Craig Crawford's Trail Mix

Morning Craig--This is fascinating information. So contrary to the way the media presented the primary with their constant cries for Hillary to get out of the race.
Looking at the polls this morning Obama in the end may need Hillary to salvage his chances. And of course a roll call would not be helpful in view of these polls. Frankly I love it!

Yes! Craig -- thank you for writing what I've been thinking all along here. Obama
s victory night came only after that long afternoon of releasing the names of superd's that flipped to him, one by one. And they can always flip back. As far as die hards go -- that term makes it seems like there's just a small cadre of embittered crones -- when in fact it's 18 million people -- the majority of people who voted in the primaries. There are some who have resigned themselves to Obama, but they will come racing back to Hillary if given the chance.

sturgeone: committed diehard for hillary, (watching for the old August roll call), who will vote democrat in november.

I don't think they'll ever allow a roll call vote, though.

has ms. brazille resigned yet?

If Obama keeps falling in the polls by the time Denver convention comes those "SUPERDELEGATES" worrying about getting reelected in November mite have wished they picked Hillary Soprano to be the nominee. But it's to late now.

VJ Machiavelli
http://www.vjmachiavelli.blogspot.com
ps nobody can save the Democ"rat"ic Party from defeat come this November.

Keep clutching to those Hillary straws.

The chances for a roll call vote are probably slim to none--it seems that the Obama campaign has serious concerns about just how secure they feel
their candidate is, as evidenced by this TPM article by a Theda Skocpol, Harvard professor, who takes issue with Clinton supporters failure to jump on the Obama express--it seems that those not getting on board should feel guilty for their failure to do so.

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/07/11/can_progressives_unite_or_will/

FYI, during the primary, Ms. Skocpol wrote other unflattering comments about Hillary

And the New Yorker cover apparently has caused the
Obama camp to address its anger about it--already
this a.m., Harold Ford appeared on Today show to
tamp down any impact, together with Andrea Mitchell
reporting on it, with a visual of the cover as well.

What are the chances that the cable shows will ignore
this latest dust-up.

"this TPM article by a Theda Skocpol, Harvard professor, who takes issue with Clinton supporters failure to jump on the Obama express--it seems that those not getting on board should feel guilty for their failure to do so."

ROFL. I feel guilty when I go to bed and forget to leave a full bowl of cat food out.

I will not feel guilty for having supported the candidate who best could have led this country.

I clutch 'em as I see 'em.......sans souci, all the way. What are you clutching?

I would love a roll call vote. And, if Mr Obama had an ounce of personal courage, he would welcome one.

didnt see sans souci in the dict. but it's a street name hear which I've been told means without discontent.....as to "clutching" i see it more as a firm grip than a clutch.......it's all in the words, words which, of course, mean something..........

rats.

here.

has ms. brazille resigned yet?

Posted by: patd | July 14, 2008 7:17 AM

This is one thing I have been anxiously waiting for. Well the time is allready there... The wait is almost over. I realy want to be the one to give her the pen so she could resign...

Anyway,
I feel the die hards should give it a rest. Let her be. She endorsed BO, let it be.
This round was for BO, our time is coming. Have faith....

Craig
Thanks for that.Its shows me yet again why i feel as i do about the Democrats and their un-democratic rules.OBama was selected not elected and the best person for the job was cast aside and constantly told to get out of the way of 'The One".Feeling guilty for not falling in line..HELL NO

she endorsed BO after she didnt endorse BO.....maybe she'll not endorse BO after she endorsed BO after she didnt endorse BO.......politics is politics.........August will tell the tale.....(a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury signifying nothing, etc.....)

lol. it's all funny.

The truth will set you free...thanks for the truth, Craig. I guess I shouldn't be surprised about how contrived the dem process really is.

Off to work...I wish I had more time, but still love to read the posts.

"as to "clutching" i see it more as a firm grip than a clutch......."

And, as in "get a grip," Bye Bye.

Coreen,

Thanks for your missive on Chap 13 housing bankruptcies.
http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/07/blogs-on-a-roll.html#comment-114726

I think I understand the points you are making--they are well thought out and reflect an advocate's understanding of the mortgage situation and pragmatic solutions that will be supportive of those about to be tossed out of their homes.

I would still prefer seeing the agreed to debt remain, but interest rates rolled back to those charged preferred borrowers with the government guaranteeing that the mortgage holder will receive payment. I simply don't like the idea of the government taking one party's legally acquired assets and giving them to another party.

Although FMVs of housing are terribly depressed in many areas, history has shown that housing prices will rebound, albeit in a matter of years rather than months. Revaluing the bank's asset, although logical in your comment, still leaves me deeply concerned, especially since the debtor will retain the revalued asset.

The whole subject of interest rates deeply concerns me. Usury concepts and laws need to be revisited. I think each lender, no matter the type of loan, should be required to provide a 'Usury Rating' running from A to F depending on how they screw borrowers.

This morning's print Journal has a nice section talking about what one needs to do if faced with having to sell a house _right now_.

for BO to take it all at the convention he will have to politically defeat or (co-opt) the clintons......
it's politics, and he is where he is now, according to some, because he out-politicked the clintons.....
we (los diehards) begin to see and long have felt that it aint over yet......more politics in store.........

If he's going to win......he'll have to WIN. To try and suggest in any way that everyone should just fall in when the vote was an 18 million / 18 million split is to fly in the face of reality....everyone fell in behind kerry...........maybe some are tired of "just falling in" and hoping for the best.
still..........it's all very high comedy.

Hi Gang,

I really love all you early morning Trail Mixers (mostly), people like
Alicia, Jason, Patsi, padt, Flatus, sturgeone,tonyb39, and the ones
I don't know as well like Coreen and jane. . .anyway, hello. . .

Great post, Craig. I knew that Obama and his surrogates had trashed
the superdelegates until Obama suddenly realized his only chance
was to win them over.

Roll call, please!!

This is the main reason that I was upset about the Obama camp reaction when she didn't immediately concede the election on the last primary night with the count down of the SDs switching at the same time as the votes were being reported.

While I don't expect it to happen, the reality is that between now and the end of August if something big blew up, those same SDs could change their votes. Talk about reasons not to have a roll call.

Whether they like it or not, the easiest way to avoid all the sturm and drang of ugly possibilities to simply put her on the ticket for instant cohesion and enthusiasm rather than half enthusiasm and half "do I bother to get out of bed?" resignation.

"...it's all very high comedy"

One person's comedy is another's drama, and yet another's tragedy.

Sturg, should we hold a parallel convention nominating Mrs Clinton by acclimation? Who should she choose as her running mate?

Hi Jamie, (I didn't see you were signed in yet)

I agree with you about the fact "they" should just put Hillary on the ticket.
I continue to believe the real reason Obama is reluctant to pick Hillary
as his running mate is not only as he says, Bill, but that he's afraid
Hillary will upstage him.

And I think the reason Camp Obama continued to insist Hillary drop out
is that they were afraid of her and the power she has with voters (the power
she still has). Don't you think?

Im getting a vision of the Avignon Pope.......hmmmmm

maybe Al Gore will be elected by acclamation at the convention.....to squash all the non-productive squabbling.......

Hillary's pick for VP ? I guess obama would be out......

mel brooks on the difference between comedy and tragedy:

If YOU are walking along and fall into a pit-trap with a hungry tiger in it and he starts gnawing on your leg-------That's Comedy.

If I get a paper cut........that's tragedy.

hard to write out the way he said it but if you can imagine old mel...........

Prof Marcia

Even Brian was moved enough to send off $25 after the Unity event. It just looked right: The tall, handsome man and the short, lovely mature lady. That combo soaks up all the political oxygen, why not take advantage of it. She was a loyal advisor during her husband's presidency. There is no reason to think she would be anything else in an Obama presidency.

As has been frequently mentioned, the Clintons are uber politicians. They know how all the games are played. Sure Bill would grab headlines with his charitable foundation and response to disasters, but which is better? She's not VP and he goes and gets all the headlines for a few days or President Obama announces, "I'm sending our best to handle the situation. Bill Clinton will be there within 24 hours with the US response."

It is a matter of self confidence and the ability to take charge on Obama's part..

Jamie,

As Obama continues his VP search, it seems so silly, since Hillary is
the most qualified, the most charismatic, simply the best Democratic
for the job.

I don't think that together Obama and Clinton could lose.

Craig sure knows how to push your buttons!

Good morning all, and have fun with Fantasy Monday.

Also Bastille Day.

Au revoir, mes amies, les bitterati.

DogsEye.....that sounded a tad bitter......

Flatus,

My concerns in yesterday's discussion w/Katherine were related to my basic premise regarding the candidates who want to become President & the absence of them addressing real issues affecting reall people, I continue to ask:

Who speaks for the middle class?

My clients tend to be middle class working families who have fallen into the credit trap.

I do not see either candidate addressing issues that affect working america, rather we continue to be distracted with the flip-flop "scandals" & fake outrage--as evidenced with the latest flap about the New Yorker cover.

Some of us out here on "Main Street" do not see the housing/mortgage crisis bottoming out in the forseeable future.

Paul Krugman today's NYT "Fannie, Freddie & You" tries to put things in perspective.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/14/opinion/14krugman.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin

Threre are also 2 good articles on the front page of NYT but I can not link to more than 1 item.

1. Treasury unveils vast plan to save mortgage giants

2. Government as big lender

Why do the Obama supporters (fan club) seem to feel any positive conversation
about Hillary is fantasy or ridiculous. Doesn't that seem a bit narrow minded?

If there were no SDs, Sen. Obama still wins by 127 pledged delegates plus picking up another 21 from the Edwards endorsement. It's not a clear cut "total votes needed" victory, but it is a legitimate plurality.

I'm not sure how those numbers would have come out if all the party shenanigans of weighted districts had been in play and I won't go on another rant about the inherent inequality in the caucus states, let's just leave it at a win is a win. What is causing the trouble is that this one is so darn close between two really high powered candidate with two intensely partisan groups of supporters.

The choice is simple, create a deep rift in the party structure with hard feelings that could well endure for years with factions perfectly willing to snipe and snarl, or unify and however strange the bedfellows, make love not war.

The choice is simple, create a deep rift in the party structure with hard feelings that could well endure for years with factions perfectly willing to snipe and snarl, or unify and however strange the bedfellows, make love not war.
--jamie

hey.......just like blogs........

typo:

I meant Hillary is the best Democrat for the VP job.

Coreen
Thanks a lot for your very infomative posts. The most disappointing part of the proposed bailouts it the lack of bailout for the homeowners. I appreciate the concern for the banking institutions but what about the people being throw out of their houses.

In the Bay area rental costs have skyrocketed yet their are hundreds of houses standing empty, blighting neighborhoods and devaluing the remaining properties. There is something very wrong with this picture.

Obama's VP search

While I agree with the comments (Jamie & Marcia) that Hillary is by far the most qualified candidate, the reality is she was out manuevered by the Obama team &--- I really do not want Hillary to be his VP candidate.

If the conventional wisdom is correct that it is inevitable that Obama will become President, then let him & his team solve the problems facing us.

BO: announce Hillary's selection as VP before your trip. Result--all the love you can handel at home and abroad--no convention problems--and the boost you will need to win.

Sturge,

Thanks for the translation on san souci. There's a bar and restaurant bearing that name in Scotia, New York, and I'll confess to never having left there discontented.

It was a favorite haunt of an umpiring buddy, who died in a fire a few years ago, and stopping there brings back fond memories.

From my morning read.

"Ex-congressman finds second career as international arms trader"

http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/node/9205

Jack

Pick up your morning paper. Go to the local section and observe any of the problems in your community, and then contemplate that People Magazine has paid at least 11 million dollars to Brangelina for pictures of their twins.

I hope that money is going to their charitable work in Africa. Otherwise, the money is obscene. When you consider what it says about the values of our society that wants to see them on the cover of People, it is still obscene.

I strongly hope HRC will not be on any long or shortlist for VP by BO.....

The Cynthia McKinney story was big news yesterday in Holland. They connected her to Ralph Nader and the stolen election from 2000.... Will DNC again be the loser?

Anyway,
Saturday is my birthday and I asked God for a present. The present involves Ms.Brazile :))

Pick up your morning paper. Go to the local section and observe any of the problems in your community, and then contemplate that People Magazine has paid at least 11 million dollars to Brangelina for pictures of their twins.

Posted by: Jamie | July 14, 2008 9:22 AM

LOL LOL LOL LOL
Jamie, I hear you. But this is a business.
Nicole Richie got 5 million, Christina Aguilear got 4.5 Million, Jennifer Lopez got a reported 6 million....So be prepared...if Madonna anounces that she is pregnant at 50 she will get 30 million..

Where are we going to?????

Jack, it seems the war on terror is having the opposite effect..

good morning gang.....

had a wonderful weekend in Concord Massachusetts at the annual Thoreau Society Meeting..... lots of great discussions with some wonderful people....

one of the main topics for discussion this year was whether John Brown's acts of violence were justified or terrorists acts..... it was fun hearing highly educated people trying to wrestle with it....

I no longer care about the horse race..... what will happen will happen....

I care about the issues that face this country ..... I've heard over and over again on numerous discussions on NPR that neither of the presumptive nominees has a sound economic plan..... this is not acceptable, IMO...

Jason,

The state where the McKinney candidacy could be interesting is Georgia. Bob Barr will be running as a Libertarian. If he peels off even a small percentage of the Republican vote, then the state could go to Obama. If McKinney and the Green party (where a lot of disaffected Hillary voters have said they might go) then that would negate the Barr vote and the state could go McCain.

It will be interesting to watch the numbers for this very, very southern state.

Katherine,

Tthanks to you & Flatus for enduring with my opinions about this election season. I sometime think I sound Cassandra-like in my comments.

I agree that the proposed bailout will in all likelihood really benefit the banks that engineered the crisis--one can only hope that some stressed homeowner's will benefit as well.

Yes, there is something wrong with the picture, but then again cynic that I am--"they just want our vote", then it's business as usual.

The quick Treasury response to the fannie & freddie mac crisis illustrates just how serious this issue really is.

Jamie, only Georgia?

"This is the main reason that I was upset about the Obama camp reaction when she didn't immediately concede the election on the last primary night "

Precisely, Jamie. That drumbeat actually started around the time Obama won Iowa...(only half kidding....)

All you needed to do was invoke Thoreau. let's put it in perspective.
Recap of this week’s news
The coral reefs continue to die. Bees continue to die. Some alerts were broadcast on the extinction of some exotic species like Gorillas and Orangutans. Salmonella cases increased as Koreans continue to protest the importation of US beef. Stop-Loss continues to drive the military recruitment process. Bush says no to the G8’s weak goal for CO2 emissions and sardonically described the US as the greatest polluter. A court case regarding pollution had a surprise ruling in favor of increased emissions effectively reducing the authority of an EPA which has been unable to use the authority it does have. The housing crisis deepened with the strain of failed and risky mortgages extending into Fannie and Freddie;The administration will borrow money to purchase the stock. The stock market declined sharply as a result, along with portfolios and investment capital. Worldwide suicides by farmers are up as the life expectancy of a US citizen is down. Passage of the Medicare bill to increase doctor’s payments was a blow to those who are hoping to privatize the plan. The Justice Department’s chief, Mukasey, displayed a remarkable disregard for the concerns of Congress in saying he did not think that the OPR investigators needed to call Karl Rove in connection with his role in the Siegelman prosecution and with his point blank refusal to look into the legality of torture practices past or present. Guam made it known again that its sub-citizens are still concerned about the devalued notion of legitimate consent of the governed; the same devaluation of legitimacy which is expanding as the empire (economic interest) grows. The Dollar declined along with employment.
In entertainment news: Kucinich’s single article of impeachment of GWB may actually be debated on the House floor as per Speaker Polosi; the Supremes continue vacationing; Angelina had her twins.
In sports: Jessie Jackson and Phil Gramm lost their seats on the bus as the NL East heats up.
In our interesting facts department we see that the World Bank hasn’t a clue what micro-lending is and the number of hungry people (women and children) rose 2 million this year to 854,000,000; someone (a child) starves to death every 5 seconds.
Flobot teams up with the Simpsons for our commentary.
http://www.truveo.com/Handlebars-Flobots-Simpsons-remix/id/2098510810

"If I get a paper cut........that's tragedy."

That's great!

Coreen

You are on the frontlines of the biggest crisis we are facing. The costs of the foreclosures etc. the feds could have bailed out all the subprime mortages instead and I think the result would have been better but when it began the mood was to punish borrowers who were "greedy or "stupid."

The feds can act very quickly when it needs to for a BIG BANK or BIG INSTITUTION (or to pander to the right wing) but help out a million plus homeowners NO thanks.

OMG! Nick -- that's perfect! I listened to every word of it.

The Beatles foretold this in 1965
"I'm Looking Through You"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiRbZ5R1q2M&feature=related

Coleen,

Just read the major page one Times article. Here's what I would do with F&F:

--Securitize their outstanding shares. By this I mean, convert those shares to long-term (100-year) bonds, subordinate to every other debt of F&F. Securitization (conversion) should be done at Friday's closing share price.

--Have the government (you pick the agency) take direct control of F&F becoming the sole common share holder of the equity of both entities.

--Grant 'full faith' status to every secured debt of F&F with the exception of the securitized shares.

--Have a moratorium on foreclosure of every owner-owned property under foreclosure, and on apartments having greater than 75-pct occupancy.

Using the figures in the article, F&F have a combined net worth of $1.5 trillion. I find that hard to believe given the drop in FMVs.

A super vid to brighten Monday morning,

julie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adYbFQFXG0U

Oops, apologies Coreen

"Doesn't that seem a bit narrow minded?"

Just consider the sources, Marcia.

I still say that if Hillary is on that ticket, the first time he receives any sort of threat -- some O-worshiper will kill her.

http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/node/9205

Great! And the last line of the article Jack linked:

"Good to know there's still a place for America's worst congressmen."

Just read Krugman's piece on page A17. I think he's too timid. He accepts heads they win, tails we lose as being a reasonable state. I don't.

"one of the main topics for discussion this year was whether John Brown's acts of violence were justified or terrorists acts..... it was fun hearing highly educated people trying to wrestle with it...."

Renee -- that's the very conversation Jamie and I had back some threads ago...good to know that great minds think alike and all that, huh Jamie? Ha...

Patsi,

I didn't follow that line of comments. What was the conclusion?

mornin' all.

jamie, they were reporting on MoJo this morning that the $11M for the twins' pics is going to the Pitt-Jolie charities. I hope that's right. While it may be obscene, with all the sh*t happening here and abroad that the US is either driving or just in the middle of, $11M for a little entertainment in the form of a couple cute newborns of the most popular couple in the world doesn't seem all that bad an expenditure to me - hell Congress should fund it - it would be just about the best $11M they appropriate in this congress.. Of course I won't be buying a copy 'cuz I really couldn't care less, but there will be a lot of them in dentists' waiting rooms, college dorms and trailer parks.

Listen, I predict that Obama won't touch Hillary witha 10 foot pole for his VP choice. The joint appearances and air kisses are the closest she'll come to being on the ticket with him. It might make sense to us, but I don't see that happening in his or her lifetimes.

Renee, being a southern boy and growing up in history classes that depicted John Brown as a crazy old coot and criminal, I'm curious - how was he viewed historically in history classes in the the states that were in the Union?

"It will be interesting to watch the numbers for this very, very southern state."

Jamie -- Georgia will indeed be interesting. Aging Hipster always said he believed it was in play. And he was/is one of the O-supporters who was clear-eyed and didn't just post to advance his agenda.

Coreen, thanks for you always thoughtful posts! Wanted to say that now if I hadn't before!

Flatus, based on the stuff I heard last week, the $5.5T figure that is attributred to F&F as their net worth is based not on the FMV of the properties their mortgages secure, but on the actual amount of the mortgage debt underlying those mortgages.

Jason,

While other states are battlegrounds, Georgia is interesting simply because of changes in its demographics and the fact that if a black man wins the state, it will be a whole new world as far as the US in concerned.

Religion as a criterion for presidential qualification is pretty well behind us. If Georgia flips, you can say the whole idea of racism is finally dying a well deserved death.

Now about that woman thing?

Posted by: pogo | July 14, 2008 10:02 AM

In Ohio --John Brown is a hero.

http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/johnbrown/brownbody.html

" didn't follow that line of comments. What was the conclusion?"

Flatus -- the only kind of conslusion possible -- none!

Actually we were talking about social change -- so people like John Brown bring it about to a more or lesser extent than governmental powers, ie, even Lincoln. You can look to so many revolutions and see parallels. Most important, possibly, the unification of Italy. But in the end, while it is a great conversation to have...all things fit together.

I do think Brown was about half crazy, but then, many on the front end of social change are.

In my part of the country, out in Western Kansas, he was thought of as the guy who kept the slavers out of our state.

Truly beautiful, thanks Julie

Pogo,

Of course, their assets are their portfolios of debt. The point I was trying to make is that the value of that debt has decreased as decreasing FMVs reduce the value of the debt because the debt-equity ratios of the secured properties has deteriorated making the debt more risky and, therefore, less valuable.

I should fix the typos in that John Brown post...conclusion, for one!

and "do people" instead of "so people"

Off to the Verizon store to get my new phone changed over....

Good morning nick
Thanks for watching he video. I think it is a true story but do not know for sure.It was passed to be by a friend, she said it was..
Good grief, Brian finally says something nice to me. The world will end for sure. glad you enjoyed it..

julie

Flatus,

Your suggestions to shore up fannie & freddie are probably just as valid as the treasury's plan, do you want to run for office?

The Treasury action has so far this a.m. calmed the stock market--it achieved its intended goal, so far.

Krugman may be timid but his conclusion is the reality, taxpayer's pay--goes back to my on-going question-who speaks for the middle class?

Flatus, I don't disagree - I was just commenting on where I understood the number to come from. Considering that their assets are debt - repackaged debt at that - they are undoubtedly grossly overstated.

KC, I figured he would be viewed as a hero, even if he wasn't playing with all 51 cards, by the members of the union in what I heard referred to in Virginia as the War of Northern Aggression.

Good morning peeps,
Today is Open Thread on the BackChannel Blog

http://clistersbackchannel.wordpress.com/

John Brown and Ohio

http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=486

which also explains why we always have salmon and peas on patriotic holidays (inside joke)

Brian/Julie

It is a true story. Go back to the video and on the right hand side there is a link "more info" that you can click for the whole story and the eventual outcome.

Come on, Craig. A Dem roll call would be great. Just think of the confusion that'd cause. And in a surprise vote, Clinton might win. Chaos galore.

tt

Additional info

George Adamson who is mentioned in the story about the animal refuge is the same one who along with his wife Joy introduced the lioness Elsa to the wild and then wrote about her in "Born Free"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Born_Free

Craig, thank you for this fine post!

There is still time to keep the democratic party democratic! Please visit http://thedenvergroup.blogspot.com/

Levez-vous, Hillary, levez-vous!

Happy Bastille Day, everyone! You kids have fun storming the castle!

Actually I think Hillary, and her supporters, have the right to receive a "roll call" vote on record of the delegates supporting her. Unless Mr. Obama's supporters are nervous about his chances, they shouldn't worry about it. Assuming the delegates remain split as they are, it will simply let those who support Hillary to be counted as part of the official record at the convention. And it will remind everyone just how close the primaries ended up in terms of votes and delegates.

That's my take.

Huh Jamie? What's a true story?

Roll call this!

Brown must have been influenced by Civil Disobedience. Thoreau had little tolerance for those who did not act in support of their beliefs. He even chided Emerson for being on the wrong side of the bars.

Brian,

The video link above about the pet lion returned to the wild and the reunion several years later with his human "parents".

Err, that would be 52 cards. KC, I guess they really liked that 4th paragraph - so much so they repeated it as the 6th paragraph.

HEADS UP REMINDER

For those who enjoy well written dramas, The Closer and Saving Grace start their new seasons tonight on TNT

Obama supporters & others as well:

In his own words---"My Plan for Iraq"

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/14/opinion/14obama.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin

Brian: fromearlier...

A super vid to brighten Monday morning,

julie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adYbFQFXG0U

Look at this. Even if ya don't like the guy, the cover is horrible especially for folks who just look at that and nothing else. WTH's the matter with the New Yorker, now?

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/07/14/obama.cover/

tt

Remember all that talk about how refreshing it would be to have a meaningful convention? The only thing that stands between Hillary and the nomination is 175 super delegates. (It would be fewer than 100 if the DNC RBC had adhered to its own rules on May31.)
I find it frightening that Dean & Co. are trying to engineer a convention that denies the truth of where the Democratic party really stands in a vain attempt to portray unity that doesn’t exist. They are scared to death about what might happen if Hillary's name is put in nomination and the super delegates cast their vote in secret ballot. Do we really know at this point who the nominee would be?
The DNC's motive for staging the nomination acceptance at a venue other than the convention isn’t fooling anyone. What the press should be examining is the following question: How can a man afraid to face his opponent's supporters confront the rigors of the presidency?
Obama doesn’t seem capable of delivering the money he promised both the party and the down-ticket candidates or of taking a principled and consistent stand on any issue of importance. Hillary’s base (which is huge) isn't buying what he's selling; they are not going to donate any time soon and may very well take a principled stand themselves by not voting democratic in November. Have I forgotten to mention how full the RNC’s coffers are and the conservative 527’s which haven’t even started with the light artillery, never mind the big guns? No wonder the DNC is afraid that some super delegates may be suffering buyer’s remorse.

Is it any wonder that the only battle that the DNC’s power brokers and Obama are willing to fight is the one that keeps Hillary’s name out of nomination? It’s just another instance of those who know what’s best for us gaming an election for our own good. We should be used to it by now.

July 14, 2008
Op-Ed Contributor
My Plan for Iraq
By BARACK OBAMA

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/14/opinion/14obama.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin

Whether you're for or against him everyone should read this, in the drama of the election lets not forget that there are real lives at stake in this election!

Sniff.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/15/business/worldbusiness/15beer.html?hp

What next, the Chrysler building? Oh, wait, too late.

Yet another innumerate analysis from Crawford.

Obama did not win BECAUSE OF superdelegates.

If there were no superdelegates, he would have clinched the nomination on May 20.

What happened is that Obama did not LOSE because of superdelegates.

Crawford is still shilling for Clinton after Clinton dropped out.

Posted by: pogo | July 14, 2008 10:44 AM

hey sometimes things are worth saying twice :))))))))

Pogo

Will there be a layoff of the Clydesdales?

Geek

Look at the numbers. As I mentioned above. Without the SDs he has a plurality but not the nomination according to the number of delegates required.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/07/dem-superdelegates-rule-after.html#comment-114934

Well i just got around to reading yesterday's thread (yes, i do try to take weekends off now and then).

Nick surely did get out of line with the vulgar insults. I don't get it. Nick, you add good stuff in comments, and wish you would stick to that. I love vigorous debate, but blasting others with f-bombs and the like is no good.

[Update 3:15 PM -- Nick's July 13-14 comments have been deleted]

Craig

So what car did you choose?

My wife really liked the zip and handleing of the Mazda she test drove. I roade along and it felt sporty. However, the price was a bit out of our range so we ended up with a Ford focus program car that had all the extras she wanted and about $6000 less. She likes the Focus but I think she fell inlove with the Mazda

Jack

Me too Craig,

Jamie wasn't doing anything but making conversation and using "Pithy" comments. That one came out of left field.

I hope Nick can come down to see that Jamie is a respected person on this blog. She has proven herself to be civil and so attacking her like that was wrong.

I just had to come and back her up.

Gotta go--a great big giant slurpy lion kiss to you all.

jack, we went used -- the mazda and subaru are well-priced for new cars, but too darn small -- so gave up the mid-life crisis sporty cars for a conservative 3-year-old "embrace-your-maturity" sedan -- Nissan Maxima, which feels like twice the car for less money than the spffy new Mazdaspeed3

jamie, a layoff, no. The Clydesdales' hours will be reduced to make time for the Lippizaners to pull the beer truck. The Clydesdales will likely organize a strike.

Julie -- don't confuse Brian H with BrianinNYC...Brian H left the post about your video.

Obama's New Health Care Policy for Small Businesses Adopts Clinton Plan

"Today, I'm announcing an aspect to my plan to provide real relief for small business owners who are crushed by rising costs, an idea championed by my friend Hillary Clinton, who's been leading the way in our battle to insure every American," Obama said. "It's a plan that would help more employers provide health benefits for their workers -- instead of making it harder for them, as Senator [John] McCain would do.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/07/obamas-new-heal.html

The Lippizaners can teach the Clydesdales to dance, but I wouldn't suggest doing it while harnessed to that wagon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY3wmWT-sb8

Should make for interesting commercials.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aWzuQ1ufGs

What really happened yesterday was that instead of allowing Jamie and Nick to fight that out, it became a group thing than Nick didn't deal with well. Then people were coming on and being positively orgasmic that he's had a "Melt down" -- calling it funny.

He was out of line, IMO, but there's a methodical and malignant egging on that occurs here. I can picture some of this crowd in the Coliseum. "OH, lolol, the lions have eaten another Christian!"

Craig, can you explain to Geek, Esq. how the candidate selection process works? He seems to think Obama clinched something on May 20.

"positively orgasmic". Wasn't that the b side to Positively 4th Street?

chezmadame, please don't attribute the Esq. designation to "Geek". As hard as this may be to believe, it is an insult to lawyers.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/07/dem-superdelegates-rule-after.html#comment-115015

chezmadame -- Geek, esq. surely meant that on May 20 Obama had a plurality of the pledged delegate vote (as Jamie notes above), as that is far different than "clinching" the 2,118 delegates needed to win. That only came with adding on superdelegate endorsements.

Hi folks!
'50s in MN: John Brown was a violent visionary/delusional fanatic who chose wrong means to achieve a good end. Used as a cautionary tale. My ancestors were Unionists. Thank God for Alexander Ramsey and Josiah Wood ! And, thank God for Thaddeus Stevens, Ohio's titan of ethics !

As a former Edwards now pro-Obama guy, I think an old fashioned roll call would be fun. Some of the best theater in American history came in conventions and roll call votes. I vividly remember the sound of a delegate dramatically drawling out the name of "John W.......SPARKmaaaaaan" And the lights going out as the Stevenson rally erupted in 1960 (I, think but not sure, Stevenson wanted to hide how few delegates he had). And, Nixon's balloon drop in 1968 that wowwed everyone then, but has become a cliche & boring waste of time and petroproducts.

xrepub this is were we split company, NO ROLE CALL!

Oh, got it. If Geek, Esq. ever runs for office, maybe you can play the role of the guy who explains "what he really meant." The Obama campaign already has that position filled. ;)

Patsi

Thanks, did not realize there was another Brian.

Julie

I don't recall who I heard say this recently regarding the event at Mile High Stadium, but he or she said one of the reason Obama is having it is so the 2,000 or so Hillary supporters will be diluted by the massive crowd showing up to cheer Obama, makes sense.

Craig,

I can't condone Nick's comments, but empathize with his frustration. At first glance it seems like there is an informed debate going on here, but after a while, the childishness and lack of tolerance for divergent ideas becomes clear.

As inappropriate as vulgarity may be, it is, in my opinion, less offensive than the mob mentality that shouts down dissent, refers to other ideologies as "regustlican" (or any other quasi-clever bastardizations of that word), or the declarations of future dismissal of another's posts (another type of attempt to eradicate dissent).

It's not as much of a marketplace of ideas here, as it is a playground where bullies rule. That certainly not the host's fault; it's more like sad commentary on human nature.

Just a thought. Oh, and get a WRX STI. That would be awesome. Competitor to the Lancer I mentioned, and comes in hatchback.

Thereau paints a much different picture of John Brown as well as a photo in which he appears "quite pleasant."

http://my.uen.org/mydocuments/downloadfile?userid=matthomas&documentid=3049405.

"The Clydesdales'"

Many years ago I was working for an Arabian horse trainer near Fort Worth. We took most of our customer's horses to the Fort Worth Livestock Show and Rodeo. The horses were entered in the Arabian Horse Show that went with the big event. Budweiser had one of the teams there for the show.

I was not paying attention one afternoon as I walked down the middle alley that led into the big arena. All of a sudden I heard the clopping of the hooves and rattling of their harnesses. All I could see were two very big horses cloppied clopping down the isle followed by 6 more Clydesdale horses pulling the big War Wagon. They were about 10 feet from me and did not seem to be making any effort to stop. When I realized that I was about to be run over, I somehow was able to jump sideways and press myself up against the alley wall. I think I lost maybe 5 years off my life with that episode.

¡yo soy Horsedooty!

jamie, of course it should be pretty easy for the Clydesdales to schedule their dance lessons since one of the Lippizaner stables is in Oviedo, FL, just a click over 1000 miles from St. Louis. They coud stay at Busch Gardens in Tampa, a mere 100 miles away.

Nick,

They call it the "high road", because most others opt for the easier route. Rise above.

xrepublican,

I always enjoyed the long drawn out state descriptions before casting the vote

umtyup state nationally famous for the best sandwich fillers, longest check stand waits, and home of the renowned low flying butterflies casts 1 and 1/2 votes for our favorite son, Julius Throckmorton Skeeter and 8 and 1/2 votes for the next President of the light of the world, the glorious United States of America Governor Bauregard Phippus Mistletoe.

I know this hasn't been discussed much this morning, but what did you all make of the Obama op-ed in the New York Times? Seems like we got an actual commitment out of him that will be hard to get out of....

Clydesdales will be sold in France. How does one say yum in French? ( :>D ]

Craig, one more thing. Do you think that Geek Esq.'s comment shows evidence of innumerancy? I hate to name call, but he is wrong about the numbers.

"I somehow was able to jump sideways and press myself up against the alley wall. I think I lost maybe 5 years off my life with that episode."

Doots -- Tanya Tucker has a couple of those huge horses...I believe the Busch people gave them to her. I had never been up close to them until one day out at her house, and I will say that their size up close and personal is overwhelming.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/07/dem-superdelegates-rule-after.html#comment-115027

Nick, i am not about to referee and measure the reasonableness of every response to every provocation around here -- I am merely saying that you used words against people in those comments that are beyond the pale. If you must do so, at least make it clear what you're mad at them about. I didn't get a clue about that in those comments I linked.

Not here to censor anyone, just telling you how I feel about it.

"but what did you all make of the Obama op-ed in the New York Times? "

Haven't read it, PoU -- but on your behalf, I will!

Nick

What champ said.

Plus, as my baby sister always found out, it is not the quiet dig of her older sister that gets one in trouble but the loud squawk of her reaction that got her in trouble everytime. Some days it is better to ignore all of it.
And yea, I know, I should listen to my own advise.

Some of those days I posted Youtubes was my attempt to avoid the sillyness around here.

Jack

Happy Bastille Day politicallypissed.

It's Bastille Day? Hooray!

"and I will say that their size up close and personal is overwhelming."

they be big sobs no doubt I was breathing hard for the rest of the day to be sure.

¡yo soy Horsedooty!

Patsi: Let me know what you think!

Jamie,

I love it. May I quote you?

Nick: may I ask you, in all seriousness:

What is the issue with your family,or your parents, specifically?

You have reacted energetically a few times to comments from others that did not appear to me to be disrespectful.

What's up there?

yep, 14 July 1789, storming of the Bastille.

Well the time period was earlier than Bastille Day, but the message was the same.

The Finale of Les Miserables

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bk-4Vdp9_x0

Do You Hear The People Sing

and the by the way to all, it sure does help when you're in dialogue with someone else to include a link to the comment you are responding to. Sometimes I cannot follow someone's point reading a cryptic comment reacting to (or yelling at) someone else.

and rather than copy and paste long comments you want to address (one or two sentences are fine), just provide the link to that comment

it's easy to do: Click the highlighted date stamp to the right of the commenters screen name and your browswer creates a direct link to that comment in your address window. Copy that and paste it into your response -- would be a big help for those who are interested in understanding what you're talking about

Miam-miam is yum-yum in French.

Voila. Il y a des américains qui sont bilingue, malgré ce que Barak dit.

Vive la révolution!

The stadium appearance has technical problems.
The DNC has announced they want everyone to travel to the venue by bus. That's a last minute request for a lot of buses. I don't think I would like to be transporation manager for that....who is going to loan (rent) them enough buses. Denver isn't close to big population centers where buses could be borrowed.

Found the full version

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6-5g78Nr6Q&feature=related

Don't worry KCG I'm sure they will get it worked out in time!

xrepublican

Of course you may quote me. I love having my pithier silliness stolen.

Bringing buses in from Kansas etc is going to cost a lot of money not only for the buses but the gas to drive them back and forth...

Is it worth it to continue to try to look like JFK?

The super D’s would have had to rule for Clinton to have gotten the nomination as well, so I don’t know why there is much to do about Obama needing them. After all, it was the Clinton camp nagging the super D’s on a daily basis. Some have commented that they received calls more than once a day. Why didn’t that work?

Heidi Feldman, the co founder of the The Denver Group and the woman interviewed in the Clinton Diehards Want Convention Vote posted above by Craig, will be appearing on Fox, Neil Cavuto at 4 today. There is still time! Levez-vous, Hillary, Levez -vous!

Pogo...
I think the consensus in the Northeast is that John Brown was a hero..... a lot of people at the discussion ( which took place in the Masonic Temple of which Paul Revere was a member) took a more conservative view of him as a man who committed violence for a heroic idea..... but that didn't necessarily make him a hero.....

an interesting fact about Lippizaners is that they are all born black and start to turn white around 7-8 yrs of age.... if they come to your area.... I highly recommend going to see their act.... they truly are the ballerinas of the horse world.....

champ..... excellent post at 11:53am.... IMO....
the lack of tolerance for another's point of view has become quite childish around here lately.....

KCG since I doubt you'll be making any contributions to the Obama campaign why do you care?

Gee I must have missed the rules about when you are allowed to comment. on a subject Must be another slow day at the kiddy pool.

"they be big sobs no doubt I was breathing hard for the rest of the day to be sure."

Doots, I can't even imagine having them running at you. My uncle's racing quarter horses used to charge me when they broke out of the fence, and I can still remember making a beeline for the house....hell, even the chicken house, or the dog house!

“I must have missed the rules about when you are allowed to comment”

Gee, I must have missed those as well!!!

I didn't say you couldn't comment, I just wonder why you care so much about how Obama spends his campaign funds since you despise the man so clearly.

As usual you are full of crap.