MISSISSIPPI WEB SITE
2007
STATE FLAG
STEVEN
A. McCALEB
103 ALVERADO DRIVE
LONG BEACH, MISSISSIPPI 39560
PHONE & FAX: (228)-868-8428
Awarded 19 June 1969
One of the most reliable indicators of a modern successful campaign is the ability of the campaign to communicate its message. The communication of the message should be consistent and repeated over and over and over again.
First the campaign must craft a message. That message should be short and to the point. A good rule of thumb for the length of a successful message is 4 words or less. A campaign that cannot explain why voters should consent to vote for its candidate in a four word concise message is bound to encounter difficulty.
For instance, probably the greatest or one of the greatest American presidents, was Franklin Delano Roosevelt. His most memorable campaign message (1932) was short and concise: “A New Deal”. Not only was this a very concise message that all Americans understood, it also was a clever contrast to what came before (Ripublicans) and the unfair deal Americans were being dealt. FDR ran for president in the shadow of the great depression. Unemployment had soared to 25%, jobs were lost as the manufacturing sector collapsed, agriculture collapsed, and the raw materials market also collapsed. The results of all this economic turmoil was an unhappy electorate. FDR with the 3 simple words of “A New Deal” summarized why he was running for president and why Americans should vote for him, as well as drawing a very pointed reminder of what the Ripublicans and their policies had wrought.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy in 1960 was equally sly. His message was concise and pointed as well. His inspirational message was “The New Frontier”. This 3 word message summarized the hopes that the young future president held for just about every facet of American life. Outer space, national security, civil rights, foreign policy, the economy - all were on the threshold of a new and exciting frontier. That this soon to be very young president was replacing Eisenhower, up to then the oldest American president, was slyly referenced by the 3 word message.
Richard Nixon was disliked and distrusted when he ran, yet again, for president in 1968. The unpopular “Tricky Dick” simply ran as a “New Nixon” and ran a contrast campaign against Hubert Humphrey with “Nixon’s The One”. Nixon manufactured popularity from unpopularity. Perhaps he was doing a variation of the slogan of the president he served under, Eisenhower. Eisenhower, who had led the great armies to victory over the axis powers had as his slogan the simple and effective “I Like Ike”.
Ronald Reagan was “Morning In America”, Truman “Give ‘em Hell, Harry!”, and long ago James K. Polk ran on the aggressive “54-40 Or Fight” (probably the only slogan ever to reference a latitude).
The John Kerry campaign, by contrast, at the 2004 convention distributed signs with the message “Hope Is On The Way”. However, oftentimes the candidates on the campaign trail would change it to “Help Is On The Way”. There was not much consistency in message. At least the message did convey the idea of the disaster that was the Bush II administration.
The amazing Bill Clinton campaign of 1992 employed the very effective “Putting People First” as its message. This message like all good messages provided the American people with a concise idea of what hope filled Bill Clinton wanted to do if elected. It also, slyly, referenced President George H. W. Bush’s policies which did not - put people first.
On June 20, 2007 Politico intelligently noted that the Hillary Clinton Campaign had unveiled a new sign. The message on that sign is simple. It is concise. It is contrastive. It is effective. And it is short: 1 word.
Like a character in a Mel Brooks spoof of Star Wars, wearing a helmet 10 sizes too large, Lord Nader is threatening a return to his role as Ripublican enabler.
It is rather retro, a waste of pixels, for us to even mention Lord Nader and his under the bridge efforts. There are however, some lessons for relevant, modern day campaigns from previous Fader Nader efforts.
In a tear inducing moment of supreme generosity we posted a while back Let’s Help Richardson, Edwards, Obama, Day. None of the campaigns we magnanimously provided guidance to in that post have sent appreciative notes to us. The Edwards campaign, to its credit, does appear to be adjusting his schemes to reflect our advice (alas, too late). Here are some paragraphs from our kind post:
“After making sure Americans know Obama is a lunkhead, the Obama campaign then switches gears to persuade Americans Obama is a great leader. The way to do this is by holding big rallies with thousands, if not tens of thousands of people cheering and shouting. It’s an interesting strategy, if it would work. The last person who tried this strategy was Ralph Nader.”
“In 2000, the Naderites who lionize Al Gore today called him Al Bore. The same nasty complaints heard about Al Gore then, are repeated by the Naderites about Hillary today. The same invective was used. The same strategies were used. The Naderites used low dollar “super rallies” to create excitement and to say their candidate was someone new with loads of experience as a community organizer.”
We then proceeded to list examples of Lord Nader’s “super rallies”. From D.C. to Seattle, from Wisconsin to Ann Arbor sprouted the super rallies. Adoration, inspiration, and high hopes followed:
”Familiar with the TV show West Wing? It’s popular because it’s a romance: a story of true love at first sight between voters and their candidate. Roy Bartlett (Martin Sheen’s character), not initially the favored Democratic candidate, comes on to the scene like a charismatic fireball: willing to take a stand on the tough issues. The voters are infatuated with him, and he doesn’t let them down. There’s very little compromising done by the Bartlett administration, and the differences between Democrats and Republican are as clear as night and day. Not realistic of course, but there’s still a certain charm to the moment where we see one of the staff watching him speak for the first time. You can almost see the chills going down his spine, and you can’t help but think: “Ah, there it is: true inspiration.” Believe it or not, that is what I experienced at the Nader rally: inspiration.
It wasn’t just Nader’s speech that moved me, it was everything. We arrived a half hour late, and were herded up to seats on the third balcony, overlooking the entirety of the Garden, filled to the brim with eager participants, swaying back and forth as Ani DiFranco strummed her guitar and sang. Ben Harper, Eddie Vedder, and Tim Robbins (as Republican Senator parody Bob Roberts) all performed as well, and each time a song ended, bright lights fell upon the cheering crowd giving each member a certain glow as they stood above their seats, leapt up and down with their fists held high, and waved signs above their heads. There was something in the air… a vibe, that everyone was breathing in and getting high off of at once.”
Something was in the air alright. We won’t speculate. Maybe Ben Harper, fresh from last night’s not sold out fundraiser, knows.
Ben Harper clearly learned nothing from his adventures with Lord Nader and the super rallies campaign. Has anyone at a certain campaign?
“Since opening his presidential campaign five months ago, Mr. Obama has drawn crowds far larger than most of his rivals. (Mr. Dean did, too.) But what good is a 20,000-person February rally in Austin, for example, when the campaign begins far from Texas?”
“If you’re a campaign with lots of enthusiasm, you have to make sure that you are capturing everyone’s information,” said David Plouffe, Mr. Obama’s campaign manager. “We are very mindful of that every time we do an event.”
“But Mr. Plouffe warns against dismissing the political significance of such crowds, particularly in this presidential cycle, where a frenzied day of coast-to-coast primaries on Feb. 5 will make candidates rely on a large base of supporters everywhere. “It has real meaningful application on Feb. 5,” he said, “beginning with the ability to chase absentee ballots.”
Whatever substance was in the air those many years ago when Ben Harper and Lord Nader appeared together is still being smoked.
Always looking for ways to assist those in need.
Unbought tickets galore. For tonight. From Craigslist:
“Greetings, Barack Obama and Ben Harper will be performing/speaking along with many other noted celebs at the Hammerstein Ballroom tonight! Contact me for ticket details, I have over 100 tickets. The event is from 8-10:30, all proceeds will go to Obama For America! This is the largest fundraiser in the ‘08 Election thus far– be a part of it! Tickets start at $100 for general seating, $250 for preferred seating and $500 for a VIP reception with Ben Harper and Senator Obama (preferred seating included) prior to the event!”
Is the Bloom off the Rose?
We will be posting and updating our side pages soon. We will pay particular attention to the page devoted to the wonderful and effective Hillary Team.
The revisions to the Hillary Team page should be done by this weekend. In the meantime we do not want to miss reporting the big story in yesterday’s Washington Post highlighting some of the women working to help elect Hillary Clinton president.
“Fifteen years after Clinton first brought these women together at the White House, the “board” has officially reconvened to help map her unprecedented effort to follow in her husband’s footsteps. They are acutely aware their work is making history. Once seen as a tight little sorority, today the group — happily self-described as “Hillaryland“– is at the center of a front-running presidential campaign. Never have so many women operated at such a high level in one campaign, working with a discipline and a loyalty and a legendary secrecy rarely seen at this level of American politics.”
We laughed last night while watching a cable show talker who did not like the Washington Post article. Too many women, he said. This respected Washington talker clearly did not read the Washington Post article before pontificating about it. If he would have read it he would have understood that the focus of the article was on the women working to get Hillary elected. There are many men working towards the same goal. One article comes out focusing on women in top positions and that is deemed one story too many. Sad.
We will revisit this story often as we write individual portraits of the Hillary Team members during the following 17 months.
Another story we do not want you to miss is from yesterday’s The Hill newspaper. Hillary Clinton Is Wearing Well is a great response to the haters, and to Democrats who fear the haters. These fearful Democrats who fret and whine would abdicate the choice of the Democratic Party nominee to Ripublicans. No way.
“The candidate keeping people interested is, surprisingly, the one who has been in the public eye the longest. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) has shown an ability to run a nuanced, balanced and well-paced campaign. There was never any doubt of her obvious advantages in this race. She has the name, the money and the organization. But many questioned whether her “inevitability” would lead to voter fatigue — if her team had been at this so long they wouldn’t be able to maneuver in this new environment of the endless campaign and 24/7 exposure.”
Having raised the “Sally Field” question the article proceeds to answer it:
“She’s showing she can handle it. The most recent example is her campaign song video series. What initially looked like an awkward attempt at getting people involved in her campaign online has proven to be deftly executed. Hillary showed her sense of humor in the initial call for entries by promising not to sing her campaign song in public, with a clip of an out-of-tune rendition of the national anthem. Then she nicely defused criticism of her contest by sharing negative comments posted on blogs or e-mailed to her campaign. She closed the miniseries this week with a spoof of the “Sopranos” finale that was chockablock with “significant” messages. Her husband, the president, appears in a supporting role. Daughter Chelsea also makes a brief appearance (at least, the rear tire of her car does). Hillary, playing the head of the family, displays a disarming sense of humor. We are left with the message that she is strong enough and confident enough to play around a little. She’s not taking herself too seriously. She is very much in tune with what is going on in the world, if you will pardon the pun.” [N.B. Read our goofy take on Campaign Songs.]
We wrote on Wednesday Hillary Leashes Mudball’s Chris Matthews. We noted how this was the second time Hillary had matched Ronald Reagan in demonstrating her command of the stage in “I paid for this microphone” moments. The Hill tends to agree:
“In another example of relaxed confidence, candidate Clinton bested television’s toughest questioner since Sam Donaldson at the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Democratic Candidates forum this week. Chris Matthews of “Hardball” asked Hillary if she thought Scooter Libby should be pardoned. The obviously partisan audience objected to what it thought was a loaded question; Hillary played deftly to those sentiments. She suggested that Matthews ask “a question that’s really about the people in this audience and not what goes on inside of Washington.” The crowd loved it. The normally unflappable Matthews was suddenly on the defensive. Score one for Hillary and every voter who thinks Washington, D.C., is far too obsessed with inside-the-Beltway gamesmanship.”
Hillary is sounding a lot of beautiful notes.
DCDemocrat commented on The Senator From Rezko, Part I. Here is what he wrote:
“I am on the road for business. While I was driving, I was flipping around the radio stations. I found a talk radio show and listened briefly. The commentator was talking about this problem Obama has with Rezko. He was quite agitated about it. I was puzzled and surprised that the host was sitting in for Rush Limbaugh. I am not quite sure what it means that they’re talking about this in Limbaugh World, but I am struck that the story has legs. I am fairly certain that Hillary will win the nomination, but this Rezko story would cause us a great deal of trouble were Obama to get the nod.”
DCDemocrat, imprisoned in his car, was subjected to what many Americans not living on the coasts are subjected to - Ripublican talk radio. You can be assured that Obama’s financial entanglements with his indicted slumlord friend, Antoin “Tony” Rezko, will soon be the only drumbeat heard in long stretches of Ohio, Pennsylvania and the many other states where Ripublican talk radio monopolizes the public airwaves. Obama after all, is the Democrats (see the Chicago Tribune editorial below) “point man” on ethics. Again, David Axelrod, Michelle Obama, Barack Obama - this story is not going away - come clean and explain the Obama financial entanglements with Rezko before next year’s February trial. Otherwise, the media circus Rezko trial, in Patrick Fitzgerald’s jurisdiction will explain this all for you, in a bad way, and tar all Democrats. [The Tribune editorial below also indicates the Rezko investigation is expanding.]
Understand, the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times are not going to be satisfied with sweet talk and smooth words. They want facts. They want facts about how Obama and Rezko paid for Obama’s house. They want facts about the legal work Obama did for Rezko and his slum tenements. They want facts about why Obama cared more about Rezko and his multi-million dollar government subsidies than about his senate district constitutents freezing in the Rezko tenements.
The more they dig to find answers the Obama campaign is stonewalling on, the more they will write about regarding Obama’s unsavory Chicago history. The Chicago Tribune published Critics: Obama Endorsements Counter Calls For Clean Government. Here are some excerpts and note the Todd Stroger angle:
“There was little controversy earlier this year when Sen. Barack Obama endorsed Mayor Richard Daley over two black opponents for a sixth term, lending his star power to an inevitable rout.”
“But Obama’s record of local endorsements — one measure of how he has used his nascent political clout — has drawn criticism from those who say it reflects his deference to Chicago’s established political order and runs counter to his public calls for clean government.”
“In the 2006 Democratic primary, for example, Obama endorsed first-time candidate Alexi Giannoulias for state treasurer despite reports about loans Giannoulias’ family-owned Broadway Bank made to crime figures. Records show Giannoulias and his family had given more than $10,000 to Obama’s campaign, which banked at Broadway.”
“Obama endorsed former Ald. Dorothy Tillman (3rd), calling her “a very early supporter of my campaign.” Tillman was then under fire for her stewardship of the scandal-plagued Harold Washington Cultural Center, where contracts benefited members of her family.”
and
“Obama supported the re-election of Gov. Rod Blagojevich, whose administration is embroiled in corruption probes.”
“And during the race for Cook County Board president, Obama predictably endorsed Todd Stroger over a Republican. But he was criticized for calling Stroger “a good progressive” despite allegations of job-rigging to favor members of Stroger’s 8th Ward organization.”
[We digress for a moment to discuss Todd Stroger. Here is an editorial about Obama’s “good progressive” Todd Stroger from today’s Chicago Tribune:
Did Todd Stroger, candidate for president of the Cook County Board, have an obligation last summer to tell voters he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer? In our view the answer is no — unless, of course, he wanted the many citizens who had learned to doubt his word and his motives to begin trusting him.
The relevant history here reaches back farther, to March 2006. That’s when Todd Stroger helped weave the web of lies by which the Democratic machine deceived voters. The pols hid the fact that a stroke had devastated his father, John Stroger. That greased the skids for Todd to take his dad’s job. It was shabby exploitation of John Stroger by a party he helped build.
That serial dishonesty invited still more public distrust after Todd Stroger took office. Many citizens watched him cut health workers — but not enough of the patronage hacks in his administration — while larding the county payroll with even more of his friends and family members.
It’s too soon to say with certainty that Todd Stroger will go down as an amateurish one-termer. But his choice of secrecy over candor reminds voters that … it’s all about him, not them.
(snip)
Last summer, Stroger had a chance at a teaching moment. He could have spoken publicly about his encounter with a disease that strikes many men, African-Americans in particular. He could have talked about the treatment he would undergo. He could have explained his prognosis for a quick recovery and a long life. In sum, he could have frankly shared his predicament — not to chum up to his fellow citizens but to highlight the lifesaving importance of medical screening. His handlers say he will do that now. But the moment for candor has passed. He squandered it.
Todd Stroger’s health is in good hands. But he still suffers from anemic public trust. The treatment was obvious, the patient disinterested.
Lovely Chicago friends Obama has.]
Sadly, the above is not the only Obama related Chicago Tribune editorial of late. Here is another one from this past Sunday called The Drip, Drip, Drip on Obama:
Some practitioners in politics, law enforcement and journalism call it “scrubbing”: the process of examining someone’s past in search of illegalities, or serious embarrassments, or innocent but peculiar actions that will be difficult to explain. In high-profile campaigns, every candidate’s staff scrubs opponents’ background. A smart staff scrubs its own candidate first. That allows him or her to disclose — and, with luck, put to rest — potential problems early.
As a presidential candidate, Barack Obama is being scrubbed as he never has before. His prior campaigns were for lower offices. And in his 2004 U.S. Senate race, attention focused less on him than on primary and general election opponents who had their own serious problems.
But this campaign cycle’s scrubbing of Obama leads to another water analogy: News stories that raise ethics questions about his relationship with indicted dealmaker Antoin “Tony” Rezko have become a steady drip, drip, drip.
Obama needs to divulge all there is to know about that relationship. Until he does, the scrubbing likely will intensify as more news organizations — and, you can bet, rival candidates — explore Obama’s Rezko connection.
Obama indirectly asked for this scrutiny in January 2006, when he let then-Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) exploit his pristine reputation. With Republicans ensnared in Capitol Hill scandals, Reid named Obama the Democrats’ point man on ethics proposals in Congress.
None of the press disclosures thus far about Obama implies any wrongdoing on his part. Taken together, though, they suggest that Obama, and his campaign, have been carelessly self-exculpatory in some of their responses to inquiries about decisions Obama previously has made. This early in a presidential cycle, some of that can be written off to first-time amateurism. But that excuse will evaporate if press coverage escalates — even as the U.S. Justice Department pursues its aggressive case against Rezko.
Back on Nov. 3, this page carried two sentences summing up the need for Obama to fully and quickly explain his connections to Rezko: “One fulcrum on which Obama’s future tips may well be the speed with which he acknowledges how susceptible he has been to people who want a piece of him – and how his skill at recognizing that covetousness needs to rise to the same stature as his popular appeal. At a time when others are fiercely tempted to judge him, Obama has courted unkind judgment.”
Those words are no less true today. Consider:
* That editorial appeared shortly after the Tribune reported Rezko’s involvement in Obama’s purchase of his Hyde Park home. That transaction occurred after it was common knowledge in Chicago that Rezko was the subject of a federal investigation. After that disclosure, Obama distanced himself from Rezko and said he had made a mistake in judgment.
* On June 8, the Tribune reported that Obama was giving charities some $16,500 in campaign donations from two Chicago businessmen who had financial ties to Rezko. A spokesman for Obama offered no details about Obama’s relationship with the contributors. The story said this marked the fourth time that Obama’s campaign has shed contributions made by Rezko and associates to Obama’s campaigns — contributions totaling more than $33,000.
* On June 13, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that as a state senator, Obama wrote letters to city and state officials supporting Rezko’s successful bid to get more than $14 million from taxpayers to build apartments for senior citizens. The Sun-Times said the deal included $855,000 in development fees for Rezko and his partner, Allison S. Davis, Obama’s former boss, according to records from the project, which was four blocks outside Obama’s state Senate district. Obama’s campaign responded that Obama’s letters weren’t intended as a favor for Rezko or Davis, but rather in the interest of the people in the community who have benefited from the project. An attorney for Rezko, who has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of influence peddling and bank fraud, told the newspaper that Rezko never sought a letter from Obama in connection with the project.
* On June 14, The New York Times weighed in with a front-page story on the Obama-Rezko relationship. The story reported that Rezko “is known around Chicago as a collector of politicians” and added: “Mr. Obama has portrayed Mr. Rezko as a one-time fund-raiser whom he had occasionally seen socially. But interviews with more than a dozen political and business associates suggest that the two men were closer than the senator has indicated. …” The story didn’t break much new ground. But its appearance on the front page of the Times elevated the Obama-Rezko relationship to new and, for Obama’s campaign, uncomfortable heights.
* On Monday, the Sun-Times reported that during his 12 years in politics, Obama has received nearly three times as much campaign cash from Rezko and his associates as he has acknowledged. “Obama has collected at least $168,308 from Rezko and his circle,” the newspaper reported. “Obama also has taken in an unknown amount of money from people who attended fund-raising events hosted by Rezko since the mid-1990s.” Seven months ago, Obama told the paper his best estimate was that Rezko had raised “between $50,000 and $60,000″ for him during his career.
Obama got where he is in part by avoiding the Illinois culture of political sleaze that devours so many promising careers. Our experience tells us that he has behaved with uncommon integrity. But our experience also tells us the drip, drip, drip of articles about his relationship with Rezko will continue until he frees his campaign from having to respond defensively to this level of scrutiny at so many turns.
Barack Obama and his campaign aides need to divulge the findings of their own scrubbing of the candidate. Better to disclose every dimension of Obama’s ties to the indicted, increasingly notorious businessman and be done with it.
Obama must come clean before he muddies all Democrats.
Part III of The Senator From Rezko - coming soon.
The good people at Crooks and Liars have the video tape of Hillary once again taking command of an unruly forum.
During the second Democratic Party debate Hillary took charge and the other candidates followed her lead. We noted how Hillary took charge in the same way that many years earlier Ronald Reagan had taken control of a forum when he objected with a forceful “I paid for this microphone.” We were so taken with Hillary’s take charge attitude we posted clips of our favorite moments.
Yesterday, appearing before the AFSCME union Chris Matthews wanted to have fun, as usual, at Hillary’s expense. She did not play along. The audience did not play along. Hillary took on Chris Matthews and beat him into submission even as he appeared to be frothing at the mouth. At the end of the forum, during her closing remarks, Hillary delivers the coup-de-grace.
Don’t miss the videotape for the full impact (HERE).
Here is Crooks and Liars’ transcript:
MATTHEWS: Oh, a real question. OK.
CLINTON: Like a question that’s really about the people in this audience…
MATTHEWS: OK.
CLINTON: … and not what goes on inside of Washington.
(Applause)
MATTHEWS: So we’ll leave that as a non-answer then. MATTHEWS: You want a fight?
CLINTON: This is good. This is good. Yes, let’s keep going.
MATTHEWS: OK, right here. Look, why — OK, let’s have a fight. I like to fight.
(Laughter)
OK, let’s talk…
(Laughter)
You want to fight? OK.
What about…
—-Second Part—
CLINTON: Well, I want to thank you all for doing something I never thought I would ever see, and that is to render Chris Matthews speechless.
MATTHEWS: Thank you.
Update #2 (June 20): We have been asked to comment on the potential impact on Hillary if Bloomberg enters the presidential race. A year ago we were worried about an adverse impact. Now though, having seen Hillary while campaigning and the quality of her organization and strategy there is little to worry about. However, anytime a billionaire gets in a race there is cause for concern and a Bloomberg candidacy is a big factor in how the campaign will allocate resources in all the states. We do suspect Bloomberg will spend a minimum of a billion dollars (he spent approximately 90 million in each race in New York City alone) and he does have an excellent political staff. The Hillary staff is up to the challenge. The Ripublicans are not up to the challenge.
Having written the above, we do believe Bloomberg has made a major tactical mistake (we are surprised because his pollitical team is first rate). Bloomberg’s strength is his massive wealth and his ability to self-finance with abandon. This meant he had the ability to enter the race in a super surprise move around May of next year. Bloomberg has said he will sell his business assets after he leaves New York City Hall and give away the money. The sale of those assets will mean Bloomberg will have tens of billions of dollars to give away. Therefore, he will not be shy about spending tons of money. Voters rarely, if ever, punish self-financing candidates for “buying” the election. Now, what is this tactical mistake we are referencing? It’s called New York cutthroat politics and the New York City Council. Bloomberg has stripped himself of political allies in New York. Expect stormy days ahead for Bloomberg as every political figure in New York State decides Bloomberg is not an ally. Ripublicans will no longer receive Bloomberg donations or fundraising assistance. Ripublicans will attempt to rip him to shreds. Independent Bloomberg will have many months of being lonely Bloomberg. A May surprise announcement will be met with mounds of research accumulated over the next 11 months.
Barack Obama must be unhappy with this news. Obama positioned himself as the shiny new. The problem for Obama is that Bloomberg is even shinier newer.
Update (June 20):
Big Media coverage:
ABC News
New York Times
Washington Post
Boston Globe
Los Angeles Times
Politico
New York
Sun
Newsweek
Time
New York Post (Haberman)
New York Post
——————–
We wrote on May 3, 2007 a Word Of Warning About Bloomberg. We wrote then
Ordinarily we do not comment on these matters. This website will examine the Democratic race for president until the primaries are over and Hillary is the nominee. After Hillary is the nominee we will then begin to examine the Republican opposition. But for those generally interested in the 2008 race a word of warning from us: keep your eyes on Bloomberg.
At approximately 6:15 p.m. today Bloomberg announced he is no longer a Ripublican. Bloomberg has changed his registration to independent.
Bloomberg is running for president. He will likely announce next May.
Today the New York Times reported that
In unusually stark terms, Mr. Bloomberg expressed his frustration with the state of the nation, touching on campaign-style issues like the war in Iraq, immigration, education, health care and crime before a crowd of more than 1,000 employees at the Google campus here.
“Whoever out of those 20 becomes president I think has to do something about a country that I think is really in trouble,” Mr. Bloomberg said, referring to the current crop of candidates. “There’s the war, there is our relationships around the world.”
“Our reputation has been hurt very badly in the last few years,” he continued, criticizing what he called a “go-it-alone mentality” in an increasingly interconnected world.
The trip west comes as speculation about Mr. Bloomberg’s presidential ambitions has intensified, with his increasing travels around the country to speak about national issues, and with aides promoting the idea behind the scenes.
Bloomberg is running guys. Forget the Ripublican threat. Rudy lost his Iowa campaign chair today (due to appointment by Bush) and his South Carolina Chair was indicted for conspiracy to distribute cocaine, possibly crack. It turns out Rudy was also thrown off the Iraq Study Group. We never thought Rudy had a chance to be the Ripublican nominee anyway. The rest of the Ripublican field has fatal flaws too. Watch out for Bloomberg.
The Hillary Clinton For President campaign has chosen the campaign song. Bill Clinton and Hillary introduce their selection in a cute and funny video twist of the Sopranos TV show finale.
Of course there are 2 famous men running for the Democratic nomination (as well as several not so famous other candidates). We thought we would help them out with their campaign selections.
John Edwards said “I was wrong” for being a co-sponsor, not merely a voter of, the Iraq resolution which George W. Bush employed to attack Iraq. John Edwards also said “I was wrong” for voting for the Bankruptcy bill which hurt the poor and the middle class.
We selected this song for him:
Senator Barack Obama (D-Rezko) is busy lately lying about President Bill Clinton (we will have more on that later) and attacking entire communities for supporting Hillary Clinton (we will have more on that later). Obama started with a lot of promise and hype. We have seen these past few days what he is really made of (we will have much more on that later).
We selected this song for him:
We thought you might be amused with us checking in on the EHS taking place on right wing websites. The Today Show this morning featured a Meredith Vieira interview with crackpot Dick Morris and the wonderful Lisa Caputo. The topic was Is Hillary Clinton Unbeatable?
Here’s the transcript of The Today Show that has Ripublicans screaming and heads exploding:
Vieira: “Lisa Caputo served as Hillary Clinton’s press secretary while she was First Lady and Dick Morris is a former adviser to President Clinton and author of the book Outrage. Good morning to you both.”
Lisa Caputo: “Good morning.”
Dick Morris: “Good morning.”
Vieira: “Well you just heard the poll results. Hillary Clinton is 14 points ahead of Barack Obama. Lisa why is she doing so well?”
Caputo: “Well you know, Meredith, I think it really is just a test of her experience, her discipline as a candidate. And she’s really emerged, I think, in so many ways over the past 15 years since being First Lady as a real retail politician. And she, she is disciplined, as I said. She is methodical. She understands what it takes. She’s been battle-tested and I-”
Vieira: “Well is it organization, experience and money, essentially, that’s doing it?”
Caputo: “I think a lot of it is organizational experiences and you can’t discount the money but it also goes down to the sheer discipline of the candidate and understanding what it takes and not to trip up and make a mistake.”
Vieira: “Dick what about the likeability factor? So many of the pundits said she could never get elected because people just don’t warm up to her. Has she closed that personality gap at all?”
Morris: “No she hasn’t. They still don’t like her but she’s gonna win. Because there are a 100 million peo-”
Vieira: “She’s gonna win what? The nomination or the pre-”
Morris: “And the presidency, both. I don’t like that. I’m against her, but she’ll win. There are 100 million people that don’t vote in America that didn’t vote in ‘04 but could vote. They are about 70 to 30, Democrat. They’re women, black, Hispanics. They’re gonna come, many of those will come into the electorate and vote for Hillary. The other reason she’s gonna win is what Lisa, just said, when she used the word, ‘experience.’ The Clinton campaign has worked hard at positioning her as experienced, as a way of throwing a negative at Obama for not being experienced. Now, in fact, she has eight years as senator and he has two-and-a-half years as senator. She was in the White House but so was the pastry chef. The only time that she actually ran things in the White House was ‘93 and ‘94, when they went south. And in ‘98, ‘99, and 100 when she saved her husband from impeachment. When I was in the White House ‘95, ‘96 and ‘97 she was no where to be seen.”
Vieira: “But what happened to the Obama buzz? Lisa let me ask you because everybody was talking about him but now when you look at all the subgroups, Clinton leads. Whether it’s whites, blacks, men, women, young, old. Why are people moving away from Barack Obama?”
Caputo: “I don’t know that they’re moving away. I think you have a hugely undecided electorate. I mean, let’s remember, this is so early Meredith. We’ve never seen a cycle like this and I think people are just taking their time to decide. And the more that they see of Hillary Clinton and they stack her up against the other candidates, in the Democratic field, I mean the choice becomes clear. Whether it’s her performance in the debates or if they are watching her through her town halls throughout the country, I think people are becoming very comfortable in the direction she’ll take the country.”
Vieira: “You know people talked about Ronald Reagan as the Teflon President. Could she possibly be the Teflon Candidate? I’m thinking of these two books that just came out. Highly critical of her and her husband and they don’t seem to have made any dent in her popularity.”
Morris: “Well within the context of my basic view that I think she’s gonna get elected there are major negatives she has to overcome. In my new book Outrage, we talk, for example, about the fact that she’s had $2.2 billion of earmarks, including $148 million of defense, in return for which she got $250,000 of contributions.”
Vieira: “But you say none of that is gonna matter, Dick. You’re saying she’s gonna get elected and so none of it’s gonna matter, in your book.”
Morris: “It won’t matter because there are about 15 to 20 million single women, black, Hispanic voters, poor voters, who are gonna come into the electorate drawn by Hillary.”
Vieira: “So women are gonna elect her, is what you’re saying, essentially.”
Morris: “Exactly.”
Vieira: “Do you agree Lisa?”
Caputo: “I think, I think it’ll be a combination of women and independents who will elect her to the presidency. And I also think, I mean I find it funny that Dick says she’s gonna win because back in ‘99 when she was gonna run for the Senate he said, ‘there’s no way she can win.’ I’m glad you found-”
Vieira: “But you both think that, just wait, wait-”
Morris: “I thought Rudy Giuliani was gonna run.”
Caputo: “Oh okay. Well-”
Morris: “She never, she never would have beaten Rudy but she-”
Vieira: “But the point is you both think it’s a done deal.”
Caputo: “I don’t, I think, you know, Meredith, I would never say it’s a done deal. I mean we’ve had a 100 polls already. Polls go up and down and I think what you have here is a situation where you have somebody who has been through the ringer and back. And you have two books out that took 10 years to write with no new information. I think you’re just gonna see her be consistent all through the end of this race.”
Vieira: “But there’s a long race.”
Caputo: “A long way to go. Long way to go.”
Vieira: “Alright.”
Morris: “Look if there’s one thing Hillary specializes in it’s damage control. If she were a reality TV show it would be survivor.”
Vieira: “Alright, Dick Morris thanks a lot. Lisa Caputo, thank you as well. We’ll check in and see how right you are in the months ahead.”
“Obama has collected at least $168,308 from Rezko and his circle. Obama also has taken in an unknown amount of money from people who attended fund-raising events hosted by Rezko since the mid-1990s.”
Thus begins today’s entry in the continuing investigation by the Chicago Sun Times of Senator Barack Obama.
“But seven months ago, Obama told the Sun-Times his “best estimate” was that Rezko raised “between $50,000 and $60,000″ during Obama’s political career.”
We have written extensively on Obama and his indicted slumlord friend Antoin “Tony” Rezko. We have repeatedly warned David Axelrod, Michelle Obama and Barack Obama that this story is not going away. Not going away either is the story of the dirty politics anonymous memos the Obama campaign was peddling this past week. Again we say, Obama must answer all the questions about these issues in an honest and open way. So far Obama resists coming clean.
Chicago reporters, whose noses are as attuned to sniffing out corruption as French pig snouts are to locating truffles, must be twitching at this sentence: “Obama also has hung on to contributions from doctors whom Rezko helped appoint to a state-government panel involved in some of Rezko’s alleged fraud schemes.”
We previously noted the many connections between Obama and the medical community in these Obama - Rezko entanglements in posts such as Obama - Turning Pages, Part II. Not only was the Obama house purchase, which stinks like an unrefrigerated Chicago stockyard, a suspicious transaction - sold by a doctor and purchased by Obama and Rezko - but many doctors appear to be at least investors in the unsavory real estate deals for which Obama at least did legal work.
The Obama campaign is still posing as innocents incapable of doing anything unsavory even as evidence mounts that unsavory is their favorite dish. “We’ve made our best effort to run the most ethical campaign possible in all ways and release donations when appropriate,” Obama’s press secretary, Bill Burton, said Friday.” and “Burton said Friday the campaign was sticking by its original estimate that Rezko raised no more than $60,000.”
The Chicago Sun-Times however appears to have sources which dispute the Obama campaign. The sources confirm that Rezko was an integral part of the Obama fundraising machine. Rezko also assisted Obama at a “critical” time for the Obama Senate campaign when a good financial showing was needed. One source says “Tony was one of the biggest fund-raisers.”
“At the time of the party, the state was in the process of foreclosing on a low-income apartment building Rezko’s company rehabbed in Obama’s state Senate district — a rehab project on which Obama’s law firm worked. Rezko had also abandoned many other low-income apartments, leaving numerous vacant units in need of major repairs.”
The Obama campaign continues to stonewall the investigations and questions being raised by his entanglements with Rezko. We will say again, these questions are not going to go away. Even if Obama could make Rezko questions disappear in the primary season and even if the Rezko trial scheduled for February 2008 were to avoid a media frenzy or even to get zero news coverage - Ripublicans will not let this go in the general election. Questions must be answered now. The likelihood is that the drumbeat for disclosure will grow louder and the perception will turn to cement that Obama is a dirty Chicago pol.
If the Obama campaign is under the delusion that this is going away here is some evidence for them to consider that it is not going away, but indeed will grow. We are loathe to quote any right wing show or outlet, particularly when it comes to discussions of the Democratic Party primary. We will quote from last week’s Tucker Carlson (ugh) June 14th show. We will make an exception now because there was a good Democrat on at the time who participated in the conversation. The guests were Andrew Ferguson of the Weekly Standard (ugh) and former Maine Democratic Congressman Tom Andrews, National Director of Win Without War. Excerpts from the transcript:
FERGUSON: You know, and we are just getting to know him, that‘s the point of this time story and why it‘s so interesting. It shows why there has not been a serious presidential candidate from Illinois since 1956, Adlai Stevenson. Illinois politics is uniquely corrupt and anybody who succeeds in it is go going to, sooner or later, wind up in bed with a man like this Rezko fellow. Politics in Illinois keep guys like him around to help with a real estate deal here, or maybe to give their cousin a job, or you know, fill up a board seat there. You know, this is—you can‘t get away from this in Illinois politics and nobody has. And sure enough, Barack Obama is one of them.
CARLSON: I think his opponents are definitely banking on this. It actually doesn‘t look that great, Tom. This Rezko helped the Obamas‘ buy their house, a very expensive house. The “Times” reports, quote, “the land sale occurred after it had been reported that Mr. Rezko was under federal investigation.” Now this is odd behavior for anybody but particularly a politician who is running on his own personal ethics. What explains this?
ANDREWS: Well, we need to get a up-front explanation that is consistent. I think what Barak Obama has done is fallen in the track where you sort of try to dismiss the story before it takes hold. He says, well, he was a one time fundraiser, I really didn‘t know him very well. It turns out he has been involved in more than one campaign, in terms of fundraising.
CARLSON: Oh, yes, for years.
ANDREWS: He has had an on going relationship with him. So people will find out, obviously, it‘s going to get reported and the story is going to keep going and you are going to be backtracking and you are going to look like you‘ve got something to hide. That is the problem. I don‘t know if …
CARLSON: Well he is hiding! He is—already the campaign said, we never did—Barak Obama never did any favors for Mr. Rezko. According to the “New York Times,” the state legislature, Mr. Obama wrote letters to city and state officials supporting Mr. Rezko‘s business efforts from which he profited close to a million dollars. So he did do favors for the guy.
ANDREWS: Well, what Barak Obama has to do is address this particular story, that particular allegation. I mean, up to this point, if I—the story in today‘s “Times” says look, there was nothing improper here but the questions that it raises need to be addressed and it …
CARLSON: Right.
ANDREWS: Maybe there is, you know, an explanation which often times there is, that can straighten this out and clear things up. So just come out and lay it out.
CARLSON: But it fails the hypocrisy—Barack Obama gets up, I believe it was in New Hampshire recently, and gave a commencement speech at a University and he said I hope a lot of you don‘t do the obvious thing and chose money when you leave. Choose the highest paying job. Now here we find out that Barak Obama is living in this very expensive house that he got with the help of a sleazy campaign contributor. Basically, he‘s as greedy as anybody else. Maybe he shouldn‘t say things like that in public.
FERGUSON: But of course, I guess he means is he hasn‘t really made the killing that he might have been able to make as some Illinois politicians have been able to do.
His problem here now is now a second order problem, which is, how do you explain this sort of thing? And he hasn‘t explained it very well well. Partly there is a hypocrisy problem, but he also has come out and said my mistake was allowing this guy to help me with a real estate deal and do something that appeared to be a favor. Well, it didn‘t appear to be a favor, it was a favor. If this guy had hadn‘t interceded they wouldn‘t have been able to guy his $1.6 million house. And so now he finds himself, pretty soon he will have a third order problem which is to explain what he said in the second time—that the problem came around. So, you know, it is becomes a tar baby—
CARLSON: It is definitely bad judgment. I mean there‘s no doubt, it‘s like, buy your own house. You know what I mean? I think a normal person would have concluded that.
FERGUSON: Unavoidable, though, in Illinois.
CARLSON: In Illinois and you say that as someone from Chicago-land.
FERGUSON: Absolutely.
We did not want this article to be ignored so we put it here instead of our usual Top Hillary Headlines spot. “If you want to understand the woman who would be president, don’t bother to read the latest avalanche of recycled biographies - just ask her interns.”
Five seconds:
“I will begin with two Hillary Clinton scoops of my own. Early last summer, I went to a party she was giving at her house - hidden away off Massachusetts Avenue, a stone’s throw from the British embassy - and took the opportunity to introduce her to a teenage boy who I knew was going to intern for her later in the summer. She gave the kid about five seconds of her time, beaming at him before moving on to the next hand to shake.”
“Probably six weeks later, having not so much as set eyes on her since, the boy was walking down a Senate corridor when Hillary approached in the opposite direction. Meeting his eyes, she greeted him without hesitating: “Good to see you again, Pete.” Then, three weeks after that, the same kid and zillions of other Hillary interns gathered in a small, overheated office to have their photographs taken with the senator. Suddenly, overcome by the heat, the boy collapsed almost literally into her arms. He came round a couple of seconds later, lying on his back and seeing the face of (possibly) America’s 44th president peering anxiously down at him, proffering her bottle of water. “She was really kind, sort of motherly,” he told me later.”
The article rightly claims that this short anecdote reveals more about Hillary than all the 10 pound books written about her. Further, the article reveals how much of the so-called revelations in recent books have as their source Hillary’s own autobiography, but spiced with lurid embroidery from the cash hungry creative writers.
“So why all this unprecedented hysteria over an election that won’t even be held until 4 November next year? The answer, I am convinced, is that the leading candidate so far is a woman who is trying to break a 218-year male stranglehold on the most powerful job in the world. That, in turn, has unleashed vast tides of subconscious sexism from America’s political commentators, the vast majority of whom are male. A woman seeking the power and masculine majesty of the US presidency? How dare a petty little Machiavellian ogress like her have such audacity!”
We wrote in Texas Tough that Hillary will not be swiftboated. Every day as she explains her policies, her worldview and her decision making process, more Americans decide to support her. Even in Texas Hillary is doing well. The more Texans and all Americans meet the real Hillary Clinton, the closer she gets to being 44.
There is a good list of some of the endorsements Hillary has garnered posted at the Hillary Clinton Supporters Group. The group is part of Democratic Underground. The long list is up to date as of June 13, 2007. Worth keeping an eye on this group and help it grow.
Another list of endorsements can be located at the official Hillary Clinton For President website endorsements page.
The Seacoast Online of New Hampshire also took note of a recent Hillary endorsement by a grassroots activist.
“Back now to the moral of this story. I did raise an eyebrow when one Roger Goun of Brentwood came out and publicly endorsed Sen. Hillary Clinton for president. While nationally this proclamation may equate to a thumbs-up from the owner of Bob’s Auto Shop, the Clinton campaign scored a minor public relations coup in Goun because he’s a new-breed activist with no shortage of connections in the state’s growing and increasingly influential progressive grassroots community.”
“Goun is a former software engineer turned full-time political actor these days. He’s chairman of the Brentwood Town Committee and is running for the state Senate. He’s also a newcomer who cut his teeth on the grassroots roller coaster of the Howard Dean campaign in 2003. He and other committed activists co-founded Democracy for New Hampshire, and decided to brawl in the dirt of state politics. By 2006, their activism matched in sync with a ripe political environment to help create a stunning electoral transformation — Paul Hodes and Carol Shea-Porter defeated two well-entrenched incumbents for Congress and the Democrats won control of the state House and Senate for the first time in decades.”
Grassrooter Goun explained why he endorsed Hillary:
“We have to make progress,” Goun said about issues such as the Iraq war and health care. “I’m so ready for change. We have to win this election.”
“He also told me that meeting Clinton in person a few times in the past few months had changed his mind and he experienced the essence of grassroots campaigning.”
“She just blew me away,” Goun said of these encounters.”
Senator Barack Obama (D-Rezko) must be a very unhappy and miserable man today. As Fathers Day weekend was approaching he decided to unload buckets of his Chicago mud politics on Hillary. As with most things the clumsy and lurching Obama campaign attempts, the mud bucket missed its intended target. Instead the mud buckets disgorged at the point of origin. Workers at Obama’s Chicago campaign headquarters must now wear hip-high swamp boots to navigate their way from floating desk to floating desk, all in danger of being carried away by the mud.
While the Obama campaign was busy filling their buckets with mud, Hillary was busy discussing a major policy proposal on stem cell research this week and winning over Republican voters with her intelligence and policy:
“A child with diabetes and a paralyzed 23-year-old joined Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton on Friday in urging President Bush to loosen restraints on money for embryonic stem cell research.”
“Clinton addressed the issue just days after the House voted to ease limits on the federally funded research despite President Bush’s veto threat. Joining her at Dartmouth College were Alex Walter, 10, of Londonderry, N.H., who has Type 1 diabetes, and Laura Clark of Antrim, N.H., who has been paralyzed since a car crash three years.”
“Walter’s father, Steve, said he is a registered Republican but supports Clinton because he is frustrated with the Bush administration’s stance on stem cell research. His son has endured 10 to 12 blood tests a day and about 100 insulin injections a month since being diagnosed at age 4.”
“This is not a religious issue,” he said. “It’s really about a little boy who’s 10 years old, and another 100 million Americans who could benefit from this research.”
“Clark’s mother, Kathleen, also a Republican, said her daughter’s experience has been life-shattering for the family. But she also made a practical appeal, noting the billions spent on people with chronic spinal cord injuries. Even modest advances through stem cell research allowing quadriplegics to regain the use of their hands would lead to a significant savings in health care costs, she said.”
“Clinton said the administration’s position was part of its general contempt for science and disregard of evidence in favor of ideology.”
Today though, is Fathers Day. Because of Obama’s dirty politics we cannot appropriately celebrate the great father that Bill Clinton has been, and is, to his daughter, Chelsea (we were able to celebrate Mother’s Day appropriately). That Obama chose Fathers Day weekend to attack the last elected President of the United States, a two-term Democrat, is especially disgusting but typical for Obama and his Chicago thugs.
We understand the calculation of why Obama sent the anonymous memo attacking President Clinton (the 42nd president). [N.B. We have heard from several John Edwards supporters that they suspect it was the Obama campaign that sent an anonymous whisper to the media alerting them to the infamous John Edwards $400 haircut.] An interview from February 17, 2007 with Obama’s campaign manager, David Axelrod , called The Politics of Going Negative foreshadowed what the mudboys were really thinking. Its The Audacity of Desperation.
“As anyone not living in a cave surely knows, Obama launched his campaign for president last weekend by deriding the “smallness of our politics” and promising to change the tone of political discourse in America. But with Hillary Clinton leading Obama by an average of nearly 20 points in the six major polls taken so far this year, will Obama be able to close the gap over the coming year without playing hardball? And how can he attack Clinton without looking small himself and undermining the core rationale for his candidacy?”
“I put that question to Obama’s senior strategist, David Axelrod, before Obama’s presidential announcement last Saturday in Springfield.”
“If you have a difference over an issue that’s something different than a gratuitous personal attack,” Axelrod said. “But the real point is the premise that if you can inspire people and if you can give them something real to believe in, you can advance your campaign without tearing everybody else down. And that is our premise and we’re going to try and see if it works. If it does work, then we truly have changed our politics for the better. If it doesn’t, then it doesn’t. But that’s the only kind of campaign that he [Obama] really can run.”
“So, I quickly followed up, Obama won’t go negative?”
“I . . . I . . . I don’t . . . I would not say that he won’t draw contrasts where contrasts should be drawn,” Axelrod hedged. “But if you’re asking me, do we have a strategy to tear people down? We don’t. And maybe that’s incredibly naive, and maybe that is not feasible in modern politics. But we believe it is, and we believe it’s important to run a campaign like that.”
Axelrod is the mud-meister who, according to the New York Times “is known for operating in this gray area, part idealist, part hired muscle.” Axelrod is also the one who flung anonymous mud against “the millionaire liberal, Hull, who was leading in the polls…”
In that race Obama’s Axelrod secretly garbage dived into the Hull divorce, a typically nasty legal proceeding. Obama’s mud-slinging worked back then, “In the following few days, the matter erupted into a full-fledged scandal that ended up destroying the Hull campaign and handing Obama an easy primary victory.” Of course the Tribune was printing Obama’s mud. “The Tribune reporter who wrote the original piece later acknowledged in print that the Obama camp had “worked aggressively behind the scenes” to push the story. But there are those in Chicago who believe that Axelrod had an even more significant role — that he leaked the initial story. They note that before signing on with Obama, Axelrod interviewed with Hull. They also point out that Obama’s TV ad campaign started at almost the same time.”
This time the Rookie misfired with his mudball. This story, like the financial entanglements and schemes between Obama and Rezko, is not going away. The Indian-American community is indignant as well they should be. Representatives from that community are demanding an apology from Obama. The crazy aunt at the New York Times a.k.a.Maureen Dowd has a column today which includes a discussion of the Obama mud-bucket. There will be debate questions about this.
Reporters should divulge what other stabs at anonymous stories the Obama campaign has made. Did the Obama campaign plant the very hurtful story of the John Edwards $400 haircut?
As in the Rezko scandals Obama must start answering questions honestly and stop hiding behind a wall of well-crafted words which say very little. Obama must also take personal and public responsibility for what he has done. Obama also needs to fire those responsible for all the mudslinging — Even if that means firing himself.
When Obama does something dirty he tries to disguise the dirt with flowery language. Flowery language is his stock in trade.
“Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign expressed regret Friday for the “tone” used in recently disclosed campaign documents that raised questions about rival Democrat Sen. Hillary Clinton’s ties to India and Indian-Americans.”
Notice, the Obama campaign, not Obama himself, regrets only the “tone” of the dirty anonymous memos distributed in his name. Obama was forced to ooze out this regret over “tone” because the Indian-American community is up in arms. The shamelessness of the Obama campaign is stark as it is “currently engaged in floating chapters of ‘South Asians for Obama’”.
As of yet there has been no whiff of an apology for the other patently false memo attacking President Clinton. Presumably the rank hypocrites at the Obama campaign also leaked the ugly memo to right wing sludge machine the Drudge Report.
“At issue are documents distributed to some news organizations by Obama aides on a not-for-attribution basis that offered a harsh analysis of the Clintons. One appeared under the headline “Hillary Clinton (D-Punjab)’s personal financial and political ties to India.”
Big Media is using the sliming of the Clintons to, you guessed it, slime the Clintons. As one astute observer at TPM pointed out in a related story “This was Obama smearing inappropriately and has nothing to do with the Clinton campaign doing anything. Mentioning Clinton as if she were equal in this crap is unfair.”
We posted yesterday some examples of Obama’s long history of dirty tricks against opponents all the while striking a pose of “regret” and “new politics”. The Obama campaign is feigning innocence again by claiming that they did nothing wrong. However the very fact that the memo was not issued in an above board way, but rather anonymously speaks to their guilt.
Taylor Marsh on her blog is once again right on target:
“Twice in one day? Team Obama needs to tuck it in, because their hypocrisy is showing. But what they have to gain by taking on former President Clinton is beyond me. Do Obama’s people really believe that by going after one of the most popular politicians on the planet they’re going to, what, help Obama win the nomination? Smear Hillary by taking of the Big Dog? Hey, good luck with that one.”
“So here’s the deal. Earlier this morning I was tipped to these anonymous emails that were supposedly being distributed by camp Obama that targeted Bill Clinton. Greg Sargent has now posted on it and it’s a must read. Evidently, Jen Psaki of the Obama campaign hasn’t heard that Candidate Obama doesn’t believe in “small politics” and that America wants a different kind of politics blah-blah-blah. Either that or Psaki thinks that this philosophy only applies in the light of day and that what camp Obama does in the dark doesn’t matter. Oh, and if the candidate doesn’t know about it he’s clean. Handy. How ’bout Obama take on Clinton directly? It takes spine to do that, however. It’s much easier to do it in the dark.”
Taylor Marsh continues:
“Mind you, I like down and dirty politics. What I don’t like is the hypocrisy of a candidate proclaiming to be above it all while his staff circulates one on the sly hit job after another on Candidate Clinton, her finances, while also taking aim at the only Democratic two-term president since F.D.R., who also happened to have done a fairly good job running this country.”
“Now I return you your regularly scheduled fantasy and to the pristine, above the fray, beyond “small politics” campaign of Barack Obama.”
Ben Smith at Politico gets the last word on this dirty Obama smear.
“It just occured to me that I actually asked Obama, on February 11th in Iowa, why he had hired opposition researchers — a question that grows more interesting today, with the Clinton campaign releasing a set of the Obama campaign’s not-for-attribution shots at Hillary and Bill to the press.”
“He responded (in the video above, which demostrates the hazards of typing while filming) that their first job would be to study his own record, and their second would be “to make sure that we know the records of all the candidates well enough that we can compare and contrast where we stand on issues and where others stand on issues, and that I think is essential to democracy – I don thtink there’s anything wrong with that at all.”
“Hard to see how attacking Bill Clinton’s finances fits framework.”
Ben Smith quotes Obama himself here in full hypocrisy flowery language he does not live by:
“Obama continued, “What I think you will be able to measure though during the course of the campaign is how well I stick to my guns in not making ad hominem attacks toward other candidates, acknowledging where they’ve done good work, if i disagree with them, disagree with them on the basis of issues, and not suggest they’ve got untoward motives,” and continues with some policy-based examples of what’s “legitimate.”
The Barack Obama campaign has been caught peddling dirt against Hillary and Bill Clinton. Obama is desperate to rescue his failing incompetent campaign so he is slinging mud.
No surprise, that is how Chicago Obama has always operated. Obama talks about running a clean campaign but he is a dirt peddler.
According to the New York Times and amplified in a Talking Points Memo post, Obama got caught in his usual anonymous mud-slinging:
“We’ve just obtained an email that shows that the Obama campaign yesterday circulated a negative, and ultimately false, story about Bill Clinton – that he allegedly made money giving a speech on September 11, 2006.”
Here are the relevant TPM excerpts:
“The email, which was sent out by Jen Psaki of the Obama campaign and circulated to reporters (not us) on an off-the-record basis late yesterday, details some things that the Obama campaign found in Hillary’s financial disclosure documents, which were released yesterday.”
“One of the things the email points to was the fact that Bill Clinton allegedly gave a for-profit speech on Sept. 11 — something that presumably would be likely seen as controversial.”
“The email is a different document than the one written about in today’s New York Times. The paper today wrote that the Obama campaign yesterday circulated a document to news organizations on a not-for-attribution basis that contained a “scathing analysis” of Hillary’s documents.”
“The Obama camp is taking criticism today over the Times article mainly because, as Taylor Marsh points out, Obama has made a frequent point of bemoaning the “smallness” of our politics. As Ben Smith asked today, does Obama’s use of oppo research “compromise his promise of a new politics?”
“The question seems even more pointed in light of the Obama campaign’s spreading of bad stories about Bill.”
“Asked for comment on whether it was appropriate to spread negative stuff about Bill, given that he’s not running in the primary and is popular with primary voters, Obama spokesman Bill Burton declined to directly address the question about Bill, instead saying: “I don’t know why anyone would take umbrage with the circulation of publicly available information.”
“The story spread about Bill ultimately turned out to be false. It ended up on Drudge yesterday, where it was given heavy play for many hours, though there’s no proof that it was given to Drudge by the Obama campaign. After Drudge posted it, The Observer’s Politicker blog thoroughly debunked the story, pointing out that Bill’s schedule proved that he’d actually given the speech the night before, on Sept. 10.”
We will ignore for now the other anonymous memo being circulated by Obama referring to Hillary as the representative of Punjab. That’s just a slur against East-Asians.
Taylor Marsh jabs Obama for his usual “I don’t know anything about this” attitude::
“When the Obama campaign found out about Clinton’s investments, they decided to do a hit on her regarding one in particular. The thing is, they did it anonymously. Charming, isn’t it. Now this type of hit job isn’t anything new in the political world, but for a candidate that prides himself on being above petty politics, or beyond the smallness of politics, this is just a tad bit disingenuous. So if you want to keep your squeaky clean image intact, this type of move only works if you cover your tracks. The Obama camp blew it and Clinton’s campaign found out. The coup de grace is that, according to Obama’s spokesman, this isn’t a problem at all. The next thing we’ll hear is that Candidate Obama didn’t know anything about it.“
This is all typical Chicago Obama politics:
Of course there are plenty of examples of Obama portraying himself as an innocent but the record is that Obama bathes in mud and runs a dirty campaign. Lynn Sweet has documented Obama’s bull regarding the 1984 ad. She wrote “Obama told the Chicago Sun-Times on Thursday that his campaign was not damaged by the revelation that the ad maker, Phillip de Vellis, worked for Blue State Digital, the Washington D.C. firm whose co-founder, Joe Rospars is on leave—to work for the Obama campaign handling new media and the Obama web operation. Blue State holds a contract with the Obama campaign to provide technical internet support and oversee its server.”
But that was just another Obama lie, his campaign staff knew De Vellis quite well:
We noted in Obama’s Curse some of Obama’s dirty history not related to Rezko. Obama, “whose recollections and achievements have been repeatedly and substantively questioned cannot be serious about his claim to be on the forefront of anything, and has accomplished less. Is he referring to how he used his legal firepower to off-road black candidates running against him from the ballot? As the Chicago Tribune reported “The man now running for president on a message of giving a voice to the voiceless first entered public office not by leveling the playing field, but by clearing it.”
“But in that initial bid for political office, Obama quickly mastered the bare-knuckle arts of Chicago electoral politics. His overwhelming legal onslaught signaled his impatience to gain office, even if that meant elbowing aside an elder stateswoman like Palmer.”
“A close examination of Obama’s first campaign clouds the image he has cultivated throughout his political career: The man now running for president on a message of giving a voice to the voiceless first entered public office not by leveling the playing field, but by clearing it.”
“One of the candidates he eliminated, long-shot contender Gha-is Askia, now says that Obama’s petition challenges belied his image as a champion of the little guy and crusader for voter rights.”
“Why say you’re for a new tomorrow, then do old-style Chicago politics to remove legitimate candidates?” Askia said. “He talks about honor and democracy, but what honor is there in getting rid of every other candidate so you can run scot-free? Why not let the people decide?”
In a recent interview, Obama granted that “there’s a legitimate argument to be made that you shouldn’t create barriers to people getting on the ballot.”
Isn’t that just cute? Typical Obama - do something dirty and then publically ruminate about the dirty deed while expressing innocence. It’s another of Obama’s great introspections.
Joe Biden was wrong about Obama. Obama is not clean — he’s dirty.
Frank Sinatra and many others have crooned the song New York, New York. The lyrics If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere…. seem particularly apt this election cycle. Hillary and New York have been a great fit. But Texas???
“Texas hasn’t gone Democratic in a presidential race in more than three decades. But the survey shows Republican contender Sen. John McCain essentially tied with Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton among registered voters, with McCain at 36% and Clinton at 35% in a head-to-head contest. Republican Rudy Giuliani and Clinton also are essentially tied, at 32%-31%.”
The complete poll can be read HERE.
But Beware: Because of all the continuing good Hillary news, prepare for another outbreak of Exploding Head Syndrome.
We wrote The Frontrunner, The Hillary Clinton Dynasty, the Big Media Wal-Mart Attack On Hillary, Hillary Can’t Win, and Hillary Can’t Win, Again to address some of the canards dreamed up by those that do not read reality based websites like this one.
The latest canard currently recycled is the “Hillary will unify the Ripublicans like no other Democrat therefore we can’t nominate her because we are so scared of the mean old Ripublicans. Please, Please, Whine, Whine, We can’t nominate Hillary because then the Ripublicans will say mean things about us again and if we fight them they might say mean things about us and whine, whine, whine.”
For the record once again: any Democrat nominated by the Democratic Party will be attacked and attacked viciously, relentlessly, dishonorably, and unfairly. But Hillary will fight and fight effectively. Hillary will not be swiftboated and then wait weeks to respond. Hillary will not be swiftboated.
What will quickly and effectively unify the Ripublicans?
One word: weakness.
The Ripublicans are now discouraged. They know Hillary will unite the Democratic Party and run an intelligent and courageous and effective and successful campaign. Hillary will deflate and demoralize the Ripublicans because they know she will win.
The Ripublicans will unite and be happy and encouraged if they think they can win. If they smell blood in the water, or fear, or inexperience they will unite into one angry pack and gnaw and bite and chew on Democrats everywhere. They will attack the weak, run away from the fearless and strong.
Democrats will not let fear choose their nominee. The united Democratic Party will win with Hillary.
Dr. Maya Angelou recorded a video tribute to Hillary Clinton. It’s an excellent companion piece to President Bill Clinton’s video.
“She stands up for all women”
Update: Wall Street Journal has a story out today called Republicans’ Outlook Dims for ‘08. “Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York, who has strengthened her lead in the race for the Democratic nomination, leads Mr. Giuliani by 48% to 43% in a potential general-election matchup after trailing by a similar margin three months ago.” and Among Democrats, Mrs. Clinton draws 39% of the vote, up from 36% in April, while Mr. Obama receives 25%, down from 31%. Former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, the 2004 Democratic vice presidential nominee, receives 15%, with Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico and Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware lagging behind at 4%.”
“Mrs. Clinton’s standing in the Democratic race follows her performances in televised debates and an attempt to downplay differences with Mr. Obama over Iraq. Though her leading rival courts Democratic voters by noting that he opposed from the start a war she voted to authorize, she enjoys a wider lead among Democrats backing an immediate troop withdrawal than among those who oppose one.”
“Moreover, on both of the rank and file’s top two characteristics for their party’s nominee — capacity to bring about change and experience for the presidency — Mrs. Clinton holds an edge. Fully 71% of Democrats rate the former first lady highly for being “knowledgeable and experienced enough to handle the presidency,” while 30% rate the first-term Sen. Obama highly on that dimension.” “Her competence campaign is working,” Mr. Newhouse said.”
——————–
Unlike the kooks who live in a world of their own, this is truly a reality based website.
We are proud to say that we know, and are friends with, many supporters of Barack Obama and John Edwards as well as of all the other candidates (unfortunately, we don’t personally yet know any supporters of the honorable Mike Gravel). We know many many more supporters of Hillary. We know people who support all the candidates because we live in the real world. We do not live in bubbles or in echo chambers, or in political gated communities.
Many in the world of delusion boast that they do not know any Hillary supporters. These dolts take that as a matter of pride instead of a sign that they are very very very disconnected from reality. They repeat this embarrassing confession of their political isolation with pride and in defiance of the science of polling and common sense. It is quite something to observe these proud and boastful creatures, chests all puffed out, loudly proclaiming their ignorance. A few even follow their ignorant observations with the Naderite and limp threat that they will not necessarily support the eventual Democratic nominee if they do not get their way.
For the record, we will support the Democratic nominee, with vigor, whoever she is.
In recent days, because of high Hillary numbers in the polls and Hillary’s commanding presence in the first two debates, many are beginning to see this race as we do. The Quinnipiac poll even suggested it might be time to start thinking about who Hillary’s vice presidential running mate will be. We remain on full alert and active. As we wrote in The Long Road, “…the road to victory is still long and the road to national recovery even longer.”
Compare the January frontrunners from both parties. Ripublican Robert Novak writes about January Ripublican frontrunner John McCain,
“The former frontrunner is now in deep trouble. With respect to the positive signs a presidential campaign can point to at this early stage — fundraising, national polls, state polls, endorsements — McCain finds himself almost empty-handed.”
Notice, on all the indicia Novak cites - fundraising, national polls, state polls, endorsements — Hillary, the Democratic January frontrunner, remains the frontrunner.
And, even though the Hillary campaign has yet to focus on general election voters, even with these non-Democratic primary voters, these political independents — Hillary is already winning. The latest numbers from Quinnipiac bear this out. Hillary beats all Ripublicans. The same cannot be said for her Democratic primary opponents (or even former Vice President Al Gore).
First, the Hillary campaign and her many supporters must work hard and every day to gain support from Democratic voters. Then we need to focus that organizational wisdom and strength to win the Democratic caucuses and primaries. Then the Democratic family unites.
We are not arrogant when we say we know we have the strongest standard bearer. We know Hillary is a hard working winner. We will continue to quietly work away, daily, until Hillary actually gets the Democratic nomination and then - the united Democratic Party turns its redemptive firepower on the Ripublicans who have looted and debased this country.
“Antoin Rezko, an entrepreneur of considerable charm who found riches in fast food and real estate, is known around Chicago as a collector of politicians.”
Thus begins the New York Times first timid toe dipping into the Obama-Rezko scandal waters. We wrote yesterday that
Yesterday, Wolf Blitzer on CNN reported on the story and today the New York Times has joined in. The smell is spreading.
“Back in the 1990s, Mr. Rezko’s office was adorned with framed photos of candidates he viewed as up-and-comers. Among them was Barack Obama, a state legislator whose first campaign donations included $2,000 from Mr. Rezko’s companies. As Mr. Obama built a career that carried him to the Senate in 2004, Mr. Rezko was there with him, holding fund-raisers and rallying support.”
“Now, as Mr. Obama runs for president, the once-beneficial relationship with his old friend and patron has become problematic.”
Instead of answering questions Barack and Michelle Obama are hiding from the press. Guys, this will not work. Big Media is setting you up for a big fall in the fall. Answer the questions fully now.
“Mr. Obama says he never did any favors for Mr. Rezko, who raised about $150,000 for his campaigns over the years and was once one of the most powerful men in Illinois. There is no sign that Mr. Obama, who declined to be interviewed for this article, did anything improper.
Mr. Obama has portrayed Mr. Rezko as a one-time fund-raiser whom he had occasionally seen socially. But interviews with more than a dozen political and business associates suggest that the two men were closer than the senator has indicated.”
The New York Times recaps some of the Obama-Rezko financial entanglements too:
“Mr. Obama turned to Mr. Rezko for help at several important junctures. Records show that when Mr. Obama needed cash in the waning days of his losing 2000 Congressional campaign, Mr. Rezko rounded up thousands of dollars from business contacts. In 2003, Mr. Rezko helped Mr. Obama expand his fund-raising for the Senate primary by being host of a dinner at his Mediterranean-style home for 150 people, including some whose names have since come up in the influence scandal.”
“And when Mr. Obama and his wife, Michelle, bought a house in 2005, Mr. Rezko stepped in again. Even though his finances were deteriorating, Mr. Rezko arranged for his wife to buy an adjacent lot, and she later sold the Obamas a 10-foot-wide strip of land that expanded their yard.”
“The land sale occurred after it had been reported that Mr. Rezko was under federal investigation. That awkward fact prompted Mr. Obama, who has cast himself as largely free from the normal influences of politics, to express regret over what he called his own bad judgment.”
Political finance watchdogs will soon start digging too,
“Senator Obama is a very intelligent man, and everyone by then was very familiar with who Tony Rezko was,” said Cindi Canary, executive director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, a nonpartisan research group. “So it was a little stunning that so late in the game Senator Obama would still have such close involvement with Rezko.”
The New York Times also explores the Obama-Rezko house deal which we have written about. The New York Times does not understand that in fact the house and yard were originally one parcel of land until Obama asked the owners to split the yard from the house. It appears Obama gained $925,000 from this transaction and was able to get the house he could not afford.
“By 2004, Mr. Rezko’s pizza restaurants were in trouble, and creditors were suing him. Yet after the Obamas bid $1.65 million for their house in January 2005, Mr. Rezko got involved. Mr. Obama has said that he mentioned the deal to Mr. Rezko.”
“People familiar with the transaction said that the sellers did not want to close until that June 15, and that the sale would go through only if someone bought the adjacent lot from them on the same date. Rita Rezko paid $625,000 to outbid others for the lot and later sold the Obamas one-sixth of that land, for $104,500.”
We have written about this story many times before. As long as Obama does not answer the questions he must answer, that all presidential candidates must answer, we fear we will be writing about this again. We wrote in Turning Pages Part II that this story is growing. Obama must stop turning pages and answer questions.
David Axelrod, Barack Obama and Michelle Obama must reconsider their stonewalling of the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune. Guys, the story is not going away. The Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune, two very big newspapers, know they have a big Pulitzer story here and they will keep on digging and digging and digging until the shovels hit the coffin.
Ordinarily when a campaign gets caught with letter evidence contradicting previous statements the smart move is to get the full story out and not mock people’s intelligence. Not so with this Obama campaign.
“The letters appear to contradict a statement last December from Obama, who told the Chicago Tribune that, in all the years he’s known Rezko, “I’ve never done any favors for him.”
These letters demonstrate without doubt that Obama did political favors for indicted slumlord Antoin “Tony” Rezko ” who was “a longtime friend, campaign fund-raiser and client of the law firm where Obama worked” and it is this very same Rezko who worked out a deal which benefited Obama personally to the tune of $925,000 “who was indicted last fall on federal charges that accuse him of demanding kickbacks from companies seeking state business”.
Incidentially Obama campaign, we are still looking for a clear denunciation by Obama of his indicted slumlord friend. Please send us what you have.
To further insult the search for the facts and to laugh in the face of the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune this is how the Obama campaign responded - gorilla dust:
“On Tuesday, Bill Burton, press secretary for Obama’s presidential campaign, said the letters Obama wrote in support of the development weren’t intended as a favor to Rezko or Davis.
“This wasn’t done as a favor for anyone,” Burton said in a written statement. “It was done in the interests of the people in the community who have benefited from the project.”
Further we are supposed to believe that the letters from State Senator Obama magically appeared. Hey, no one requested them, they wrote themselves,
“Asked about the Obama letters, Rezko’s attorney, Joseph Duffy, said Tuesday, “Mr. Rezko never spoke with, nor sought a letter from, Senator Obama in connection with that project.”
Again, Obama campaign, this is not going away.
“Since announcing his presidential bid, Obama has faced repeated questions about his 17-year relationship with Rezko, one of his earliest political contributors, who has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Obama.”
“Rezko backed Obama’s election to the Illinois Senate in 1996, his successful re-election bids and his 2004 election to the U.S. Senate.”
“Two years ago, the two men were involved in a real estate deal that Obama later apologized for, calling it “boneheaded” and a “mistake” because the transaction occurred while Rezko was widely known to be under federal investigation. Rezko’s wife paid full price for a vacant lot in Chicago’s historic Kenwood district on the same day Obama bought the mansion next door from the same property owner for $300,000 below the asking price. Rezko’s wife subsequently sold a sliver of the land to Obama.”
We will emphasize again, the house and the yard next door were the same property. The yard was part of the property with the house. It was Obama who apparently had the seller separate the house from the yard so Obama could buy the house for $1.65 million (a discount right there of $300,000) while his indicted slumlord friend Rezko bought the yard for full price at $625,000 and Obama got a house he could not afford. $925,000.
Obama’s former boss “Davis soon went into business with Rezko, creating a company called New Kenwood LLC to build the seven-story apartment building for senior citizens on a vacant stretch of land once occupied by a gas station at 48th and Cottage Grove. The city of Chicago owned the land — nearly two acres tainted by lead, benzene and other toxic chemicals. Davis is a member of the Chicago Plan Commission. He was originally appointed to the commission in 1991 by his friend, Mayor Daley. Davis, like Rezko, has been a prolific campaign fund-raiser for politicians including Daley and Obama.”
This is Chicago after all. Michelle Obama works for the Landmarks Commission, Obama’s boss is on the Planning Commission, Obama does legal work for Rezko real estate, Michelle works for a hospital, the Obama house was sold by a doctor, there are doctors investing in real estate with Rezko including in the Pizza parlors now in such deep legal troubles. We are sure this is all coincidence. We won’t even mention Todd Stroger and the corruption swirling around him and his dad and how Obama endorsed Todd and why Todd’s father had to leave public life. That’s for another day.
We do recall, as we have written before, that while Obama was writing letters to benefit by millions of dollars his indicted slumlord friend Antoin “Tony” Rezko, Obama’s African-American constituents were freezing in their tenements. Obama was busy writing letters.
Read the whole story for yourself. There are enough strings to follow, that we have not included, to keep us busy through the summer. One piece of advice for the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times: When the Toledo Blade began to dig into the Ohio coin scam, they kept finding more and more strings to follow. Eventually they had to even pull reporters from the sports pages to cover the story. Maybe you Chicago papers will soon have to cut back on the Cubs to concentrate on the Rookie.
-- Hillary vs. Obama Voting Records
--Hillary vs. Edwards Voting Records
--Hillary Iraq War Position Documents/Speeches
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Jay Leno: "Hillary Clinton has picked 'You and I' by Celine Dion as her campaign theme song. In a related story, John McCain's campaign song also by Celine Dion. It's the theme from 'Titantic.' ... Yesterday, President Bush vetoed another stem cell research bill. Bush says stem cell research goes against his religious beliefs. Mitt Romney agrees with him ... at least he did yesterday. I haven't checked Romney's position today. ... Right now, Scooter Libby is wishing instead of Karl Rove and Dick Cheney, he was hanging around with Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan. He would have served less time and made more money. ... ("Tonight Show," NBC, 6/21).
Jon Stewart: "We talked a little bit the other day ... about all the presidential candidates' websites. All the fascinating features that you ... can find on the websites. The videos, the chatrooms, the Chris Dodd gear. You know what they call that, by the way? Mechandodd. ... It's all aimed at jading a new generation of voters. But now, there's this. Barack Obama's website is featuring downloadable Obama ringtones for your cell phone. Obama ringtones? ... Finally a way for political candidates to annoy you while you're at a restaurant or movie theatre. ... ("Daily Show," Comedy Central, 6/21).
Stephen Colbert: "For those of you who are unfamiliar with the concept ... the 'Colbert Bump' is the curious phenomenon where by anyone who appears on this program gets a huge boost in popularity. ... Of course, there are those who refuse to acknowledge the 'Colbert Bump.' Well, last week we put it to the test by inviting Ron Paul to be a guest on the show. Who is Ron Paul? I thought he was a transvestite entertainer [on screen: RuPaul]. ... Turns out he's a Republican candidate for president. ... He went from zero to two. Barack Obama, come on the 'Report.' It is the second most influential television show in politics, right behind reruns of 'Law & Order' [on screen: Fred Thompson]. ... ("Colbert Report," Comedy Central, 6/21).
Conan O'Brien: "A new report that just came out suggests that television journalists are biased because 90% of the money they donate to politicians goes to Democrats. Apparently it's true, because earlier today, Larry King sent a huge check to President Woodrow Wilson. ... The American Medical Association says that addiction to video games is becoming such a big problem, they're thinking of declaring it an actual medical condition. The video game condition will be called 'chronic persistent virginity'" ("Late Night," NBC, 6/21).
--------------------------------Jay Leno: "It was hot today. ... It was so hot Vice President Dick Cheney had his chest opened just for ventilation. ... New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has quit the Republican Party ... and has become an Independent. ... Bloomberg says he has no plans to be president. Now don't confuse that with President Bush, who has no plans as president. ... ("Tonight Show," NBC, 6/20).
Jon Stewart: "Yesterday, big announcement. Senator Clinton picked the winning [campaign] song during this clever parody of 'The Sopranos' finale. Clever, of course, because it compares the Clintons to a notorious crime family. ... Parody? Or is that what they call in the business, 'getting ahead of the story?' ... The winning song is 'You and I' by Celine Dion. ... Hillary Clinton, why did you even ask us? Maybe you should change your campaign slogan to 'A Conversation With French Canada'? ... In other big political news, Michael Bloomberg, the popular mayor of New York City, has left the Republican Party. ... This act thoroughly decimates the elfin, effete, and Jewish wing of the Republican Party. ... But is there something more? [on screen: reports on rumors Bloomberg will run for POTUS]. ... I assume some of the media feel that the mayor's personal wealth could overcome his image as a short, Jewish, effete, Jewish, bachelor, Jewish, presidential candi-Jew. ... The only thing pundits enjoy more than speculating about who might run for president? Speculating about who that hypothetical person would run with [on screen: pundit saying the 'dream' ticket would be Bloomberg and Chuck Hagel]. Bloomberg-Hagel? That doesn't sound like a dream ticket. That sounds like a rare genetic disorder. ... In fact, I recommend right here, right now anybody thinking about having kids be tested for Bloomberg-Hagel. 'Vote Bloomberg-Hagel: A Better Choice Than Epstein-Barr'" ("Daily Show," Comedy Central, 6/20).
Stephen Colbert: "Big, big news out of New York City. ... New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is leaving the Republican Party and becoming an Independent, possibly to prepare for a White House run. Well nice try, Bloomberg. You can't just choose to be Independent. It's not like being gay. ... I really wanted to like this Bloomberg character. I mean, he's an eccentric billionaire who lives on an island [on screen: Manhattan]. For all we know, he hunts the most dangerous game -- man. ... But it's impossible for me to like him because the guy is just a flip-flopper. Eight years ago, he was a Democrat with a staunch pro-choice, pro-gun control, pro-gay rights agenda. Then he changed to a Republican with a staunch pro-choice, pro-gun control, pro-gay rights agenda. Now he suddenly switched to an Independent with a staunch pro-choice, pro-gun control, pro-gay rights agenda. Is there nothing this guy believes in? Plus, not a Democrat, not a Republican? Mayor Bloomberg, how can I launch partisan attacks at you if you don't have any partisans?" ("Colbert Report," Comedy Central, 6/20).
Conan O'Brien: "Kind of a scandal brewing for presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani. ... Yesterday, a top aide to Rudy Giuliani was busted for possessing and distributing cocaine. When asked about it, Giuliani said, 'Cocaine? I asked him to get me Rogaine'" ("Late Night," NBC, 6/20).
------------------------------Jay Leno: "Do you know who's being suggested as the next Commissioner of Baseball after he leaves office? President Bush. He's a big baseball fan. President Bush, Commissioner of Baseball? And you thought the games would never end now. ... According to USA Today -- this is why Congress has such a low approval rating -- 72 members of Congress have given over $5 million of campaign money to relatives or companies owned by relatives. There is now a bill in Congress that would ban nepotism in politics. President Bush says he will sign it ... as soon as he runs it past his dad and brother Jeb. ... Al Gore complained to the British press this week that everyone is focused on celebrities while the world is in crisis. Then they had to cut the interview short to have a meeting with Madonna to talk about her doing the global warming concert" ("Tonight Show," NBC, 6/19).
Jon Stewart: "Let's begin tonight in Iraq, where the United States' ... coalition forces are staging a massive attack against al Qaeda in the Diyala province, now considered Iraq's most violent region. Which is something akin to being, say, The Village People's gayest member. ... The goal of the offensive is to root out terrorists in Diyala -- terrorists we originally rooted out of the Anbar province, a place they had settled after we had rooted them out of Baghdad. But, of course, once we get them out of Diyala, where are they going to go -- Salahaldin? Come on people, this whole thing reminds me of something [on screen: CNN's Roberts comparing the current situation in Iraq to Whack-A-Mole]. No, no. That's not it. I'm thinking more of the tactical issues the French faced in Algeria. I think they're somewhat equivalent [on screen: NBC's Russert asking U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker if the situation is comparable to Whack-A-Mole]. Yeah, it's Whack-A-Mole. And when we win the war, we'll get a plastic comb. Come on! Let's let the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq set you fellas straight about our sophisticated strategy in this theatre of battle [on screen: Crocker using the Whack-A-Mole comparison]. Hopefully, at that point, the United States and its coalition allies will then land the ping pong ball of justice into the fishbowl of Islamo-fascism. ... As always, the big question with a new operation ... what to call it? Obviously four years into the war, we've already used Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, Together Forward, Iron Hammer, Warhorse Whirlwind, Bulldog Mammoth, Panther Squeeze, Red Dawn, Rock Slide, Rifles Fury, Centaur Rodeo. By the way, not only is every one of those a real operation, but each one of them also the title of a Fred Thompson movie" ("Daily Show," Comedy Central, 6/19).
Stephen Colbert: "Tonight's 'Alpha Dog' is conservative legal scholar Robert Bork. I'll never forget back in 1987 when Democrats scuttled Reagan's Supreme Court nomination of Bork. I was so crushed, I almost shaved off my Bork beard. ... Mr. Bork's in the news again after filing a personal injury lawsuit against the Yale Club, where he fell from a dais during a speaking engagement. And I thought the biggest hazard of the Yale Club was getting trapped in the steamroom with John Kerry. When they say he's a flip-flopper, they're not talking about his feet. Put a towel over that thing, John. It looks like one of Dali's clocks. ... Bork's seeking $1 million in damages even though he's long called for tort reform, arguing that the persistent threat of personal injury lawsuits make America's civil justice system 'expensive, capricious, and unpredictable.' Oh damn right, it's unpredictable. The Yale Club never saw this one coming. It takes a strong man to look in the face of his own written opinions and say, 'Well, if everyone else is doing it, time for daddy to take a slice.' I say in the case of Principals v. Wallet, Bork's about to have one million witnesses in his defense. And that's why he's my 'Aplha Dog' of the week" ("Colbert Report," Comedy Central, 6/19).
Conan O'Brien: "The White House announced that this summer President Bush plans to meet with the president of Mexico. The two presidents will meet in the capital of Mexico ... Los Angeles. ... Over the weekend in the West Bank, Palestinian gunmen overtook the former home of Yasser Arafat and stole his Nobel Peace Prize. After hearing about it, the Dalai Lama said, 'If anybody messes with my Nobel Peace Prize, I will f them up'" ("Late Night," NBC, 6/19).
--------------------------Jay Leno: "It was hot today. I was sweating like Scooter Libby watching an episode of 'Prison Break.' ... A judge has turned down Scooter Libby's request to delay his prison term. In fact, the judge gave him an extra three months just for having the stupid name 'Scooter.' ... Have you seen this new video on YouTube with this attractive, sexy girl is singing the song 'I Got a Crush on Obama'? It was made by some of Barack Obama's fans. ... Well, now there's another one called 'I've Got a Crush on John Edwards,' which is being sung by John Edwards. ... The Republican Party here in California has obtained a special visa to hire a Canadian to be the state deputy political director, 'cause they say they can't find a qualified American to do the job. Apparently, working for Republicans is one of those icky jobs Americans just don't want to do. ... The Pentagon is admitting it did experiment with a gay bomb. They say it's no big deal. They were experimenting for the weekend. The wives were out of town. They were just curious. I was told alcohol might have been involved. ... ("Tonight Show," NBC, 6/18).
Jon Stewart: "The Middle East. You know. You watch the coverage these days. The fighting in Lebanon, the civil war in Gaza, the Mosque bombing in Iraq. It's easy to see the downside in the massive regional chaos, but remember what Condi Rice said last year [on screen: Rice saying, 'What we're seeing here in a sense is the growing birth pangs of a new Middle East']. Birth pangs! Which begs the question ... uh ... where is this f------ baby already? ... Last week, the extremist group Hamas gained control of Gaza after five days of intense fighting with their rivals, the Fatah Party. Fatah is considered the more moderate group. Basically the difference being Fatah wants to kill the Jews, while Hamas wants to kill the Jews" ("Daily Show," Comedy Central, 6/18).
Stephen Colbert: "'Tip of the Hat' to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Now, usually I'm not a fan of Mr. Schwarzenegger. The guy cares way too much about the environment. Just because you played Mr. Freeze doesn't mean you have to care about melting polar ice caps. ... But the Terminator finally said something I can get behind. Last week, he told a gathering of Hispanic journalists that immigrants should avoid Spanish-language media if they want to learn English. ... How do you think Arnold learned English? He turned off the Austrian television set. It wasn't easy. Who doesn't want to to watch 'Where's the Schnitzel?' ... So, if immigrants want to learn English, they should watch American television. It will teach them all the necessary phrases like 'What you talkin' 'bout Willis' and 'Dynomite.' ... And a 'Tip of the Hat' to Republicans. According to a recent Gallup poll, 68% of them don't believe in evolution. Looks like your chances at the GOP nomination just took a hit, Congressman Binko [on screen: an ape]. That's too bad because he was just starting to pull ahead of Ron Paul. ... Clearly, the brave anti-evolution stances of Tom Tancredo, Sam Brownback and Mike Huckabee have got science on the run. Well fellas, now is the time to press our tack. So Congressman Tancredo, from now on you don't believe in geology either. Diamonds are just Jesus' tears. And Senator Brownback, meteorology is a myth. Weather forecasts are the devil's horoscope. And Governor Huckabee, you can stop believing in statistics. In fact, stop believing in math all together. That just might help the Republicans feel better when the 2008 election results come in" ("Colbert Report," Comedy Central, 6/18).
Conan O'Brien: "Yesterday, Angel Cabrera from Argentina won the U.S. Open Golf Tournament. Cabrera was congratulated and then a group of Republican senators had him deported. ... It has been reported that Barack Obama's Secret Service code name is 'Renegade.' Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton is still using her old Secret Service name 'Ballbuster.' .... Republican presidential candidate Sam Brownback kicked off a 1,200-mile campaign trip through Iowa. Brownback said, 'I'm not gonna stop until I find someone who knows who the hell I am.' ... ("Late Night," NBC, 6/18).
------------------------------Jay Leno: "Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich is heading an 'Impeach Dick Cheney' movement. First of all, how many heart attacks has Cheney had? Five? Six? Want to get rid of this guy? Buy him a cheeseburger. ... Cheney is having an operation on his heart this week. Talk about microsurgery. ... ("Tonight Show," NBC, 6/15).
Conan O'Brien: "This morning in Washington, President Bush attended the 6th Annual Hispanic Prayer Breakfast. At the breakfast, President Bush showed off his Spanish by ordering 'El Capitan Cruncho.' ... I have the latest on the presidential campaign. Hillary Clinton has launched a new website where people can get all the latest Hillary news. In a related story, John Edwards has launched a new website where people can order his secret blend of shampoos and conditioners. ... ("Late Night," NBC, 6/15).
-----------------------------------Jay Leno: "The Pentagon has admitted they once tried to develop a gay bomb -- a bomb that would turn enemy soldiers gay. They said their goal was to turn the Iraq war into a musical. ... Gay bomb? Talk about a troop surge. ... Presidential candidate Tommy Thompson ... gave a major campaign speech yesterday. A major speech to let everyone know he is not dropping out of the race ... and he is entering the Iowa straw poll and he intends to win it. And then the kid at the McDonald's drive-thru said, 'You want fries, Mr.?' ... Scooter Libby is going to jail unless President Bush acts quickly. And the city of New Orleans says, 'Good luck with Bush acting quickly'" ("Tonight Show," NBC, 6/14).
David Letterman: "On Father's Day, some lucky dad in Albania will be getting President Bush's watch. ... President Bush was in Albania. He thought he was going to Albany. Anyway, he ended up in Albania ... and somebody stole his watch. Bush is upset. He is really angry. He said he now has no choice but to bomb Iran. ... I was going through the files and I believe he is the first president to be robbed since ... well, Al Gore" ("Late Show," CBS, 6/14).
Jon Stewart: "On Tuesday, Republican frontrunner Rudy Giuliani released a slate of campaign pledges he calls the 'Twelve Commitments,' including sets of gems as 1. I will keep America on offense in the terrorists' war on us; 5. I will impose accountability on Washington; 8. I will survive; and 12. I will issue commitments in easily mockable list form. ... Rudy's promises to America. Yes, Rudolph Giuliani always keeps his promises, unless he makes them to you as you're marrying him" ("Daily Show," Comedy Central, 6/14).
Stephen Colbert: "I guess I have to mention it's Gay Pride Month. Congratulations, gay people -- I mentioned you. First you steal our rainbows and now you've managed to steal a whole month. Of course, you picked the month with the most weddings in it. You are determined to destroy the sanctity of marriage. One of the key battlegrounds in our gay culture war is actually key battlegrounds. I'm talking about gays in the military. The 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy has thrown our armed forces into chaos in the middle of a war on terror. ... We cannot waiver on this issues, folks, and thank God none of the Republicans did in their recent presidential debate [on screen: none of the GOP WH '08ers raising their hand when asked if gays and lesbians should be allowed to serve openly in the military]. I say their silence speaks volumes. Plus, they kind of had to keep it down because Mary Cheney's baby was sleeping in the next room" ("Colbert Report," Comedy Central, 6/14).
Conan O'Brien: "Yesterday, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger told a Latino group if immigrants want to learn English, they should not read foreign-language newspapers. The Latino group told Arnold, 'How about you tell us how you learned English, and we'll do the opposite.' ... Bill Clinton earned more than $10 million last year from giving speeches, but he says he gave half of it to charity. Clinton gives the other half to her sister, Tiffany. ... Republican presidential candidates Sam Brownback and Tom Tancredo both promised if they are elected president, they will pardon Scooter Libby. So, sorry Scooter, you are going to jail. ... Former New Jersey Governor James McGreevey says his ex-wife's memoir is selling poorly 'cause during TV interviews she dresses badly. In response, McGreevey's ex-wife told McGreevey, 'Okay, we get it. You're gay'" ("Late Night," NBC, 6/14).
---------------------------Jay Leno: "The Pentagon has confirmed rumors that it tried to develop a gay bomb -- a bomb that used chemicals to make enemy soldiers attracted to one another. A documentary about the gay bomb will be broadcast on both the History Channel and Bravo. ... Insiders say this will be the biggest gay bomb since 'Rent' was made into a movie. ...("Tonight Show," NBC, 6/13).
David Letterman: "This just in: al Qaeda is claiming credit for the vague ending of 'The Sopranos.' ... Dick Cheney ... has had like 19 heart attacks and has a pacemaker. He needs a new pacemaker. I guess they wear out from time to time. ... So right now, Dick Cheney is being rushed to Cuba by Michael Moore. ... George Bush ... was in Albania and his watch was stolen. ... They have a description of the guy. They say the suspect is armed and punctual. ... It's not a laughing matter. Don't kid yourselves. It's an important watch. It's the one Cheney uses to hypnotize him" ("Late Show," CBS, 6/13).
Jon Stewart: "The United States is actually now arming the Sunni insurgents in Iraq who were fighting us. In exchange, they have given us their word that they will only fight al Qaeda. It's a plan so crazy, it just might ... be f------ crazy" ("Daily Show," Comedy Central, 6/13).
Aasif Mandvi, reporting from Baghdad on the second bombing of the Samarra mosque: "It's excellent news. ... This is the second time they've hit that mosque. It's a re-bombing. Clearly, al Qaeda is running out of things to blow up. I believe you will see the violence decrease as the number of people and things to be violent towards decreases" ("Daily Show," Comedy Central, 6/13).
Stephen Colbert: "We're almost seven years into the Bush administration and I am disappointed by how little progress we've made on the gay marriage issue. The gays continue to threaten my happy marriage by threatening to have their own happy marriages. In fact, just last week, California state assembly voted for a second time to allow same-sex marriage. I don't understand why after all these ballot initiatives, the gays haven't given up trying to get rights. Maybe we're approaching this the wrong way. Maybe it's not a social problem after all. Maybe it's tonight's 'Word.' Pathophysiology. It means the study of abnormal bodily functions caused by disease, as in 'Pathophysiology of Male Homosexuality' by Dr. James Holsinger, an article prepared for one of our nation's most preeminent medical institutions ... the United Methodist Church. In it, Dr. Holsinger proves that male homosexuality is not only unnatural, but a threat to public health [on screen: Manthrax]. That is why as a responsible physician he help found a church that makes part of its mission curing homosexuality [on screen: Side Effects Include Continuing To Be Gay]. It makes me think that the nation might better fight the gay agenda if we treated it as a disease [on screen: Disco Fever]. Unfortunately, America has never had a surgeon general brave enough to treat homosexuality like an epidemic ... until now, because President Bush just nominated Dr. James Hoslinger ... to be our new surgeon general. ... I say we get this guy appointed and let him do for homosexuality what previous surgeon generals have done for smoking [on screen: Move It To The Sidewalk?]" ("Colbert Report," Comedy Central, 6/13).
Conan O'Brien: "Last week when President Bush was in Albania, they named a street after him. During the street naming ceremony, Bush told the Albanians, 'I am honored to be standing here on Lame Duck Boulevard'" ("Late Night," NBC, 6/13).
Jimmy Kimmel: "In political news, director Steven Spielberg has announced that he will endorse Hillary Clinton for president. He says he likes Hillary because she combines the warmth of the raptors in 'Jurassic Park' with the charisma of the mashed potato tower in 'Close Encounters.' ... You'd think he'd endorse Dennis Kucinich after giving him the lead role in 'E.T.'" ("Jimmy Kimmel Live," ABC, 6/13).
----------------------Jay Leno: "President Bush is back from his European tour. He became the first president ever to visit Albania. He got a hero's welcome. Although there was one awkward moment, when he told the crowd, 'I love the Albino people.' ... People were lining the streets, waiting to cheer President Bush. ... In this country he has a 28% approval rating, but in Albania, he's a God. It's like that whole David Hasselhoff's a star in Germany. ... He was so popular over there Albania actually named a street after President Bush. It's a dead end street, but it's the thought that counts. ... And here's the latest on the John Edwards campaign: It turns out that yes, there are two Americas ... and neither one is voting for him" ("Tonight Show," NBC, 6/12).
David Letterman: "Vice President Dick Cheney is going into surgery. He's having a new pacemaker installed. ... Doctors are confident that Cheney will be up and sneering in no time. ..." ("Late Show," CBS, 6/12).
Jon Stewart: "2008's going to be a very exciting presidential election. It's an election season of firsts. Whoever gets elected, they're going to be a first of some sort, whether it's the first woman president [on screen: Hillary Clinton], the first black president [on screen: Barack Obama], the first president [on screeen: Tom Tancredo] who would deport another presidential candidate [on screen: Bill Richardson], the first president who could never actually get elected president [on screen: Chris Dodd], or the the first president who kinda looks like Frankenberry [on screen: Fred Thompson]" ("Daily Show," Comedy Central, 6/12).
Stephen Colbert: "As everyone knows, today is the 20th anniversary of the greatest moment in the history of the world ... with the exception of the birth of Jesus and possibly the introduction of the iPhone. Still waiting for mine, Steve Jobs. I speak, of course, of June 12th, 1987, the day President Ronald Reagan stood at the Berlin Wall and issued his historic challenge to the Soviet Union [on screen: Reagan saying, 'Tear down this wall']. Of course, that was during the Cold War when walls were bad. And now we're in the war on illegal immigration and walls are good. ... I celebrate this moment privately every year by watching President Reagan's speech on video while eating jelly beans and calling my wife 'Mommy'" ("Colbert Report," Comedy Central, 6/12).
Conan O'Brien: "This week in the country of Albania, President George Bush was mobbed by adoring, cheering crowds. Bush was overheard saying, 'I wonder who they're mixing me up with.' ... He's back in Washington now. ... Earlier today, President Bush gave a speech at a Republican luncheon where he pushed his immigration bill. Reportedly, the Republicans in attendance didn't care for the speech, but the guys in the kitchen loved it. ... CBS News reports that the Pentagon once considered building a bomb filled with hormones that would turn enemy soldiers gay. ... Experts say the gay bomb would have meant battlefield victories for the U.S. and higher ratings for the Tony Awards" ("Late Night," NBC, 6/12).
Jimmy Kimmel: "President Bush made a stop in Albania on Sunday. Unlike just about every other place he's ever been, they really like him there. They love him. They mobbed the president, and he ate it up. The only problem is that they may have also stolen his watch. ... Today the White House said the president's watch was not stolen. They said he took it off before he started shaking hands, which means there are two possibilities. Either ... Albanians stole the president's watch, or the president took off his watch because he doesn't trust Albanians. Neither scenario paints a particularly rosy picture of Albanian-American relations" ("Jimmy Kimmel Live," ABC, 6/12).
-------------------------------Jay Leno: "Jay Leno: "But you've got to give Paris Hilton credit. With all the issues dividing this country -- the war, the Patriot Act, immigration, the deficit -- there's one thing everybody agrees on ... she should be in jail. ... Anytime you see Pat Buchanan and Al Sharpton shaking hands on an issue, that's a good sign. ... Al Sharpton was here today. He flew out. He had a press conference to discuss how he felt Paris was getting preferential treatment. He was mad. In fact, he called her 'a nappy-headed ho.' ... President Bush got a hero's welcome this week in Albania. He was thrilled. He thought he was in Alabama. Go Crimson Tide! ... President Bush was in Rome ... and had a big gaffe at the Vatican. President Bush is in trouble for calling the Pope 'sir' instead of 'your holiness.' Hey, it could have been worse. I'm surprised he didn't call him the 'Popester'" ("Tonight Show," NBC, 6/11).
David Letterman: "President Bush finished up his big European trip. He visited with the Pope. They discussed world events, and then caught a matinee of 'Knocked Up.' ... The Pope is quite a guy. He was talking to the president and he expressed concern over the terrible chaos and violence at 'The View.' "Late Show," CBS, 6/11).
Jon Stewart "To get a pleasant reception, the president only needed to fly to a country referred to as 'the poor man's Kazakhstan.'
Jason Jones "The meeting was notable for its informality and relaxed tone. Both men welcomed the opportunity to discuss their close relationships with God and their respective infallibility. Make no mistake, these men make no mistake." ("Daily Show," Comedy Central, 6/11).
Stephen Colbert: "Sometimes it seems like Americans don't appreciate President Bush. He is currently at a 32% approval rating in this country. I assume the other 68% are undecided. We Americans sometimes forget there are people all over the world who don't even have a President Bush. But those who take him for granted ate a big slice of 'no-longer-taking-for-granted' pie this weekend, when our commander-in-chief made a visit to Albania. He got a hero's welcome, swarmed by mobs of adoring fans. He is so beloved, the gypsies actually put money in his pockets. ... And if you missed that footage this morning, just click over to Fox News. I believe they're running it on a loop. ... A lot of people have asked, 'Why the big response'? Isn't it obvious? He's a strong leader, he's spreading democracy, and in Albania, it is effectively still 2002. They only just started listening to Nellie. It's still okay to wear those plastic butterfly clips in your hair. And 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' has just opened in theatres. Though, over there, it's being marketed more as a justification to attack Greece. ... So to the Albanians, the president has just recently launched a highly popular war in Afghanistan. There's no Iraq, no congressional page sex scandal, no Jack Abramoff, no wire-tapping, no secret prisons, no torture, no Valerie Plame, no Abu Ghraib, no no-bid contracts, no Hurricane Katrina, no attorney firings, no contents of Karl Rove's basement freezer. Oh. I'm sorry, I may have spoken too soon. I don't know if that one's broken yet. It's going to be big. ... Point is Albania treated the president with the respect that he deserves. They renamed a street after him and issued no less than three postage stamps in his honor. We haven't done that yet. Oh, but we gave a stamp to the very hungry caterpillar. Last time I checked, that worm hasn't done a damn thing in the global war on terror" ("Colbert Report," Comedy Central, 6/11).
Conan O'Brien: "This weekend, President Bush visited Albania and everywhere his motorcade drove, he was greeted with cheers and applause. The Albanians were really excited, and kept saying, 'Look, a car!' ... Yesterday, President Bush talked about his immigration bill and said, 'The political process is two steps forward, one step back.' Then Bush said, 'It's just like the Hokey Pokey.' Then he did it for 40 minutes" ("Late Night," NBC, 6/11).
------------------Jay Leno: "Joint Chiefs of Staff [Chair] Peter Pace is leaving his job. He's the one who announced that all homosexual acts are immoral, and so is adultery. No wonder he left. He attacked all the members of Congress. ... Vice President Dick Cheney's former top aide, Scooter Libby, was sentenced to 30 months in prison. However, the sentence could be cut short if Vice President Cheney needs a heart transplant ("Tonight Show," NBC, 6/8).
David Letterman: "Paris Hilton is behind bars, but still no word on Osama. ... President Bush is overseas visiting Poland. He's looking for kielbasa of mass destruction. ... And tomorrow, the president is visiting the pope. That won't help. ... We've got a couple of celebrity birthdays today. Joan Rivers and Barbara Bush sharing a birthday today. ... I believe it's an official holiday now -- 'Old Bags Day'" ("Late Show," CBS, 6/8).
Conan O'Brien: "Yesterday at the G8 Summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered to let President Bush build a missile defense system in Azerbaijan. There was an awkward moment when Bush said, 'I believe the correct pronunciation is Abracadabra.' ... Historians say they have found a note written by President Abraham Lincoln, and it contains a misspelled word. So it's official ... home schooling doesn't work" ("Late Night," NBC, 6/8).
June 23, 2007 MSNBC/Newsweek Princeton Survey Research: Clinton 43%, Obama 27%, Edwards 14%
Lot of information with RedState/BlueState and head to head and Bloomberg included numbers.June 23, 2007 Nevada poll: Clinton 40%, Obama 16%, Edwards 16%.
June 21, 2007 Strategic Vision Florida poll: Clinton 37%, Obama 21%, Edwards 20%
June 20, 2007 ARG Nevada poll: Clinton 40%, Obama 16%, Edwards 16%.
June 20, 2007 Quinnipiac New York poll: Clinton 44%, Gore 18%, Obama 14%, Edwards 6%
June 19, 2007 Mason-Dixon Iowa poll: Clinton 22%, Obama 18%, Edwards 21%.
June 19, 2007 Cook Political Report: Clinton 30%, Obama 20%, Edwards 13%.
June 18, 2007 Rasmussen: Clinton 38%, Obama 27%, Edwards 16%
"Stability remains the key defining factor of the race, although Clinton seems to solidifying her position as frontrunner."June 18, 2007 Gallup Poll: Clinton 39%, Obama 26%, Edwards 13%; With Gore included - Clinton 33%, Obama 21%, Gore 18%, Edwards 11%; Head to head Clinton vs. Obama: Clinton 53%, Obama 42%
More National and Early Primary State Polls Below "Top Hillary Headlines"
"Hillary will address the Arkansas Democratic Party’s Jefferson-Jackson Dinner at 7 p.m. Saturday at Alltel Arena in North Little Rock. Free tickets are available through the campaign at www.hillaryclinton.com/arkansas or by calling 501.374.2361." Also endorsing Hillary: U.S. Senator Mark Pryor, Congressman Marion Berry, Congressman Mike Ross, Congressman Vic Snyder, Former Senator Dale Bumpers, Former Senator David Pryor, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel, State Treasurer Martha Shoffner, Secretary of State Charlie Daniels, State Auditor Jim Wood, Former State Treasurer Jimmie Lou Fisher,
Star-Telegram: "FORT WORTH -- Frances Rodriguez stood in the rain outside a north side restaurant for hours Saturday morning, hoping to catch a glimpse of Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Clinton. Her patience was eventually rewarded. As a caravan of black SUVs pulled behind Joe T. Garcia's Mexican Restaurant, she yelled, "There she is." "Clinton turned her head, waved and smiled at Rodriguez and a small group of supporters, before the vehicle parked and Clinton went inside for a private fundraiser. "I just love that woman," Rodriguez, 56, said with a smile. "I'm a nobody, but when she becomes president, I'll be somebody."
Washington Post: "Bill and Hillary Clinton have dissolved the blind trust that has managed their investments since they entered the White House in 1993, converting all stocks to cash to avoid financial conflicts as she runs for president, according to documents to be filed today with federal ethics officials." "Senator Clinton and the president chose to go above and beyond to avoid even the hint of a conflict of interest. They recognize that this choice comes at a personal expense, both in terms of taxes and lower investment returns," said Howard Wolfson, a spokesman for the senator's presidential campaign."
Hotline: "The chair of Garden State Equality, NJ's largest gay rights organization, Steven Goldstein endorsed HRC. Goldstein said the endorsement represented his "personal choice, and that his organization will not make an endorsement before" the NJ primary. Goldstein: "I wish all the presidential candidates with a realistic shot to win the nomination were pro-marriage equality. None are. Within that context, Senator Clinton's support for the LGBTI community is as strong as any of the other candidates who have the most realistic shot to win" (PoliticsNJ.com, 6/14)."
What Passes For News In the Boston Herald: "It’s Kriss Soterion of Kriss Cosmetics, Manchester, N.H., a registered Republican, a former Miss New Hampshire and a Hummer driver. She transformed the would-be president in about 15 minutes before last Sunday’s CNN debate, so wowing the TV audience that everybody from New Hampshire voters to Yours Truly to the ladies of “The View” to Jay Leno started speculating: Did Hillary get a face-lift, Botox, what? “She just had normal skin for a woman her age, no sign of anything at all,” says Soterion, 43, who’s “painted faces,” as she calls it, for more than two decades. “She’s an absolutely striking woman. Her eyes are big and bright and clear. Her cheekbones are high. Her lips are shaped beautiful. She has a lot of symmetry in her face.”
National Journal Democratic Rankings: "Nationally, the race really isn't competitive. Clinton has settled in to a high, double-digit lead over Obama and is comfortably ahead in the delegate-rich early states of Fla. and Calif. It'll take more than what Obama and Edwards currently offer to knock her off balance; they need a second act."
Hell Freezes Over. Right-wing rag praises Hillary: "I’ve always been skeptical of the Hillary juggernaut. Skeptical of the idea that the Clinton machine could stomp its way to the Democratic nomination, crushing all comers underfoot like a stylishly pant-suited Godzilla. That is, until the juggernaut made me laugh. Now, I am concerned, indeed."
June 14, 2007 Gallup Retracts Last poll: "We have a Gallup poll now in the field, with results to be reported early next week. Preliminary indications are that this poll will find Clinton back in her typical leadership position as she has been for the most part this year." and "It looks as if the June 1-3 USA Today/Gallup poll either picked up a short term change, or as noted here, was a function of unusual sampling which happened to pick up Democrats who were more pro-Obama than the underlying population." and "Sen. Hillary Clinton is maintaining or strengthening her lead for the presidential nomination over Sen. Barack Obama among Democrats."
June 14, 2007 NBC (pdf) poll: Clinton 39%, Obama 25%, Edwards 15% Politico notes: "There's an interesting number buried in the weeds of the new NBC/WSJ poll (.pdf, q.15), one that could be troubling for Obama, if taken at face value. The question asks Democrats which "one or two of the following qualities would you most like to have in the Democratic nominee for president?" "Being knowledgeable and experienced enough to handle the presidency" gets 39 percent. "Being inspirational and an exciting choice for president" gets 6 percent.
June 13, 2007 ARG poll: Clinton 39%, Obama 19%, Edwards 13% "Support for Barack Obama has dropped 12 percentage points from March."
June 13, 2007 Quinnipiac: Clinton 35%, Obama 21%, Gore 18%, Edwards 9% "It's still early, but Sen. Hillary Clinton just keeps rolling along. Either something - like Iowa - will dislodge her or else she's the nominee. Should we start asking about vice-presidents?"
Politico notes: "There's an interesting number buried in the weeds of the new NBC/WSJ poll (.pdf, q.15), one that could be troubling for Obama, if taken at face value. The question asks Democrats which "one or two of the following qualities would you most like to have in the Democratic nominee for president?" "Being knowledgeable and experienced enough to handle the presidency" gets 39 percent. "Being inspirational and an exciting choice for president" gets 6 percent."
June 12, 2007 Rasmussen: Clinton 37%, Obama 25%, Edwards 11% "Clinton is supported by 37% of voters in this week’s poll, up three points from last week. She has been within three points of the 35% level in fifteen of the last 16 weekly updates."
June 12, 2007 Fairleigh Dickinson, New Jersey poll: Clinton 39%, Obama 19%
June 11, 2007 Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll: Clinton 33%, Obama 22%, Gore 15%, Edwards 8%. "On the Democratic side of the ledger, the race remains stuck in place: Hillary Clinton is the party's solid favorite; Barack Obama runs a solid, but clearly distant, second."
June 11, 2007 Union Leader New Hampshire poll (CNN/WMUR): Clinton 36%, Obama 22%, Gore 12%, Edwards 12%. "According to a new CNN/WMUR poll released this afternoon by the cable network, Sen. Hillary Clinton's lead among New Hampshire Democrats increased after last week's debates, co-sponsored by the New Hampshire Union Leader. Clinton holds a 14-point lead over Barack Obama. John Edwards stumbled badly, losing almost half his support according to the survey conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center."
June 11, 2007 Miami Herald Florida poll (pdf): Clinton 36%, Obama 16%, Edwards 11%
June 9, 2007 AP Ipsos Poll: Clinton 33%, Obama 21%, Gore 20%, Edwards 12%
June 9, 2007 MSNBC Mason-Dixon Poll: Clinton 26%, Obama 21%, Edwards 18%
June 9, 2007 Rocky Mountain poll: Clinton 26%, Obama 22%, Gore 13%, Edwards 7%
June 8, 2007 Fox N_ws Poll (PDF format): Clinton 36%, Obama 23%, Gore 14%, Edwards 12%; Without Gore: Clinton 41%, Obama 26%, Edwards 15%
June 7, 2007 Quinnipiac Florida Poll: Clinton 34%, Obama 16%, Gore 13%, Edwards 11%
June 7, 2007Keystone Pennyslyvania Poll: Clinton 40%, Edwards 21%, Obama 18%
[See our Poll Page for additional polls.]
Note: There is a new national poll which shows a statistical dead heat between Hillary and Obama. The poll is universally panned as an outlier. First of all the margin of error is high but most important the sample includes huge (one quarter) number of independents. Read Marc Ambinder of "The Atlantic" comments. " it's hard to justify including so many independents in such a fairly small sample."
June 5, 2007 WBZ (CBS) New Hampshire: (PDF) Clinton 38%, Obama 16%, Edwards 13%, Gore 10% "Clinton’s support is made more solid by her strong standing among registered Democrats and registered Independents, as well as her strong standing among male and female Democratic primary voters."
June 5, 2007 CBS California: Clinton 46%, Obama 28%, Edwards 14%
June 4, 2007 Rasmussen: Clinton 34%, Obama 26%, Edwards 15%. "Among Presidential hopefuls, this is the fifth straight week that Clinton has been at 34% or 35%. She has been within three points of the 35% level in fourteen of the last 15 weekly updates."
June 3, 2007 Washington Post poll without Gore: Clinton 42%, Obama 27%, Edwards 11%. With Gore included in poll: Clinton 35%, Obama 23%, Gore 17%, Edwards 8%. "Clinton's lead remains steady over her two principal challengers, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois and former senator John Edwards of North Carolina, and the poll contains troubling news for both. Obama's support has softened noticeably, highlighting the challenge he faces in turning high interest in his candidacy into votes. Edwards, meanwhile, has lost ground nationally over the past few months."
June 1, 2007 South Carolina Clinton 29.2%, Obama 20.8%, Edwards 10.7%
