By Paddy
Just a little tidbit to make your dreams sweet. Via Open Left-
...Jones discusses the impact of those additional interviews on the general election matchups between the two Democratic contenders and John McCain. While the inclusion of cell phone only households makes little difference in the Clinton-McCain contest, it benefits Obama by a net four points...
By Paddy
It's been ages since there's been any hypocritical minister/politicians or whatever its seems!!! Definitely no "Two Wetsuits" read, but we take what we can get. Via Pam's House Blend, the drought has passed-
BRYAN, Texas (May 17) - A minister from a Dallas-area Baptist megachurch was caught in an Internet sex sting and charged with online solicitation of a minor, police said Friday.
Undercover officers posing as a 13-year-old girl communicated with Joe Barron, 52, of Plano for about two weeks. The online conversations were sexual in nature, police said.
On May 6, Barron suggested meeting the girl in person. He eventually made the nearly 200-mile drive to Bryan on Thursday, when he was arrested. Police said they found a web-cam and condoms in his car.
(snip)
Barron is one of 40 ministers at Prestonwood Baptist Church, one of the largest churches in the country with 26,000 members. He ministers to married adults.
By GottaLaff
Heeee-e-ere's Rachel!
Jonathan Alter: Bush directly violated 60 years of American foreign policy with those Obama's-appeasement-of-terrorists remarks. Obama "scored on McCain" by jumping all over this.
Rachel did a good job sitting in for Keith Olbermann. It's nice to see her get a full hour of TV exposure to herself.
By Paddy
They never cease to amaze me with their attempts at smoke and mirrors. "Of course we want to close Guantanemo!!! mumble... Afghanistan... mumble"
The United States plans to build a vast, new detention camp at its main military base in Afghanistan, a Defence Department spokesman said.
"I can confirm there are indeed plans to build a new detention facility at Bagram airfield," spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Mark Wright said.
"The overall size is expected to be 40 acres (16.2 ha)."
The move came because "our existing theatre facility is deteriorating," Lt Col Wright said, referring to the makeshift jail at Bagram that holds alleged extremist militants rounded up in the US "war on terror" launched after the September 11 attacks.
The move signals that Washington expects to hold detainees abroad indefinitely even as White House officials say they want to shut down the US-run camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
By GottaLaff
GObama!
Sen. Barack Obama inched closer to securing the Democratic presidential nomination with delegate pickups in Nevada, Kansas and Maryland.And the totals are....In Nevada, Obama stole a delegate from rival Hillary Rodham Clinton by drawing more supporters at the state Democratic convention Saturday.
A vote of more than 2,500 convention delegates broke 55-45 percent in Obama's favor, giving Obama 14 of Nevada's 25 pledged delegates to the National Democratic Convention in Denver this summer to Clinton's 11.
The shift is a gain of one pledged delegate for Obama over the split calculated after the state's January caucuses.
The pickup brings Obama's delegate total to 1,907 to Clinton's 1,718. The number needed to secure the nomination is 2,026.
Obama has been widening his delegate lead over Clinton, thanks largely to the steady movement of superdelegates to his camp as party leaders coalesce around the candidate they anticipate will be the nominee.
From drip to stream. And again, it should be noted that Obama has been adding delegates and superdelegates at a pace that keeps him in the media eye without missing a beat, or when fortunes ebb and he needs a boost. Smart.
Got it. Obama's a noun. Good, good, so far I'm with John Sidney McMarryWealth on this. Barack is most definitely of nounage, as are all persons, places, and things.
- Main Entry:
- elite
- Pronunciation:
- \ā-ˈlēt, i-, ē-\
- Function:
- noun
1 a: singular or plural in construction : the choice part : cream <the elite of the entertainment world>
He is the choicest part of the Democratic party, so once again, I have to agree with McMultiMillionaire. Obama is the cream of the crop. John Sidney's awfully perceptive for a guy who needs someone to help him distinguish between Sunni Al Qaeda and Shiite Iran.
b: singular or plural in construction : the best of a class <superachievers who dominate the computer elite — Marilyn Chase>
Wow. I have to give it to McLobbyPants again. Barack graduated from Harvard Law School where he was the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review. He is a superachiever. That's a disqualifier if I ever heard one, after the success a C word student like Bush has made of the presidency.
c: singular or plural in construction : the socially superior part of society <how the elite live — A P World> <how the French-speaking elite…was changing — Economist>
Oops... here's where we have a difference of opinion. He was raised by a single mother. He lived off food stamps. He earned scholarships. He had to finance his own law school education. He and Michelle lived for the first 13 years of marriage up until three years ago, in a three bedroom condo without a garage.
Maybe that does make him socially superior, though, because he understands a diverse cross-section of America. He gets it. He has a superior overview and more empathy than, say, McYouthVote.
d: a group of persons who by virtue of position or education exercise much power or influence <members of the ruling elite> <the intellectual elites of the country>
I'll give McCain half credit for this one. See, if Obama is elected President of the United States, he will have much power and influence. As it stands today, he has much influence, as in "inspiration", but power? Not so much.
e: a member of such an elite —usually used in plural <the elites…, pursuing their studies in Europe — Robert Wernick>
He pursued his studies in the good old U.S. of A., but was criticized for not being widely-traveled enough. Would that make him an anti-elitist? John Sidney, your thoughts? Never mind, I'm not interested.
Ah! Maybe this is what Sid meant:
2: a typewriter type providing 12 characters to the linear inch
Barack Obama is a typewriter. Has anyone ever heard him deny it? I didn't think so. McDudeRanch wins. Barack Obama is one of the elite.
By GottaLaff
John Sidney McMarriedMoney referred to Barack Obama as "elitist". Pot. Kettle. Black:
After the stop at the gun shop, Mr. McCain’s traveling press secretary, Brooke Buchanan, said that Mr. McCain would use his new fishing rod on the artificial lake at his 10-acre Arizona spread in Sedona.Wow, an artificial lake! On a "spread"! That makes McDudeRanch sound so very gen-u-ine, doesn't it? And so "one of the people", because media-manufactured "mavericks" with sprawling, million-dollar properties are just like us!
His ranch, he and his wife Cindy have owned it for over 25 years and it is valued at 1.1 million dollars. It was featured recently in the Home and Garden Magazine.See how blue-collar he is? Oh my, what's this? Another one of his properties? This time it's a Regular Guy $4.7 Million Condo "retreat"!
Combine two units in Phoenix's brand-new luxury-condo tower for $4.7 million. Or gallop down to your $1.1 million, 6.6-acre Sedona ranch (featured by Home & Garden!). Plenty of room to park the "Straight Talk Express".And the guy with the single mom who just paid off his college loans is the elitist.
As the media begins to scrutinize McCain's record, there will be more days like today. I know. My book, The Real McCain, is full of McCain flip-flops, disingenuous statements and other smoke and mirrors employed by a supposed "straight-talker."
Not surprisingly, to cap off a day when we found out McCain did favors for a land developer pal, embraced an extremist organization he denounced the last time he ran for president (the NRA) and once wanted to negotiate with Hamas (even though now he'll never talk to any enemy and call Barack Obama "naive" for thinking that diplomacy thing should ever be employed), we now find out he also once believed in talks with Syria even as he admitted they were sponsoring terrorists. A country that we pointed out a few days ago his advisor Jim Woolsey wants to preemptively bomb.
A glimpse of The Real McCain.
CNN is reporting that a close family source says they are guardedly optimistic that Senator Ted Kennedy will be fine. He is doing "much better".
He experienced a "seizure" and is resting comfortably.
Another one down.
CHICAGO, IL— Maryland superdelegate Greg Pecoraro endorsed Senator Barack Obama today, pledging to support Obama at this summer’s Democratic National Convention. Pecoraro’s endorsement brings Obama’s superdelegate total to 295.5. Obama is now 119.5 total delegates from the nomination.
By GottaLaff
Per CNN:
Ted Kennedy was able to call a family member to cancel a lunch event. The reporting goes on to say he "sounded like himself" on that phone call. This was mid-morning after he'd been to the emergency room.
No other information is coming out on his condition. But this was significant because it suggests that he was lucid for his medical evaluation.
By GottaLaff
| Democratic Candidate | OR | KY |
| Pollster | ARG | ARG |
| Date | 5/14-16 | 5/14-15 |
| Hillary Clinton | 45% | 65% |
| Barack Obama | 50% | 29% |
| Other(vol.) | 5% | 6% |
| Details | Link | Link |
For a breakdown of the numbers, go here.
Oregon is conducting their primary by mail and there is a dead heat between Obama and Clinton among those who have already mailed their ballot, says American Research Group via the results of their poll. It is those folks mailing in their ballots within the last week that are going to give Obama his edge likely to do the inevitability factor that Obama has. But there's a chance that Clinton does better among voters who have already voted. This would be the case if a voter felt that Obama is the eventual nominee and is regretting his/her vote and kind of shy to admit the truth. If Clinton can pull within a razor thin margin of Obama in Oregon and win Kentucky by as large a margins as she had in West Virginia, it will make for a very interesting June because the pressure will mount on Clinton to drop out but the wins will still be on her side.
These people are total idiots. The Republican party deserves to go down for good with these kind of "leaders".
Columbus — Georgia Republican Party chairwoman Sue Everhart said Saturday that the party's presumed presidential nominee has a lot in common with Jesus Christ.
"John McCain is kind of like Jesus Christ on the cross," Everhart said as she began the second day of the state GOP convention. "He never denounced God, either."
Everhart was praising McCain for never denouncing the United States while he was being tortured as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.
"I'm not trying to compare John McCain to Jesus Christ, I'm looking at the pain that was there," she said.
MSNBC talking head just said that he was airlifted to Mass General hospital. UPDATE- Taken to a local hospital with symptoms of a stroke, then moved to Mass General.More as I get it.
The Cape Cod Times
HYANNIS -- U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy was rushed by ambulance to Cape Cod Hospital this morning after falling ill at the Kennedy compound in Hyannisport.
Hyannis fire responded to the compound after a call was made around 8:30 a.m. It's unclear what Kennedy's medical condition is, but after he spent almost two hours in the emergency room a decision was made to transfer him to Mass General Hospital in Boston.
Kennedy, 76, was placed on a stretcher and wheeled out to the MedFlight helicopter around 10:15 a.m. where it took off from Barnstable Municipal Airport.
Really, I don't mean to be speechless, but what words could explain this?
In a sad story, a Baptist pastor in Florida has taken leave pending an investigation into threatening notes he received. What did he do to incur such hateful, un-Christian animus? Rev. Sean Allen dared to remove the American and Christian flags from the church altar. When did devotion to flag become more important than - or, maybe worse still, equated with - devotion to God?
By Paddy
What's good for the goose...
(CBS/AP) Egypt's state-owned press opened fire Saturday on U.S. President George W. Bush as he arrived for talks with regional leaders at the conclusion of a five-day Mideast tour.
The newspapers, whose management are all appointed by the government, criticized Mr. Bush's speech Thursday in front of the Israeli Knesset for being overly supportive of the Israelis and not mentioning the Palestinians' plight.
"The Torah-inspired speech of Bush raised question marks over the credibility of the U.S. role in the Middle East," wrote Mursi Atallah, the publisher of Al-Ahram, the flagship daily of the state-owned press. "Bush aims to do nothing but appeasing Israel."
Need coffee and breakfast. On the good side, it looks to be starting out as a really pretty day.
Obama's On-the-Wall Endorsement
US House speaker Nancy Pelosi visits Iraq
Jerry Springer talks ethics in commencement address
Candidates must focus on the young
Late Senator figures in 2008 presidential furor
Radio Hosts Gleefully Try to Taint Jurors
Ted Nugent could be the NRA's rambunctious new Charlton Heston
Alabama Sheriffs Feed Inmates on $1.75 a Day
More McCain Campaign Staffers Out Because of New Ethics Policy
IPhone rivals can't compete
Harkin: McCain too 'military'
By GottaLaff
To Womb It May Concern:
If I get really, really mad at an embryo, can I sue him/her? Can 2 embryos legally marry? Do African American embryos have the same rights as white ones? Questions abound! My mind is reeling! There are more embryonic-rights questions than you can shake a test tube at! They're everywhere... all around us... The womb is spinning....
On Tuesday the group Colorado for Equal Rights submitted 131,245 signatures to place an initiative on the November ballot that would define a fertilized embryo as a person. Voters will decide on the measure that would amend the state Constitution to extend a fertilized embryo equal rights and protections. It would define "any human being from the moment of fertilization" as a "person" for purposes of the state's constitutional provisions "relating to inalienable rights, equality of justice and due process of law."
But wait. Just who are these microscopic beings? When do they become beings at all? Who decides? The Embryo Fairy? The Judge and Jury of the Embryonic CourtWomb?
Never mind that the 'moment of fertilization' is not a medical definition and is almost impossible to determine. Consensus from women's rights organizations is that the amendment would be catastrophic for women and their ability to determine their own futures. Doctors and legal rights experts say the amendment could trigger governmental investigations into miscarriages, restrict in-vitro fertilization by couples trying to conceive, and could limit birth-control methods.
What about twins, triplets, quintuplets? Will Mommy get fined for failing to improve overcrowded conditions? Do the embryos owe their mothers womb and board? Will they set a new precedent for went contwol? If a pregnant woman robs a bank, is the embryo an accomplice? Would there be an ultrasonic police lineup?
And to those hundred thousand-plus Coloradoans who endorsed the measure into being, if they so passionately believe in equal rights, what about the gay embryos? Equality still fair game? Just a thought.
Let's not start spreading wombers about gay embryos. It might throw the whole initiative process into a tizzy.
By GottaLaff
When you think Saturday Night Live, you think Andy Samberg, Darrell Hammond, Amy Poehler... but not John Sidney McCain. Yes, Gramps McAARP is doing a cameo on SNL to attract the young'uns, with one caveat: He won't cross-dress. What a party pooper! Then again, the visual of him in women's clothing just made me throw up in my mouth a little:
The 71-year-old grandfather and Republican presidential contender said he hopes to use his appearance this week on "Saturday Night Live" to reach out for the youth vote.
"I think Senator Obama has done a very good job with young voters; we have to do a good job as well," McCain said, referring to the leading Democratic presidential contender, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois. [...]
[B]ut he declared there will be no reprise of the cross-dressing appearance once made by former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani.
"Ah, no," the Navy veteran said when asked if he would agree to wear a dress.
If he won't wear a dress to secure votes, then how will he secure the country against terrorists?
So. Will he get Generation Savvier-Than-He-Thinks on his side? Ah, no.
By GottaLaff
Dear Mister President, I ran out of money, and my wife is throwing pots and pans at me, so I am pretty much outta here:
Controversial nominee Hans von Spakovsky withdrew his nomination from the Federal Election Commission on Friday, potentially ending a standoff that had crippled the FEC.
In a letter to Bush, von Spakovsky cited the two-and-a-half-year length of his pending nomination and said the process “has been extremely hard on my family.”
"Quite frankly, we do not have the financial resources to continue to wait until this matter is resolved,” von Spakovsky wrote.
Translation: He needs to spend more time with his angry family. Gosh! Will we finally get that FEC we've always dreamed of?
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) termed the news "a victory for our electoral process" and said he anticipated the Senate would "swiftly put a functioning FEC in place."
What's been holding up the works? It's not like the two opposing parties have been at each others throats or anything. ... ... Psyche!
The FEC is supposed to have six commissioners, but only has two confirmed because of a standoff in the Senate over von Spakovsky. Republicans had refused to move Democratic FEC nominees unless Democrats allowed von Spakowsky’s nomination to proceed.
Republicans are such babies. Like they have anything at stake here, right? What? They do?
Because of the impasse, there are not enough FEC commissioners to hold a quorum and it has not been able to rule on a number of issues, including public financing inquiries from presumptive GOP nominee Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).
So what is so important that the Democrats shunned poor ol' Hans?
Democrats accused von Spakovsky of not supporting voting rights for minorities when he was an official with the Department of Justice. Republicans have repeatedly defended him and said the charges are unfair.
Of course they were unfair. The Justice Department always does everything by the book.
By Paddy
Okay, I'm not into sports so can someone tell me if this is normal behavior for players? And is that guy one that you want to visualize in a gold lame tiger striped thong? ::shiver::
Jason Giambi Wears Gold Thong For Good Luck
Baseball players are legendary for their superstitions, but Jason Giambi's technique for snapping a batting slump may rank among the strangest : He puts on a gold lame, tiger-striped thong.
"I only put it on when I'm desperate to get out of a big slump," he told Portfolio.com.
Giambi has shared his slump-breaker with other YankeesNew York Yankees , including Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, Johnny DamonJohnny Damon , Robin Ventura and Robinson Cano.
"All of them wore it and got hits," he said. "The thong works every time."
By Paddy
So out of bounds I don't even know what to say.
(CNN) – During a speech before the National Rifle Association convention Friday afternoon in Louisville, Kentucky, former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee — who has endorsed presumptive GOP nominee John McCain — joked that an unexpected offstage noise was Democrat Barack Obama looking to avoid a gunman.
“That was Barack Obama, he just tripped off a chair, he's getting ready to speak,” said the former Arkansas governor, to audience laughter. “Somebody aimed a gun at him and he dove for the floor.”
It is not that often that you go and speak to an organization that once sued you (over McCain-Feingold). It is equally surprising, when you once had this to say about that very organization:
The NRA is entitled to their advocacy. I don’t think they help the Republican Party at all, but I don’t think they should in any way play a major role in the Republican Party’s policy making. [CNN, 5/12/00]Today, McCain is speaking at the NRA's annual meeting in Louisville, KY. I wonder if he will tell them he doesn't think they should play a role in GOP policymaking?
By GottaLaff
Just off the House floor today, the Crypt overheard House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers tell two other people: “We’re closing in on Rove. Someone’s got to kick his ass.”It's not that difficult to keep track, John: Just look under "Executive Privilege" and/or "thug" and you'll find the entire list.
[...] Rove has a week to appear before his committee. If he doesn’t, said Conyers, “We’ll do what any self-respecting committee would do. We’d hold him in contempt. Either that or go and have him arrested.”
Conyers said the committee wants Rove to testify about his role in the imprisonment of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman, among other things. [back story here]
“We want him for so many things, it’s hard to keep track,” Conyers said.
By GottaLaff
John Edwards says no thank you:
Seeing John Edwards and Barack Obama on the same stage earlier this week left political pundits buzzing: Could these two be an unbeatable presidential ticket? [...]But Edwards flatly said Friday, as he had before he endorsed a candidate, that he's not interested in making a second run for vice president.
"No," Edwards said in no uncertain terms on NBC's the Today show when asked about the possibility. "Won't happen.…It's just not something I am interested in."
As for another position in an Obama administration, specifically Attorney General, Edwards was decidedly more coy.
And how about the timing of his endorsement?
Edwards formally endorsed Obama Wednesday evening, the day after Clinton scored a 41 point victory over the Illinois senator in West Virginia. Edwards also said Friday the timing of his announcement was not specifically designed by the Obama campaign to direct the media coverage away from the New York senator's win.
"That's not true," he said. "I know it's not true because I am the one who made the decision about when to do this. I believe this was the right time to do it. I made a decision that the public should know at this point my view."
Alrighty then.
By GottaLaff
Barack Obama, responding to this, was just on MSNBC. This should take care of yet another news cycle.
You want change? Barack Obama just gave us change. He wasted no time in standing up to his opposition and made mince meat of them.
You want tough? He wasn't exactly a shrinking violet in his response to George W. McCain's appallingly inappropriate remarks of yesterday.
You want smart? Just listen to Obama for 10 seconds. We've had enough of fifth grade intellect and pre-school logic.
You want to "bring it on"? He just did.
You want a winner? You just got one.
By Paddy
Yesterday I mused on the fact that Georgie was feeling a little miffed that he wasn't hogging the headlines of late, so he had to throw a hissy to get some media. I'm sure this will get him some teevee time, but probably not what he wanted.
RSS harmony-
Saudis see no reason to raise oil production now
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) -- Saudi Arabian leaders made clear Friday they see no reason to increase oil production until their customers demand it, apparently rebuffing President Bush amid soaring U.S. gasoline prices.
During Bush's his second personal appeal this year to King Abdullah, Saudi officials stuck to their position that they are already meeting demand, the president's national security adviser told reporters.
You guys are slacking!!! I said I wanted 5 by the time I got back!! Oh well, I 'll give you a few more hours. Meanwhile, Rep Stark is a fiesty nice addition.
Rep. Pete Stark is throwing his endorsement and support as a Democratic National Convention superdelegate to presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.
"I could've supported either, but I think he has captured the imagination of the American public, I think he's responsible for bringing millions of new voters, new Democrats into the party, and I haven't seen that kind of movement among young voters since I first ran and saw (George) McGovern do the same thing in 1972," the 18-term incumbent Democrat from Fremont said Thursday.
Obama now seems "on his way to capturing the nomination," Stark continued, and "with the greatest respect for Senator Clinton and her service, I just think we're at a point now where we can begin a move to unify the Democrats — which is why I've held out this long — and bring us to focus entirely on (apparent Republican nominee John) McCain."
By Paddy
Out of luck there HRC. I'm heading to the store- I'll forgo a subpoena for Rove and settle for 5 supers by the time I get back. M'kay?
...Last year, the panel imposed the harshest punishment it could render against the two states after they scheduled primaries in January, even though they were instructed not to vote until Feb. 5 or later. Michigan and Florida lost all their delegates to the national convention, and all the Democratic candidates agreed not to campaign in the two states, stripping them of all the influence they were trying to build by voting early.
But now there is agreement on all sides that at least some of the delegates should be restored in a gesture of party unity and respect to voters in two general election battlegrounds.
Clinton has been arguing for full reinstatement, which would boost her standing. She won both states, even though they didn't count toward the nomination and neither candidate campaigned in them. Obama even had his name pulled from Michigan's ballot.
The Associated Press interviewed a third of the panel members and several other Democrats involved in the negotiations and found widespread agreement that the states must be punished for stepping out of line. If not, many members say, other states will do the same thing in four years.
Alot of rumblings about John McCain this morning, none of it sounding very good.
Bush asks Saudis to increase oil production
Iraqi refugee finds life in U.S. harder than foreseen
USA Today: In Final Contests, It's All About Momentum If leading pledged delegate counts and the seating of Michigan and Florida delegates are the determining events for the nomination, what are the last few contests for? Bragging rights, momentum and symbolism.
Bin Laden: Palestinian cause fuels war
Ex-Army Corps consultant indicted in Katrina bribery case
NY Times: In South, Black Turnout May Challenge the G.O.P. The sharp surge in black turnout that Senator Barack Obama has helped to generate in recent primaries and Congressional races could signal a threat this fall to the longtime Republican dominance of the South, according to politicians and voting experts.
18 'Awesome' Imaginary Worlds
Vitamin D deficiency linked to breast cancer in new study
AP: GOP Abandons Bush on Food, Energy Issues WASHINGTON — President Bush's calls for fiscal responsibility received scant notice this week on Capitol Hill. Fellow Republicans had something bigger on their minds — high prices for groceries and gasoline in an election year that is looking increasingly bleak for their party.
By Paddy
The words live forever at YouTube. Someone needs to tell McSame that. Thankfully, Jamie Rubin remembered also.
McCain, meanwhile, is guilty of hypocrisy. I am a supporter of Hillary Clinton and believe that she was right to say, about McCain's statement on Hamas, "I don't think that anybody should take that seriously." Unfortunately, the Republicans know that some people will. That's why they say such things.
But given his own position on Hamas, McCain is the last politician who should be attacking Obama. Two years ago, just after Hamas won the Palestinian parliamentary elections, I interviewed McCain for the British network Sky News's "World News Tonight" program. Here is the crucial part of our exchange:
I asked: "Do you think that American diplomats should be operating the way they have in the past, working with the Palestinian government if Hamas is now in charge?"
McCain answered: "They're the government; sooner or later we are going to have to deal with them, one way or another, and I understand why this administration and previous administrations had such antipathy towards Hamas because of their dedication to violence and the things that they not only espouse but practice, so . . . but it's a new reality in the Middle East. I think the lesson is people want security and a decent life and decent future, that they want democracy. Fatah was not giving them that."
By Paddy
Because we loves ourselves some Paul Rieckoff.
Tsk, tsk. Note that the group the guy was involved with, "Stop Her Now" is the one I mentioned earlier that is regrouping into "Stop Him Now" to reflect Obama's lead in the primary.
Sen. John McCain's campaign "asked a prominent Republican consultant, Craig Shirley, to leave his official campaign role and released a new conflict of interest policy Thursday after a Politico inquiry about Shirley's dual role consulting for the campaign and for an independent '527' group opposing the Democratic presidential candidates," according to The Politico.
"Shirley, a conservative public relations veteran, doubled as a consultant to McCain and to the group Stop Her Now, a 527 group barred from coordinating its activities with presidential campaigns. He is not currently on the McCain campaign's payroll, but would also step down from his role on McCain's Virginia Leadership Team, a McCain spokesman, Brian Rogers, said.
"Marc Ambinder reports the McCain campaign "has decided to scrutinize the background of the entire staff to ferret out connections to lobbyists.**"
Via TPM. There is one thing about Tweety you have to admit, he knows his history.
Jane Hamsher catches a good one from Robert Reich-
Why Is HRC Hanging In There?
....3. She wants the best possible deal she can strike with Obama. She wants Obama to agree to pay her campaign debts, to seat the Michigan and Florida delegations (so she can claim a moral victory), and – the quietest deal of all – a personal commitment from him to appoint her to the Supreme Court when the next vacancy occurs.
By Paddy
Okay, I know I'm going to take a hit for ageism, but it's funny!!
(Our favorite line: "He's older than his wife and he's younger than his mama/He's old enough to be one and a half Barack Obamas". Our second favorite line: "John McCain is older than the Golden Gate Bridge/ He's younger than Bob Dole but only by a smidge.")
"McAncient" was produced by the Organizing Group, a Democratic consulting firm run by longtime AFL-CIO political operative Steve Rosenthal. It's the same group that produced a video earlier this year on McCain's age and maintains a website called "Younger Than McCain". (Boston-based playwright John J. King is the lyricist and vocalist for the song.)
By Paddy
Brilliant, just f'ng brilliant. What is up with these women? Because their noses are out of joint they're going to "campaign against the Democratic nominee". Sounds like a desperate ploy at blackmail to me.
I've posted a few times in the last two days about female supporters of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton who are angry -- at the Democratic Party, at the Obama campaign, or at the general situation that sees their candidate facing tough times, in their view, in part because of sexism.
Just talked to a 55-year-old Columbus, Ohio resident named Cynthia Ruccia, a spokesperson and organizer for a group calling itself "Clinton Supporters Count Too." She said the group -- numbering in the hundreds, and organized in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Michigan -- stands ready to boycott the Democratic Party if Clinton doesn't win the nomination, and will work against superdelegates who support Obama over Clinton as a means of registering their displeasure with the party.
"We have a plan to campaign against the Democratic nominee," the group said in a press release Thursday. "We have the (wo)manpower and the money to make our threat real. And there are millions of supporters who will back us up in the swing states. If you don’t listen to our voice now, you will hear from us later."
GWB lurks around the edges trying to stir up trouble between Obama and the Jewish community while McSame's bff Hagee says this stuff out in the open. Which one gets all the media exposure?
Via Talk 2 Action.
By Paddy
Man, I'd so like to see this thing wrapped up. With McSame imploding on the campaign trail, we really need to start aiming the big guns at him. The Republican smear machine is already in high gear, starting in on Michelle Obama and moving their forces off of HRC and onto Obama.
NBC News notes Sen. Hillary Clinton didn't sound much like a candidate at a South Dakota campaign staff earlier today."Maybe we're getting a bit ahead of things, maybe its just the place and time, maybe its that we're all looking for clues about her intentions, but the vibe feels different."
"Clinton began her remarks talking about how great it is that South Dakota is going to vote, and how important those votes will be. But what followed was a detailed talk about farming and rural issues, not why she's still in the race, nor much of her usual stump speech."
By Paddy
That's just a teaser. You can find more pics here and her post on the rally here. Yes, I did ask her if Edwards was as good looking in real life, and I believe the answer was "The smile!!".
Too sweet. If only all the Dems were as, um, "articulate".
Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.), piling on to Democratic complaints about President Bush’s speech in Israel today:
“This is bullshit, this is malarkey. This is outrageous, for the president of the United States to go to a foreign country, to sit in the Knesset ... and make this kind of ridiculous statement.”
(snip)
“He is the guy who has weakened us,” he said. “He has increased the number of terrorists in the world. It is his policies that have produced this vulnerability that the U.S. has. It’s his [own] intelligence community [that] has pointed this out, not me.”
Biden noted that Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice have both suggested that the United States ought to find a way to talk more with its enemies.
"If he thinks this is appeasement, is he going to come back and fire his own cabinet?” Biden asked. “Is he going to fire Condi Rice?”
by Paddy
What a load of horsedoodle. Seriously, this is the crap they're paying for? His whole speech this morning was nothing but platitudes and hot air so they make them into an ad? At this point I'm seeing a 65/35 blowout for the Dems this November. Bring 'em on.
By Paddy
Gotta already covered Rep McDermott, but of course there are more, including a personal favorite, Rep Henry Waxman. That makes a total of 4 supers and 7 of Edwards delegates.
Larry Cohen, the president of the Communication Workers of America and a super-delegate from D.C. Californiea Congressman Henry Waxman and Congressman Howard Berman,
By GottaLaff
Ooo! I'm John Sidney McWannaBe and I wanna be all sunny and cheery and Yes-We-Canny too! Pick me! Pick me! Uh-oh, but watch out for them sneaky little disclaimers:
Today, McCain's promises for the future were sunny. Acknowledging that he "cannot guarantee" achievement of each goal, he went on to lay out a series of hopeful proposals for foreign and domestic policies: Within four years of his inauguration, he said, a new flatter tax will save Americans billions of dollars; the genocide in Darfur will be ending; the border will be secure; Osama bin Laden will be dead or captured; there will be more jobs and less obese kids; commander-in-chief McCain will be holding weekly press conferences; and Democrats will be a part of his administration.Gosh oh gee, if Sid McPromises is elected, all those nasty negatives from the Bush years will turn into big yellow Happy Faces! Who knew? He's so fun and positive. Pick him! He's the swellest of all!
But, in his remarks at the Greater Columbus Convention Center this morning, the greatest applause may have come during McCain's clarion call to cease and desist with partisan bickering. "This mindless, paralyzing rancor must come to an end," he declared.
The applause was long and loud. But no cheers -- quite -- of "Yes, We Can."
Yes we could? Yes we might? Yes we can if Obama doesn't do it first? Too late.
Sorry, Sid, but all that crunchy-goodness-Obama II hope doesn't have much, whaddyacallit, credibility. We remember when you dismissed all that as just a slogan. Yes we do.
By GottaLaff
At least six of John Edwards’ eight pledged delegates in South Carolina will throw their support to Barack Obama following Edwards’ endorsement of the Democratic frontrunner on Wednesday, CNN has learned.We ain't seen nothin' yet:Daniel Boan, Christine Brennan-Bond, Robert Groce, Susan Smith, Mike Evatt and Lauren Bilton — all elected as pledged delegates for Edwards following his third place finish in the South Carolina primary on January 29 — announced Thursday they will follow Edwards’ lead and pledge their support to Obama at the Democratic National Convention in August.
John Moylan, the Columbia attorney who directed Edwards’ campaign in the state and is now serving as an alternate delegate for Edwards, appeared on CNN’s “American Morning” Thursday. He stated his support for Obama and hinted that more members of the Edwards delegation would soon follow.“I didn't reach all eight of them, but I can tell you that at least six of the eight are prepared to endorse Senator Obama,” Moylan said.
He added: “I think you will see overwhelming support of John Edwards delegates standing with John Edwards and now standing for Barack Obama.”
Happy Thursday!
By GottaLaff
GObama!
Rep. Jim McDermott on Thursday became the fourth U.S. House member from Washington to endorse Barack Obama for president.
The Seattle Congressman told the P-I's Joel Connelly that Obama is his pick because "I am confident as president he will end the war in Iraq and bring our sons and daughters home." [...]
McDermott joins at least four other Washington "superdelegates" who have endorsed Obama in the race for the Democratic nomination: Gov. Chris Gregoire; Reps. Rick Larsen, Adam Smith and Brian Baird; and Pat Notter, a member of the Democratic National Committee.
But what about the Clintons? Didn't they have a relationship with McDermott?
Ex-President Bill Clinton staged a fundraiser in Seattle in the fall of 2006 to help McDermott pay legal bills from his long-standing civil litigation battle with GOP House Minority Leader John Boehner, which McDermott eventually lost. McDermott said Thursday he had repeatedly tried, without success, to reach Hillary Clinton to tell her he was endorsing Obama.Hillz seems to be getting a lot of voice mails these days. There's nothing worse than getting break-up voice mails.
McDermott said he has been greatly impressed by Obama's appeal to young people.
McDermott said he's still fearful that the Bush Administration will manufacture a crisis with Iran as a way of reigniting voter fears of the Democrats' ability to handle security issues.
Every time we want to concentrate on the good news of the day, MadMan Bush and his Band of Death-Wishers have to go and spoil everything. Sigh.
By GottaLaff
Thom Hartmann:
Bush invoked the Nazis while indirectly referring to Obama. Hitler and his followers were nuts. Naziism was a cult...
Nonetheless, we have a history of American presidents going back to Washington who have talked to our "enemies"... even England during the Revolutionary War. This is the absolute worst kind of demagoguery.
Even Reagan did it, talked to his "enemies". Common problems could be discussed. He said (paraphrased) that the fact that neither of us likes the other doesn't mean we shouldn't talk... Nixon opened up China. So Bush is repudiating the American way.
Obama responded, saying this is sad. Obama is a statesman.. . "this is sad"... the way JFK was.. Bush uses the Knesset to make a partisan political point.
Whenever Bush talks about terror, fear, hatred, he suddenly becomes more articulate. But when he talks about Social Security, Katrina, etc. he becomes inarticulate, fumbling, stumbling. It's all about hatred for George W. Bush...and so many Republicans in his tiny little hate group.
America is ready to move beyond hatred and fear... and this isn't just to say what Obama is saying, but we're ready to move beyond his pathetic, small-minded, wimpy little politics of fear, and say "We're Americans and we're not afraid." "We have nothing to fear but fear itself."
But fear is all Bush has.
By GottaLaff
It looks like John Edwards' endorsement is already paying off. GObama!
The Pittsburgh-based Steelworkers union is endorsing Barack Obama for president — giving the White House hopeful a big potential boost in his bid to attract blue-collar support.The 600,000-member strong union had previously backed former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, who endorsed Obama Wednesday.
By Paddy
Without comment.
FORT BRAGG, N.C. - When the Army's 82nd Airborne Division dedicated a memorial to paratroopers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, organizers believed three sides of a wide granite column would be plenty of space to engrave the names of the fallen.
Three years later, there is no more room.
The last name on the memorial belongs to Sgt. Clayton G. Dunn, who was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq in May 2007. To accommodate the rising number of casualties, military officials have been forced to expand the memorial by adding a granite wall. The wall now has 50 new names - each a grim reminder that a 13-ton granite tower vastly underestimated how much space it would take to honor the fallen.
"We can put on as many as we need to now," said retired command Sgt. Maj. Roger Vickers, who served for 14 years in the 82nd. "The hope is we don't ever have to put another name on it at all."
By Paddy
Not a super, but still helpful. Should be about 17 more trickling out in the next few days...
PORTSMOUTH, N.H.—A New Hampshire Democratic Party delegate who had supported John Edwards says he will support Barack Obama, now that Edwards has endorsed his former political rival for the party's presidential nominee.
Joshua Denton of Portsmouth, 26, an Iraq war veteran, says he thinks that both Obama and Hillary Clinton would be a better president than Republican nominee John McCain. He thinks that Obama is the change the country needs, along with having the best chance of beating McCain in the general election.
Jake Tapper lays it all out, and it is a beautious thing.
One of the great untold stories of this campaign has been the extent to which the Obama campaign (an experienced bunch, but not as experienced as the Clinton campaign) has mastered the round-the-clock news cycle, often outflanking the Clinton folks.
The Clinton shop has scored plenty of victories, but in these last few weeks, Obama has, to a remarkable extent, kept control of the media message -- and has used endorsements to their fullest extent to make that happen. The Obama campaign always seems to have a few superdelegate endorsements to roll out to blunt a negative storyline. They've displayed remarkable political patience -- the pressure is always on the here and now, yet they have shown restraint in message rollout. (You might recall that John Kerry was ready to endorse Obama before New Hampshire, but the campaign kept him in reserve, to change the storyline after his surprising loss in the Granite State.)
No really. The talking heads are freaking out over some crud GWB threw at Senator Obama when he was speaking in Israel. Even Pat Buchanan is surprised considering (as he pointed out) GWB negotiated with Kaddafi after his terrorist act of blowing up Pan Am 103 and negotiates with North Korea. If I didn't know better, I'd think Chimpy was feeling neglected and just wanted some media time. Poor George.
I don't know about you guys, but yesterday just pumped me right up!! Let's get some more supers in the pocket and wrap this thing up.
GOP Can't Rely On Money Advantage NowFor years, Republicans could survive mistakes in congressional races and still gain new advantages because they always had more money than the Democrats. Those days are over now, and not in some incremental way.
WSJ: Obama's Strategy for Low-Turnout Caucuses Helps Drive Delegate EdgeFor evidence of the strategy that has made Barack Obama the likely Democratic presidential nominee, look at Nebraska, where the candidate narrowly won a little-noticed primary Tuesday. Sen. Obama's 49% to 46% victory barely got any attention from the campaigns or the press, because the state's delegates, who vote on the nomination, were chosen in a February caucus.
By Paddy
IMHO, that's a ahem, conservative number.
"Many House GOP operatives are privately predicting that the party could easily lose up to 20 seats this fall," according to The Politico."Combined with the 30 seats that the GOP lost in 2006, that would leave the party facing a 70-vote deficit against Democrats in the House -- a state of powerlessness reminiscent of Republicans' long wilderness years in the 1960s and '70s."CQ Politics notes the Republican House leadership team "met in crisis mode" yesterday after losing a third special election this year.
.jpg)
