In The News When Attacked, Obama's Now Hitting Back Washington Post Obama lost the New Hampshire primary after attacks from his main rival, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, went largely unanswered ......... they also witnessed him engage in the more mundane task of rebutting attacks ...... Let no attack go unanswered. ....... Clinton won the primary with strong support from the mailings' target audiences -- women and working-class voters. ....... the Obama team is determined not to make the same mistake. Much of the feel-good imagery was ditched in the New England snow, and it has been replaced by a more traditional campaign that rebuts and prebuts, brags about endorsements, and engages with -- rather than floats above -- the competition. ....... Gone was the sense of easy confidence that Obama carried into the last debate before the Jan. 8 New Hampshire primary. ....... "Magic" Johnson calls Obama a "rookie." ..... a rebuttal noting that Johnson in his rookie year won the MVP award in the National Basketball Association finals. ...... on the final day of the campaign, volunteers reported with dismay that many voters were asking about Obama's stance on abortion rights. ...... This week, the campaign took a more combative approach. ....... Obama let the charge go unanswered in New Hampshire. ....... charged that Obama is "hip-deep in financial ties" to Chicago-based Exelon, a nuclear plant operator that supports the Yucca Mountain waste site ........ his barbs have grown sharper. ...... he is disorganized ...... Had Obama won in New Hampshire, said one prominent Democrat, he might have become the prohibitive favorite for the nomination, "but he wouldn't be ready for the general election, he wouldn't be ready for the White House."
Barack Obama Says Dems Are in ‘Fierce Battle’ as He Enters ... FOXNews she would be a “president whose plans change with the politics of the moment” — one of his most direct critiques of the New York senator yet. ...... a union supporting Obama that began running a Spanish-language radio ad slamming Clinton over the failed Nevada lawsuit to bar the so-called “casino caucuses.” ...... “Hillary Clinton does not respect our people. Hillary Clinton supporters went to court to prevent working people to vote this Saturday — that is an embarrassment. ...... “Hillary Clinton supporters want to prevent people from voting in their workplace on Saturday. This is unforgivable. Hillary Clinton is shameless. Hillary Clinton should not allow her friends to attack our people’s right to vote this Saturday. This is unforgivable; there’s no respect Clinton and Obama seek to break deadlock in NevadaGuardian Unlimited Clinton maintaining a comfortable lead over her rivals with 41% of the vote. Obama was on 32% ...... Bill Clinton, who met with workers at the Bellagio casino, has also suggested that culinary union members are being told they must caucus for Obama. ....... a showdown between the major components of the Democratic power base in Nevada: the unions, which support Obama, and the party's leadership, which has come out for Clinton. ...... Clinton has solid support from Latino voters who favoured her by 50% to 29% over Obama ..... Obama dominated among African American voters. He had 65% support compared to 18% for Clinton. .... Clinton has a rally scheduled in Missouri while Obama heads south to Georgia. Clinton, Obama spat turns nasty on eve of caucuses AFP Clinton nine points up on Obama in Nevada, 41 to 32 percent, ahead of the notoriously tough-to-poll caucuses. Obama takes a new, direct approach to ClintonNewsday He ridiculed her economic revitalization plan as a rehash of his own, mocked her performance in Tuesday's Las Vegas debate and accused her campaign of intentionally distorting his positions. ...... he must sharpen his attacks to close the gap. ..... Thursday night when he used a little humor to mock Clinton, but with a biting edge. ...... "I have said over and over again I'm against Yucca. . . Suddenly you've got the Clinton camp out there saying, 'He's for Yucca.' What part of 'I'm not for Yucca' do you not understand?" Obama said, then laughed along with the audience. Hillary Clinton speaks of her pain and shame Times Online “I never doubted Bill’s love for me, ever,” Mrs Clinton said ...... “But I had to decide what I ought to do, I think it is so important to be able to hear yourself at a moment when it is hard . . . there are so many times when you really have to listen to yourself.” ........ she was asked by other women “all the time” about what to do with unfaithful husbands. ...... Obama said that he and the former Republican President were similar in their ability to inspire people. ..... repeatedly attacked Mrs Clinton for not “saying what she means”. ...... Obama, as a black man, is struggling to win over Hispanics in Nevada, despite his endorsement by the heavily Latino Culinary Workers Union, the state’s most powerful trade organisation. Clinton camp appears in top form rolling into today's Nevada voteSeattle Post Intelligencer The charismatic senator has been drawing wildly enthusiastic crowds. But the ground game of Sen. Hillary Clinton is operating at top form, and "Hillaryland" took on its own hue in the campaign's closing hours. Color it brown, after the Clintons' intense and visibly successful courtship of the Silver State's large Hispanic community. ....... With Ragin' Cajun consultant-turned-pundit James Carville in tow, ex-President Clinton drove out in the desert to this retirement community Friday with a message: Don't believe the good news. "Who will win depends on who wants it the worst," he declared. ...... California, the biggest delegate prize ..... Bill Clinton always runs well on a muddy track. He has passed the skill on to the missus. ....... John Kerry was hitting the pavement for Obama ..... Spats over racially suggestive remarks by Clinton supporters seem to have driven African-Americans into the Obama camp. The Illinois senator's rallies feature two other areas of his bedrock appeal, independent voters and young people. ....... "It goes along with (Obama's) plan to invite Republicans to become Democrats tomorrow and then go back to being Republicans," he told the crowd here. ........ a federal freeze on foreclosures. Clinton Seeks Blend of Policy and PersonaNew York Times There has been Strong-and-Experienced Hillary Clinton, but that proved to be so uninspiring that Change-Agent Hillary and Likable-Since-I-Was-a-Kid Hillary were rolled out. ...... Often referring to herself as a “pragmatist” who is in “the solutions business” ...... Mrs. Clinton was running to be White House chief of staff, while she and her team were saying that Mr. Obama would be so hands-off that he could not demand Truman-like accountability. ...... “in the event of an unexpected drop in poll numbers, this plane will be diverted to New Hampshire” ..... “My name is Hillary,” she told the press corps, “and I am so pleased to have most of you on board.” It's back to the future for Clinton Toronto Star
Obama supporter warns Clinton over 'racism' Telegraph.co.uk Edith Childs, the black councillor who has become a talisman for Obama's campaign after giving him his "Fired Up! Ready To Go!" campaign slogan, said black voters in her home state were "insulted" by Mrs Clinton's attempts last week to downplay the role of Martin Luther King in the passage of civil rights legislation. ..... she also expressed dismay at a campaign speech by Bill Clinton, which some interpreted as a claim that Obama's candidacy was a "fairy tale". ..... the fairy tale comment and the statement about Dr King. You don't take these things lightly ...... "The senator has coped with more racism than many people. He had a black father and a white mother. That can make it more difficult. I think he can handle whatever is thrown at him." ...... Obama has opened up a two to one lead among black voters ..... "When he won Iowa, that helped me decide. It looks like he can win." Bill's temper a problem for Clinton a series of angry red-faced outbursts. Campaign aides were so alarmed by his displays of temper that in recent days they prevented journalists from approaching Mr Clinton ...... televised harangue of a correspondent ..... Mr Clinton's headline-grabbing displays of bad temper have prompted renewed debate about whether he is an asset or liability to his wife. .... "He's a bit like Mount Vesuvius: he'll just erupt, but then it's over, because the good thing about his temper is that he doesn't bear grudges." McCain on warpath in South Carolina For the first time he now beats both Democratic favourites Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in theoretical match-ups for November's presidential election. ...... "My friends, I want to stand before you now and tell you that if I have to follow him to the gates of hell I will get Osama bin Laden and I will bring him to justice. I will get him!" he said at several rallies. ..... In October 1967 his bomber was shot down over Hanoi. He parachuted into a lake and was nearly killed by a mob. He was a prisoner of war for the next five years, enduring solitary confinement and torture. But he refused to be freed when the North Vietnamese, seeking a propaganda victory, discovered he was the son of an admiral. Now aged 71, his upper body is rigid and he cannot lift his arms over his shoulders - his wife Cindy combs his hair. ...... criticises Mrs Clinton for backing £500 million in government funding for a museum commemorating the iconic 1969 Woodstock music festival. He says: "Now my friends, I wasn't there. I'm sure it was a cultural and pharmaceutical event ... I was, I was tied up at the time."
Scenario 1: Clinton wins Nevada, Barack wins South Carolina, it is a tough fight on February 5, Barack barely wins. They end up being running mates.
Scenario 2: Clinton wins Nevada, Barack wins South Carolina, it is a tough fight on February 5, Hillary barely wins. They end up being running mates.
Scenario 3: The fight is not over on February 5.
What is working for Hillary? Bill Clinton's dirty old ways. He swift boated Barack in New Hampshire, and has not stopped trying in Nevada and elsewhere.
What could work for Barack? He seriously needs to deliver a major speech on taking race relations to the next level with a MLK tone of voice, one that brings the whites and the nonwhites together. He also has to tackle gender as a topic.
And give Bill Clinton a few staffers worth of attention. Follow his every move, every word, offer rebuttals as soon as he delivers attacks.
Although Barack has substantially narrowed Clinton's national lead, I am suprised the February 5 states are still acting quite independent of the January states. But we have two more contests this month. A South Carolina victory is going to be a huge boost for Barack.
I think California will end up deciding if it is Barack or Hillary.
(January 19)
Benazir's Death
Benazir's death shook me to my foundations. I got distracted from Obama 2008 in a major way. But after two defeats - New Hampshire and Nevada (I don't know yet for sure but I think we are on schedule to lose Nevada) - I am back in the groove. I am going to see Barack through February 5. And beyond if necessary. Barack, I am back.
Don't worry about Bill Clinton. I will take care of Bill Clinton. I will dog his moves, offer rebuttals to his nonsequential remarks. That guy thinks he is running for a third term. Somebody read to him the constitution.
I don't know as much about the US federal government as he does, yet. I don't know as much policy detail as he does, yet. And I sure don't share his taste for shaking hands. But I will go head to head with him on tactics and strategy.
Bill Clinton And Race
The so-called first black president has been shamelessly using the race card. His calling Barack a fairytale in New Hampshire, that was racist. The first viable black candidate in history is not even real, go figure.
I remember. This was long before Hillary was seeking reelection for her Senate seat. Looked like some local Republican who happened to be gay was going to challenge her. He was small fry, barely making the waves in the local media. Bill Clinton went on national TV and called him "gay." That was homophobic, but he did it. In his mind, he did it for his wife.
Now he has successfully used the race card twice in a row. Calling someone a fairytale is like saying, that guy is black, don't take him seriously.
In Nevada he went ahead and made an attempt at minority vote suppression. The courts failed him but he won the political battle. All he wanted was some racial polarization and he got it. This is racist.
In his autobiography Bill Clinton has said, "I have always loved Hillary very much, though not always not very well." New Hampshire and Nevada have been the not very well parts.
He is going to make a big attempt on that same theme in California. If he also succeeds there - and he will if Barack stays above the fray - Obama 2008 is over on February 6.
New Kind Of Politics Can Still Be Pragmatic And Realist
When you get hit, you hit back. That is fundamental to campaigning. That is like one of those Newton's laws of motion.
Where you can differ is on how you hit back. You can get mean when hitting back. You can lie when hitting back. You can engage in the politics of personal destruction when hitting back. All that is old school, all that is slash and burn, all that is so 1990s, Barack is saying no to all that. He is turning the page.
But that does not change the you got to hit back part.
So how do you hit back?
Hillary has been making the rounds saying Barack is a talker, not a doer. That is a hit. Where is the counter hit? A good, effective counterhit would be this: Hillary sure is a doer, she did the Iraq War, didn't she?
That reflex action you got to show, otherwise voters lose respect for you. If you don't go for that reflex action, you end up being Adlai Stevenson, not JFK. They are not even going to consider you for running mate. You remain a black guy.
Rapid Response
There is an urgent need for this.
Rescue Mission
Barack has to give a major speech on how he will take race relations in America to the next level. The best timing would be one day before the South Carolina primary. It has to appeal to both whites and blacks, MLK style. And it would be take if he would also bring along the gender theme a little. The speech is at the bottom of this page: JFK, Obama Parallels: Catholic, Black. This could end up his most important speech for the entire primary season, the speech that turned things around.
US Presidential Candidates Prepare for Contests in Nevada, South ...Voice of America to cite a Bible verse in support of her main argument against Sen. Barack Obama. ..... "As the Scripture reminds us, we cannot be just hearers to the word, we must be doers," she declared. The mostly African American congregation applauded and murmured in agreement. ..... Clinton has resumed her role as the forceful aggressor in the Democratic presidential race, showing few signs of vulnerability, and playing down her emotions in favor of a heavy emphasis on policy details. ...... her advisers have been mounting a fierce behind-the-scenes effort to undercut Obama and lower expectations for Clinton ..... California, the biggest prize of Super Tuesday ........ Clinton has returned to her pre-Iowa days. ...... payments of $650 per person to help people, especially seniors on fixed incomes, pay utility bills; mandatory preschool; a $30 billion fund to help communities cope with the mortgage crisis; a $200 million program over five years to help communities transition ex-convicts back into society. ....... I've been around long enough to know that you don't make things disappear by just talking about it -- you've got to have action. ........ when Dr. King was taken from us too soon, he was marching for economic justice ...... "And there still is a long way to go today, particularly when it comes to voting rights and job discrimination." ...... that we do deliver on the dream that all of us know should be a reality," she said, "and not just a hope." A Newly Confident Clinton Focuses More on Economy Than on Obama Washington Post Obama delivers blistering attack on Clinton Baltimore Sun In one of his fiercest attacks yet on his leading challenger, Barack Obama today accused Hillary Clinton of stealing his ideas, frequently being wrong on policy decisions and lacking honesty with voters. ....... I was very popular when I was 20 points down. I was a good American, wonderful inspiration," he said. "Funny how politics works." ......... the foreclosure crisis that is responsible for so much of the economic duress the country is facing ...... "She said she voted for it, but she hoped that the bill would die," he said. "Think about that. She voted for it, even though she hoped it wouldn't pass." ........ "Part of my job in this race is to restore people's sense that you say what you mean and you mean what you say," he said, almost yelling. "I'm happy to put my record against almost anybody. But what I don't want is the experience of playing a bunch of political games, tit-for-tat, partisian nonsense that doesn't actually solve the problems that hard-working Americans are facing. We don't need more of that experience. We need a change in America." Obama in northern NV, as poll shows him behind Baltimore Sun Obama camp claims victory in casino caucus caseGuardian Unlimited Obama mocks Clinton 'impatience'BBC News Clinton and Obama go all-in in Nevada AFP Clinton holds narrow Nevada lead on Obama: pollReuters Bill Clinton, Stumping and Simmering New York Times Poll: Clinton, Romney Ahead in NevadaThe Associated Press Clinton leads Obama 49 percent to 28 percent among women and 50 percent to 29 percent among Hispanics. Obama leads Clinton 65 percent to 18 percent among blacks. The two candidates split the support of men almost evenly — 37 percent for Obama, 30 percent for Clinton. Clinton holds narrow Nevada lead on Obama: pollReuters Clinton leads in Nevada, gets endorsement Boston Globe Obama ratchets-up pressure over Clinton's senate recordGuardian Unlimited Clinton plays gaming card against ObamaLos Angeles Times Florida: Giuliani Romney McCain Virtually Tied PoliGazette CIA blames Al Qaeda, Taliban for Bhutto assassination Christian Science Monitor Pakistan kills dozens of militants in Bhutto suspect's denAFP Asia to dominate WiMax market by 2013 VNUNet.com ComScore: Google held 31.3% online video market share in NovemberCNNMoney.com Acer, HP, Dell plan Eee rivals Sky News a new chip from Intel will see an influx of Asus Eee-alikes to the market this year. ..... Asus' 7-inch UMPC has taken the portables market by storm with its super low-cost, its small form factor and easy to use charm. ...... Intel's Shelton'08 chip that uses Intel's single-core Diamondville CPU with a core frequency of 1.6GHz, 533MHz FSB and power consumption of 3.5W. Nevada Basks in a New Political Sun New York Times Clinton Kicks Off California TV Campaign New York Times New ad features Huckabee’s praise of McCain The Hill Clinton, Obama vow to bury race debate Leading The Charge Clinton and Barack Obama blamed aides and campaign surrogates Tuesday night for fueling a campaign controversy over race, jointly pledging on the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. to put the matter behind them. ..... the former first lady won a meaningless Michigan presidential primary ..... Edwards said he had changed his mind on the issue, citing new scientific evidence about its risks.
DL21C's Eye on '08 Series continues with U.S. Senate Candidate Jim Neal (D-NC) Candidate for Senate against Sen. Elizabeth Dole Retreat Lounge 37 W 17th St (between 5th and 6th Avenues)
DL21C's Super Duper Tuesday Party Live Returns, TV Coverage, Special Guests and Much More Tonic Bar & Lounge 727 Seventh Avenue (at 49th Street) N/R/W/Q to 49th Street; 1/2/3 to 50th Street 7:00 pm until LATE
The Al Qaeda is not a state. It is not a standing army. It is a leaderless organization like the Wikipedia is a leaderless organization. Their group dynamics is pretty cutting edge.
I have consistently said at this blog the war on terror is the same magnitude as the cold war and the only way it will end is when all Arab countries have become democracies. You drain the swamp.
And then I have suggested Nepal's April Revolution 2006 might be the way to go about it. You build a coalition of all political parties. You shut the country down for a few weeks completely until the autocratic regime falls. An interim government takes over. It holds elections to a constituent assembly to write the country a new constitution. In this the diaspora of that country necessarily plays an important role.
Chicago belongs to America, Dallas belongs to America, San Francisco belongs to America, but New York City belongs to the world. Everybody you need to spread democracy into all countries of the world is right here in New York City. The single best thing anyone could do to spread democracy into all corners of the world would be to grant voting rights for the city elections to everyone who lives in this city. Proof of residence is all you should need. Either you got a lease, or your landlord fills out a form saying you live at a particular address. That would get all New Yorkers politically active, including the estimated 40% who don't have the legal papers to be in the country. Every single town on the planet is represented in New York City. Shanghai can claim skyscrapers but it can not claim NYC's diversity.
People from poor countries working odd jobs in New York City are people who love this city, they are people who love America. They don't go to bed at night and wake up in the morning having had dreams of blowing up buildings. But they have been denied their due political respect.
America is not an ideal democracy. It remains a racist democracy. Not all are equal. Capitalist America responded to Russia's October Revolution with a welfare state. America will win the war on terror as it should, but it will have to become a nonracist democracy in the process.
I hit the wall with DFNYC trying to get some, any, help on Nepal's democracy movement. Action against the Iraq War was okay, but Nepal was not in New York City. And so I shunned them as an organization after the magical April Revolution 2006. That one was for world history.
I might have hit the wall with DL21C on 2.0. And that is okay, it is a free country.
Moving around political organizations in Manhattan you get to feel the caste system. My thought on that is, well, fuck the caste system. Fuck the caste system in India. Fuck the caste system in America. And that is why my number one focus has been on experiencing events rather than trying to get to know people.
I have instigated a French Revolution. What have you done? Why should I think you are politically higher up than me? Especially when I find the group dynamics of leaderless organizations so very appealing. There is no higher up. There is only action.
Once in a while you will come across some white guy who is gearing to run for office in Queens. And I am like, I have been to Queens so many times. I don't meet white guys when I am walking around. How is this any different from British Viceroys landing upon Calcutta?
I think that is where BarackObama.com comes in. It is an amazing political tool. It is a stripped down version of Facebook and it is a stripped down version of MeetUp. Anyone can sign up. Anyone can create events. You get to create a profile. You can blog at the site.
Of course over time you get to know the regulars. You make friends. And leaders appear: people who really work hard behind the scenes to create events. But the skeleton of it is it is a leaderless organization.
BarackObama.com is an amazing tool that Barack will need more as president than he does now. It will be the primary feature of his presidential library.
Romney leads some Michigan polls, lags in others MarketWatch China and India: New Vision, Old Tensions BusinessWeek Kenyan Opposition Wins Parliament Speaker Vote Voice of America Obama, Clinton call for end to bitter fight CNN Apple announces ultrathin laptop, movie rentals CNET News.com Sexism, racism emerging from Clinton-Obama rivalry Inquirer.net McCain Moves Into Lead; Obama Gains on Clinton Washington Post Sen. Barack Obama all but erasing Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's once-overwhelming advantage among Democrats ..... Clinton had dominated in national polls from the outset, holding a 30-point advantage as recently as a month ago, but the competitiveness of the first two contests appears to have reverberated among Democrats across the country. ....... 42 percent of likely Democratic voters support Clinton (N.Y.), and 37 percent back Obama (Ill.). Clinton's support is down 11 percentage points from a month ago, with Obama's up 14 ...... opinions shifted decisively after Obama's big win in Iowa and Clinton's narrow victory in New Hampshire. ....... Obama has a 13-point edge among independents ...... Many of the upcoming contests limit participation to registered Democrats, which Clinton's advisers see as an advantage. ...... Obama holds a lead of nearly 2 to 1 among African Americans ....... 59 percent of black women support Obama and 35 percent back Clinton. Among white women, Clinton's margin over Obama is 20 percentage points ...... Obama now leads Clinton among men, 42 percent to 33 percent, and while she retains an advantage among women, it has been severely attenuated. She has an 11 percentage-point lead among women, down from 39 points a month ago. ....... Obama has eliminated the 3 to 1 advantage she enjoyed among single women a month ago. Married women go for Clinton over Obama by 53 percent to 30 percent. ....... Obama has in some cases neutralized what were big Clinton advantages. ..... half now see him as the most inspiring Democrat. ...... By a decisive margin, Democrats in the new poll said they prioritize a new direction and new ideas over strength and experience Bill Clinton: Move Beyond Race Remarks ABC News Bill Clinton courts Nevada ahead of caucusesSeattle Post Intelligencer Hillary Clinton's Dirty Campaign TacticsAlterNet Hillary Clinton will not just fight hard, but fight dirty, to win. And her tactic of choice is attempting to suppress the votes of her rival's supporters. ......... Nevada, where the Nevada State Education Association is widely seen as filing a suit on Clinton's behalf to stop Las Vegas' most powerful union, Culinary Workers Local 226, from caucusing inside downtown casinos after the union endorsed Barack Obama. The tactic foments a split along racial and class lines in arguably the strongest union city in America. ......... the Clinton campaign has made similar moves in New Hampshire and Iowa. ........ In the first primary state, her supporters -- backed by New Hampshire Democratic Party officials -- pressured poll workers to remove observers stationed by the Obama campaign. ....... in Iowa, the Clinton campaign -- with the help of the state's largest newspaper, the Des Moines Register, which endorsed her -- was discouraging students from returning from winter break to vote, even though their right to do so was legal ....... her campaign's increasingly critical rhetoric has been accompanied by voter suppression tactics aimed at her rival's core voters. ........ intentionally suppressing voters -- especially under-represented, low-income minority union members ......... no organization is more aligned with those voters in Nevada than the Culinary Union, whose training materials for its members are printed in four languages ....... a strong turnout from the tens of thousands of Culinary Workers Union members in Las Vegas, where 70 percent of Nevada voters live, could swing the state's early foray into presidential politics ....... In 2000, fewer than 1,000 people participated in Nevada's caucuses. In 2004, that number was about 9,000. This year, estimates are in the tens of thousands. ....... "This (caucus) plan was created by some of the same people who are plaintiffs in the suit against it," he said. "It's not that they didn't like the plan when Clinton was ahead." Poll: Clinton, McCain Lead Nationally The Associated Press
Nevada Debate Watch Party
Hi Barackers,
The race is on! Come cheer for Barack when he debates Hilary and Edwards at the Democratic Debate in Nevada. With Barack and Hilary neck and neck, the debate is sure to be exciting!
Where: Irish Rogue, 356 West 44th St., 2nd Floor Drink Specials all night: $3 domestic beer/$4 draft and imported beer/$1 off all other drinks. Special Pub Food Menu for Barackers
When: 8 to 9 PM: Intro to Phone Banking with Justin Allen. Find out the key techniques in representing the Obama campaign
9 to 11 PM: Watch the debate with fellow supporters televised live on MSNBC. Cheer for Barack as he takes on the rival candidates.
*Join ObamaNYC.com! As Super Tuesday approaches, the campaign needs everyone's help. Please email me if you're interested in being an active organizer role with ObamaNYC, a grassroots group of enthusiastic and fun campaign volunteers.
Bill Clinton said in New Hampshire that Barack's candidacy was the biggest fairytale he had ever seen. Then after the New Hampshire primary was over he backtracked a little. He said he was only referring to Barack's position on the Iraq War.
He started out by saying Barack's entire existence was a fairytale. The voting age population is not supposed to believe in Santa, not in fairytales. Those who believe in fairytales are kids. Boys. Boy Barack. Come hither, boy.
Bill Clinton is like me. He does not get the full grasp of what Barack means by hope, and new kind of politics. Newton's laws of motion have stood the test of time. Bill Clinton feels like his 1990s style of politics as permanent as Newton's laws of motion. He calls them Clinton's laws of politics. But then he never was a modest kinda guy.
I am 35. Many white folks routinely mistake me for someone much younger. I look younger, they say. To the brown people I look my age. To some white people, I am a fairytale.
When I took grave offense at what I perceived to be institutional racism when I was a newly elected SGA President at the college I went to in Kentucky, the college president came out saying, "That kid does not understand English!" That kid - skinny kid with a funny name - is a fairytale.
In The News
Obama Declares Truce FOXNews I’ve been a little concerned about the tenor the campaign has been going over the last couple of days ...... “I don’t want the campaign at this stage to degenerate into so much tit for tat back and forth that we lose sight of why we are all doing this,” he said. Clinton, McCain lead among California voters Los Angeles Times Hillary Rodham Clinton holds a commanding lead over Barack Obama in California as the Democratic presidential contest heads toward the Feb. 5 primary, a new statewide poll has found. ..... the race remains extremely fluid, even as voters in the state are casting mail-in ballots. Six in 10 Republican primary voters said they might change candidates in the next three weeks. Among Democrats, four in 10 said they could change their minds. ....... Clinton leads Obama 47 percent to 31 percent ..... McCain was ahead with 20 percent. Mitt Romney was at 16 percent, Rudolph W. Giuliani at 14 percent and Mike Huckabee at 13 percent. ..... In the Bay Area, the most concentrated Democratic area in the state, Clinton led by a 31-point margin, which narrowed to 22 points in the state's second Democratic bulwark, the Los Angeles area. Over the weekend, Obama's campaign aides announced they would begin running television advertisements in the Bay Area. Obama and 'the Race Card' Washington Post While the accusations against the Clintons by Obama supporters and African American political figures might have helped Obama in the short-term, and might also have been justified, they nonetheless threatened to destroy his candidacy in the long-run -- and possibly even fracture the Democratic Party itself. ...... appeal to whites and offer a "truce" in America's racial wars ...... If this becomes a campaign about race, Obama loses. .... (his candidacy is so attractive to many voters because they see it as an opportunity for racial healing). ...... I wish we could just shove all this toothpaste back in the tube, but something tells me that's wishful thinking. ..... Once white people start turning on Obama, black people may give up hope and either not vote or vote for their second choice, who is probably Hillary Clinton. ...... Given everything else that is going on in the world, this is a stupid side-show discussion, but Obama had better realize that if he doesn't return fire in some fashion, he'll be in a bodybag and carted off the field before he even knows it Barack Obama gains with black AmericansTelegraph.co.uk Following his victory in Iowa and close second-place finish to Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire, the Illinois senator is now supported by 60 per cent of African Americans compared to 32 per cent for the former First Lady ....... many are increasingly ready to vote for the first black candidate with a realistic chance of being president. ..... Among likely voters in the Democratic Party primaries to chose a candidate for November's presidential election, Mr Obama is now only five points behind the New York senator, having been 30 points behind a month ago. ..... Clinton ahead by a bigger margin, with 42 per cent to Mr Obama's 27 per cent. Obama says Clinton wasn't playing race cardUSA Today Eugene Robinson / Clinton can't count on black vote San Francisco Chronicle Clinton courting Nevada Latinos to win CaliforniaNewsday Obama seeks to lower temperature Baltimore Sun A Negative Turn in a Dangerous Game for Clinton, ObamaWashington Post Clinton, Obama, hope, and promiseBoston Globe Poll: Clinton, McCain nab national leadsUSA Today Clinton is holding her ground with women voters, but rival Barack Obama has narrowed her lead by scoring major gains among African-Americans and young people. ...... McCain has vaulted to the top of the GOP field following his win in New Hampshire. ...... Giuliani, who led in every USA TODAY survey in 2007, is in third place. ..... Women voters are sticking with Clinton. The New York senator lost among female voters in Iowa but won them back in New Hampshire. She was supported by 50% of women in four USA TODAY surveys taken in November and December and by the same number now. Obama's support among women has climbed to 31% from 21%. ...... African-American voters are moving to Obama. Clinton led among blacks by 23 percentage points in late 2007, 56%-33%, but Obama now leads by 25 points, 57%-32%. ....... Young people also have shifted to Obama. Clinton led among voters 18-29 years old by 17 points in late 2007, 45%-28%. That has more than turned around: Obama leads in this age group by 57%-29%. ..... Overall, Clinton is at 45%, Obama 33% and former North Carolina senator John Edwards at 13%. .... McCain is at 33%, former Arkansas governor Huckabee at 19%
Urgent. Is it Jennifer who collected all the email addresses? Can you please pass me her email address?
This is what I am proposing. Sunday 11 to noon, same place, every Sunday. First five minutes people get to shape the agenda of what will be talked about and for how long. Next 55 minutes: talk. The entire hour gets videoblogged. Everybody who shows up will be entitled to membership to two online destinations:
The conversation never stops. And geography is irrelevant. I will be the cameraman. So someone could decide they don't want to show up every week, maybe only once a month, and that is okay, the entire hour will be in video online at the blog. If someone who showed up feels like they did not get to fully say what they wanted to say, the can blog it at the group blog. Those who don't want the world to know what they have to say use the private Google group.
I think we got something grand. This could go national.
And we should stick to one hour. At noon, it is officially over, although people will sure have the option to stick around.
I think we got a great, central location for the entire city. We should stick to it.
In The News
Obama, Clinton let elbows fly Chicago Tribune exchanged fiery comments about the role of a civil rights leader, the war in Iraq and each other's leadership capacity. ..... she said Obama's campaign is "deliberately distorting" what she has said about Martin Luther King's legacy. ..... "I have the greatest regard for rhetoric and particularly the ability that Sen. Obama has to, you know, lift our sights and our hearts with his oratory," Clinton said ..... "He didn't go to the floor of the Senate to condemn the war in Iraq for 18 months" ...... "an hour talking about me and my record in a way that was flat-out wrong." ........ "I stood up against the [Iraq] war when she was voting for it, at a time she didn't read the intelligence reports, or give diplomacy a chance," he said. "I have to say, she started this campaign saying that she wanted to make history and lately she has been spending a lot of time rewriting it." ........ "She made an ill-advised statement about Dr. King, suggesting that Lyndon Johnson had more to do with the Civil Rights Act," Obama said. "I did not make the statement. I haven't commented on the statement. For them to suggest that we're injecting race as a consequence of a statement she made that we haven't commented on is pretty hard to figure out."
Obama the target of dangerous code words Chicago Sun-Times Campaigns are about words. I am hearing some words that are tapping into the most dangerous part of the American psyche. ..... This nation was built on racism. Its economy blossomed from human cargo shuttled across the sea and sold into slavery. Our black ancestors were shackled, raped, brutalized. They were lynched, burned, bombed, hosed, executed. ..... We can't ignore our history. It is still with us. ..... Our women are called nappy-headed whores. ..... Biden noted that Obama was the first "mainstream" African-American candidate "who is articulate and bright and clean." ..... Bob Kerrey noted Obama's personal history in the Washington Post, singling out his full name: Barack "Hussein" Obama. ....... Obama is "the other." He is dangerous. He is hustling, criminal, back-alley black man. ....... Racial code words are not new to American politics. ..... A campaign ad starred a Playboy-esque blond bombshell beckoning to Senate candidate Harold Ford. George Allen had his "macaca" moment. ...... Listen to the words. "I just don't want to see us fall backward." Backward to what? To that black man. That black man who beat Hillary. That black man who made the white woman cry. White New Hampshire voters came to her rescue. Poor Hillary. Don't worry -- we will protect you. We will save you. Our racial wounds are deep, their impact subliminal. Words have consequences. In these sensitive times, they can activate our most unconscious fears and tap the deepest recesses of our ugly history. Every black man in America knows it. Especially Barack Obama.
Clinton and Obama unveil economic plans Guardian Unlimited Obama's plan is valued at $75bn. Released yesterday, it includes tax cuts for workers, a bonus to senior citizens, mortgage aid and expanded unemployment insurance. ...... "When the bills are stacking up, and you're just one pink slip away from losing everything you've got, the last thing you need is more talk. .... "In the face of rising global competition, our children's future is at stake. So we don't need more rhetoric, we need action." ...... bad news on the US economy mounted. ...... Evidence of a drop in consumer spending is growing, and consumer confidence in the economy is dropping.
Michelle Obama defends husband's record MSNBC "His opponents will say that he wasn't always against the war," she said today here. "I'm like, 'Where have you been?'" ...... "What they fail to tell you," she said, "is that where Barack was trying to get to the U.S. Senate." The tough Illinois primary race he faced, she added, made his opposition to the war all the more politically risky at the time. ...... "We have two choices: One, same old thing. Same thing that hasn't worked for my lifetime. Same people, same game, same thing. And then we have Barack. Those are our choices."
Is this Hillary comparing Barack Obama to MLK or disrespecting MLK? I think both. America has had 43 presidents and one MLK. MLK stands in a league of his own. MLK stands in the same league as Gandhi. No American president save Lincoln stands in the same league as Gandhi. You don't get to compare MLK to Lyndon Johnson. That is like comparing Gandhi to Mountbatten.
I feared Barack smarting from the New Hampshire loss might play the race card wrong in South Carolina, but I am not worried no more. (How To Play The Race Card In South Carolina) Hillary just ran her Willie Horton ad, and this is not 1988 no more. She has grossly misjudged the mood in the country.
Hillary just handed Barack a nomination. Barack has to do three things. One, he has to take Hillary to task for disrespecting MLK. Two, he has to realize there is no escaping taking the race issue head on. Three, he has to take the high road on race and do a MLK on taking race relations in America to a new level, he has to come up with a message that appeals to both whites and blacks. MLK already taught us how to do that. I think I already wrote a perfect speech for him to deliver. (JFK, Obama Parallels: Catholic, Black)
It would be better still if he also snatched the gender theme from Hillary. Hillary has studiously avoided tackling gender as an issue. Women of America need more than crying. The gender issue can be had. If you want symbolic progress on gender, go with Hillary. If you want substantive progress on gender, come with my guy Obama. Let's declare a global war on domestic violence.
Bill Clinton looks good because people compare him to George W Bush. Bill Clinton looks good because people compare him to George H W Bush. He did give eight good years of economic stewardship. He is a smart guy, a Rhodes Scholar and all that. He does not come in the long tradition of racist white men from the South like Trent Lott does. He is on record attending black churches and singing too. But Bill Clinton never made any serious attempt to tackle the chronic poverty in the inner cities. Barack will. Bill Clinton was good. Barack will be great. Bill Clinton got into AIDS and Rwanda after he was no longer president. Barack will engineer total debt relief for Africa while president. (Africa And Colonialism 2.0)
And, besides, this republic was designed to tackle poverty and crime and education and health and space exploration and world peace. Under Bill Clinton the republic had to tackle Monica for over a year. That was an unnecessary burden on the system.
Ugh. I can't believe Hillary just went ahead and disrespected MLK. Who came up with this idea? Mark Penn?
Shame, Shame, Shame
Shame on the women in California who can't imagine a black man in the White House.
In The News
Clinton Says Obama Playing Racial Politics Washington Post and said that he has not yet been held to account for his record on the war in Iraq. ..... Several prominent African Americans have voiced concern about statements by Clinton and her husband, former president Bill Clinton, the day before the New Hampshire primary. ....... "Dr. King's dream began to be realized when President Lyndon Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. ... [I]t took a president to get it done." ....... "This whole thing is the biggest fairy tale I've ever seen." After some complained, Clinton said that he was referring only to Obama's Iraq record and not his candidacy. ...... "Dr. King didn't just give speeches," Clinton said. He understood "he had to move the political process and bring in those who were in political power. ... He wanted somebody in the White House who would act," she said. .... "He gave a very impassioned speech against it and consistently said that he was against the war, he would vote against the funding for the war," she said. "By 2003, that speech was off his Web site. By 2004, he was saying that he didn't really disagree with the way George Bush was conducting the war. And by 2005, 6, and 7, he was voting for $300 billion in funding for the war. The story of his campaign is really the story of that speech and his opposition to Iraq. I think it is fair to ask questions about it." ....... "How do you translate your words into deeds?" she added later. "I think it is fair to point out that he has no record of actually producing positive change." ........ Edwards, on CNN's "Late Edition," reiterated his pledge to continue his campaign "through the convention." ....... Giuliani has staked much of his campaign on a win in Florida on Jan. 29, while Romney faces a big test on Tuesday in Michigan ...... "I hate to say poor Mitt, because a man with that much wealth is hardly poor anything," he added.
Clinton Accuses Obama Camp of Distorting Her Words New York Times Representative James E. Clyburn, the South Carolina Democrat who is the highest-ranking African-American in Congress. Mr. Clyburn had expressed disappointment in the Clinton campaign. ...... giving President Lyndon B. Johnson more credit than Dr. King for civil rights law. ...... use of the phrase “fairy tale” in talking about Mr. Obama’s views on the war in Iraq. ..... At a later stop, she said that her remark had not captured what she had sought to portray. ...... Asked what role she thought race would play in her contest with Mr. Obama, Mrs. Clinton responded, “I hope none.” ....... “I don’t think either Senator Obama or myself want to see the injection of race or gender into this campaign,” she continued. “We are each running as individuals. I think it’s absolutely extraordinary that the two leading candidates for the Democratic nomination for president are an African-American and a woman.” ...... the Democratic presidential fight between Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama ....... the may not end on the mega-primary day of Feb. 5$20 million or so that they currently have on hand — to advertise heavily in the expensive media markets of California, New Jersey and New York ........ Among the new national finance leaders are four New Yorkers
Obama Calls Clinton Allegations “Ludicrous” FOXNews new endorser, Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) ...... Obama responded incredulously, “This is fascinating to me. I mean, I think what we saw this morning is why the American people are tired of Washington politicians and the games they play. But Senator Clinton made an unfortunate remark, an ill-advised remark, about King and Lyndon Johnson. I didn’t make the statement. I haven’t remarked on it and she, I think, offended some folks who felt that somehow diminished King’s role in bringing about the Civil Rights Act. She is free to explain that, but the notion that somehow this is our doing is ludicrous. I have to point out that instead of telling the American people about her positive vision for America, Senator Clinton spent an hour talking about me and my record in a way that was flat out wrong.” ...... Clinton Supporter, Darrell Jackson Calls Clinton Remarks Painful. “Sharp criticism of Barack Obama and other comments about Martin Luther King Jr. — all from people associated with Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign — have generated resentment among some black S.C. voters. ...... many black voters now are drawn to the prospect of a black man winning the presidency. Those on both sides say watching the battle unfold in the Palmetto State, where black voters could cast half of the votes in the Democratic primary, won’t be pretty. ‘To some of us, it is painful,’ said state Sen. Darrell Jackson, a Clinton supporter.” ....... his own phone had been ringing with friends around the country voicing their concern. “I’ve been concerned about some of those comments - and that there might be a backlash,” he said ...... Donna Brazile Lashed Into Bill Clinton For Comparing Obama To A “Fairy Tale” And Said “It’s An Insult… As An African-American” And That His Tone And Words Are “Very Depressing.” “Donna Brazile lit into Bill Clinton over his insulting comments of Obama, where he called him a “fairy tale” and said “I could understand his frustration at this moment. But, look, he shouldn’t take out all his pain on Barack Obama. It’s time that they regroup. Figure out what Hillary needs to do to get her campaign back on track. It sounds like sour grapes coming from the former commander in chief. Someone that many Democrats hold in high esteem. For him to go after Obama, using a fairy tale, calling him as he did last week. It’s an insult. And I will tell you, as an African-American, I find his tone and his words to be very depressing. … I think his tone, I think calling Barack Obama a kid, he is a United States senator.” ....... came perilously close to injecting racial tension into what should have been — and still should be — an uplifting contest between the first major woman candidate and the first major African-American candidate. ...... Why Mrs. Clinton would compare herself to Mr. Johnson, who escalated the war in Vietnam into a generational disaster, was baffling enough. It was hard to escape the distasteful implication that a black man needed the help of a white man to effect change. She pulled herself back from the brink by later talking about the mistreatment and danger Dr. King faced. Former President Bill Clinton, who seems to forget he is not the one running, hurled himself over the edge on Monday with a bizarre and rambling attack on Mr. Obama. Clinton Surrogate Makes Veiled Reference to Obama's Drug Use ABC News "I am frankly insulted that the Obama campaign would imply that we are so stupid that we would think Hillary and Bill Clinton who have been deeply and emotionally involved in black issues when Barack Obama was doing something in the neighborhood that I won't say what he was doing but he said it in his book." ....Carson speculated that Johnson may have been referring to Obama's time spent as a community organizer. Bihar MLAs, MLCs to get laptops The Statesman Laptop Project Would Welcome Intel Back Washington Post Clinton: Obama camp is 'distorting' her remarksCNN Clinton Takes Pride in Obama in SCWashington Post Clinton and Obama Spar Over Remark About Dr. KingNew York Times Clinton Supporters Come Out SwingingCBS News Clinton hits back as race row sours White House contest AFP Clinton makes push for Hispanics' support in NevadaChicago Tribune Clinton rolls the dice in Nevada to Obama's 'sure bet' union supportAXcess News