VIDEO- Victory! Virginia Progressive Krystal Ball Beats Blue Dog in Primary

By GottaLaff



Via an e-mail:

VICTORY! Yesterday in Virginia's first congressional district, Blue Dog Democrat Scott Robinson conceded the primary to progressive champ Krystal Ball.

We've been working with Krystal for the past month, recently placed a talented field director on the ground, and officially endorsed Krystal last week. You were one of thousands of PCCC members who gave a $30,000 boost to her campaign (and our other endorsed candidate in New Hampshire).

In a caucus primary that required solid grassroots organizing, Krystal ran a people-powered campaign -- the Blue Dog did not. Krystal's progressive message inspired voters -- the Blue Dog did not.

There's an amazing video from a Democratic forum where the Blue Dog says a progressive can't win, and Krystal eloquently says why we can.

[...] Working together in 2010, PCCC members and our endorsed candidates will prove that a progressive message is the path to victory.

Thanks for being a bold progressive.

-- Stephanie Taylor, PCCC co-founder

P.S. Krystal faces a March 31 FEC fundraising deadline that people look at as a sign of a candidate's momentum. You can chip in another $4 to her campaign against right-wing Republican Rep. Rob Wittman here.

H/t: Ellen

Kesha Rogers: 'Impeach Obama' Candidate Wins Democratic Primary

Introduction Video from Kesha for Congress on Vimeo.

Dave does the digging-

After we impeach Obama, we are going to implement the LaRouche Plan, beginning with a global Glass-Steagall, and full-funding for a Moon-Mars mission, as the essential science driver behind a major commitment to build the modern infrastructure this nation needs.

Coakley, Brown win Massachusetts Senate primaries

By GottaLaff

Just got an e-mail alert from WaPo:

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley (D) and state Sen. Scott Brown (R) won U.S. Senate primary elections in the Bay State, the Associated Press projected Tuesday night. They will face off Jan. 19 in a general election to become the permanent replacement for the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy.

Nobody can replace Uncle Teddy.

Here's more.

Specter primary challenger drops out

By GottaLaff

Good news... if your name is Arlen:

Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter received welcome news Thursday evening when his only current primary challenger abandoned a run for the Democratic Senate nomination, two Democratic sources tell CNN.

Joe Torsella, the former president of the National Constitution Center, will officially announce his decision on his campaign Web site Thursday evening.

Specter and national Democratic leaders are still waiting word on whether the former Republican will be challenged for the Democratic nomination by Rep. Joe Sestak, who has not ruled out a bid for the Senate nomination.

Primary In Illinois For Rahm Emanuel's Seat

Looking forward to it, I've missed the primaries. And we have quite a few good progressive choices.

A special primary campaign for the House seat vacated by Rahm Emanuel concludes today, as voters in Illinois' 5th District -- most of whom are Democrats -- choose the candidates for the April 7 general election, CQ Politics reports.

The Chicago Tribune has profiles of the twelve candidates running.

Polls will close at 7 p.m., which is 8 p.m. Eastern time.

Two years ago today Obama announced he would form a presidential exploratory committee

Can't believe it was that long ago. Via Jake.

Hillary Clinton Endorsement Speech Parts 1 & 2

A class act, imho.

The text of the speech is here.

Clinton-Backing Congressman Says Clinton Camp Pushed Racist Strategy

By Paddy


Now this is disturbing. Sigh, and the spokesperson didn't deny it.

...But threatening to steal some thunder from the rapprochement comes Rep. Rob Andrews, D-NJ -- fresh from his primary loss to Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-NJ -- who tells the Newark Star-Ledger that it may be tough for the party to unify behind Obama since the Clinton camp "has engaged in some very divisive tactics and rhetoric it should not have."

Before the April 22 Pennsylvania primary, Andrews says, a "high-ranking person" in the Clinton campaign "pushed a strategy of winning by exploiting tensions between Jews and African-Americans.

"There have been signals coming out of the Clinton campaign that have racial overtones that indeed disturb me," Andrews said. "Frankly, I had a private conversation with a high-ranking person in the campaign ... that used a racial line of argument that I found very disconcerting. It was extremely disconcerting given the rank of this person. It was very disturbing."

The Clinton campaign's response, from spox Phil Singer: "Comments like these, coming so soon after Congressman Andrews' crushing defeat, are sad and divisive."

**NOTE-

We're having a fundraiser, and if you feel that we've added something to your experience these past few months and have a few bucks, please consider hitting that PayPal button to the right and dropping a few coins in. Thank you.

Obama Meets Secretly with Clinton

At this point it's just boring. Give her (almost) anything she wants and let's hit the campaign road. Time to start beating on McSame.

A senior Obama campaign official confirmed to NBC News that Sen. Barack Obama delayed his departure from Washington tonight to meet with Sen. Hillary Clinton at her home.

Marc Ambinder says Obama "ditched" the press corps that follows him to keep the meeting under wraps. The Hotline has more details.

Political Insider: Here's what we want to know.

Update: The New York Times notes the session was "initiated by Mrs. Clinton after a daylong series of talks between their aides."

CNN now reports the meeting took place earlier this evening "somewhere in Washington" but was not at Clinton's home.

Pelosi, Reid, Dean To Go Public: Democrats Need To Endorse

By Paddy


C'mon Al, you could sew this thing right up, no one's going to argue with you.

In the absence of a concession speech from Sen. Hillary Clinton on Tuesday night, top figures in the Democratic Party are set to go public, urging all uncommitted officials to declare their presidential affiliations.

Sources have confirmed that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, DNC Chairman Howard Dean, and an official with the Democratic Governors Association are planning to release a public statement on Wednesday morning requesting that the party close its ranks and prepare for the race against Sen. John McCain.

The move, which had been anticipated but seemed unnecessary following Obama's clinching of the nomination on Tuesday night, is an indication that few figures beyond Clinton's utmost loyalists are willing to stomach a prolonged vacation period for the New York Democrat to make up her mind.

McAuliffe: If Obama Gets Magic Number, Hillary Will Concede

By Paddy

QUESTION: If Barack Obama reaches that number today or tomorrow do you believe that Sen. Clinton is prepared to concede?

McAULIFFE: Yeah, I think that if Sen. Obama gets the numbers, I think Hillary Clinton will congratulate him, and call him the nominee.

Via Mainsailset and TPM. I'm heading out to the store, so I expect the "magic number" to have endorsed by the time I get back m'kay?

Watch These Two Men

By Paddy


Via Taegan-

Two key Democrats are very well positioned to be possible brokers between the campaigns of Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama as they work to unify their party:

Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL), who has close ties to Clinton and Obama -- and has stayed neutral in the race so far by hiding under his desk -- is likely to play a big role.

Book agent and lawyer Robert Barnett, who represented both Clinton and Obama on their lucrative book deals, may also play an important role.

If Clinton is angling to be Obama's running mate, both men are likely to play a direct role between the two campaigns.

Ooooh, One Of "Those Sites" Goes Kapluey

Go read Oliver Willis, this is the reason-

Some people are morons. Others are idiots. "He" is that rare combination of the two.

Double Breaking- Jim Clyburn (to) Endorse Obama

Tweety just said on MSNBC. More when I have the link.

**Note, Jim Clyburn had said that he wasn't going to endorse until after all the primaties.

UPDATE- CNN confirms he will endorse tomorrow (title changed to reflect), but I liked the AP's version better so here's that instead-

COLUMBIA, S.C.—House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn is endorsing Barack Obama for president.

The South Carolina congressman told The Associated Press on Monday that he has started to phone the state's superdelegates to ask them to get behind one candidate. When asked whether that candidate was Obama, Clyburn said yes.

Clyburn says he'll make a formal endorsement announcement Tuesday.

The backing of the highest-ranking black member of Congress comes more than four months after Obama won the Democratic primary in South Carolina.

Breaking: Uncommitted Senate superdelegates meeting

Ooooh, now I'm starting to have some fun.

(CNN) — Several of the 17 uncommitted Senate superdelegates are currently holding a meeting to discuss their course of action after the polls close in the final two primaries, CNN has learned.

It remains unclear exactly how many and who of the uncommitted Democratic superdelegates in the Senate will be in attendance at the meeting, which is being held at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee headquarters near the Capitol.

Clinton Expected to Suspend Campaign

By Paddy


Sounds about as close to the truth as I've read so far. (Updated note- More clues here- Clinton Staffers Urged To Turn In Receipts)

Sen. Hillary Clinton "has summoned top donors and backers to attend her speech tomorrow night in an unusual move that is being widely interpreted to mean she plans to suspend her campaign and endorse Barack Obama," according to the Huffington Post.

"Obama and Clinton spoke Sunday night and agreed that their staffs should begin negotiations over post-primary activities. In addition to help raising money to pay off some $20 million-plus in debts, Clinton is known to want Obama to help out black officials who endorsed her and are now taking constituent heat, including, in some cases, primary challenges from pro-Obama politicians."

And just let me say, as an aside to some really evil, nasty pieces of work out there- If there was some super damning video of ANY member of the Obama campaign laying around, do you really think Clinton would be backing down? You don't think her campaign would do anything to get it out for everyone to see? There's plenty of ways they could get it out without putting their fingerprints on it.

So you guys just flock together, giving hits to sycophant, racist bloggers who stuff their pockets with your cash while spreading hate. The rest of us in the "reality-based" world are going to set our sights on McCain.

Clinton National Co-Chair Vilsack says it's over

Enough already. Just. F'ng. Enough.

(CNN) – Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, one of Hillary Clinton's most ardent supporters, said Sunday it's time for Hillary Clinton to acknowledge she has lost her bid for the Democratic nomination.

Vilsack, who was briefly a presidential candidate himself last year, told the Associated Press it's "pretty clear that Senator Obama is going to be the nominee."

"After Tuesday's contests, she needs to acknowledge that he's going to be the nominee and quickly get behind him," Vilsack also said.

Hillary Closing The Election Shop?

By Paddy


Sounds like exactly what she should be doing, since she's losing.

Clinton camp converging on New York Tuesday, and shedding staff

Members of Hillary Clinton's advance staff received calls and emails this evening from headquarters summoning them to New York City Tuesday night, and telling them their roles on the campaign are ending, two Clinton staffers tell my colleague Amie Parnes.

The advance staffers -- most of them now in Puerto Rico, South Dakota, and Montana -- are being given the options of going to New York for a final day Tuesday, or going home, the aides said. The move is a sign that the campaign is beginning to shed -- at least -- some of its staff. The advance staff is responsible for arranging the candidate's events around the country.

Barack Obama Picks Up Last 5 Delegates From Puerto Rico, 2 New Supers (so far)

Just head it breaking on MSNBC. Not sure if they are add-ons or what. More when I get it.

SUPERS- Virginia DNC member Jerome Wiley Segovia and Nancy DiNardo, chairwoman of the Connecticut Democratic Party. With the new 5 from Puerto Rico, that brings the amount he needs today to 39.

Clinton wins Puerto Rico by a "wide margin"

Wolf Blitzer on CNN just called it. I'll update.

No surprise, of course. Voters who want Puerto Rico to have closer ties to the U.S. were her supporters, 82-17%. They want it to become a state.

Also, the 78% who have a favorable opinion of Bill Clinton helped her along.

Donna Brazile says that "in order to secure the nomination, the candidate has to reach 2118, which I called cheatin... If you want to start arguing electablity...Obama will have to do some homework, reach out to Hillary supporters and Independents. He has time to do that."

Jeff Toobin: He has to bring up Iraq and the Supreme Court Justices, not atmospherics. Appeal to people's intelligence.

Suzanne Malveaux: There was a lot of compromise going on with Michigan and Florida. They have the numbers to push 50-50, so they reached out to the Clinton team, to work with them. They do have to reach out to women voters, though.

Jeff: The 19-8 vote on Michigan meant Hillary supporters were reaching out.

Donna: On the hijacked comment by Harold Ickes: I saw the 2 camps compromising, and we went for the compromise given by the Michigan Democratic party. We saw a lot of people at each other, but we agreed to be civil, we talked about our goals...so quite frankly, I was shocked, at his anger. I held myself back. My sisters are proud of me because I could have [gone further], I wanted to show Harold a little "salt and vinegar". This is about people making ends meet, and I'm gonna stick with the unity plan, not this intramural fight. Harold's anger was directed at the Clinton supporters in the room. I could direct [messages] to Clinton/Obama supporters, but this is about the party. I felt uncomfortable changing the metric, but we had to send a message to Michigan and Florida.

Jeff: The "going to the convention" attitude is not picking up steam.