Middle French & Latin; Middle French mandat, from Latin mandatum, from neuter of mandatus, past participle of mandare to entrust, enjoin, probably irregular from manus hand + -dere to put — more at manual, do
Date:
1501
1: an authoritative command; especially: a formal order from a superior court or official to an inferior one2: an authorization to act given to a representative mandate of the people>3 a: an order or commission granted by the League of Nations to a member nation for the establishment of a responsible government over a former German colony or other conquered territoryb: a mandated territory
Main Entry:
sug·ges·tion
Pronunciation:
\səg-ˈjes-chən, sə-ˈjes-, -ˈjesh-\
Function:
noun
Date:
14th century
1 a: the act or process of suggestingb: something suggested2 a: the process by which a physical or mental state is influenced by a thought or idea suggestion>b: the process by which one thought leads to another especially through association of ideas3: a slight indication :tracesuggestion of a smile>
Hillary says she will mandate health insurance. As in, it will be illegal under Hillary's plan for an American to not have health insurance. She says she is especially targeting the 15 million people who can afford health insurance but refuse to get it because they think they are "immortal." Hillary's choice of words. Icey.
I am not opposed to the idea. If there are 15 million people who can afford it, and if you make them go for it, where is the sin? They got the money.
I guess Hillary's idea is that if you give more money to the insurance companies - which is what Hillary's plan is, more money, since if these 15 million healthy, rich people can afford it, if they were to fall sick, they would go ahead and get it anyway - then it becomes easier for us to ask them to deny ill people coverage as insurance companies routinely do.
Barack is saying, wait a minute. Why are we so scared? He is saying, it does not matter if those 15 million healthy, rich people pay in or not, I am going to make the insurance companies do the right thing. They don't get to deny coverage, period.
So it is not like Barack is against mandating. The difference in his plan his mandate is on the insurance companies. He makes them do things like not denying coverage to people who are already paying.
This is a serious difference.
Hillary's plan suggests that the insurance companies don't have enough money and that is why America is lagging behind in terms of health care. That is not a slick claim. That is just plain absurd.
Barack says wrong. The problem is not that the insurance companies don't have enough money to do right by everybody. The problem is they have too much money. And so he makes sure those insurance companies engage in major cost cutting efforts. That is mandate number two in Barack's book.
Hillary promises universal health care with $100 billion plus. Barack puts the tab at $50 billion plus. Because he puts a major onus on cost cutting. He is not only worried about the 45 million plus people who are not insured. He in some ways is even more worried about the hundreds of millions who are insured. He feels they have been paying too much. He thinks if you cut the costs down, the insurance companies still have plenty of money to cover all those currently covered as well those kept out right now.
So it is not like Barack's plan does not have mandates. It has two of them that Hillary's plan does not. His mandates he very much intends to enforce. If the insurance companies intend to stay in business, they will have no choice but to accept Barack's mandates.
Hillary's mandate on the other hand is on the 15 million rich, healthy, immortal people. But it can not be called a mandate because she has not outlined how exactly she will enforce it. What will you do? Garnish their wages? Say something.
And you know where the difference comes from? It comes from the fact that Hillary takes money from insurance companies, Barack does not. Barack's money comes from the people. His is a people powered campaign. And that is why their mandates are pointing in opposite directions. Barack manadates the insurance companies to do the right thing.
The biggest, starkest difference though is not in the plans. It is in who can actually deliver. That person is clearly Obama.
Reporters Struggle For Access To Clinton CBS News ABC correspondent Kate Snow was ready to push through the crowd and ask Hillary Clinton a question until an aide blocked the path of Snow's sound man as he aimed his boom mike in the senator's direction. "Sorry, we've gotta go," the woman said, though it was clear that Clinton would be shaking hands for some time. ..... Moments later, as the Democratic presidential candidate was mobbed by well-wishers, Boston television reporter Joe Battenfeld managed to shout a question -- a meaningless question, truth be told -- about whether she needed to win both Iowa and New Hampshire. Clinton was defiantly bland in response, as if determined that her comments not be used. ...... reporters can generally get close enough to watch but no further, as if separated from the candidate by an invisible sheet of glass. ...... National correspondents are increasingly frustrated by a lack of access to Clinton. They spend much of their time in rental cars chasing her from one event to the next, because the campaign usually provides no press bus or van. Life on the bus means journalists don't have to worry about luggage or directions or getting left behind, since they are part of the official motorcade. News organizations foot the bill for such transportation, but campaigns have to staff and coordinate the buses -- and deal with the constant presence of their chroniclers. ........ Clinton differs only in her degree of discipline, honed during eight years of often testy media relations in her husband's White House. ........ She, like her rivals, wants to deliver a daily message, usually framed around some policy prescription, while reporters want to ask her about the latest polls, tactics or blast from Barack Obama or John Edwards. And answering questions off the cuff always risks the possibility of a blunder, as when Clinton told NBC's Andrea Mitchell during the 1992 campaign that she had chosen to pursue a career rather than stay home and "bake cookies." ....... much of what Clinton wants to communicate -- the nuances of her health-care plan, for instance -- doesn't fit the media's cramped definition of news. ...... Obama, for his part, held a conference call with reporters Wednesday. ...... much of the chatter among the reporters is about MapQuest and GPS devices and Hertz's NeverLost technology as they trade tips on how to track their constantly moving quarry. ....... When a colleague asked the staff for a chance to question Clinton, "they just kind of laughed it off." ...... When Clinton stepped away from the microphones, Bruce Springsteen's "The Rising" began blaring from the speakers, which effectively drowned out any attempted queries from the journalists sprinkled throughout the room. Battenfeld, the Boston reporter, launched his horse-race question during a brief lull between songs. "It's kind of an art form," he said afterward. "I would have asked her about Obama, but I figured she would have turned and run." ....... The CBS anchor asked how disappointed she would be if she isn't the nominee. "Well, it will be me," Clinton said. When Couric pressed, Clinton insisted -- not terribly convincingly -- that she hadn't even considered the possibility she could lose. ........ Her rhetoric against health insurance companies was harsher than might have been expected. They give patients the "runaround," deny care, "slow-walk" the payment of bills, she declared. "This is all part of their business model. This is how they make money. . . . The small-business health-care market is really rigged." ......... As Clinton made her way to the door, she observed: "All this good food -- can we feed the press?" But the press was feeling undernourished. ........ Campaigns often brush off national correspondents in favor of local journalists, who tend to be less critical. ....... only a handful of reporters attended and I arrived late, driving down unlighted streets in a heavy rain as confused Clinton aides kept giving me the wrong directions. ..... I persuaded her tired-looking staff to grant me a single question as she made her way out. The question: Wouldn't providing more media access help get her message out? ...... "We try to balance what we do every day," Clinton said. "I'm trying to reach as many voters as possible one-on-one" while also dealing with the local press, "which has a very big role to play," and making time for occasional interviews with national news outlets. "It seems I have mushrooming demands," she said. "The balancing is really intense." With that, she was off to a waiting plane to South Carolina, while reporters headed for commercial flights to follow her there. Clinton campaign demands Obama ad be taken downBoston Globe new polls out this morning showing Barack Obama still leading Hillary Clinton in Iowa and gaining ground on her in New Hampshire ..... Obama spokesman Reid Cherlin said it was "curious" that the Clinton campaign has decided to attack the ad today instead of when it first ran in Iowa two months ago. With Iowa tight, NH becoming Clinton's firewallBoston Globe With Hillary Clinton faltering in polls leading up to the Iowa caucuses, the New Hampshire primary is looming as a possible make-or-break moment for her - in a place where she has most of the party's key endorsements and a sizable lead in the polls, but where a defeat could be devastating. ...... New Hampshire's recent tradition of electing female politicians. ....... her enviable organization does not guarantee protection against the wave of momentum that could propel Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, if he were to win the Iowa caucuses ...... she could not lose both Iowa and New Hampshire and survive in the race. ...... New Hampshire is the firewall of last resort .... Clinton is expected to spend much of December traveling the state. ...... a growing sense of urgency among the New York senator's Granite State ranks ...... Obama's campaign said it has kept pace with Clinton's in paid staff and its volunteers are just as busy knocking on doors, making phone calls, and writing postcards. ..... the campaign knocks on 20,000 doors a week, questioned the Clinton figures, saying Obama canvassers rarely run into their Clinton counterparts. ....... In 2000, Vice President Al Gore had the backing of most of the party establishment, and eked out a four-point win against Senator Bill Bradley ......... Obama has been on the scene for 10 months running against the most powerful Democratic political force for two decades, the Clintons ....... people do not enter the voting booth pondering whom their state representative has endorsed ........ Women are unusually prominent in New Hampshire politics, perhaps because its part-time Legislature has attracted female candidates for decades. ...... A CNN/WMUR poll in September put her ahead of Obama by 43 percent to 20 percent. In a Suffolk University/WHDH poll this week, she led him 34 percent to 22 percent. ...... the results of the Iowa caucus could significantly influence the New Hampshire primary ..... if Obama won Iowa, there would be a flood of positive press about him and questions about whether Clinton is electable. "It's unfair and inaccurate, but it would be a lot of chaff to have to navigate through in five days" ........ If Obama wins Iowa, Scala said, Clinton's imperative will be to hold on to college-educated, professional women, among whom she has done surprisingly well, considering that Obama's idealistic campaign is attractive to their demographic. ...... it will be five sleepless nights for the Clinton campaign Obama vs. Clinton, Edwards and Paul Krugman Yahoo! News under the Obama plan, as it now stands, healthy people could choose not to buy insurance -- then sign up for it if they developed health problems later. Insurance companies couldn't turn them away, because Mr. Obama's plan, like those of his rivals, requires that insurers offer the same policy to everyone. ........ Obama claims that his plan does much more to control costs than his rivals' plans. ....... mandates won't work, pointing out that many people don't have car insurance despite state requirements that all drivers be insured. ....... Obama remains, in many senses, the most appealing Democratic contender. And there is good reason to believe that he could emerge in coming weeks as the most serious challenger to Clinton. He could, yet, be the Democratic nominee and the president. Two Tough Timely Questions for ObamaABC News Obama points out that Clinton refuses to say how she'll require individuals to purchase health insurance. Clinton, Obama go into slam flunk modeChicago Sun-Times Health care is the top domestic issue for Democrats running for the White House and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton unleashed Wednesday another, stronger, round of criticism aimed at Sen. Barack Obama over whether a law is needed to require people to buy health insurance. ....... Gov. Blagojevich did not embrace mandates in a state plan now stalled in the Illinois General Assembly. ...... The Obama campaign vigorously rebutted, preparing now to make an issue over Clinton's failure, while first lady, to convince Congress to pass health-care reform. ....... "Another day, another desperate attack. Demonizing anyone who doesn't share her exact plans on health care is exactly why Hillary Clinton flunked the opportunity she had to pass universal health care in 1993. The truth is, Barack Obama's universal health care plan makes coverage affordable for every single American, he just doesn't agree with Hillary's plan to start by forcing everyone to buy insurance they can't afford" ..... Obama gauges people will buy health insurance if the federal government helps keep down the price. The Democrats call for insurance companies to cover people with pre-existing conditions.
Hillary's health care plan in a nutshell is this. The health insurance industry is working just fine. It covers those who can afford to pay. It leaves out those who can't afford to pay. So if you want everyone to have insurance, you mandate it for those who can afford it but choose to stay out, and you have the government pay for all those who can't afford to pay, which is the vast majority of the uninsured.
Don't tell me Hillary does not respond to lobbyists' money. What better deal could the health insurance industry ask for? Hillary is so totally taking care of them.
Hillary's plan will lead to further skyrocketing costs in the health care industry. You are going to see food fights, there will be so much food, err, cash.
Universal health insurance is a goal that has to be coupled with the goal of bringing the costs down across the board. Health care reform is about asking why America pays more for health than any other country, more than most other countries put together, but why it does not have the number one health care in the world.
Hillary refuses to tackle the many dysfunctional aspects of the health care industry. I guess she feels like she burnt her fingers back in 1993. When you can't beat them, join them. She has learned the lessons the hard way, but I get the impression she has learned the wrong lessons.
Take a more functional industry like the computer industry. The price of computers has fallen consistently over the years, decades. It is because the market forces are at work in the computer industry.
In the health care industry, the market forces are not at work. Instead there is this evil collusion of vested interests. The biggest proof is the poor adoption in the health care industry of information technology. If the health care companies felt like they were competing with each other to provide the best possible service at the lowest possible price, they would be trying to outdo each other in terms who will best adopt information technology in all aspects of their operations. But they are not. They have not been. That is one example to show there is a big need to inject market forces into the health care industry.
But Hillary's plan makes it sound like the health insurance companies have too little money and that is the number one health care problem in the country.
She mandates health insurance. It sounds like it will become illegal to not have health insurance. But no. There will be no punitive measures. So it will be a voluntary mandate. You will be required to have health insurance, but if you don't get it, that's okay too. She should switch words. Instead of calling it a mandate, she should call it a suggestion. As in, Hillary wants you to have health insurance. She also wants you to eat your vegetables.
In a nutshell, when she says mandating, she does not mean that.
And her plan to help people out who can't afford it is tricky too. There is an emphasis on tax credits.
She has been dancing around the possibility that the government will actually have to step in and pay wholesale for those who just can't pay for it now.
Barack's plan is clearer and simpler. Bring the costs down across the board, and pay for those who can't pay. So if you currently do have insurance, your premium goes down. If you don't, you get it.
Of course John Edwards has a point. Hillary is wedded to Washington's corrupt ways. She is by now chummy with the forces she tried to fight in 1993. She has become one with them. That does not count for strength and experience. That, in my book, is capitulation. She has accepted defeat.
There is a reason why Barack's bill for universal health insurance in only half of Senator Clinton's. You are looking at $50 billion in one plan, and $100 billion in another. Because Barack intends to show some tough love to the insurance companies. Yes, there will be universal health insurance. So, yes, you will make more money. You will have more customers. But first cut out the fat. Under Barack's plan, the premiums go down for everyone involved.
Hillary is in disbelief. No wonder she accused Barack of not being for universal health insurance during the Las Vegas debate. She just can't see how you can provide universal insurance for only $50 billion.
That smaller dollar figure means Barack's plan is more likely to get Republican support than Clinton's. And the end result will have to be bipartisan. We all know that. It can't be just a Dem plan.
That plays to Barack's number one strength. He can bring people together. Hillary can't.
So not only is Barack's plan superior, more market friendly, more gutsy in terms taking on the insurance companies, but it also has a much better chance of getting enacted.
And it is curious that Hillary wants eight years to implement her plan. What is more presumptuos, that she thinks she will be a two term president, or that she thinks she is already the nominee, already the president?
Barack's plan is more challenging to implement. He wants four years to do it. So when he seeks reelection, you will actually be able to hold him accountable. Hillary's plan is to just give more money to the insurance companies. For that she wants eight years.
What if she does not deliver even in eight years? She goes writes a memoir. You are stuck with no health insurance. After all, Harry Truman also tried, and he was no pushover.
And her newest ad actually tries to say her 13,000 page 1993 plan was actually a good one. She thinks of the issue as a position paper to be written, instead of a political process to be navigated. That might be her number one flaw on the issue.
Hillary's 35 - 8 = 27 Years Of "Strength And Experience," 7 Years As Elected Official
Hillary is smart. She got better grades at Yale than Bill Clinton. She has had a lifelong commitment to public service. Bill Clinton as Governor was making 30,000 a year. Makes you want to think in terms of a minimum wage idea not just for teachers, but also Governors.
But she has never held any local or state level office. Years as First Lady don't really count, and if they do, release your records.
The only elected public office she has ever held has been that of US Senator. She has been an excellent Senator.
Barack is smart. He has had a lifelong commitment to public service. But he has had more experience than Hillary as an elected official. He has held a state level office.
If the spouse's experience can count for yours, I'd like to claim Barack could manage a hospital. But in all honesty, I don't think he could. I mean, he could after a learning period, but not as in, let me just step in. It is a different skill set.
Obama's Got the Youth Vote, And They Can In Fact Vote Washington Post, United States out of the estimated 9,000 who showed up at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines, at least a third were Obama supporters. To which Mandy Grunwald, a longtime adviser to Sen. Hillary Clinton, said, according to the Politico: "Our people look like caucus-goers, and [Obama's] people look like they are 18. [Mark] Penn said they look like Facebook." ...... "Good strategy: A week after finally setting up your campaign's organization to attract young people, tell them they won't vote anyway so their presence is irrelevant," wrote Erickson. ...... "I don't know what it gets Hillary for her team to criticize young people -- and to brand themselves the candidate of the status-quo. What is more, taunting Obama about it could backfire by providing what they call in football 'bulletin board material.' I can hear Obama now: 'Hillary thinks you won't show up! Hillary thinks you're to be ignored! Hillary thinks..." ......... "If Clinton's aides are right in their from-the-hip demographic analysis, they better hope that those young faces aren't carrying their Facebook social network with them." ....... Facebook is the unofficial capital of anti-Clinton country, with young voters -- male and female, mostly Republicans but with some Democrats -- forming numerous groups attacking the former first lady. .... "They look like Facebook" insult. Two days ago, the petition had 570 names. As of Friday morning, it's up to 2,985. ..... One of the newest members, Sean Taylor of Kentucky, wrote on the wall of the Facebook petition: "Barack Obama all the way! And I (and my friends) do vote, Hillary." Letters: Is (His) Biography (Our) Destiny?New York Times Those who feel safer with Hillary Clinton’s old-school “big stick” diplomacy than with the kind of intelligent use of “soft power” that Barack Obama endorses are living in the past. Our experiences in Vietnam and Iraq have established that use of force does not necessarily lead to beneficial results. What a President Obama would offer is a new avenue to power and respect, not through military might, but through cooperation and understanding. There is no strength more powerful than countries and peoples working together for the common good; and in the face of the dire threats we all share — from global warming to desperate acts born of social inequity — such cooperation can occur none too soon. ...... Barack Obama is one of the contenders who has captured my interest. He has surrounded himself with bright, seasoned advisers. I’m not worried about his inexperience. I hear his intelligent, tempered responses to issues. The United States has an enormous amount of international repair work to do. Rove says Obama is missing chances to knock Clinton off stride.CNN Political Ticker Rove as Edwards, Obama strategist? MSNBC considers her to be a “fatally flawed” candidate. But he’s upping the ante on the criticism. ...... “I’ve been surprised at how weak Edwards and Obama have been,” Rove told C-SPAN’s Steve Scully today during a live question-and-answer session with students at three different universities across the country. As if to poke at the fire that in the pending Democratic nomination process, he continued, saying, “They’re both going to give her some scares; she’s going to lose some thing along the way, possibly starting with Iowa.” ....... the Illinois senator has faltered in creating a strong moment of contrast between himself and his opponents during debates. Citing Clinton’s vague answer regarding the release of White House papers during her tenure as first lady, Rove said Obama has had “a number of occasions like that, where a sharp and clear and respectful contrast really could’ve created a moment.” ........ a full third of the population in 2007 saying they would not vote for a Mormon. Rovian ruminations: Karl Rove scans the presidential races Los Angeles Times, CA archived here. ..... reducing crime, welfare and the general coarseness of urban life there. ..... the strength he has in the early states is authentic .... the surprise to me is how they haven't been able to take advantage of the openings they've been given and exploit them." ....... Rove said Obama, who spoke next, could have drawn a dramatically stark contrast, creating a memorable moment by turning to her and saying of course it was her decision. All she had to do was order the papers released, which are the basis of her claims to be sufficiently experienced to become president. But the Illinois senator did not. Instead he compared the sealed papers to the secretiveness of the Bush administration. ......... Rove added, "Someone characterized Obama to me as another Adlai Stevenson, and I think that's probably accurate." ..... Rove, a self-taught student of history who never graduated from college .... a natural maturation process on the conservative side of the GOP that allows larger issues such as terrorism and national security to take a higher priority now than the onetime all-importance of social issues such as abortion. .... "When my book comes out in 2009." The Case for Obama Atlantic Online In 2008, Obama is more likely than Clinton to win an impressive electoral vote total that will look like a mandate. Will Obama Turn Out Young Voters In Iowa? Atlantic Online The Obama's campaign turnout model incorporates large numbers of Democratic leaning independents who have never caucused and young voters who have never voted in a presidential race. ...... College kids will be back home and will be distributed throughout the state, thereby magnifying their effect on other precincts. ......... Obama has more money than any other credible challenger in history; his campaign is not making the same mistakes that Howard Dean's made; Obama is a much better presence on the campaign trail than Bill Bradley and Gary Hart ever were ........ Caucus turnout could reach 160,000. ..... No one but the Obama team believes that -- other campaigns estimate a turnout of about 135,000 Dems. ..... Two thirds of Iowa college students come from Iowa, and the Obama campaign has undertaken a fairly massive effort to make sure they are registered to vote. Potential college-aged supporters are tracked as regularly as veteran caucus goers. Youth Vote May Bring Iowa SurpriseYahoo! News "While student outreach is a piece of the puzzle, it's not the keystone," said Obama spokeswoman Jen Psaki. The campaign won't fall into the same trap candidates like Dean did, by depending on voters who don't traditionally show up. ........ "It seems like every cycle there is a candidate who says, 'This is the year we get out the youth vote,'" said former Iowa Democratic Party chairman Gordon Fischer, who is backing Obama. "In the past, there have been attempts to organize the youth vote. I don't think there has been as large an attempt as there is now." ....... 18-29 year olds have begun turning out in higher numbers. In the general election in 2004, 49% of the demographic turned out to vote ...... Even with record caucus attendance in 2004, when more than 124,000 Democrats showed up to participate in the crowded and contentious Democratic nominating contest, people between the ages of 18-34 made up just 10% of the crowd, according to Iowa Democratic Party statistics. By contrast, 32% were over 65. ....... the weather is likely to be miserably cold, and that attendees must spend hours in a room with people they barely know and proudly voice their opinions on politics. "That's not normal college student behavior" ....... process itself is another barrier, one that requires a time-intensive investment to overcome. Trading votes, compromising and convincing neighbors are all skills required to win delegates for one's chosen candidate. "Half the battle is getting [young voters] to show up," independent pollster Ann Selzer said. "And another quarter of the battle is teaching them what to do." ...... Experienced caucus-goers, many of whom have participated in the process for decades, can operate more effectively than a passionate younger voter with little knowledge of the process. ....... Obama boasts 31 satellite campaign offices in the state, more than any other candidate. He's spent more than $4 million on television ads ..... Several second-tier candidates have packed up an moved all but a few staffers - and even family members -- to Iowa for the critical final stretch. ....... If the race is as close as polls suggest - Clinton, Obama and Edwards all hover in the low to mid-20% range - strong youth turnout could be key to anyone's hopes of winning. Pollster Selzer says it is no longer implausible to bank on new faces showing up on caucus night. In 2004, 45% of attendees were first-time caucus-goers. ....... traditional campaigning comes first. "We're looking at young voters as icing on the cake," he said, "but we're still baking the cake." Obama supporters frustrated by long wait to see their man San Francisco Chronicle, USA stood in line for more than two hours outside the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium on Wednesday night and still didn't get in to the Illinois senator's raucous campaign rally. ........ The crush of people trying to get into the rally overwhelmed the security efforts ...... At 6:30 p.m., when the doors opened for the event, the queue outside looked like a summertime line at Disneyland. ...... "I stood in this line for over two hours and advanced about 100 feet" ..... "I was surprised at how patient everyone was," Davis said. "It wasn't an angry or an ugly crowd, although the wait did start to get old." ..... by about 8:45 p.m., the Secret Service took down the metal detectors and let the crowd stream in unchecked. ..... crowd that roared its approval throughout the candidate's half-hour speech. SF: OBAMA WOWS CROWD OF 6000 AT CIVIC AUDITORIUMCBS 5 Bush criticizes Democrats over Iraq war funds Reuters UPDATE 1-US envoy seen trying to revive Musharraf-Bhutto deal Reuters Democratic hopefuls play difference cards in Vegas Los Angeles Times Clinton stepped down from her front-runner's pedestal and hit back at her Democratic rivals Thursday night in a feisty debate that drew out differences over immigration, foreign policy and the proper tone of an increasingly harsh campaign. ..... suggesting that Obama had failed to take a strong stand in favor of universal healthcare. ....... Oct. 30 .... Her nonspecific answers to several questions fueled rivals' assertions that she was shifty and over-calculating. ........ "When I was a state senator in Illinois, I voted to require that illegal aliens get trained, get a license, get insurance to protect public safety," Obama said. " . . . But I have to make sure that people understand. The problem we have here is not driver's licenses. Undocumented workers do not come here to drive." ....... Edwards and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson joined Obama on the pro-license side........ Obama doubled back on another issue from the previous debate, Social Security, and delivered one of the sharpest jabs of the evening ....... "Understand that only 6% of Americans make more than $97,000 a year," Obama said. "So 6% is not the middle class. It is the upper class. You know, this is the kind of thing that I would expect from [Republicans] Mitt Romney or Rudy Giuliani, where we start playing with numbers. We start playing with numbers in order to try to make a point." ...... In contrast with earlier debates, the discussion was not dominated by the war in Iraq. ..... would appoint only judges who accepted Roe vs. Wade as "settled law." ...... proposal to store nuclear waste beneath Yucca Mountain, about 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. ...... Los Angeles -- where the candidates are scheduled to debate on Dec. 10. Musharraf stands up to pressure from USSan Jose Mercury News US seeks to end Pakistan crisisBBC News Obama hits Clinton with early debate punches Tehran Times Clinton engaged in an angry back-and-forth with Obama on healthcare, as tensions flared in the opening moments of the debate. ...... several recent polls suggest the race may be narrowing. ..... She saw that lead slip to 19 percent, in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation national survey from a previous 30-point advantage. .... Two polls in the key state of New Hampshire, which traditionally holds the first presidential primary contest, showed Clinton still leading, but edging back towards the field. .... In Iowa, the race is a statistical dead heat, recent polls show. Obama on the Clinton 'secret pact of ambition'Baltimore Sun “I’m not in this race to fulfill some long-held plan or because it was owed to me” ..... the number of people who say Senator Obama talked about running for president as a youngster seems to grow daily Clinton shows she can push backToronto Star Clinton Tags Romney As a Flip-Flopper The Associated Press Romney is touting a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage after saying during a 1994 U.S. Senate campaign that he'd be a better advocate of gay rights than his opponent, Democrat Edward M. Kennedy. Romney says he also opposed gay marriage in 1994, and is as committed to opposing discrimination based on sexual orientation today as he was 13 years ago. .... "A lot of people laughed at George Bush flubbing sentences in 2000, but a lot of people took that to be a sign he was like the rest of us" ...... Romney, the son of a three-term governor Obama Campaign On "Clinton Mandate?"Atlantic Online Clinton said about the mandate in her health care plan, “At this point, we don't have anything punitive that we have proposed. We're providing incentives and tax credits which we think will be very attractive to the vast majority of Americans.” ....... The ad reminds viewers of her failed effort to pass universal health care in the early 1990s, trying to portray a thwarted enterprise as one of vision. .... require every American to buy health insurance, offering tax credits and subsidies to help those who can't afford it. Clinton Advances Renewable Energy Ideas The Associated Press Clinton highlights renewable energy ideas in Nevada speechSan Jose Mercury News "We have all this empty federal land in Nevada, it should be packed with wind turbines and solar panels." ...... Nevada, a state rich in geothermal, solar and wind power UN peace mission in Nepal set to be extended AFP Giuliani Assures Group on ConservatismThe Associated Press Anti-hate-crime rally at Justice Department Los Angeles Times incidents of noose hangings and other displays of racial antagonism. ..... "In recent months, there have been reports of nooses and other symbols of racial and religious hate appearing in schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods across the country. ........ Sharpton said: "We are not fighting conservatives. We're fighting Confederates. ..... In fiscal year 2007, the Justice Department convicted 189 defendants of civil rights violations, according to a department fact sheet released Thursday. The department said this was the largest number of such convictions in its history. ....... During Friday's protest, demonstrators circled the Justice Department building seven times, echoing the biblical account of the ancient city of Jericho, the walls of which were said to have crumbled after Joshua and his followers circled the city seven times. ..... Sharpton, who referred to Joshua in his speech, was joined at the rally by the fiancee of Sean Bell, a black New York man who was killed by police on his wedding day last year, and the father of Mychal Bell, one of the "Jena Six." China deals blow to Western efforts to punish IranStuff.co.nz Iran: China Pulls Out of Sanctions MeetingNew York Times “I think it’s partly related to genuine travel difficulties, but also linked to resistance on the broader question of sanctions from that quarter.” 'China's exports may decline sharply' Times of India China warns of weak int'l demand as global economy slowsXinhua China powers ahead on renewable energyChina Daily China is well on its way to acquiring fully 15 percent of its energy from renewable sources by the year 2020, while the United States is dragging its feet on transitioning away from fossil fuels ... Nations across the globe invested over $50 billion collectively into renewable energy conversion last year, and in 2007 China alone is expected to account for some $10 billion of investment .... Worldwatch Institute, an independent Washington, DC research group. .... China will draw 30 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2050. ..... China's ability to lead the world into the age of renewable energy, much as the United States led the world into the age of oil roughly a century ago ...... renewable energy sources -- unlike traditional fossil fuels -- will never run out. ...... with hybrid technology the United States is easily capable of reaching 55 mpg, and with fuel cell technology could possibly go as high as 80 mpg in the future. ..... The goal of a 15 percent renewable energy share by 2020 pales in comparison to Germany's plan to source 45 percent of its electricity from renewables by 2030. China smokes the US in renewables, and who's got the most ... Seattle Post Intelligencer Court rejects challenge to wiretap program Los Angeles Times Wireless Links Give Businesses an Option The Associated Press Scientists Clone First MonkeyVoice of America Monkey Embryos Cloned for Stem CellsWashington Post You, again: Are we getting closer to cloning humans? CNN Poll: Electability drives Giuliani lead in Nevada CNN Thousands March in Washington to Call for Prosecution of Hate Crimes Voice of America Behind Clinton’s Diamonds and Pearls New York Times “Do you prefer diamonds or pearls?” Maria Luisa Parra-Sandoval, one of several audience members who posed questions, asked her. “I want both,” Mrs. Clinton replied to laughter. Last week, CNN had contacted Ms. Parra-Sandoval, a political science student at University of Las Vegas-Nevada, through a professor, and asked her to submit a question. She wrote one about health care for children. CNN rejected it, calling it too similar to another question that would be asked. So she sent another, about Iraq. That was rejected too. On Wednesday, a CNN producer asked her for two final questions, one substantive and one light. Ms. Parra-Sandoval sent one about Yucca Mountain, the Nevada site under consideration as a storage facility for radioactive waste. With the deadline approaching, she stared at her computer screen. Noticing the pearl-pattern background on her MySpace page, she dashed off the jewelry one. CNN asked her to come to the debate with both questions memorized. Two hours in, a producer whispered that she should ask the second one. “Because I was on national TV, I felt hesitant, but then I felt like, ‘Oh my God, I’m on national TV, I’ll just ask it,’” Ms. Parra-Sandoval said. Now Ms. Parra-Sandoval is being accused, by everyone from bloggers to fellow students, of asking an airheaded, sexist question. On her MySpace page and in a phone interview, she protested that she tried to ask several substantive questions but that CNN would only let her participate through a silly one. “The media should be more democratic and be better able to reflect our democratic process,” she said. ........ the odd thing about this particular incident is that Ms. Parra-Sandoval does not seem the least bit frivolous or bling-minded. A former illegal immigrant whose parents clean and do laundry for Las Vegas hotels, she attends a UNLV honors program on scholarship and work-study programs. Two summers ago, she interned for Senator Harry Reid; last summer, she won a fellowship in public policy at Princeton. She wants to be an immigration lawyer when she’s older. Clinton Rallies, Counterattacks At Debate U.S. News & World Report Clinton changed her strategy, focusing more on attacking and counter-attacking her opponents than at previous events ....... Clinton "accused" Obama "of wimping out on health care ...... Clinton "was much more aggressive, repeatedly challenging her rivals by name, as she had not done in past debates. ...... If Clinton was "significantly more critical of her rivals, Obama was more direct than he has been in previous debates. ..... framing the Democratic contest as it now stands as a series of attacks that risked damaging the ultimate party nominee, even as she went on the attack for the first time herself ...... After two bad weeks in the 2008 Democratic presidential campaign, she recovered her footing and pushed back sharply at her opponents in a debate Thursday night." Obama "had only an average night, and on a couple of questions he seemed flummoxed. ....... And Edwards "should have stayed home." ..... Clinton said she was wearing her 'asbestos pants suit' in Las Vegas, but, more important, she was wearing a smile and carrying a fistful of ammo and sound bytes. ...... that Clinton "gave as good as she got. And those who tried to kick her, stubbed their toes. John Edwards got booed when he attacked her for taking money from Washington lobbyists...and seemed both surprised and irritated ....... poised and pugnacious ...... describes Obama as "focused, energized, tough, charismatic-pretty much everything the press had accused him of not being in previous debates. And yet the candidate who probably helped herself the most was Hillary Clinton." ....... for the second month in row McCain performs better against leading Democrat Hillary Clinton in hypothetical matchups than any other top-tier Republican ..... In the Democratic primary, 44% would vote for Clinton; 23% would vote for Obama ...... Clinton tops Giuliani 47%-43% and Thompson 49%-40%, but is in a tighter race with McCain, whom she leads 46%-45%. Clinton trounces Romney, 50%-37% ....... Giuliani leads the GOP field with 25%, followed by Romney, 21%; Thompson, 17%; McCain ....... ..... 27% of Iowa Democratic caucus-goers would vote for Hillary Clinton; 25% would vote for Barack Obama11% were undecided. ...... 27% of caucus-goers would vote for Mitt Romney; 18% would vote for Mike Huckabee; 16% would vote for Rudy Giuliani; 10% would vote for Fred Thompson; 6% would vote for John McCain; 5% would vote for Ron Paul ...... Clinton leads with 29%, followed by Obama, 27% ..... a prod toward greater transparency and disclosure on Capitol Hill. ...... Bush "accused the Democratic-controlled Senate of waging a 'search and destroy' mission against his judicial nominees that ruins reputations." ..... Bush's announcement was "applauded by Senator Charles E. Schumer," who "had called for opening up the military airspace." Schumer "said the change should be made permanent." ...... the root of the problem of airline delays: the nation's outdated air traffic control system." ...... Newsweek .. Karl Rove, who was announced Thursday as the magazine's newest contributor ... On Aug. 13, the same day Rove stood alongside President Bush on the South Lawn, Meacham said he e-mailed the strategist about getting his byline in print." China pulls out of Iran sanctions meeting Tehran Times Bush presses hard to ensure Japan remains a close ally International Herald Tribune Germany could consider separate EU steps on Iran Reuters Merrill to Pay Chief $50 Million, More if Stock Rises New York Times UN Global Warming Report Sternly Warns Against Inaction Washington Post Is Google Planning An Android Platform For Wireless Spectrum? InformationWeek
In 1993, Big Sister Hillary wrote a 1,300 page plan, or was it 13,000 pages? She dumped it on Congress. Big Sister did homework for you. All you have to do is accept it, vote for it. That is how it worked in the communist countries. The guy at the top had all the right answers.
She still has not learned. She has tweaked around the ideas a bit. But her approach is the same. Big Sister has got a plan. This time it is better.
It is the basic approach that is flawed. It does not recognize that it is not what ideas you have, it is how you will engage people on both sides of the aisle.
She says she has learned. What she has learned is to cave into the special interests. The insurance companies gave her a hard time the last time around. So this time she is going to give it all to the insurance companies.
The myth that she takes money from lobbyists but is not influenced by them and only does the people's bidding just is not true. Just look at her health care plan. The status quo will remain for those who have insurance. That makes the insurance companies happy. And then she makes it illegal for the uninsured to stay uninsured. Some who can afford will have to get it. Those who can't she says will get help from the government. So, basically, her plan is to make the insurance companies even richer.
What makes it socialized medicine is she notices that the health care sector is strikingly lagging behind in terms of use of information technology, but she does not realize that that is a symptom market forces are not in full play in the sector. If the insurance companies were competing with each other to bring the costs down, of course they would want to use the latest in information technology.
Her health care plan has no plans to inject those market forces into the sector. She does not have concrete plans to bring the costs down across the board.
I am for universal health care. America can not become a full fledged information economy without that. But Hillary's plan is inadequate and misplaced, but that is not the worst part of the news. The big, bad news is her approach. There is a fundamental flaw in her approach as to how she will try to bring it about.
If bringing the costs down were bad for innovation, my laptop should be costing 100,000 dollars by now.
December 1 Is When You Camp Out In Iowa
Do the John Kerry thing. That guy, starting from the beginning of December, just camped out in Iowa. Howard Dean made the mistake of taking a trip to Georgia late in December to meet his hero Jimmy Carter who flat out refused to endorse him.
To camp out in Iowa starting now would be too early. November goes to the other three early states. And some to Iowa too.
As for the February 5 states, you get to them by winning big in January. That is the only way. You win big and you get all that free time in the media, and that is how you do it.
Winning Iowa is key. That has to be our first goal.
The best way to reach the February 5 states is by winning South Carolina. The best way to win South Carolina is by winning Iowa. And Nevada comes before New Hampshire. A friend of mine working the ground in New Hampshire has a simple message, don't believe the polls. He did a random survey of 20 people: 19 were undecided.
Don't Forget Fundraising
Doing well in this quarter is key. I think we should shoot to end up with half a million donors before the year is out.
This is the scenario in my mind. We win Iowa and South Carolina, and perhaps one or both of the other two. And our donor base swells even more, and the first half million donors give more. And we have big chunks of cash to play the media war for February 5.
Differences Are Stark, But Obama Has Held Back
Barack and Hillary are just so different. Iraq, Iran, Social Security, Health Care, Ethics Reform. But so far Barack has not been able to throw concrete light on the stark differences. Good to know he will start now.
Hillary is working towards a coronation. Barack has to turn it into an election. Your last name should not matter.
This is not about no more Mr. Nice Guy. This is not about abandoning the politics of hope, this is not about saying goodbye to the new kind of politics. This is not about going negative. This is Barack's job. It is his job to inform the voters how he and Hillary are different.
Some Hits
The third quarter was Hillary's "strength and experience" quarter. Barack got swift-boated. It is not like Barack lacks "strength and experience" but the facts seldom matter in political attacks. He should hit back with the "judgment and leadership" phrase. It should be used daily.
Another hit was when Hillary 2008 released its third quarter figures right before an important Iraq speech by Barack. That was an attempt to steal a news cycle from Barack. When you get hit like that, you got to hit back. The campaign manager has to measure up.
Philly Steak, Philly Debate
The debate on Tuesday is going to be key. Barack has to turn it into the turning point. Just draw the stark differences on the biggies. Iraq, Iran, Social Security, Health Care, Ethics Reform. The differences between the two are obvious. But they have to come out in debates, interviews and stump speeches.
Now is the time.
Work on the one liners before you get in front of the podium.
I expect the Philly debate to be the most dramatic so far this year. Hillary just did an Oops, I did it again on Iran.
Spread The Word, Obama Was Not Born In 2004 In Boston
We really have to work to get the bio out. People - average voters - have to get to know him as a person before they will vote for him. Tell his story when you canvass.
In The News
Obama (Sort of) Takes the Gloves Off TIME he would be targeting Clinton specifically on Social Security, Iran and Iraq in the days and weeks to come. ...... the Democrats announced they'll caucus January 3rd ...... plenty of people believe that the only way for Obama to dent Clinton's lead is to take her on directly ....... campaign comity among the Democrats may be disappearing for good. ....... Later in the event Obama was asked about his perceived foreign policy "weakness" for his willingness to meet with adversaries such as Hugo Chavez and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He wasted no time in steering things back to his electoral adversary. "This is an area where Senator Clinton and I have a disagreement," Obama said. "Strong countries talk to their adversaries and tell them where they stand that's always been something that I stood for, I've been consistent on that." Not exactly gladiator politics, but at the very least, Obama has started reaching for his sword. Why They‘re Both Running Against Billa tight, tooth-and-claw political marathon where even the tiniest of decisions, the smallest of slips, can have profound consequences ...... The junior Senator from New York has spent much of her career trying to stay sane in the midst of a political tornado. And now, having finally achieved a measure of happiness and respect in the Senate, she faces the prospect of jumping into the tornado again, knowing that she won't merely be opposed but also ridiculed and reviled. ....... each will spend the next year running against the most formidable living Democratic politician, Bill Clinton. ....... on Wall Street, especially, there are fond memories of Clintonism's fiscal discipline and global sophistication. ....... most people I talk to are hoping she'll decide not to run. But when Bill Clinton calls and asks for a commitment, it's impossible to say no. People are interested in Obama. They'll write him a check. But most of the old Clinton crowd won't have parties or make phone calls for him. For now, at least. ....... the best political strategist in the Democratic Party. Bill Clinton will be able to help his wife in three crucial areas: the framing of issues, timing the dramatic arc of the campaign and damage control. ....... Clinton is the world's best focus group: he has an innate sense of what average folks think is important and how to explain complicated things in the most accessible way. He also understands the weird chronology of presidential politics, the patience needed to last through interminable house parties and candidate forums, the fierce compression of time that will take place a year from now when Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina spin through their elections in a matter of weeks. "But his greatest strength is playing hurt," says James Carville. ...... His ability to think clearly--to actually think better--under pressure ...... She will never have his performance skills, an especially daunting deficit ....... But if being smart about policy were the most important quality in a President, Al Gore would now be completing a successful second term. ....... She is not a very good speaker, especially in big rooms where the need to emote exposes a harshness in her voice. ...... she is prohibitively rational, unclouded by undue emotionality. She doesn't get misty and bite her lip in public. She doesn't feel your pain; she understands it. Rationality breeds caution, and caution breeds a lack of spontaneity, which can make her seem cold and calculating. ......... Barack Obama, who has a public ease and eloquence unmatched by any candidate since ... well, Bill Clinton. ...... just like the Clinton who won in 1992, Obama will represent a new generation of leadership, a freshness that Senator Clinton will not be able to claim. ..... She will have to hope that experience trumps charisma, which isn't often a winning hand in American politics. CA Wildfires Force Mass Evacuation a hellish, spidery pattern of luminous orange .... more than a dozen blazes covering at least 240,000 acres, the equivalent of 374 square miles. ..... "The sky was just red. Everywhere I looked was red, glowing. ...... Firefighters — who lost valuable time trying to persuade stubborn homeowners to leave — had their work cut out for them as winds gusting to 70 mph scattered embers onto dry brush, spawning spot fires. ..... more than 200,000 reverse 911 calls — calls from county officials to residents — alerted residents to evacuations Alabama Picks a Bible Textbook
Obama Promises a Forceful Stand Against Clinton New York Timeshe will start confronting Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton more forcefully, declaring that she had not been candid in describing her views on critical issues, as he tries to address mounting alarm among supporters that his lack of assertiveness has allowed her to dominate the presidential race. ....... a long period in which his aides, donors and other supporters have battled — and in some cases shared — the perception that he has not exhibited the aggressiveness demanded by presidential politics. ....... “now is the time” ....... he said she was deliberately obscuring her positions for political gain ...... Social Security, Iraq and Iran as issues on which she had not been entirely forthcoming. ....... a growing consensus that Mr. Obama had to ratchet up his intensity and draw sharper distinctions ........ acknowledged that he had held back until now ........ the plan had always been for him to begin taking on Mrs. Clinton more directly in the fall. ...... glared and said no when asked if he lacked the stomach for confrontational politics. ...... Philadelphia ..... Clinton had “repeatedly dodged opportunities to reveal her thinking about the best way to strengthen Social Security.” ..... growing signs that Mr. Obama was looking for a fresh start for his campaign after nine months in which his aides said they were startled by the effectiveness of Mrs. Clinton’s campaign, and worried that her support was not as brittle as they had once believed. ........ campaign war room ..... concern of his aides that his public speeches tend to be long-winded ....... His senior aides said they were now spending much of their days fielding calls from concerned donors and other supporters asking why Mr. Obama was not challenging Mrs. Clinton more forcefully ....... disagreement in the campaign about whether he should now begin investing all his time in Iowa ...... Morale at his Chicago headquarters .. has been dragged down by the perception that Mrs. Clinton is lapping Mr. Obama. ..... a breakfast of boiled eggs (he ate only the egg whites) ...... Clinton had been untruthful or misleading in describing her positions on problems facing the nation. ...... she was trying to “sound or vote” like a Republican on national security issues ....... Obama suggested that she was too divisive to win a general election and that if she won, she would be unable to bring together competing factions in Washington to accomplish anything. ........ “The national press for the last three months has written glowingly about her and not so much about me .......... an “underdog” running against a campaign that has “a 20-year head start when it comes to managing the spin of the national politics.” ......... Obama’s criticisms of Mrs. Clinton were sharper than he has voiced during this campaign, they were, nonetheless, still somewhat restrained ........ Obama, who aides suggested might be spending too much time reading blogs and newspaper clippings about the campaign ........ every time we point out a difference between me and her, they say, ‘What happened to the politics of hope?’ which is just silly ........ they had declined an invitation from some networks to appear on Sunday morning talk shows after Mrs. Clinton the day she appeared on five in one day ........ Obama projected a relaxed air of confidence ...... “So,” he said, “give me some gossip about the Republicans.” India has lot to learn from China on economic reforms: Sonia Hindu Describing the pace of change in China as “truly astounding and outstanding,” Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday said India had much to learn from China’s economic reforms and liberalisation. ....... the “world is big enough” to accommodate the growth and aspirations of both the nations. ...... pragmatism, clarity of vision and determination of effort ...... coming decades, China and India will be the largest and third largest respectively among the global economies ...... there is no problem that cannot be sorted out through free and frank dialogue and discussion ....... there was peace and tranquillity on the border and outstanding issues relating to the boundary question were being discussed in a comprehensive manner by the Special Representatives of the two countries. ....... more than trade, it would be investment that would bring the two countries together. ....... bridge the information gap “so that we no longer retain stereotyped images of each other.” ........ AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi, senior Congress leader Karan Singh, Union Ministers Prithviraj Chavan and Anand Sharma and India’s Ambassador to China, Nirupama Rao, were present at the lecture. Iraq Plan to Add US Troops at Kurdish Border Is Rejected by Turkey New York Times Bhutto Visits Ancestral Homeland Under Tight Security Washington PostUnder extraordinarily tight security ...... quick and tightly scripted visit .... a crowd of thousands ...... Bhutto did not speak to the assembled mass of flag-waving supporters, and concerns about another attack seemed to dictate every aspect of the trip. ...... Her convoy, which included vehicles mounted with machine guns, sped along the route from the airport ..... local supporters who worship the Bhutto name with an almost religious fervor. ..... Bhutto, whose Pakistan People's Party has long relied on mass rallies to drum up support, has said her party is talking with political consultants about other, less dangerous campaign tactics, including tape-recorded messages. ....... Waterlilies compete for space with water buffalo in the endless network of canals that radiate from the Indus River and irrigate the surrounding countryside. Most of the residents are poor farmers, although some landowning families, like the Bhuttos, are exceptionally wealthy. ......... Residents of the nearby town of Larkana said this week that the attack against Bhutto had only deepened their affection for her. ....... credited Bhutto with supplying jobs and keeping inflation down during her two terms in the 1980s and 1990s Obama goes after Clinton head-on Inquirer.net Obama took Clinton to task over the politically sensitive issue of how to keep the Social Security system alive in a town hall meeting in Des Moines, Iowa ....... "Because you're not ready to lead if you can't tell us where you're going" ...... turning the table on the former first lady, who has accused him of being too green to become president. ....... "I don't think people know what her agenda exactly is," Obama told the Times, adding that she had not been fully forthcoming on Social Security, Iraq and Iran. ....... "Because conventional thinking in Washington says Social Security is the third rail of American politics. It says you should hedge, dodge, and spin, but at all costs, don't answer," he said. ....... a Zogby poll released Monday also showed that 50 percent of Americans surveyed said they would never vote for Clinton Obama directly confronts Clinton on Social SecurityBaltimore Sun By going on the offense, Obama (D-Ill.) is seeking to shake up polls that show Clinton (D-N.Y.) with a large lead nationally and also in some early voting states. ....... how she would alter long-term funding for the massive federal program. ....... "She will oppose any effort to privatize the program," her campaign said. "As president her first priority will be restoring fiscal responsibility and fair tax policies, and then will work in a bipartisan process to address Social Security's long term challenges." Excerpts From an Interview With Barack ObamaNew York Times aboard his campaign plane to Columbus, Ohio, from Chicago ...... We never planned on winning this thing in September. ..... why I would be the best president for this particular time in history ...... We’re running against the most established brand in the Democratic Party for the last two decades, as well as strong candidates like Edwards who have been running for the last four years. ....... our supporters, our donor base, always understood that this was going to be a tough fight. ........ if you’re running against an established brand, don’t you have to draw contrasts? ....... There has been a lot of biographical work that we’ve had to do over the last several months ...... She, I think, represents a lot of old arguments. ........ people perceive her as a tough, competent, intelligent person. But there’s no sense among independents or Republicans that she’s going to bring a new language to our politics. ....... if you believe that business as usual is not sufficient to solve health care or institute a major energy policy or help to heal racial divisions or religious divides in this country, then my candidacy looks more appealing .......... On Iraq and Iran, I think there has been a tendency to go back and forth in her positions. ...... not to try to obfuscate and avoid being a target in the general election and then find yourself governing without any support for any bold propositions ..... in the first couple of debates, the format didn’t work for me. Or I didn’t adapt to the format. ...... I will more effectively bring the country together, I will more effectively overcome the special interests and I will more provide a clearer vision for the country about where we need to go. ........ What I said right now is what I genuinely believe. ..... the standard approach on Social Security that she’s taken, which is to pretend that if you just ensure that all the money coming into the trust fund is there and there is fiscal stability and there’s no problem, means you don’t solve the problem. You’re kicking the can down the road. ........ defend ourselves against attack or amplify real differences. ....... Hope is not ignoring differences or ignoring problems. ...... hope is what you have in the face of difficulties, uncertainties and conflict. ..... Being honest about those differences and conflicts, but believing that we can resolve them, not trying to pretend that they’re not there. ......... I am happy to have very strong and forceful debates about where I perceive there to be real differences. ......... on the biggest foreign policy disaster of a generation, she got it wrong and I got it right and that judgment carries over to the discussions we are now having on Iran. ........ I think it is fair to say that if Hillary Clinton is the nominee, then we have a repetition of 2000 and 2004. There’s no change in the political map. ...... There’s not going to be an expansion of the electorate. I don’t think anybody would claim that Senator Clinton is going to inspire a horde of new voters. ....... I am absolutely convinced, as somebody who represents a new generation of leadership and takes a new tone and a different language into the general election, that I’ve got the capacity to attract independents and Republicans in a way that she can’t do. Argentina's 'Hillary Clinton' poised to win presidency Inquirer.net First Lady of Argentina ready to be the new EvitaGuardian Unlimited Hillary Clinton finds time for her base in Harlem Newsday the nation's best-known black neighborhood, and was hosted there by the nation's most powerful black politician. ........ Clinton -- who was also introduced by former president Bill Clinton, who retains near rock-star status in the black community ...... offering herself as a champion of women, another group that has struggled to advance in a world dominated by white men. ....... "I think there is a sisterhood that transcends race," Dorise Roberts Black, a black Harlem resident and retired principal, said as she entered the church. ....... Abyssinian Baptist was once led by legendary preacher Adam Clayton Powell Jr., a proponent of black political power who launched his own congressional career from the pulpit. Powell later was among the first Protestant preachers to endorse the presidential bid of John F. Kennedy, who had to overcome religious bias against his Catholic faith. ............ citizens who indicate a willingness to vote across racial lines often are swayed by racial pride on Election Day. ....... Black women provide the former first lady with her biggest support from among black voters, choosing her as their top choice almost three times as often as they cite Obama. Harlem Homecoming For ClintonGuardian Unlimited Rivals From Both Parties Spar Over Response to Iran New York Times a military blockade or “bombardment of some kind” ...... Iran’s 125,000-member Revolutionary Guard Corps ...... the guard corps and its elite Quds division. ...... Clinton accused Mr. Obama of desperately flagging the Iran issue to revive a “struggling” campaign. Mr. Obama fired back, saying her “political explanations and contortions” would not change the fact that she had given Mr. Bush the benefit of the doubt on foreign policy and was doing so again. ....... American intelligence officials have told Congress that Iran is probably three to eight years away from its first weapon. ....... the only thing more dangerous than a war with Iran would be an Iran with nuclear weapons. ....... “The view of many experts is that Iran within two years of a tipping point,” Mr. McCain said. “They are inexorably on the road to attaining nuclear weapons.” ....... would not think about military action against Iran as a “war,” but more in terms of precise strikes. ....... making the same mistakes she made in 2002 before the war in Iraq by offering the administration support, however qualified. ...... Mr. Edwards equated Mrs. Clinton’s vote on the Iran resolution with her previous support of the 2002 measure, which, in his view, authorized the use of military force in Iraq. ..... Mr. Edwards said: “I learned a clear lesson from the lead-up to the Iraq war in 2002: If you give this president an inch, he will take a mile — and launch a war. Senator Clinton apparently learned a different lesson. Instead of blocking George Bush’s new march to war, Senator Clinton and others are enabling him once again.” Obama continues to invoke "cousin" Dick Cheney Baltimore Sun "It doesn't help when you put my cousin, Dick Cheney, in charge of energy policy," Obama said. "We've been trying to hide this for a long time, by the way. Everybody's got a black sheep in the family." ...... And in an interview with CNBC this week, Cheney called the senator "Cousin Barack.'' Play of the Day: Cheney on Cousin ObamaThe Associated Press The vice president said he was unsure about bringing it up with the Illinois senator. "Well, I didn't know whether that would help him or hurt him, so I thought I'd probably stay away from him," he said. ...... Obama is a descendent of Mareen Duvall, said Ginny Justice, a spokeswoman for Lynne Cheney. The French Huguenot's son married the granddaughter of a Richard Cheney, who arrived in Maryland in the late 1650's from England. Clinton shows up in New YorkCapital News 9
