Saturday, May 24, 2008
Obama empathizes with Clinton over Kennedy comment
A class act.
AGUADILLA, Puerto Rico (Reuters) - Democratic presidential front-runner Barack Obama empathized with rival Hillary Clinton on Saturday for the firestorm she ignited by referring to the 1968 assassination of Robert Kennedy.
"I have learned that when you are campaigning for as many months as Senator Clinton and I have been campaigning, sometimes you get careless in terms of the statements that you make and I think that is what happened here," Obama said in an interview with Radio Isla Puerto Rico during a campaign visit to the Caribbean Island and U.S. territory.
Your Moment Of Superiority
By Paddy
Watch the "Fox and Friends" morning crew trash NBC & Keith Olbermann. These guys are like a bad parody of a bad parody.
Obama Takes San Juan
By Paddy
Because it sounded like fun.
"Hola, Puerto Rico! How's everybody doing today?" he shouted. He recounted his meeting earlier in the day with some Puerto Rican war veterans at a local university, said that the goals of his candicacy applied equally to the island the mainland, and pledged that as president he would do everything he could to allow Puerto Ricans to decide the future status of their island, which has been mired in a commonwealth vs. statehouse vs. independence debate for years. And he encouraged all to vote on June 1. "If we do well in Puerto Rico, there is no reason I will not be announcing that I am the Democratic nominee for president of the United States of America!"
A few moments later, he was off, walking slowly up the main drag above the fort walls in a scene of barely controlled chaos: hundreds of supporters dancing behind him, others reaching to shake his hand from behind barriers along the sidewalk, island and national media shooting video from a slow-moving truck and rushing ahead of him on foot as the ample, and highly anxious, security forces shouted for all to keep moving. Over it all, a sound truck blared a jouncy song written in the candidate's honor: "Obama la esperanza y el futuro...Un amigo presidente porque respeta nuestra gente." ("Obama the hope and the future/A friend president because he respects our people.")
Newsweek Poll: Presidential Race Very Close
By Paddy
I could go digging around and find the poll that has Obama leading McCain, but I'm too lazy. Either way, this disproves the whole "Obama is weak" meme. John McCain is weak.
A new Newsweek poll shows Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain tied among voters nationally, 46% to 46%.Sen. Hillary Clinton fares slightly better against McCain, 48% to 44%, though this is within the survey's margin of error.
Obama imagined... and it paid off
By GottaLaff
All you need is....
Call them Kool-Aid drinkers. Political romantics. Starry-eyed dreamers.
[...]Barack Obama's staff is on the verge of vindicating its belief that the eloquent black freshman senator from Illinois was a unique candidate who could win the Democratic nomination in one of the biggest upsets in presidential politics. The band of Obama loyalists who imagined that could happen have stunned even themselves with their success against Hillary Rodham Clinton, who appeared to have wrapped up the nomination last year, before any votes were cast.It takes a lot more than imagination and hope. It takes skill, experience, even serenity...
The team was led by calm and focused campaign manager David Plouffe; their strategy was inspired by the candidate's experience as a community organizer. They built a campaign designed to accomplish what other political sensations like Gary Hart and Howard Dean failed to do - turn the energy and excitement of the Obama phenomenon into long-term results.... organization, (ahem) non-Clintonians...
Matching Obama's organizing background, the team has roots in conducting on-the-ground congressional campaigns across the country. Many top aides were groomed by former House Democratic leader Dick Gephardt and former Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle instead of by the Clinton wing of the party. Clinton's team was built with Washington and New York operatives....of course, change...
From its experience in congressional races, the Obama team understood firsthand the extent of Clinton fatigue in the heartland and the lesson of the 2006 midterm elections: America wants change.... vision, an unassuming demeanor, focus, and a ban on dramatics...
Obama's chief directive for hiring the more than 700 staff members who eventually came to work for him was: No Drama Allowed. Obama's even demeanor is reflected in the advisers closest to him. [...] Plouffe embodies Obama's vision - a steady and unemotional number cruncher averse to the limelight, able to tune out noise and focus on the moves needed to reach the end game. [...] He dispatched staff to states that Clinton's campaign overlooked, particularly small caucus states where intensive organization produced wins that swelled Obama's delegate lead....and finally, wise money management:
Obama attracted a talented staff willing to work for much less than they could have made with Clinton. Plouffe carefully minded the bank account to preserve enough money to keep running after the wildly expensive Super Tuesday contests while Clinton's campaign went broke. She had to lend it $11.4 million to stay afloat.You may say they were dreamers, but they weren't the only ones. They hope someday you will join them, and get this country to live as one.... (apologies to John Lennon, no apologies for the optimism)
Obama, Clinton pick up delegates in Georgia
Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton each picked up a delegate in Georgia on Saturday as state Democrats selected their delegation to the party's national convention in Denver this summer.That brings Obama's overall delegates to 1,971 - only 55 shy of the 2,026 needed to secure the presidential nomination - to Clinton's 1,780. [...]
cretary Stephen Leeds, an Obama supporter, and Verna Cleveland, who was Clinton's Georgia state director.
Obama won Georgia's Feb. 5 primary. Of the state's 30 at-large and pledged delegates, 20 are Obama supporters and 10 are Clinton supporters.
As for those superdelegates we keep talking about:
Georgia also has 13 superdelegates. Seven are committed to Obama and three to Clinton. Three are officially undecided, including former President Jimmy Carter.
The happy couple: Obama already planning transition to White House
By GottaLaff
I love a candidate who (realistically, as opposed to delusionally) thinks like a winner.
The Chicago Sun-Times has learned that Obama confidant Valerie Jarrett "is already teed up to be highly involved in transition planning -- to be ready if Obama is sworn in as president next January."Imagining a White House filled in which people aren't interested in subverting the law every 2 days is filling me with sweet, idealistic thoughts of peace, prosperity, and good will. Okay, maybe I'm being unrealistic, but compared to what we have, I'm not quite off the deep end. Sigh. A president and vice president who show they care, for each other and their country: Bliss is actually within reach. ::cue blue birds tweeting::
Given the limited time between the November election and the January inauguration, it's a common practice to start this planning early.
Obama is looking for, in broad strokes, someone with complimentary expertise, who could be a successor, who he has good chemistry with and, in the political equation, would possibly help -- but certainly not hurt -- win electoral votes....and who likes long walks on the beach. I hope he finds the perfect mate. We wish them, and the rest of us, all the happiness in the world. Can someone tell me where Barack registered?
John McCain: Americans Are Dispirited...Because We Haven't Passed A Free Trade Deal With Colombia?!?
Yes, McCain actually said this a few days ago at a campaign event in Florida, and only the AFL-CIO was good enough to notice:
We have made progress toward this vision by expanding the benefits of free commerce, through [the North American Free Trade Agreement], the Central American Free Trade Agreement, and our free trade agreements with Peru and Chile. But the progress has stalled; our longstanding bipartisan commitment to hemispheric prosperity is crumbling. We see this most vividly in Barack Obama’s and Hillary Clinton’s opposition to the free trade agreement with Colombia. The failure of Congress to take up and approve this agreement is a reminder why 80 percent of Americans think we are on the wrong track.
What a breathtaking statement. No, it is not lost jobs, the lack of access to healthcare or being mired in a disastrous war that McCain wants to expand. None of those things have people feeling down. People are saying to themselves: "Everything is great! But damn it, we can't pass a trade deal with a repressive government that will export more American jobs, and I am just not satisfied with that!"
Saturday Morning Links
By Paddy
I've got to be gone until about 3p today, so here's a list of stuff you can waste your time with. Gotta is going to try and do a drive by post, and Cliff said he'd drop one off also- so you won't be left totally in the lurch. Behave now. (pic is Obama in Sunrise, Florida)
Judge Negates Medicaid Rules That Would Cut Hospital Payments
Buban Foundation warm to Obama's ideas
Asylum's gallery of "The 15 Most Awesome Celebrity Mullets Ever?"
Pakistani politician assassinated
Would the world be safer with a Republican in the White House?
80's Lyrics Quiz
Arabian peninsula's first dinosaur footprints discovered
Controversial Contractor’s Iraq Work Is Split Up
Iraq bomb injures 6 Marines
Unkept money pledge troubles GOP convention hosts
By Paddy
Man, I'm watching the Republican convention for sure this year. I'm guessing from what cash they have on hand, it's going to be a veritable bacchanalia of off-brand cheetos and tap water. Good times.
The local committee hosting the Republican National Convention says it is disappointed the state didn't follow through on a promised financial guarantee.
In a May 21 letter obtained by the Associated Press, Jeff Larson, chief executive of the host committee, told Gov. Tim Pawlenty and legislative leaders the state's failure to offer financial backing in the event of a cash flow shortage "creates a serious risk of breach of our agreement with the RNC."
Larson asked state and local leaders to find an alternative way to fulfill the state's commitment.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Overnight Distraction
By Paddy
Hardly ever buy music anymore, but this song got to me. You have to love all the YouTube references!! Weezer- "Pork and Beans"
McCain campaign moves Bush fundraiser in Phoenix
By Paddy
Tsk tsk. Aren't those protesters the "We" in "We the people"? Wouldn't want to scare off the big money donors now would we?
UPDATE- Via Clancy in comments, this sounds fishy. Moving from a convention center to a private home? Maybe they're just using the "protesters" as an excuse because no one is going to show up? Didn't want to get embarrassed by the low turn out? Hmmmm.
12 News has learned a major fund raising event for John McCain's presidential campaign is being moved from the Phoenix Convention Center to a private residence.
President Bush is scheduled to attend the event Tuesday evening. A spokesman for the campaign confirmed the move, saying it was done so the event would not be subjected to protests.
The AFL-CIO and other groups are planning a protest march from the state capitol to the convention center Tuesday where President Bush is scheduled to make a speech at the fundraising event.
“The Cardoza 40″: Exodus of Clinton Delegates Begins
By Paddy
Ooooh. Hope they wait until Monday. Via the extremely handsome and talented Tim Dickinson-
The endorsement by US Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-California) of Obama today sends an extremely firm message to the Clinton campaign, and not only because he was, until today, a Clinton superdelegate.
The Field has learned that Cardoza is the first of a group of at least 40 Clinton delegates, many of them from California, that through talking among themselves came to a joint decision that all of them would vote for Obama at the convention. They have informed Senator Clinton that it’s time to unite around Obama, and that they will be coming out, one or two at a time, and announcing their switch between now and the convention if Senator Clinton doesn’t do the same.
Cardoza is one of the leaders of this effort (which includes not only superdelegates, but here’s something that should set off some paranoia in Camp Clinton: there are pledged Clinton delegates in “The Cardoza 40,” too). One Field Hand reports that during a recent Cardoza fundraising event in California the effort was discussed openly in front of other Democrats. Cardoza’s announcement, today, sent the message that the effort is serious and for real.
This is not “excellent news for Hillary Clinton.”
An exodus of 40 delegates from Clinton to Obama, mathematically, increases his lead by 80 delegates, because she loses one for every one he gains.
Clinton Apologizes For RFK Remark
By Paddy
People are saying that she apologizes to the Kennedy family, not to Obama. I can't watch it, let me know what you think in the comments.
Keith Olbermann To Do A "Special Comment" Tonight On "Assasination" Gaffe
By Paddy
Ooooh. Keith is good when he gets het up. Should be good. I'll have the video up as soon as it is available, and don't forget that Countdown repeats after Dan Abram's Verdict. (Btw, Keith stomped on O'Reilly last night in the key demos. Nice.)
h/t to mainsailset for the reminder
David Shuster Getting 4pm Hour?
By Paddy
I like Shuster, but he's got to curtail his sexist bs as a "pundit". Remember the pen that laughed like Hillary he gave to fTucker? I don't like HRC, but that's over the top. Shuster deserves props for asking tough questions and not being afraid to follow them up, which is what a reporter should do. If he sticks to that, it'll be a show worth watching.
Yesterday marked three months since MSNBC's David Shuster returned from his suspension for saying, "Doesn't it seem like Chelsea's sort of being pimped out in some weird sort of way?"
Since he's returned, he has continued to contribute to Hardball as well as guest anchoring other programs. It appears now he may be settling into a new permanent gig.
(snip)
But an MSNBC insider tells TVNewser Shuster is taking over the hour, "at least through the elections but probably through the inauguration." The insider says Shuster will anchor from Washington, D.C. and cover politics, while Melissa Rehberger will anchor from New York and handle breaking news.
Clinton campaign left bills of $55k unpaid at Indiana University
By Paddy
Stay classy there.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign has moved on from Indiana, leaving behind $55,000 in unpaid bills for campaign events at Indiana University.
The debts are for appearances made by Clinton, former President Bill Clinton and their daughter, Chelsea, during March and April leading up to Indiana's May 6 primary.
Barack Obama's campaign, meanwhile, has already paid the $108,142 it owed IU for two Assembly Hall events -- a rally featuring the Illinois senator and an Obama-sponsored concert by Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds.
Hillary Raises The "Assasination Issue" To Defend Long Running Campaign
By Paddy
Done. I'm done with her. You were right all along David G, mea culpa. There is video at the link, it wouldn't load for me, but there may be huge amounts of people trying to watch. (there is an embed option, but it won't work for some reason) h/t to Oliver Willis for grabbing the vid so fast.
Hillary Clinton today brought up the assassination of Sen. Robert Kennedy while defending her decision to stay in the race against Barack Obama.
"My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. I don't understand it," she said, dismissing calls to drop out.
McCain admitted he’d be too old to run in 2008.
By GottaLaff
UPDATE: Here's the video:
I tried 4 times to download the video, but the "no longer available" window popped up..which makes no sense since you can see it here. John Sidney McGeritol was interviewed by Jim Lehrer on News Hour and actually says out loud that he’d be too old to run for president in 2008.
Lehrer: Finally for the record, you have not lost your desire to be President of the United States have you?
McCain: Certainly it’s been put in deep cold storage. haha..
Lehrer: You haven’t lost it? [Laffy Note: He lost it years ago, but I digress]
McCain: Well, in 2004, I expect to be campaigning for the reelection of President George W. Bush, and by 2008, I think I might be ready to go down to the old soldiers home and await the cavalry charge there.
Who in the corporate media will confront him on this, to his face? He'd probably just say he"misspoke" and feels younger and more invigorated than he has in years. ... and then take his musket and go home.
Rove declines invitation for "a-- kicking"
GottaLaff
Oh. My. I. Am. So. Utterly. Surprised.
Rove said no to getting his butt kicked:
In a letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.), Karl Rove's attorney declines to make his client immediately available in response to a committee subpoena.What? Why? How? Huh? His lawyer is put off by the Committee's intentions? Maybe he should be more concerned about his client's thuggery. ::smacks head:: Silly me, that was irresponsible. We're talking about Rove here:
"Contrary to your letter of May 14, 2008," begins Rove lawyer Robert Luskin, "I do not misunderstand either the committee's procedures or the scope of its interest in Mr. Rove; nor, in light of your reported remarks about the need for 'someone' to 'kick his ass,' am I the least bit confused about the Committee's motives and intentions."So what's a Conyers to do?
After uttering the remarks to which Luskin refers — first reported here in the Crypt — Conyers suggested that he would use his authority to arrest Rove if he failed to comply with a subpoena and appear before the committee.Now's your chance, John Conyers. Go for it.
Wolfson, McCauliffe: No talks of Obama/Clinton ticket
By GottaLaff
Not to contradict CNN, but the Clinton folks are contradicting CNN:
From NBC's Andrea Mitchell and Mark Murray
Clinton campaign officials Howard Wolfson and Terry McAuliffe tell NBC News that reports of talks between the Clinton campaign and the Obama campaign over a possible vice presidential role are totally false.Clinton campaign officials are eager to shoot down the reports -- even suggesting they could be deliberate leaks from the Obama campaign to signal that Clinton is ready to give up and cut a deal in order to dry up her fundraising and get superdelegates to declare for him.
Obama spokesman Bill Burton tells First Read that suggestions these leaks are coming from Obama Land are "completely and unequivocally not true." He adds, "We are still in a competitive primary."
Hey! They stole my Obamaland concept! Then again, they're not above stealing the election:
Wolfson and McAuliffe both insist that she is not quitting and will campaign through the last primaries on June 3rd -- and until decisions are made on Michigan and Florida. They say she feels to do otherwise would be letting down her supporters. Despite the odds against her getting the nomination, Clinton aides say as long as people are still voting, there is always the chance something will happen and she ends up winning.Forget Obamaland, it looks like those Clinton aides are still living in Fantasyland.
For Sale in N.Y.: 'Jews Against Obama' T-Shirt
By Paddy
Words people- the f'ng words are failing me again.
A sample T-shirt advertised in the shop's display window is decorated with assorted paraphernalia, including a yellow Star of David stamped with the word "JUDE," in the style of those forced on Jews in Nazi Germany; a black and white checkered keffiyeh (a scarf known for its association with Yasser Arafat); a belt made of bullets, and a copy of the Holocaust memoir "Survival in Auschwitz" by Primo Levi.
SurveyUSA: Obama Beats McCain in Ohio, 2 New Supers
By Paddy
Via Political Wire
Plus, add a couple supers to the total, one a Clinton defection-
Today, United States Congressman Jim Costa (CA-20) and United States Congressman Dennis Cardoza (CA-18) endorsed Barack Obama for president. Congressman Cardoza previously supported Senator Hillary Clinton.
These endorsements mean that Senator Obama has been endorsed by 310.5 superdelegates. Obama is 59 delegates away from securing the Democratic nomination.
Clinton Campaign in Talks With Obama About Ending Campaign, VP Slot, CNN Says
By Paddy
Just as long as they restrict the VP thing to just "talks".
May 23 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign is in formal talks with Senator Barack Obama's campaign about becoming his vice presidential running mate, CNN reported, without citing anyone specific.
The two Democratic campaigns are talking about ways for Clinton, from New York, to drop her bid for president that may include joining the Illinois senator's ticket, CNN reported. Talks are in a ``very preliminary'' stage and are described as ``difficult,'' the network said.
Republicans Worry About McCain
By Paddy
You got what you asked for guys, no do-overs. Lots of rumbling out there.
"Republicans are increasingly concerned that he could wind up badly outgunned, saddled with serious deficiencies in money, organization and partisan intensity against the likely Democratic nominee, Sen. Barack Obama," Politico reports.
"After making a promising debut as their nominee, McCain has worried many Republicans by seeming to flounder during the past few weeks... Some see the McCain campaign as a pale imitation of the well-financed Bush campaigns, both models of precision and ruthless efficiency."
More from the AP: "McCain has been slow to take advantage of his potential head start for the presidency against Democrats, who are better organized and generate more excitement among voters."
Best. Baseball. Promotion. Ever.
Seriously, read this and love it!:
You've heard of the bobblehead doll that baseball teams love to hand out to fans. So how about a bobblefoot?
The St. Paul Saints are putting their own twist on the popular promotion, in a nod to one of the most notorious Minnesota stories of last year.
At Sunday's game, they'll give 2,500 fans a miniature bathroom stall with a pair of lower legs and feet - one of which is springloaded so that it taps.
A Saints press release notes that, "It doesn't matter if your tapping style is done with a 'wide stance.'"
I am headed to Minneapolis for a conference in two weeks or so, and am so pissed I won't be there for this....
McCain Allows "Limited" Access To His Medical Records
By Paddy
Why isn't the media screaming about this? Limits?
Like John says-
Like some kind of supermarket game show where you get 5 minutes to stuff as many groceries in your basket before the time runs out, McCain is giving a select group of reporters only 3 hours to peruse through what are probably hundreds if not thousands of pages of documents, then when the buzzer rings, it's over, no more documents.
If you believe this b.s., you can read the "results" here.
Republican Strategists Say Bush is Hurting Party
By Paddy
Now they notice.
Political Wire recently obtained a memo from Republican pollster David Johnson of Strategic Vision and GOP fundraiser Holly Robichaud to the House Republican Leadership.
The memo explores the reasons that the Republican brand is at such a low standing and essentially concludes that Democrats have successfully equated President Bush with the word Republican very much as the Democrats did with Herbert Hoover and the Republican Party. The authors argue that unless House Republican leaders visibly break from the President, the Party will be in the minority for the next ten years and could lose between twenty to thirty House seats.
Friday Notables
By Paddy
Washington Post: POW Aftereffects in McCain UnlikelySen. John McCain's 5 1/2 years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam undoubtedly changed the course of his life. But now that he is 71, that remote trauma seems unlikely to shorten his life span or to lead to mental or physical conditions that are not already apparent.
Washington Times: Marijuana project parties with Barr
The Libertarian National Convention kicked off yesterday with a tea-and-cookies reception hosted by the Marijuana Policy Project featuring none other than Mr. Barr, the party's leading candidate for its presidential nomination.
The Hill: GOP says troop cuts likely to help McCainGOP Sen. John McCain’s presidential bid could receive a boost if additional troops are withdrawn from Iraq this fall, according to his Republican colleagues. The Arizona senator’s allies said Gen. David Petraeus’s remarks Thursday that he expects to recommend more troop withdrawals this fall would validate McCain’s arguments that last year’s troop surge was needed to stabilize Iraq.
AP: Republicans shift, a little, on surveillance rules
A months-long logjam over a new government surveillance bill may be coming to an end, with Republicans offering a compromise that would let people who think they were illegally spied on by the government have their day in court — albeit a secret one.
Paterson Says Clinton Should Give Up Effort To Seat Delegates
The AP reports New York Gov. David Paterson, a Clinton backer, "said she's showing 'a little desperation' and should give up her effort to count votes from renegade primaries in Michigan and Florida." Paterson said Thursday "that Clinton shouldn't derail the process by which the national Democratic Party stripped Michigan and Florida of their national convention delegates because they moved their primaries up to January in violation of party rules."
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Tucker Carlson For President?
By Paddy
Oh my, too sweet for words. Puhleeze let this happen. Too many jokes, makes head hurt.
“Tucker Carlson for president?” That’s the headline at the personal blog for Brendan Nyhan, a former Spinsanity editor who is now a graduate student in political science at Duke. Nyhan says that Carlson, the former “Crossfire” host and former writer for The Weekly Standard, among other magazines, may seek the nomination of the Libertarian Party, according to a rumor making the rounds among delegates to the Libertarian convention, which is being held in Denver this weekend.
Someone is polling the idea, at least. Nyhan links to the blog of Michael Munger, the chairman of the political science department at Duke and the Libertarian Party candidate for governor of North Carolina.
(snip)
Lew Rockwell, the former congressional chief of staff to Ron Paul, is hearing the same rumors. “Certainly somebody is polling LP delegates to ask if they would support him,” Rockwell writes on his personal blog.
Obama Rally at CNN's Headquarters?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Political Insider blog writes that Barack Obama supporters are planning a nomination celebration at CNN's Atlanta headquarters.
On the night of June 3, the supporters plan to fill, "the CNN Center lobby to celebrate the final Democratic primaries in Montana and South Dakota." The blog reports, "there is no indication at all that the candidate himself will be here."
Hagee Controversy Throwing McCain Off Kilter
By Paddy
Guess this reporter didn't get invited to the barbeque. Oh, and there's lots more.
Facing a roster of controversial campaign troubles - including incendiary comments by televangelist Rev. John Hagee that forced him to reject his eagerly sought endorsement - Sen. John McCain tried mightily to shift the focus to economic issues today in Silicon Valley.
(snip)
McCain's visit underscored how the senator's presidential effort has been challenged on multiple fronts by potentially damaging news.
Those stories included the planned and very limited release of his health records to a handful of media outlets on Friday - raising questions about his medical history - along with a new focus on his ties to lobbyists. Reports today outlined campaign insider Charlie Black's past lucrative lobbying for brutal Angolan guerrilla leader Jonas Savimbi and Philippine strongman Ferdinand Marcos.
McCain's team canceled press conference this morning and later the candidate avoided reporters' shouted questions during a meet-and-greet with an invited audience members at the Union City plant.
Reporters were barred from a fundraiser at Whitman's Atherton home where the candidate raised an estimated $2.5 million. In the past, Whitman has opened her home to reporters for fundraisers and events.
Deep Thought
By Paddy
According to Hardball just now, the person that Obama needs to pick as VP is a charismatic white middle class Jewish woman governor that served in the military and was born in a shack in Appalachia. Did I miss anything? Know of anyone who fits the bill?
Democratic Recount Lawyer Takes Umbrage with Clinton Invoking Recount
Guess I'm not the only one who thinks this meme is stupid.
I wondered what the Democratic recount lawyers thought of Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, invoking that madness from 2000 in the current controversy about seating the Florida and Michigan delegations.
A recount lawyer who is neutral in the primary contest told me, "I don’t think it is a very apt usage of the recount. There is a big difference between what happened in Florida in 2000 – where partisan officials did everything possible to achieve an advantage in vote counting, where laws and rules were broken, and where the Supreme Court defied law and tradition to stop a vote count – and what is happening now, where we are having a party rules dispute that is open, above-board, and everyone knew about before the election was held."
Concludes the lawyer: "It’s apples and oranges."
McCain Rejects Hagee Endorsement and "Crazy" Comments on Holocaust
By Paddy
Second time I've heard that the reason this whole snafu over Hagee is due to the fact that he knows nothing about evangelicals. In real people terms, that means he was faking it for political gain. Well played.
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., this afternoon rejected the endorsement of Pastor John Hagee after a sermon was publicized in which Hagen suggested Adolph Hitler and the Holocaust were caused by God so as to bring about the creation of the state of Israel.
(snip)
“Obviously, I find these remarks and others deeply offensive and indefensible, and I repudiate them," McCain said in a statement. "I did not know of them before Reverend Hagee's endorsement, and I feel I must reject his endorsement as well."
Hillary And Her People Are Going All The Way
By Paddy
They're pulling out all the stops. Three headlines in a row-
Clinton camp: Uncommitted Mich. voters should not go to Obama
Florida delegates file lawsuit to get delegation seated
Clinton supporters to swarm DC over Florida and Michigan
What a cluster****.
Karl Rove served with subpoena
By Paddy
You asked for it Fernando, you got it. Read more at the link
WASHINGTON - The House Judiciary Committee on Thursday subpoenaed former White House top political adviser Karl Rove to testify about whether the White House improperly meddled with the Justice Department.
Accusations of politics influencing decisions at the department led to last year's resignation of former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.
The subpoena issued Thursday orders Rove to testify before the House panel on July 10. He is expected to face questions about the White House's role in firing nine U.S. attorneys in 2006 and the prosecution of former Gov. Don Siegelman of Alabama, a Democrat.
House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers had negotiated with Rove's attorneys for more than a year over whether the former top aide to President Bush would testify voluntarily.
Ex-CIA Official Dusty Foggo Indicted Over Agency Job for Mistress
By GottaLaff
Just a quickie copy and paste before I leave for the day:
A federal grand jury has accused a former top CIA official of pulling strings to get a high-level CIA job for his mistress, as part of a new indictment against the official in an existing corruption case.
The new indictment against Kyle "Dusty" Foggo, a former No. 3 official at the spy agency and a onetime senior CIA ethics officer, alleges that he pressured CIA managers into hiring the woman after she was turned down for a position in the CIA's general counsel office. He also allegedly made false statements about her qualifications, the indictment states. [...]
Federal prosecutors say Foggo's alleged intervention on behalf of the woman was but one of a series of successful efforts by him to manipulate the intelligence agency, many of which went undetected for a time by its spies. Foggo managed to win jobs, money and other favors for friends and business partners while concealing the nature of his relationships from the agency, Justice Department officials allege in court documents.
Foggo, hired to the No. 3 position by then-CIA Director Porter Goss, faces charges of fraud, conspiracy and conflict of interest stemming mostly from alleged favors he performed for California businessman Brent R. Wilkes, a childhood friend and prominent GOP fundraiser.
Goss sure could pick 'em. Of course, Foggo was framed. He couldn't possibly be guilty.
Update: Delegate and Superdelegate Count
By GottaLaff
Just thought you might want to review the numbers:
Without Michigan and Florida
(includes add-ons)
(GP) | to Win | |||
| Obama | | |||
| Clinton | | |||
| Edwards | | |||
| Remains | | |||
| Delegates Needed: 2025 | ||||
McCain's Rhetoric On The Ellen DeGeneres Show Does Not Match His Record
Senator McCain taped a segment on Ellen's show to air today, perhaps to show he's hip with the gays. Or the under-112 set. But I digress.
What McCain had to say was interesting in many ways--including his lack of honesty on his position regarding domestic partnerships. He told Ellen he opposed gay marriage--or her "position" on that issue, a strange way to put it when it is not a "position" to her, but an issue that affects her everyday life as she intends to marry her partner now that the California Supreme Court has asserted the legality of the practice.
But then he went on to once again redefine his position on the issue:
McCain, who also opposes an amendment to the Constitution to ban same-sex unions, said people should be encouraged to enter into legal agreements, particularly for insurance and other areas where decisions need to be made.
The problem is that McCain himself not only supported an amendment to the Arizona Constitution in 2006 that would have banned any "legal agreements" including "insurance" for domestic partners, but he cut advertisements for the measure (which failed). He also told prominent campaign supporter the late Jerry Falwell--who blamed 9/11 on gays and lesbians, among
Update: Delegate counts
By GottaLaff
Just thought you might want to review the numbers:
Without Michigan and Florida
(includes add-ons)
(GP) | to Win | |||
| Obama | ||||
| Clinton | ||||
| Edwards | ||||
| Remains | ||||
| Delegates Needed: 2025 | ||||
$135
By GottaLaff
At this rate, oil should reach $150 in what, a week?
Americans getting an early start on the Memorial Day weekend found that gasoline prices again it a record high overnight, reaching a national average above $3.83 a gallon. Some analysts predict gas will break past $4 as early as next week.Oil prices, meanwhile, fluctuated Thursday after setting a record of $135.09 in overnight trading. A stronger dollar gave some investors reason to sell oil futures to lock in profits from crude's record run. But concerns about falling supplies and rising demand are expected to keep propelling prices higher in the days and weeks to come.
Teddy Kennedy wants his wife to have his Senate seat
By GottaLaff
Teddy has chosen his successor:
Ted Kennedy could have suggested his nephew Joe, but he's been through a messy divorce and has also been tied to Hugo Chavez, who "assists his Boston-based fuel company for the poor."Ted Kennedy has made clear to confidants that when his time is up, he wants his Senate seat to stay in the family - with his wife, Vicki.
Multiple sources in Massachusetts with close ties to the liberal lion say his wife of 16 years has long been his choice to continue carrying the family flame in the Senate. Kennedy won the seat in 1962; his brother John held it from 1953 to 1960.
The 54-year-old Victoria Reggie Kennedy, a former hotshot Washington lawyer, is a Louisiana native and the daughter of a politically active judge.
She was hailed for holding the family together when John F. Kennedy Jr. was killed in a plane crash in 1999.
By favoring his wife, Kennedy, 76, is bypassing his late brother Robert Kennedy's eldest son, Joe, a former congressman. [...]
Under current Massachusetts law, his successor for the rest of his term, which ends in 2012, would be picked by special election. [...] Political pros, however, say a dying Kennedy's endorsement of Vicki would likely carry enormous weight with state voters.
I'm still reeling from the news of his cancer. There are some people you think will magically live forever.
Ralph Nader to call for Bush/Cheney impeachment
By GottaLaff
Ralph Nader does have some good ideas. Why, here's one now!
Perennial also-ran presidential candidate Ralph Nader is planning to call for the impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney in a news conference in front of the White House Friday. [...]Nader rose to prominence as a consumer advocate but has fallen out of favor with many Democrats because they view him warily as a potential spoiler.
This is one time I'd love to see him spoil everything... for BushCo. However, somehow I don't think he'll make a dent.
Activist goes to court to ask that Bush be arrested at convention
By Paddy
The stuff that dreams are made of.
Long-time Minneapolis peace activist Ed Felien will be in court this afternoon pushing for President Bush to be arrested and investigated for war crimes when he comes here in August for the GOP convention.
Felien filed a motion in Hennepin County District Court asking Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman to begin investigating Bush and charge him with war crimes.
The president "has fraudulently represented a war against Iraq as essential for our national interests when in reality the war only benefits his private interests. With his Saudi friends he has cornered the supply of oil and raised prices. And through his longtime family contacts with the CIA and the Mafia he has arranged for the transporting of heroin into Hennepin County," Felien wrote in a petition.
Obama begins VP search process
Oooh, good move Hopefully is will ursurp the chatter about McCain's VP search and solidify him as the nominee. Ya'll know who I think it will be- Wes Clark. Military background and a staunch Clinton supporter (the better to "appease" her).
(CNN) — Barack Obama is quietly beginning his search for a running mate.
A veteran Democratic activist in Washington confirms to CNN's John King that former Fannie Mae CEO Jim Johnson has accepted Obama's request for him to begin a screening/selection process for the No. 2 spot.
The news was first reported by the Associated Press.
Clinton Running Out of Money
Back in my day, this was called "living beyond your means" whether you were a regular folk or Presidential candidate.
The New York Times notes that Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign is in bad financial shape. She has just over $6 million on hand, but has campaign debts of $9.5 million -- not including the $11.4 million she already loaned her campaign.
In contrast, Sen. Barack Obama has $38 million in the bank and owes vendors just $2 million.
Serendipity
By Paddy
Right smack in the middle of this odios article in the New York Times about Obama and his "Jewish Problem" is this nugget-
Younger Jews have grown up in diverse settings and are therefore less likely to be troubled by Mr. Obama’s associations than their elders, said Rabbi Ethan Tucker, 32, co-founder of a Jewish learning organization in Manhattan and the stepson of Senator Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut. Rabbi Tucker said he had given money to Mr. Obama and would vote for him in the fall. “If association was the litmus test of identity, everyone would be a hopeless mishmash of confusion, or you’d have no friends,“ he said.
Senator Lieberman is expected to spend plenty of time in front of Jewish audiences, in Florida and elsewhere. A Democrat turned independent, an Orthodox Jew and one of Mr. McCain’s closest friends, Mr. Lieberman will promote Mr. McCain’s strong national security résumé and centrist stances.
Cafferty: Why is Clinton Still in the Race?
By Paddy
If you're so inclined, check out this diary at Kos about the whole Florida, Michigan broo haha. Lays it out pretty starkly.
Thursday Morning Round Up
By Paddy
Good morning folks!! Bright and sunny here in my corner of Indiana. Off to get more coffee and find something interesting for you!
Anti-Smoking Drug Banned By FAA
Hezbollah solidifies power in Lebanon
At One University, Tobacco Money Is a Secret
Hezbollah solidifies power in Lebanon
At One University, Tobacco Money Is a Secret
NY Times: McCain Set to Release Health Data on FridaySenator John McCain is set to release 400 pages of medical records, including documents related to his melanoma surgery in August 2000, to a tightly controlled group of reporters on the Friday before Memorial Day weekend.
Pilots run out of fuel, pray, land near Jesus sign
Federal court rules against military gays policy
Petraeus: Diplomacy, Not Force, With Iran
Pilots run out of fuel, pray, land near Jesus sign
Federal court rules against military gays policy
Petraeus: Diplomacy, Not Force, With Iran
Washington Post: Good Money After Bad at the NRCC?As if the spring hasn't been tough enough on House Republicans, there is also the issue of bills piling up from the investigations into the alleged embezzlement scheme at the National Republican Congressional Committee.
Wars can wound soldiers' sex lives, too
Katrina-Battered New Orleans Levee Leaking
Alaska Will Sue Over Polar Bears
Wars can wound soldiers' sex lives, too
Katrina-Battered New Orleans Levee Leaking
Alaska Will Sue Over Polar Bears
WSJ: Democrats Set Rules for Meeting About Florida, Michigan DelegatesThe Democratic Party released rules for the May 31 meeting that will decide how the Florida and Michigan delegations are seated at this summer's national convention. Like everything else about the dispute, it looks like the meeting will go on and on.
Liberal groups launch efforts to spotlight the 'real' McCain that media doesn't
By Paddy
Cliff made the SanFran Chronicle- go read it, but here's his bit-
While the national press has been slow to focus on the lobbyist story while zooming in on the ongoing Barack Obama-Hillary Clinton battle, that has changed in recent days. Outlets like the Washington Post and NBC News have published and aired stories on the lobbyist ties of McCain's aides and cited MoveOn's online "fire Black" campaign. Activists see it as a hopeful sign that the national press may end its comfy clinch with McCain. "Because the Democrats are still fighting the primary battle, a lot of us got tired of waiting around," said Cliff Schecter, author of "The Real McCain: Why Conservatives Don't Trust Him and Why Independents Shouldn't" - an attempt to debunk Arizona senator's media-burnished image as a "maverick."
Still, Schecter and others acknowledged that it is hard to change the media image of someone who has been in the public spotlight since he was a Vietnam POW 40 years ago.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
McCain's Shady Association Of The Day: Randy Scheunemann
This is from USA Today. But make sure to read below the quote, as he has played a much larger role in the corruption of our government and McCain's ability to reason, which I cover in The Real McCain:
WASHINGTON — John McCain's top foreign policy adviser lobbied the Arizona senator's staff on behalf of the republic of Georgia while he was working for the campaign,public records show.
Randy Scheunemann, founder of Orion Strategies, represented the governments of Macedonia, Georgia and Taiwan between 2003 and March 1, according to the firm's filings with the Justice Department. In its latest semiannual report, the firm disclosed that Scheunemann had a phone conversation in November about Georgia with Richard Fontaine, an aide in McCain's Senate office.
Orion Strategies earned $540,000 from its foreign clients over the year ending on Dec. 1, reports show. Scheunemann also received $56,250 last year from March to July from McCain, according to campaign finance records.
The campaign consulting fees ended at a time when McCain was under financial pressure to cut costs, but Scheunemann remained the campaign's top foreign policy adviser. He represented McCain throughout last fall — including an appearance at a Republican Jewish Coalition event during the
Obama willing to ‘go more than halfway’ on FL, MI
By Paddy
Now if Hillary would stop being disingenuous and really try and fix the situation... oh, nevermind.
(CNN) — Obama senior adviser David Axelrod says the Illinois senator’s campaign is “open to compromise” and willing to cede Hillary Clinton the advantage in talks over the seating of the Florida and Michigan delegations at the Democratic National Convention this summer.
"We are willing to go more than half way. We're willing to work to make sure that we can achieve a compromise," Axelrod tells National Public Radio’s Michele Norris in a Wednesday evening interview. "And I guess the question is: is Senator Clinton's campaign willing to do the same?"
To paraphrase Duncan- Simple answer to simple question? NO.
Beer Waste Donated To Democratic Convention
By Paddy
But, but, what about the beer?
DENVER -- Some corporations donate dollars and others donate services. But Molson Coors is donating fuel made mostly out of beer waste to the Democratic National Convention.
The Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee said Wednesday that Molson Coors will donate all the ethanol-gasoline fuel blend for the convention's fleet of flex-fuel vehicles.
(snip)
The ethanol is made from beer lost during packaging or rejected on a quality basis at the company's brewery in Golden. The Denver company began converting it to ethanol in 1996 and today produces about 3 million gallons of ethanol per year.
Molson Coors, one of the world's largest brewers, also will provide beer for some events during the convention.
Thank g-d.
Florida GOP'ers bow out of congressional debates
By Paddy
I'm doing a awful lot of laughing at the Republicans today. These chickens have been so entrenched in South Florida politics that they're probably having vapors over having to defend their seats. Click on the link to read about all the scrambling and uh, lying they did to get out of the debates.
Miami's three Cuban-American Republicans have scrapped plans to participate in a series of debates with their Democratic challengers.
The South Florida AFL-CIO, which in recent years has hosted debates for mayor and governor, planned three debates next week for the nationally watched races. But the Republicans said this week they're not going, throwing the bipartisan nature of the event into doubt.
The union -- which endorsed the three incumbents in 2006 -- says the events will go on next week as scheduled. All three Democrats, who represent the first significant challenge to the incumbents, say they plan to attend and suggested the GOP'ers were reluctant to spar face-to face.
Syrian customs seize 40 Iraqi stolen museum pieces from smugglers
By Paddy
Ah, remember the day?
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Declaring that freedom is "untidy," Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Friday the looting in Iraq was a result of "pent-up feelings" of oppression and that it would subside as Iraqis adjusted to life without Saddam Hussein.
(snip)
"Freedom's untidy, and free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes and do bad things," Rumsfeld said. "They're also free to live their lives and do wonderful things. And that's what's going to happen here."
Looting, he added, was not uncommon for countries that experience significant social upheaval. "Stuff happens," Rumsfeld said.
Well, it seems the Syrians call those "free people" smugglers, and have decided to take their "untidy" treasures away from them, then send them to jail.
Syrian customs officials on Wednesday seized 40 artifacts stolen from the National Museum in Iraq as they were being smuggled across the border into the country, Syria's official news agency said.
(snip)
Al-Sayyouri said the seized pieces were "rare and would be handed back to Iraq."
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