daughter after it’s over. Anything else leads to argument, name calling, and alienation and will damage the cause. What the candidates or their surrogates say to each other will have no effect on the November election, if voters ignore them.
I wonder how many Democrats are left who haven’t decided, anyway.

Osama bin Laden 08!

Hilary Clinton has been steadily showing she cares more about brand Clinton than the Democrats. I care about progressive politics, which makes me vote for Democrats. If there were a viable third party that was progressive, I’d be there. But Clinton–I thought, naively enough, that she was committed to Democratic wins. Wow. I was a fence sitter, not too keen on either but more than willing to vote for either and to canvass, fundraise, etc. for either in the general election. But now I’m off to vote in Ohio for Obama. Her campaign has been maladroit and tone deaf. I like her bare knuckles just fine, but not her inability to land punches where she needs to land them.

And we’re certain that the Clintons would never sacrifice principles for political gain.

What else could you expect from the Clinton’s? They are republicans and
have always been so. Their ambition will make a unity administration
impossible as in the Lieberman model. Bill Clinton and George W are
heads and tails of the same coin of boomer greed, McCain is Bush 3, and
preferable to the Clintons rather than being replaced in their “own party”. The best opportunity to really change american politics will be lost to their naked ambition, they must be defeated and repudiated.

The Clinton brand absolutely refuses to understand that there are some of us who really, really do not like her. Not her policies, not her husband, her and her “just words” and her tactics. She is not our choice for first woman president.

And the smarmy, coy comments on 60 Minutes, no matter how much Tweety pretends he didn’t see that tone, just reinforce that. Call it triangulation, hardball politics, workin’ close to the line, timeout from ethics, whatever you will, I do not like the Hillary brand.

The swamp’s observation reinforces that. She may do out-damn-standing in Ohio and even Texas today. I still won’t like her. And yes, I had the same kind of visceral reaction to Bushie ‘way back.

Prairie Today: Looking Back, Looking Forward

I don’t mind hardball politics at all, and there’s a certain ruthlessness about the Clintons that I admire. Nice guys finish last.

agree, agree, agree . . . and my initial impression was it was more pettiness/cattiness than ruthless – she was advising independents/undecideds/ those she knows are vehemently opposed to her candidacy in TX and OH to vote for McCain – something they can do in both states which would ultimately freeze them out of the crucial caucuses in TX

“Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran” This is being able to “tackle any crisis facing the country”? Give me a break. McCain is an angry mean spirited old warmonger. That’s not experience. It’s dementia.

What this says is that Clinton is getting desperate. She knows she is going to lose and has pulled out all the stops. I thought last week she was honored to share a stage with Obama, apparently today not so much.

That’s too too much. I love it that Molanau was taken off the transportation dept. I hope this is Ti’s last turn at Govenor. What a creep.

The poll yesterday that 25% of her supporters would vote for McCain is bad news. That her staff touted it is criminal. It’s clear that armageddon is
part of the Clinton strategy with super delegates.
Since her fund raising dinner with Rupert Murdoch I’ve had no use for her.

Indeed. That is why Obama’s reluctance to be called a “liberal” is so disturbing. Not to mention that he thinks he can diss the rest of the Democrats in his pursuit of independents and moderate Republicans. But the thing that really frosts my crockies is that he hardly ever refers to himself as a Democrat. But why should he? He doesn’t seem to embrace any of the core Democratic principles. He doesn’t seem to damage the brand name as much as run away screaming from it.
Of course, that’s just my take on things.

That’s quite true since their only principle is political gain.

There IS a difference between Clinton and McCain

Supreme Court

Repeat Often

I am not happy with recent political framings – hell, I am not all that happy with either candidate

But there is a reason to support and vote Democratic

Supreme Court

Lack of judgment appears to be Senator Clinton’s fatal flaw.

Oh, she and the rest of us know you “really, really do not like her”. We don’t know where that comes from but suspect that 16 years of condiditioning has something to do with it. Nevertheless, there are a lot of us who think she is the better candidate and we really, really do not want Obama. Seriously.

The democrat brand is very tarnished. It has not stood up for workers and the people as much as corporate interests in delivering services to the people. Bad move.

There is more at stake than the Supreme Court and it’s called the Middle East and our policies their. Hillary certainly isn’t trying to unite the party.

First the red phone, now this. People need to get it through their heads that Hillary Clinton admires McCain, particularly McCain’s views on foreign policy.

It’s kind of why she voted for the war.

You vote for Obama if you oppose the war. If you think the war is just another issue, like “the economy”, go ahead and vote for Clinton.

I find both Hill and Obu flawed as candidates but I suspect a whole hell of a lot better than W. I think Obi would be cut more slack than Hill and might be able to get more positive things done. But I am not overly hopeful We have to undo all of W’s mess first, don’t we? And then there is the economic mess he left. All this requires some paradigm shift and not the same old same old.

Yes change… REAL change.

Throw the bums out.

I have argued as strongly as I can for Dem support. I have taken the position that either Hill or Obama would be better that any gooper. However, I am beginnig to feel that for me to support either one is not worth it morally or ethically. If they are going to reflect the “Middle Ground” positions that have led this country to the position it is in, then, I have to say- to hell with them all. And that is what the younger voters will reflect if they see that their efforts are being disregarded. What is called for is action. Not words. The old concept of months of talk and no serious change in the main direction that this country is taking is not going to do i for these voters. They will not- I repeat NOT bother to vote. And that lack of support will be refected in so many different ways in the coming years that it cannot be even percieved. If a basically Senate version of the amnesty bill is what is passed, the mass exodus will begin. And, I will be totally supportive of this action. What once was a growing movement will be shattered. A great American Tragedy!

The war is a core Democratic principle?

Well, here we go. A topic meant to show that the candidates shouldn’t say anything which will destroy party unity and help Republicans ends up doing that. I’ll go so far as to say that HRC made a dumb statement, but when that results in claims that she and Bill Clinton are the Anti-Christ and Beelzebub, it starts alienating people we need to vote Democratic in November. In the unlikely event that she is nominated, I’ll vote for her.

More Hillery hearts Bush McCain from yesterday
“We have given them the gift of freedom, the greatest gift you can give someone. Now it is really up to them to determine whether they will take that gift.”
full link
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…..89729.html

Link, please.

No–the problem with Hilary Clinton is not that she will make a unity government impossible. How can you really think that would be a good thing rather than a firewall against progressive change. Opposition to this false unity/bipartisanship is the one huge thing in her favor as far as I’m concerned. This delusion that the problem with the 90s was partisanship rather than a concerted right wing juggernaut is the problem. No, progressive change won’t come by reaching across to aisle and including Chuck Hagel in the cabinet. Ruthlessness isn’t the problem here, either. Geez–just look how quickly criticism of Clinton dovetails into sexist cliches, even on this list. My problem with Clinton is that she has shown herself ineffective at the very areas she has advertized as her skill set. I’m no so sure she’d run that tight ship that would bring about progressive politics.

Ok, I understand that – you “really really do not want Obama.”

It’s looking more and more like he’s going to be the choice. Does that mean you support McCain in the general? I’m not being snarky here, I’m serious. If the Dem nom is Obama, do you go McCain or Nadar or write in Al Gore or what do you do?

Please, when you answer the above, tell me why. Because I truly want to understand.

Hillary seems to think that if she isn’t the choice, we should all support McCain – that’s what I get from her statement, he’s a better choice than Obama. Do you believe McCain would be better for the nation?

It isn’t about who you support in the primary, it’s about not hurting YOUR SIDE in the general by being stupid in the primary. By all reports, Obama is brining in independents. Should they all go back to McCain, is that better?

I see on both sides here an awareness that neither Obama nor Clinton are progressive. Still whichever wins the nomination, and that looks increasingly like Obama, we will have to support them just to avoid the disaster of another Republican Presidency. But once they’re in our job will only just be beginning because we will have to keep pushing the progressive agenda, not out of ideology but because it is the only one that works.

There are things I don’t like about Obama. But between the two its easy.
Obama has inspired the country,
Obama isn’t a dynasty.
Obama hasn’t used fear against a Democrat..
Obama has been against a war of aggression against a country that did nothing to us.
Obama can name a VP that will be able to be VP(Not just fall in behind Bill)
Obama is forward and youth engaging.

nuff…

He won’t be “cut more slack”.

Mike Gravel ‘08!!1!!!!

something I don’t quite get about the Swampland story. Consider two possibilities:

1. The Clinton caller was instructed to make this “slip” between obama/Osama.

2. There was no such instruction, and it was an isolated effort by a foolish volunteer.

If the first, then the campaign would have known that it would succeed only if (1) it was never reported, and thus never came back to tarnish the campaign or (2) all the volunteers agreed to do it, had no problem with the ethics. Otherwise, someone would have blown the whistle, and the tactic would have backfired against Clinton, branding her as unethical, etc, calling the whole campaign’s tactics into question.

All of that suggests to me that, in the absence of some facts about direction, we have no basis to assume this was a directed campaign tactic.

If the second explanation is valid — it was just a foolish, isolated undirected effort by a stupid campaign volunteer, then there’s no story.

Swampland was just as capable of sorting out this logic as i am, and I don’t even have a brain. Ask yourself, why did they run this?

Right on, Hugh! OTOH, either one – HRC or Obama – could possibly turn out more progressive than they seem, once installed in office. McCain is no anti-Christ, either, but he’s a Faust, embracing the Mephistofoleses of the “Christian” far right.

I will hold my nose and vote for her in November if necessary. I’d prefer to vote for a Democrat. She is Clinton, party of 2.

“I think you’ll be able to imagine many things Senator McCain will be able to say,” she said. “He’s never been the president, but he will put forth his lifetime of experience and never should be because he’s promised to continue the failed foreign and domestic policies of the current Republican administration.”

There, Hil, that wasn’t so hard, now was it?

Lack of judgment appears to be Senator Clinton’s fatal flaw.

That is the oddity of what she was saying. She is touting her experience and judgment in a statement that undercuts her claims to either.

All good points.
But, in my opinion, it’s time for a woman to be president to
change the dynamic of this country…

It is not Obama the Clinton machine seeks to smash, it is the remains of
the old democratic party they replaced with the DLC, founded by Clinton.
Any candidate who threatens the DLC with obsolesence is more of an enemy
than their partners in corporate crime, the republicans. The groundswell
that Obama has tapped is the old democracy itself, trying to come back
to life after many years asleep in the new prosperity. Something is
really wrong when you have Sean Wilentz and Joe Wilson savaging Obama
as if he were Bush… suicide seems the american pass time these days.

There is a word which often attends ‘ambition’. That word is ‘overweening’.

Should HRC not find perspective, beyond blind (and deaf) ambition, she may well ‘own’ that word forever.

While there is no need to ascribe to her the ‘values’ of the worst of the ‘right’, she does run the risk (at our expense) of doing incalcuable damage and thereby ensuring our continued misery. For that behavior she may be rightfully reviled, as indeed she should be.

On the other hand, she may yet come to ‘reason’…

If this had been posted in a diary or thread I would have ignored it, but the writer is a staff reporter.
Its the tone,win, even if you ruin the party that bothers me.

Why do you want a dynasty?

I find the openly warmongering tack Clinton is taking to be an ominous development. It’s obviously not popular with Democratic voters. It suggests that it’s an appeal going over the heads of the voters, to the press, which supports the war, for example.

Well said

But, in my opinion, it’s time for a woman to be president to
change the dynamic of this country…

This makes no sense to me at all. Would you vote for Britney Spears if she were running?

A woman, yes, I’d love to fight for that, but a dynasty…no

“Why Democrats don’t understand the need to protect their own brand continues to baffle me.”

This is probably somewhere in the same ballpark as why Pelosi and Reid seem to be giving away the company store.

Which brings up another issue: Does no one have Pelosi’s ear? As citizen (which these days doesn’t seem to count for much) I have sent her e-mails (at least she doesn’t refuse them like DiFi), letters, phone calls, etc. And I know I’m not the only one. How can she be so disconnected?

test

Citibank

investors in Dubai saying it will take more than the $3B+ invested since Nov to save Citi

I mean unity on the left, not the standard assumption of working with
republicans to save their party from the oblivion they deserve. The
stated preference for McCain is the Lieberman model writ large, more of
the same from HRC.

A woman who voted for the war and Kyl-Lieberman, and has not only not disavowed those votes, but is counting them as valuable “experience” she shares with McCain?

Margaret Thatcher was a woman, too. Priorities, people.

I don’t support dynasties in politics; all other things being equal, they tend to be corrupting.

But that’s not my point. I’m only observing that the Swampland story is important only if one assumes the volunteer’s comments were scripted by the campaign — something that remains unproven — And it does not, in the absence of further evidence, seem plausible, because it’s far to risky. If, on the other hand, we started getting numerous reports of such calls, that’s another matter.

wow ! success! thanks to everyone from downstairs

Oh you KNOW she would. I think she’d do ANY ANY ANYTHING! to get back into the White House. Hence the problem with her. This is PERSONAL, not about the people, i.e. US!

Wonderful!!!!!!!

Nah, I wouldn’t vote for Britney
but I’ll cast my ballot for Hillary and for Obama if
he wins the primary…
I’m not sold on Obama yet, and Hillary makes more sense to me
(maybe it’s my age?)

This is where I claim that, indeed, words matter.

Something is really wrong when you have Sean Wilentz and Joe Wilson savaging Obama as if he were Bush… suicide seems the american pass time these days.

It’s a fairly natural reaction by Establishment Democrats as they see the gravy train leaving the station without them, especially when you consider that in their minds they own the train.

Yep … the next day, it was “Shame on you” followed by the 3 a.m. phone ad (please tell me which Whiz kid thought this up) and now putting McCain ahead of Barack … in business, they call it a poison pill … and Hillary is a much better person than this …

At my age (65) I see my daughter getting involved for the first time. Feeling proud. We need an inspirational leader. Imagine what the world will think?

My question is, if the phone call at 3 am wasn’t from a lobbyist, would John McCain still answer it?

Sure, if he knew it was Lieberman.

Hear, Hear !

WooHOO!

Did you guys see the NYT article today titled Democratic Rivals Clash Before Pivotal Primaries

“In an e-mail message sent over the weekend to The Los Angeles Times, Mark Penn, Mrs. Clinton’s pollster, appeared to be distancing himself from the campaign’s operations when he said he had “no direct authority in the campaign.” Mr. Penn described himself as merely “an outside message adviser with no campaign staff reporting to me.”

Mr. Penn is a longtime friend of Bill and Hillary Clinton and serves — as he invariably describes himself — as the campaign’s chief strategist.

That totally reminded me of Cheney!

1,776 DAYZ AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND…

Citizen Blue Texan and the Firepup Freedom Fighters:

”In short nothing good comes of this for anyone except St.McCain and the GOP.”

Is there a fuckin’ echo in here…I been tellin’ the Firepups for two years that Bill and Mrs. Clinton are NOT Democrats but wholly owned subsidiaries of the corporate oligarchy and their goal is to facilitate the consolidation of corporate government in this country in perpetuity. Mrs. Clinton knows she’s toast as a Democratic candidate so she’s runnin’ a kamikazi attack on Barak and Howard Dean’s DNC in order to lift McCrazy and kick up Obama’s negatives.

It’s time ta get Obamas army out in the county and district Democratic Party meetings all over the country and declare war on the Clintons…let’s be done with the bastards once and for all!

KEEP THE FAITH AND PASS THE FUCKIN’ AMMUNITION, NOT ALL FASCISTS CALL THEMSELVES REPUBLICANS!!

test

a little less talk, and a lot more action

Edwards joining $20m MoveOn/SEIU action to tie economic anxiety to eye rack!

Barnstorming Obama plans to pick Republicans for cabinet

I hope I did that right.

Hillary is behaving like a bull in a china shop. Her remark really pisses me off. So does Obama’s distancing himself from liberalism.

That’s true. Inspiration is a key element.
For me, though, the Bush administation sucked out all my inspiration.
Plus, the media has down a hatchet job on Hillary. I don’t like it

((( Norske )))

I hope this “Obama” fever flows over to the Congressional elections and helps to elect real Democrats …

OT re. ‘Canada’s Bush43′ … Harper should be ashamed and resign immediately …

My question is, if the phone call at 3 am wasn’t from a lobbyist, would John McCain still answer it?

hmm
What do you think?

OOps, I’ll try again. It is

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/t…..466823.ece

I apparently am having a problem posting the link.

I’m sorry I can’t buy that. I will vote for her if she is naminated but I am an Obama girl.

I think this 3 a.m. version is funny

That is the real problem with the democrats, they think they must have
republican support for anything to get done. If FDR had thought that
way, there would have been no new deal. He better get off that or lose
votes, the republicans have had their 15 minutes and more, it is time for
a new deck of cards.

The McCain campaign will do well using Hillary’s ad. She clearly implies that McCain is as good a choice as she is. That’s not just stupid it’s a suicidal misuse of “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

I think all three of them would make horrible presidents, just not as bad as W, who has earned a place all his own in the Hall of Shame and Evil.

I’m a Hillary guy?

LOL

Here’s the part of the article I like …

He drew the noisiest whoops and cheers of the day when he admonished parents for their failings. “Turn off the TV set, put the video game away. Buy a little desk or put that child at the kitchen table. Watch them do their homework. If they don’t know how to do it, give them help. If you don’t know how to do it, call the teacher. Make them go to bed at a reasonable time. Keep them off the streets. Give them some breakfast. Come on! And since I’m on a roll, if you’re child misbehaves in school, don’t cuss out the teacher! Do something with your child!”

Being a meditation teacher and speaking for all teachers, this is a great message for all parents !

Michelle Obama’s brother talking about Hillary. No Clinton has ever said anything that offensive about Obama or his wife. This is what Obama stands for. Neither Barack nor Michelle have said antything to distance themselves from that heteful statement by her brother.

“If I Was a Woman, I’d Be Embarrassed for Her”

Michelle Obama’s brother, Craig Robinson, on Hillary Clinton: “It’s so ludicrous that it’s almost comical . . . .

And the whole crying now before every primary? You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Also says Bill Clinton is a liar: “He’s straight up saying things that aren’t true.” “No one’s ever called those people on it.” – From Mark Halperin, The Page blog at Time magazine

This is from http://noquarterusa.net/blog/.

I am becoming convinced you are right, sorry to say… Joan Didion wrote
in 2004 that she wondered if the americans had the instincts for democracy anymore. She is rarely wrong.

Outstanding!!

“…but he will put forth his lifetime of experience. I will put forth my lifetime of experience…”

Holy crap! I mean, really, WTF is she thinking?

She has lost my good will completely with that comment.

That is funny.

lol, no micro-partisanship there.

Obama’s speech, from an article in timesonline.co.uk …

He then went on to attack childhood obesity. “We can’t keep feeding our children junk all day long, giving them no exercise. They’re overweight by the time they are four or five years old and then we’re surprised when they get sick … I know some of you that get cold Popeyes [chicken] out for breakfast! I know! That’s why you are all laughing! I caught(sic) you out!”

I think it was, “I called you out!”

What the hell? Here’s the article on NPR:

“FDR’s Antidote to Great Depression: Totalitarianism“

Let’s see, the author’s name is Donald Ritchie. I don’t know who that is, but what do you want to bet that this is going to be Wingnut Welfare, some Right-Wing “think tank” (propaganda firm) coughing up talking points in book form…

Once again Nice Polite Republicans unchallengingly promote wingnut welfare publications…

Hmm… visiting Amazon shows me that the first associated term with one of his books is “wingnut welfare“

much as I might like to offer some thoughts of my own on obama and clinton … i’m really wanting to see what happens today in Ohixas. I am hoping the dem primary season wraps up this evening and we can get on with retaking the government. Telecom immunity vote will take place in a real different context if there’s an defacto nominee or not …

Petrocelli said @ 76:
Hillary is a much better person than this …

I ain’t seein’ it. Actions speak louder than “just words.”

I saw that several days ago and I thought that it was unfortunate. If Michelle or Obama said that it might alter my enthusiasm for Barrack, but they didn’t. Hillary has been touting McCain’s experience and that can hurt all democratic people in the fall.

FDR’s Secretary of War, Henry Stimson, was a Republican. So was one of his chief economic advisors, Henry Morganthau. He was, above all, and used who he needed to, where he needed them.

Kennedy had MacNamera and Clinton had Cohen.

Off all the cross party cabinet members, the only one I resented was Norman Minetta, a Democrat in the Bush Administration. I didn’t see how he could allow himself to remain in that administration after it became apparent how rotten they were.

Agreed … that’s the sad part and I know that Repugs do it but I hope that we hold our leaders to a higher ideal …

Hillary cares about one fucking thing and if you don’t know what that is I feel sorry for you.

Why Democrats don’t understand the need to protect their own brand continues to baffle me.

why should they, when they have the Axiom of Automatic Support for the Least Worst?

McCain sings “Bomb Iran” and H. Clinton says “all options are on the table” against the non-existent threat, but hey when a president Clinton bombs civilians, its for their own good, like in the former Yugoslavia.

If a politically active ‘left blogosphere’ can put up with that, what is a little dilution of the ‘brand’?

Yep, that’s readily apparent this past week, Raven !

Have a great day, y’all !

All the crude, petty, misogynist things that have been said about her are true.

You made a huge leap by suggesting that she is pro-Iraq War. I have seen no evidence of that.
But let’s think about this for a second: are you suggesting that one vote for the IWR wipes out an entire 35 year history of accomplishments? And if this is so, did you vote for Kerry in 2004? Because Kerry voted for it too and unlike Clinton, who says she regrets her vote and wishes she could do a do-over, Kerry said he’d vote for it again. And who is Kerry backing this season? Obama.

Universal healthcare is based on a core Democratic principle of shared responsibility. That is the thing that Obama has a hard time embracing. He is running to the right of most progressives but that oddly enough doesn’t seem to bother them. I can only conclude that support for Obama is more a statement of anti-Clintonism. And anti-Clintonism is rooted in 16 years of bad coverage for her. It isn’t reality. That’s probably why 2/3 of all Democrats want her to stay in the race even if she loses Texas. There is a sense that the Obama phenomenon is going to burn itself out. Wait and see.

I’m sorry I’ve been looking but cannot find it. I think it was TPM.

Both Hillary and Obama have done a huge amount of watering down the brand. Interesting that they feel the necessity to do so, when Democratic affiliation is at an all-time high. Really important to get those Independents on board, even as you make your base want to hurl.

back to the ruthless thingy -
approx 18 mins ago TPM posted Clinton campaign was holding Rezko conference call and will post on what is said

While Hillary was setting on the board of Walmart and making six figure commodity trades with Tyson Chicken money, Obama was an activist on the streets of Chicago helping to make a difference for people who needed it most. That speaks volumes to the type of character each has.

I borrowed a few dvd’s for nail biting day and evening. My choices are “The Devils Backbone”, “Notes on a Scandal” and “Dreamgirls”. What should I watch first?

No, it means that he did not stand up and state on principle that it was wrong for the media to use sexist language towards Hillary. It was wrong for him to take advantage of the overtly negative coverage of her. And the reason it was wrong is because if she loses, the media wins. If she loses, it sets the clock back for women by 40 years. What man won’t be empowered to keep using those tactics in the workplace? Why not just take advantage of it and finish off your female colleagues who have the nerve to challenge you?
The media is going to notch their belts and go after Obama. And I am not going to lift a finger to help him. If he wants my vote, he’ll have to apologize. Until then, he can count on me to sit on my ass in October and watch the leaves fall when I could be out canvassing.

It’s one of many many really dumb decisions she’s made while trumping that she has experience constituting

a)her seat on 3 committees that supervise Afghanistan troops or purportedly oversee troop allocations and conduct in Afghanista (Obama is on none) contrary to the lie of Howard Wolfson and political science major George Stephanopolis’ totally ignorant acquiescence to the lie by the Clinton campaign

b) Her most important votes in the Senate were “really dumb” decisions including the last one for an amendment whose author fellow dem Carl Levin sais she clearly didn’t know how to read

c) As Rachel Maddow said last night–this is the kind of comment a vice presidential candidate for the other side would make.

Experience=a facade

Bush has had experience now. Seven years of it. He had none when he entered the White House. John Kennedy didn’t have any significant experience at making foreign policy decisions or security decisions although he did serve in combat–something Bush ran from like the chickenhawk he is.

Clinton is desperate. She’s grabbing for the kitchen sink. She’s clinging to the hope that Florida can be counted as is after Harold Ickes talked to Charlie Crist.

Maybe after she loses Texas, Ickes who actually made some of the stupid rules that allowed the byzantine Primacaucus that counts delegates a lot more based on previous track record of the particular district will rethink his bad decisions.

Maybe all those Clinton supporters in Texas will question that they have the arguably goofiest primary in the world.

Primacaucus–you gotta love the word. Just like “homeland” from Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler fast forwarded to 2008. No adult now using it ever used it before then and 99% of them couldn’t tell Ibsen from Britney.

Col. Stimson, Morganthau and McNamara would find today’s republican
unrecognizable in political terms, I cannot think of a republican on
the scene who could or would make a contribution to the effort to
repair the colossal damage to the country their party has wrought.
FDR used people to accomplish specific goals, but relied upon the
democracy as represented in congress to push the programs needed, Wall
Street tried to oust him in 1935 as a reward for his bipartisanship.

why even pie fight here. it’s not like it is going to change anyones mind.

Once a Goldwater Girl, always a Goldwater Girl.

It was really just a matter of time.

I can’t wait until we’re able to devote more effort here to the US House and Senate races, where we’re going to win some big gains if we spend as much energy as we’ve been wasting on complaining to each other on our favorites in the prez primaries.

1. Yes, I’m suggesting that “one vote” wipes out her history of accomplishments (thirty five years is resume-padding, isn’t it?).
2. I voted with Kerry, with much disdain — indeed, with the same contempt some people here misinterpret as rage-filled misogyny when I direct it towards Clinton. That’s precisely my point. I don’t want to have to vote for another Kerry, i.e., another war supporter, for president.
3. You don’t consider the AUMF vote as “evidence” she is pro-war? You’re being dishonest when you way she “regrets her vote” and “wishes she could do a do-over (that’s leadership!). Of course she “regrets” it, as anyone caught and punished for a bad deed publicly “regrets” the deed. What she hasn’t done is disavow the vote a la Edwards. But that’s hair-splitting. Her Kyl-Lieberman vote indicates she’s on board with neocon foreign policy (to her credit, and my surprise, she subsequently co-sponsored Webb’s bill).
4. You could score some points on health care, for example — I think she wins the point on mandates. But those issues are moot if we have a war going on and bankrupting us.

And the whole cutsy thing with Michelle going on and on about how helpless and forgetful barack is does not impress me. He cannot be trusted to do anything for himself.

We have had an airhead in the White Houses for eight years, we do notr need the absent-minded professor.

When Bush was running for president we were told that it didn’t matter if he wasn’t paying attention, because he would haver good advisors to keep an eye on things for him. That did not work out so well. No one ever says Hillary Clinton is not paying attention or that she lacks the ability to pay atetntion to details.

Dreamgirls ! I hear HRC does a mean And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going . . .

And I am telling you
I’m not going
Even though the rough times are showing
There’s just no way, there’s no way
We’re part of the same place
We’re part of the same time
We both share the same blood
We both have the same mind
And time and time, we’ve had so much to see and
No, no, no, no, no, no
Im not waking up tomorrow morning and finding that there’s nobody there

sorry, couldn’t resist

Preach It, Rayne!

The same thing, though, could be said of Chuck Hagle. I’m sure I would disagree with most of his domestic policy ideas, as I probably would have with Stimson, but he’s been both right and courageous with regard to foreign policy.

I can’t wait until FDL has a post on the (D) Reps capitulation to Bush on telecom immunity, and links to Greenwald:

No rational person who has watched Congressional Democrats since they took over Congress could possibly have expected them to do anything but what they always do: namely, whatever they’re told to do by the White House. The last thing they were ever going to do was stand their ground over Americans’ basic liberties and the rule of law, concepts about which they couldn’t possibly care less.

MONDAY MARCH 3, 2008 06:13 EST

No, sorry. Big gains have been taken off the table by Harry and Nancy.

You made a huge leap by suggesting that she is pro-Iraq War

She isn’t pro-Iraq war. She hates war. Her vote for it was purely political. Her regret now is purely political. No one in her family ever went near war. She has had no clearance to read the Presidential Daily Brief (PDB) while married in the White House. She even refused to read the CIA NIE which she had been urged to do by Jello Jay before voting for the Iraq war. She had no experience in orgainizing a war whatsoever, and her co-candidate for the co-Presidency ran from the draft when he was her boyfriend. Billiary who is running for President hates war. Billiary ran from the draft back in 1968.

February 16, 1968 – “The Johnson administration unexpectedly abolished graduate deferments.”
–[Wash Post Sep 13 92]

March 20, 1968 – Clinton, age 21, is classified 1-A, eligible for induction, as he nears graduation from Georgetown.
–[Wash Post Sep 13 92]

Bill Clinton was the only man of his prime draft age classified1-A by that draft board in 1968 whose pre-induction physical examination was put off for 10.5 months. This delay was more than twice as long as anyone else and more than five times longer than most area men of comparable eligibility.
–[Los Angeles Times Sep 02 92]

Summer 1968 – Political and family influence keeps Clinton out of the draft. Robert Corrado — the only surviving Hot Springs draft board member from that period — concluded that Clinton’s draft statement (the long delays) was the result of “some form of preferential treatment.” According to the Times, “Corrado recalled that the chairman of the three-man draft panel … once held back Clinton’s file with the explanation that ‘we’ve got to give him time to go to Oxford,’ where the semester began in the fall of 1968.
Corrado also complained that he was called by an aide to then Senator J. William Fulbright urging him and his fellow board members to ‘give every consideration’ to keep Clinton out of the draft so he could attend Oxford.

June-July 1969 – Clinton receives a second induction notice with a July 28 induction date and returns home.
–[Wash Times Sep 18 92]
July 11, 1969 – Clinton’s friend at Oxford, Cliff Jackson, writes, “Clinton is feverishly trying to find a way to avoid entering the Army as a drafted private. I have had several of my friends in influential positions trying to pull strings on Bill’s behalf.”
– [LA Times Sep 26 92]

Thanks to how Billiary ran from the draft

Why this Ohio Woman Will Never Vote for Clinton

I’ll just beat the rush and say it now.

I’m shocked shocked at the house leadership’s capitulation on FISA.

You know, I love Glenn. Truly — he’s fab, and doing great work. But is there some reason you keep pimping a link to his post and then bleeting about the need for us to do a post on it? Because last I checked, telling someone else what to write on their blog was considered a bit…erm…rude. And trying to push the “write about this” button with me is a good way to get me NOT to write about something. Or maybe I just woke up on the wrong side of the bed today and found too many whiny e-mails in my in-box…it’s tough to know.

Outstanding diary by Dengre re: Abramoff and elections:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/…..460/468395

The big gains will be if we replace some of the dead wood lumps of clay that are there now. That’s where I put my efforts.

It’s always good news to me when I hear that someone as entrenched a bush rubber stamp on every vote and speech as Saxby Chambliss is going to have serious expeirenced opposition and he’s vulnerable via the polls.

Doesn’t Jena’s boyfriend answer the White House phone at 3AM? I don’t know if he sports the Tina Fey wraparounds though and a pant suit over a pant suit.

The big gains will be if we replace some of the dead wood lumps of clay that are there now. That’s where I put my efforts.

You mean when you’re not digging up dirt on HRC?

Great ooogly moogly, what did I wake up to? Rather an unfortunate statement but possibly really telling of Hillary (IMO)

mkay, well to each their own opinion.

I like what Booman is saying
http://www.boomantribune.com/s…..0307/37263

If experience leads to knee-jerk patriotism – resulting in flag-burining amendments and pro-war votes, then experience is way overrated.

I want a President who thinks independently and doesn’t suffer from the dreaded herd mentality.

That’s Obama.

Yes, that’s kind of like Obama saying he’ll get all her voters, but will she be able to get his.

I finally found it. Salon.com March 3/ War Room by Alex Koppelman.

I always remember Bill Clinton (he is not running BUT is her No. 1 campaigner) saying it would be very hard for Hillary to say anything negative about McCain in a general campaign. Because he is so nice.

What the ….? Leaving aside everything else, that is outrageous. And if Americans select Hillary as the Dem candidate, don’t be surprised what happens this fall.

Yes, yes — I REALIZE that he was trying to get swing voters. But he has to realize that, in the process, he loses many progressives.

So, if McCain wraps up the GOP nomination, will Hillary campaign for him? Think of the time it would save us all!

The short summary of Hillary’s political record is this: she’s been on the ’safe’ side of too many issues too many times.

Who would you prefer to have answer a White House crisis phone call at 3 a.m.?
Hillary Clinton 25% 105132
Mike Huckabee 6% 24893
John McCain 31% 131579
Barack Obama 38% 162386
Total Votes: 423990

I haven’t read all of the comments, but so far I’m surprised no one saw it the way I did. What she was saying was in response to the head to head matchup against McCain. She was saying that Obama would be at a distinct disadvantage against McCain because of his lack of experience. The Obama campaign is always making the argument that he does better against McCain, so it’s fair for her to address that.She wasn’t saying McCain would make a better President, for Christ’s sake.

I know there’s a lot of Obama supporters out there who will always believe the worst interpretation of a story involving Hillary, but this is a primary. Candidates are running against each other. There are often contentious primaries, and how often do you see criticisms in a primary used effectively by the other party in the GE? All this talk about Hillary helping the Republicans is just more of the entitlement I’m seeing from many Obama supporters, who think he should be given the nomination now. If Obama goes to the convention with less than 2,025 delegates, guess what? It means he didn’t win enough to get the nomination. The nomination isn’t automatically his for coming closest. I think constantly telling your opponent to drop out is a really annoying move. I hope she stays in it to the convention.

CNN is running another of their insane online polls on their front page. It asks “Who would you prefer to have answer a White House crisis phone call at 3 am?”

The votes now are McCain 27,986, Obama 27,779 and Clinton 20,326

Don’t forget that’s
Republicans 27,986
Democrats 48,105

which, if I count right, is a blowout of vast proportions.

Once a Goldwater Girl, always a Goldwater Girl.

It was really just a matter of time.

I agree completely. Now, just what is Obama?

Once a Muslim’s son, always…
Once a surfer dude, always …
Once a weed smoker and coke sniffer, always …
Or, once a Columbia Univ. Political Sci. major, always …
And, once a Harvard grad, always a Harvard grad, just like George W. Bush.

I still don’t know what influences made Obama and I still don’t have a clue what he really is politically. He has a Liberal-ish voting record and yet calls for Independents and Republicans to join him. He repeats Edwards speech lines and then is depicted as authentic. He lets his followers call people racist and he doesn’t say a word.

This is a terrible situation for us all.