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.

Jamie,

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

9/11

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

You lost me ... Randy Radish?

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.

On Saturday the Prophet Brian posted His FIve Predictions for what Barack and Nancy (his Barbie and Ken dolls) would bring to this nation ASAP!

Well, say hi to his Number Three:

"Our govt. is going to have real commitment to weaning us off of fossil fuels."

NOW KISS IT GOODBYE!

Barack Obama's latest KY ad talks about his commitment to liquid coal technology.

Also note that Ben Smith notes also that pretty much for the first time the Obama campaign is not "blasting" this to reporters because it would kind of sort of DEFINITELY show how little his promises matter to him.

Here's the spot and a piece on it from TPM:

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/05/obama_promoting_coal_and_conce.php

PS. At the end of his revelation poor unheeded Prophet Brian cried out, "Why aren't you people thrilled?"

I know you're a mere boy of fifty, Brian. But haven't you even begun to learn to be careful what you ask for?

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?