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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



HRC gives closing argument in Scranton

Posted: Monday, April 21, 2008 11:16 AM by Mark Murray

From NBC/NJ's Athena Jones
SCRANTON, PA -- After a long weekend of campaigning, marked by a bitter back-and-forth between the candidates, Clinton left the negativity behind as she kicked off the last full day of the primary race with a fourth stop in the northeast Pennsylvania town where she has deep roots.

The New York senator made her closing argument in the small, packed ballroom of a cultural center, entering to the now common strains of John Mellencamp's anthem "Small Town" and speaking in front of a banner that read "Scranton's behind you Hillary." She was accompanied by her mother Dorothy Rodham and her brothers Tony and Hugh Rodham, and the crowd interrupted her frequently with cheers and shouts.

"I wanted to come back the day before the primary to be with all of you and to thank you. We started this Pennsylvania campaign here in Scranton at the new high school, and we're going to bring it to victory," she said. "We need to really bear down. The last day is here and the entire world is watching. I appreciate your having my back and here's what I want you to know -- as your president, I'll have your back."

Clinton's great-grandparents settled in Scranton and her grandfather and father grew up here. She talked about the time she spent here in her youth and about her family's faith in America. "We cared about our family. We cared about our faith. We believed in working hard and we had an abiding faith in our country, an abiding faith that never ever quit," she said.

In a speech devoid of the kind of negative rhetoric the candidates used all weekend, Clinton touched on her goals of ending the war in Iraq, winning the war in Afghanistan, taking care of veterans and turning the economy around, making college affordable and achieving universal health care among other issues.

Polls show Clinton has retained her lead over Obama in a primary some analysts say she must win by double-digits, and today she thanked her supporters and volunteers and urged people to help turn out the vote. "Please, in the next 36 hours, do everything you can: convince people to go vote who say that they're not voting, take them to the polls, call your friends and neighbors, make the case for the kind of result that we desperately need in America again," she said.

Clinton did not mention Obama or McCain by name, but she did take a subtle dig at her colleague from Illinois' "Yes we can" mantra at the very end of her roughly 20-minute speech.

"Some people say that America's best days are behind us," she said to shouts of "No!" from the crowd. "Some people say 'Yes we can', but that doesn't mean we will. I believe we will, if we have the right leadership. If you stand with me I will. I will go to the White House and fight for you every single day."

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Is her campaign in the RED?  AP is reporting yes.  If you can't run a campaign for President in which you started out with a $100 million lead from former Clinton connections and lobbyist $$$, should the country entrust you with the White House?
HILLARY CLINTON LIVES TO FIGHT!  Well, do it in your own home, HRC.  We don't want to be subject to your constant FIGHTING with everything and everybody.

Stop acting act your childhood issues on the national stage!

Oh, that's sweet.  "Nice HIllary" decided to show up today.
What an egomaniac!  The kind of result we desperately need in American, again.  Gee, Hillary, which candidate are you talking about?

By the way, have you paid your campaign creditors yet?  Why am I asking.  Of course, you haven't.  Someone like yourself, with zero integrity, can't be bothered repaying the people who helped you build your campaign.

Obama in 2008.  Integrity matters and the Clintons have none.  Just ask their creditors.
So, basically, she is selling her campaign the same exact way Obama is now, but with a little twist in one word.

but words dont mean anything right?

i beg you, people of PA, lets put an end to this right now.

Let's see...who would you rather have a beer with--probably Obama. Who would you rather go to a ballgame with...probably Obama. Who would you rather BBQ with---probably Obama......sound like a pattern here??? (think W)

Been down that road before. No thanks!!!
Obamapods...you are witnessing history...Hillary History! She'll wip Obama's butt in PA and sail to the nomination...and then, the White House!
Is any one polling the younger 'Obama' voters who typically don't have land lines, but only cell phones?  Wouldn't not polling them skew the results? Just wondering.  
I hope it is her closing argument, truly, meaning that no more, no more, go away Clinton!! Sheesh@@
OBAMA IS A DIRTY POLITICIAN FROM THE START: Chicago Sun-Times—A close examination of Obama’s first campaign clouds the image he has cultivated throughout his political career: Obama, who runs on a message of giving a voice to the voiceless, first entered public office not by leveling the playing field, but by clearing it. Alice Palmer, friend and mentor to Obama, served the district in the Illinois Senate for much of the 1990s. Decades earlier, she was a community organizer in the area when Obama was growing up in Hawaii. She risked her safe seat to run for Congress and touted Obama as a suitable successor. But when Palmer lost the congressional race, her supporters asked Obama to fold his campaign so she could easily retain her state Senate seat. Obama not only refused to step aside for the woman who was his friend and had recommended him for the seat, he filed challenges that nullified Palmer’s hastily gathered nominating petitions, forcing her to withdraw. Had Palmer survived the petition challenge, Obama would have faced the daunting task of taking on an incumbent senator. “He wondered if we should knock everybody off the ballot. How would that look?” said Ronald Davis, the paid Obama campaign consultant. Davis filed objections to all four of Obama’s Democratic rivals at the candidate’s behest. All other candidates were disposed of by Obama’s challenges. He then went on to win the election.

http://tinyurl.com/2zwwte
I'm glad she believes but the thing is I don't believe in her or anything she says anymore!!

The sad thing is I'm not the only one!
Her brothers were there?  I thought they were in jail... just kidding.  Pardon me, ha ha ;-)
OK, Pennsylvania, if you give Hillary a win that will prolong the mudslinging, Party -destroying "entertainment" the media is hoping to milk for ratings until McCain sweeps in and takes the Presidency. Maine went for Obama, you can too! Save the Democratic Party, save the good ole USA, vote for Obama!
Democrats, always arguing.
Congrats to Danica Patrick on being the first woman to win an Indy Car race. I hope Hillary can be the first woman president. Good luck Hillary!
Hmmmmm.  More corruption from the Sen. Clinton.  Only this time it's her brothers.  So, this is the person you want for your president, huh?

Hillary's brothers

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: June 28, 2000
1:00 am Eastern


By Joseph Farah
2008 WorldNetDaily.com

Late last year, Time Magazine looked into the business affairs of Tony and Hugh Rodham, Hillary Rodham Clinton's brothers.

The magazine found that there have been at least two occasions where the Rodham boys obtained White House meetings with top administration officials on behalf of their business associates.

This appears to be one more way -- of many -- that the Clinton clan benefits personally from Bill and Hillary's White House experience.

President Clinton even agreed to a scheduled drop-by with the mayor of Moscow after Tony Rodham arranged for him to come to the White House at a time when Rodham's clients were hoping to secure the mayor's support for a lucrative business deal in Moscow. In 1997, Tony Rodham arranged a White House meeting for Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov at the request of Gene Prescott, who was involved with a start-up company that hoped to bring "smart" credit-debit cards to Russia with Luzhkov's support. As reports linked Luzhkov to members of the Russian mafia, Tony Rodham's request on his behalf made things very uncomfortable for Sandy Berger, the national security adviser. Nevertheless, in April 1997, Berger agreed to meet with Luzhkov and President Clinton arranged to stop by.

Conflict of interest? Not in the Clinton dictionary.

Hugh Rodham was one of several lawyers who began negotiating a possible settlement with a gun industry trade group in 1999. Robert Ricker, the former head of the group, said Hugh Rodham helped arrange a White House meeting in early May with White House counsel Bruce Lindsey, domestic policy adviser Bruce Reed and others.

Huh? Is this family playing all the angles or what?

According to Ralph Nader, Hugh Rodham represented tobacco companies while the administration was hammering them with lawsuits.

There's a pattern developing here.

In August 1999, the Rodham brothers and sometime partner Stephen Graham flew to Batumi in the former Soviet republic of Georgia to look over a potential $118 million hazelnut operation. But they tumbled into the Byzantine world of post-Soviet politics. Batumi is ruled by Aslan Abashidze, a powerful rival to U.S. ally and Georgian president Eduard Shevardnadze; Abashidze feted them for the huge investment they were expected to bring. While Tony Rodham says Abashidze did not exploit his White House connections, Shevardnadze sympathizers say he used the visit to claim he had a seal of approval from the U.S. government, a useful imprimatur in upcoming elections. Berger reportedly told the brothers to end the hazelnut deal and after first resisting; they relented.

But Tony Rodham later told Time that he is "restructuring" the venture.

I give you all this background as a preface for the latest news on the Hugh and Tony Rodham front.

Taiwan Vice President Annette Lu met with them last week for what was called, in the Chinese press, a "secret meeting."

Legislator Parris Chang, former Democratic Progressive Party representative in Washington, who was instrumental in arranging the Rodhams' low-key visit to Taipei, declined to disclose whether the first lady's brothers brought along any message from President Clinton, the China Times reported.

Chang, however, said the visit by Hugh and Tony Rodham was useful in bolstering understanding and increasing interaction between Taiwan and the United States. During the lunch, Vice President Lu exchanged views with the Rodhams on Taipei-Beijing relations and on the impact of the Korean summit on the cross-strait situation, according to Chang.

The Rodhams expressed the hope that Taiwan will further bolster its publicity in the United States so as to enable the American public to better know Taiwan and its people, Chang said.

According to Chang, others present at the secret lunch included National Security Council Secretary-General Chuang Ming-yao, Mainland Affairs Council Chair Tsai Ing-wen, and Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission Chair Chang Fu-mei.

Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, meanwhile, declined to comment on the lunch, only saying that the MOFA knew nothing of the Rodham visit.

Now what are we to make of this?

I'll tell you what. Judging from the company the Rodhams have kept throughout the course of the Clinton administration, I would be very concerned right now if I was a resident of Taiwan.

These guys are always on the opposite side of the administration, apparently skimming anything they can get through not-so-subtle extortion. My guess is that they went to Taiwan for campaign contributions for the Democrats -- especially Hillary's New York Senate bid.

And what's in it for Taiwan? That poor little nation is about to get shafted the way the tobacco companies and gun industry did
====================================================

Obama, 2008!


Sen. Clinton hasn't had any American's Back since she has been in Congress all these years and in Washingto.  We are in a Recission and it happened on her watch.  Don't make promises you can't keep.  She has spent millions on media coverage asking for a Promotion for Poor Performance.  Why didn't she sound the alarm via the media before now.  Why didn't she present her health plan to Congress before now?  Just think of how far we could have been along in the health care arena.  If if Congress did not back her, had she sound the media alarm to the Voters we would have supported her 100%.  If she can fix the Recession now she could have spoken out and attempted to Prrevent it or at the very least call upon the American people and sound the alarm.  Poor Performance is not a reason to Promote someone when our lives and our children's futures are at stake.
Yes, I will have your back, and your jobs, and your livelihood, and your children's future. I will have everything you own and have ever hoped for. I will take them with me when I talk to the Columbians...oh, when my husband talks to the Columbians. I will take them with me when I send your jobs to China. I will take them with me as I destroy our standing in the world and start wars with anyone who does not agree with me or strikes against our allies. I WILL!! I WILL!!

I will fight for you??? I will fight anyone who disagrees with me; you has a different opinion than mine; who does not listen and do exactly what I say; I will lead by "Do as I say, not as I do."

Go Hillary!! You have our backs!!! And from what I have seen, will do anything and everything you want and can BEHIND them. I hope PA has enough band aids and hospital personnel to treat the many people who will be coming in with 'knives' sticking out of thos "backs".

And, yes, I do dislike Senator Clinton and would never vote for her regardless. I have had enough of the Clintons!!! So there is NOTHING anyone could say or do to ever make me believe Billary is good for American. NOTHING!!!

If you are as good as you think you are why do you have to beg for votes.I have not seen this from Obama,He asks people for there voter,begging is the sign of someone that disperate.The numbers are out on campaign contrubitions.Obama 40 million raised,Hillbillys 20 million,and she is still 10 million in debt,bills still not paid,Peter Paul lawsuit later this month.This is over,done,enough said
Clinton certainly must now speak hypothetically as even the media is FINALLY reporting what has been a reality for a while: It's over.

Mike Barnicle of the Boston Herald said the same on MSNBC a short while ago. Other media outlets are now beginning to follow suit...
"Have your back..."  

Right, with a knife in it.
What Hillary needs to do is close down her failed, flawed campaign.  We don't need more bushwhacked economic ideas like she'll drop on us.  Just look how incompentently she ran her campaign finances compared to Obama.  I want Obama running our country's economy not some shrill spinster who panders to the conservative lunatic fringe.

Go Obama!
It's clear that Clinton won't get the kind of victory in PA.  It's also clear that Obama has to make a move that will improve his chances in the midwest come November. One thing he can do is appoint a VP nominee from the midwest.  There are plenty of good candidates for his to pick from.  His support in the west is strong.  The east coast and the south is strong with the exception of Florida.  I hope he'll pick a VP from somewhere in the midwest.
Brother Odd (Sent Monday, April 21, 2008 11:30 AM)

I think it is a slap in the face to even put Clinton's name in with Danica Patrick's.  

Are you kidding?  That young {lady}, lady being the key word, worked hard on her own and wasn't fortunate enough to get notoriety off of others.  She doesn't pander and how dare you justify this with Hillary and shame on you for trying?

People will say anything to get her in office, please and give me a break!  We need a corrupt Hillary or 3rd Clinton term like we need a hole in our heads.  
Beware future vendors for Clinton campaign events: the news out today is that the Clinton campaign is in debt! Demand cash on the barrelhead son!
Senator Clinton will be on Larry King tonight. They are taking questions via email for those who are interested.
PLease who cares about the money, what matters is what a President will do to provide good jobs, healthcare, a secure country, and a way forward in an ever changing climate. This is what Hillary clinton offers and thats what you will get. A proven leader with experience to get the job done right.

GO HILLARY
Hillary needs to end her farewell tour.  Bye Bye Hillary.  Anyone in the right mind can't say that it's been nice.
I think that devisive politics is now sewn into the fabric of our country, that anyone trying to change this dynamic is perceived as naive and distrustful. Americans have always vatoed against their own pocket books. They want to drink a beer with their president. They want a "regular guy" in the white house. This diconomy has placed this nation in an arena of desparation. The American people cannot afford to have the same insecure thinking in this next election. We must "bite the bullet" and actually elect someone who IS smarter than us! The people I drank beer Saturday, are not smart enough to deal with the complexities our country faces. Each of us should come to turns with our own low self esteem and stop trying to put someone in office who makes us feel less ignorant or racist. Maybe we need to advance our minds beyond the next beer and into the problems that face all of us as we teter on the bridge of inevitable ruin. Hopefully we can face this before it is to late...
With only minor policy differences between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, the extended Democratic Primary race has devolved into nasty personal attacks, hurting our chances of winning in November.  The candidates' negatives are up. Polls show the Democrats' advantages are disappearing against John McCain's continuation of Bush-Cheney fear mongering and failed economic principles.  Petty arguments between the candidates are attempting to distract Pennsylvania voters from our real problems. Wednesday's debate in Philadelphia was a perfect example, with at least half the debate spent bickering over old news and verbal gaffes before debating anything Pennsylvanians actually care about.  John McCain was the debate's big winner.  We have a chance this Tuesday to stop John McCain's free ride to the White House.  We need to unite behind the frontrunner and refuse to allow this contest to go all the way to the convention.  We can send a strong message that we will not be distracted.  Not this time!  Vote for Barack Obama on April 22nd.
Actually I'm half hoping Clinton wins by 20 in Pennsylvania, so all the pundits can see for themselves that it doesn't matter.
About 2 yrs ago, I was responsible for a telephone calling center at a major university  -- anyone in the polling business (who's honest) will tell you that getting a representative sample of participants is getting near impossible.  Why? most young people do not have land lines -- only cell phones.  RDD (random digit dialing) uses directory listed telephone numbers. I also suspect that the Dems being called in PA were those who voted in the past as Dems -- thus, the new registrants or cross-over Republicans are probably NOT getting polled.

I don't want to give anyone false hope that Obama's numbers could actually be higher in PA's cities and he might be able to pull this off -- but, I do have HOPE.

btw, I lived in central PA for 17 yrs and there are a LOT of people in PA who are very racist -- the KKK is alive and well in those parts (in fact, one of their head poohbahs lived down the road from us).

Young people in PA:  get out and VOTE!!

Come on , Pennsylvania . Please get rid of  Hill, so I can sing, " Ding dong, the witch is dead." She is a liar whose husband is in bed with the Columbians for God's sake. We will find out who else he is indebted to when we look at those library donors. Conlicts of interest, folks. Also, it should worry people that she can't ( or won't) pay her bills  and cannot manage her own campaign.  Her campaign is in the red and  she cannot keep her employees! Yet people say that she is ready to run the greatest nation in the world from Day One?? I say Day None!
I'll save MSNBC, CNN and Fox the cost of election night coverage and give you the results of the Pennsylvania Democratic Primary:
Clinton 57%, Obama 43%
This is the start of the end of the Obama campaign that peaked on March 3..
I simply do not get the big obsession with Obama having controversial people in his life. Who doesn't? Especially when you're a professional and public person you come into contact and have to deal with all sorts of personalities.

Is there any official record or has Obama ever behaved in a way that supports the theory that he is even remotely influenced by this perceived social blacklist? No. The Rezko trial has been going on for weeks now and not a speck of Obama dirt has been stirred up, much to the disappointment of Clinton and the media.  

I think he deserves immense credit for emerging from the Chicago political system no more tarnished than he is. He has overcome incredible barriers to get where he is today at so young an age and I continue to marvel at how intelligent, centered and steady he is. His campaign has been consistent and on message compared to the Clinton Bi-polar Express.

I think Obama will do better than expected in PA. Any no nonsense  person who sees Hillary saying one thing when there is film footage of her doing or saying the opposite is going to think twice about it. That's not just Bosnia either.  Debate complaints, McCain comments, FL & MI procedures, delegate math, NAFTA,  the list is endless and embarrassing.

I personally think how someone acts is more important than who they know and so my vote belongs to Obama.
Com'on PA... BAROCK THE VOTE!!!
I really shouldn't be so nauseated by Sen. Clinton, but the tactics she's used in this primary are so utterly scandalous, the nauseation comes of its own.

She and her husband have shamelessly used the gender card whenever they're behind..."Have my back", "Beating up on girls"; along with every other street tactic, from their repeated Texas assertions that the Obama campaign was intimidating her voters at the causcuses, to plagerizing, and the endless accusations Obama was misrepresenting her programs to anything else she could use to win back her ineviteability.

Her determination to win at any cost, by any means is more than just a person possessed of a zeal to serve their country, and who deeply feels they could do it better than her rival.

This is an undeniable symptom of someone who appears so impressed with their own talents (and in this case, they truly are many), she's not only literally blind to others' talents, she will do whatever is necessary to blind others to them as well.

I believe it's this inability to recognize the talents of others that caused her failure in her much touted health care plan. But more than that, Sen. Clinton gives the too strong impression, becoming president is not only a long sought goal, but an absolute must.

Imagine the money to be made by a two president couple, I'm almost certain they have, and I believe it's made them quite loopy.


Hillary has got whos back???

Lets see
Bill Richardson - Under the bus
Southern Whites - under the bus
Kerry and Gore - under the bus
Move-on.Org - under the bus
Whos next???

Her husband will be under the bus soon.....

Hey Gov Paterson - watch your back. They are trying to take your job away

HEADLINE: Pope Brings Message of Hope. Clinton says, "Just words."

Mrs. Clinton went on to say that the pope should, "Stop with the big rallies and the speeches." She stated that this is an "inexperienced pope." "He hasn't been in Rome long enough," she said.

"What's next," she asked, "faith and charity"?

LOL
Hillary needs to go back to New York State and get some of those jobs back she promised the citizens of New York state and lied about...

How can you promise Americans job Hillary?.....
When you can't deliver in your own (supposedly) home state?......

Hillary Clinton
A Liar for all seasons
Hillary supporters are very delusional at this point.  It's amazing how they keep saying how Hillary will win in PA... last I checked she should win, and win big.  If she wins by the smallest of margins, ie less than 10% it's a win for Obama.  Sure he's outspent her 2-1, but she has the backing of almost every major politician in PA.  Regardless, she will still loose this primary.  Supers will eventually vote for the candidate with the highest popular vote, and overall delegate count.  By those accounts, Obama will win.

Clinton's campaign is in the RED, and so is her chance of winning the nomination.
You just don't get it...Senator Clinton is a fighter, she believes in what she can do for this country!!  

Look at Senator Obama he's wilting before your very eyes, he couldn't even answer the people of PA's questions in a diner...without backing up and running for cover!!

He's not tough enough, not experienced enough and his judgement speaks for itself, or I should say, listen to him he's been telling you what poor judgement he has...you're just not listening!!
...sounded like a half-hearted concession speech and "Intervention" all rolled into one.  Anyone for a tissue?
Obamapods...you are witnessing history...Hillary History! She'll wip Obama's butt in PA and sail to the nomination...and then, the White House!
Pat, Huntington, NY

Even with a PA win...she still doesn't make delegate ground. CAN HILARY PEOPLE EVEN COUNT?
Hillary is starting out April in DEBT. How can she get our economy out of trouble, when her own campaign is in trouble. I think it is a little harder running the country, then running a campaign. Please people of PA, vote OBAMA and end this. Keeping Hillary in this race only helps John McCain
Barnacle is a well known plagerizer,who was bounced out of his job for punishment.How in the world did he get back on the air?He was also a swiftboater against John Kerry.Evidently he has had his life threatened by the obamapods like Tavis Smiley and his family.Saturday I ran into a bunch of them and I admit they are pretty scarey at least with their mouths.I suppose if they do not succeed in shoving this guy down the throats of all voters they may be dangerous.Obama has praised prresidents Reagan and old Bush but denounced the preasidency of Bill Clinton.Why is he running as a democrat?
After outspending Hillary by 3 to 1, Obama loses Penn. primary by 10 points. How can you let this guy manage our economy?

At least with Clintons, you have seen what was achieved in the fantastic 1990's.
I will never vote for another Clinton.
Some Pennsylvanians are not clinging to guns and religion. They are clinging for any excuse not to vote for Obama who is the the best answer for our country. They have not even read the whole comment which actually shows that he has compassion for them.

Go Hillary.  We need more fighting, division, lying, lobbiest satuarated campagins.We need more gutter politics, and of course, we need Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton dynasty again.

Politics as usual. Say or do ANYTHING to get a vote. That's Bill and Hillary

Obama 2008!


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