David Corn

"In Democratic contests, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama leads rival New York Sen. Hillary Clinton in three of the four Democratic races surveyed, and the two were tied in the fourth. Though he draws strong support from black voters, he also does well among whites, and was ahead of Clinton with white voters in California.(Zobgy)"

There might be more than a little surprise coming down the pike. The avgerage error from the pollsters in SC was 16.6 points (against BHO).

“my hunch is that his campaign's goal is to take whatever punch comes on Tuesday“

The question is - can HRC take a substantial punch on Tuesday or will she be so surprised that it is a technical KO?

They said Eli and the NYG's didn't have a chance maybe this is the season for unconventional reality?

If the pollsters are only half as wrong as they were in SC it will be Obama over HRC by large margins. It seems like BHO is already gaining the big MO while HRC is . . . no so much.

I don't see any "young people" making videos in support of Hill? I hope everybody has seen Yes We Can - the vid is put together well and is very popular. Where are the pro-HRC vid's?

If young people turn out this type of thing will be the impetus.

If young people turn out this type of thing will be the impetus.
Unfortunatally young people have always been the most fickle group when it come down to translating support to actual voting. I hope I am wrong and something changes but I get the feeling the super delegates will be deciding this one and we all know which way they are leaning (for now).

I am nearly 50-50 between HRC and BHO but that is a good 50-50. I am 100% behind either upon the selection and that will have the superdelegates driving it home. I am good with either.

The most important is the general.

The slugs will try to steal it, they will do everything they can and they do have a talent for this kind of theft.

No matter who the nominee is, the GOTV has to be huge and unequivocal - undeniable.

Without the young people we lose.

We better do our very best to get them to vote. More important than ever before I think.

eyes_open:

Young people (college students) showed up in Iowa because they were on Winter Break. They were lacking in NH because they were back in school. It is not easy to remember to vote via absentee ballot, or to register in your college town.

We have to remember the GOP are in power, they can listen in, read emails, sneak and peek without court orders, the US attorneys offices are packed with loyal Bushbots, the federal bench and the SCOTUS are all getting in line, then you add Diebold ES&S and Sequoia, election officials and the outside 527's and the formula is more democrats as Sisyphus than Hercules.

We better be very careful. If they can't steal the election with all the above they couldn't tie their shoes and I think they can tie their shoes.

UGH

Beginning at 2:30 p.m. EST today, the Senate will resume debate on the pending FISA bill, by proceeding to vote on a series of amendments, most proposed by Democrats, to improve the bill. Key amendemnts include one jointly sponsored by Sens. Dodd and Feingold to strip the bill of telecom immunity; an amendment from Sen. Feinstein to transfer the telecom cases to the FISA court; an amendment jointly sponsored by Sens. Specter and Whitehouse to substitute the government for the telecoms as defendants; and an amendment from Sen. Feinstein emphasizing that FISA is the "exclusive means" by which the Government can conduct eavesdropping activites.

On Thursday, Democratic and Republican leaders reached agreement whereby certain amendments would require only 50 votes to pass, while others would require 60. It appears that these vote thresholds were set so as to ensure that none of the amendments opposed by the White House could actually pass. It seems clear that the Senate is well on its way to passing a bill that will provide both telecom immunity and vast new warrantless eavesdropping powers for the President. Nonetheless, it is still vital to secure as many favorable votes as possible, since that will provide added leverage in trying to pressure the House, which passed a much better bill back in November, to stand firm as it proceeds to negotiate with the Senate over the final bill to be sent to the White House.

Marcy Wheeler will be liveblogging the Senate proceedings at

http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com.

Cheers,
Glenn Greenwald and Jane Hamsher (from an email)

Fiengold right now on CSpan2

The slugs will try to steal it, they will do everything they can and they do have a talent for this kind of theft.

RIDICULOUS!

“After 30 years in government, serving under five presidents of both parties and chairing two non-partisan commissions on the Public Service, I have been reluctant to engage in political campaigns. The time has come to overcome that reluctance,” Mr. Volcker said in a statement today. “However, it is not the current turmoil in markets or the economic uncertainties that have impelled my decision. Rather, it is the breadth and depth of challenges that face our nation at home and abroad. Those challenges demand a new leadership and a fresh approach.”

He concluded: “It is only Barack Obama, in his person, in his ideas, in his ability to understand and to articulate both our needs and our hopes that provide the potential for strong and fresh leadership. That leadership must begin here in America but it can also restore needed confidence in our vision, our strength, and our purposes right around the world.”

That was from from Paul Volcker, former chairman of the Federal Reserve.

*****

Oh my!

On February 5, 2003, Secretary of State Colin Powell addressed the United Nations to rally support for an invasion of Iraq.

His presentation contained little substance and numerous obvious flaws, and the international community was unimpressed.

America’s mainstream media, however, declared it “compelling.”

For a nation living in the ghostly shadow of the twin towers, the media’s Good Warmaking seal of approval was enough to keep that treasonous question — “why?” — relatively unheard.

The costs — in lives, money, reputation, and more — of this war of whim are nearly incalculable.

This year’s fifth anniversary coincides with a Super Tuesday primary like no other. As Americans across the country go to the polls, a couple of hundred thousand American troops, contractors, and mercenaries are still stewing in America’s longest and most ill-conceived war.

If you have thoughts and recollections about the fateful day of Powell’s presentation, and the festival of lies and ignorance that preceded it, please send them to vastleft AT vastleft DOT com between now and February 5th. E-mailed commentaries, links to existing posts from back in the day or anytime since, and new posts on your site are all good — however you would like to express yourself about that surreal, world-changing period.

We plan to crosspost some of the most memorable submissions on the dayofshame.com blog and on correntewire.com.

Thank you for helping commemorate the tragic day — two days after the anniversary of Buddy Holly’s, Richie Valens’s and the Big Bopper’s death — the day the music really died.

From:
http://www.correntewire.com/the_day_the_music_died

Have a nice trip Corn. Can you take LBH with you and leave him there?

My primary vote

I am an independent, not registered with any party. I will vote tomorrow as a registered voter who is independent.

Mitt Romney balanced the state budget in part on the backs of homeowners. He cut aid to cities and towns by $700 million and forced cities and towns to raise their real estate taxes to fund their schools and essential service. My real estate taxes increased substantially during the time Mitt was governor. Romney’s job creation in Massachusetts was the second worst in the USA, 48th out of 50. Romney does not get my vote.

John McCain wants to stay in Iraq a hundred years if that’s what it takes. I don’t understand. This war was a mistake. There were no nukes, no poison gas, no Al Qaeda in Iraq before we invaded. We should be routing the Taliban in Pakistan not losing American lives in Iraq. McCain promised more wars and admits the economy is not his thing. McCain does not get my vote.

Hillary practices a brand of politics I do not like. It is divisive, even without all the hate coming from right wing radio. Hillary’s campaign is funded by lobbyists. We need an American government that works for the people priorities not the lobbyists. Hillary does not get my vote.

Obama has the leadership skills to unite the moderate middle. We are stuck, grid locked between the extreme left and extreme right. Obama has worked with both parties important legislation in the Senate and the legislature in Illinois. Carolyn Kennedy has described Obama’s politics as inspiring and uniting toward like her father JFK. Barack get’s my vote.

Neither Mitt Romney, John McCain or Hillary Clinton has sent me mail or called my home to ask for my vote tomorrow. Barack Obama sent me a letter a few months ago and his campaign in Boston called my home today, encouraging me to vote tomorrow and asking me to vote for Obama. I will.

Princeton University Reveals How the GOP Steals Election

Unless something is done, the GOP will steal the next election as well. Unless something is done, this series of primaries means absolutely nothing. The fix is undoubtedly in. Unless something is done, the GOP will walk away with another stolen election, another GOP nincompoop will foist upon the nation his personal and vainglorious ambitions of empire. The Military/Industrial complex is licking its chops and theocrats are lining up to play Torquemada.

The following video was produced by Princeton University. It explains precisely how the votes are stolen and will be stolen again.

******

Complete with a video. Go figure.

For the first time in a few dogs' lives California is relevant. If CA turns to Obama, HRC is hurt, if not mortally, certainly she will be reeling from the loss. I just got back from my polling and was told that Obama is ahead here. She better get a good hold on those supers she has ‘cuase this race is too close to call, maybe even right up to the key note speech at the convention.