All Posts Tagged With: "Clinton"
Obama Plans Saturday Matinee For VP Pick
The last episode of the Obama VP Thriller May be Played Out In Lincolnesque-like Way In Springfield, Illinois Saturday. McCain VP Epic To End Next Friday
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama plans a return to the city where he launched his campaign at the Old State House in Springfield, Illinois on Saturday where he is expected to name his VP nominee.
Sensing that nomination slipping away Senator Joe Biden (D) Delaware went to Georgia to burnish his foreign policy credentials toting along his promise of $1 billion in taxpayer money for the beleaguered country. The list of potential running mates is widely believed to be down to four names: Biden, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine and Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh. Sebelius is unknown; Kaine and Bayh are boring but represent important Elector College states. Senator Hillary Clinton is still considered a long shot for the post but few expect that to happen. Biden has a notorious loose and an ego that may exceed Obama’s own. Bayh, if elected would likely cost Democrats a Senate seat.
McCain’s top contenders are said to include Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Pawlenty is virtually unknown; Romney brings along bags of personal wealth and nearly as many problems - including prejudices against his Mormon faith. Less traditional choices include former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, an abortion-rights supporter, and Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, the Democratic vice presidential pick in 2000 who now is an independent. Lieberman has been traveling with McCain on his campaign plane recently.
Obama has build a enormous email database promising an early text message about the VP pick to everyone that signed up. McCain is using more traditional way to announce his pick - smoke signals.
Hillary Clinton Camp Accuses Edwards of Wrecking Her Nomination
Edwards “Anti-Poverty PAC” and finance Chair Paid $114,000 and $15,000 or so a month to mother of Edwards alleged bastard daughter. Andrew Young and wife move into her exclusive Santa Barbara home.
Records indicate that an Edwards PAC, the One American Committee, which was set up to fight poverty, spent $114,000 for the production of several short Web-based videos. The videos were produced in 2006 by Rielle Hunter; the same woman with whom Edwards has belatedly admitted committing adultery.
A key question is, Why would Edwards direct his “anti-poverty” PAC
to pay an arguably inflated price to a relatively inexperienced individual for three third rate videos?
Additionally, according to Fox News, Fred Baron, a Dallas lawyer and former campaign finance chairman for Edwards, gave money in the $15,000-a-month range to Hunter.
In addition to denying the adulterous sexual affair, the later night visit to Hunter and her bastard daughter at the Beverly Hilton Hotel Edwards is doing his best Sergeant Schultz 
routine claiming he had no knowledge of Baron’s payments and that he learned about the cash given to Hunter from the press. Hunter now lives in a rented multimillion dollar home in a gated section of Montecito, an exclusive area near Santa Barbara, Calif.
In a bizarre twist Andrew Young (a top Edwards aide who claimed to be the father of Hunter’s child) and his wife are reportedly roommates of Hunter at the Montecito home.
Hunter and business partner Mimi Hockman apparently set up Midline Groove Productions in 2006 to produce the Edwards Web videos. Its website has disappeared but the Edwards videos have resurfaced via an anonymous posting on YouTube.
Hillary Clinton supporters are now claiming it was Edwards who cost her the Democrat nomination, and had he emerged as the party nominee to have this scandal surface he could have eviscerated the Democratic Party. It is a bitter irony that Bill Clinton’s impeachment was for perjury over his sexual tryst with White House fellatrix Monica Lewinsky.
Atlantic Monthly To Pull Down Clinton Campaign’s Pants
Memo’s Detail Contempt for Obama.
It is the time in a campaign when victors prowl the political battlefield killing the wounded. Now that John Edwards is begging for a taste of vinegar from his self constructed political cross comes boxes full of internal memos from Hillary Clinton’s campaign reported to be hyper critical of Barack Obama.
Advisers to Sen. Hillary Clinton “are in a tizzy over an upcoming piece in the Atlantic Monthly that chronicles the inner workings of the now-defunct campaign,” according to the Washington Post. Clinton staffers need cushy jobs and ratting on your previous boss, and especially a Clinton, as well as your party’s presidential nominee is no way to get one.
“Of particular concern are nearly 200 internal memos that the author, Josh Green, obtained — 130 or so of which he plans to scan in and post online. When the piece is published sometime next week, readers will be able to scroll through the memos, from senior strategists such as Mark Penn, Harold Ickes and Geoff Garin, and see what exactly was going on inside the infamously fractured Clinton organization. That has some former team members in a panic.”
Others have reported the memos say, among other things, that Obama is unelectable and linking him to Ghengis Khan, and are generally unflattering to the presumed Democrat nominee. The Atlantic Monthly story will “drop” later this week.
Partisan Gap Narrows As Obama - Clinton Blood Bath Ends
Democrats Have 7.6% Edge Over Republicans.
During July, the number of Americans who consider themselves to be Democrats fell two percentage points to 39.2%. That’s the first time since January that the number of Democrats has fallen below 41%. At the same time there was virtually no change in Republicans at 31.6% The Democrats now have a 7.6 percentage point advantage over the Republicans, down from a 9.5 percentage point advantage in June and 10.1 percentage points in May. Among men, 34% are Democrats, 33% Republican. Forty-four percent (44%) of women are Democrats, and just 30% claim the GOP as their party. Forty-one percent (41%) of government employees are Democrats while 31% are Republicans. Among entrepreneurs, 36% are Republican, 34% Democrat. Those who work for someone else in the private sector lean Democratic by a 38% to 31% margin.
In 2004, the Democrats began the year with a 2.3 percentage point edge over the GOP. That grew to 4.0 points by March before moving in the Republican direction for the rest of the year. By Election Day in 2004, the edge for Democrats was a mere 1.6 percentage points. In 2006, the Democrats began the year with just a 1.6 percentage point advantage. That grew to 6.1 percentage points by November. The differences are most pronounced between whites and non-whites with the later heavily Democrat partisans and especially so in urban areas. During the Obama versus Clinton prtimary election battle the numbers who claimed to be Democrats surged but since June there have been sharp defections with 30% of conservative Democrats saying they will vote for McCain.
MY VP Choice for Obama
The news should only be about Barack Obama tonight . He came from nowhere, defeated the “inevitable” Hillary Clinton and oh yeah, he just happens to be our first black candidate for President. And yet thanks to Hillary, this just isn’t that big of news. Even though the numbers were against her she stayed until the last primary, thereby dragging out the truly inevitable outcome until people became numb to Barack’s winning. Then on the afternoon when he finally has enough delegates, Hillary again tries to trump this with news of her own. Will she be second on the ticket or not?
I can’t see that happening. Think about it. You have to have a pretty big ego to think you are the best person to run the US of A. Having two large egos together as President and VP is looking for trouble. Now add in another ex-President plus a strong willed and opinionated President’s wife and you really have trouble. So I just don’t think Obama would be crazy enough to even try it.
Instead I have the perfect Vice President for Obama. For if he doesn’t go with Hillary he needs to pick a person who trumps her in terms of name, prestige and voter appeal. There is only one name that is a bigger draw in the Democratic Party than Clinton and with the highest prestige. Of the choices of people with this name there is one that really stands out.
This person was also a Lt. Governor thus showing some voter draw in a southern state. This candidate is also the President of Operation Respect a nationwide character education program. That’s a two-for-one deal; great topic that appeals to conservatives plus shows business experience. And in answer to Obama’s continuing church problems this same person wrote a book called “Failing America’s Faithful: How Today’s Churches are Mixing God and Politics and Losing their Way”. (I didn’t even know about this book before I was researching this name but you couldn’t find a more appropriate topic for Obama’s running mate!)
And who is this paragon of a VP? Kathleen Kennedy Townsend. Enough said.
Game, Set and Match
My neck hurts more than usual. It is a good thing I am scheduled for some treatment later this week because it sure had a work-out over the weekend. On one hand I was swiveling my head back and forth watching the French Open tennis tournament. At the same time I was flipping channels Saturday to watch the verbal battle in the DNC meeting as they debated what to do with Michigan and Florida.
As the men and women of the tennis matches returned volley after volley with speed, determination and skill so did the two sides at the DNC Committee meeting. Although there was no “scoreboard” in the jam packed board room, everyone was keeping track of the ebb and flow of the delegate count.
Ironically, neither the tennis match nor the committee’s finding were beneficial to American women. The most famous current women tennis players were defeated early on in the French Open. As both Serena and Venus Williams were beaten in the third round so was Hillary in Saturday’s rulings. The biggest blow was in the Michigan ruling where Clinton hoped to walk away with more delegates than what was given to her.
What next? Hilary’s supporters hinted that they might take it to the convention as the small crowd of middle aged white women cheered in the background. But no matter what they do, the odds are slim and none that she will eventually win.
Perhaps the greatest result of the meeting is it marked the beginning of the end for the Clinton dominance and control of the DNC. By nearly a 2-1 vote the committee members showed that it is now an Obama party. You could say that Obama and his supporters kept serving ace after ace which Hillary could never return.
How will an Obama controlled DNC act during the upcoming national election? That is the biggest unknown out there. Barack is an untested, inexperienced politician who so far is playing this game brilliantly. He continuously has beaten anyone who goes up against him in spite of being an “unranked” newcomer. How has he done this against some of the biggest names in the Democratic party? Maybe he is just that good at the game and yet….
Newsmakers are just now beginning to come out of their trance over this young man to dig into his history. On Saturedy he left his controversial church but who knows what else may be out there about him? Hillary’s complaint that Obama is unvetted may prove to be prophetic. All we can do now is watch the game unfold between Obama and McCain and see what happens over the next six months.
As for my aching neck, it got one more workout on Saturday. Late in the afternoon I finally got up off my couch and walked outside. And in the beautiful sun drenched Florida afternoon I lifted my head up to the blue sky. Looking to the east I saw the familiar sign of a large white puffy spiral climbing towards the heavens. Another successful space shuttle launched. No matter how many times I have seen this, it is still an awesome sight. And maybe in the political games we all could use an occasional time-out not only to rest but to remind us of what they are fighting for and the high stakes that will go to the winner.
Megalomaniacal Clinton Clan
Bill Clinton says Barack Obama should offer the VP slot to Hillary because “she has earned it.” Most believe a Black-Woman ticket could be unstoppable while others worry it would defacto mean competing administrations, and could lead to An unprecedented split White House TICKET in the 2012 election, and almost certainly a Hillary run in 2016. Last week Hillary bizarrely invoked the 1968 assassination of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy in explaining her decision to remain in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, comments that drew criticism from aides to Sen. Barack Obama and cooled speculation that the two may form an unholy alliance. At the same time Bill Clinton is shilling for his daughter Chelsea’s run for public office – this bunch defines megalomaniacal.
Biggest “Little” State Gives Hillary Campaign CPR
West Virginia was born of conflict as the only state to be formed by splitting a Confederate state (Virginia) during the American Civil War in 1863. The joke is that it is the largest state in the union if it could be flattened out but, it was no joke for Hillary Clinton on Tuesday giving her suffocating campaign CPR. Newsmax published on Tuesday “Clinton associates say there is still a ray of hope among some in her campaign that a ‘catastrophic’ revelation about Obama might make it possible for her to win the presidential nomination.”
Obama said he has visited 57 states. He also said that he has two more to visit: Alaska and Hawaii. But mainstram media failed to mention it. Imagine if John McCain had said it?
Suddenly sporting a flag lapel pin, Sen. Barack Obama, who eschewed military service, Monday emphasized his patriotism and support for a strong and humane military. He read a prepared speech to a crowd at the Charleston, W. Va. Civic Center leaving some there calling his comment puzzling by saying ”the true test of our patriotism is whether we will serve our returning heroes as well as they’ve served us.’ and again raising the question of why he did not serve in the military, and why he is suddenly wearing a flag on his lapel.
The remaining key question is whether Republicans will unilaterally disarm and waddle off into political oblivion cooking their collective goose. Pat Buchannan, seldom timid, thinks that the white flag has been ununfurled now that McCain has declared the Rev. Wright issues off limits and berated the North Carolina GOP for bringing him up.
The Race Is About Race
In what is shaping up to be a presidential race about race the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Sunday showed Barack Obama attracting 47% of the vote while John McCain earns 46%. McCain leads by double digits among White Men and Women while Obama overwhelmingly attracts the black votes 58% to 35%. Obama leads 59% to 35% among those who rarely, never, or occasionally attend Church or other religious services. Among those who attend services at least a couple of times a month, McCain leads 56% to 37%. Obama holds a 52% to 42% advantage over Clinton nationally
Close-in supporters of Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign are convinced he never will offer the vice presidential nomination to Sen. Hillary Clinton for one overriding reason: Michelle Obama who is outright hostile toward Hillary.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid may not save the Homeland Security Committee chairmanship for Sen. Joseph Lieberman if he goes through with plans to address the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn. Reid will not kick Lieberman out of the Democrat caucus because he has endorsed McCain. A rumor that is blistering Washington DC is that Lieberman recently approached one prominent supporter of Hillary Clinton with a suggestion that he consider supporting McCain if Barack Obama is nominated.
Hillary appears set to overshelmingly win West Virginia
Wright Hurting Obama More and More
Rev Wright hurt continuing to grow for OBama says a new Rasmussen Poll. Only 4% of American adults believe that comments made by Barack Obama’s former Pastor have helped Obama’s bid for the White House. Sixty-six percent (66%) believe that the comments made by Reverend Jeremiah Wright have hurt Obama’s chances of winning.
However, just 24% say that Obama’s denunciation of his former Pastor make them more likely to vote for him. Twenty-seven percent (27%) say it makes them less likely to support the Illinois Senator. As you would expect, these results break sharply along partisan lines. Democrats, by a 35% to 20% margin say they are more likely to vote for Obama because he publicly denounced Wright. Republicans, by a 38% to 15% margin, say the opposite. Among those not affiliated with either major party, 17% are more likely to vote for Obama, 25% less likely.
Clinton lead OBama in Indiana 46-41% and OBama leads Clinton in North Carolina 49-40%according to polling released Tuesday morning.
Liar, Liar Pants On Fire - Obama’s Self-Immolation
Just 30% of the nation’s Likely Voters believe Barack Obama denounced his former Pastor, Jeremiah Wright, because he was outraged. Most—58%–say he denounced the Pastor for political convenience according to a Rasmussen Poll released Friday. Only 33% of voters believe that Obama was surprised by the views Wright expressed at Monday’s press conference. Fifty-two percent (52%) say he was not surprised.
Fifty-six percent (56%) say it’s at least somewhat likely that Obama “shares some of Pastor Wright’s controversial views about the United States.” Just 7% of the nation’s voters agree with Wright’s views of the United States. African-American voters, by a 64% to 12% margin, disagree with Wright. Seventy-four percent (74%) of Republicans believe it’s somewhat or very likely that Obama shares some of Wright’s views. That assessment is shared by 48% of Democrats and 49% of those not affiliated with either major party.
In Indiana Clinton attracts 46% of the Democrat votes while Obama earns 41%. With just a week to go before Election Day, 13% remain undecided. Clintonleads by nineteen percentage points among White voters. Obama leads 90% to 4% among African-Americans.
In North Carolina Barack Obama leads Hillary Clinton 49% to 40%. Earlier this week, Obama led by fourteen, 51% to 37%. A month ago, Obama led by twenty-three percentage points. Clintonleads by twenty-three points among White voters while Obama leads 74% to 10% among African-Americans. Clintonleads among senior citizens, the candidates split those in the 50-64 age range, and Obama leads among younger voters.
Obama Outspends Clinton But She’s Still Better Against McCain - Maybe
Obama and Clinton have spent a combined $110 million on TV ads up to now in their nearly year long and still in conclusive campaigns for the Democrat presidential nomination. Obama has shelled out nearly $70 million of the total spent so far, Still, it hasn’t necessarily worked in Texas, Ohio and then Pennsylvania. Obama outspent Chinton two to one or more in Pennsylvania and is expected to do the same in next weeks lead up in North Carolina and Indiana. Evan Tracey of TNS Media Intelligence/Campaign Media Analysis Group adds: “Clinton doesn’t have as much money … but if she’s allowed to dictate the tempo, she can make up for that lack of spending.” John Kerry spent a then record $20 million in his failed campaign four years ago.
Hillary Rodham Clinton has a better chance than Barack Obama of beating Republican John McCain, according to a new Associated Press-Ipsos poll released Monday apparently reflecting a “bounce” after her big win in Pennsylvania and repeated revelations about Obama. In a hypothetical head-to-head match up with the GOP nominee-in-waiting; she now leads McCain, 50 percent to 41 percent, while Obama remains virtually tied with McCain, 46 percent to 44 percent.
Rasmussen polling has Obama and McCain tied but McCain leading Clinton 47-44%. 37% of Republican voters nationwide now believe the Democratic frontrunner would be the tougher candidate against John McCain. That’s down from 54% earlier this month. An essentially equal number, 35%, now believe Hillary Clinton would be the stronger Democrat in November. That’s up from 20%.Unaffiliated voters are also evenly divided on this question. Forty percent (40%) see Obama as the most electable Democrat while 36% say the same about Clinton. Earlier in April, unaffiliated voters saw Obama as the bigger challenge to McCain.
ZOGBY POLL SHOWS +10% FOR CLINTON IN KEYSTONE PRIMARY
As dawn broke over Pennsylvania Clinton’s lead over Obama had opened to 51% to 41%. Clinton having gained three points over the past 24 hours as Obama lost one point, pushing her beyond the poll’s margin of error to create a statistically significant lead for the first time in the Pennsylvania daily tracking poll.
Obama has poured millions into ads in Pennsylvania hoping for a knock out blow that does not appear to be occuring.
Meanwhile, 6% remained undecided and another 3% said they preferred someone else in the two-day tracking poll.
Safer With McCain Than Clinton Or Obama
An April 22 Ipsos poll finds (52%) feel the world would be a safer place with John McCain as President versus Clinton (45%) and Obama (44%).
Americans in the South (59%) and the Midwest (57%) are more likely than those in the West (44%) or the Northeast (43%) to think that John McCain would make the world safer as president. Men (57%) are more likely than women (47%) to feel the same way.
On the other hand, Americans living in the West (55%) are more likely than those living in the Northeast (47%), the Midwest (43%), or the South (40%) to think that Hilary Clinton would make the world safer. Regarding Barack Obama, Americans between the ages of 18 and 34 (50%) are more likely than those between the ages of 35 and 54 (46%) and those over the age of 54 (36%) to think that he would make the world a safer place. As well, Western Americans (52%) are more likely than Northeastern (44%), Midwestern (43%), and Southern (40%) Americans to feel the same way.
McCain Leads; Obama and Clinton ‘Unfavorables’ Climb
The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Saturday shows John McCain leading both potential Democratic candidates by seven
percentage points. McCain leads Barack Obama, 48% to 41% and also leads Hillary Clinton 49% to 42%.
McCain is viewed favorably by 56% and unfavorably by 40%. Democrat back biting, infighting and a series of embarrassing disclosures are hurting both candidates. Obama’s ratings are 47% favorable and 51% unfavorable. For Clinton, those numbers are 45% favorable, 53% unfavorable. Obama leads Clinton nationally 45% to 43%.
McCain, Clinton, and Obama Passport Files Pilfered
Senators John McCain, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama’s passport files have all been pilfered by renegade State Department contractors. Two have been fired and one disciplined so-far. Scanned passport and other sensitive files is not uncommon. Obama’s camp initially had a conniption fit but, after it was revealed Clinton and McCain had had their file similarly breached with much less fanfare Barrack appears to be reconsidering his hysterics.
SNL Impacts Tuesday Night Results
You are now hearing all kinds of reasons as to why Hillary won Ohio and Texas last night. Personally I give a lot of the credit (or blame) to something a little bit different than what the pundits are saying. I think the attacks on Obama, the hits on the media and the support for Hillary by Saturday Night Live played a major part in slowing down Obama and helping out Hillary.
I happened to have watched the first parody of the Obama-Clinton debates on SNL. It was the first time I had seen anyone poke fun at Obama and at the media, too. The fact that it was dead on in it’s portrayal of the media’s fawning over Barack to the detriment of Clinton made it that much funnier.
I am not sure if anyone else could have done what SNL did. The media that weren’t falling over themselves to praise Obama were held back from criticizing him for fear of looking racist. It might also make the media look “old” for it was considered young and hip to be a part of Obama’s team.
Then came this show that is known for being young and hip and cool. And they had the guts to yell out that the Emperor didn’t have any clothes on. Wow. From that point on things began to change.
The media, to its credit, actually started to look at it’s past actions and realized that they had been unfair to Hillary and way too easy on Barack. So the honeymoon was finally over and Obama started to get hit with questions that were not only uncomfortable but even lethal.
Meanwhile, Hillary took advantage of this change. She referenced the skit in the next debate. She even showed that she could make fun of herself by being in another skit the next week on SNL. And it gave her heart and energy to throw off the pessimism of being a loser and started to act like a winner again.
And then there were the voters. The SNL skit showed them that Obama was infallible. Even that it was ok to make fun of him. That maybe the media had been unfair to Hillary. And it made the women start to rethink their options and take another look at Hillary.
I am not saying that the SNL skit was the only reason Hillary did so well last night. But it sure played a part in what happened. And I can only wonder what the candidate’s images and standing would be today if the writers of SNL hadn’t been on strike for the last few months…
Obama Gets 7 Wyoming Delegates to Clinton’s 5.
BARACK OBAMA won 7 of Wyoming’s 12 delegates. Minor but critical because he mean’s Clinton has to win over 60% of future delegates to win the nomination in Denver in August. Now it’s on to Mississippi next week. Wyoming is overwhelmingly Republican. Democrats are the distinct minority and blakcs are approaching the majority amng them.
OBAMA IN TKO OVER CLINTON
Barack “B.S.” Obama scored a TKO (technical knockout) over Hillary Clinton in the 20th debate, since February 28th last year. Clinton did not score many points – certainly no touchdowns. Overall it was a “rope-a-dope.” Frankly it sounded like Clinton has accepted defeat. Obama jabbed and jabbed as only champions can do keeping Hillary at bay, and really didn’t have to throw risky punches which he did not. Overall tedious, silly, a waste of time and place.
Hillary has still not figured out she is NOT the “champion” — she is not and she must win the championship belt, and she did not.
Obama Pollyanna Clinton Infers As Pa. Governor Helps Hurt Him.
Without directly naming him Hillary Clinton excoriated Barrck Obama last weekend for being a Pollyanna portraying him as naive and messianic-like awaiting the heavens to open and celestial choirs to sing washing away all that is ill. As a further sign of things to come when Hillary Clinton failed to file a full slate of delegates in Pennsylvania Democrat Governor Rendell, a Clinton supporter who said a black man can’t win in the Keystone State, extended the filing deadline so she could. Cute.
Hillary Clinton
I really agree with Hillary’s stance on health care. Just check out her health care opinions here. I hope people will read this and comment on the following questions:
February 14, 2008, Conservatively Speaking
Obama’s size 13s left king-sized footprints all over Hillary in the Potomac Primaries stomping her in Virginia, Maryland and Washington DC. That put Obama clearly out front in delegates. Clinton looks more and more like political road kill but, she may just be and fight like a cornered rat and still have enough left to bite. The New York Times reports that the Clinton campaign believes “she has been boxed into a must-win position” in Texas and Ohio on March 4th. If she loses Hillary may be out of the running for the Democrat nomination. So expect an imbroglio of epic proportions with the bullseye squarely and literally on Obama’s chest.
Rock, Rocks Clinton
Chris Rock cracked up the audience at his New Year’s Eve show with a few quips about Hillary Clinton. “I think America’s ready for a woman president . . . just not that woman,” Rock told the crowd at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
“Being married to somebody doesn’t make you good at their job. I’ve been with my wife 10 years now. If she got up here right now, y’all wouldn’t laugh.