The Pennsylvania Primary Will Be Won With A Blitz Of TV Ads

We have to fight in Pennsylvania like it were a primary and not a caucus. The war will be waged through TV ads. The two dozen ads run by Obama 08 in OH and TX were disappointing. First, two dozen, that is too many. You can only run a total of five. Two, the ads lacked aesthetics, focus, intensity. They did not grip. The ads we ran in OH and TX said we have a lot of money that we raised in February and not much else.

Some of the early Obama ads were great.

People don't know Barack Obama. By now they might know the word Obama, but that does not mean they know him. That has to be the starting point.

(1) Bio

All Dem voters in Pennsylvania should be able to spout about five biographical facts about Barack. If not, we lose. Policy is not enough. People need a story before they will vote. They need to connect.



(2) Mother, Health Care

This is my absolute favorite ad of all Obama 08 ads. This is not racial pandering. This is not like saying, oh look good white people, Obama was raised by a white mother. Barack can talk about his mother like it was okay for Bill Clinton to talk about his father in 1992. This is not about race, this is about introducing the man. How do you hide the person who raised him? Especially when that person is the reason he is so passionate about health care, his signature issue.



(3) Wife, Kids



(4) Hillary

Cut an ad that says Hillary started the Iraq War. She did not read the intelligence report before voting. There were no weapons of mass destruction. It was not Saddam but Bin Laden who was behind 9/11. Iraq was an expensive distraction from the legitimate fight on the Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and the border areas. Look all we could have at home with all that money.

(5) Victory, Momentum

Brag about our victory and strength. How many volunteers, how many donors? Largest grassroots movement in history. How many states? How many votes? Claim delegate victories in Nevada and Texas. Point out Hillary did not win Michigan and Florida.

Run these five ads on and on. More than five will be too many.

Wyoming Erases Hillary's March 4 Gain

Hillary made a net gain of four delegates on March 4. One Obama victory in Wyoming, and that margin is poof.

Too Much Loving

A man is entitled to loving his wife, but this much loving? Bill Clinton is spending way too much time on the phone with the superdelegates.

Events

Mississippi Results Watching Party Today, March 11 at 6:00pm

DL21C's Political Author Series with Doug Schoen Tomorrow, March 12 at 7:00pm

In The News

GOP to Push for NY Gov Impeachment The Associated Press
One in Four Women in Teens Have STD’s, Study Finds New York Times
1 in 4 Teen Girls Has Sexual Disease The Associated Press
STDs rife among US teenage girls BBC News
Spitzer in 'Transition Talks'; Had Planned to Quit Last Night ABC News Spitzer had planned to announce his resignation at 7 p.m. last night but abruptly changed his mind on advice from his lawyers ...... Spitzer's resignation could still come as early as today, and that Spitzer was involved in "transition talks." ..... "It is inevitable; it is just a question of when," said one cabinet-level New York state official. ..... Paterson and his chief of staff reportedly spent the morning reviewing organization charts and assessing which members of the Spitzer administration might be kept on once he resigns. ..... Spitzer's lawyers are already in negotiations over what criminal charges the governor could face in a plea negotiation. .... financial crimes involving alleged violations of the law in the way Spitzer moved money through a series of accounts to pay for his prostitutes ..... An offer to resign as governor could be part of any negotiated package
Obama Courts Mississippi as It Goes to Polls New York Times a rare chance for Democrats here to play a role in the presidential nominating process ..... a commanding lead in polls in the year’s final primary in the Deep South. ..... African-Americans account for 36 percent of the population, the highest in the nation. Mr. Obama was hoping to repeat his showing in other Southern states, which he has carried by double-digit margins. ...... ordered a breakfast of hard-scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, wheat toast and grits. ..... “I promise when I’m president of the United States, I’ll come back to the Delta,” he said. “You all keep me in your prayers, now.” ...... his campaign portrayed her as having grossly exaggerated her foreign policy experience as first lady. ..... the Obama campaign fired back by saying that the energy bill she had voted against she had voted against “actually raised taxes on oil companies and made the largest investment in renewable energy in our nation’s history.” ........ there was “no reason to believe” that “she was a key player in foreign policy at any time during the Clinton administration.” ...... “She did not sit in on National Security Council meetings. She did not have a security clearance. She did not attend meetings in the Situation Room. She did not manage any part of the national security bureaucracy, nor did she have her own national security staff. She did not do any heavy-lifting with foreign governments, whether they were friendly or not. She never managed a foreign policy crisis, and there is no evidence to suggest that she participated in the decision-making that occurred in connection with any such crisis. As far as the record shows, Senator Clinton never answered the phone either to make a decision on any pressing national security issue — not at 3 a.m. or at any other time of day.” ......... Her claims of helping to bring peace to Northern Ireland have been debunked ...... had won about twice as many states as Mrs. Clinton. ..... and you start — and your campaign starts — leaking photographs of me when I’m traveling overseas wearing the native clothes of those folks to make people afraid, and then you run an ad talking about who is going to answer the phone at 3 in the morning, an ad straight out of the Republican playbook, that’s not real change,” Mr. Obama said. “That’s not real change. That’s the same old thing.”

Aides Say They Expect Spitzer to Resign New York Times Paterson and his staff have begun laying the groundwork for him to take over as governor and are reaching out to members of the Legislature .... a high-priced prostitution ring broken up last week by federal authorities ..... he would begin moving to have Mr. Spitzer impeached if the governor did not step down within 48 hours. ...... he had used the prostitution service before, although it was not clear how often. ..... did not appear early Tuesday for his regular morning jog. ...... The news was met with disbelief and shock in Albany, a capital accustomed to scandal. Some legislative assistants said they were too stunned to speak, and lawmakers gathered around television sets in hushed offices, trying to make sense of what had happened. ....... “We’re at a total standstill” ...... “Everybody is stunned. Everybody is absolutely stunned.” ...... structuring, which carries a penalty of up to five years in prison. ...... Bruno, the state’s top Republican, would assume the duties of the lieutenant governor. ...... On Saturday night, he attended the Gridiron Club annual dinner, a political roast put on by Washington journalists, and appeared ebullient, according to people in attendance. ....... Silda Wall Spitzer, who was among them, told her husband that he should not resign in haste ........ the Emperor’s Club provided women to clients in London, Paris, Miami and other cities, and charged them between $1,000 and $5,500 an hour. ...... He testified before Congress about the bond insurance crisis the following morning. Among the open questions is where Mr. Spitzer’s security detail was while the prostitute was inside the hotel. ......... Room 871 at the Mayflower that evening was registered under the name George Fox. ....... a few of the prostitutes came to realize he was the governor of New York. ....... Room 871 at the Mayflower Hotel had been registered in Mr. Fox’s name with Mr. Spitzer’s Fifth Avenue address ....... In a wiretapped conversation after the encounter, the prostitute, Kristen, called her booker to inform her that the session had gone well, and that she did not find the client “difficult,” as other prostitutes apparently had ........ sometimes asks the women “to do things that, like, you might not think were safe.” ....... Spitzer was elected in a landslide in 2006, capitalizing on his popularity he won as the “Sheriff of Wall Street” ....... With a reputation for personal probity and independence, he pledged to bring higher ethical standards to the statehouse.
Spitzer Said to Be Weighing Resignation his Fifth Avenue apartment ..... he had used the prostitution service before, although it was not clear how often.
Clinton at Home in Scranton New York Times the town where her father was raised and where she visited often as a child ...... went even wilder when she said she would be back on Saturday for this city’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade, one of the biggest in the country. ...... every time she hit on a brand name — Scranton Lace mills, Diamond Avenue, Revello’s Pizza, Joe Paterno — the crowd roared. ...... he’s buried here and I have a feeling he’s here in spirit ..... for whom seeing Mrs. Clinton seemed to be a near-religious experience. They waited in line for nearly four hours in the cold before getting in. ....... “I was praying I would meet her before my surgery,” he said.
Obama up in Mississippi, Clinton on to Penn. Chicago Tribune the long, 42-day march through the eventless desert leading to the April 22 ..... 33 delegates at stake. ...... Clinton's husband suggesting that Obama and Clinton together might be an "unstoppable force'' on the same ticket ...... "I don't know how somebody who is in second place is offering the vice presidency to the person who is first place," Obama said, in Mississippi. ...... Obama's two Mississippi events on Monday drew heavily black audiences that cheered him unabashedly.
Obama shuns VP talk, says he's No. 1 Chicago Tribune
Obama Favored in Mississippi Primary Voice of America
Clinton keeps her eye on big prize The Press Association
Hillary Clinton's Spitzer Problem Washington Post
Hillary Clinton erases Eliot Spitzer in a New York minute Los Angeles Times as state attorney general, he went after prostitution rings and the media publicity attached thereto. ..... Gavin Newsom, the mayor of San Francisco, who publicly apologized last year for conducting an illicit affair with the wife of one of his top aides. ..... Antonio Villaraigosa, another mayor, who also announced his endorsement of Clinton last year and then soon after also announced his impending divorce due to a long-running love affair with a local TV anchorwoman. .... Eliot "Let's give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants" Spitzer. ...... the number of visitors to websites with Spitzer stories absolutely rocketed off the charts ....... the Spitzer endorsement on the Clinton website disappeared. Vanished. Gone. Poof. Like he never happened to her last May. ...... "I'm not going to comment on an ongoing legal case."

Succession in the New York State Constitution New York Times, United States
Lt. Governor Could Replace Spitzer in NY The Associated Press
Eliot Spitzer’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Year in Office Wall Street Journal Sixteen months ago he was elected governor with a commanding 70% of the vote. ...... his tenure was been punctuated by screw-ups, scandals, and just plain stupid politics .... “I’m not naturally suited to this job, perhaps.” ..... Spitzer’s most well-known mishap was championing a plan to provide driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants. ...... His hard-charging style put off members of his own party, and his unwillingness to compromise alienated him from potential allies in Albany. ...... just 23% said they would vote for him again. ..... there was no comparison for Spitzer’s downward spiral. “Not in modern history,” he said. “It’s a complete reversal of fortune.”
Emperors Club prostitute: 'I have a way of dealing' Baltimore Sun, United States

It Wasn't the Sex; Suspicious $$ Transfers Led to Spitzer ABC News triggered by Gov. Eliot Spitzer's suspicious money transfers, initially leading agents to believe Spitzer was hiding bribes ..... the IRS and the FBI determined that Spitzer wasn't hiding bribes but payments to a company called QAT ..... As recently as this past Valentine's Day, Feb. 13, Spitzer, who officials say is identified in a federal complaint as "Client 9," arranged for a prostitute "Kristen" to meet him in Washington, D.C. ..... The woman met Client 9 at the Mayflower Hotel, room 871, "for her tryst" ...... Client 9 also is alleged to have paid for the woman's train tickets, cab fare, mini bar and room service, travel time and hotel. ..... "Never talk when you can nod, and never nod when you can wink, and never write an e-mail because it's death. You're giving prosecutors all the evidence we need"
After Spitzer, first black governor in New York history on deck Newsday Less than two years after he reluctantly ran for lieutenant governor, David Paterson is suddenly in line to be just the eighth black governor in American history ....... Paterson, the 53-year-old Democrat, legally blind career politician from Harlem is well respected by Republicans and Democrats. .... Koch recently called Paterson "very capable, not withstanding his near sightlessness. It's never impeded his public actions or his personal actions and he's really overcome it in an extraordinary way." ...... memorized lengthy, impassioned speeches without missing a mark. ..... a guy who likes to get along with people ...... Paterson has enjoyed a good relationship with Spitzer's chief nemesis, Republican Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, despite being the architect behind getting Democrats to within one seat of taking control of the Senate. In pointed yet often humorous floor debates, a kind of father-son relationship was evident between the Harlem Democrat and the rural, upstate Republican. ....... so focused was he on taking control of the Senate and becoming majority leader. ....... Spitzer, he appears dead in the political water.
RPT-FACTBOX-New York may get first African-American governor Reuters
On the Hill, Stunned Silence on Spitzer Washington Post, United States "I was absolutely shellshocked," King said of the Spitzer news. "I've never heard any rumors, any whispers, anything at all." ....... "I've never known a guy who was more self-righteous or more unforgiving than Eliot Spitzer," King said.
Fox Erroneously Reports Resignation Houston Chronicle, United States
Spitzer Apologizes, Does Not Resign Washington Post, United States
Clinton Declines to Comment on Spitzer Washington Post, United States
Dear Hillary: Eliot Spitzer Was "Already Vetted" Too Huffington Post, NY
Emporers Club: The web site behind the Spitzer scandal 7Online.com, NY

Obama dismisses joint ticket with Clinton Reuters
Obama Rejects Clinton Suggestion of Vice Presidential Nod Bloomberg
Obama: I'm No VP Washington Post
The Case for Obama's Readiness Yahoo! News
'Hillary manages to nearly erase Obama's lead' Sify
Obama mocks VP talk as race heads to Mississippi AFP
Clinton-Obama battle heads South CNN International
Obama Looks to Miss. for Momentum The Associated Press
Tight 'Super Tuesday' for Clinton, Obama Hindustan Times
Can Hillary Clinton still win? BBC News it is impossible for either one to secure the 2,025 delegates that would give them the Democratic nomination with pledged delegates alone. ..... Obama will have more pledged delegates than she will ...... Obama also has a clear upper hand with super-delegates so long as he has the majority of pledged delegates and the majority of the popular vote. ...... 57% of Americans think the candidate with the most votes should win the Democratic nomination. ... Six months is plenty of time to build an unbeatable argument for super-delegate support .... Six months is plenty of time to build an unbeatable argument for super-delegate support
Clinton-Obama Ticket? Obama Says No Way CBS News
Obama: Clinton lacks standing to offer me VP spot Baltimore Sun
2 Clinton Backers Offer a Way to Stage New Primaries New York Times
A resurrection that would bring life to Clinton's campaign Globe and Mail

Spitzer Is Linked to Prostitution Ring New York Times caught on a federal wiretap arranging to meet with a high-priced prostitute at a Washington hotel last month ...... apologized for his behavior, and described it as a “private matter.” ..... “I have acted in a way that violates my obligation to my family and violates my or any sense of right or wrong,” said Mr. Spitzer, who appeared with his wife Silda at his Manhattan office. “I apologize first and most importantly to my family. I apologize to the public to whom I promised better.” ...... I must now dedicate some time to regain the trust of my family. ....... Both had glassy, tear-filled eyes ..... charged out of the room, slamming the door. ..... The governor’s aides appeared shaken before he spoke, and one of them began to weep ....... Client 9 met with the woman in hotel room 871 ..... Spitzer had a difficult first year in office, rocked by a mix of scandal and legislative setbacks. ..... his Democratic party poised to perhaps gain control of the state Senate for the first time in four decades. ..... As attorney general, he also had prosecuted at least two prostitution rings as head of the state’s organized crime task force.

Nepal Maoist leader hits the campaign trail Tehran Times Just over two years ago, Nepal's former rebel Maoist chief Prachanda was on Interpol's most wanted list. Now he is campaigning for elections ..... The man who waged a decade-long revolt to topple the 239-year-old monarchy and install a communist regime now favors expensive watches, travels in a fancy sports utility vehicle and is escorted by dozens of security personnel.

Obama's Black Support Shows Its Limits The Associated Press Obama's heavy black support is nudging some working-class white Democrats into Clinton's camp .... Clinton won nearly two out of every three white votes in Ohio, and 56 percent of those in Texas .... Pennsylvania's demographic similarities to Ohio ..... Ohio, where 62 percent of all whites lack college degrees and many are anxious about their jobs in a weak economy. .... their resentment can have social and racial overtones. ..... the Clintons "were trying to use race to their political advantage, to cede the black vote to Obama and take the rest" ..... the steep drop in Obama's share of the white vote in Ohio compared to Wisconsin. ..... record turnout among black voters. "In many states, the black vote has doubled" ...... Philadelphia's black neighborhoods could help Obama next month.

Obama wins in Wyoming, adds 7 delegates Kansas City Star, USA Obama generally has outperformed Clinton in caucuses, which reward organization and voter passion more than do primaries. ..... Obama had 61 percent, or 5,378 votes, to Clinton's 38 percent, or 3,312 votes, with all 23 Wyoming counties reporting. .... You won't see me as a vice presidential candidate - you know, I'm running for president ..... "We have won twice as many states as Senator Clinton, and have a higher popular vote, and I think we can maintain our delegate count."

Obama halts Clinton's winning run The Press Association

Obama Leads in Mississippi, Clinton in Pennsylvania, Polls Show Bloomberg 53 percent of Mississippi Democrats compared with 39 percent for Clinton .... Fifty-two percent of Pennsylvania voters now support Clinton, after her recent wins, compared with 37 percent for Obama ..... Mississippi March 11, followed by Pennsylvania on April 22.

Kenyan Parliament Opens on Theme of Unity as Rivals Sit Apart New York Times
Clinton, Obama, give GOP boost The Daily Yomiuri Clinton lost because her delegate difficulty has intensified, not eased; her negative attacks have demeaned her, inviting a counterattack and providing fodder for the Republicans; and she can "win" only using skulduggery at the Democratic convention that will alienate the mass of Obama supporters without whose votes she cannot possibly prevail in the presidential election itself. ..... to beat back Obama among pledged delegates, Clinton now needs an average 26-point victory in the remaining 12 primaries and caucuses. ...... laughable, for example, the claim that she helped to bring about peace to Northern Ireland. ..... What seemed exciting and was drawing millions of new and young voters into political engagement is turning into a protracted guerrilla war. ...... Wyoming (March 8, 18 delegates, Obama); Mississippi (March 11, 40, Obama); Pennsylvania (April 22, 187, Clinton); West Virginia (May 13, 39, Clinton); North Carolina (May 6, 134, Obama); Oregon (May 20, 65, Obama); and Indiana (May 6, 84, tie). A de facto stalemate by the end of April-May will mean the contest is decided on the convention floor in Denver
Clinton-Obama dream team? Oh, dream on! Chicago Tribune "It is premature to talk about a joint ticket," he said. ..... When Blitzer asked if they would consider "an Obama-Clinton or Clinton-Obama ticket going down the road," Obama parried, "Well, obviously there's a big difference between those two." ...... Clinton, the former first lady, has little desire to be second banana again and Obama needs her less than she needs the support of his supporters.
Obama, Clinton Tied for Support Among Democrats, Newsweek Says Bloomberg
Obama Leads Clinton in Wyoming Caucuses The Associated Press
Obama Leads Clinton in Wyoming Caucuses; 30% of Vote Counted Bloomberg
Michigan 'firehouse primary' nixed by Obama camp Baltimore Sun
Obama leads Clinton in Wyoming as Democrats deluge caucuses Boston Herald straining the ability of party officials to accommodate crowds. ..... a relevancy they haven’t experienced in a presidential race in nearly 50 years. ..... caucuses, which rely on greater campaign organization and voter commitment than primaries
Obama attacks Hillary Clinton over Iraq Telegraph.co.uk Barack Obama has launched his most pointed attack so far on Hillary Clinton's support for the Iraq war, during a series of tit for tat exchanges that threaten to plunge the Democrat Party into civil war. ..... assembling in shops, churches and living rooms to pick their candidate. .... he craves the momentum, confidence and publicity a win can provide. ...... there are questions to answer about the Clintons' newfound wealth.

In Times Square Blast, Echoes of Earlier Bombings New York Times No one was injured in the blast. .... The British Consulate in 2005. The Mexican Consulate last year. And on Thursday, the Times Square military recruiting station. Three bombings with similar devices at three high-profile locations in Manhattan, each occurring at nearly the same time of day, in the predawn hours; each inflicting little damage; none injuring people. And in each case, someone — most likely a man — seen pedaling away on a bicycle with a hooded jacket or sweatshirt hiding his face. ...... the blast occurring at 3:40:43, although he said police believed it was closer to 3:43. The May 5, 2005 bombing at the British Consulate occurred at 3:55 a.m.; the bombing last year at the Mexican Consulate was at 3:40 a.m. on Oct. 26. ..... a very frustrated individual ...... People move in ways they are comfortable with, even when carrying out violence .... Bombers tend to have signatures.
Shattered Glass and Rattled Nerves Outside the Blast Site New York Times, United States
NY Bomber Sought, but No Link to Letters The Associated Press
Police canvass bombing scene early Friday Newsday, NY
Hunt on for Clues in Times Square Blast The Associated Press
New lead in New York blast probe The Press Association
US checks border stop for link to New York blast Reuters
Canada link probed after Times Square blast: police AFP
Times Square bomb fails to shatter city spirit Newsday, NY
Times Square Bomber's Bike Found ABC News
Bomber hits Times Square recruiting office Toronto Star, Canada
Cyclist sought in bombing at NYC military site Detroit Free Press, United States
Military recruitment center targeted in Times Square bombing Kansas City Star, MO
Letters after Times Square bombing CNN International
NYC bomber mailed letters to US lawmakers: report The Age, Australia
Canadian Border Incident, Photos Part Of Times Square Investigation MSNBC
NYC Struck Again by Mystery Bomber The Associated Press
Times Square recruiters accustomed to protests, but bomb a first Newsday, NY
Small bomb hits Times Square The Statesman, India
Video Shows Bicyclist Fleeing Times Sq. The Associated Press
NYC Police Investigate Small Blast in Times Square (Update8) Bloomberg
Police probe explosion at Times Square NDTV.com, India
NYPD: Person on bicycle seen near Times Square blast site Newsday, NY
Small Explosion Rattles New York's Times Square Voice of America
Explosion hits New York military recruiting center AFP
Improvised Bomb Hits Times Square Wired News
Small explosion hits Times Square Canada.com, Canada
'No threat to US' after Times Square blast Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom
Blast at US army recruitment centre Aljazeera.net, Qatar
US says no imminent homeland threat in NY blast Guardian, UK