Hillary must know by now Barack is king.
A Jack Kennedy advisor who went to win the Nobel Prize in Economics once asked Kennedy to pick a political fight. If you win, you do good. If you lose, you will at least have fought a good fight, he said. Jack Kennedy did not like the idea.
"That's vanity, Paul, that's not politics," Jack Kennedy said.
If Hillary is still running Wednesday morning, put her on the cover of Vanity Fair, because by then she will have switched careers. She will no longer be in politics, she will have switched to being in the vanity business.
In February it was about not quitting. Ohio and Texas were about not quitting. Pennsylvania was about not quitting, it was about fighting all the way. West Virginia, Kentucky. Puerto Rico was about paying attention to the very last voter.
But after the last voter has spoken, and if Hillary keeps chugging along, that is not politics, Paul, that is vanity.
Hillary's best bet is to end up on Barack's ticket now. Someone who so badly wanted to become president can not now tell herself she is going to be happier being just Senator, or Senate Majority Leader, or Governor of New York. If you so badly wanted to be president, you must equally badly want to be Vice President.
During her scheduled Tuesday evening speech, Hillary has to decide she is now running for Vice President. You thank your staff, your supporters, voters, volunteers, your family. Then you congratulate Barack Obama and go ahead and flat endorse him that very night. You can't wait for those final 20 superdelegates as if they just might go for you. If you think they will, you lack political judgment, which is why you are not the nominee perhaps.
Show some political judgment. And do the next big thing you can do for the women of America and the world. Accept Barack's leadership, in good faith, and cheerfully. And get ready to go to the White House regardless. After eight years in the White House might be a good time to go full time with the Clinton Foundation and spend a ton of time with the hubbie guy.
Endorse Obama on Tuesday. Make it a joy for him to offer you the Vice Presidency. His decision to offer you the number two spot should not feel like constipation which it will feel like if you keep fighting like that Japanese soldier who was still fighting the second world war in 1973.
On Barack's part, I think it would be a bad idea to do the short list thing. Bill Clinton did not do the short list thing in 1992. He met up with Al Gore, and talked for a few hours, and when they emerged the world knew who the mate was. George W put Cheney in charge of the vice presidential candidate exploratory committee. That way the mate feels special. The mate has to feel she is who you had on mind all along. The heck with short lists. Short lists make for loser, lousy vice presidents.
It really is Hillary. Do the math. Feel the chemistry. Look at history. This is the woman you have in your mind. It has to be a woman, and that woman has to be Hillary.
If Hillary keeps pushing on after Tuesday, she is not a determined woman, but a white woman who believes in the caste hierarchy of white male, white female, minority male, minority female. The minority male might win the electoral race, but she will still not accept him for the leader he has proven himself to be. That would not be a great way to advance the gender agenda, and that takes the race agenda backwards rather.
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In The News
Obama offers to meet with Clinton “once the dust settles” Reuters a conversation he had with Clinton when he called her on Sunday to congratulate her on her win in Puerto Rico. ...... “There aren’t many people who understand exactly how hard she’s been working. I’m one of them,” Obama said ....... once the dust has settled, I was looking forward to meeting with her at a time and place of her choosing,” he said. ...... has been making a point of publicly praising the New York senator.
Obama nears win amid signs Clinton may admit loss The Associated Press The former first lady has given no hint of quitting the race, and she has said repeatedly she may continue her candidacy even beyond the end of the primaries. ..... Obama's aides prodded uncommitted lawmakers and other "superdelegates" to climb on board quickly ....... he said, "It is my sense that between Tuesday and Wednesday we have a good chance of getting that number of delegates" needed for victory. ....... if Obama failed to gain 2,118 delegates by Tuesday night, one possibility under discussion was for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Speaker Nancy Pelosi to issue a statement on Wednesday urging superdelegates — members of Congress and other party leaders — to state their preferences as soon as possible. ..... she has repeatedly declined to say she would concede defeat if her rival appeared to gain the delegates he needs. ....... Ickes also conceded that Obama was likely to reach the delegate threshold by Wednesday, and that Clinton would need some time to consider her next step. The Comeback Id Vanity Fair the private-jetting around with a skirt-chasing, scandal-tinged posse ...... the smiling, snowy-haired man who is the bride at every wedding and the corpse at every funeral he attends ....... Burkle had come with an attractive blonde, described by a fellow guest as “not much older than 19, if she was that.” ...... On any given visit to London, for example, Clinton is as apt to dine with Tony Blair or Kevin Spacey as with anyone who might raise an eyebrow. ........... No former president of the United States has ever traveled with such a fast crowd, and most 61-year-old American men of Clinton’s generation don’t, either. ...... Bill Clinton’s relevance—and his presence in public life—is as close to permanent as any politician’s can be. ........ among the most popular figures on the planet ...... every future presidential election of his lifetime ........ his never-a-dull-moment presidency ....... his roving intellect, his protean political talents, his outsize personality ........ his indiscipline ...... the donors who have contributed some $500 million to Clinton’s library and foundation ...... never made more than $35,000 a year as governor of Arkansas and left the White House about $12 million in debt ........ the world of rich friends, adoring fans, and borrowed jets ....... his eight-year absence from a political workplace that has changed radically in the interim has left him conspicuously rusty at the craft of which he was once a master ....... an abiding anger in him ..... a huge force of nature ...... cavernous narcissism ...... presented him with a big batch of condoms, and a participant told me at the time that Clinton instantly replied, “My staff thinks this is the last thing I need.” .......... “Do you think I would be stupid enough to go running with someone I was foolin’ with?,” Clinton later asked Lewinsky. ....... . “I was lost for three weeks after I left the White House,” he said on the campaign trail this winter. “Nobody ever played a song anymore. I had no idea where I was.” ........ ‘I’ve always been a guy who could bloom where I was planted.’ ....... paid speeches at $150,000 to $250,000 apiece ...... he set about earning an income that would “support a senator,” as he put it. ...... $10 million in book income for Hillary and $29 million in book income for Bill, along with $51 million in speaking fees for the former president. ......... everybody wants to grab his sleeve ...... Democrats about their only two-term president in 80 years, a man who took the party from the wilderness of loserdom to the White House and created the strongest economy in American history ......... Clinton’s craving for conversational companionship ...... Burkle, 55, a onetime supermarket boxboy who eventually parlayed ownership of several grocery chains into a fortune that Forbes magazine estimates to be at least $3.5 billion, is said to have bonded with Clinton over their shared origins as outsiders who rose to the very biggest leagues. ............ the self-reinforcing network of rich personal, charitable, political, and business supporters Clinton has built since his White House years. ...... “Now, when I got elected, I had the lowest net worth of any president of the 20th century” .......... He is visibly older and thinner. His hair is whiter and his countenance paler. At times, as the day wears on, he makes an odd cotton-mouth sound, his tongue sticking to the roof of his mouth as he talks. ........... he now tires more easily, and loses energy. ...... “He still has energy, but not stamina. He can recover, but he used to do that nonstop, with three hours’ sleep.” ........ fatigue, muscle pain, dehydration, depression, and impotence. ....... Many people who have bypass surgery get depressed afterward, while others suffer from increased irritability. “It’s very similar to postpartum depression. You deliver a child and then a week later it’s a dismal anticlimax. The same thing happens with heart surgery: you wonder if you’re going to make it, and then you wake up in the intensive-care unit and you’re the center of the universe, and a week later you’re exhausted and sore and about to be sent home.” ........ the Reverend Al Sharpton said that it was time for Clinton to just “shut up.” His old flame Gennifer Flowers, who has endorsed Hillary, referred to him as an “idiot husband.” ....... Senator Clinton herself had to tell him—as she did after he revived controversy over her imagined landing in Bosnia under sniper fire by unleashing a string of new inaccuracies to defend her—“Let me handle this.” ........ “There’s not a detail that escapes his notice and commentary,” the aide said, “and as usual with Clinton, much of what he says is worth listening to.” ...... Clinton’s temper has continued to get the better of him. ...... You really gotta go something to play the race card with me—my office is in Harlem. ...... the kinds of smaller towns presidents never visit—47 stops in Pennsylvania, 39 in Indiana, 50 in North Carolina ......... a rambling tour d’horizon of world problems ..... the way you summon people up and get them to do things has changed. All of this stuff, the blogging and the YouTubing and the way in which everything is instantaneously available ......... funneling low-cost anti-retroviral drugs to more than a million aids patients, shining the singular power of a presidential spotlight on the good work of others, and raising millions of dollars for practical programs in places much of the world’s power establishment never bothers with. .......... Reagan briefly scandalized late-80s Washington by taking $2 million for a single speaking trip to Japan. ......... Harry Truman was so reluctant to accept any business or commercial offer, however high-minded, that might be seen as capitalizing on the presidency that he nearly went broke in retirement. ......... Each year at Christmastime, Clinton sends out to supporters a slim, paperbound volume of his Selected Remarks, with a gold-embossed “Happy Holidays” greeting card replete with the requisite “bug” showing it was printed in a union shop. ......... He was never, ever, on time. ...... “Ken Starr spent $70 million and indicted innocent people to find out that I wouldn’t take a nickel to see the cow jump over the moon.” ....... Clinton’s invariable insistence that his problems are someone else’s fault ........ He will remain a presence, a force to be reckoned with, as long as he draws breath. ....... But for a politician with so many admirers, allies, acquaintances, faithful retainers, and hangers-on, Clinton remains a profoundly solitary man, associates say, without any real peers, intellectual equals, or genuine friends with whom he can share the sweetest things in life.
A Woman in Full the unconventional family she and Pitt have created ....... the mother she lost last year, the father she’s estranged from ...... I happen to be with somebody who finds pregnancy very sexy. ...... It’s as if the Jolie-Pitts are pioneering a new genre of family, with children from every global hot spot and parents who are beautiful and famously not married. ..... she is a Method actor in reverse; whereas a Method actor brings the things of her life into her roles, Jolie brings her characters’ stories into her real life. Which is why, though Jolie is an outstanding actress, she’s a more outstanding celebrity. It’s not that she becomes the character—it’s that the character becomes her. ......... in the process forcing those who follow such things (everyone) to re-write the hierarchy of the lunchroom. ...... Angelina is a new kind of movie star in just the way Barack Obama is a new kind of politician ....... been among the highest-paid actresses ever ...... she has become an obsession to women in America ....... “After my last divorce, I said I was absolutely going to marry somebody in another field, an aid worker or something. ....... I don’t see him as an actor. I see him very much as a dad, as somebody who loves travel and architecture more than being in movies.” ....... “It’s our media,” she said. “People always slow down for a train wreck. It’s like junk food. If you don’t feel good about yourself, you want to read crap about other people, like gossip in high school. You don’t understand why it’s there, but somehow it makes a lot of people feel better. ......... Jolie has children from three continents ...... I’m giving them the childhood I always wished I had. ........ Shiloh’s birth—they decided to have the baby in Namibia, far from the paparazzi. ....... a book on every religion. That’s how we plan to raise our kids. Teach them about all religions. ....... and taught me about dying ....... what’s most fun—to put yourself aside for these other little people you’re raising ....... “It’s a great thing about being pregnant—you don’t need excuses to pee, or to eat.” ....... They are officially estranged. Like Syria and Israel. ........ Voight wanted to control his daughter
Kennedy Has Surgery for Brain Tumor New York Times
Ousted Nepal king consults astrologers in house hunt?
An assault on Bill Clinton so powerful it just might change his image San Diego Union Tribune, United States
Clinton faces another hurdle in Vanity Fair story on husband
Clinton seeks to go after Obama superdelegates The Associated Press "One thing about superdelegates is that they can change their minds," she told reporters aboard her campaign plane Sunday night. ....... Obama, campaigning in Mitchell, S.D., confidently predicted Clinton "is going to be a great asset when we go into November." ...... Tom Vilsack, the former Iowa governor and a national co-chairman of Clinton's campaign, said Sunday: "It does appear to be pretty clear that Senator Obama is going to be the nominee. After Tuesday's contests, she needs to acknowledge that he's going to be the nominee and quickly get behind him."
Clinton ponders next move in marathon race AP New York senator is said to be considering a range of options, including dropping out of the race and endorsing Obama .... some of Clinton's most stalwart supporters, who have reluctantly concluded that it's time to move on. ...... "I have put together a much broader coalition" of voters than Obama. .... Clinton is simply trying to keep all options open until Obama is declared the winner, at which point she'll reassess. ....... privately, her aides have said Clinton's run is over and it's simply a matter of when it becomes formal ..... Obama campaign aides have begun to reach out to their counterparts on the Clinton campaign in hopes of pulling together and ameliorating hard feelings.
Obama: He and Clinton to work together in fall AP Obama said to applause that "she and I will be working together in November." ...... Both parties see Michigan as a key swing state in the general election.
Clinton plans New York speech AP
Clinton Will Have Abundant Future Options, All With Obstacles Bloomberg she could run for governor of New York or Senate majority leader, or try to become a legislative power in the mold of Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts. ...... have led party leaders such as Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell and former New York Governor Mario Cuomo to call for a joint ticket. ...... A more likely path for Clinton is a higher-profile role in the Senate, political analysts and fellow senators say. In that way, the role model may be Kennedy, who became a legislative heavyweight in the decades after his failed 1980 bid to challenge President Jimmy Carter. ...... Clinton is considered one of the most knowledgeable leaders on health care ...... she perked up when talk turned to the minutiae of education and health policy. .... David Paterson, is the first black governor of New York
Franken's old Playboy article concerns Democrats AP
Lieberman plays down chances of being on McCain ticket AFP
McCain wants nuclear talks with China, Russia AFP
Bush hits trail for McCain, sparking Obama attack AFP 71 percent of Americans disapprove of how Bush is doing his job, the first time any president had smashed the 70 percent barrier.
Bill Clinton hints at end to wife's campaign AFP "I want to say also that this may be the last day I'm ever involved in a campaign of this kind," the former president told Clinton supporters in South Dakota ...... she would hold an election night "celebration" in her home state of New York ...... far-flung members of Clinton's travelling staff had been summoned back to New York for Tuesday evening and told their roles on the campaign are ending. ...... Clinton is to huddle with advisers and her husband at her home in Chappaqua to monitor the final results and decide whether and how to end her campaign.
Power awaits Mrs Clinton - just not in the White House
at The London Times For five months it has been said that both major candidates in this race, if victorious, would transform America's political landscape simply by virtue of their race or gender. ..... she has out-toughed her every male rival, including Mr Obama. ..... she has instead dragged out this race at the risk of permanent damage to the Clinton brand. ...... Her determination has fatally clouded her judgment. For many the last straw was her mention last week of the assassination of Robert Kennedy late in his nomination bid in 1968, apparently to justify her own refusal to concede. ...... Her destiny, instead, is to lead the Democratic majority in the Senate. Obama: He and Clinton to work together in fall AP
Clinton plans New York speech AP She planned to address AIPAC Wednesday in Washington. ..... There was a sense of denouement in the campaign. She planned to rally with husband and former President Clinton and their daughter Chelsea in South Dakota Monday night — a reunion usually reserved for election nights.
Exit rumored for Clinton as Democratic race climaxes AFP she may challenge a decision by Democratic leaders on convention delegates from Michigan and Florida. ...... The two clashed anew Monday over Iraq, national security and Obama's advocacy of a new diplomacy with US adversaries such as Iran. ....... McCain's warning came hours after Iran's firebrand president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said Israel "is about to die and will soon be erased from the geographical scene." ..... Obama was set Tuesday night to address thousands of supporters in the same conference hall in St. Paul, Minnesota where the Republican convention will be held in September.
Obama poised for nomination despite Clinton victory in Puerto Rico guardian.co.uk
Obama's former church seeks to step beyond controversy AFP
Post-Rules Committee, Clinton Camp Argues the Popular Vote FOXNews
Analysis: Obama's sole focus is general election The Associated Press It's Barack Obama's party now. He beat the ultimate insider at the insider's game. ..... the floodgates would open this week as remaining superdelegates jump on the Obama bandwagon. ..... Obama's complete break with Trinity United Church of Christ will provide a degree of cover for superdelegates poised to endorse him but possibly still uncomfortable about some of his entanglements. ...... the in-your face decision to hold Tuesday night's primary season wrap-up rally at the Xcel Energy Center, site of the GOP convention beginning Sept. 1. ..... "Obama has to deal with the issue of white working-class reservations about him, highly social conservative attitudes" ...... the sermons of two preachers who are among his longtime acquaintances and supporters...... "I have to say this was one I didn't see coming. We knew there were going to be some things we didn't see coming. This was one," Obama said. "I didn't anticipate my fairly conventional Christian faith being subject to such challenge and such scrutiny. Initially with e-mails suggesting I was a Muslim, later with the controversy that Trinity generated."
Clinton Puts Up Popular Vote Ad Washington Post Obama has 2,052 delegates while Clinton has 1,877. The new magic number to formally become the party's nominee is 2,118.
Clinton threatens "nuclear option"
Clinton wins Puerto Rico but Obama still leads Reuters
Clinton wins Puerto Rico primary but Obama gains delegates
Nepal's Gorkha kingdom falls
For readers, ‘Sex’ isn’t just good — it’s great!
Obama Leaves Church That Drew Wide Criticism New York Times
Barack Obama Quits Longtime Church Following Uproar (Update4)
Deal to reseat Florida, Michigan a blow to Clinton Newsday
Clinton looks for fun on final primary days
Obama Won't Wait for Clinton Concession
McCain and Obama spar over Iraq
DNC rules is underway; Howard Dean says Texas is about to turn blue
Nepal king to leave palace quietly: party official AFP
California Democrats To Clinton: We Prefer Obama Forbes, USA California Democrats disagreed with the Clintons' latest pitch: 51% of those polled preferred Barack Obama, compared to just 38% for Clinton. What is remarkable is that this is a state that Clinton won by eight percentage points in February’s primary. ....... Obama’s California margin over John McCain is currently 17 percentage points, the same margin enjoyed by Clinton ...... Democratic men preferred Obama to Clinton by 21 percentage points and Democratic women, who helped Clinton to many of her victories, preferred the Illinois senator by 8 percentage points. ...... 22% of Clinton supporters are unlikely to vote Obama in November (compared to 17% of Obama supporters who indicate that they would not support Clinton).
Obama, McCain in fierce new duel over Iraq AFP
Obama gets a claim to another Kennedy legacy MarketWatch won an endorsement from three former chairmen of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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Second Night spent in Jail: Unfair by Paramendra Bhagat, June 19,2008 Riker Island
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