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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 News Political Reporter



Convention watch: Hillary's whip team

Posted: Thursday, August 21, 2008 9:08 AM by Mark Murray
Filed Under:

Apparently, the Clinton campaign is dispatching a whip team to try and quell protests of Obama from their most supportive delegates. But isn't it possible that the presence of the whip team could actually inadvertently encourage hijinks?

"Police have dropped plans to top the holding cells in place for use during next week's Democratic convention with razor wire after some groups started comparing the site to the detention facility for suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba." 
 
The New York Daily News breaks down some Democratic convention procedures and speakers.
 
The New York Daily News also profiles Mark Warner, the convention's keynote.

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The media was very irresponsible with reporting that holding center. Of coarse police have to prepare for protesters. The attention Obama & Clinton bring will attract many crazies who will need to be handled.
No razor wire is good.
McCain agrees that we need a draft, and the public deserves to know!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/20/mccain-on-bringing-back-d_n_120178.html
John King did a pretty good job with the "Revealed" program last night.

I still perceive McCain is Bush's 3rd term and about as disingenuous as they come.  but the two interviews/stories seemed pretty balanced.

PS.  Anyone notice that the week of the recent polls was while Obama was on vacation?  Interesting how good a job he did staying out of the spotlight.  Of course 'the pulse' was able to pull even.  We live in a short attention span theater and the shiny objects get the attention.  My prediction - at least one mention of shiny objects in the next 5 articles.  They really just can't help themselves.  Again, Mark Seattle - EXCELLENT posting over the last couple of days!  I will continue to 'lurk' in the evenings, so keep my back.  
I think allowing the Clintons this much time at that convention is a real mistake.  They are has beens, and the only people who don't know that are the Clintons.
Apparently, the Clinton campaign is dispatching a whip team to try and quell protests of Obama from their most supportive delegates. But isn't it possible that the presence of the whip team could actually inadvertently encourage hijinks?
*******************************************************

Yes.

Question: Do these PUMA folks HONESTLY want Johnny Mac to be the president?  SERIOUSLY?!  I'm not being snarky here -- I honestly would love to hear their argument for basically sandbagging the Democratic convention and making it all about the Clintons, rather than Barack Obama.

http://thepajamapundit.com/
It believe it was a mistake for Obama to allow both these hijacking Clintons to speak and effectively dominate the convention. It has all of a sudden become all about Hillary's historic run for president. What about Barack's historic run for president? As usual, its all about the Clintons and their need to suck all the air out of the room.

I will be holding my breath, along with the rest of the Democratic party, waiting until the Clintons are off the scene. OH HAPPY DAY!

OBAMA/BIDEN 08/12
Hopefully Hillary can lay the law f\down to her most rabidly feminista supporters, if Bill doesn't come along at her 'hind-end and stir them back up again.
How nice of the Denver cops not to use razor wire in ther holding facilities. Does that mean they're not going to strip the prisoners and sic scary police dogs on them, too? No waterboarding, even?  The cops these days are getting to be such weenies!
Obama doesn't need the Clintons! They need to disappear for about 8 years so that she can run again if she wants in 2016! What Obama needs to to stop defending the Democratic party by himself! He needs Pelosi and gang to STOP being so cowardly and step forward for their candidate! This is disgusting to me! Why doesn't have any help here????? Even the repubs stand and speak for McCain (even though they don't really help him LOL! I mean come on, Guliani? How can he help) This is sad! Obama is holding his own yes, but he should be crushing McCain and he isn't cause of the cowards in the Senate! Pelosi being #1! I hope she gets voted out!
I DO BELIEVE THAT THIS WHOLE POLL OF MCCAIN CATCHING UP TO OBAMA THING IS THE DOING OF THE MEDIA AND THE HILLARY CAMPS. THIS IS A WAY TO TRY AND CONVIENCE THE DELEGATES IN SOME ROUGE ATTEMPT TO OVERTHROW THE CONVENTION TO HER BENIFIT. THIS IS THE WORST THING THAT SHE COULD DO...AS AMERICA WOULD NOT BE THE SAME AS WE KNOW IT TODAY, THE TRUST IN THIS COUNTRY WOULD GO DOWN THE TUBE FAST. AMERICA VOTERS WOULD NOT STAND FOR IT OR SEND HER TO THE WHITE HOUSE....HER DAYS OF GOING THERE IN 09 ARE GONE...GET OVER IT!!!!
This convention is about nominating who we the people feel will be the best commander in chief.  Not Hil & Bill.  Yes Hil made history, and Bill did a great job in office.  Time to move over people.  This isn't about you anymore.  I hope these two will come to terms with this and join the party to elect the right one for the job.
Enough said,
Obama/Biden 08'      


WHY WON'T HILL & BILLY JUST GO AWAY!!!

I want to know why all of these 18,000,000 cracks can't seem to come up eith ONE DOLLAR EACH to dig her out of the debt she incurred because of her quest to destroy Mr. Obama.

If you LOVE her so much, put your money where your mouth is...


This convention is about nominating who we the people feel will be the best commander in chief.  Not Hil & Bill.  Yes Hil made history, and Bill did a great job in office.  Time to move over people.  This isn't about you anymore.  I hope these two will come to terms with this and join the party to elect the right one for the job.
Enough said,
Obama/Biden 08'      
How about informing the people that Mccain wants to bring back the draft.The media does not make a story about this because they protect McCain. Media can't be trusted to inform on the facts. They are affraid of the McCain whining team.Obama 08
The Clintons and their supporters are trying to destroy this election and the country. It is time to come together in support of Obama or the results will be something none of us will want to live with.
The Democrats don't need any Gitmo style holding cells at their convention, that's for the NeoNazi republicans and their convention of witches and warlocks.

I sure hope the DNC has learned it's lesson from 2004 and don't hold another lovefest convention but get down and dirty and have a weeklong McBush bash fest.  Time to fight fire with fire!

Only Brack Obama will protect and help the middle class the repugnant ones have been stealing from for decades!

Go Obama 08/12!
Didn't do any good for Hillary to keep a whip around Bill when he was fooling around with Monica....

What makes everyone think she can control her gang this time??????
Clinton... god please just get her out of the news. It's the like the bad penny you can't get rid of.

I love the Clintons, but my god, what a train wreck their candidacy has become.

http://www.rodneyhopper.com
I hope that this whip team doesn't foment to many people to vote for McCain.  All of these Clinton supporters who say her or McCain aren't really paying attention are they?  Have they compared the policies that Clinton and McCain have?  

I have to say that Clara has a good point that Obama was on vacation and still held a lead.  If Obama is going to win, then his post convention bounce must be huge over McCain as well as McCain not getting any convention bounce.  
Hillarys 18 million rabid "supporters" do not exist.
There is a fringe group of spoilers (mostly republicans) who have been doing Rush Limbaughs dirty work since the primaries.(Including Hillary) Had there been 18 million real supporters Hillary would not be on her knees begging for a bail out. Period. The Repugs wanted Hillary to win because she would have been easier to beat given the filthy laundry she and Bill have available. Think the negative Obama ads from McCain are bad? You aint seen nothin. Do the Clintons declare the pay offs to old girlfriends on their tax returns? Hillary was raised a Repug. She was a Goldwater girl. Still is as far as I am concerned. If we Dems lose again,don't blame Obama. You can blame The Clintons. The Repugs are shooting the guns but Hillary gave them the Ammo with her negative lying and sniping during the primaries. She is pure evil.

Someone should whip the DNC and Obama in shape.  The tickets with the upside flag are deplorable.  Obama has NO respect for America nor our flag.  How many ways does he have to say it for some folks to get it.???

Obama does not love America.  We don't measure up in his and Michelle's eyes.

Obama get over yourself.  

Vote McCain the patriot (Obama is play acting)
Hillary Clinton may not get her party's nomination, but her roll call at the convention means she's stealing the show from its presumtive star, Barack Obama.
Russia rolls over Georgia, Hillary Clinton does the same to Barack Obama. Now we know who's boss.
Obama blinked and stands guilty of appeasing Clinton by agreeing to a roll call vote for her nomination. That he might not have had much choice if he wanted peace only proves the point that he's playing defense at his own convention.
What does he get out of it? Not much and not for long.
The fleeting sense that he is a magnanimous nominee won't get him a single vote he wouldn't get anyway. Ditto for the idea that he's going the extra mile to unify the party. Those who refuse to accept him as the legitimate winner aren't likely to do so just because he caves into her demands.
It makes him look weak and ratifies Clinton's sense of entitlement to share party leadership and the convention spotlight.
It was supposed to be his party. Now it's theirs. His and hers.
RELATED: Hillary supporters cheer convention roll call
The substantive problem for Obama is that he is already underperforming against John McCain. He limped across the finish line in the primaries and, since Clinton conceded in June, his poll numbers have flat-lined.
In the face of that lackluster showing, his choices have been curious. The time spent in Europe and now in Hawaii might have been better spent courting the white, working-class voters who have proved immune to his charms.
Trying to bring them into the tent by agreeing to Clinton's growing demands is a poor substitute for direct appeals. She might not be able to deliver them, even if she tries.
Yet already the list of what Hillary wants and what Hillary gets is unprecedented for somebody who lost the nomination. She gets a prime-time address where she will be introduced by daughter Chelsea. She gets her own team to produce a hagiographic video of her.
Hubby Bubba gets a prime-time speech on Wednesday night. And Hillary gets a platform plank that uses "glass ceiling" language right out of her speech to suggest she would be the nominee if not for sexism.
A few more big-ticket items and she'll be the co-nominee. Maybe that's the point.
It reminds me of a Cold War joke about how the Russians view a compromise. They come to the table and announce the rules: What's mine is mine, what's yours is negotiable.
How would President Obama respond?
I think we just found out.
Bill's whip team is far more experienced und vill teach you ze meaning of respect!
Someone should whip the DNC and Obama in shape.  The tickets with the upside flag are deplorable.  Obama has NO respect for America nor our flag.  How many ways does he have to say it for some folks to get it.???

Obama does not love America.  We don't measure up in his and Michelle's eyes.

Obama get over yourself.  

Vote McCain the patriot (Obama is play acting)
Anyone who is supporting Obama should be very nervous about HRC's role at the convention, and that her name is coming up for nomination. The situation with her involvement concerns me a lot. I have a bad feeling the convention is not going to end the way Obama and his supporters expect. I really hope I am wrong.
When will the rabid Hillary Haters stop trying to blame her for everything and anything? She has served this nation well and with dignity when all the whining weenies would have curled up and died. Yes she is tough however she is a real human being worthy of respect and frankly she has done nothing except follow the process of nomination through tot he end. This is not only her right as a citizen but shows her to be someone who sees things through to the end. That speaks of a responsible approach. She has supported Obama clearly and effectively within her power and all the rest of this blame game is probably being done by republicans whose goal is to keep the dems divided. Suck it up buttercups and stop looking to skewer Hillary at every turn! Democrat in the Whitehouse /08! (and I don't mean Joe Lieberman!


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