Craig Crawford's Trail Mix

Mika is already snarky--Craig is not even on yet-her
intro was sarcastic

LOOK OUT CRAIG...Morning Joe is under the influence of BO.

Hard to watch her in the mornings....

Craig IS AWESOME!!!!!!!!! You are doing a GREAT CRAIG!!!!!!!!

mika is a jerk.

That was the most disgraceful exchange I've seen in quite awhile on that network - and that's saying alot. Craig, you should punch Tweety in the nose the next time you see him, unless Buchanan does it on the set later in the segment. Mika is a joke today.

Hey

My favorite attack line from the McCain people.

"We have all become familiar with Senator Obama's new brand of politics," Salter wrote. "First, you demand civility from your opponent, then you attack him, distort his record and send out surrogates to question his integrity"
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/election2008/story/36521.html

That about sums up the Obama campaign.

When you cross liberal scorched earth smears with the balls of a chicago machine politician, it is one ugly pup.

You Obama and Clinton snipers have fun, this is the last fun any of you are going to have for a long time.

I'll stop in and read a bit from time to time but I've got work to do.

Friends don't let friends vote a straight ticket
Vote for divided government
Vote McCain

OOPS....you are doing a GREAT JOB AT EXPLAINING HER STATEMENT. sorry fingers were thinking on their own..LOL

anyone know if that's the only appearance of Craig this morning? I switched channels to FOX after his slot - don't want to look at Tweety or Mika.

Morning,
If Hillary has big wins in Puerto Rico and WV, can she close the popular vote count again?

This could be another changer,,,

But my BIG QUESTION - Why the push by the Dems leadership to not honor the process and go to the convention? What are they afraid of? Why does Howard Dean want her to step out of the race now and not stay in? Oh yea, it is Howard Dean..... This will become a new phrase going forward for ingroance in politics, with a scream - Oh That sounds like a HD !!

MORNing Joe should be called all about MIKA and Chris. I can't take it much longer..turning channel!!!

pug.....hey, dont quit now....you just moved from troll to valued member of the blog in only a couple of days........lol

Craig,

You are my hero. I just watched you on Morning Joe and you actually
stood up to Chris Matthews who tried to bully you into agreeing with
his argument that Hillary Clinton is a racist.

He even tried to suggest that to talk about race at all is off the table
when 95% of African Americans are voting for Obama! Is the man
completely wacky?

When Matthews accused you of doing anything to help Hillary Clinton,
I thought you handled his attack beautifully. You said that
you were in fact balanced and most of the pundits are Obama
supporters. Wow! I was so proud of you for finally saying what
no other pundit will.

Matthews really blew his cool facade. He got all red and exploded!

Craig, why is it that the media is so insistent that Hillary is racist
simply because she mentions the truth that the majority of white working class
voters aren't now voting for Obama?

On Mo Jo, you were so right to suggest that if Dems ignore the big
elephant in the living room--the fact Obama isn't getting the
white working class vote is a big mistake and spells doom for
them in the general election.

Craig, please answer some questions I have.

Why can't Matthews and his posse accept the fact that race is an important
issue in this election without accusing everyone of racism when they
mention it?

Why is it that it is not okay to talk about the fact that almost every
African American is voting for Obama?

Do you think this is fair? Please answer.

marcia......msnbc's job is to get obama nominated.....General Electric and all that.......msnbc is now obama's own Fox network......in short, they suck.

Sorry I posted twice. The first comment wasn't meant to be sent.
It's early A.M. and I got upset having to endure listening to Chris Matthews
for the last hour.

Prof Marcia....
Motivation.... Not Racist...
May the Ping suggest a correction of the language for the election.
Their is nothing wrong with “like constituents”
So for those Women that want to vote only for Hillary because they want a women in the White House… Go for it.
For Blacks or African Americans that want to vote for Barack because he is Black, go for it.
Or for the average voter that votes for the taller, GQ candidate – go for it !!
This alone is not racist.

Sometimes people protest to much – and I would go right back at the ones calling the race card and strongly suggest that maybe they are trying to resolve their own issues.

Take it to the bank

even imus is attacking the honesty of the press......specifically bob herbert's leaving out the fact that hillary was quoting the AP story about the white support thing.......

Very Eloquent Ping!

Craig....
you were great..... going toe to toe with sleazy Matthews.... you made him look like the fool he truly is.....

prof. marcia..... great post....
I agree with sturg..... that stupid channel wants McCain to win the general.... so they must bury the Dem's best chance to beat him.....

I was at a family barbecue yesterday..... one of my brother-in-laws works in DC for the Dept of Agriculture..... he told me most DC workers he talks with will be glad to see Bush go..... he said they all talk about a Clinton or McCain presidency...... and most don't think Obama can win in the general....

Pug.
Pug are you a fellow Red !! ??
Come back

When Craig was going off, Mika said something about seeing him in the next segment.

Chef Sheila,
Thanks !! I like common ground

Suggested reading... Blue Like Jazz.
Worried about religion and the far right?
This book may add a new "place" or box to put most of the centric middle america. - at least the Ping.

Reprise:
If obama is going to lose anyway, which seems to be consensus among some folks...........why not all out war? Why lose 3 in a row without a damn fight? If we're looking at McCain anyway, why not fight so that there is a possibility of winning one for a change?

I've seen no evidence which indicates that obama will fare any better than McCarthy, McGovern, Carter 2, Mondale, Dukakis, Gore or Kerry......and there's fat teddy mixed into all of it with his little panties in a twist........and Kerry actually has the nerve to ENDORSE someone? jeebus.....you couldnt write a fiction novel with this plot..........
Any daughter of mine would be on the ramparts with steel tipped darts.......it's time to win one..........how?
By fighting and not quitting.
Hillary 08........
On to the convention.

by the way.......if the democrat party hasnt been destroyed by gore's loss and kerry's loss and bush's past 7 years I dont see how Hillary can do the decrepit old bastard any harm by fighting to win one.

If it dont work, you cant break it........and it right now and for the past 2 elections.....doesnt work in any meaningful way.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/05/doubt-serves-clinton-in-party.html#comment-80913

that's okay, prof marcia, i cleaned up your duplicate post . just remember to only hit SUBMIT once until checking to make sure a comment is published. Even if you get an error message or long delay, it will probably go through

in answer to your questions, everyone wants to talk about race on their own terms i guess. it is such a touchy issue. but as a political analyst, i see no way to avoid addressing it as a factor in the campaign

Sturg, Well said.

My other REALLY BIG QUESTION for many on this Clisters... Dem first then American?
What if McCain is the better choice?

Ping my Friend,

Not talking for anyone else here. But for me its not Party First.

But that said, you know me. I've been in politics for eons. I have been there and done that for McCain and he is officially off my preferance list for good.

Was a hard choice but my frustrations and my regret for McCains re-nouncement of his own moral stands over the years trumps my vote.

So, in fact, my careful selection of Obama is my moral stand for my country.

Some may think of Party First. I never have.

well that was fast, already a thread up about this morning's segment on MSNBC Morning Joe board:

http://boards.msn.com/MSNBCboards/thread.aspx?threadid=662027

"Sometimes people protest to much – and I would go right back at the ones calling the race card and strongly suggest that maybe they are trying to resolve their own issues.
Take it to the bank "

Ping Pong....we seldom agree, but I completely concur with you on this one. Chris Matthews is a perfect example. I've heard him admit that he knew almost no blacks for decades, and then say even discussing race makes him uneasy.

But the most telling comments by pundits are those that start out with "Hillary and Bill played a race card" then end up with, "Well, it's going to be hard for McCain to campaign against Obama without looking...." Then they trail off. That attitude is extremely troubling because it is so insidiously racist.

Many of those who talk about race in accusatory terms are lily whites in lily white worlds. AND they are in fact, uneasy around blacks. If you'll notice, some of them continually talk about whites "being afraid of the black man." That just kills me. It must be on their minds a lot.

Craig,

Several months ago you said the establishment has won (referring to Obama.)

I have often wondered exactly what you meant by that. Will you expand on that thought?

Chef Shelia.
NIcely said back at ya !

May the civil tone of the CListers prevail and vetting the issues and facts

My concern is the hate for Bush is not a reason to vote for someone -

Ping here is another look at Country First or Party First question.

An Observation on my part that most either don't think about or don't care.

There are irrefutable beliefs and almost cultural differances between Quote Unquote republicans and Democrats and Independents.

Not going to add what I have observed because its kind of like pointing out perceived deficiencies and It all in the eye of the beholder. But we all know what the differences are.

It almost looks like a DNA difference some times.

yes, shannon, i just don't see anything in Obama's record to suggest that his deeds will match his words when it comes to challenging the establishment. he rose thru the ranks of Chicago politics by playing along to get along -- and certainly set no fires in the US Senate. If anything, McCain has the robust record of challenging Washington pork, campaign finance, etc. but he's no anti-establishment figure either

Sturge , you're such a Negative Nancy! LOL!

Craig:

I asked you this in a previous post and will pose the question again:

Question: What did HIllary Clinton say in her comments that referred to Obama's race? Her point was that she is appealing to white working class voters. The media then chooses to continue her sentence like this: "And Barack Obama cannot appeal to that demographic because he is black." That is not what she said, that is what the media inferred from her comments.

In reality, the reason he is not capturing white working class voters is not because of his race...it is for many other reasons. Inexperience, elitism, too far left, the bitter comments etc. Injecting his race is the choice of the media and the Obama campaign based on their dogged determination to paint the Clintons as racist.

Kerry did not get the white working class vote and neither did Gore. They were both white. What's the excuse for their failure? Could it be for the same reasons that Obama isn't getting their vote? This is not a race-based issue. The only Democrat in recent history to get white working class voters? Bill Clinton. That may have something to do with her success with these voters. Not her race.

Corey.........yeah, but................

Wow, if KO had been there, MoJo could’ve held a sanctimoniousness-off. Craig, brave of you to point out that viewing an issue from a side other than pro-BO does not denote racism.

I have no faith that the Dems have the foresight to win the general. If there is a large block of voters, whatever the make-up, that won’t support your candidate, don’t bother buying the balloons for the victory party. I had a sinking feeling when they put Kerry at the top of the ticket & I have the same feeling about BO being the nom.

What I haven’t heard from the BO is what, specifically, this “change” is supposed to be or how he plans to make it happen. What I have seen is an arrogant, detached man who is ill-prepared for office (much like George W. Bush), and who seems peeved whenever the media doesn’t coddle him.

Crawdads – If you don’t like those horrid “lock-up” ads, please join me in contacting MSNBC to let them know.

Also, does anyone else have trouble with posts not submitting? I have had to resort to cutting & pasting from Word.

Ally, the Clintons get the media dunce cap every time they mention race, no matter what they say. to those who think they're helping Obama by racially swift boating anybody who talks about race, i say they are only further alienating white voters from him.

Chef,
Our DNA and desire for peace, liberty and happiness are probably very close.
As Americans the differences may be in the route taken to achieve what is most likely a very similar outcome.

One difference I will throw out there.
Entitlements - Yes Every American CITIZEN is entitled to the right and opportunity to work hard and contribute both to their own needs and to the good of the country.

Can we agree?

Ping....
"like constituents"..... you nailed it....

I don't get how it's "racist" to say that Clinton is winning the white working class vote....
yet it's not "racist" to suggest that Obama make Richardson his VP so he can attract the Hispanic vote....

and when we talk about candidates picking a running mate..... hasn't it always been about "balancing the ticket"..... if the candidate is a northerner, he might be wise to choose a southerner or visa versa.....

what's the difference?..... when discussing the strategy of winning a campaign one always talks about "voting blocs"....

what a croc this whole thing has become, IMO....

If we all just accept Obama as our personal savior , everything will be alright. Heck , I'm so dumb that I didn't realize until yesterday that Obama's original opposition for Illinois senate was supposed to have been Jack Ryan!

blueINdallas, that's a new one. your comments don't publish when directly typed into the box, but do publish when you copy and paste from Word? trying to understand your problem so that i can alert the tech team

Ally,

I know I am about to lose a cannon ball that I don't particularly let on myself.

But here is an accepted theory in the ranks of my fellow campaign veterans. usually something sane in the insane.

As Craig write this morning. The math is there for Obama's presumptive nomination. The campaigns are starting to quietly shuffle and position for the nect phase, as they always do.

The whispers for this weekend was, "Clinton just did the Democratic Party a Favor by getting this last issue up front in the American conscience."

This means that by the time this has been talked out adnauseum, it can't become a whisper campaign for the general.

Everyone KNOWS it was a mistake, but Clinton's remarks is a valuable mistake for Democrats. Both candidates have made some serious gaffes that have served the campaign in positive ways.

Ping, RR and everyone,

So... what phrases to you think the holier than thou use to describe the usual voting demographic groups?

Were Obama's "I Lost My Mind In San Francisco" words a tip of his hand?

This could be fun.

O brave New Politics that has such people in it!

Craig: I just said as much on a post I made to the MSNBC boards under the name IowaMom38. I believe it is slanderous the way the media filled in what Hillary said to be about Obama's race and not specifically about the voting bloc she was siting in the quote to the AP. There are other reasons he is not getting the vote of the white working class. A vote for McCain in the fall will be a vote against Political Correctness.

http://boards.msn.com/MSNBCboards/thread.aspx?threadid=662027

Craig - Right on.. Glad to see you on the right!!

A change in the language,,, Racist is ugly.
Constituents’ is accepted

I meant to say "citing". Whoops.

Wow! Mika is at her worst today. Didn't her mother ever tell her, "You're face is going to freeze that way!"

She is just one never ending, know it all, snarky smirk.

Jamie,

I will not be sending Mika a Randy Radish.

You, however...

Ping, I agree . That one is always first and foremost on our deams list. But its the smaller techniques we use to get there that invade the diffferances. Interesting eh?

Craig..question? if Clinton wins WVa and Ky by ..let's just say 65%,why doesn't she get all the delegates?

Craig: Another tactic that will backfire in the GE? The recent comparisons of Hillary to Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction made by Obama surrogates as well as the political editor at NPR. Charming. Really charming.

Chef Sheila.
not only interesting but in productive dialoge can be rewarding.

Gotta get ready to go to my capitalistic evil world.

Catch up later.

Good Job Today Craig... Your Constituents approved

Wah! I missed seeing Craig on MoJo! I was watching the local news for school closings. Our kids have no school today due to flooding.

You Orlando TMixers are so lucky to have been able to hang out with Craig on Friday.

emmy, unlike the GOP, the Democrats have no winner-take-all primaries

Everyone start calling for a clip on utube. I bet it would be the replay from hell for this week. ;0)

Craig,

Does WV have any of those "weighted" districts as well?

Once this is all over, someone really needs to talk about how one vote really isn't the equal to another vote and how you can stack up an equal amount or more delegates without winning a majority of votes.

9/11

Have you gotten any sleep or is it a Bad Day At Black Rock?

You lost me ... Randy Radish?

Jamie,

Amen. Time to cancel That Other 70's Show.

jamie, CQ did a nice job of the WV details here: http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000002826695

if they really wanted to make scarborough's show more betterer they should make mika and jackie meretsky change places........

woow.....possible 900 students buried in rubble in China. God bless those babies....

Jamie,

Amen. Time to cancel That Other 70's Show.

Craig,

That is insane. Up until this election, I don't think even a lot of the politically aware knew that the Democratic vote counting rules were written in heiroglyphics with everyone getting a participation ribbon.

Was there a time that Obama builders had concern that he was not Black Enough?

Just as Dr Frankenstein built his creature, The creators of BHO need to be very careful not to get the wrong mix.

After my rant about population yesterday, just heard something I sort of knew but that hadn't registered:

40% of the world's population lives in India and China. India has a middle class equal in size to the total population of the United States.

Ping,

Obama is his own creater. The "Black Enough surge and the very beginning....even amost 2 years ago, was of course the press.

The major vetting force of this campaign has been the need for 24/7 cable news.

Many could say that Hillary Clinton's hardest campaign negative was Barack Obama's vetting by the Media. They literally clmbed all over any elepant to turn it white.

They have picked through the dried bones and poored water over them to see if there was life. And that was both Clinton and Obama.

But, McCain? We have yet to see what will resurface in the Media's salivay glands.

Marcia, I missed Craig this morning and enjoyed your post because I got to hear some of what he said through you Thanks!

I think the reason Mathews and others say you can't talk about race is to instill fear, to suggest your a racist if you don't vote for Obama. That illiminates opposition and that's the last thing they want. I actually think that's been the strategy of his whole campaign.

pugnacious:"We have all become familiar with Senator Obama's new brand of politics," Salter wrote. "First, you demand civility from your opponent, then you attack him, distort his record and send out surrogates to question his integrity" My favorite too.

First think I saw this morning is Drudge calling Hillary's supporters "Hillbillies" and showing a picture of Hillary stumping titled: "Mountain Mama lookin for landslide".
They figure we couldn't be supporting her unless we're clueless hicks who don't know any better." Speaking of
"antipathy toward others who are different than them".
What snobs.

Marcia, I missed Craig this morning and enjoyed your post because I got to hear some of what he said through you Thanks!

I think the reason Mathews and others say you can't talk about race is to instill fear, to suggest your a racist if you don't vote for Obama. That illiminates opposition and that's the last thing they want. I actually think that's been the strategy of his whole campaign.

pugnacious:"We have all become familiar with Senator Obama's new brand of politics," Salter wrote. "First, you demand civility from your opponent, then you attack him, distort his record and send out surrogates to question his integrity" My favorite too.

First thing I saw this morning is Drudge calling Hillary's supporters "Hillbillies" and showing a picture of Hillary stumping titled: "Mountain Mama lookin for landslide".
They figure we couldn't be supporting her unless we're clueless hicks who don't know any better." Speaking of
"antipathy toward others who are different than them".
What snobs.

Today's letter is "O"

Obama
Oprah
OBNOXIOUS

The BONBC morning gang is so obnoxious.

Chef Sheila,
Obama is indeed himself, I for one among millions still not sure what that is...
My point is to those that are trying to create the Barack, and based on their own bias and paradigms, they each add something to the mix. Again this is possible because his mixing bowl is pretty empty - which is expected from a young upstart.
He has also allowed not only his political machine to define him, but he has also loved the MSM vaulting.

So who is the Real BHO?

The cookie dough is still raw

LOL Ping, you are a real poetic, but stick to your day job! Glad you are here to make my day.

So in the spirit of your prose,

Obama is not empty. He has a miriad of brush strokes that a lot like you, are either not paying attention too, but maybe don't want to highlight.

He is not an empty bowl. But then all those that refuse to know their enemy will only get a better look when he is in the White House. ;0)

Good Morning Craig, Everyone:

Good job ass usual on MSNBC Craig☺
All this velvet glove treatment of the messiah Obama is starting to make me nauseated! Ohhhhh don't say anything bad about Obama he is the "presumptive nominee blahhhhhhh blahhhhhhh spare me!

I am sick of this white guilt nonsense that Obama has to be the first African American president elected to make up for all the white racist supremacist past so we can absolve our white conscious guilt of our ancestors.

Thats what it is all about and everyone is afraid to admit it. How can a little known African American from the Illinois State legislature with little experience and an incomplete term in the
senate can be so close to the nomination?

We all know the answer to that now don't we. Oh he speaks so eloquently off a prepared memorized speech or teleprompter but when he speaks contemporaneously its his sentence structure is laced with long pauses ummmmmm's ahhhhhh's and other gramatical imperfections his pauses are so long enough for rip van winkle's nap time. It is like he has to make sure his lies are accurate and nothing he says he will be caught in a lie.

Obama is a con artist a hustler that refuses to pay his dues of experience, [I want the presidency and I want it yesterday]

In the state legislature he voted "present" over 120 times yet the media and his supporters allow him to get away with that garbage, goodness he"s African American don't you dare be critical of him you bad racist! Well what do you know the presidency has become an affirmative action program Senator Hillary Clinton had to spot the sainted Obama with a handicap.

Meanwhile the race card is being played against Hillary by Obama surrogates, media included and everything that Bill or Hillary say about race is deliberately taken out of context and they are indirectly accused of racism and being racists! Good Grief!
Other than create divisive nonsense what has Obama accomplished? I am sick and tired of his nonsense and this stupid fear if Hillary is nominated African Americans will take their bat and ball and go home and not vote, thats simple extortion and intimidation. It is simple common sense people Senator Clinton is far better qualified to be president

Meanwhile Obama and Co. are using sexist code words against Senator Clinton many on air media Journalists make a point of saying Senator Barack Obama and just "Hillary" in the same sentence structure as to demean her stature and importance no no she is not Senator Hillary Clinton, no no she's just plain 'ol "Hillary" I have no problem with that if it were just a sentence structure focused on her, but when using both names then equality applies. Sexism is peachy dandy these days but say anything critical of our precious presumptive nominee we will tar and feather you! Get over yourself! that is a media invention... there is no formal status of presumptive nominee crapola you are either a nominee our you are not! Lets stop acting like social morons.

Senator Clinton You go girl! Do what you need to do

--Heather!

Sorry typo Craig meant to say as usual
--Heather

Craig why do you think this story re: an Obama advisor meeting repeatedly with Hamas has made it to MSM today. This advisor was anti Isreal and pro Hamas on record in 2006 so we can assume he would advise Obama to be the same yet he is sacked on Friday and buried in the news.....

Sheila,

This could just be a subjective matter of language and meaning.

And this isn't "about" politics. You have lived among and worked with a remarkable range of people worldwide under circumstances I can't even begin to imagine.

And you have been there for the people you love when there was no place left to hide dire realities.

So you know about life. (And life knows about you.)

What to you is the difference between someone who is his "own creation" and those people who are soi-disant -- prone to making broad claims about their character, nature, uniqueness?

Do you real feel any of us "create ourselves"? Don't we actually do best when we work with what we've got rather than decide to put our self-created imprinteur on our lives?

To me a person who is his or her own creation decides they are the game rather than someone who learns to play it.

And it is more often than not the latter who succeed in life.

Well, what do I know? I just work, think, feel, write. And I'm not the person I've been waiting for --

I'm just the person who I have to learn inside out and deal with no matter how I screw up.

Nick: Uneducated does not mean stupid. On that we agree. Working class voters vote on "real life" issues. My vote has always been for the most vulnerable members of our society who need and benefit from government when it works at its best. To me, that is what being a Democrat is about. "Eggheads" can afford to vote for high-minded rhetoric and ideals.

When I first heard Clinton speak it was like a laundry list of the things she wanted to accomplish. I was mesmerized by all of this policy wonk-ish talk. On the other hand, when I heard Obama, it was very uplifting but very light on the specifics. I felt like I was watching Michael Douglas in the American President.

In addition, Clinton's causes more closely related my own (health care, education, women and children.)

As a 38-year-old, I am not looking to a politician to make me feel good. I know that a politician isn't going to make me happy. I don't need or want rhetoric, I want someone who I trust will march in to that office and get s*$t done. I can picture her in the Oval Office taking care of business. I just don't get the same image from Obama.

Craig I meant why do you think the advisor story has NOT made it to MSM---

Craig, At first I was disappointed Joe was not on today, but the exchanges you had with Matthews were better. You have more class, knowledge, and integrity than Mika and Chris put together! Yea Heather's back!

DG in NC,

The Obama Advisor was sumarily tossed from the campaign has fast as Senator Clinton tossed Shaheen early on.

This stuff doesn't belong in the campaigna and both senators have proven that they can hire and fire when the occasion arises.

What is Obama gonna be doing in the White House? Visiting?

Chef Sheila. Very nice...
That was beautiful, I have a tear in my eye...

FYI,, I did like the message in his books....
Off to work and I leave with this question.

Will the paint in his brush withstand the weathering?

Ping

For you to know and others to discover

Heather,

Not to worry --

"Ass usual" has its life 'round here, too.

mornin', all.

Jamie, I doubt that any of WV's districts are weighted - only the Charleston or Morgantown areas have sufficient population that it would be likely - we've only got a couple million people in the entire state - and Charleston is in the part of the state the elects Shelly Moore Capito to congress every couple of years. I'll probably bump into our local political boss today or tomorrow, and if I do I'll ask him.

sturg, that would improve the aesthetics of the show IMHO, but I've never known of tv meteorologists to be particularly insightful - of course I've never considered Mika particularly insightful, either. But a political show based on pleasant but inane banter instead of political insight and analysis might be just the ticket.

Heather, welcome back. You've been missed. Ready for another bout of nastiness? I could be wrong, but I'm guessing it could be coming.

pogo....my point, I guess, was that I think meretsky would be far more insightful than mika.....

also will try to answer your e-mail today sometime......I'm "composing"........lol

"will only get a better look when he is in the White House. ;0)"

Kind of like what happened with "W"......

"Craig I meant why do you think the advisor story has NOT made it to MSM --- Posted by: DG in NC"

you are right, DG, that it hasn't exactly rocked the front pages. Guess it doesn't fit the triumphant media narrative that Obama is enjoying at the moment. but expect McCain to stay on it until it does get more attention. Lynn Sweet of Chicago Sun-Times wrote this:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/sweet/943467,CST-NWS-Sweet11.article

looks like the RNC disagrees with you Chef- they are following up on it. I mean meeting with Hamas repeatedly in recent months and advising the presumptive nominee are politically related and have little to do with effective firing in my opinion like the RNC says, it seems to be yet another poor character choice to have supporting your campaign and advising you especially when you are anti Israel and BO is giving 60th b-day speeches !!

I have a myriad of brush strokes as well. They are all painting happy little trees. Well , maybe not brush strokes...just some finger painting here and there. LOL!

Thank You Melanie and Pogo, much appreciated my love to both of you
--Heather

Do you real feel any of us "create ourselves"? Don't we actually do best when we work with what we've got rather than decide to put our self-created imprinteur on our lives?

Hi sweetie,

Yes I feel that as "Free Will" individuals, we weigh choices, choose what we think is best for ourselves, measure the consequenses, and learn and grow from mistakes.

As a public personality, there is also the choice to retain the power of your own personality or give it away to the highest bidder. As in the case of all three candidates? I believe that two have definately NEVER sold themselves to the highest bidder.

But one has recently had a struggle with the devil and the jury is still out whether or not the American public has decided if the dance was worth it for not.

corey .......lol............did you ever see that old painter on public TV who used to paint "happy little bushes" and "happy little trees" ?

Dear Sheila,

I like the premise of your answer.

I'm not sure which two out of three ain't bad as you state it.

There is enough evidence available to show three peccable candidates, each in proportion to their years of seeking and holding power.

"I am not looking to a politician to make me feel good. I know that a politician isn't going to make me happy. I don't need or want rhetoric, I want someone who I trust will march in to that office and get s*$t done. "

Well said, Ally!

Indeed , I did! I miss that guy , Sturge!

looks like the RNC disagrees with you Chef- they are following up on it. I mean meeting with Hamas repeatedly in recent months and advising the presumptive nominee are politically related and have little to do with effective firing in my opinion like the RNC says, it seems to be yet another poor character choice to have supporting your campaign and advising you especially when you are anti Israel and BO is giving 60th b-day speeches !!

Posted by: DG in NC | May 12, 2008 9:12

I know DG N NC,

I raise you McCains Convention Chair resigning...

The public relations executive whom Senator John McCain's campaign had chosen to run the Republican National Convention this summer resigned his post on Saturday after a magazine reported that his firm had lobbied for the military junta that runs Myanmar

Bottom line? Let the vetting continue!

he was great.....he even had me trying to paint something................lol

and 9/11 that was just the only way I could express a personal opinion on this blog without getting my fingers splayed. ;0)

I'll keep my personal opinions to myself. Ya'll go ahead!

Another politician who really cares about the party. Ted Kennedy on the Dream Ticket:

"Well, the first is always a demand that you're going to have someone that's going to be able to assume the responsibility. I would hope that he would also give consideration to somebody that has –- is in tune with his appeal for the nobler aspirations of the American people. And I think if we had real leadership –- as we do with Barack Obama –- in the number-two spot as well, it'd be enormously helpful."

The media has a lot of nerve telling the American public that Clinton is the one endangering party unity. I am beginning to think that the DNC doesn't read e-mails or listen to voice mails from Clinton supporters.

Harry Reid interview set to re-play on Imus at 9:30.....

sturge and corey,

He had me trying to paint something, too...

My TV screen.

Mika is the poster girl for "bleeding heart liberal". Just reporting the quake in China, she almost started crying. Nothing wrong with being sympathetic, but she's the kind you put in a corner somewhere to sob and wring their hands with, "Just sit here out of the way honey, we have work to do".

9/11

lol..................ouch

I took art in 12th grade. Our teacher let us listen to music in class. One half of the class was into heavy metal , the other half was into rap music. Quite the class.

Heather: "Oh he speaks so eloquently off a prepared memorized speech"

You forgot to mention those memorized speeches are written by someone else. If you want more info. from him, you're told to go to his website and read something else someone other than him wrote.

'It is simple common sense people Senator Clinton is far better qualified to be president"

We're not supposed to use "common sense". We're supposed to think what the media tell's us we think.
Every morning I tune in to hear them say: The American people think this, the American people think that.

And most of all, I agree with your last line.
"Senator Clinton You go girl! Do what you need to do"

i havent painted my tv screen since "Winky Dink" went off the air..........................

good "morning" fellow bloggers. Mauro and I are back from 2 fabu days in Amsterdam. One of our pleasures was a candlelight boat cruise around the city, and Mauro selling 20 copies of his comic book to a comic shop in the Red Light District. Mauro, bless his heart, was shocked by the RLD. The women standing in the windows ready for customers left him almost without words. On the cruise it was pointed out that the "working women" have full wage benefits, pensions, health care, vacation pay and a union. Also with legalized prostitution, the criminal element is greatly reduced and the women are not left to just fend for themselves. On the other hand, one wonders if some of the women are there against their will... Many women are brought in from Eastern Europe and are told of great job opportunities and find themselves in this line of work. On balance though, this is a better system than treating the workers as criminals and the customers as just that.

Sorry for the tangent! It is warm and sunny in Ghent. Did anyone read the piece from my friend Nancy Sigafoos re: Hillary on Mother's Day? The blog is here:

http://eurotom.blogspot.com/

I'm still for Hillary, but enough of this foolishness that we DEMS will not vote for Obama if he is the victor. Like I've said before, I don't care who it is, but supporting someone who sees Iraq as a 100 year war is not someone I want in the Oval Office.

PERSONAL NOTE GOOD NEWS: I am down around 17 kilos which is around 37 lbs. I have been able to stop one diabetic medicine, and reduce the prescription strength of my reflux meds. I feel younger! Still another 8 kilos to go... then the work to maintain... I won't go for real thin, just a healthy balance between small and big.

That's all from here!

ET

Craig
Regarding your comment that the Dems have no winner take all states, if a candidate receives fewer than 15% of the votes, does that candidate still qualify for delegates? It was my understanding that even a Democrat could garner all the votes if the opponent were held to <15%.,

"JERUSALEM – An adviser to Sen. Barack Obama who quit after it was reported he held talks with Hamas was a well-known supporter of negotiations with Hamas and providing international assistance to the terrorist group."

http://worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=64023

a correction. Obviously I am not 37 lbs, that is how much I have lost :-)

yes, that is correct, maggisd, but i surely dont see Obama getting less than 15 percent in WV or KY. he is polling well above that in both

We're not supposed to use "common sense". We're supposed to think what the media tell's us we think.
Every morning I tune in to hear them say: The American people think this, the American people think that.

And most of all, I agree with your last line.
"Senator Clinton You go girl! Do what you need to do"

Posted by: Meg | May 12, 2008 9:29 AM

Meg, don't let anyone especially the Media make you rethink your own personal choices.

Afterall, almost half the Dem Primary Voting demographic voted like you. thats a very high number.

Don't let these tabliod snippets create a feeling that there is something wrong with your choises, because there was not. My Choice for Obama was not wrong, just like MAXTRUE can't believe that his choice is bad too.

No one should ever regret their choices unless their choice is indirect conlist with moral compass.

IN this country, we rely too much on winning.

Senator Clinton You go girl! Do what you need to do

--Heather!
Posted by: Heather

Heather, glad you're back. I've missed you. Nice to see a fine measure of reality and grit.

toast

Ally said:

"I am not looking to a politician to make me feel good. I know that a politician isn't going to make me happy. I don't need or want rhetoric, I want someone who I trust will march in to that office and get s*$t done. I can picture her in the Oval Office taking care of business. I just don't get the same image from Obama"

Not sure, Obama did either.

Here's a 30 second evaluation by Obama as to his qualifications to run for President from Nov., 2004.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BnLozS-TnM

Truly, gives one pause to consider how we have arrived at the place we are today.

No one should ever regret their choices unless their choice is indirect :CONFLICT" with moral compass.

...wow...slugging down more coffee. ;0)

Here Maggie,

This should make your eyes cross and give you one major migraine. You have to ask who on the Obama campaign really studied the rules and how to shill the system. If you are a politician, you really want to hire that person for 2012.

http://s3.amazonaws.com/apache.3cdn.net/3e5b3bfa1c1718d07f_6rm6bhyc4.pdf

sturgeone,

Winky Dink... and you!
Winky Dink... and me!
Always have a lot of fun together!

And -- it's coming back. Magic green screen? Check. The character design's been changed but there is a small drawing of the original Winky on the packaging.

GORDO: In fairness to Sen Obama, whom I do not support, this man who resigned apparently works for a group whose job it is to seek openings for dialogue with the bad actors of the world; moreover, he described himself as the most unofficial of advisors and he stated that he had resigned before being asked to do so, because he felt he might be a distraction.
On the other hand, I find it illustrative of the mind-set of many people with whom Sen Obama surrounds himself ... persons who are prepared to find a moral equivalency or a common ground with groups which have never themselves shown a willingness to compromise, particularly as relates to Middle East conflicts.

sturg, no need to wax poetic - I'm good at shoot from the hip advice.

Have to laugh about a couple of things that have come up here - first, clean coal. I represent coal comanies in different matters, and one thing I know is that coal is not clean and from the perspective of carbon dioxide emissions, can't be made clean. WV's idea of clean coal is getting rid of the sulphur, soot and fly ash that comes out of the power station stacks. Coal is carbon - it can't burn without producing CO2, and no matter how "clean" it is, it is going to continue to plague the planet with greenhouse gasses. The CO2 capa and trade system that Obama has proposed is just a smoke and mirrors approach IMHO to actually doing something to reduce and ultimately eliminate our production of CO2. Yes, yes, I know he has other energy plans for renewable energy, non-corn ethaol, etc., so no need to jump. That part of his plan - and liquified coal, is illusory - the germans did that in WW2 and we think it is somehow a step toward energy independence, as the expense of the glaciers.

The other is the WV demographic profile. The CQ article doesn't mention it, but the 2nd district (Charleston- Eastern Panhandle) is the where the bulk of AAs in the state are - and is the only district with a repub. rep. in the USHoR. My guesstimate came to the same result in a different way - I saw a HRC total blowout in the southern part of the state, a split in the central and a 2-1 HRC margin in the north. Andn WV is full of hardworking white folks and an overabundance of people on the public teat. Getting a handicapped plackard here is as simple as being overweight and saying your knees hurt. And getting disability - don't get me started, but suffice it to say that SSDI is a way of life for many in this state. And the state will vote for McCain in Nov.

Sturg - is that the white guy painter with the sort of light orange afro? If so, he's still on.

Coreen: Ouch. That's gotta hurt. Thank you for posting that!

Eurotom,

Such heartfelt congratulations to you -- what a goal, what a journey, what a transformation.

Ally: Sen Kennedy owes Sen Clinton an apology. As a charter member of the Kennedy Library Foundation and a past contributor to Sen Kennedy, I have written to him demanding that he reconsider his words and apologize.

Pogo,

On TV, yes. On the earth, no. He is painting happy doobies in the great beyond.

Obama has made what I hope is a reliable stand clear given the mess we are in: he has put feeding people above the need for using food for biofuels.

Sheia said:

"Afterall, almost half the Dem Primary Voting demographic voted like you. thats a very high number."

Shelia: Did you quantify that statement as you did because MORE than half of actual Democrats have voted for Hillary? Obama is ahead because of Independents and Republicans voting in the Democratic primary contests. Perfectly legitimate but interesting nonetheless.

corey .......lol............did you ever see that old painter on public TV who used to paint "happy little bushes" and "happy little trees" ?

reason he ain't on tv anymore is that he died maybe 10 years ago.

¡yo soy Horsedooty!

"Like most people in Mingo County, West Virginia, Leonard Simpson is a lifelong Democrat. But given a choice between Barack Obama and John McCain in November, the 67-year-old retired coalminer would vote Republican.

“I heard that Obama is a Muslim and his wife’s an atheist,” said Mr Simpson, ...

If he is the nominee, the Democrats have no chance of winning West Virginia,” said Missy Endicott, a 40- year-old school administrator. “He doesn’t understand ordinary Americans.”

Josh Fry, a 24-year-old ambulance driver from Williamson, insisted he was not racist but said he would feel more comfortable with Mr McCain, the 71-year-old Vietnam war hero, in the White House. “I want someone who is a full-blooded American as president,” he said."

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/2a50425a-1f86-11dd-9216-000077b07658,s01=1.html?nclick_check=1

EUROTOM,

Go go go!!! Health health health!!!! What is it about us 50 somethings and weightloss? Is it because we actually want to have a quailty middle age? You go Guy! I'm rooting for you all the way.

Ally,

Sorry. was not my intention of highlighting anything but the over all vote. Just some facts. but reallly, More republicans and Indies have voted for Hillary too.

I hope you didn't think that only DEMS voted for Hillary. Every cross over counts.

9/11, your analysis of the peccabilty factor is absolutely dead on. I've never heard it express that way, but yup, that about sums it up.

Coreen, amazing, ain't it?

Thanks nick for this post yesterday:
Obama walks on water:
http://media.nationalreview.com/

Coreen,

So he went out and started running immediately with a full campaign organization within two years. Makes him both incompetent and a liar by his own testimony.

Craig: I didn't mean to suggest that Obama was going to poll at less than 15%, only that it was technically possible to win all the votes in a state, even under Democratic Party rules.

Jamie: I am very aware that the Obama campaign knew how to game the system and the Clintons did not. I am also aware that my vote for Rev Jackson in 1988 helped him negotiate with Dukakis for the current weighted system. Not that it will make much difference to the DNC, but I have responded to every solicitation with a letter stating that I will not support the party until it does away with the weighted delegate system. Every vote should count, but -- particularly for Dems -- every vote should count equally.

As to the Kennedy "nobler aspirations" dig at Hillary,
Rahm Emmanuel did call him out on it & Kennedy's
staff issued a half-hearted pull-back.

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/11/emanuel-to-kennedy-thats-not-nice/

When will the media be held accountable for it's bias'? MSNBC is nearly obscene in it's support of Obama. What happened to 'news' ? Is MSNBC (and others, I suppose) taking advantage of mainstream America's naivety and manipulating voters? It certainly appears to us that the media is choosing the president by manipulating their role in presenting 'news' to America. Have you noticed the call to super delegates via their political 'shows' (hardball, russert, etc); calls or challenges or threats. Have you noticed ( I mention once again) the attention to race and race baiting on the cusp of every primary via the media to rally the angry voter? It appears that Obama et,al, has been able to use this news giant in particular to further it's mission. Shouldn't the media be held accountable for this? Shouldn't there be some regulation where public psychology is concerned? For instance, Mika...her father is on Obama's team. Shouldn't she have to state her bias as such before engaging with her over-estrogenated snarls and snickers? What about that bozo that got his little knobbies trimmed by the Clinton's for that Chelsea episode? Shouldn't he state his bias? Isn't it time to regulate the media where information and the public is concerned? And Craig, I don't know how you did it today....Matthews is so obviously living in the past. This isn't the sixties, the issues are completely different and I wish he'd quit his reference to JFK. Remember, Matthews said at the beginning of this race that Obama wouldn't win. Go back and check it. He said that Obama was just another idealistic candidate, like Eugene McCarthy and history would prove that he couldn't win. Hmmmmm....he can always fall back on that in the end. And Mika? Don't get me started!

Sheia: My only point is that the media is so invested in throwing the Clintons under the bus that they are offending what is potentially more than half of the Democratic Party...cause Obama didn't succeed by winning over the majority of us. And yes, crossover will help in the GE, but me thinks he may want to get the Democrats to the polls too.

That's about the sort of correction Teddy has gotten all of his life: Naughty, naughty Teddy. You really must behave more like your big brothers. Now go take your bottle and nap.

9/11 - his paintings all look alike to me. Sorry to hear he's dead, but about 3 shows in different color palates would have been enough to cover what he demonstrated in what, 75 years of public television? HD, he may be dead, but he's definitely not gone. If he's not on your or Corey's local PBS station, and you want to learn to paint like he did, WVPBS.org or something like it should be able to hook you up with a 24 disc set of the best of his painting shows. Or you could try Sominex.

ET, great job. As Dean Wormer said, "Son, fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life."

Corey: With regard to your comment concerning Jack Ryan, Sen Obama's one-time rival for Senate seat.

When running for his state Senate seat, Obama campaign used newly purged voter lists not available to other candidates to purge the field of all opposition. In his US Senate race, his campaign prodded Chicago newspapers to go to court to seek unsealing of sealed divorce documents against his Dem rival in the primary and against Sen Ryan in the general. The details of the divorces forced both rivals to withdraw.

Sen Obama has some smart and ruthless old pols working for him, that's for sure.

Good for you, Tom!!!! It's been a long hard slog -- but worth it!

Ally,

I really understand you. But I wasn't talking that way. I think its a more of a win than a loss. Afterall,

You and 10 others on blog, may never vote for the the WInner of the Dem Primary, however a large body of democrats will still vote.

these two are so close in their beliefs and more closely together in their policies and moral compass that it won't be such a leap to vote for either or.

But I do understand disapointment being an over all reason to not vote or actually switch parties and vote for the other candidate.

Just my opinion and I respect yours.

Jamie & Coreen: It is amazing to me that politicians and the media (even the political editor at NPR?!) get away with saying the most vile things as long as they do the nicey nice apology soon thereafter ("I respect Senator Clinton" "I admire Senator Clinton" "She's like totally my best friend—I love to braid her hair"), blah blah blah and everything is hunky dory again.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/05/obama-backing-c.html

I have been researching Sen Obama for over a year now, trying to find out why and how it was that it came to Chicago in the first place. I know that Tony Rezko offered him money to move to Chicago and venture into real estate with him and both confirm that Obama turned him down.
I also know that Gerald Keller hired Obama to do community organizing work. But why? How did any of them know that Sen Obama even existed? He had no previous ties to Chicago that I can find. What did Rev Wright mean when he said, "we groomed him for years?"
Do any of you Obama supporters know the story?

Craig you were right again. McCain and the GOP are all over the Hamas thing at the website

www.rnc.org

very thorough I might add and they make a bigger deal of policy thereby eliminating such talk of advisors in light of their Burma gaffe with convention dude.
Obama will never make it thru the Republican machine he's given them too much ammo!!

Jamie--Yes, it would seem so, wouldn't it.

Heather--glad to see you back here where you belong.

ET-Great achievement, keep it up.

Why isn't the media reporting the Hamas fiasco fully?

Ally, the only crossover that I'm hearing about is that the Obama campaign and DNC hope the moderate reps will change and crossover to vote for Obama. The latest 2 national head to head polls seem to suggest that Obama has moved ahead of McCain nationally, but they were only 2 days after a rash of polls putting McCain ahead by about the margin the recent Obama polls reflect.

I do indeed admire the way the Obama campaign used the DNC rules and the caucus states to his advantage. It was a better analysis and strategy to garner delegates and "votes" than Hillary's. Let's see how they approach the winner take all contests nationwide in Nov. with none of those funny rules to exploit.

Sheila: If the vitriol keeps up, I believe a good percentage of the Hillocrats will stay home or vote for McCain. I don't think it will be 10 people in the blogosphere and, by the way, I am not one who plans to vote for McCain. But I talk to enough people to know that the treatment of the Clintons by the media, the DNC and some Obama surrogates could spell trouble for the Democrats in the Fall. Many should be reminded to tread lightly. (Or, we can go with the Donna Brazile strategy that the "new" Democratic party can afford to alienate many traditional Democrats." Here's Hoping that tactic works!)

Maggie

It's Jerry Kellman. Here's the article about how he was hired, but it doesn't say what brought him to Kellman's attention. I'll see what else I can find.

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070416/moberg

Gordo "If he is the nominee, the Democrats have no chance of winning West Virginia,” said Missy Endicott, a 40- year-old school administrator. “He doesn’t understand ordinary Americans."

He doesn't understand ordinary Americans because we are specimens in some kind of Socialogical experiment. He is so condescending, and as Buchannon said: thinks we "are in need of empathy, education, assistance and perhaps therapy".

maggi, is that a rhetorical inquiry? ;-)

Sheila: Just to make a case for the potential switch overs in this election.
It is more than disappointment. Many of the Dem nominees for whom I voted over the years were not my first choice, but that did not keep me from voting for them.
But I did vote for Gerald Ford in 1976 because I simply did not care for Jimmy Carter's holier-than-thou, I will never lie to you, I'm not a regular politician shtick. I still think I was right.
Politics is what it is. And Sen Obama plays the game as well...he just says he is different and people believe him.

Dooty , that's why I said I miss him. Because he died. He seemed like a good guy.

The NY Times actually was a little more balanced last year

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/30/us/politics/30obama.html

All last week and this weekend I received emails from friends and colleagues in and around Beirut.

Yes, there was some coverage of what still is occurring there because, well, there is violence. But this is a major story and combines pretty intensely with Olmert's deserved fall.

And I keep hearing from people in Georgia and those associated with the region about potential war with the Russian Federation and the sense that Putin means to reabsorb the now independent ex-Soviet states.

That ain't on MSNBC. Or the national CNN.

It's all over the BBC (which is leaving PBS so if you don't have digital cable, bye bye to that.

Cable News is the less legitimate twin of HSN and QVC.

You know maggisd,

I can safely bet that would might be pretty good friends if it weren't for a computer screen.

Thanks for your comments. I voted for Carter and regetted it. I regert not voting for Ford.

Now on the other, obviously I am gong to agree to diagree with you about Obama. I see him in a very different light and I admire how he has handled himself. I admire the authenticity he has brought too.

But, we both are convinced about our candidate. A very good place to be.

Pogo: Not a rhetorical question.

Jamie: Thanks for the correction on the name. Also thanks for the reference. None of the extant articles, however, including some very probing pieces in the Chicago newspapers, seem to know why and how he came to Kellman's notice. This mystery, when linked with Rev Wright's "grooming" remark, and Tony Rezko's early ties to Farrakhan etc, etc, just give me pause.

Thank You Milquetoast, its very touching and deeply appreciated.

HeeHee, I am still waiting for anyone to enlighten me on major accomplishments the sainted Obama has achieved in his non completed term as Senator any major bills? did he balance any state budget? Oh thats right Obama was too in a hurry to serve as state governor, thats a good thing since he probably would have bankrupted Illinois. hmmmm ok lets make it simple has he at least held a weapon and stood at post? Oh lets see did he meet with Abu Minyar al-Qadhafi ...Louis Eugene Walcott? The Ricardo's? The Mertz's The Waltons? The Pondarosa Cartright's? Please tell me☺ I guess no one has a clue lets see Oh,

Obama meets the Brady's Yes Marcia whats your problem? Oh Barack I have this dance tonight and I can't do a thing with my hair *sighs* 'Yo girl chill! ditch that white girl 'do... get some cornrolls. Oh Thank you Barack! Marcia Marcia Marcia its all about Marcia, 'yo Jan whats wrong girl? Barack Marcia gets all the attention and I receive none. Jan no problem you have to play the "middle child" card they are anti middlists and you need to demand to get your share of attention play that card and you will get it.

Hi Alice whats wrong? very day I am kneed deep in dishes and laundry it just never ends Alice no problem you want my national laundry, dishwashing and housekeeper plan. Gee how can I afford that Barack? I knew you were going to say that, we will just tax Mike and Carol to infinity! Oh Barack you are our hero it is amazing how you can solve everyone's problem

--Heather

beatwork "Is MSNBC (and others, I suppose) taking advantage of mainstream America's naivety and manipulating voters?

That's exactly what they've been trying to do, but it apparently hasn't worked with the "so called" working class. And I don't think it will work in the General. I still can't understand how we're any different now than those countries that have censored information and news coming in. Is it getting to the point that they only report what the government and special interests want us to know. I remember when you could turn on the news and actually expect it to not be slanted. You could actually believe what you were hearing. Now you have to look at it according to who's saying it and adjust accordingly.

"Dooty , that's why I said I miss him. Because he died. He seemed like a good guy." corey said.

I am sorry I was not trying to be snarky. He did seem to be a nice gentle guy.

¡yo soy Horsedooty!

Maggie

In finding that article, I came across many that said things like, "Kellman flew to NY to interview Obama" or "Obama moved from NY to Chicago to engage in Community organization". Not one of them says how Kellman knew Obama existed or what made Obama apply for the job ... nothing, nada, zilch.

It is almost as if he teleported from Broadway to the Loop without so much as a nice to meet you.

Here's one thing to consider in terms of good politics - Hillary and Chelsea appeared in a campaign stop in Grafton, WV yesterday. Grafton is the home of the Mother's Day Shrine and was the site of the first Mother's Day celebration. Good symbolic campaigning in WV, and I'm sure it was not lost on WVers - although Grafton is a deadish coal and rail town with fewer businesses than storefronts for sale or lease on Main Street. I lived there for a decade one year - was the longest year of my life. Obama appeared in where, Louisville? The WV dems I've spoken to have no interest in Obama for the most part - he has ignored the state, and it will return the interest tomorrow and in Nov. I don't understand Axelpuck's swing state theory - McCain has strong leads in polling in most of them, although Obama is close in one or two. If this is an indication of what's in store in Nov., we're in deep doo.

Sheila: Some of my best friends are voting for Obama unless I can talk them out of it by November :) --
Again, I assure you that -- in my case at least -- it is not bitterness over Hillary not being the candidate that motivates me.
I actually feel that I know Sen McCain (through friends who do know him), while Sen Obama remains a mystery to me. What he says he wants to do is all well and good, but his past associations and the cloudiness of how he came to Chicago in the first place, the goals of his life, etc are too shrouded for me to feel comfortable with him.

This weekend I heard Obama put out an offer to McCain to have Town Hall type meetings. Great idea but why did he not want to have any kind of debate with Hillary in NC or IND?

PERSONAL NOTE GOOD NEWS: I am down around 17 kilos which is around 37 lbs. I have been able to stop one diabetic medicine, and reduce the prescription strength of my reflux meds. I feel younger! Still another 8 kilos to go... then the work to maintain... I won't go for real thin, just a healthy balance between small and big.

That's all from here!

ET

Add my congratulations, Tom. 37 lbs is a lot of weight. What diet did you work to accomplish this? This is good news for you and it gets your doctor off your back for a while.

¡yo soy Horsedooty!

"Brzezinski Seizing Control Over US Policy In Slow-Motion Coup"

http://www.rense.com/general80/bz.htm

(Should not automatically dismiss everything from "Tin Foil" world.)

Jamie: Precisely my feelings after all the articles I've read. How did Kellman know that Sen Obama existed? Or, if Sen Obama applied for the job (and no one has mentioned this), why did he choose Chicago of all places? And what did Rev Wright mean about grooming him for years?

Any new polling data in Oregon?

This WSJ article about Sen. Obama is interesting and very balanced no matter which side you are on, particularly the part labeled "Life As An Outsider".

http://online.wsj.com/public/article_print/SB120873956522230099.html

Pogo: They don't care about the old swing states. They mean to re-draw the political map, taking Virginia and perhaps even the deep South States. If he names Richardson we'll know he means to try for the western states, but I think McCain will be stronger in those states than most people now think.

I marvel at your optimism, of Obama supporters, only time will tell if these newly registered Democrats, especially the young will vote in the general election. What Obama supporters, and many in the moveon.org wing of our party fail to understand is America as a whole is not extreme liberal, it is slightly right of center, as such, the only possible way that a democrat can take the White House would be as a centrist DLC type democrat.

This is clearly evident by Obama failing to make inroads with whites earning under $50,000 without a college diploma and women, now maybe in time he may be able to resolve this before the general election although unlikely, it will be a difficult process for him. Let's also keep in mind that Obama will have problems with the Jewish vote for obvious reasons, the Catholic vote, Obama referring to an hypothesis of his daughter with an unintended pregnancy as "punishment" his stand on abortion esp. partial birth will be troubling for him in the general especially with Catholics. He will have to define himself on guns, gays, etc and that marxist nonsense he uttered in San Francisco will not play in "Middle America" he will need to take a more moderate approach and I doubt he will do that, even if he does it will come across as insincere and pandering and flip flop

As for independents trending for Obama I do not agree, with some polls that say that, most do not. Independents predominantly have a libertarian/republican pedigree; they tend to be moderate to liberal on social issues and fiscally conservative. I will have to be convinced that independents will go along with Obama's spending over ten years and his health plan and spending for education. When Obama eloquently speaks of these people get inspired until they see the price tag on all these liberal agendas then sticker shock sets in, property taxes, capital gains etc.

1. $65 billion a yea health plan
2. $15 billion in green energy spending
3. $85 billion in tax cut and credits
4. $25 billion a year increase in foreign aid
5. $18 billion in education spending

We are talking over $200 billion, $800 billion over 4 years plus other things I have not mentioned. The question you have to ask yourself is will Independents go for for this financial agenda of Obama's, I find it hard to believe they will.

Obama supporters also fail to take into consideration a possible improving economy, if that should happen and it is a huge "if" that would undermine Obama's mantra for "change" the status quo will start looking good, and never underestimate the American penchant regardless of party to vote their pocketbook, in addition many impassioned young new registered voters may lose their zeal to vote, they may need a cause like a poor economy to keep them motivated.

My belief is that the our party will lose huge presidentially, having stated that I do think it is likely Democrats will make large gains in the house and some in the senate.

Only time will tell if I am correct in my assessments

--Heather

Pogo: An Obama victory will depend on some rewriting of the traditional blue/red electoral map. I think it's possible for him to do this and will boil down to Virginia and the Southwest, including Colorado. We certainly cannot underestimate the desire for many to say "Goodbye Republicans!" However, the result of this rewriting of the map inherently means changes in the Democratic Party and I believe this is what people like Donna Brazile are pushing for. Drive the working class, older Americans, Latinos and middle-age women to vote Republican or stay home and rely on African Americans, liberal elites, Independents and young people to carry Obama to victory. It could happen!

The lingering question: Is this new Democratic party inclusive and unified or does it exclude some very important members of the Democratic party and what cost is incurred with alienating these blocs? I don't believe Obama is solely responsible for the alienation when you have surrogates like Donna Brazile out there spouting off on a daily basis...

Maggisd,

Your query as to the origins of Barack Obama's meteoric rise to the brink of being the Dem. presidential nominee is the question that started me
reading c-list several months ago--and to this day, I have not found any documentation as to why he landed in the south side of Chicago.

When Maxtrue comes on he may be able to add some facts--it was Max that provided the background about one of Obama's influences, a Frank Marshall Smith, a Chicago native--and I believe an organiser, among other callings--who settled in Hawaii & was a friend of Obama's grandfather & Obama. He may be the catalyst that drew Obama to Chicago.

Jamie is right, it is almost as if he magically appeared there one day.

maggi, I was just referring to the fact that you asked his supporters about Obama coming to Chicago. (Note that it was jamie - not an Obama supporter - who provided the answer). Reminds me of the old question that employers ask job applicants "Tell me about your greatest weakness." An honest answer disqualifies you for the job 90% of the time with 70% of employers (just my WAG). Stock answer - "I expect too much of myself."

Corey, the painter was indeed a gentle soul - with a very soothing voice (which combined with my almost total lack of interest in painting should help explain my Sominex crack). He actually spawned a generaton of painters who do that type painting live - often at colleges and universities. Between them and his reruns, he does in a sense live on in death.

Jamie: I have seen that article, but thanks for the reference.
Sociologically, it is all interesting. Less interesting when it raises more questions than it answers about a potential future President.

American Thinker has vetted Obama's advisors for some time. Malley has been under fire for several months and is just one of Obama's foreign policy expert who fuels the opposition's claim that Obama's public speaking record does not gel well with his history of Hamas support and his less than Pro-Israeli advisors. I have mentioned Wright, Malley, Power, Zbig and Rice all before their true colors became a problem for the guy who slected them to represent his mindset. Obama’s own Church is associated and donates money and resources to people mischaracterized by Obama, Wright and Moss as moderates. The ISM crowd is being vetted for public consumption come the fall. And will add more pieces to the real history of Barrak H Obama. And, no, Barry is no Bin Laden.

We are all free to pick whomever we want, but I suggest facts matter. Just look at Obama's foreign policy team. Obama kept a relation with Malley until the feared Press fallout was too great a risk . Obama hand-picked Power and despite her foolish suggestion of invading Israel and Gaza/West Bank to enforce a peace using Israel's foreign aid to build Palestinians a modern metropolis, he kept her. That was until, again, her big mouth uttered what campaign staffers say in private and was forced to resign. And loyalty Jamie? Power was more loyal to her book revenues and like Wright suggested that what Obama was saying about Iraq was a politician talking. Funny coincidence, or truthful relavations? Zbig has been marginalized several times during the campaign and Lake worked first under Vance, Zbig and Carter. Rice has had numerous gaffs, but then Obama cannot at this point fire his whole team. She has labeled every major international problem the consequence of Bush. Now there is a fine understanding of the world.

The Press has over-looked the total disconnect between Obama stump speeches including AIPAC and comments on Iran in comparison with his history and record. That is what 9/11 means about Obama creating himself. I brought this up when Obama tried to re-create his own mother and caledl her a conservative to fool conservative voters. His autobiography is replete with omissions and disingenuity. He talked of nuking Iran in 2004 and now switches lines. He talks about the high road and plays race and personal attacks. He talks about being moderately pro-gun while memoing his own vote against a total gun ban. It is his own handwriting yes and he is known to be quite a doodler.He describes himself as most pro-Israel as his advisor talks to Hamas.

These are the facts, so how is it that an empirical decision on who best tells the truth comes down to faith?

Craig is right that MSM will hammer any remark Hillary makes about race, but that does not make her remarks wrong, just questionable politically. I think there is a different end game here, short of nuclear. And it is fact that Obama's campaign has played race from the start and as Jason documented here, Obama officials encouraged AAs in NC to "get one of ours into the WH." I don’t see Edwards bitchin about that.

I do not trust Obama claims about his support for Israel. I do not trust his judgment as he even now says Wright's replacement is a great Pastor. I do not trust that Obama would strengthen our military and advocate for a stronger hand in the Middle East or Eastern Europe. Even Clinton has been more forceful about Darfur, Somalia and Iran, which Obama supporters exaggerate into NEOCON psychosis. .

What it gets down to is Obama supporters asking other Liberals to accept Obama's fiction re-creation of his history and record and forget that his base’s values are inconsistent with Obama's phony pivot to center. The only thing Obama and Paul share is how far they are not centrist.

Obama wants seriously to cut missile defense. He wants to withdraw ASAP from Iraq and has no Iranian policy or coherent plans to thwart Hizb'Allah and Hamas. He has no coherent plans for Latin America or Eastern Europe. He is too busy pretending on the campaign trail to chair his own important sub committee. He didn’t even attend a full Foreign Relation meeting that had to be called to address Obama’s failure to hold his own. When people talk about these things they are attacked by Obama supporters as either being nefarious Republicans or deluded Liberals acting like Joe McCarthy.

I respect Shelia's right to decide whom she favors. I just wish Democrats used rational metrics and didn't succumb to the power of pandering words triangulated on a daily basis and grounded in quick sand. It turns elections into a faith based affair. That is however, still the right of every voter.

Hillary should see this through, if for no other reason that giving New Democrats a Liberal voice to their values in contrast to the NeoLiberal coup of the Democratic Party. Later, when their Deanian house of cards comes tumbling down, some of us will be able still to have clear consciences and pick up the pieces of a Party succumbing to ideals far from those that established the Liberal Consensus for more than three decades.

Who let the dogs in?.

We all know that AOL's demographic is elderly women sending emails to grandkids when not mailing angels and puppies, but this straw poll is interesting in that this demographic VOTES in high percentages, and this is the preference for President

http://news.aol.com/political-machine/straw-poll/

The Democratic party might want to mend a few bridges in a great big hurry. If these ladies decide to ignore the polling place in their senior center, the Democratic party will be in trouble in November.

maggi & ally, spend a little time at pollster.com looking at the latest head to head polls in those and the traditional swing states. I understand that it's very early in the campaigns, but it should explain why I think that plan to redraw the electoral map is a fool's errand if you plan to write off big swing states - sort oflike saying you'll take it easy in the first quarter then come on strong. And if you want to crack a grin (if you're a Hillary supporter), compare the head to head polling of Clinton-McCain vs. Obama-McCain. It can't make Judas feel good.

One good piece of news - latest poll shows E. Dole down by 1 against Hagen. She was up by as much as 20 early in the year.

"("I respect Senator Clinton" "I admire Senator Clinton" "She's like totally my best friend—I love to braid her hair"), blah blah blah and everything is hunky dory again. "

Exactly, and Stephanie Tubbs Jones called one a-hole out about it last week. She told him he didn't need to be calling himself a friend of Hillary's because he obviously wasn't.

Maxtrue: Thank you for your very thorough comments. I do have to admit that part of what troubles me about Sen Obama is what I regard as the moral equivalency of many of his foreign policy advisers -- and, by extension, his own foreign policy views.
While I do not eschew low-level contacts with certain players in the Middle East, the idea of sitting down and negotiating with some of these people is disturbing. What you have said about Samantha Power's position vis a vis Israel-Palestine sounds a lot like the Brits and French carving up Czechoslovakia
As for Sen Obama's Latin American policy ... does he have one?
It seems to me that the far left has been trying for years to expunge moderates from their midst. The problem here is that there are not enough of them ... without moderates, the promise of a truly national majority cannot be made real .... we will just keep swinging back and forth between the extremes. Is this what happens when a country starts to lose its way?

"pick up the pieces of a Party succumbing to ideals far from those that established the Liberal Consensus for more than three decades."

Max, to hell with Obama.
You inspire me.
I learn so much when I read your posts.
Hillary is lucky to have you on her side.

Obama kind of like the wizard of Oz

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/09/us/politics/09obama.html

According to some reports Obama worked at NYPIRG and probably tapped into community organizers job banks. Some biographies claim he went to Chicago because that's where he could get a job.

Pogo - I agree with you about re-drawing the map. I'm not too old to be surprised, but -- aside from Virginia (which won't offset PA, OH, and FL) I don't see where this map re-drawing really takes place.

If Hillary wins big tomorrow, what does that mean? if the turnout is very high like the past few primaries should we just ignore it. Why would any candidate close to winning give up on any state. I don't understand that move. I would not be thrilled about it if I lived in WVA or KY or was supporting him.

Lynn C: That's where he could get a job? According to Michelle, he could have named his price, gotten a job anywhere, etc. Did he not do well at Columbia?

Well Barry, who is this for talking to Iran. Seems they have made very clear

1. they will not stop enrichment

2. US MUST leave Iraq and end all security arrangments with thier government

2. We must end any opposition to Hamas and Hizb'Allal

LOL, these are some pre-conditions for talking. Now what is your plan B Senator Obama? You know, McCain will ask you that. And without Malley, Power, Zbig (better not mention his name), perhaps Rice and Skeletor can tell you what to say.

And what if HizbA;;al does something more this summer? What if by Septmeber Iran is apporach large numbers of running centrifuges.

And please note Barry, that Sharif has just bailed from the Gucci government of Pakistan. No action against the militants and this fine group of "moderates", you and your buddy Richardson said would take on AQ and inify Pakistan, certainly looks better than Musharraf. When will you start bombing Pakistan afte day one? Will yuo send our limited Special Ops up the Kyber Pass in a let's find OBL mission?

Gee, I can't wait until AFTER you are lected to find out. And will Moss be swearing you in? Whill Sharpton and Sheehan be meeting you at the WH? What new position will you give Power? How fast will you cut military support for Columbia and Mexico? Will you ask Middle Class Americans to pay for complete healthcare coverage for 15,000,000 illegals? Will you prevent American companies from drilling in the Gulf as Chna sets up platforms closer to the US than we allow American companies. And did our rigs leak during Katrina?

I can't wait to find out the answer, but of course that would be AFTER you are sworn in.

I sure hope not.....

work calls.....

Vadaryl....Surprise! He's in West Virginia today. ;0)

vadaryl If Hillary wins big tomorrow, what does that mean?

Like every other win, it will mean what ever the "media" decides it means. When she won Indiana, they said it didn't count because it was too small a margin. This time I'm sure they will say it was a landslide, but meaningless. They'll claim she's selfish for staying in since they feel she's already lost. Then they'll proceed to tell us what the "American people" think, and we'll believe it, because it must be true if they said it on both MSNBC and CNN, etc.

Craig's appearance on MOJO is now on YouTube. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKL928r6_2k

Well Barry, how is this http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/IRAN_IRAQ_US?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=HOME for talking to Iran?

Sorry, I left the key link out of my last post.

Meg - Vadaryl
Oh, if Hillary wins WV big it won't mean anything. She was expected to win even bigger, remember? She said he couldn't win over white working-class voters and lookee here...he won 15% of them and so on and so on.
The problem with all these media gasbags (present company excepted) is that they seem to forget we are trying to elect a President who is competent to do the job.
We should have a two-tier solution ... elect Obama to be the ceremonial President and go around being too cool for school and giving speeches to divert the crowds while Hillary stays in the WH and does the job.

Maggi "We should have a two-tier solution ... elect Obama to be the ceremonial President and go around being too cool for school and giving speeches to divert the crowds while Hillary stays in the WH and does the job."

Maggie, now that would make a great ticket.
I'd vote for that one.

"He talks about being moderately pro-gun while memoing his own vote FOR a total gun ban."

Fixing the only really stupid typo. See Politico for proof of the memo claim.

MaxTrue: But Sen Obama never said that Iran couldn't have pre-conditions, only that he wouldn't. You obviously just don't get what the new politics means. Maybe Obama will be able to look into Ahmadinijad's eyes and see into his soul, right?

It is about time for Obama to show up in WVA. Why did he stay away until the last minute. Should of been there this past weekend when more people could get out and see him. No excuse he dissed them. He has another chance in KY, see what he does there.

The media just shocks me. I hope their ratings tank when this ends. They don't know how good they had it.

Meg--well, it would be kind of like a lot of marriages, wouldn't it?

Don't we have that now with Bush/cheney

vadaryl: Obama probably never had a strategy for WVA and had to wait until his team could get enough people together ... at least that's my take on it. He was in Louisville recently, so he's at least paying some attention to KY.

Craig,
I keep asking -why is the DNC so ready to stop the voting and coronate Obama. This is an election process, not a selection process by DNC operatives. Has there been any evidence that a coalition of DNC officials or "hate the Clintons" people recruited Obama for the primary? My thinking is that Howard Dean has been touting the 50 state strategy for the last 4 yrs and wanted a candidate that would mobilize the AA vote. He put a lot of effort into the southern states early on by setting up offices, etc. He targeted SC, AL, MS, LA, GA. Your thoughts??

I'm sure he thought the rest of the party would just come along. But that doesn't work when the candidate is so flawed and unqualified. How wrong can you be!!

In response to earlier comments.. there's an option all clear thinking Democrats of good conscience can consider this Fall... Write-in Hillary for President. I cannot vote for either McCain or Obama.

Look, everyone, I don't really know how Obama chose Chicago - there are lots of big cities with lots of problems for black americans. But one thing I can say, as editor of the HLR, he could indeed have written his own ticket - Wall Street is a likely landing spot for HLR editors, and I imagine there were any number of mega firms offering him boatloads of cash to sign on. As I've said to warren, one thing I do admire him for is going to Chicago and going to work for the public interest law firm (for lack of a better term) that he went to work for.

Is he smart enough? Sure. Seasoned enough - not in my opinion, but then those aren't my concerns about him. I don't feel like I have a decent sense about where he stands on many of the issues I give a crap about (and, yes, I've spent time reading his Issues summaries on the website). And I am skeptical of the redrawing of the electoral college map plan to take back the WH. When you ignore a state that has been won by every successful presidential candidate in the past 92 years, I question that tactic.

vadaryl- Well, yeah...it does sound a lot like Bush-Cheney but I think that the Democratic odd couple might work out better.

Vadaryl,
I may sound strange for you, but Obama's staying away from WV until now was allowing Clinton the news cycle. He did it on purpose. I know hard to believe that he could respect her so.

Obama corrected himself (or flip-flopped once again) in a debate with Clinton. He said of course, we should set some pre-conditions as talking without any realistic goal of reaching some progress would be foolish. Again, Obama did admit during the second to last debate that SOME preconditions would be reasonable, yet again the MSM crwod did not vet this new spin by Obama. I am paraphrasing his words, but look at the transcript. It was the debate where Hillary made Obama denounce and reject Farrakhan but didn't press him to do the same about Wright. It was not one of her best debates, but looking back, Obama is seen covering for much despite knowing full well what Wright was advocating. It shows exactly why Obama attacked Wright. Wright made the ultimate sin of questioning Obama's truthfulness, not that America had created AIDS to kill Black people, or deserved 9/11 because our roosters had come home to roost. Now were they Carter's and Zbig's roosters? And did arming OBL to liberate Afghanistan from the Soviets Zbig and Carter had baited in have anything to do with the logic of OBL in attacking civilians in the WTC? Bin Laden's son claims OBL said yes, they paid taxes....

oopppss now I'm rally late.....later

pogo - I have said this before, and there's no delicate way of putting it -- the reason I'm interested in this is that I see in Sen Obama a man who has had to learn how to be an American. It's not his fault, he didn't choose his parents and for most of his life he didn't choose where he was born and brought up. I find his associations troubling ... the radical views of some of his foreign policy advisors, the hate America rhetoric of his church, the Middle Eastern ties of Tony Rezko, his failure to appreciate that Wm Ayers was not just some 60s radical but a home-grown terrorist, etc.
He thought (or still thinks) that all these people are all right--perhaps just a little mistaken. But I feel they may be dangerous.

These days, Crawfordslist sounds like the last days at the Alamo.

"Goddamn Mexicans won't let us own slaves."

lunch

"Racism Doesn’t Go Just One Way"

http://noquarterusa.net/blog/2008/05/12/racism-doesnt-go-just-one-way/

" but Obama's staying away from WV until now was allowing Clinton the news cycle. He did it on purpose. I know hard to believe that he could respect her so."

Come on, Sheila. Even you don't buy that one.

Garden calling ... new plants to set in.

If Bill was the first black president, and Hillary represents the white race, did they have an interracial marriage?

Isn't that illegal in most southern states?

ANother two SD'd announced this morning for Obama and just about to speak at Charleston WV on Obamas Channel.

What are all you hysterical Hillary-heads going to do when she drops out of the race? (The Presidential race, not the white race).
* eat (Jim) crow
* vote for McCain
* sulk
* urge her to run as an independent (with Lieberman)

Hillary Clinton failed to master the female approach, former mentor says

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-newage12-2008may12,0,1061357.story?page=1&track=ntothtml

"Ironically, Clinton's problem today, Houston said, may be that Obama has given better voice to that new pattern of possibility -- that he embodies a more female, inclusive approach to problem-solving, while Clinton has become mired in proving herself capable of emulating the male model, which requires combat and the demonization of enemies."

anon...

Princess Pepper is a beauty! And how could you not use her full name? It's wonderful!

Congrats on both your new babies!

Bowwow "there's an option all clear thinking Democrats of good conscience can consider this Fall... Write-in Hillary for President"

Without giving it a lot of thought yet, it is a good option

Another good article by Rosa Brooks...

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-brooks8-2008may08,0,5631701.column

Hillary has done us all a favor by pointing out that Obama can't be president because he is a ________.

And, as McCain will be certain to point out, Hillary can't be president, because she's a ________.

Thanks for the good wishes on the diet folks! I have lost it pretty fast, but that was the intention... now we are slowing it down to stabilize. My motivation was to avoid insulin injections and to start getting some decent energy again!!

About Hillary in West Virginia, I think the MSM will say "well no surprise here, we've said this would be a big victory for her." ... But they have been saying it in sort of a pooh-pooh way.. the nomination's over, but she'll still win this small state and probably Kentucky. They want no surprise because they and the party have determined that Mr. Obama IS the nominee...

"I've seen no evidence which indicates that obama will fare any better than McCarthy, McGovern, Carter 2, Mondale, Dukakis, Gore or Kerry......"

You are choosing not to see any evidence - becuase you are still actively supporting Hillary Clinton.

I wish everyone would quit trying to act like they are the one objective person in the room - and everyone else is biased.

We are all biased - so get used to it.

And here is some evidence for you:

Obama has smashed the records in terms of fundraising and turn out. Hundreds of thousands of new Democratic voters have been registered all over the County. Bush and Congress have horrible approval ratings - and McCain is closely tied to both of them. Finally, 80% of the Country thinks we are on the "wrong track" - and Obama represents "change" - while McCain represents more of the "same"....

nash - What will this life-long Dem do if she drops out?
a) She hasn't dropped out yet.
b) If BO is the nom, vote for McCain.

(One more reason for her to stay in; a woman looks a lot weaker when she quits than does a man. If she has hopes for 2012, she has to stay.

McCain's folks will have an easy job of handling BO; the terror card worked the last time, and between Hamas, Rev. Wright, the missing flag pin, not putting his hand over his heart during the anthem...heck, they won't have to focus on BO's lack of clarity on the issues or how he hopes to bring about this "change" he keeps talking about. I don't think most people are gonna vote for him just because he reads a teleprompter better than W.

ps - Craig - It happens about 50% of the time. Maybe I just take too long to put down my thoughts, as nobody else has said they have the same issue.

Here is the problem with Clinton pushing the notion that Obama has a "problem" with white voters.

How the heck can you say there is a problem when 6 in 10 white people are voting for Clinton in the Democratic primary - the most recognized name in the Democratic Party. 6 in 10!!!

If that number was 5 in 10 - would everything be OK?

Listen up - Obama has been winning white support ever since Iowa. And I am frankly surprised he is doing as good as he has with white voters - against Clinton.

Obama will not win EVERY white voter. Neither will Clinton or McCain. But Obama has demonstrated that he can win white voters - and I think this will be become even more apparent - when so-called Reagan Democrats are choosing between Obama and McCain - as opposed to Obama and one of the most well-regarded Democrats going - who also had millions of women hoping she would become the first female President. Those are legitimate and compelling reasons why white voters have been voting FOR Hillary Clinton - not against Barack Obama.

Actually, age does NOT matter. Health matters & that has a lot to do with genetics. Are BOs parents both gone? At what age? McCain's mother seems to be doing quite well.

ps - We have this person called a VP who steps in if something should happen. McCain picks someone like Romney or Huckabee & he is a shoe-in against BO.

pps - None of us know the hour.

Heather....
great to see you here again..... keep posting..... your Irish humor has come shining through..... LOL....

ET..... congrats on the weight loss!

bowwow..... I've already made the decision to vote for Clinton as a write-in....
my state, NH, has a huge love affair with McCain..... I'm sure he'll take this state overwhelmingly against Obama.....

9/11..... I've been hearing about Lebanon on NPR.... Diane Rehm had an excellent program on it this morning.... it's scary knowing that Bush is still the president of this country..... the panel on DR's show was in total agreement that Bush no longer has any credibility left in the Middle East..... they were also in agreement that we need to have talks with Hamas and Hizbollah.... but NOT without preconditions.....

warren - Since voters/caucusers don't seem to care about issues/facts/plans...if the Rezko, Wright & Hamas issues had come up in Iowa, do you think he would have had the momentum to go much further? Nope, if BO gets the nom & loses the general, feel free to attack the messenger. The media fell in love & let him have a pass; it's not gonna be that easy going forward.

Well Nash pops in with four different posts to call all Hillary supporters racist. New day. Same totally assinine judgement.

We couldn't just prefer an experienced, sensitive, accomplished woman over and inexperienced, tone deaf, male cheerleader for the job so it must be because we hate all black people.

blue:

No one thinks it is going to be easy. But it would be nice if "life-long Democrats" at least gave Obama a shot - instead of announcing his inevitable defeat 6 months before the election.

jamie - Clearly, nash has tenure. He doesn't have to do anything but raise a simplistic and false arguement.

anon - Pretty kitty. Congrats.

heheheheh

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-05-12-barr-run_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip

But seriously, folks and fence sitters. I won't vote for McCain - said it before, saying it again. Not just fbecause of the USSCt appointees he'd get to name, but for all the judges at all levels of the Fed judiciary. Here's USA Today's cover story on the influence of Reagan's picks. Care anything about what you probably consider to be your fundamental rights? Think again before you vote for McMethusela.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/judicial/2008-05-11-appellate-judges_N.htm

warren - I had high hopes for BO when he decided to run, knowing nothing about him except the keynote speech from the convention. There was no substance, so I moved to Hil'ry.

Now, in addition to being ill-equipped for the job (which is why I will not support him--we've had one of those in the WH for over 7 years), he has a lot of connections of which I am less than thrilled (which is why many other people will not vote for him).

Maybe voters have some concerns that were not exposed back in January.

Look at these poll numbers. It's early but they do reveal some concerns:

http://www.electoral-vote.com/evp2008/Obama/Maps/May11.html

http://www.electoral-vote.com/evp2008/Clinton/Maps/May11.html

And here is why 9 in 10 black voters voting for Obama is not a problem.

1. It did not start out that way. Thus, it is pretty clear that many black voters are not voting for Obama just because he is black.

Oct. 17, 2007:
"Among black registered Democrats overall, Clinton had a 57 percent to 33 percent lead over Obama."

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/10/17/poll.blacks.democrats/index.html

2. Obama won over the black vote by (i) showing that he was electable by winning over white voters - starting in Iowa, and (ii) not by pandering to black voters - but instead - by appealing to them using the same message that has worked with millions of Americans all over this Country.

3. Black voters have been turned off by some of the tactics of the Clinton campaign. I do NOT think the Clintons are racist - and I DO think this issue has been entirely overblown by the media. But the Clinton campaign and the Clintons have made some poorly-phrased statements that are coming back to haunt them. And after HRC herself played up the "bitter" comments - it is clear that in politics - anything you say can and will be used against you.

(I also think the Clinton campaign should have made a bigger effort to win back some of the black vote - instead of resigning themselves to the fact that they could not cut into Obama's 90%.)

There is a may 12th report too. Check the last few dates, Hillary pretty much stayed the same, Obama's has changed.

blue:

All I am saying is that if HRC drops out of the race - you should give Senator Obama a "second look".

I know how slanted our views can become regarding the "other" candidate when we are in the middle of a heated nomination race. (Heck - look at some of my posts re: HRC - who I respect and admire in my sober moments.)

And don't forget in 2004 - Kerry had a lot more "experience" than Edwards and Bush - and where did that get him?

Also - two of the most experienced men in Bush's administration = Cheney and Rumsfeld. So I don't think you can make the leap that just because McCain has more Washington "experience" - that he will make a better President.

Why Obama fared well...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-creamer/top-10-reasons-obama-defe_b_101307.html

Thank God for Chris Matthews. Finally, someone called Craig out on his relentless shilling for Clinton. Craig, I have always enjoyed your commentary, but your undeniable bias towards HRC has really left a sour taste in my mouth. Hopefully once the general election proceeds your analysis will be less unbalanced.

"Obama won over the black vote by (i) showing that he was electable by winning over white voters - starting in Iowa, and (ii) not by pandering to black voters - but instead - by appealing to them using the same message that has worked with millions of Americans all over this Country."

He won it by making people believe Bill Clinton was a racist.

He also has his campaign move blacks out from behind him and replace them with whites for the cameras. Been reported dozens of times. How racist is that?

Max:

"Well Barry, who is this for talking to Iran. Seems they have made very clear

1. they will not stop enrichment

2. US MUST leave Iraq and end all security arrangments with thier government

2. We must end any opposition to Hamas and Hizb'Allal

LOL, these are some pre-conditions for talking. Now what is your plan B Senator Obama?"

That is the beauty of meeting without pre-conditions. Obama can reject Iran's "pre-conditions" without then unfairly demanding that Iran accept "pre-conditions" from the US.

And the whole point of meeting with Iran - is to encourage them to back away from these positions. As a lawyer, I know that there is a lot of posturing that goes on with negotiations - and you need to meet - often several times - to work through that nonsense in order to make progress.

Ignoring Iran except for saber rattling - and thinking that somehow magically they will back off of these positions - is the truly naive position. Such a strategy only leads to an escalation of rhetoric - and each side becoming more entrenched into mutually-exclusive stances.

Aaron

Craig said it himself. It's not so much leaning towards Hillary as trying to balance the overwhelming bias towards Obama that exists on MSNBC. If it wasn't for Craig, there would never be anything nice said about Sen. Clinton as they would be burning her in effigy in the studio.

Jamie: I tried to have a rational discussion with Clinton supporters for weeks, but all I got was abuse. Now I'm returning the favor.

My criticisms of Hillary are substantive. If you look at a (Democratic) political columnists, my opinions are fairly mainstream. She has fewer and fewer supporters every day. It really is just like the Alamo.

So grab a musket and put on your Davy Crockett hat.

"As a lawyer, I know that there is a lot of posturing that goes on"

No duh.

President Clinton has added four more cities today, making at least 17 cities since Saturday afternoon.

I may go see him in Corvallis if time permits.

Cokie Roberts said something interesting this weekend. When discussing the attacks on Hillary, she talkeed about how bad the attacks are. She then alluded to what must be on the blogasphere, which she avoids. Not a bad idea I'm beginning to think..

pogo
Thanks for the info about nominations for the federal judiciary. I'd forgot about that and was just focused on the SCOTUS. McCain's comments about nominating judges like Alito just rubbed me the wrong way.

"He won it by making people believe Bill Clinton was a racist."

Give me a break Patsi. Obama can be no more blamed for what the media says about the Clintons - than Clinton can be blamed for what the media says about Obama.

If you are looking for reasons to hate Obama - go for it. But I don't see how any good can come from it - unless you are considering registering as a Republican.

And all the candidates shuffle around people behind the candidates. So Obama is no more guilty than Clinton or McCain.

warren, polling in a full field of candidates 3 months before the first contest doesn't tell you a lot, but you know that. By the time the SC primary occurred, Obama was pulling 75% of the black vote. Hard to say that splitting a caucus and primary in lily white states that occured nanoseconds before SC showed that he could win over white voters - although I grant you, IA was a huge win for him since Edwards practically lived there for 2 years before the caucuses. IA (entrance) did not break the #s down by race and NH (exit) had only 1% black vote - and they didn't break it out. (CNN polls). Otherwise, I pretty generally agree with the rest of your 1:09 post - at least that's a good reflection of how the media portrayed the Clinton statements - looped over and over again. The odd thing to me was that rather than loop the bitter statement of Obama, the media looped Clinton's use of it. It's one of those subtle ways the media frames the message. I do agree that Clinton should have focused on getting back more of the black vote, and getting votes (if you can call them that) in the caucus states. Bad planning, and I hope Penn's bills are still outstanding.

American Experience tonight - Part 1 of a two part bio on FDR.

The Tartan’s correspondents observed one event coordinator say to another, “Get me more white people, we need more white people.” To an Asian girl sitting in the back row, one coordinator said, “We’re moving you, sorry. It’s going to look so pretty, though.”

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0408/Obama_advance_Get_me_more_white_people.html

Patsi,

Discussing Obama's campaign, you wrote: "He won it by making people believe Bill Clinton was a racist."

There are several things wrong with this statement. Most importantly, no one can "make" anyone believe anything. In other words, the way you phrased your objection to Obama reads as if he *forced* people into perceiving Bill Clinton's comments as racist. Secondly, Obama never explicitly addressed Bill's comments following his South Carolina victory. The Jesse Jackson statement was picked up by the press and the blogosphere and, when asked about the role of race-baiting in the campaign, Obama explicitly avoided pronouncing judgement on the comments. While it is true that his campaign managers brought up the statement and floated questions about Bill's motives, Obama himself never addressed the issue of racism head-on.

Finally, I follow this election very closely and have never read any of the stuff you are referring to regarding the photo-op controversies. This seems to me to be rumor and heresy, honestly.

It is undeniable that the Clinton's have used race and ethnicity in this campaign. Now, I leave it up to individual voters to decide whether or not the Clinton's are motivated by racism, however, there is no getting around the fact that since the beginning of the campaign Clinton has used "fear of the other" as a campaign tactic. Starting off with Mark Penn's (deliberate) blunder on Hardball where he explicitly referenced "crack" in relation to Obama admitted prior drug use ", followed by Bill Clinton's dismissal of the South Carolina victory, followed by Hillary's appearance on 60 minutes when, after being asked if Obama is a muslim, she responded "not to my knowledge," her repeated attempts to drag a fellow party member through the mud by referring to his relationship to the mad Rev. Wright long after the story had died in the media, and now finally this appeal, thinly disguised and the subject of much debate (see Craig's appearance on MSNBC this morning), to "hard working" whites, apparently vis-a-vis the "lazy" African Americans, and so on.

I am not trying to start up controversy, or proselytize for Obama. However, if you cannot see a very clear and deliberate strategy on the part of the Clinton's to bring up race in this campaign, you haven't been following things very closely. Now, does this mean that Obama is innocent? No, however, none of his references to race have been motivated by the desire to stir up fear in the minds of voters.

For all us strong HRC supporters in a dilemma about who to vote for in Nov. The secret is down ticket voting.. Senators and Cong. Reps. If we Dems can vote enough Democrats to the House and Senate to make them veto proof ..then all the scary McCain issues: judges, appointees, etc will be taken care by the Congress. Iraq is still an issue but the funding could be cut off. Anyway, McCain won't get much. Then we can consider a write-in for Hillary at the top of the ballot. That shouldn't violate our collective conscience and considering the massive influx of registration and voter disapproval ratings probably not too difficult to do. So what if McCain wins then!!

Is MSNBC biased against Hillary? (3 weeks of 24/7 Rev. Wright coverage wasn't enough?)

Chris Matthews changed his view of Hillary. The "hard working white people" comment got to him. He KNOWS the white Catholic Democratic urban/suburban voters (Irish, Italian, Polish), and he knows when the race card is being played. I thought he'd become a Republican but his (Jack Kennedy) Democratic roots are showing.

Nice weather in the Wilamette Valley. It's time for a day of campaigning for Hillary.

Heather:

Your comments about Obama's speech patterns are petty and misguided.

I often talk like that myself. And I can tell you what is going on - I am thinking about the question - and trying to give a sincere, authentic and careful answer.

Just because Clinton and many of her surrogates can rattle off talking points does not impress me.

And Terry Mc. was a perfect example this weekend. He is able to speak 1000-words a minute - because he is often dodging the direct question - and giving a long scripted speech in response to the question he wants to answer - instead of the one asked.

If you want to tell yourself that somehow Obama is as ignorant and uninformed as W - go right ahead. But you will be lying to yourself - and I would hope that you would not spread that lie to others - especially if you want a Democrat in the White House.

OD any new oregon poll numbers. Last I saw Obama by six.

Who ARE the Hillary people?

* They are a minority within the Dem party.
* Older, lower-class, less educated.
* Some of them are racists.
* Most of them probably voted for Bush (twice).
But now they want to tell the majority of Democrats, who support Obama, that we have to make Hillary the nominee. If we don't, they'll vote for McCain.

Yeah. That's a viable argument.

"Obama himself never addressed the issue of racism head-on. "

He is the candidate. He lets others throw the mud for him while he settles for the snarky or simpering remark. His campaign has been one non stop playing of the race card and his supporters here play follow the leader.

The media didn't do non stop playing of the "57 state" remark knowing full well that Sen. Obama is probably exhausted and it was just a slip of the tongue. Sen. Clinton is equally exhausted and probably meant to say "hard working, blue collar" after quoting the AP statistics about white vote percentages and that get puts on a 72 hour non stop loop.

So forget about both of them being human beings who deserve understanding for being pushed to their physical and mental limits: She is a racist and he is a moron.

Brain: Matthews really went CRAZY when Bill Clinton was caught lying about Monica. You don't have to be Catholic to understand his rage, but it helps. If people think he's being hard on Hillary now, just wait.

I just saw the video from this morning. Did they bring craig back for a 2nd visit. I thought Craig was about to lose it with Chris for a minute there.

Wonder what MSM would report if a Clinton advance person had said, “Get me more white people, we need more white people” or “Get me more black people, we need more black people” ?

We all know what would happen.

Oregon Democrat: Through an elaborate process involving a variety of variables, I have determined that the best place in the USA to retire to, is Eugene Oregon. (Well, maybe Portland. I haven't decided yet.) In a few years, we could be neighbors.

By the way, Obama is going to take your state, like Grant took Vicksburg.

"You should ask Craig that question, not me "

IOW you just throw out a charge without any substantive proof of any kind and then run back to your cave telling others to clean up your mess. Do your own work.

I don't get it. Obama against Hillary Obama leads but put them up against McCain Hillary leads. There is something not right with this picture.

Nash I am not uneducated and went to a better prep school than you proabably did. I am not a racist, I am not poor. I never voted for Bush. I am not very old or lower class and if you count Florida and Michigan and eliminate the non Democrats from voting, WE don't represent the minority.

Same brillinace as most of your posts.

Keep up the good work, smart one.......

"he will visit politically neglected Florida and Michigan,"

Oh that is funny. It's not necessary to count your votes since, I'm going to stop by and say "HI" so you can adore me up close.

Aaron -- The first I heard about moving blacks off the podium was from a young black woman writing in Black Agenda Report. She was furious. And I continued to hear reports like that dribble in. The latest was this morning on c-span when a man said his 17 year old granddaughter was excited to get to be on tv because they cleared the crowd behind Obama and inserted an all white crowd.

Furthermore, there was most certainly a memo that went out from the O-team asking people to report anything that sounded like it related to race. And what they got was LBJ and Jesse Jackson. Damn. Now THAT'S racism.

Not to mention that during the early weeks of the campaign an Obama surrogate asked an Atlantic reporter to check into Bill's current sex life.

So if you want to talk politics as usual, please talk straight.

Obama wants to be a different type of politician well I guess he's proving that by visiting FL and MI. Stick it to them and then ask them for their support.

nash, having been to both Oregon and Northern Maine - you're finally making a good decision (hope you're willing to trade half a year of snow for half a year of rain.

Darn, I can't watch MJ anymore..Mika makes me gag! I missed you Craig, and I hear it was great!

I might have that wrong, he maybe like any other politician, he needs their vote so he has to play nice with them.

Maxtrue: I went to a public high school but they had us read "A Separate Peace" and "The Catcher in the Rye" so I can understand why you support Hillary. (It's not your fault. You just need a bit of therapy.)

When Hillary talks about "counting" Florida and Michigan she forgets that we did. The count: zero & zero. Those are the only numbers with any validity.

I haven't yet had time to read this blog today, I will, but was just steaming and want to write to the Democratic party leadership and let them know. Where can I send this letter?

Dear DCC, DNC, D… and anyone else who gives a damn,
I am one of your hard core supporters and for the last eight years I, when no one else around my neck of the woods has cared, have been worrying, praying and following almost everything that goes on in this country and in politics. I have even given up a social life and a life with much entertainment in it to do it. It just felt like it was that important to me. My intuition screamed that it was. It aggravated me that most everyone else I knew, even those who are educated, kept their heads in the sand. They said what was going on in this country was just too depressing to keep up with. On the other hand, my family and friends thought that I was just too obsessed with politics and the news and almost threatened to have me institutionalized.

I have been a proud democrat and faithful supporter of the party and Hillary Clinton. I have been impressed with Hillary Clinton since 1993. I have been more impressed with her than I have with any other presidential candidate that I have had a choice to vote for in my lifetime.

I am a member of that older, white, female, support group for Hillary Clinton. Unlike how you describe this group, I am very educated. I, like many others in this group of dedicated supporters have been very disappointed in the Democratic Party leadership and in the news media but not surprised by the news media.

How dare you try to manipulate us? It may have worked with many of the young people and other groups who have not before given a damn and most likely will not again for a very long time. They are easy to manipulate but not much support when you need them. It may seem nice to pick up a few new groups of people who were never involved in politics before but you will realize that they will not be people who you can count on. In contrast, when you guys lose my demographic support group, you will one day be very sorry.

Even though I am disgusted with Democrat party right now I could never even imagine joining the Republican Party. I am not sure what the rest of my demographic group will be doing but I will be looking at either joining the Independent party or worse yet, joining the I No Longer Give a Damn Party. I hope you can tell that I am blazing mad and I don’t forgive and forget easily.

We Democrats have been giving our party the benefit of the doubt even though the party hasn’t really done anything to greatly impress us for a while. If this presidential election comes down to Obama and McCain, I will be hoping a third party joins because I can not comfortably support either.

I want to assure you I am very cool with having the first African American president. I think Mr. Obama looks good and has charisma. That is not enough. There are lots of people with those qualities. I will support Mr. Obama with all my heart in 8 years if he proves, through his actions and experience to deserve that support.

Sincerely yours,
Carol.....

Warren, your understanding of the history of Western and American negotiations with Iran is only rivaled by your understanding of special ops and the world view of those advising Obama.

Perhaps Lawyering hasn't informed you much about geoploitical realities. As a lawyer, I can understand you democratic leanings.

I am sure you have never litigated in a Sharia court and understand the negotiating that goes there. And as a lawyer, you are quite sloppy at reading public record. Obama has said there would be pre-conditions for talking but hasn't said what they are. In the case of Hamas, despite his foreign policy team, he has rejected talking with Hamas.

Which Obama speaks for Obama?

As a lawyer, I wonder what negligance can be files against the US for letting a Gitmo detainee go free only to murder seven people in Northern Iraq? And only a good lawyer could argue that an illegal accused of a serious crime should get bail in the US and not be immediately deported. And then of course, be eligible for medical services.....LOL

You see lawyering does not a rationalist make. One day you can explain Roe v Wade to me in sound Constitutional Law, or why the Consitution does not confer a right for citizens to bare arms. But that is a whole nother can of worms.

No lawyer would defend a country advocating the destruction of another to be allowed into a international membership where such threats are violations of their own charter and no where in the GC does it say terrorists are not illegal combatants eligible for the rights of American citizens. Give us your lawerly take on those issues as an :Independent" thinking person.

Then we can go take a good look at the issue of privacy as defined in the Constution or the article which descibes the creation of taxation to create a Welfare State usurping States Rights and Individual Rights. As a lawyer you ought to be on familar ground.

Craig and sometimes FOX have been fair and balanced this time around.

vad are you suggesting that it's difficult to reconcile the following national poll results:
- Clinton leads McCain nationally in current polls
- McCain and Obama are tied nationally in current polls
- Obama leads Clinton in daily polls (over 2 days McCain's 5ish point lead has become Obama's 5ish point lead
- Clinton would beat McCain in electoral college votes (according to current polling in the states)
- McCain would beat Obama in electoral college votes (according to current polling in the states)
???
As they say, depends on who you ask.

Wow Hot off the presses! Stop the presses BREAKING NEWS!

The Sainted one has decided to go back to wearing the symbolic 911 flag pin all the Obama supporters why why why? You all said its silly petty trivial not important there are better ways to display one's patriotism and love of country I am laughing so hard now!

Mr. I am so above it all is has become the typical politician, I cannot wait for his explanation on this flip flop what changed...that he decided to wear it? CAN YOU SAY PANDER BOYS AND GIRLS ho ho hee hee hidy hum. Does this mean the sainted one has become the typical "Washington Insider"☺

--Heather

" You don't have to be Catholic to understand his rage, but it helps. If people think he's being hard on Hillary now, just wait. "

ROFL....so going to Catholic school means you get to judge others (while no doubt straying yourself and shrugging off pedophile priests) then blame the guy's wife. Who do they blame for the pedophiles? Mary Mother of Jesus? Oh, wait. I forgot....this all started with that bitch Eve!

ct,

Here is the contact page for the DNC. You can send emails or they provide an address

http://www.democrats.org/contact.html

Nash,

You said:
Who ARE the Hillary people?

* They are a minority within the Dem party.
* Older, lower-class, less educated.
* Some of them are racists.
* Most of them probably voted for Bush (twice).

I am a Hillary supporter, not a bit racist. I have a few black friends, a good black friend married my son last month.

Yes, I am older, a woman, have my college degree and as a single parent for 30 years, my 3 children all have college degrees, and one is a lawyer, one is a special ed teacher and my other daughter stays at home raising her children. I don't think we are lower class.

I worked for Obama in 04 to get him elected to the Senate. He really had an easy time in the primary and general for the Senate as he never had a strong opponent. I feel he does not have the experienced and since 04 too much has been discovered about his associations. What bothers me too is that his record is one of running for the next office!

God knows, none of my family voted for Bush. The point is there are many people like me in the Chicago area, both men and women who do not support Obama and support Hillary. They are not racist, not low class, but who can think for themselves and not drink the cool aid.

I too agree progressive radio and the media have shoved Obama down our throats. When something goes wrong in his campaign, they make him out to be the victim, never is he wrong. Yet, everyday they distort the truth about Hillary. She is not perfect, her husband is definitely not perfect, but God what do we know about Obama, absolutely nothing.

difficult to reconcile

McCain would beat Obama in electoral college votes (according to current polling in the states)

Hillary would beat McCain in electoral college votes (according to current polling in the states)

Race is an issue no matter how we try to hide it. Look how Obama stages who sits behind him at the different rallies, Hillary too. Take a close look at tomorrows results. The media is trying to take the high rode on this one for their ratings.

Dear Renee:

Thank you Sparkey , Jade and all of us send (((((((((((hugs and kisses your way)))))))))))

--Heather

Whatever Max. And I still don't see how you can make the argument that special ops are not a crucial part of counter-insurgency.

And I have studied Geopolitics, International Relations and use of force law. So get off your high horse. Just because I have a different opinion than you - does not make that opinion wrong.

I don't agree with Craig much, these days, but I wish he had his own show on MSNBC. He doesn't follow the "conventional wisdom story of the day," like most pundits.

I say give him the six o'clock slot. Dan Abrams stinks as a host. He shouts at his guests if they don't agree with him and Craig has a much better sense of humor.

Just one rule for the show: no Buchanan. That neo-Nazi SOB is on EVERY MSNBC political show, all day long. He must be on coke (like Hitler was).

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/05/obamas-inabilit.html

I could add twenty more items to the above list, Like Rice's comments on the 3 amm call, flyers issued about Hillary's lobbyist connections, Malley, the NAFTA comments, his remarks about why he missed the Kyl vote, etc. etc. I mean there is a long list of this stuff.

And look at the problems yet to be vetted. Obama claims he has never talked to or met Auchi, that Moss is a great Pastor, his claim about the nefarious association of Clinton to Wal-Mart which his wife worked with indirectly until the facts came out, his voting three times for a gas holiday until he was caight on that one, his calling himself a professor until that one was caught, his claiming he had a relationship with Ayers because their children attended the same school until media figured out that Obama had no children when he recieved money for the Ayers, that Hillary was going to obliterate Iran until his remarks of nuking Iran back in 2004 came up........

The inconsitencies and flip-flops, omissions and poor first, second and third efforts to explain away a problem are quite amazing.

But of course Wright doesn't like that three strike rule and apparently, either does Barak.

Just A reminder:

Earlier I asked if anyone can enlighten me as to any major accomplishments or bills the sainted Obama has achieved ummmmm still waiting

---Heather

CT.. my sentiments exactly.

Option: vote your conscience.. write-in Hillary at top of ticket, and vote ALL democrats down ticket(senators, congress etc) to make the Congress veto proof. So what if McCain wins .. he won't get much in the way of judges, appointees etc. But the DNC will get the message!!! When will they learn that the country is in the center. Moreover, by trying to railroad Hillary out of the race they have alienated a good chunk of the faithful. Everytime they dismiss her.. they dismiss millions of women who are listening, both Republicans and Democrats.

NASH. I am older, masters degree, upper middle class, and I have NEVER voted for a Republican, EVER. I will never vote for Obama simply because he is not qualified. I know a State Senator here in MA and do not believe three years in the Senate would qualify him either.

Your coalition of lefties, AA, and college kids will not cut it in Nov. Women alone are 57% of Dems. Go play with your play-doh.

Jaime- You made me laugh again today. The effigy comment and "adore me up close". Great posts!

There is chatter on fox news as to Hillary running as a third party candidate, I must say I find it extremely interesting McCain, Clinton, Obama in a threeway I think Hillary would win, sad there is no polling data on that, I would most likely vote and support her.

I honestly do not think she would leave the Democratic Party and the power that goes along with it, but somewhere I think there is some private internal polling going on about that.

--Heather

It is undeniable that the Clinton's have used race and ethnicity in this campaign.

Posted by Aaron

With all due respect, that's just bullshit... sorry.

mamaknows: Everything you say may be true, but it's not enough to make me want to overturn the results of the primaries. Either we have a process where the voters decide, or we don't.

Hillary's supporters don't like democracy. They seem to be operating under the "the divine right of kings," which was the theory of government of medieval societies.

So if Hillary is Queen Elizabeth I, then Barak must be Mary, Queen of Scots. Off with his head, foul usurper!

I think Obama was completely justified calling himself a professor of Constituional Law.

http://www.law.uchicago.edu/news/law-students-gave-Obama121807/index.html

I have many adjuncts at law school - and we called all of them Professor.

You are really grasping at straws here Max...

The rest of your ramblings focus on guilt by association. And guess what - McCain is associated with Hagee and Bush. So he has plenty of problems of his own.

Jamie: I tried to have a rational discussion with Clinton supporters for weeks, but all I got was abuse. Now I'm returning the favor.

My criticisms of Hillary are substantive. If you look at a (Democratic) political columnists, my opinions are fairly mainstream. She has fewer and fewer supporters every day. It really is just like the Alamo.

So grab a musket and put on your Davy Crockett hat.

Posted by: nash | May 12, 2008 1:32 PM

Nash that is rich... all you've been doing is making racist charges aimed at ruffling the feathers of Clinton supporters. Really, if you call your insults, racism charges and pedantic behavior "rationality", then you really ARE a sorry example of a representative in higher education. Nash, in SPITE of you, and people like you, I am going to vote Obama. Perhaps you and your other pedantic allies should consider that the "nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah -- I know you are, but what am I?" attitude is simply adding fuel to the split between Clinton and Obama supporters.

You really DO want Hillary supporters to not support Obama, don't you? Your charge that they are Republicans anyway is total fabrication. If Obama wins the nomination (likely) and then loses in November, people like yourself who has continued to fuel the divisions will be able to look in the mirror and say to themselves "Congratulations... YES WE DID".

Jamie: There is no "proof." There is only argument.

And that's not just my opinion.

Heather..

That should snap a few heads at DNC. Just a little leverage.. tee hee!

I don't think she would do it.. but interesting. She has my vote!

nick:

Do you work for the RNC or are you affiliated with a state-level GOP organization?

You seem much more concerned with tearing down Obama than making the case for HRC.

Posted by: nash | May 12, 2008 3:10 PM:

Hillary's supporters don't like democracy. They seem to be operating under the "the divine right of kings," which was the theory of government of medieval societies.

======================================================================

Obama supporters think that the presidency operates under affirmative action that he is "owed" the presidency to absolve the white guilt complex many extremist left wing radical moveon.org Obama supporters have.

--Heather

Wow Hot off the presses! Stop the presses BREAKING NEWS!

The Sainted one has decided to go back to wearing the symbolic 911 flag pin all the Obama supporters why why why? You all said its silly petty trivial not important there are better ways to display one's patriotism and love of country I am laughing so hard now!

Mr. I am so above it all is has become the typical politician, I cannot wait for his explanation on this flip flop what changed...that he decided to wear it? CAN YOU SAY PANDER BOYS AND GIRLS ho ho hee hee hidy hum. Does this mean the sainted one has become the typical "Washington Insider"☺

......Try an Iraq War VETERAN Gave it to him to wear.

The guys was from Pennsylvania.....honestly.

I don't comment most of the time when you guys are the crapfesting. Isn't worth posting on. But this statement is over the top silly and a bit shallow. Get to some issues that are in reality important. If this is all you got, then you got a big problem......

Hey Chef:
I don't care if Anna and The King of Siam gave him the pin OK!

IT STLL SPELLS HIPOCRISY DEAR,

Its Obama with the problem, I am not running for president

--Heather!

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/013/330frnuq.asp
Above is a good starting point about SOF and the problems with what you suggest.

At the time Obama gave his Pakistan speech we had CIA and others trying to get Intel on some targets in Pakistan. In fact, we had hit some targets by air as Obama should have known as well as a policy allowing us to chase terrorist into Pakistan. This is a very dicy affair. The CIA, SOF have been engaged in a limited way to find OBL IN PAKISTAN, but SOF is a limited and very special group. As a rule, counterinsurgency tactics do not require the kinds of operations SOF conducts traditionally. SOF go in before battle starts. They do hit important terror nexuses. They get secret intellor downed pilots. They prepare for the worse like securing Pakistani nukes should that be necessary.. Counter-insurgency requires steady work with locals, gathering intel, building up local forces, conducting PR efforts and all the items Patraous outlined in his manual.

You should read it sometime.

Is Craig Biased towards Clinton? I invite everyone to look at the titles of the last five daily postings.

I count two tilting towards Clinton, two tilting towards Obama, and one neutral.

So it's clear that he's biased.

(That was a joke. Lighten up people.)

(I also think the Clinton campaign should have made a bigger effort to win back some of the black vote - instead of resigning themselves to the fact that they could not cut into Obama's 90%.)

Posted by: warren | May 12, 2008 1:09 PM

Warren, weren't the Clintons already criticized for campaigning hard in South Carolina because they DID make a big effort to win back black voters? I may have the timing wrong here, but that is what I remember.

I appreciate your fairness in your statement about not agreeing that the Clintons are racists and that things have been overblown by the media. Really! This is the sort of "healing" conversations we all need to have. Keep it up my friend.

So Miss Heather.

Nothing like freedom of expression eh?

Chef Sheila Hussein The Nun:

I am glad you brought up shallowness that aptly describes Obama's major accomplishments and please spare me any of his hipocritical philanthropic endeavors which hardly qualify him for a presidency

--Heather

Heather:

"Moreover, by trying to railroad Hillary out of the race they have alienated a good chunk of the faithful. Everytime they dismiss her.. they dismiss millions of women who are listening, both Republicans and Democrats."

I think you are overstating this a bit. If the numbers were reversed - there would be plenty of calls for Obama to bow out.

Edwards was a white guy - and he sure got a lot of heat to drop out of the race right at the very beginning - when anything could have still happened.

I also think some of the coverage of Hillary is pretty brutal - and has said as much on this blog. But I think the hostility is mostly driven by aniomsity built up towards the Clintons - based on their "scorched earth" style of politics - not to mention - their history of success. (People like to pile on when "winners" are finally defeated. Just look what happens everytime the Yankees lose a big game. Most of the nation rejoices ; )

So - I am just saying that charges of racism AND sexism - are often exaggerated - and it helps to be more specific rather than just lumping everyone together.

I don't think you have to be a sexist to suggest HRC withdraw. Even though I believe - whatever the motivation is to ask HRC to bow out - such calls are often counterproductive and Hillary will only withdraw on her own terms - not because some pundit thinks it is a good idea.

(Btw, J. Edwards spoke eloquently on this point yesterday. But even he noted that she should focus on building herself up - as opposed to tearing Obama down.)

NEW THREAD

Heather: Just ask any second grade boy and he'll tell you "girls can't be President."

Adult males (especially hard-working white ones) are more tactful, but still think the same way, so there's 50% of the vote she can't get.

Hillary can't be elected. Why won't you accept that fact? I don't care if she never wears a dress. No penis, no oval office. (I don't make the rules, that's just the way it is.)

If the people running the Clinton campaign were running the Obama campaign, he would have played the "gender card" long ago.

And he'd be losing.

Dear Warren:

This Hillary must withdraw from the race is a media elitist invention and this "scorched earth" term is another media invention, if the Democratic Party cannot withstand Senator Clinton continuing to be active in the race they should fold up their tent and disband their party and go home, they do not deserve to be a party forcing anyone out of the race is undemocratic, I would even defend Obama's right to stay in if it were reversed, besides even Obama stated Hillary should stay in.

--Heather

And to tell ya the truth - I think Hillary Clinton was given the benefit of the doubt much more than any other candidate would have received.

How many times have we heard: Never count out a Clinton.

Even after it became clear that Obama had an insurmountable lead in pledged delegates - which is how the nominee is chosen. And this point was acknowledged quite clearly by the Clinton campaign (at least at the beginning).

Wolfson:

"I guess one other thing I'd add is that, as you know, this is a race for delegates."

"And overall, we have a significant lead among delegates, overall, which, obviously, at the end of the day is what is going to positively determine which Democrat is our party's nominee."

McAuliffe:

"And at the end of the day it's getting a basket of delegates."

ONLY Hillary Clinton could have made the argument that the nominee should be based on the popular vote - instead of the delegates. I honestly do not believe that this argument would have gotten the traction that it did if Senator Obama was making this argument.

NEW THREAD

heather, ct.....you are taking the words right out of my mouth.
but, i do not plan on voting this time around, bigO is not qualified to lead this country.
since when do the media pundits get to pick our president?
they got away with it in 2004, the media decided kerry was the nominee, then they seemed to take great delight in trashing him.
the bias and the negative spin against the clintons has made me sick.

http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2008/03/sweet_obama_did_hold_the_title.html

By rules stated before this bacame an issue, Obama was not a professor. Then the University tried to do Obama and itself a favor, but the point is the exaggeration. For a while Obama touted his being the chair of an imprtant sub comittee too. When news got out that he never has held a single meeting, he dropped that from his resume as he has dropped referring to himself as a professor. If you're right, why doesn't he keep using the title. Do you always take a jury for idiots?

The point speaks to his eagerness to exaggerate and most Americans know what a professor is. Obama did not do what a full professsor does, nor did he say he was less than a full professor.

And then you call taking issue with the veryn "expert" people Obama selected to advise his foreign policy, is guilt by association? Yep, a fine lawyer Warren. Was not Rumsfeld a reflection on Bush's judgment?

You call the damage done to Obama and Michelle in advancing the notion the Obama's were disingenuous in saying they had never known of the very issues now lampooned of Wright on TV? That they denounced him only after he attacked Obama? And that Moss is a great Paster, the very same Pastor that strongly defends Wright?

And of course it is guilt by association that Obama started in Chicago with a grant fron the Ayers and help from Rezko. Did Obama ever blast Rezko before he was indicted and helped Obama with his house, that Rezko was a slumlord? Did he lament the endorsement of what Rezko did to the housing designed for poor people, poor Black people?

Yeah, all this is guilt by association. Obama responds only when the polls are threatening him. This is a fine moral compass. If you were a trial lawyer and that was your best you would have a poor record of winning. You want me to accept a line of reasoning no jury would accept. A lawyer should know this stuff kills and have told his client long ago to pre-empt this stuff, but in his supreme arrogance, Obama is a law unto himself and he will try to convince the jury that if they convict him, they are merely convicting themselves.

Now that is some incredible lawyering. Let's hope the jury isn't stupid enough to buy it.

And did the article on SOF make sense to you? And imagine our doubling plans with Obama in power. And also note the decline of conventional forces hurting the critical role SOF was designed to play. You said it yourself by your NeolIberal opinion that SOF should do counter-insurgency which is the function of a well lead conventional force. Seeing what the Democrats plan to do with that force, I can understand your imagination to offer an impractical fix of misusing SOF.