First thoughts: All the Wright moves

Posted: Wednesday, April 02, 2008 8:54 AM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under: First Thoughts

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro
*** All the Wright moves? Yesterday, Clinton delegate hunter Harold Ickes admitted to Talking Points Memo that he was bringing up the Rev. Wright story in his conversations with Democratic superdelegates. While that news is certain to displease Obama supporters, it would be naïve for anyone to think the Clinton camp WASN’T going to push this story to influence undecided superdelegates -- just like it would be naïve to think the Obama camp isn’t whispering to them about the possible baggage Bill Clinton would bring to a general election. The risk for Ickes and the Clinton campaign is that Dem superdelegates aren’t your typical swing voters -- they’re more liberal and progressive than your average Democrat -- and playing the Wright card with them could backfire. Then again, with Clinton trailing Obama and with superdelegates incrementally moving in Obama’s direction, the Clinton camp has to play this card, right? And let's not be naïve ourselves: It's possible the superdelegates themselves are bringing this up. They are junkies and they are probably curious about the polling.

VIDEO: NBC Deputy Political Director Mark Murray offers his first read on the tightening race in the Keystone State as the April 22nd Pennsylvania primary nears and Ronald Reagan's sudden participation.

*** The narrowing Keystone race: Are expectations slowly starting to shift in Pennsylvania now that Obama has spent significant time in the state? A new Quinnipiac poll today has Clinton leading Obama in Pennsylvania by nine points, 50%-41%. That’s down from her 12-point lead (53%-41%) a couple of weeks ago. The poll also shows both Clinton and Obama leading McCain in possible general election match-ups in the Keystone State (Clinton is ahead of him, 48%-40%, while Obama leads him, 43%-39%). The survey also has Clinton leading McCain by two points in Florida and nine points in Ohio, while Obama leads McCain by one point in Ohio and trails him by nine in Florida. The Sunshine State is starting to look less and less like an Obama target state. Of course, while Clinton may be stronger in Florida, she's consistently weaker than him in the Midwest and West, signaling that the two will have two different paths to 270.

*** Some guys have all the luck: On Monday, Mississippi certified the results from its March 11 primary, and it turned out that Obama picked up an additional delegate from the contest, which gives him a 1,416-1,252 pledged lead over Clinton per NBC’s count. Indeed, it seems that every time there is some sort of recalculation, Obama picks up delegates -- whether it’s by luck (in Mississippi) or by simply outworking the Clinton campaign (Iowa’s county conventions). And then Clinton has lost superdelegates when Eliot Spitzer resigned or when Rep. Tom Lantos passed away. Delegate by delegate, the gravity of the race appears to be pulling in Obama’s direction. Of course, there are exceptions, the most recent being the announcement by Obama superdelegate Al Wynn that he’ll retire from Congress in June. That brings our superdelegate total to Clinton 255, Obama 221. So the overall count is Obama 1,637, Clinton 1,507. On the delegate front, this weekend there are conventions in North Dakota and Washington, where more delegates could switch. Also watch Ohio's certification, which could move another delegate in the 1st Congressional District.

*** Dean’s legacy: The New York Times is the latest news organization to examine why DNC chairman Howard Dean isn’t taking a more active role to resolve his party’s nomination fight. The stories haven’t been that flattering, and taken together, they seem to be writing what COULD be a disastrous legacy for the former governor and onetime presidential candidate, if the Democrats end up losing in November. The Times piece, in fact, left out the most embarrassing part of Dean’s stint as DNC chair: his paltry fundraising. But the criticism that the outsider Dean has received has always tended to come from Democratic insiders in Washington. Also, ask yourself this: If Dean aggressively intervenes in the nomination fight, wouldn’t that undermine his neutrality, possibly angering either the Clinton or Obama camps? And if he went out of his way to lend a helping hand to Florida and Michigan -- which broke the rules and resisted earlier DNC compromises -- wouldn’t it make it impossible for the Democrats to have control over the nominating calendar in future contests? One other thing about Dean’s legacy: He has skins on the wall (the 2006 midterms) that some of his predecessors can’t point to.

*** Anger from the Right: McCain is leading both Clinton and Obama in general election match-ups, according to some recent national polls. His appeal with independents gives his party a chance to expand its base. And his military background and longtime service in the Senate gives him a clear contrast against both Clinton and Obama. But that still doesn’t satisfy some establishment conservative leaders. Here’s what James Dobson tells the Wall Street Journal: "I have seen no evidence that Sen. McCain is successfully unifying the Republican Party or drawing conservatives into his fold. To the contrary, he seems intent on driving them away. To my knowledge, he has not reached out to pro-family leaders or changed any of the positions that have troubled them.” In fact, it seems the Wall Street Journal opens up every wound in the McCain-GOP world -- with another piece on McCain’s fundraising woes.

*** McCain’s tour, Day 3: Speaking of McCain, he gives a speech this morning at another alma mater of his, the Naval Academy in Annapolis. His campaign says that the candidate “will talk about his journey from a young man who arrived at the Naval Academy more focused on breaking rank than rising through the ranks, to a man who had in him … a love of country and a commitment to serving her ingrained in his heart for life.“

*** On the trail: Clinton campaigns in Pittsburgh and then flies to San Francisco to raise money; Obama, also in Pennsylvania, addresses the state AFL-CIO convention in Philadelphia; Bill Clinton stumps in Indiana; and Michelle Obama speaks at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

*** Let’s play some Hardball: And don’t miss Obama on the Hardball College Tour with Chris Matthews on MSNBC at 5:00 pm ET and 7:00 pm ET.

Countdown to Pennsylvania: 20 days
Countdown to North Carolina, Indiana: 34 days
Countdown to Election Day 2008: 216 days
Countdown to Inauguration Day 2009: 293 days

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Comments

Howard Dean I believe is correct. He's acting like a responsible person.

Calling for Senator Clinton to quit publicly is stupid, it's humiliating and it's embarrassing.

I'm with Dean on this one. Be patient and let it all play out with the voters.

Obama/Webb 2008

Pat, Boston, MA (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:07 AM)

True to my predictions yesterday, Hillary enjoyed a bounce back. I cannot fathom what goes on behind the scenes of any major new outlet- no matter the medium- and what decisions are made in presenting ‘their’ news of the day. It’s no secret what Fox News is going to mention/comment/report. However, I am still bewildered by everyone letting Hillary off the hook and keeping her viable in this race. Why do they keep reporting or mentioning that she has practically no chance to win the delegate battle? Why do they allow her to go free whenever she moves the goalposts? Why are they afraid of the Clinton’s? Even one of my favorite Dem leaders Speaker Pelosi got spooked.

I am not going to say advertising revenue and ratings races are behind any or all of this. But deep down, don’t you think the media is salivating over the possibility of a protracted fight and contentious convention just to keep up the revenue stream? It is great news.

As we get closer to the PA primary, I suspect more rancor and division will occur. My gut instinct tells me the Clinton camp will start it, and that they are hoping the Obama engages back and makes a misstep. Follow the Gallup daily tracking numbers. The longer she is allowed to be competitive the closer the margin between the two will become. Many have said her free publicity in the media overcomes her money situation. Then if you are offering her all of this free time, start holding her accountable. It seems to me you get more bang for the buck if you bring to light her miscues, i.e. Bosnia. Those reports have long legs (we are still talking about Rev. Wright) and will bring you back the revenue you seek.

Chuck, NY (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:10 AM)

LET ME SEE HAROLD IKES: MISSPEAKING,QUEEN OF EARMARKS TIES TO WALL STREET AND LOBBYIST,THE PEOPLE AND COUNTRIES THAT GAVE MONEY TO THE CLINTON LIBRARY AND THE CLINTON FOUNDATION.BILL BUSINESS DEALING SINCE HE LEFT OFFICE,WHO HAS BILL CLINTON BEEN CHUMMY WITH ...NO I DONT THINK ANY OF THIS WILL BE USED AGAINST THE CLINTONS!

RENEA,PLYMOUTH,MI (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:11 AM)

Just heard Mark Murray discussing Clinton's retelling of an old joke about the boy and a pony- He then tells Mika Breszinski that it's all silly -just like accusing Obama of lifting lines from Deval Patrick- This is a ridiculous and unfair comparison- The speech that Obama plagiarized (Just Words) was written by a young man in Boston specifically for Deval Patrick- David Axelrod created the "authentic" candidates who use the same words to win elections. We in MA have suffered from a campaign based solely on words and aspirations and the outsider and community organizer Deval Patrick (interchangeably Obama) got elected governor by an overwhelming majority. Big surprise- those fine words are just that-words. They did not endure- We have had over a year of inaction and rookie mistakes. Hillary Clinton repeated an old joke-Barack Obama has lifted an entire campaign-

BB, Boston (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:12 AM)

Obama lied when he said he’d never heard Rev.Wright anti-American speeches. His Perfect Union Speech beautiful and important as it was—was done once evidence surfaced that he had indeed witnessed such speeches. Blacks should be offended that it was given once it was forced out of him. It was the most important speech in race since the unmatchable Martin Luther King, but unlike King, it was hypocritical because it was extracted out of him once he got caught

Laurrain Downs (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:13 AM)

I think it would be best if Hillary would suspend campaigning until 14 April so that she can get ALL her taxes complete to be made public. In fact, she should direct all staff to help her with this task --- clearly the nation needs a rest from Wolfson and Ickes! Where are the Tax Returns, Hillary!!!!!?

William, Erin, WI (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:15 AM)

Ickes is doing what he gets paid to do. Its all he's got. But the fear card simply isn't working, people are not so naive and gullible. I'm an elected delegate for Obama and I will be at the (Washington State) Legislative District Caucus this Saturday to support Barack Obama for President of the United States.

JohnnyU, WA State (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:16 AM)

In 3 weeks Obama has cut her numbers in half, from near 20% to under 10%, in many polls. With 3 weeks to go, I would not be surprised if he ends up winning Pennsylvania.

BL, Cincinnati OH (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:16 AM)

What if?

Just playing with some numbers this morning. What if Clinton carries PA and Ind with a 7.5% margin of victory while Obama carries NC with 15% margin. These possibilities appear realistic based on present polling.

The answer? A virtual wash in delegates and popular votes leaving Obama's lead in both categories the same on May 7th as it is today. To change the equation, Clinton must do considerably better than present polling suggests.

obie, burtrum, mn (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:17 AM)

OH- one other point- The race narrowing in PA might have something to do with the obscene amount of money being spent by the Obama campaign and the plastering of wall to wall ads on TV and radio- The buying of a state-especially when Americans are suffering -by having unlimited funds is not something the voters of PA will or should appreciate. Obama's people should remember what happened in Ohio-Maybe the press should tell the whole truth about the poll numbers-having media in the tank doesn't hurt either.

BB, Boston (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:17 AM)

The fact that McCain angers the right-wing fringers like Dobson is the only reason that he seems even somewhat viable in this race. The minute that he starts pandering to the Dobson/Robertson/Hagee crowd is when all of the moderate Americans (Democrat, Republican or Independent) wave goodbye.

http://thepajamapundit.com/

the Pajama Pundit (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:20 AM)

Just so long as we look long and hard at both candidate's electability...fair is fair. Obama has one major issue that he handled extremely well. To his credit. The Clintons, well just to keep my posting short, does anyone really want a repeat of the many scandals involved with them in the past. This campaign there has been indications of more of the same, the secrecy, the backroom deals, the raw ambition put over anything else, the dishonesty, the poor money management, the infighting. No thank you.

The rookie is outperforming the establishment figure. Gotta wonder why...Obama strengths versus Clinton weaknesses.

Still a lot of time in PA.

Lisa, New Britain, CT CT for Obama (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:20 AM)

I wonder if Ickes happens to mention Clinton's baggage in those conversations with superdelegates, lol.

Paul Miller, Woodbridge, VA (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:20 AM)

Great to see Obama closing the gap in PA to single digits. He has showed consistency with closing the gaps in almost every key state and the Superdelegates need to consider that when making their eventual decision, rather than a Clinton cronie whining about Rev. Wright. And how many SD's has Hillary picked up? They continue to endorse Senator Obama!

Diane from Illinois (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:21 AM)

The Wright story will continue to plague Obama's campaign. It probably won't hurt him in AA community as they see nothing wrong with his comments. Others in the Democratic party will see that this makes him vulnerable in the General Election and that might swing them towards Hillary or McCain.

John McCain probably won't shore up some of the die hard conservatives that were for Huckabee. He has offended the Evangelicals on his stance on abortion and some would never change their minds. Most people in the Republican party will vote for him as they see him as the lesser of 2 evils.

MP, Sugar Land, TX (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:23 AM)

Leave Howard Dean alone, you vultures! He's just not an out front kind of guy, hence, the scream heard round the world. He got this generation in the game in the first place and in my opinion set some of the groundwork for Obama to follow. He MUST remain neutral so that when Obama wins he can say so. Dr. Dean's no fool. Don't listen to 'em, Dean! You're the man!

squintz, philly, pa (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:27 AM)

Check the numbers: Dean's "paltry" fundraising has been better than McAuliffe's ever was. And Dean has invested the money much more wisely.

observer (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:30 AM)

As predicted the race in PA has narrowed now that Obama is spending time there and talking to people. Now it is up to the white males in PA to get a hint that backing Hillary is a no-winner. We know she is promising you guys jobs and the like but look at her same promises when running for Senator of New York where there was actually a loss of jobs. C'mon guys. The President has little control over the economy so all of Clinton's promises are empty promises. Vote for the guy that at least can incite your kids to get involved and to be creative and who does not make up stories about dodging bullets in Bosnia. That issue alone, especailly for you PA Vets who have dodged bullets in the past, should be enough to reject Hillary.

C A, Tuscaloosa, AL (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:31 AM)

14 more days until "the Clintons" relase their tax returns . . . still no word on Senate earmarks or Clinton Library Donors . . . America waits . . .

Nashville_fan (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:33 AM)

The down fall of Obama in November will be Rev. Wright and his church. 1960's book linked with the church "Black Theology and Black Power," by James H. Cone --that espouses anti-white views. Obama has worshiped there for 20 years, the church publicly declares that it ministry is founded on the book, which advocates" the destruction of the white enemy." Obama states he never read the book , sure like he did sit in the pews but never her the preacher spew anti-American racist remarks. Obama ears must hear, having his fingers in them for 20 years. He is pro abortion, as a Illinois senator he voted against a bill that would have guaranteed medical care for babies who survived abortion rather than letting them die. He told pro-life group He would not want his daughter to be,"punished with a baby"if they were to make mistakes as teenagers. Pro-live director of Pennsylvania states, Obama has a radical stance on abortion, by all indications , he does consider an unplanned pregnancy to be a punishment." http://www.washingtontimes.com

jp,michigan (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:36 AM)

Obama is an amazing orator.

MP, Sugar Land, TX (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:37 AM)

If OBama manages to keep his loss margin in PA to less than 10 points, all CLinton has projected, preached, and postured will be quashed. She obviously will change the tilt of her spin, but the top will definitely fall over soon. OBAMA 08

Sherri, Charleston WV (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:38 AM)

Yes Harold Ickies, lets talk about what the GOP already has in the works to throw at YOU GIRL,(even though we all know she WILL NOT be the nominees):

Troopergate
Travelgate
Filegate
Monica Lewinsky
Juanita Broaddrick
Kathleen Willey
Paula Jones
Gennifer Flowers
Whitewater
Castle Grande
Peter Paul
Johnny Chung
Donations From China
Vince Foster
The MacDougals
"What Your Definition Of 'Is' Is"

...not to mention...

"Opposing" Iraq when you voted for the President's Authorization For Use Of Military Force

...and...

"Opposing" NAFTA when your husband signed the agreement.

.....and...

The latest debacle to add to "Clinton's Greatest Scandals, Lies, and Embarrassments"........Snipergate.

Come now, Mr. Ickes, I REALLY don't think you want to go down that road. I am sure that MANY of us would be ALL to happy to talk about all of YOUR GIRLS little "misspeaks" and scandals.

I think America would take Rev Wright over THIS embarrassment ANY TIME.

So keep on talking Ickies, and so will we.

LOSER.

p.s. Can't wait until TAX DAY. Then I'm sure we will have even MORE to add to that filthy laundry list of HRC.

Iowa (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:40 AM)

AS long as Howard Dean is in charge, I llok forward to President McCain taking the oath of office next January. The man is a fool, first with his rebel yell tht destroyed his campaign, now his silly little fights to keep the Michigan and Florida delegates out of the convention. Such a silly old man, he should have stayed in Vermont, where people don't care how silly you get.

Hillary's people talking about the Wright issue....
Obama's people talking about snipers in Bosnia.....
I guess this will come down to whomever has the less evils. Obama seems to be winning that one easily.

jerry/corpus christi texas (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:41 AM)

Why isn't the madia screaming for the Clinton tax returns? These were promised to us by Hillary during the NBC moderated debate.

If you want to see who a person is, look at their tax returns. What are the Clintons hiding? This was the campaign slogan used by Hillary against Rick Lazio in the Senate campaign of 2000. Media reporters must start digging!

Ask these questions:
Did they use tax shelters? Off-shore?
Did they make money in hedge-fund subprime mortgage instruments?
Did they speculate in oil futures?
What percentage of their income did they donate to charity?
Who paid for Bill Clinton speeches?
Who donated to the Presidential Library?
Is she still getting a WalMart salary?

Until the voters of Pennsylvania have this information, they can NOT truly evaluate Hillary like they can with Obama.

David Kolva, MD Oswego/Syracuse, NY (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:41 AM)

Deaan's 50 state strategy is all by itself the best thing the DNC chair has done. He has made the Democrats more viable in "red states", hence Obama's popularity in those states. Dean started the movement in those states and Obama ran with it.

Democrat 08 (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:42 AM)

DID YOU SEE the Richardson Op-Ed in the Wash Post? Responding to claims of disloyalty to Clinton, he says he endorsed Obama out of loyalty to his country. Powerful stuff. The subtext of his op-ed is that Hillary Clinton, in his mind, is no Bill Clinton, which is also the subtext of why Hillary is losing this race that she was expected to win.

Geoff in Brooklyn (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:43 AM)

*** Some guys have all the luck:
==================================================

Guys, luck has nothing to do with it. Most people know that Sen. Obama is the candidate who has the integrity, and the smarts to get things done, but in a different way. Hopefully, if he is elected, we the American people, can say good riddance to most lobbyists and big businesses that runs Washington today. No more Haliburton, a better economy, eventually no more war, much better energy policy, and better healthcare. He's not in this just for personal gain, he's in this because he truly loves this country and the people.

Obama, 2008!

KJ, Dallas, TX (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:43 AM)

I'm with Chuck and Renea.
Why does the media give Clinton equal coverage - if not sometimes greater coverage when you include coverage of Bill and Chelsea? (And by the way, if Chelsea's out there stumping, she has to take the heat or get off the campaign trail - she's no longer an innocent bystander, and should not have special rules. Her responses are snippy and arrogant!) It's been said over and over, but it's true - If she were not Hillary CLINTON, Hillary would have been dismissed and left in the dust by the media long ago.
As to Ickes and the Wright story. Do they really think the superdelegates are that short-sighted? If so, who are these people? Do the Clintons really believe they'd be free of attacks from the private Republican "conspiracy?" The most horrific campaign of destruction this country has ever seen would surely ensue with a Clinton nomination.

Lindy, Philadelphia, PA (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:45 AM)

Different paths to 270 electoral votes? I'll say.

Clinton's path in a general election is non-existant, and has been so since the lead up to the South Carolina primary. Her general election strategy was based on Kerry states plus a little extra, and that formula doesn't work if the Kerry states don't include the 2004 turnout percentages among young and African American voters; this is the elephant in the room that everyone is ignoring.

Obama, on the other hand, has the most crossover appeal of any Democratic presidential candidate since FDR (as shown in not only polling but now in election results showing record turnout and party switching), so the fact that his electability would actually be questioned by the now unelectable Hillary is just laughable. It's hard to imagine how anyone with more than two brain cells to rub together would entertain such a notion.

Obama's path to the White House will involve more than 270 electoral votes; he will potentially be competitive in 40-45 states in November. And of the five states in which he has virtually no chance, yes, Florida happens to be one, but as I posted in a comment here over a month ago, he could very well win a forty-five state landslide and not take the Sunshine State. The days of Florida being a top of the list swing state are over; even though Hillary would be more competitive there than other Democrats because of NYC transplants, in the end she would probably lose the state to McCain anyway, where as Obama will be racking up victory after victory in states like Iowa and Colorado that Clinton could never beat McCain in.

Shadow, Hamden, CT (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:47 AM)

Ickes is correct in talking about Jeremiah Wright. He is an albatross around Obama's neck. His association with the outspoken, biggoted, anti-American Reverend will bring the rest of the party down in November.
He should also be talking about Obama's relationship with indicted political racketeer Tony Rezko. The U.K. Times is floating a story that there is Iraqi money involved in the financing of the joint Obama-Rezko land deal that netted Obama a house and a parcel of land for $300,000.00 less than its' market value.
And, of course all of that took place AFTER Obama had written letters on Rezko's behalf to get his developement company some 14 million dollars in State and Municipal funding for housing projects, at least one of which wasn't even in Obama's State Senate District.
Then too, there are the Pew Research Center, ABC News, and CNN polls that say 29% of the Democratic Party will "cross the aisle" and vote for McCain if Obama is the party's nominee.
This would be supported by the fact, that in pite of numerous high profile endorsements, Obama has not been able to nail the nomination down, and is leading Clinton by 'only' some 130-to-140-odd delegates and less than 1% of the popular vote.
These are indicators of a fractured Democratic Party that would not be fully satisfied with Obama as its' nominee.
Remember that Kerry had a commanding lead over the competition by this time in 2004. There was never any talk of brokered conventions or Democratic voters crossing the aisle in November.
This is very telling, in comparison to what's happening this year.
There is a serious chance that an Obama candidacy will kill the Democratic Party for years to come. Especially when the "newness" of empowerment wears off recently registered voters in places like North Carolina.
Whether Obama supporters, or the media admit it or not....the odds are severely against him winning The Presidency. His candidacy is more likely to fracture a party that was finally recovering from The Republican Revolution of 1994, and seemingly on its' way to ownership of both the legislative and executive houses of the federal government.
A loss to John McCain in Novemnber, which is LIKELY with almost 30% of the party threatening to cross the aisle in case of an Obama nomination, would stifle any progress the party has made since 2006, and could well send it into yet another decade long downard spiral.
Obama supporters won't like reading that.
Nontheless, is IS The TRUTH, and as we all know.....

The TRUTH Hurts (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:47 AM)

No matter if the media no longer discusses the Wright story or not, you see, the local's are discussing it constantly, and all politics is local.
The Wright story is a big story, it matters, and it will not go away. If a White Southern preacher had made such comments in reverse he would have been branded as the leader of the KKK. Be honest and truthful with yourself, I know a lot of really good Black American's, I also know some who are racist as the day is long and that is so sad in this day and age. If I were to meet Mr. Wright (can't refer to him as a reverand cause I don't really think he is a man of God)I would gladly tell him that I was not alive in the 1800's, early 1900's and can't change what happened back then (remember - a woman used to belong to her husband and his family not too long ago) so don't blame me for something I never did and don't continue to rub my face in something you can't overcome.
When you really think about it, the Black American has nothing to complain about when compared to the Native American Indian - my ancestors were robbed of evrything they owned and you don't hear us screeching all this racist balogna.

Union Baby, Tennessee (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:47 AM)

The Obama camp should be talking about Clinton's relationship with Peter Paul

http://www.thevaneljournal.com

thevaneljournal.com (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:50 AM)

The NYT and some within the democratic party are attempting to play a shameless game of fix the blame.
The democratic party is set up specifically so its chairman has little real power over the political campaigns themselves.
If tese groups really wanted to bring closure to the nominating race all they need to do is empower the DLC to over ride the popular expression of support for the leading contender in the race or they could focus enough support around 1 candidate and end the race for the nomination.
It is their choice.
Not Dean's choice.
It is time to see if the democratic party can govern itself before we entrust it with governing the nation.

Tom, Tennessee (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:51 AM)

I hope Ickes is reminding the SD's of the "vast right wing conspiracy" that brought about Bill Clinton's impeachment. After all, it's important to note that the Clintons have never done anything that might have contributed to their high negatives in the polls.

Idaho (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:51 AM)

The SD are not the same types as the "Clinton" blind sheep. Lets weight the two candidates negatives. I think this is the ONLY Lead Hillary has on Obama. She truly leads in negatives.LOL!LOL!
How can this NOT backfire? You can't talk about Wright,without opening a discussion about ALL of the Clinton's DOCUMENTED scandals.
People in Glass houses shouldn't even LOOK at stones...LOL!LOL!

Marge (Pittsburgh) (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:52 AM)

The TRUTH Hurts & Union Baby, Tennessee,

According to the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message, the denomination's most recent statement of beliefs, both men and women can serve the church but the office of pastor is limited to men. The statement is based on a verse in 1st Timothy in which the Apostle Paul says, "I permit no woman to teach or have authority over a man."
-------------------------------------
When are you two going to start picketing your local baptist churches?

Tom, Tennessee (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:53 AM)

Sherri, Charleston WV,
when you consider that Hillary's delegate win in Ohio was 53-47% I crunched the numbers for Penna.
Hillary would need a 87-71 delegate split for a ten point win.
Who really thinks with Penna's delegate allocation that Hillary will carry the state by +16?

Tom, Tennessee (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:57 AM)

MSNBC, just wondering why you are not reporting the Elizabeth Edwards endorses Hillary's Health plan and pans Obama's plan and McCains lack of. This is being reported by other news outlets, but the, I love Obama network wouldn't dare put something out there that is favorable to Hillary. MSNBC is a joke!

Rochester, NY (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:59 AM)

"The longer she is allowed to be competitive the closer the margin between the two will become. Many have said her free publicity in the media overcomes her money situation. Then if you are offering her all of this free time, start holding her accountable. "
*******
Chuck in NY: So, basically you're saying the longer Hilary stays in Obama loses ground? So, why doesn't he get out of the race? Regarding free publicity for Hilary, I say a report yesterday that last week Obama got 70% of the coverage, McCain and Hilary split the rest. So, who's getting free publicity? Regarding holding her "accountable", I'm sure you're calling for the media to do the same with Obama, right? A problem with this race and why it is in such a mess now is that the media DID NOT hold Obama accountable; he was not vetted. If anybody questioned him, the response was you're "negative" or "against hope and change." The other response was that if you questioned him, you were immediately called a racist. So the media tippy-toed around him so as not to look "racist." Now, the skeletons are all finally flying out of the closet and people are rethinking Obama. But, if we want accountability, I didn't see FIRST READ have a headline that Obama LIED about how his parents met, he LIED about the Kennedys "saving" his father, he LIED about having never that position quesitonnaire. Those are just the recent things. Then, let's ask him about his position on abortion, gun control, etc. What he's saying does not match that his positions stated in the questionnaire.

unborn children against Obama (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 10:00 AM)

So Obama is ahead of McCain in PA and OH... and the latest polls indicate he is ahead of Hillary in CA. So much for her "Big State" argument.

Linda. Boston, MA (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 10:00 AM)

Per Political Wire.com:

New Quinnipiac polling results in three of the largest and most important swing states in the Electoral College finds that Sen. Hillary Clinton does better than Sen. Barack Obama against Sen. John McCain in a general election match up.

Florida: Clinton 44, McCain 42; McCain 46, Obama 37
Ohio: Clinton 48, McCain 39; Obama 43, McCain 42
Pennsylvania: Clinton 48, McCain 40; Obama 43, McCain 39

Sorry Obama supporters - yet another blow to your "electibility" argument.

CSH, IL (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 10:00 AM)

Speaking of...

...the "obscene (?) amount of money" the Obama campaign is pouring into Pennsylvania...

...could be due to the "obscene amount of money" Obama is raising, largely from small donors...

...maybe he should give some of the money to Hillary and make this thing really fair...

ya think?

Mark Thieme (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 10:01 AM)

"When you really think about it, the Black American has nothing to complain about when compared to the Native American Indian - my ancestors were robbed of evrything they owned and you don't hear us screeching all this racist balogna".

OMG!!! How blatently Stupid. How can discrimination against any race or nationality be compared as which is worse?
What qualifies YOU to make the comparison? How informed are you about the African American experience?
ALL discrimination is BAD!!! And anyone that have been or in many cases still are victims of any form of discrimination SHOULD be screeching about it.
Dang...I still can't believe the sheer ignorance of that post!!!! Wow!!!!!

Marge (Pittsburgh) (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 10:06 AM)

A loss to John McCain in Novemnber, which is LIKELY with almost 30% of the party threatening to cross the aisle in case of an Obama nomination, would stifle any progress the party has made since 2006, and could well send it into yet another decade long downard spiral.
*****
The Turth Hurts: Thank you for your comments. It is curious that the candidate who was going to "unite" everybody has so divided not only the party but the country. If Obama had "owned" some responsibility and explained why he chose Trinity, why he continued to stay there, I believe he would have fared better. Instead, though, the candidate who said over and over his candidacy isn't about "race" then comes out and gives a speech about race to somehow justify his association with Wright and Trinity. Then, you add his "typical white person" remark a few days later. Frankly, the "great uniter" has turned into the "great divider". His actions have set back race relations in this country 40 years!

unborn children against Obama (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 10:09 AM)

By the time Obama is the nominee, most american voters will have Reverend Wright fatigue and it will be a non-issue. And we owe that thanks to the MSM.

With Ickes talking to supers about the Wright issue.....it will blow up in Hillary's face.

SvF, LG, WI (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 10:41 AM)

Funny to hear Clinton supporters complaining about Obama's cash advantage. Y'all know full well you assumed a year ago it would be Clinton with the cash advantage.

What you didn't realize was Clinton's inability to control her campaign's spending, and Obama's ability not only to raise funds, but to use those resources more effectively and strategically.

Paul Miller, Woodbridge, VA (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 10:42 AM)

So now if Hillary wins by just 10 points in PA it will be a blowout??!! Why? Just because he has closed the gap? Why is it that Hillary is never expected to HOLD ONTO her leads? She was ahead by 15 to 20 or more points in PA just a few weeks ago in many polls. In order to really make a dent in the pledged delegate count and popular vote totals she would have to win by at LEAST 20 points - more like 25 or 30! So WHY does the media give her a free pass and let her claim a huge blowout if her margin shrinks to 10 points?? Obama won Wisconsin by 17 and many others by 20 to 30. (VA and MD) So why is Hillary never EXPECTED to do the same??

Jane B., Raleigh, NC (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 10:44 AM)

it is a total farce how the press is not challenging hillary on her refusal to release financial documents that the voters need to see 'before they vote', some of you journalists need to step up to the plate and call out the clintons on this issue, they are not royalty, ask the question and demand an answer, it is obvious they are hiding something and will continue to do so if the 'free pass' mentality continues, there may not be a law requiring them to disclose the information, but her opponent has, how can anyone vote for someone so dishonest?

MK,MO (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 10:44 AM)

jp:
I do not know if you are a woman, but as someone who ahs had 3 unplanned pregnancies( 2 of them are out walkin around, the other is in my belly) it can seem like a punishment. Pregnancy is not easy and neither is child birth or rearing. I am pro choice, but I do not openly advocate abortion. As a woman I feel like it should always be an option. I am lucky. I am married to my children's father and he is great guy. Other woman do not have that luxury and they should have an option. It certainly beats woamn doingit in back alley's with charlaton doctors or commiting suicide, or leaving the baby in a dumpster or any of the other horrible acts people have commited when they were not ready to be a parent. if you beleive in God and an after life than you would know that those precious children go back to god and maybe come back to more deserving people. Again I do not openly advocate abortion, but life is not black and white. you can not pigeon hole someones beliefs without understanding the other factors that may be involved. I truley believe that the Obama's would probably want their daughter to have the baby and they would have the means to take care of it. But if the daughter was adament about not continuing the pregnancy b/c the burden of a baby would be to much for her maybe they would support her in the decision that she wants, whether it is abortion or adoption....

K (Sent Wednesday, April 02, 2008 10:48 AM)

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