George Mitchell Named Special Envoy to Middle East
Today President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton named former senate majority leader George Mitchell as Special Envoy to the Middle East and
Richard Holbrooke as Special Envoy to Afghanistan. Both Clinton and Obama spoke to the State Department as they announced the picks. Take a look:
Gallup: Most Americans Back Hillary for Secretary of State
This will be devastating news to Chris Matthews: a new Gallup poll shows that most Americans are in favor of Hillary Clinton becoming Barack Obama's Secretary of State.
A new Gallup Poll finds a majority of Americans (57%) in favor of Barack Obama appointing Hillary Clinton as the secretary of state in his administration. Thirty percent oppose it.
The poll, conducted Nov. 18, was taken as the political world buzzed with the possibility that Obama will bring his chief rival for the Democratic presidential nomination into his cabinet in a high profile role. As secretary of state, Clinton would be the top U.S. official for conducting foreign policy.
Democrats strongly endorse the idea of Obama making this move, with 79% in favor of it. Most Republicans, not surprisingly, oppose the idea, while a majority of independents (57%) favor it.
Prominent Republicans such as Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Senator Jon Kyl (Arizona) and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger have praised the idea, saying that she would do a great job. The question is: does she want to give up her Senate Seat? Given the fact that Ted Kennedy and Tom Daschle have staked out leadership claims on the healthcare issue, Hillary may feel she can do more for the country as Secretary of State. I think she's do a fabulous job. And with Bill Clinton vowing transparency with his international speaking and Clinton Global Initiative activities, there seems to be nothing to get in the way. One way or another, we'll know before Thanksgiving.
Will Hillary Clinton be Obama's Secretary of State?
The big rumor going around political circles today is that Barack Obama has offered the Secretary of State position to Hillary Clinton. Chris Matthews was babbling all kinds of incoherent nonsense this evening: something about she was offered the job but first demanded that Joe Biden wouldn't get in her way and that she know who all the other cabinet positions are. It was absurd. Here's what we know: Hillary and Barack met in Chicago privately today. At a transit gathering in Albany, Hillary said she would be making no comment about the President Elect's selection process: all questions should be posed to the transition team. Period.
It's possible he offered her the job and she wants the weekend to think about it. It's also more plausible that the meeting was to sound her out about her interests over the next four years: that's what ABC is reporting. ABC also reports that no formal offer was made, but that they will speak again. That seems more likely to me. Does Hillary even want the job? That is the question.
Wearing a bright orange pantsuit, Hillary Clinton took the stage at the Democratic convention and gave the speech of her life. She was focused, inspiring and really made the case for Barack Obama. She was really amazing. The only problem with this speech was that it pointed out how much more qualified she is to be the nominee than Barack Obama. It seems clear she didn't intend to do that: she gave it her all to convince her supporters to vote for Barack in the fall. But the reality is, when she speaks she radiates purpose and strength. She should have -- at the very least -- been the VP pick. Here's the video.
Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton held a rally today in Unity, New Hampshire, where they both received 107 votes. She wore a blue pantsuit: he wore a matching tie. They hugged on the tarmac. They sat together on the plane. Every move was perfectly orchestrated to shout "Unity!!"
She gave an excellent introductory speech, weaving his campaign themes into her stump speech. He applauded and even led a chant of "Thank You Hillary!" It was perfectly executed. Will it bring unity in the Democratic party? It's too soon tell.
Hillary's Staffers Greet Her With Ping Pong Tourney
Hillary Clinton's staffers welcomed her back to her office with a ping pong tournament. She looks like she's having some fun -- good. She certainly deserves it.
Barack Obama made some female members of the Congressional Black Caucus pretty angry. When asked about what he was going to do to reach out to Hillary's supporters, he said that it was up to them to help him heal the divide and that women should really just "get over it."
A Thursday afternoon meeting between Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and other members of the Congressional Black Caucus grew tense and emotional for a moment -- perhaps illustrating that weeks after Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., suspended her presidential campaign, some nerves remain frayed.
Sources at the meeting said that Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, a Clinton supporter, expressed the desire that Obama and his campaign would reach out the millions of women still aggrieved about what happened in the campaign and still disappointed that Clinton lost.
Obama agreed that a lot of work needs to be done to heal the Democratic Party, and that he hoped the Clinton supporters in the room would help as much as possible.
According to Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., Obama then said, "However, I need to make a decision in the next few months as to how I manage that since I'm running against John McCain, which takes a lot of time. If women take a moment to realize that on every issue important to women, John McCain is not in their corner, that would help them get over it."
Rep. Diane Watson, D-Calif., a longtime Clinton supporter, did not like those last three words -- "Get over it." She found them dismissive, off-putting.
"Don't use that terminology," Watson told Obama.
Good grief. "Get over it??" Somehow I can't imagine John McCain (or Bill Clinton -- or even George Bush for that matter) using that line on a room full of angry women. They would know better. It sounds to me like the Messiah needs to work on his "female community organizing" skills. Because this is one community that's not happy.
Hillary Clinton gave the speech of her career today. It was an incredibly difficult task she had ahead of her and she pulled it off with strength and grace. She conceded the race to Senator Obama and enthusiastically threw her support behind him. She also talked about her historic journey as the first woman to win a major presidential primary and how the ultimate glass ceiling "now has 18 million cracks in it." It's was a moment of great triumph for her, although it was bittersweet. Take a look:
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are having a secret meeting this evening at her home in Washington, D.C. Of course, now it's not really a secret.
Hillary Rodham Clinton met late Thursday with Barack Obama, a day after saying she would end her quest for the Democratic nomination and endorse the Illinois senator.
A senior Democratic campaign official confirmed to NBC News that Obama delayed his departure from Washington Thursday night to meet with Clinton.
Following their meeting, Obama flew on to Chicago.
Earlier, Clinton had disavowed efforts by some supporters who have urged Obama to choose her as his running mate.
"She is not seeking the vice presidency, and no one speaks for her but her," communications director Howard Wolfson said. "The choice here is Senator Obama's and his alone."
So, Obama has gone on to Chicago. Wonder what they discussed?
Hillary Clinton's campaign announced
that Hillary will hold a unity rally on Saturday. She will concede the race at that time.
"Senator Clinton will be hosting an event in Washington, DC to thank her supporters and express her support for Senator Obama and party unity. This event will be held on Saturday to accommodate more of Senator Clinton's supporters who want to attend."
So, to sum up. She won the popular vote yet Barack Obama is the
Democratic nominee. The comparisons with Florida in 2000 are unmistakable. Only this time, the hypocritical DNC leaders don't want anyone to talking about the popular vote.
Obama Claims Nomination: Clinton Wins South Dakota, Doesn't Concede
Hillary Clinton won South Dakota by double digits: CNN has called Montana for Barack Obama. Hillary's speech was quite interesting. She started out with praise for Obama and went on to discuss her historic journey. She noted that she has won over 18 million votes, which is more than any candidate in American history has won in a primary. She said that everyone is asking "what Hillary wants" and went on to answer that question. She wants affordable healthcare for all Americans, a better economy and more jobs for Americans.
What she did not do is concede the race. She said she wants to take a few days to decide what to do next. She will confer with party leaders and do what is best for the party. She also sounded a defiant note: she demanded respect for the 18 million people who voted for her. The crowd was really with her, and she sounded upbeat and full of energy.
The pundits at MSNBC were absolutely dumbfounded that she didn't concede: it was hilarious to watch Olbermann's befuddlement. On CNN the Obamabots were also in shock: only James Carville got it. He was laughing saying that she's strong, smart and she's going to end this her way on her terms. The word is that she and Barack will meet privately in the next day or so to decide what to do.
In the meantime, she asked supporters to go to her website, HillaryClinton.com and leave a comment to show support and to sound off about what she should do next. We're thinking most will say she needs to be Obama's VP. It will be an interesting week. Here's her speech tonight:
Hillary: It's Not Over Till All the Votes Are Cast
On her campaign plane, Hillary Clinton told reporters that "it's not over until all the votes have been cast" and that her "political obituary is yet to be written." The usual Hillary-haters are pushing her to concede tomorrow night after South Dakota and Montana vote. Obama still won't have the required number of delegates to win the nomination, even if he wins both states. He would still need superdelegates to put him over the top. I think Obama will win Montana handily, but I'm not so sure about South Dakota. She might pull an upset there.
Hillary Clinton crushed Barack Obama in the Puerto Rico Democratic primary today, 68% - 32%. She beat him in all demographics. Meanwhile the DNC Rules Committee decided to seat Florida and Michigan, but give their delegates only half a vote each, which is absolutely absurd. They divvied up the Florida delegates fairly, but stole some of Hillary's Michigan delegates and gave them to Obama. The whole thing was a bad joke: Florida and Michigan's voters have now been officially disenfranchised by Donna Brazile and her ilk. Hillary's supporters are not happy, to say the least.
Hillary is now leading in the popular vote -- more than 17 million people have voted for her, more than any candidate has ever received in a primary. Here's Hillary's new ad in Montana:
Hillary Clinton just won Kentucky in a landslide: 65- 30. That's a crushing victory. Obama is expected to win Oregon, later this evening. Here's Hillary's victory speech:
Hillary Clinton has won West Virginia in a landslide. With 54% of the precincts reporting, Hillary is winning 65% - 28%. In her victory speech, Hillary made her case to the superdelegates. She listed all the states she has won, including the crucial general election states of Michigan, Florida, Ohio, California, Texas, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New York. She was gracious to Senator Obama and his supporters, but said that she thinks she is the stronger candidate.
The crowd was energetic and it was a fantastic speech. She laid out her best arguments to the superdelegates as to why she should be the nominee, and it was compelling. Next week is Kentucky, where she is expected to win, and Oregon, where Obama is expected to win.
It appears that a large majority of Democrats couldn't care less what Donna Brazile, Chris Matthews or Keith Olbermann thinks. 64% of Democrats in a Washington Post/ABC News survey want Hillary Clinton to stay in the race.
Pushing back against political punditry, more than six in 10 Democrats say there's no rush for Hillary Clinton to leave the presidential race , even as Barack Obama consolidates his support for the nomination and scores solidly in general-election tests.
Despite Obama's advantage in delegates and popular vote, 64 percent of Democrats in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll say Clinton should remain in the race. Even among Obama's supporters, 42 percent say so.
If Obama is the nominee, a solid 39% want Clinton as the VP, with
59% of African-Americans wanting Clinton as the VP pick.
Tomorrow is the West Virginia primary, which does matter -- regardless of what those same, out of touch pundits say.
CNN reports
that Barack Obama has won the Guam caucuses today by only seven votes. Not seven points, seven votes. Guam voters were so excited to be a part of the democratic nominating contest that they turned out in record numbers.
Sen. Barack Obama won Guam's Democratic presidential caucuses Saturday by just seven votes, according to a Guam election official.
With all 21 precincts reporting, Obama finished with 2,264 votes, or 50.1 percent. Sen. Hillary Clinton got 2,257 votes, or 49.9 percent.
The presidential candidates were battling for Guam's four pledged delegate votes. Eight delegates will be elected, each with half a vote at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado, this summer.
*****
Cathleen Moore-Linn stood in line for more than an hour outside the old police precinct in Dededo, Guam's most populated village. Despite the 90-degree tropical heat and a lack of air conditioning at the polling site, she said, "Nobody left. A lot of manamko' [elderly people] came out to vote. And people were filling out the forms to join the Democrat Party."
At villages in the southern end of the island, which is far less populated, election committee member Nancy Weare says the voting is running smoothly. "There's a constant flow of traffic and good voter turnout."
Guam will bestow four delegates to the candidates: two to Hillary and two to Obama, so it is a tie vote-wise and delegate-wise. This is an excellent showing for Hillary Clinton; many predicted an Obama win here.
Rev. Jeremiah Wright was interviewed by Bill Moyers: the interview will air on PBS on Friday night at 9:00 p.m. ET. Snippets of the interview have leaked out and they aren't pretty. This is the very last thing the Obama campaign needs, heading into an Indiana primary. Chris Matthews of MSNBC calls Jeremiah Wright "Barack Obama's Iraq."
And here's Obama's victory speech from last night, which no one listened to because of Fitchgate. So who are the three dimwits wearing Abercrombie and Fitch t-shirts standing behind Obama? And how did they get past his advance team?
Hillary Clinton did it: she won and won big in Pennsylvania. With 91% of the vote counted, she is winning by ten points: 55-45. We'll have to wait to see what the final count is, but any way you slice it it's a huge victory for her. Her campaign reports that they raised $500,000 in one hour after the polls closed.
Hillary's victory speech was one of her best speeches of the campaign. She was very inclusive, very inspirational and not too long. She talked about a World War II veteran who was a Medal of Honor winner who handed her a photograph of himself at the ceremony. He had autographed it to her saying "To Hillary Clinton, don't stop fighting." It was a personal moment she shared and it worked. I like her "I'll fight for you" refrain. Voters like a fighter. We live in a tough world and we need someone who won't quit when the going gets tough.
The BBC reports on the Hillary Clinton fundraiser in New York in which ticket holders got a special concert from Sir Elton John. Hillary said "What I want you to know is I'm still standing, and I believe this country is worth fighting for." Sir Elton was a little more harsh on the way Hillary has been treated by many U.S. pundits and news anchors, saying "I'm amazed by the misogynistic attitudes of some of the people in this country. And I say to hell with them...I love you Hillary, I'll be there for you." The concert, which was called "Elton and Hillary: One Night Only", raised $2.5 million for Hillary's campaign. Here's the BBC clip:
Here's a great video about the unbelievable and very sexist media bias against Hillary Clinton. The opening features a greatest hits of news anchors and pundits who look like braying jackasses as they spew their venomous nonsense which portrays Senator Clinton as some kind of demonic, psychotic figure, a "nagging wife" or even : "an ex-wife outside the Probate Court." (He means Family Court, but none of these bozos lets facts influence what they say on TV).
Contrasted against the bombastic poseur known as Keith Olbermann in full rant mode is a scene from Good Night and Good Luck in which Edward R. Murrow talks about the power of television and journalism to teach. Then we see Hillary as a real person, in the many and varied roles that she -- like most modern women -- lives every day. It's worth watching the whole thing.
Saturday Night Live: The Clintons Talk Tax Returns
Saturday Night Live had a very funny opening skit where Bill and Hillary Clinton talk about their tax returns and make fun of the press for all the hysteria over information that has been mostly public for years, such as the amount they made from book deals and speaking engagements. Take a look:
Women supporters of Hillary Clinton are quite angry
at the ludicrous, partisan calls from some Obama supporters for Hillary to drop out of the race.
Amid mounting calls from top Democrats for Clinton to step aside and clear the path for rival Barack Obama, strategists are warning of damage to the party's chances in November if women - who make up the majority of Democratic voters nationwide, but especially the older, white working-class women who've long formed the former first lady's base - sense a mostly male party establishment is unfairly muscling Clinton out of the race.
"Women will indeed be upset if it appears people are trying to push Hillary Clinton out of the way," said Carol Fowler, the South Carolina Democratic Party chair who is backing Obama. "If you are going to ask her to withdraw, you'd better be making a strong case for it - both to the candidate and the public."
Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy last week became the first leading Democrat to openly call on Clinton to abandon her bid and back Obama, a sentiment shared by many activists worried that a drawn-out nominating contest only bolsters Republican nominee-in-waiting John McCain.
*****
Campaigning across the state Saturday, Clinton was greeted by large, heavily female crowds that shouted "You go, sister!" and "We've got your back!" in support of her pioneering candidacy. Indiana votes May 6.
Marie Wilson, president of the White House Project that trains women to run for office, noted that women typically have rallied around Clinton when she's appeared most vulnerable - from the revelations of her husband's dalliance with White House intern Monica Lewinsky to January's New Hampshire primary after the bruising loss to Obama in Iowa.
"Women have always been asked to step aside if it was somehow for the greater good. In this case, Clinton, and a lot of her female supporters, clearly feel that she would make the better president and that it would not be for the greater good for her to step aside," Wilson said.
To ask Hillary Clinton to step down when she is about to win a major primary in Pennsylvania is absolutely ludicrous. It's all blustering to try to psych her and her supporters out. Well, it's not working. All it's doing is infuriating women voters who have had it up to here with the sycophantic, Obama-bedazzled press and Obama's obnoxious supporters.
I find myself in the strange position of knowing exactly how Vice president Dick Cheney felt when he so famously blasted. Senator Leahy on the Senate floor after Leahy said something particularly irritating. At the time Cheney's aide called it a "frank exchange of views." In retrospect it was just Leahy shooting off his big mouth, as usual. If Leahy keeps this nonsense up, he'll be on the receiving end of some
"frank exchanges of views" -- from his female constituents.
Top Democratic donors who support Hillary Clinton have written a letter to Nancy Pelosi taking her to task for her recent, ill-advised comments about superdelegates not "overturning the will of the voters." Speaker Pelosi should stay neutral and above the fray before there is a nominee, but she's clearly favoring Obama -- which is pretty ironic considering that it was Hillary Clinton who won Pelosi's home state of California. Here's an excerpt from the letter:
Several states and millions of Democratic voters have not yet had a chance to cast their votes.
We respect those voters and believe that they, like the voters in the states that have already participated, have a right to be heard. None of us should make declarative statements that diminish the importance of their voices and their votes. We are writing to say we believe your remarks on ABC News This Week on March 16th did just that.
During your appearance, you suggested super-delegates have an obligation to support the candidate who leads in the pledged delegate count as of June 3rd, whether that lead be by 500 delegates or 2. This is an untenable position that runs counter to the party's intent in establishing super-delegates in 1984 as well as your own comments recorded in The Hill ten days earlier:
"I believe super-delegates have to use their own judgment and there will be many equities that they have to weigh when they make the decision. Their own belief and who they think will be the best president, who they think can win, how their own region voted, and their own responsibility."
The entire reason for the existence of the superdelegates is to pick a nominee if no one reaches the magic number that guarantees the nomination. Superdelegates can vote for whoever they want, exercising their independent judgment. If superdelegates have to follow their own state's voters, then Pelosi, Kerry, Kennedy and Richardson will all have to declare for Clinton.
The people who wrote this letter are really, really big donors who the Democratic party relies upon. All they are asking is that Pelosi keep her mouth shut, quit trying to short-circuit the process and let the primary season play itself out. Or else they might close their wallets in the fall.
In an interview today, Hillary Clinton was asked
what she would do if her pastor made the kind of remarks that Obama's former pastor Wright had made.
"He would not have been my pastor," Clinton said. "You don't choose your family, but you choose what church you want to attend."...
The Clinton campaign has refrained from getting involved in the controversy, but Clinton herself, responding to a question, denounced what she said was "hate speech."
"You know, I spoke out against Don Imus (who was fired from his radio and television shows after making racially insensitive remarks), saying that hate speech was unacceptable in any setting, and I believe that," Clinton said. "I just think you have to speak out against that. You certainly have to do that, if not explicitly, then implicitly by getting up and moving."
Her response was very measured, and appropriate. It also cuts to the essential point that was lost during Senator Obama's word blizzard of a speech in which he talked and talked and talked, but never gave a good explanation as to why he would let his little girls grow up in a church where the pastor preached hate speech.
Reverend Wright's statements can't be explained away to mainstream voters with platitudes. Wright spews vile, disgusting, racist Anti-Americanism propaganda and is a conspiracy nut, to boot. He actually "preaches" that the U.S. government created the AIDS virus to exterminate black people. And Obama thinks somehow it's sufficient simply to say that he "disagrees" with that statement. It's not.
Now here's what we've all been hoping and praying for: another debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Both campaigns have now agreed to a debate in Philadephia on April 16th, to be hosted by ABC News. But wait, there's more! Obama has agreed to another debate just three days later on April 19th in North Carolina. This one would be hosted by CBS News, with Katie Couric and Bob Schieffer as moderators. You may recall that CBS had a debate lined up earlier in the primary season, but a strike by the news writers sunk that one. Clinton hasn't accepted the debate, but she probably will.
In the meantime, here's a lovely video with some of the greatest hits of Barack Obama's pastor, Jeremiah Wright. Wright has some choice words for America (of which he is clearly not in the least bit proud). My favorite part is where he says blacks shouldn't sing "God Bless America" -- that instead they should sing "God Damn America." Nice, really nice. The racial tirade at the end is also a barn burner -- the crowd loves it.
To refresh your recollection, this is the pastor whose sermon inspired Obama's book The Audacity of Hope. The Obamas donated $20,000 to this church, to which Barack has belonged for over twenty years. Denounce and reject, anyone?
Barack Obama has won Mississippi, as expected. The exit polls show that race played a very large factor. 48% of voters were white. Hillary won 70% of white voters; Barack Obama won 26%. 50% of voters were black. Obama won 92% of black voters, Clinton won only 8%. According to CNN's exit poll, 13% of the voters were Republicans, 77% of whom voted for Hillary. Indpendents favored Obama slighlty, 51%-48%. Those numbers are a huge improvement for Hillary.
Barack Obama talked to Wolf Blitzer after CNN called the race for him and he sure didn't seem happy. He didn't smile hardly at all; perhaps he's exhausted. Or perhaps he's still grumpy about that 3 am Saturday Night Live skit. In any event, he didn't have much to say really. He rebuffed Wolf's attempt to find out if he would ask Hillary to be his VP if he won, saying that's it's too early to tell and "Hillary would be on anyone's short list."
So, Mississippi is over. Obama's surrogates are going negative big time on Hillary calling her untruthful, deceitful etc. Is this what it's going to be like until Pennsylvania? I suppose we can debate what's going to happen with the Florida and Michigan delegates. That's always good for some angst.
Saturday Night Live: Hillary's 3:00 a.m. Phone Call From President Obama
Saturday Night Live dove into the fray once again last night. Amy Poehler plays Senator Hillary Clinton receiving yet another 3:00 a.m. phone call from President Obama, who needs some advice on foreign policy and how to turn on the heater at the White House. The meta frame is that the skit is an attack ad from Clinton, but still...Obama takes more hits from this one than she does. Priceless: Hillary wearing cold cream, curlers and a 1950s housecoat while coolly rattling off detailed foreign policy advice.
Well, she actually did it: Hillary Clinton won the Texas primary. Her victory speech in Ohio came before she knew she won Texas, but she sounded upbeat and reenergized. This is a major win for her: she's really turned her campaign around.
Bill Clinton was in Austin at a victory party and he seemed really happy, as did the boisterous, really young crowd. Exit polls show that Hillary won women, white voters, Hispanic voters and older voters. Her coalition has come back together.
So what does it all mean? It means that the Democratic primary race is back on in a big way. Neither candidate can get to the magic number of 2024 delegates (Howard Dean told Wolf Blitzer that it's 2024 not 2025 as has been reported elsewhere) so under the DNC rules, the superdelegates will select who wins. The superdelegates are going to go with whoever has the momentum, and right now Hillary can claim that she's won every big state she's run in but Illinois (Obama's home state). One thing's for sure: this is the best reality show on TV right now.
Super Tuesday Part II has been a wild night so far. On the Republican side, John McCain sealed the nomination; Mike Huckabee conceded the race tonight and endorsed McCain. They were both able to go to bed early. By 11:45 p.m. Eastern time, Hillary Clinton has won Rhode Island and Ohio by big margins. Barack Obama won Vermont by a big margin. Texas is still too close to call, but it's looking like Hillary will pull out a victory here tonight, which would be a major upset. Currently, Hillary Clinton is leading by around 55,000 votes.
Hillary made it clear in her victory speech that she is in the race to win it. Flanked by Governor Strickland, Senator John Glenn and Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Senator Clinton gave an energetic speech to a happy crowd in Ohio.
Barack Obama seems a bit subdued as he talks to supporters in San Antonio, but is rallying the crowd with "Si, se puede". One thing's for sure. The Democratic primary is far from over. Next up is Wyoming, Mississippi and then in April: Pennsylvania.
Last night Hillary Clinton was in Austin, Texas for a "Texas sized townhall" and the traveling press corps had to be put somewhere. So the Clinton campaign found a space in the Burger Activity Center that could house them all: the men's locker room. But the campaign didn't know beforehand that there were actually urinals in the room. The press set up their laptops after discovering that the space did, at least, have Wi-Fi access. When the reality of the space was conveyed to the Clinton campaign, spokesman Doug Hattaway quipped: "These accommodations should in no way be taken as a comment on the quality of our media coverage." Ha!
Hillary Clinton's Surprise Appearance on Saturday Night Live
Hillary Clinton made a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live this past weekend. The opening skit recreated the debate from last week in Ohio. Questioners Tim Russert (Daryl Hammond) and Brian Williams (Will Forte) repeatedly hector Hillary Clinton (Amy Poehler), at one point subjecting her to a Law and Order-type grilling. Barack Obama (Fred Armisen) meanwhile praises the moderators for "just doing their job" as he fields softballs from Russert.
After the skit, the real Hillary gives an Editorial Response. She's a good sport, appearing in the same brown tweed suit that her lookalike Amy Poehler is wearing. She takes the ribbing in stride, revealing warmth and and a great sense of humor. Take a look:
Jack Nicholson's Video In Support of Hillary Clinton
Jack Nicholson made this video himself and released it on YouTube. The video is in support of Hillary Clinton and it is absolutely hilarious. The last line is the best. This is one of the most effective viral political videos I've seen yet -- too bad it can't be released on tv.
Tonight is the debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in Ohio. After the last debate in Austin, Saturday Night Live did a hilarious spoof of the debate which illustrates the media bias against Senator Clinton.
In the beginning Campbell Brown explains the rules of the debate, and admits that they're all "in the tank for Obama." The moderators ask Hillary difficult questions, interrupt her and generally insult her while asking Obama if he's comfortable enough and if there's anything they could get him. Best moment: after Hillary's three point answer to Obama Girl's question from the audience, Campbell Brown demands that Hillary give Obama Girl and the entire country an "Obamapology". Will the MSNBC team learn anything from this spoof? We'll see tonight.
Over the weekend some conservative blogs pointed out this photo of Barack Obama in traditional Somali apparel, which he wore while visiting Kenya. The blogs said that someone should send it over to Matt Drudge, which someone eventually did. Drudge ran the photo all day, claiming a Clinton aid sent it. But the Clinton camp said they didn't send it, and what was the big deal anyway? That senators and presidents have to wear all kinds of unusual outfits when they visit other countries. Clinton's campaign manager said the whole thing was ridiculous, that Senator Clinton has had to don native dress herself many times.
The Obama camp freaked out, the press dithered and then eventually most people came to their senses. Obama himself then said it sounded like a lower level staff dispute to him. Turbangate was a non-starter. There's also a picture of Obama with a camel, but he's wearing sunglasses and a red shirt in that one, so it wasn't as exciting to the tabloids.
The Democratic debate between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton was held at the University of Texas tonight in front of a very enthusiastic crowd. Overall, the tone was very civil and friendly. But there were a couple of heated moments on healthcare and on the Obama plagiarism issue.
Barack Obama lapsed into his rambling professorial mode. He was sort of phoning it in. Hillary was excellent as she always is in debates. But she really shone on the foreign policy issues: her command of the issues in Cuba, Kosovo and around the world was obvious. She definitely won the healthcare exchange about universal healthcare. Obama always does better with a Democratic crowd when he says he opposed the war on Iraq. Clinton wisely didn't rehash her vote to authorize force back in 2001 -- we've been through that debate so many times I could recite each politician's argument just about verbatim. She clearly looked more like a commander in chief: she seemed cool and in charge.
She didn't bring up the plagiarism controversy but, surprisingly, CNN did. Best zinger of the night went to Clinton: "I just think that if your campaign is about words, they should be your words...Copying whole sections of speeches is not change you can believe in, it's change you can Xerox." The Obamamaniacs hated the line, but it certainly resonated with Frank Luntz's Democratic focus group on Fox -- they thought she should "really go after him" for his borrowing from Deval Patrick's speeches. In fact, they were pretty steamed about Obama's lifting of lines, which they thought was "unethical".
Obama was rattled and it showed: he began stuttering. He did better on the commander in chief question, but I was distracted by the apparent gale force winds that were whipping through the studio -- his notepad was flapping in the breeze like it was going to fly away. Another tactical error he made was to mention that some people think that his supporters are "delusional." For those who haven't been following the "Obamamania is a Cult" stories in the press, it brought it to their attention. It was not smart to bring it up. Hillary just smiled.
Overall, Hillary won the debate on substance and in the very last question, she knocked it out of the park. The question was "Describe the moment in your life when you were tested the most." Obama answered that it was hard to be raised by a single mother. But Hillary's answer brought the crowd to its feet. It really was a transcendent moment for her in which she really connected with her listeners. Here's the video:
John McCain won the Wisconsin primary tonight and in his victory speech said that as a superstitious navy pilot he was finally ready to announce that he will be the Republican nominee in the fall. He also indirectly alluded to Michelle Obama's narcissistic and obnoxious remark that "for the first time in her adult life" she is proud of America (apparently the bringing down of the Berlin Wall, the placement of two women on the Supreme Court, the election of a black women to the U.S. Senate and a successful rover landing on Mars were nothing to be proud of). McCain said that he has always been proud to be an American and that he didn't feel that America owed him anything, that she had already given him more than he deserved. He also said some nice things about Huckabee, who is remaining in the race even though he cannot win the nomination. Cindy McCain had her First Lady game face on in a big way: she looked really happy.
On the Democratic side, Barack Obama won Wisconsin as expected. It looks like he will win it by a larger margin than was predicted, most likely because of the 29% of voters who were not Democrats (it was an open primary). Hillary is in Youngstown, Ohio tonight at a rally and sent out a memo earlier today noting when she would speak and that she was launching a major new speech which would contract her positions with those of Obama's. So what does Obama do? He waited just a few minutes into her speech, then began his speech to a crowd in Houston right when she started into the meat of her speech. This caused quite a bit of consternation at the cable news outlets, because the accepted courtesy is to let your opponent who lost speak first. After some hemming and hawing, the anchors apologized and cut away from Hillary's speech to Obama's.
It was a deliberate, obnoxious and very discourteous thing of Obama to do that immediately put me in mind of his "you're likable enough, Hillary" snipe during an earlier debate. Luckily for Hillary, he didn't cut her off before she told listeners that "we can still win this." She then asked listeners to go to her website and make a contribution -- even just $10 as one supporter did who "wanted her two little girls to know that anything is possible." Hillary has been raising $1 million a day this month and her statement tonight was a clear signal to those who aren't buying into the Obama hype: if she has the cash she can win on March 4th.
In 1988 Joe Biden's run for the presidency was obliterated when he was found to have lifted words from a British politician's speech. Now Barack Obama has done the same thing. Here's a side by side video showing Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick's "Just Words" speech in 2006 and a recent speech by Barack Obama using the exact same words. Obama never attributed the speech to Governor Patrick.
Obama's entire campaign is premised on the fact that it's not "politics as usual" or the "tired politics of the past." Apparently, it's based on the plagiarism of past speeches.
Barack Obama had a good weekend. He won the caucuses in Washington, Virgina Islands and Maine. He also won the primary in Louisiana. All were expected wins for him. Tomorrow are the Virginia, Maryland and District of Columbia contest, which he is also expected to sweep.
On the Republican side, Mike Huckabee was the winner, taking Louisiana and Kansas. Washington was called for McCain, but Huckabee refused to concede and the count continues.
The big contests with lots of delegate are coming up on March 4th: Texas and Ohio will be crucial contests on the Democratic side. You can see a roundup, with estimated delegate counts here. Most outlets have Hillary Clinton ahead in the delegate count by a small margin.
Bottom line: McCain will be the Republican nominee and the Democratic nomination is a toss up.
Jack Nicholson is making robocalls for Hillary Clinton today. Alas, he didn't say "You can't handle the truth about Barack Obama!!" which would have been much funnier. But Jack plays it straight, talking about how Hillary would make a great commander in chief. Scarlett Johansson is making robocalls for Obama, but we haven't heard the audio yet.
In other celebrity endorsement news, John Mellencamp told John McCain to quit using his songs at rallies (he's a Democrat, not sure who he supports though).
Super Tuesday is tomorrow and the polls are looking pretty strange, especially on the Democratic side. In fact, they're all over the place. Several polls show Obama closing in on Hillary Clinton in California with a virtual tie, although a new Survey USA poll has her up by 12 and a new Zogby has Obama up by four (see all the latest California polls here).
See all the most recent polls here.
Obama has definitely gotten a bounce in the past week, but the internals of most of the polls show an unusually high number of undecided voters, which has to be some kind of a first. Are there really that many Democrats who still haven't made up their minds between Clinton and Obama? Turnout will be key. If the women and Latino groups show up to vote in large numbers tomorrow, Clinton wins California. Her big state strategy will pay off and I think she will win the popular vote and the delegate count tomorrow. The question is by how much. It's not mathematically possible for either candidate to wrap up the nomination tomorrow, so we're in for a lot more campaigning.
On the Republican side, it seems clear that McCain is going to be pretty happy tomorrow night. Although according to the Secretary of State we may not know who won California until Wednesday, which is going to make for a pretty stressful evening for the campaigns (especially the Obama and Clinton campaigns). Mitt Romney was looking good in California in some polls, so the upset of the day would be a win for him there. That would be huge. Coming off his win in Maine, that would give him some sorely needed Mittmentum. But Huckabee is the real spoiler for Romney: he's racking up votes from Evangelicals and they like him in the South.
Without some surprises tomorrow, McCain will be heading towards a coronation. But, as the Patriots found out Sunday, it's not over till it's over.
John McCain won the Republican primary in Florida, thereby picking up all 57 of the delegates (for the Republicans it's a winner take all state). Romney came in second and Guiliani came in third. Guiliani then withdrew from the race and is expected to endorse Senator McCain tomorrow.
On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton won by a very large margin, with Barack Obama in second and John Edwards in third. Because of Howard Dean's boneheadedness, the delegates will not be awarded to punish Floridians for moving up their primary ahead of Super Tuesday. At a large victory rally, Hillary vowed to try to have Florida's and Michigan's delegates seated at the convention. 1.68 million Democrats voted in Florida. For the DNC to tell them their votes don't count would be a decision rooted in idiocy.
Tomorrow night the Republicans will debate at the Reagan Library in California. On Thursday, the Democrats will debate. Everyone is now campaigning frantically until Super Tuesday.
In response to the spectacle of Ted Kennedy's lovefest for Barack Obama today in Washington, D.C., the New York chapter of the National Organization of Women blasted Teddy's poor record on women's rights and calls him a traitor for supporting "the new guy" over the qualified woman in the race.
"Women have just experienced the ultimate betrayal. Senator Kennedy's endorsement of Hillary Clinton's opponent in the Democratic presidential primary campaign has really hit women hard. Women have forgiven Kennedy, stuck up for him, stood by him, hushed the fact that he was late in his support of Title IX, the ERA, the Family Leave and Medical Act to name a few. Women have buried their anger that his support for the compromises in No Child Left Behind and the Medicare bogus drug benefit brought us the passage of these flawed bills. We have thanked him for his ardent support of many civil rights bills, BUT women are always waiting in the wings.
"And now the greatest betrayal! We are repaid with his abandonment! He's picked the new guy over us. He's joined the list of progressive white men who can't or won't handle the prospect of a woman president who is Hillary Clinton (they will of course say they support a woman president, just not 'this' one). 'They' are Howard Dean and Jim Dean (Yup! That's Howard's brother) who run DFA (that's the group and list from the Dean campaign that we women helped start and grow). They are Alternet, Progressive Democrats of America, democrats.com, Kucinich lovers and all the other groups that take women's money, say they'll do feminist and women's rights issues one of these days, and conveniently forget to mention women and children when they talk about poverty or human needs or America's future or whatever.
"This latest move by Kennedy, is so telling about the status of and respect for women's rights, women's voices, women's equality, women's authority and our ability -- indeed, our obligation -- to promote and earn and deserve and elect, unabashedly, a President that is the first woman after centuries of men who 'know what's best for us.'"
And speaking of the Kennedys, the family is apparently split. Environmental activist Bobby Kennedy and former Maryland lieutenant governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend support Hillary Clinton. Looks like the Kennedy Primary is a tie. Although Obama certainly got the Kennedy with the biggest mouth (and the greatest disdain from NOW).
As expected, Barack Obama has won the South Carolina Democratic primary by a large margin. Final numbers aren't in yet, but CNN has called the race for Obama, with Hillary in second and Edwards in third.
According to the exit polls, Obama won 81% of all the African American vote, but only 24% of the white vote. Hillary won 24% of the African American vote and 36% of the white vote. Edwards received only 1% of the African-American vote and 29% of the white vote. Hillary won the white female vote and the older white vote. African American men and women voted for Obama in the same percentages. These internal numbers have to be troubling for the Obama campaign. Georgia is the only other state that has that big of an African American population. Hillary is really pulling the white female vote, as well as the vote of those over 60. Expect Obama to increase his targeting of female voters in the days ahead.
The candidates only have 10 days until Super Tuesday (with Florida on the way), so South Carolina is now firmly in their rear view mirrors.
Hillary Clinton and Mitt Romney won the Nevada caucuses today. Hillary won 51% of the vote, Obama won 45% and Edwards won 4%. On the Republican side, Mitt Romney won 51% of the vote, beating out McCain (13%), Guiliani (4%), Huckabee (8%), Thompson(8%), and Ron Paul (14%).
In South Carolina, the Republican primary was held today -- the Democratic primary won't happen for a week. John McCain won South Carolina with 33% of the vote, beating Huckabee (30%), Thompson (16%), Romney (15%), Paul (4%), Guiliani (2%) and Hunter (0%).
This is a big day for Hillary and for Mitt Romney. Romney has the momentum here, heading into Florida which is a do or die state for Guiliani. Huckabee's second place showing may not be enough to help him raise the big money he needs to go on. The polls show Florida is a toss up with McCain, Guiliani, Romney and Huckabee is a virtual tie. Florida is a winner take all state, so those 57 delegates are a sweet prize for whoever wins.
In response to the Obama Girl's video, davedays presents his song "I Got a Crush...On Hillary". It's ridiculous, yet catchy. See the video here.
Here's a sample of the lyrics:
Hillary 08
winning the debates
i know your crushin on obama well i
i've got a crush on Hillary
2008
you're the sexiest candidate
theres no way were gonna lose
barack obama cant dance like you
i don't have political views
but i know that i want you
With nearly all of the precincts reporting, Mike Huckabee and Barack Obama have won the Iowa caucuses. On the democratic side: with 97% of the precincts reporting, Obama won 38%, Edwards won 30% and Clinton won 29%. On the Republican side with 85% of the precincts reporting, Huckabee won 34% of the vote, Romney won 25% and Thompson won 14%. As with the caucuses, each party handles things differently when it comes to delegates.
So, what does it all mean? on the Democratic side it's a win for Obama, certainly and will give him some press and headlines as he goes to New Hampshire tomorrow. For Edwards, it's a problem. He has a money issues, and coming in just a few votes head of Clinton is no help at all. For Clinton, it shows that she made the correct choice in not skipping Iowa. Because the dirty little secret about Iowa that the mainstream press keeps "forgetting" to report is that the state has never elected a woman to anything. Not to the House of Representatives, not to the Senate and not to the Governor's mansion. For Clinton to land in a tie for second is excellent for her. She needs pack up, head to New Hampshire and not look back. In fact, her big test doesn't really come until February 5th or Super Duper Tuesday when a large number of states are holding their primaries this year, including delegate-rich California and New York.
As for the Republicans, it's a real blow to Mitt Romney who spent $6 million in the state. This is not a happy night for him. For Guiliani it's a disaster and shows that he made a big mistake not campaigning in Iowa. Guiliani got only 4% of the vote while being beat handily by Ron Paul, who got 10%. Ouch.
It's a big win for Huckabee -- 60% of the caucus-goers described themselves as Evangelical Christians. But finding that many Evangelicals in New Hampshire will be much more difficult, to say the least. Thompson and McCain are still slugging it out for third -- it's withing a few hundred votes. McCain has already set his sites on New Hampshire, where he is currently
leading
in the polls. Ron Paul is no doubt thrilled that he got 10% of the vote and beat Guiliani.
That's the Iowa Caucuses: complex and inconsequential. As the primary season heats, Iowa will soon be a distant memory.
Apparently not all of Oprah Winfrey's fans are happy about her decision to support Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton for president. Some feel that Oprah should be supporting the woman in the race -- not a man -- and have accused her of supporting Barack solely because he is black. Many of Oprah's fans have made their feelings known on her website: one post already has nearly 5,000 comments.
Not exactly a scientific sample, but there's a very, very lively discussion of Oprah's endorsement and its racial implications underway on Oprah's site, with a comment titled "OPRAH IS A TRAITOR!!!!!!!!!" getting 4,988 comments, with thousands more under other posts.
The original post:
"I cannot believe that women all over this country are not up in arms over Oprah's backing of Obama. For the first time in history, we actually have a shot at putting a woman in the white house and Oprah backs the black MAN. She's choosing her race over her gender- hypocracy [sic] at it's finest!! Oprah- you should be ashamed of yourself!!!!!"
Other commenters are split, with some defending Oprah, others attacking her, others trying to tone the conversation down. Another commenter wrote:
"For Oprah to do a Martin Luther Kingish, our time has come speech was shocking to me. It didn't even sound like her. She DEFINATELY [sic] chose a black and white platform whether she admits it at all. I for one will be watching Ellen."
Oprah has been campaigning with Barack and his numbers are climbing in Iowa, although reviews of her campaign appearances have been mixed. Many have commented how Oprah seems to overshadow Barack on stage -- and Michelle Obama is pretty much shunted to the sidelines.
In response to the growing controversy, Oprah told
Diane Sawyer that a vote for Obama is not a vote against Hillary and that if Obama were to lose the nomination she might have to "readjust her thinking." That's a pretty amazing statement if you think about it. In any event, Oprah should have been prepared: the world of politics is an entirely different thing from the world of a talk show host.
Over the weekend some conservative blogs pointed out this photo of Barack Obama in traditional Somali apparel, which he wore while visiting Kenya. The blogs said that someone should send it over to Matt Drudge, which someone eventually did. Drudge ran the photo all day, claiming a Clinton aid sent it. But the Clinton camp said they didn't send it, and what was the big deal anyway? That senators and presidents have to wear all kinds of unusual outfits when they visit other countries. Clinton's campaign manager said the whole thing was ridiculous, that Senator Clinton has had to don native dress herself many times.
