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First Read is an analysis of the day's political news, from the NBC News political unit. First Read is updated throughout the day, so check back often.

Chuck Todd, NBC Political Director

Mark Murray, NBC Deputy Political Director

Domenico Montanaro, NBC Political Researcher



Clinton: Hillary's Hail Mary?

Posted: Tuesday, April 15, 2008 9:16 AM by Mark Murray

The AP on Clinton’s latest attack TV ad on Obama. “The ad is Clinton's latest attempt to keep Obama on the defensive and off message over the comments by appealing to the working-class Democratic voters he's had difficulty connecting with, voters he needs to win the primaries in Pennsylvania on April 22 and in Indiana on May 6.” 
 
“Clinton responded with the race's first true TV attack ad, which slammed Obama for telling a private San Francisco fund-raiser that small-town, working-class voters are ‘bitter’ about job losses, so ‘cling’ to things like ‘guns or religion,” the New York Post writes. More: “Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor said ‘proving once again that she'll say or do anything to get elected, Senator Clinton's latest negative ad attacks Barack Obama for words he's already said he chose poorly.’” 
 
Talk about no love from the New York Daily News: “Battle has become a clash of class - and Hillary Clinton proves she has none.”

Tammy Haddad interviews Clinton adviser Ann Lewis on “bitter.”

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Here's what Barack meant by "cling"... {Romans 12:9: Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; CLING to what is good.}... Speaking the TRUTH, what a revolutionary idea for a politician, GO Barack!!
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Watch as Hillary has a complete meltdown when this
latest attack fails.
Dear New York Daily News:

Spot on.  

I actually have only one word to say on this...and the word is BACKLASH.

Obama 08
Ah, look at the negativity.  In TRUE Clinton form.

If Obama stays above-the-fray on this one, he'll weather it with no problem.

Americans are smarter than this.  Juvenile attack ads don't work on intelligent people.

http://thepajamapundit.com/
I truly believe that she is overeaching and this will backfire.  I expect Obama to make her look silly over this in tomorrows debate.
A woman who went to Wellesley and Yale, got appointed to the board of several companies including WalMart when her husband became attorney general of Arkansas, became First Lady of Arkansas and then the United States, was elected Senator, bought a $1 million home in Chappaqua, New York (Westchester County) and has pulled in with her husband around $110 million since leaving the White House calls someone else elitist?

The more I watched the clips of Senator Clinton talking about learning to shoot with her grandfather and going to the bar for a beer and a shot the more ridiculous she appears.

Senator Clinton, the NRA and 2nd Amendments BFF...

http://www.sportsmenforclinton.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16&Itemid=26
It is becoming interesting to see the panic in the Clintons when Obama tells the truth and she lies. I am a hunter,I am spiritual and I am a hunter and I see nothing wrong with what Obama says. Hillary is the adored by a number of Talk show hosts such as Joe on Joe IN The Morning. It is obvious that he is very self serving and bigoted and is trying to keep any Obama mistep at the front as if he thinks he has the power to steer the election. I used to think that there was some desire for equality on your programming but now it seems that his love affair with hillary has taken over. I have given up watching him for "The Verdict" which is far more balanced.  
That's Just It..It's A Hail Mary.
I Too Am Bitter, Angry, Pissed Off(whatever word you want to use).We Are Hurting Economically.
All I can say is for once I am grateful for a Republican party. If not Hillary then Mccain. If only we could find a place to put these Obama supporters like saye Iraq then maybe America could be great once again.

Lupica you have class right? Stick to writing about baseball.
Hope the station got payment up front for that add!!

Has she paid her bills yet?

Whas't up with Penn and Columbia?  How about Bills ties to China?

This dust up was just a distraction from some pretty serious charges against the clintons... someone should bring the issues back into the light.

OBAMA '08 - Yes WE Can!!
Obama has obviously weathered another storm be it real or spun. How many times does he need to prove that he can withstand these situations with class and dignity before this race is ended? I do not think that the Dems can survive round three. Are people starting to boo?
Talk about somebody out of touch with small town blue collar workers, or normal everyday Americans as I consider myself.  Most Americans dislike negative ads.  I'm not sure what Senator Clinton was thinking when she started airing this ad.  Just reaffirmed to me that she will say and or do anything to win.  IMHO she's the one that is really out of touch with small town middle class America.  
The only class Hillary Clinton has is the need to take a class on how to be a good wife.  She has just about all the class of a redneck trailer park woman.

And i apologize to the redneck trailer park women that are voting for her.

Hillary Clinton
A Liar for all Seasons
I can't wait until the debate.

Remember the last one when HRC got made because she had to go first.  She had a little fit and looked like a fool.

I'm sure this debate will be a doozy.

She will probably have a complete tantrum when they start asking her about snipergate,  the fact that her ENTIRE campaign, except her , are lobbyist for Columbia, her decision to write the playbook for the GOP, her latest last ditch  effort with bittergate.

It should be pretty funny watching her squirm , while Obama stays calm, cool and collected, speaks the truth and kicks HRC's butt!!!!!


More delegates.
More votes.
More states.

Obama 08
On occasion, all of the candidates have mis-spoken.  Some more than others and some out right lies.  Let's put this one to bed and move on to the issues that need to be address.  Come on mass media, stop giving this one life!  Over at Fox News, the question of the day seems to be getting answered more by those who "feel offended" and want to keep this conversation going.  The voice of the people can shut this mess down.  We speak for ourselves!  Go voice your viewpont and then lets move on to bigger issues -> http://elections.foxnews.com/
How can anyone believe the people in Hillary's attack ad are "small town"?  These people are straight out of Central Casting.  It looks like it was filmed in an urban neighborhood.

Pathetic..... I wonder if these actors will even get paid.
Doesn't she feel proud of herself...
Anybody can critcize, but a real candidate
sticks to the issues...I guess she has none,but only her bitterness

Hillary Clinton: HAIL HER ROYAL BITTERNESS...
Hillary has lied about her support of NAFTA, has a husband and her campaign manager being paid lots of money to push the Columbian Trade Deal through and she attacks Senator Obama because he said some folks are bitter? Hillary and Bill have been paid lots of money to lobby for trade deals and send American's jobs overseas.
It's not just that Senator Clinton called Senator Obama "elitist"...

...it's that Sunday night at CNN's Compassion Forum she called Al Gore "elitist" and out of touch.

Is that really something you want to call the man who could very well still play the Kingmaker in the entire process of nominating the party's candidate...especially when he doesn't seem to like you very much to begin with?
Wow, send Obama supporters to Iraq?  That's a pretty strong statement Kimberly.  I am fiercely for Obama but I have never attacked Clinton's supporters.  How positive for your candidate that you think that way.  I'm pretty horrified at that...we don't deserve that.

Obama 08
Hillary supporters:
Do you realize that Obama has yet to mention the Bosnia lie?  Has yet to make a comercial about Mark Penn?  Has yet to raise the conflict of interest in Bill taking $800K to support a policy Hillary aledgedly is against? Whitewater, travelgate, Monicagate, ect. ect. ect.

So why all the hate for Obama? He has run an honorable campaign and refused to use the negative ammo that Hilllary gives him.  So why the hate? When I am losing, I am only angry if my opponent is not playing fair... because otherwise I would just be a sore loser.
I truly believe Obama spoke from his heart.  The true elitist, condenscending, aloof, snob in him is showing itself for what it is.

The true him.

We do not need an elitist in the White House.
Hillary Was Pro-NAFTA

Monday, April 14, 2008 12:51 PM

By: Dick Morris & Eileen McGann  Article Font Size  


As stated before HRC is a BALD FACED LAIR!!

Go Obama '08
"During the 1990s, I cannot remember being asked about immigration... Why? Because the economy was working... And average Americans didn't have to go around looking for someone to blame." - Hillary Clinton

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1688794,00.html

The tabloid NY NEWS knows how to say what it means very succinctly:

from the New York Daily News:

“Battle has become a clash of class - and Hillary Clinton proves she has none.”
The polls for Pennsylvania shows that Hillary is even 20 points ahead. The is based on small sample (500-1000 calls).

I HAVE A NEWS FOR YOU. CHECK THIS WEBSITE http://www.free411.com/vote2008/

IT IS BASED ON 24,000 CALLS WHICH SHOWS THAT IF PEOPLE WOULD VOTE TOMORROW THEN:

HILLARY - 43%
OBAMA - 57%
UNDECIDED - 26%
NOT VOTING - 19%

FOR RE-DO IN MICHIGAN:
HILLARY 40%
OBAMA - 60%

FOR RE-DO IN FLORIDA:
HILlARY - 47%
OBAMA - 53%

So now Hillary, as you see people are not as stupid as you think they are.
Anyone, besides me, beginning top see the wear and tear on Hillary's face as the result, I can only assume, of the pressures of JUST the primaries?  Yesterday's close-up, as she responds to the silent hecklers, showed more than just the amount of cosmetics she is using to look unflappable.  I read where she spends 2 1/2 hours (her words) to get ready for the day.  If she spent half of that time on her knees, clinging to her G(g)od, she would not have to spend so much time in front of a mirror, and we could all rest easy but about the eventual outcome of this race.  She is in a desperate mode, and the results are obvious.  I only hope-and it may happen-that when Barack kisses her cheek, in her defeat, that he doesn't have to end up, continually, picking at his lips.
I feel very sad about all the grief I took when I  supported the Clintons over the Monica scandal and other issues they had when Bill was president, and now they throw everything they can at Obama with no concern about the democratic party that was so good to them.  Their errors were bigger than saying the word bitter and so many people were kind to them and now they act like Karl Rove toward the frontrunner in their own party.  I will not support them again.  
A person who sees the glass as half empty and can find negetivity in the use of a single work is not who we want to have at the head of our government. We have just seen the amount of rot that can spread with when the one bad apple just happens to be the president. Lies and misdirection comes easy to them.
Wow, what a thing to be proud of...the first real attack ad in the campaign. Good job, Hillary. You know you can't win on your own merit, so you have to tear Obama down to make yourself look like the lesser of two evils. I guess it's all about winning. Hasn't it always been? It seems like you'd have an eye for your future after this is all over...but you're so sure you're going to win, you're willing to burn every bridge, aren't you? Well, I'd like to say I hope your bet pays off, but I'm backing Barack Obama, and I have a strong feeling you're going to be doing a lot of back pedaling when it comes time to run for your Senate seat again.
I’m blue collar American through and through, and the picture of Hillary throwing back a shot of CR with a beer just does not resonate.  First, no one I know can afford to drink CR and if you’re from Kentucky that was a real slap in the face.  Why not have a shot of JD or JB or any of the other fine Kentucky Bourbons?  May be it is because Hillary is just a little out of touch with the rest of us.  On the other hand may be she really does support NAFTA.  Do you really want a president who prefers Canadian to American?
When Senator Clinton goes negative, it hurts Obama, however the negative backlash against her always seems to be stronger...  That is the risk you take with these campaign tactics.
This is NOT a Hail Mary for Senator Clinton. It's interesting that the fatality flawed feminist candidate is surrounded by misogynist, like Bill Clinton and Bob Johnson.  This is the women who raced to the defense of the Rutgers girls' basketball team while embracing a man who built a broadcasting company where women were ALWAYS denigrated and the nasty language used by Imus.  She is a master at twisting words and intent and loves to associate with those that do the same.  The American public sees through her and her cronies latest ploy to deceive us.  We'll intercept this one like all of the rest and soon Senator Clinton will be out of the game.
It is amazing how when Obama does something for which he deserves to be attacked most of the media chooses to focus more on Hillary's response than to what Obama actually said. Hillary clearly has flaws and may be overplaying her hand on "bitter", no question. But, for the sake of the USA, lets please take a closer look at Obama over the next month. I think his supporters don't really want to look at what is. I will likely vote McCain.

Obamakins get real. With Reverend Wright, "typical white-person" (astounding the media let this go), "cling to guns and religion" not to mention basically calling downscale whites racists, "first time I am proud of my country".  

Obama has zero chance of winning of November with all of these "gaffes".


Informed in St Louis MO -- Are you kidding me? "Informed", your kidding again right?

If you think Obama is an elist. What are the two other candidates who are worth over $100 millions?

Not one person in that ad is suffereing, has lost a job or home.  Not one of them is from a small town.  Not one of them knows what is is to send your child to bed hungry; to eventually have to step into the night clutching your child to your chest and no home to go to, no comfort, just fear.  And nobody cares.  

I'm resentful of Hillary Clinton, because I've been there and she isdenigrating my situation and millions of others with her callous dismissal of our situation to garner votes.  I  truely hate that woman.
Pete - Albany, NY.  Spot on.

And the fact that hardly anyone has been taken in by this, but rather have seen the kernel of truth amost the tripped-up verbage, has given me great faith in the people, common and "elite," of this country...
This dame doesn't really care about the country and what a John McCain administration would mean...she knows it would be a bad one term.  If by some very slim chance Sillie Hilly's scabby campaign manages to win the nomination over Senator Obama she'll lose to McCain and then we all lose.  To her it's Clintonism, not democrat or republican that counts.


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