WELCOME TO THE DAILY OBAMA NEWS THREAD

[grantcart]

Wyoming Frugal Edition

Sunday March 9 2008





Continuation of Saturday Thread
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4970187


Add your daily news updates and any discussion threads pertaining to our party's next
presidential nominee

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

1. Hillary and Rwanda - The Truth Hurts

((( The RBC Update: Hilzoy on Hillary and Rwanda )))

2008.03.08 19:37:27
------------------------------------------------------------------------

HRC seems to be fibbing about her role in the Rwandan crisis.

No wonder Samantha Power, who literally wrote the book on that crisis, should think of the world "monster" in describing HRC.
And no wonder HRC and her minions were so eager to keep throwing mud at Power even after she had resigned.
The truth hurts.
link

------------------------------------------------------------------------

[stellanoir]

8. Don't mess with a feisty red haired Irishwoman about genocide.

"Political grave" my ass.

She's young and totally spirited and a self described "genocide chick."

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/notion?bid=15&pid=292522

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

2. Did Clinton Win Ohio on a Lie?

Did Clinton Win Ohio on a Lie?

March 6, 2008

Suppose someone in the North Korean government released a false story that shifted a key American election.
If Bush were negatively affected, we might be bombing Pyongyang by now.
But this just happened with what Hillary Clinton called "NAFTAgate"
Without it, she might never have won Ohio, or her margin would have been minuscule.
But as a Canadian Broadcasting Company story reveals, practically the entire story was a lie,
one that played so central a role in Clinton's Ohio...

read more here

[annie1]

37. what did polls have her at before that story broke?

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

3. Daschle Suggests Clinton Aide Should Resign For Starr Comparison

Daschle Suggests Clinton Aide Should Resign For Starr Comparison

Nico Pitney and Sam Stein March 8, 2008

Former Sen. Tom Daschle on Friday suggested that top Clinton advisor Howard Wolfson should resign for comparing Barack Obama's tactics to those of Ken Starr.

"It's comments like that make me question whether we do have the same standards," said the former Senate Majority Leader.
"I don't think that you can make a statement like that and consider yourself within the bounds of civility. I mean, this shouldn't be tolerated.
It's not acceptable, and it's unfortunate."

Daschle, an Obama supporter and mentor, said he believed it was correct for campaign advisor Samantha Power to step down after calling Hillary Clinton a "monster." He called Power's comment regretful and said "the campaign had little choice but to do what was done."

And while Daschle would not directly call for a similar fate for Wolfson, he suggested that would be an appropriate move.

... "Barack Obama has more public office experience than Hillary does, that is elected public office experience. And it's not just a question of experience, it's a question of judgment, and every single time Barack has been called upon to show good judgment, it's not only his experience but his character and his courage that has caused him to make decisions that others only wish they'd made years later, including Hillary Clinton."

full article here

[writes3000]

5. Love that last sentence from Daschle. n/t

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

13. I miss Tom Daschle

its good to see and hear from him again.

[grantcart]

19. Chief of Staff Daschle?

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

4. Obama: "You Won't See Me As A VP Candidate"

Obama: "You Won't See Me As A VP Candidate"

March 07, 2008 ABC News' Sunlen Miller reports:

While in Casper, Wyo., today Sen. Barack Obama ruled out the possibility being a vice presidential candidate during an interview with CBS' Montana affiliate KTVQ. Here is a transcipt of what he said.

Q: You’ve raised $55 million in February and in your speech today you said "I was against the war in ’03, ’04, ’05 -- all the way on through 2010, and you specifically mentioned Hillary Clinton and John McCain. Could you ever see yourself on the same ticket as Senator Clinton?

A: Well, you know, I think it’s premature. You won’t see me as a vice presidential candidate -- you know, I’m running for president. We have won twice as many states as Senator Clinton, and have a higher popular vote, and I think we can maintain our delegate count -- but you know, what I’m really focused on right now, because all that stuff is premature, is winning this nomination and changing the country. And I think that’s what people here are concerned about. How are you going to provide health care to every American? So I spend a lot of time talking about the plan I wanted to put in place that would not only lower costs for those who already have health insurance, but also make sure people who don’t have health insurance can get health care as good as the health care I have as a member of Congress. Those are the kinds of issues that really make a difference in people’s lives, and we’re going to keep on talking about them.

link here

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

6. "THE MATH" - Mark Kleiman, Huffington Post

The Math

Mark Kleiman March 8, 2008

The Clinton folks would like you to believe that the Democratic Presidential nomination is still up for grabs,
and that they're running a good-faith campaign for the nomination rather than a rule-or-ruin attempt
to make sure that John McCain defeats Barack Obama in November.

But do the math. If Barack Obama:

-- wins by 10-point margins in Mississippi, Wyoming, North Carolina, South Dakota, Montana, Oregon, and Guam,
-- splits Indiana and Michigan,
-- and loses by 20-point margins in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Florida, and Puerto Rico,

then HRC would need almost two-thirds of the remaining uncommitted superdelegates to deny him the nomination.
Seem likely to you? Me neither.

So the immediate answer to the question "What should Obama do in response to what happened on Tuesday?" is "Keep on keepin' on." He should campaign mostly against McCain, and against the Bush-McCain-Clinton axis that got us into the war in Iraq. And he should stay in character.
Obama is never going to win a mud-fight with people who think that mud-slinging is "the fun part." But he doesn't have to.

link

[phrigndumass]

35. He's right

"Obama is never going to win a mud-fight with people who think that mud-slinging is "the fun part." But he doesn't have to."

He's right.

Obama just needs to campaign as he has been. Going negative would be falling for the bait. He's already a cinch for the nomination as it is.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

7. Hillary is "a ventriloquist for the patriarchy with a skirt and a vagina."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4968366&mesg_id=4968366

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

9. Clinton could have her Super Delegate Status Revoked.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4972623&mesg_id=4972623

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

10. Hillary Clinton's Pre-Senate Advocacy Abroad (in pics)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4968462&mesg_id=4968462

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

11. From a Die Hard CLARKIE: Why What WES CLARK says about OBAMA doesn't make any sense!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4962668&mesg_id=4962668

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

12. Florida Re-Vote Unlikely

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4979232

[grantcart]

14. We add another super delegae with Bill Foster's huge upset in speaker Hastert's seat

Originally reported in this thread
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4982074

DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen released the following statement on Bill Foster’s special election victory in Illinois’ 14th Congressional District. The Democratic Majority in Congress has now grown to 232-198.

“Congratulations to Bill Foster on his victory tonight. Bill Foster’s victory in the seat that was held by Speaker Hastert sends a political shock wave across America this election year. It is a stunning rejection of the Bush Administration, its Republican allies, and presidential nominee John McCain. Republican candidates learned tonight that Senator McCain, who campaigned with the Republican nominee, cannot save them from defeat this November against strong Democratic challengers, even in districts that voted overwhelmingly for President Bush.

“Despite spending 20 percent of the their cash on hand, the NRCC was unable to hold a seat easily won by President Bush and held by Speaker Hastert for 20 years. Americans of all political stripes are rejecting Republicans’ divisive, status quo politics and turning to Democratic candidates for change. I am grateful to Senator Dick Durbin, Senator Barack Obama, and the Illinois Democratic delegation and candidates for encouraging the people of this district to vote for change by supporting Bill Foster.

“Voters of all political stripes responded to Bill Foster’s commitment to change. With his unique background as a respected scientist and a successful businessman, Bill Foster will be a tremendous asset to our Democratic Caucus, as we continue fighting to strengthen our economy and ease the squeeze on America’s struggling middle class families.”

[silverlil]

15. Cool!

The crowds. I just tried to read a book about Obama, and I was leary because the author worked for the Chicago newspaper and flipping through the book on the way home husband driving, somebody tore a page out, so I took it back to get another copy.
The book was not in favour of Obama, I cant remember the author's name but Obama's picture covers the complete book.
As I read through a few pages, the explanation about Mark Warner running for President came into it.... apparently he had his 'staff' doing the leg work, and there was a couple of campaign events in Boston, back last January, not this January, and 200 turned up for Hillary..... and 15000 turned up for Obama. According to this author, when Obama went to Africa, the crowds were just like they are here in USA. Michelle was upset. Perhaps, she realized at this point, Obama belonged to the people of this country, and the press followed him to the 'pit toilet in Africa and he had to ask the Press if they would leave him alone while he went to the 'bathroom'. He is now 'hunted' like Princess Diana, and this is a sad thing.

[grantcart]

16. Magic number now 452

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4980142

[grantcart]

17. While basically a tie, if you look carefully at the total vote cast in the contested

7 or 8 largest states Obama actually is in fact ahead. While it is possible he may trail in PA, he should do well in North Carolina.

Details here


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4973190

[grantcart]

18. Why our friends who are fighting Obama to the bitter end are actually helping us

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4955602

[grantcart]

20. Wyoming picture thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4971830&mesg_id=4983124

[grantcart]

21. Another Super Delegate(DNC) Mary Jo Neville OH

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/politics/bal-ho.politics09mar09,0,6928829.story

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

22. Obama Coatails Aid Ill Dem in Bid for Hastert(R) Seat

SurveyUSA: Dem Candidate Ahead In Special Election For Hastert's Seat

By Eric Kleefeld - March 6, 2008,

A new SurveyUSA poll, conducted for Roll Call, shows that the usually-Republican Illinois district of former Speaker Dennis Hastert may well switch to the Democrats in this Saturday's special election.

The poll showed Democratic candidate Bill Foster, a businessman and scientist, ahead of Republican dairy magnate Jim Oberweis by a 52%-47% margin.

The district voted 55%-44% for President Bush in 2004, but Foster has been helped by such diverse factors as Oberweis' past failed campaigns for governor and senator, the endorsement of the conservative Chicago Tribune, and this ad starring Barack Obama:


See link for the video

This is a strongly Republican district and suggests that Obama may very well be not only electable,
but will bring along progressive Democrats with him.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

23. The DNC MUST Apply the Zell Miller Rules To Hillary Clinton

The following blog at TPM Cafe was inspired by DU'er berni_mccoy's post here

The DNC Must Apply the Zell Miller Rules To Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton Pulls A Zell Miller - Must Lose Super Delegate Status Laura Roslin TPM Cafe March 9, 2008

Clinton praises McCain again, says he’s crossed ‘Commander in Chief threshold’ Posted at the Carpetbagger Report March 7th, 2008

At a press conference on Monday in Ohio, Clinton was defending her “3 a.m.” ad, and told reporters, “I have a lifetime of experience I will bring to the White House. I know Senator McCain has a lifetime of experience he will bring to the White House. And Senator Obama has a speech he made in 2002.”

The pro-McCain comments were quickly and widely panned — so Clinton repeated them. James Fallows reported on Wednesday, “In a live CNN interview just now, Sen. Clinton repeated, twice, the ‘Sen. McCain has a lifetime of experience, I have a lifetime of experience, Sen. Obama has one speech in 2002′ line

That, too, was widely panned, leading Clinton to ratchet up the pro-McCain rhetoric a little more.

...The only other member of the congressional Democratic caucus who praises McCain this much is Joe Lieberman.
Clinton's endorsement of Republican John McCain disqualifies her as a super-delegate to the Democratic National Convention under what is informally known as the Zell Miller rule

Like Lieberman, Hillary must be stripped of her superdelegate status.

Here's How the Zell Miller Rule Apply to Clinton:

Lieberman Has “Superdelegate” Status Stripped Because of McCain Endorsement
By: Jane Hamsher Wednesday February 6, 2008

Hillary Clinton Has “Superdelegate” Status Stripped Because of McCain Endorsement
By: Laura Roslin Sunday February 9, 2008

Go to the link to read the rest of the blog and see how the Zell Miller Rule Must Apply to Hillary Clinton

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

24. Bill Clinton on Rush Limbaugh Show Day of Texas Primary

here at DU - bump this thread
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4971403&mesg_id=4971403

also posted at TPM Cafe (slightly different version)
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/03/wtf-bill-clinton-on-rush-limba.php

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

25. Team Obama sets up camp in Philadelphia (off to a great start!)

Team Obama sets up camp in Philadelphia

Fri, Mar. 7, 2008 Philadelphia Inquirer:

Excerpts:

"Over the weekend, Obama campaign staffers trained 2,000 Pennsylvania volunteers to help in telephone fund-raising and voter registration, which Smith said was where the campaign was now focusing its efforts. Smith said that 47,000 Pennsylvanians had switched parties to register as Democrats and that he believed the "vast majority" of them did so to vote for Obama.

Pennsylvania's voter rolls show 984,349 independents and other-party voters. It is this latter group, Smith said, that Obama's volunteers will be pursuing over the next two weeks.

Smith noted that even before Obama began establishing his formal campaign organization here this week, volunteers had already achieved much. He said Obama's volunteers, including 25 Pennsylvania college campus chapters, had helped the candidate obtain 21,000 valid signatures in three weeks ...a steady parade of citizens who came in to volunteer. "I like his ideas," said Robert Gales, 80, of Fairmount, as he leaned on a cane near a lobby table where Obama volunteers directed people arriving to the elevator to the fourth floor. "I think, frankly, that he's a little more open to ideas and a lot more open-thinking."

Beyond the campaign, grassroots groups have also sprouted, including Obama Works, which last Saturday sponsored a street cleanup of Point Breeze and the neighborhood around Graduate Hospital. The group, which also registers voters, will return to Philadelphia at noon tomorrow to clean up the Chew Playground at 19th Street and Washington Avenue in South Philadelphia."
-----
more at the link

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

26. "Hillary Clinton, Fratricidal Maniac"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4989886&mesg_id=4989886

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

27. Bill Bradley hits the Clintons... (kick this)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4989871&mesg_id=4989871

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

28. Are you disturbed by the racist subtext of the SNL skit last night?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4989113&mesg_id=4989113

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

29. Consensus is building FAST ---> Train Hillary has has jumped the tracks.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4971288&mesg_id=4971288

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

30. Texas: Obama 98 Hillary 95

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4987178&mesg_id=4987178

[Cha]

38. My son on Kauai says the only one

in the corporate news who is saying Obama won more delegates in Texas is Keith Olbermann. Everyone else is either lying or they're too lazy to do follow up stories.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

31. Obama PA offices so far FYI

Obama Pennsylvania Offices open now
Pennsylvania Offices


Philadelphia Office– Center City
1500 Sansom Street, 4th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19102
215-564-2010
[e-mail]
View the map

Pittsburgh Office
208 North Highland Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
[e-mail]
View the map

LeHigh Valley Regional Office
531 Main Street
Bethlehem, PA 18018
View the map

Northcentral Headquarters
140 W. 4th St.
Williamsport, PA 17701
View the map

Harrisburg Office
512 North 3rd Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
View the map

Doylestown Office
72 North Main Street
Doylestown, PA 18901
View the map

Springfield Office
943 West Sproul Road
Springfield, PA 19064
View the map

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/paoffices

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

32. OHIO: Crossover voting was heavy -- and maybe illegal

Crossover voting was heavy -- and maybe illegal

Amanda Garrett Cleveland.com March 08, 2008

A staggering 16,000-plus Republicans in Cuyahoga County switched parties when they voted in last week's primary.
That includes 931 in Rocky River, 1,027 in Westlake and 1,142 in Strongsville. More than a third of the Republicans in Solon and Bay Village switched. Pepper Pike had the most dramatic change: just under half of its Republicans became Democrats. And some of those who changed - it's difficult to say how many - could be in trouble with the law.

At least one member of the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections wants to investigate some Republicans who may have crossed party lines only to influence which Democrat would face John McCain in November.

Anyone who crossed lines was supposed to sign a pledge card vowing allegiance to their new party. In Cuyahoga County, dozens and dozens of Republicans scribbled addendums onto their pledges as new Democrats.

"For one day only."

more including a Video at the link

[writes3000]

36. Disgusting. These people have no shame. n/t

[Scurrilous]

33. K & R

:thumbsup:

[catgirl]

34. Caucus Chair Uncovers Discrepancies In Texas Votes

A DU post by sabra

Source: Daily Texan

Volunteers who worked the Jester Center caucus on Tuesday are suspicious of at least one of the caucus lists, the precinct chairman said late Thursday night. At least three students who signed the list verified that the candidates attached to their names were not the candidates they voted for.

Government senior Ray Skidmore, precinct chair for the voting precinct that includes all UT dorms, said one of the caucus volunteers on Thursday noticed almost identical handwriting on one of the caucus sheets. Volunteers were recounting the caucus numbers Wednesday and Thursday, Skidmore said, just to double-check before turning them in today. Information from all caucuses - forms and the official delegate counts - are due to the Travis County clerk's office today by 6 p.m.

When recounting, the volunteer noticed a whole list had Sen. Hillary Clinton written in similar handwriting in the presidential preference column for each of the six voters on that list. Skidmore started calling each of the voters on the list when he reached finance senior Ronesha Holmes, who told him she did not write Clinton as her preference; Holmes said she was instructed to leave that line blank.

Even one discrepancy threw up a flag of suspicion, Skidmore said.

As he continued calling people on the list Thursday, he found that two other students, history and pre-med sophomore Abigail Cheney and government sophomore Adam Aldrete, said they did not fill in a presidential preference and that Clinton was not who they would have listed.

http://media.www.dailytexanonline.com/media/storage/paper410/news/2008/03/07/TopStories/Caucus.Chair.Uncovers.Discrepancies-3258732.shtml

[grantcart]

39. NEWSWEEK Q. and A : Clinton ready to poach / backing off on April 15 Tax release

How can you win the nomination when the math looks so bleak for you

How can you win the nomination when the math looks so bleak for you?
It doesn't look bleak at all. I have a very close race with Senator Obama. There are elected delegates, caucus delegates and superdelegates, all for different reasons, and they're all equal in their ability to cast their vote for whomever they choose. Even elected and caucus delegates are not required to stay with whomever they are pledged to. This is a very carefully constructed process that goes back years, and we're going to follow the process.


Will you release your tax returns before the Pennsylvania primary?
Well, we're going to do it in April, and I would assume that would be before

http://www.newsweek.com/id/120062/page/2

Feel free to post if you can

[grantcart]

40. Newsweek: Their own worst enemies

Always Their Own Worst Enemies
She is undeniably resilient. But it seems that Hillary Clinton is often recovering from her campaign's self-inflicted wounds


Mark Penn, is a larger-than-life, if widely misunderstood, character. Soft-spoken, with a high-pitched laugh, he often seems nervous. He sweats profusely under bright lights and, except for postdebate spin duty, is rarely seen on TV.. His arch foe is Harold Ickes, an equally brilliant and even more abrasive labor lawyer, a profane hard-core partisan who can't stand Penn's corporate-pollster-speak, with its talk of "target groups" and "persuadables." Last week The Washington Post published this exchange between the two antagonists: " ' you!' Ickes shouted. ' you!' Penn replied. ' you!' Ickes shouted again." Solis Doyle, once the First Lady's scheduler in the Clinton White House, was ultimately unable to keep peace between the two men. Hillary Clinton, who does not like personal confrontations, chose to float above the feuding.

snip
Then Bill Clinton stepped in. He was frustrated and angry, says the adviser, because he thought that Obama was getting a free ride. At a Dec. 1 meeting at Senator Clinton's brick colonial on Whitehaven Street in Washington, the former president—a lover of polls—was examining Penn's data showing that negative messaging drove down Obama's ratings. At the end of the meeting, Hillary agreed with her husband, and the campaign essentially followed the Penn strategy of going negative. At a press conference on Dec. 2, the senator rather grimly signaled the onslaught by announcing, "Now the fun part begins."

snip

His tour through the Palmetto State was a disaster. Finger wagging, face reddening, he lectured reporters and appeared to clumsily play the race card, comparing Obama with Jesse Jackson. Senator Clinton lost badly in South Carolina and achieved no more than a draw on Super Tuesday. The former president took the hint from fund-raisers who told him to lower his profile. (A NEWSWEEK reporter who followed the president for the past two weeks was kept fenced off, along with other members of the national press, far, far away from the rope line.)

snip

Hillary is not, and will never be, a happy warrior. Her broad, fixed smile masks resentments not far from the surface. Though she sometimes lost herself to teary outbursts as First Lady—at least a few aimed at her husband—she has, by and large, controlled her emotions on the campaign trail, behind the scenes as well as onstage