ThinkFast: May 6, 2008
ThinkFast: May 6, 2008
If the election season’s voting patterns “hold today in the Indiana and North Carolina primaries, voters under 30 are headed for increases not just in turnout but also in their share of the electorate.” According to five Gallup and USA Today/Gallup poll since mid-February, “87% said they plan to vote, up from 81% in 2004.” Overall, both Indiana and North Carolina are expecting record voter turnout today.
Over nearly seven years, “not one of the approximately 775 terrorism suspects who have been held” on Guantanamo Bay “has faced a jury trial inside the new complex, and U.S. officials think it is highly unlikely that any of the Sept. 11 suspects will before the Bush administration ends.” A “high-ranking Pentagon officer” has been quoted noting the “strategic political value” of starting the 9/11 trials before November.
Yesterday, Arianna Huffington revealed that John McCain told her in 2000 that he didn’t vote for Bush. The McCain campaign denied the claim and urged reporters to “consider the source.” Noting McCain’s record of “issuing heartfelt denials of things that were actually true,” Huffington responds, “Yes, by all means, ‘consider the source.’”
Today, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) will be launching a “new push” to “ingratiate himself with social conservatives who mistrust him but whose support is vital.” In a speech describing his judicial philosophy, McCain will say, “I will look for people in the cast of John Roberts, Samuel Alito, and my friend the late William Rehnquist.”
“The Pentagon has concluded it can’t send additional troops to Afghanistan until sizable numbers of forces withdraw from Iraq,” according to a senior military official. “We might be able to generate a little bit more,” the official said. “But not 10,000 to 12,000 more troops,” which are needed. The comments are “an acknowledgment of the challenges facing the Pentagon” while fighting two wars in the Middle East.
Concerned that Democratic leaders are cutting a “backroom deal” on surveillance legislation, “the American Civil Liberties Union urged its members to contact their legislators and oppose any compromise.” House leaders “say there is no deal,” claiming they still exchanging drafts with Senate negotiators.
Despite President Bush’s insistence that he will “not approve any legislation that exceeds his spending request for the war” or “adds domestic money he opposes,” House Democrats are preparing “a war spending measure that would include extended unemployment assistance and new educational benefits for returning veterans.” The $178 billion measure may be brought to the floor this week.
A black man is “11.8 times more likely than a white man to be sent to prison” on drug charges, and a black woman is 4.8 times more likely than a white woman, according to a report by Human Rights Watch. Also released yesterday, a study by the Sentencing Project “found that, since 1980, the rate of drug arrests for African Americans increased by 225 percent, compared to 70 percent among whites.”
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke last night “endorsed the need for government intervention” in stemming home foreclosures, “saying that letting markets take their own course could ‘destabilize communities, reduce the property values of nearby homes and lower municipal tax revenues.’”
And finally: Yesterday, the House passed a resolution honoring the late actor and National Rifle Association president Charlton Heston, who died last month. The measure, introduced by Rep. Don Young (R-AK) with a bipartisan list of 112 co-sponsors, noted that “the United States of America has lost a great patriot.” Roll Call adds, “Language in the resolution notes that aside from holding conservative views, Heston did something else pretty un-Hollywood by staying married to Lydia Clarke — ‘the love of his life’ — for 64 years.”
What did we miss? Let us know in the comments section.
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Iraqis Slowly Starving as Corruption Eats Into Food Rations
FALLUJAH, May 2 (IPS) – Amidst unemployment and impoverishment, Iraqis now face a cutting down of their monthly food ration. During more than five years of U.S.-occupation, the situation has become even worse. The rationing system has been crumbling under poor management and corruption.
Aymen added, “We used to get cheese, powdered milk for us and our children, shaving paste and blades, tomato paste, special food for children, beans, soap and cleaning detergents, and even chicken, as well as basic foods like flour, rice, cooking oil, tea and sugar. Now we get bullets and missiles and polluted food and medicines.”
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/33215
May 6th, 2008 at 9:00 amI will be taking a break from posting for a short while. Please take full advantage of the #1 spot. Please post wisely.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:03 amMcCain will say, “I will look for people in the cast of John Roberts, Samuel Alito, and my friend the late William Rehnquist.”
Pandering political possibilities perhaps? If McCain’s idea of good Judges includes Roberts & Alito, what does that spell for liberty & justice?
May 6th, 2008 at 9:08 amI’m surprised he didn’t include the SCOTUS’s mafioso member, Scalia, in that statement.
Does anyone else get the feeling McCain will do anything to get elected? How does one go from not voting for Bush in 2000 to becoming Bush 8 years later?
I wonder what prococative statement Mrs. Clinton will say today? What last minute fear-mongering pronouncement will come out of her mouth?
Will she “obliterate” North Carolina and Indiana if votes don’t go her way? We all know how she wants to kill Iranian children and mothers.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:08 am#4:
oops. I meant provocative.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:09 amDoes anyone know of a reasonable explanation why the Dems are willing to compromise on FISA? I have read that Hoyer and Rockefeller are both talking up a compromise of sorts — True??
May 6th, 2008 at 9:10 amWhat are they bargaining for? Why?
Iran Halts Talks With U.S. on Iraq
As American strikes on Shiite fighters in Baghdad have widened, Iran has suspended talks with the United States on Iraqi security, with the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Monday citing the continued offensive as the reason.
The American forces have been responding to fire from Shiite militias in the Amel neighborhood in western Baghdad. In eastern Baghdad they hammered the nearby district of New Baghdad during the day and the Shiite section of Sadr City on Monday night.
“The focus of discussions with the U.S. is Iraq’s security and stability,” said Mohammad Ali Hosseini, the spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry in Tehran, according to IRNA, the official Iranian news agency.
“We are witnessing indiscriminate bombardment of Iraqi residential areas by the U.S. occupying forces,” Mr. Hosseini told reporters at his weekly news conference.
The Americans believe that Iran is supplying weapons and training to Shiite militias in Iraq, but the Iranians have denied that they are interfering here. It remains uncertain whether some of the weapons found in Iraq that appear to be Iranian came directly from Iran or through third parties.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/06/world/middleeast/06iraq.html?_r=2&hp&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
**We are doing all we can to provoke invading Iran. I think we all know how this is going to end.
***I am really going to miss your posts, 2mil. Take care!
May 6th, 2008 at 9:10 amKay — thanks for correcting that; truly, we all know that Hillary is “provocative” . . . Monica was “procockative”.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:11 amKay,
May 6th, 2008 at 9:12 amShe’ll call them “boutique” states that Jessie Jackson did well if she loses. Oh, and they don’t really count as because Indiana is next to Illinois, and NC is a big cigarette state and Obama is a smoker so of course they voted for him.
Overall, both Indiana and North Carolina are expecting record voter turnout today.
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On my way to work this morning, I drove past two polling places, and at both places, the parking lots were already jam-packed.
Fortunately, I cast my ballot on Saturday, during “early voting” — and even then I stood in line for almost two hours.
We will be getting record turnout today, and this is just the Democrats. Only a small percentage of Republicans will be voting today — their nominee for president is a done deal, and so is their nominee for senator (Elizabeth Dole). And their choices for governor aren’t exciting enough by themselves to get people out to vote today.
Fortunately, our board of elections knows that well over 80% of the ballots needed today will be for Democrats, and have prepared accordingly.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:13 am“The Pentagon has concluded it can’t send additional troops to Afghanistan until sizable numbers of forces withdraw from Iraq”
If there was anyone in this country who was still denying that GDumbya’s dirty little war in Iraq made it impossible to succeed in Afghanistan, this should be enough to convince them.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:14 amAfghan ‘health link’ to uranium
The Bush Legacy is slowly revealing itself.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:14 am“saying that letting markets take their own course could ‘destabilize communities, reduce the property values of nearby homes and lower municipal tax revenues.’”
While this sentiment is certainly appreciated, its real value is four years gone. Why didn’t they know that a sound economy is not all about dropping interest rates to the bottom?
They certainly allowed the markets to chart the path to the bottom by refusing to tighten lending corruption.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:16 amConcerned that Democratic leaders are cutting a “backroom deal” on surveillance legislation, “the American Civil Liberties Union urged its members to contact their legislators and oppose any compromise.” House leaders “say there is no deal,” claiming they still exchanging drafts with Senate negotiators.
Can we recall Nancy Pelosi?
May 6th, 2008 at 9:17 amhttp://rawstory.com/news/2008/Poll_Obama_holds_14point_North_Carolina_0506.html
Ok, let’s all say a silent prayer that Obama puts Hillary away today. If she loses both of these states, she will no longer have an excuse to stay in the race.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:18 amDemocrats Prepare Sell-Out on Telecom Immunity: House Leaders to Give White House a Blank Check to Spy on Americans
As revelations of the Bush administration’s illegal surveillance programs continue to expose the criminal nature of the regime in Washington, new reports suggest that House Democrats are preparing to capitulate to the White House on warrantless wiretapping and amnesty for lawbreaking telecoms.
When the Orwellian “Protect America Act” expired in February, Republicans and right-wing Democrats argued that unless the state’s covert alliance with giant telecommunications companies were not shielded from congressional oversight or public scrutiny, “Americans would die.” Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Mike McConnell made this threat explicit last August when he told the El Paso Times:
Now part of this is a classified world. The fact we’re doing it this way means that some Americans are going to die, because we do this mission unknown to the bad guys because they’re using a process that we can exploit and the more we talk about it, the more they will go with an alternative means and when they go to an alternative means, remember what I said… (Chris Roberts, “Transcript: Debate on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act,” El Paso Times, August 22, 2007)
But as Steven Aftergood, the director of the Project on Government Secrecy for the Federation of American Scientists told The New York Times, “If we’re to believe that Americans will die from discussing these things, then he is complicit in that. It’s an unseemly argument. He’s basically saying that democracy is going to kill Americans.”
But with “Blue Dog” Democrats on-board with the Bush administration, its more a case of Americans killing (their own) democracy.
As Salon’s Glenn Greenwald reports,
http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=8905
**Marie, I am also baffled by this. What in the world could be going on behind closed doors? Bet it is nothing close to selling out our rights again.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:19 amroberto…
and the same holds true for Iraq, only more so as more DU has been used there and in larger population areas.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:22 amYesterday, the House passed a resolution honoring the late actor and National Rifle Association president Charlton Heston, who died last month.
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I was unable to find the language of this resolution, so I can only go by what TP said in their item (Roll Call links don’t work for me — sorry).
While I’m sure that the resolution mentioned Heston’s conservative views, his work for the National Rifle Association, his acting career, and his long marriage, I would hope that it also mentioned his civil rights activism in the early 60’s. He was protesting segregation and picketing segregated movie houses long before it was considered a hip thing for a white person to do, and he also attended the civil rights march on Washington with Martin Luther King.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:22 amToday, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) will be launching a “new push” to “ingratiate himself with social conservatives
How many fences can he sit on at one time? This always and only says what he thinks his audience wants to hear.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:22 amBilbo Hussein Baggins Says: Ok, let’s all say a silent prayer that Obama puts Hillary away today.
Amen, brother, amen.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:22 amOlbermann: Only spin Clinton has left is ‘ladies first’
Everyone watch Countdown last night? Keith’s “Hillary’s Spin” segment was hysterical. If you didn’t see it, go to MSNBC and see if it’s posted.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:22 amWatch, Hillary will find some way to jam the word ‘elitist’ into
her response of losing NC tonight.
She gets the gist of holding onto cheap buzzwords in the face of criticism — proving herself well to Republicans.
God bless that non-elitist rich Hillary.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:22 amIf the Dems fold on telecom immunity, the two-party system is officially dead.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:23 amBilbo Hussein Baggins Says:
Ok, let’s all say a silent prayer that Obama puts Hillary away today. If she loses both of these states, she will no longer have an excuse to stay in the race.
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You are correct that she will have no excuse to stay in the race, but she’s not going to drop out. She is going to stay in and try to get the nomination by way of the super delegates. From the time she started to run for President, she has felt she is entitled to the job. This is what keeps her in the race.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:23 amCould be something to do with this …
Sen.Rockefeller ties to telecom companies -
Also, Steny Hoyer has recieved over 250,000 dollars from telecom companies in the past 10 years in congress.
http://www.publicintegrity.org/telecom/search/person.aspx?id=1212
I think it’s all pretty self explanatory. But here’s how it breaks down – telecom giants are worried that with the breakdown of the patriot act they have lost their legal grounds for the illegal spying they helped the President conduct for the past 5 years.
So now, two “well-connected” congressmen are attempting to subvert the course of justice by pushing through a new version of FISA (with immunity attached of course) in order to protect their corporate buddies.
Everyone upto speed now?
May 6th, 2008 at 9:25 amBilbo — she will no longer have an excuse to stay in the race.
Are you sure, Bilbo?
May 6th, 2008 at 9:25 amEven if Hillary loses both contests today, don’t ever for a moment think she will bow out. This woman is determined to claw her way to the top, no matter how “nuclear”…
May 6th, 2008 at 9:25 amAnyone else find it a little bit odd that on a day when 22,000 people have been confirmed dead in Myanmar with a further 41,000 missing, we’re desperately concerned about which democratic nominee will be allowed to listen to corporations next?
May 6th, 2008 at 9:28 ambackup; the price of a gallon of gas when Bush took office,
$1.49
now, approacing $4.00/gallon
with an attack on Iran; $20.00/gal ? (that’s if we are lucky)
May 6th, 2008 at 9:29 amMcCain will say, “I will look for people in the cast of John Roberts, Samuel Alito, and my friend the late William Rehnquist.”
Because as we were shown in ‘00, five judges can trump any number of voters.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:29 amIf you see Kay, tell her that Hillary’s statement on Iran is just an extension of the doctrine of “mutually assured destruction” to include Israel under the US umbrella and represents a retaliatory philosophy unlike the current administrations “preemptive war in Iraq.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:30 amCan we all say H Y P O C R I T E? When Obama cut Hillary’s margin in half in PA, it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that Hillary won by “double digit” (which wasn’t technically true). Now she is saying that it’s important since she says she has cut Obama’s lead in NC in half (only one poll I’ve seen shows this).
God I am so sick of this primary. And I have to say that I feel sorry for Hillary. This once proud woman, who held the admiration and respect of many people in this country, has trashed her own reputation while trying to trash Obama’s. I have no doubt that Bill is behind much of what Hillary has done. I also suspect that when she is sent packing back to DC, that we will see a divorce in their future.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:30 amCan we recall Nancy Pelosi?
No, but we can get rid of her by electing Shirley Golub who is running against Pelosi in the primary.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:32 amDoc Rock Says:
If you see Kay, tell her that Hillary’s statement on Iran is just an extension of the doctrine of “mutually assured destruction” to include Israel under the US umbrella and represents a retaliatory philosophy unlike the current administrations “preemptive war in Iraq.
I had a conversation with a coworker about this subject. She said “if Iran hurts Israel, we have to stand up for them and bomb Iran back to the stone age”. I asked her what we should do if Israel hurt Iran. She was speechless. Then she said, “if Israel hurts Iran, it would be for good reason”. I then asked her, “what if Iran hurt Israel for good reason”. At that point she ended the conversation by walking away.
I’m sorry but I don’t remember Israel becoming a part of the US. I also don’t understand why it would be up to us to retaliate if Iran “nuked” Israel. Israel has the capacity to nuke them back. Why should we do it for them?
May 6th, 2008 at 9:33 amNo, but you can support Cindy Sheehan. She’s running against Pelosi.
http://www.cindyforcongress.org/
May 6th, 2008 at 9:34 am#31:
but, who’s to say, the next adminstration will not stage another false-flag op involving Israel and Iran? Just like this admin did 8 years ago?
There’s a lot of money to made in defense contracts.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:34 amKay Says:
Even if Hillary loses both contests today, don’t ever for a moment think she will bow out. This woman is determined to claw her way to the top, no matter how “nuclear”…
I’m not so sure about that. All she has going for herself at this point is that Obama is “unelectable”. But, if Obama wins both races today, I think that argument will be put to bed. After the bruising three weeks Obama has had, if he wins both races, it will show that he has what it takes to beat McCain. I also think that we will see a stampede of Supers if Obama wins both states.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:36 amBilbo Hussein Baggins Says:
Poll: Obama ties Clinton in Indiana; Leads N. Carolina by 14
Wow, the numbers look real promising for Barack in NC.
A win of that margin tonight could cheapen Hillary’s win in Pennsylvania. Add to that, even a narrow win in Indiana is all it would take for the mass calls for Hillary end her campaign to start.
I’d be extra baffled if she continues after such losses. Bill Richardson, for example, who has the best government experience of all the candidates (outweighing Hillary’s claim of “35 years”), didn’t seek to overstay his welcome and made a prompt and strategic decision to leave out of respect of other candidates who were ahead. He didn’t possess an aura of entitlement to the position because he was a former Energy secretary and U.N. ambassador. Richardson, like John Edwards, had a big following of people who didn’t want him to leave the race, but did so to ensure that the math would check out and lead to a democratic presidential nominee.
Hillary’s up next to bow out. Why is she clogging the drain?
May 6th, 2008 at 9:36 amAnd then we have this from “Nobel PEACE Prize winner” Shimon Peres
A nuclear-armed Iran could be more dangerous than Nazi Germany, Shimon Peres said.
“If a combination of a fanatic leadership, a terroristic center and a nuclear bomb will come together, it’s a nightmare for the world,” the Israeli president told foreign reporters Monday in reference to Iran’s atomic ambitions.
“It’s in a way more complicated than in the time of the Nazis. Hitler didn’t have a nuclear bomb.”
Peres has voiced confidence in the efficacy of U.N. Security Council sanctions aimed at curbing Iran’s uranium enrichment and shied away from talk about possible pre-emptive strikes by Israel or the United States.
In his speech Monday, he noted Israel’s efforts in developing alternative energy sources and called on the West to do likewise in order to undercut the oil clout of Iran and unfriendly Arab states.
“Oil is not only polluting the air, it is also promoting terror,” the 84-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner said
Seriously, do they just give Nobel Peace Prizes to anyone these days?
May 6th, 2008 at 9:39 amBilbo Hussein Baggins Says
May 6th, 2008 at 9:18 am
Ok, let’s all say a silent prayer that Obama puts Hillary away today. If she loses both of these states, she will no longer have an excuse to stay in the race.
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Another thing to remember when looking at poll results — polls often go with “likely voters” (those who have voted in recent elections) rather than “registered voters” (many of whom don’t bother to actually vote).
However, North Carolina (like many other states) has experienced a voter registration boom recently, with many young formerly apathetic people signing up and getting excited about voting. Because these people have never voted before, they are unlikely to be polled as “likely voters”, so they are not counted in the polls.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:40 amcalibleu Says:
You are correct that she will have no excuse to stay in the race, but she’s not going to drop out. She is going to stay in and try to get the nomination by way of the super delegates. From the time she started to run for President, she has felt she is entitled to the job. This is what keeps her in the race.
Yes, but if there is a stampede of Super delegates after Obama wins both states, there won’t be much that Hillary can do, especially if they put him over the “magic number”.
I seriously suspect that Obama has a lot of pledged Super delegates in his back pocket that he has asked not to go public yet. You will notice that the Supers who went for Obama in the last week went a long way towards erasing all the bad news that came Obama’s way in the last three weeks. I believe that if he takes both states, he will unleash the remainder of his Supers.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:40 amBriseadh na Faire Says:
Good morning, BnF.
Thanks for bringing up the Sheehan race. I think her campaign is the hidden gem of the 2008 election season.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:42 ammisshusseinmolly Says:
However, North Carolina (like many other states) has experienced a voter registration boom recently, with many young formerly apathetic people signing up and getting excited about voting. Because these people have never voted before, they are unlikely to be polled as “likely voters”, so they are not counted in the polls.
Good point missmolly. I really don’t pay much attention to the polls these days. They are all over the map and rarely are even close to agreeing with each other. The polling also can’t take into account the sheer volume of people voting which will be to the Democrat’s advantage in November, assuming that the rift HillaryRove has caused can be sufficiently healed.
I have been spending a lot of time at Huffington Post and I can’t count the number of people who say if Hillary wins, they will vote for McCain. I hadn’t heard anything like that from Obama supporters until yesterday when the “Hillary goes nuclear” article was posted. I have to admit that if Hillary gets the nomination by convincing the Democratic big wigs to give her ALL the votes and delegates form Florida and MI and none to Obama, I will no longer be able to vote for her. I won’t vote for McCain, but I won’t vote for Hillary.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:45 amIf Hillary does lose both contests today (I actually think she will win Indiana and Obama will win North Carolina)–
– maybe she can then become McBomb’s running mate — Hillary has always seemed more “Republican lite”.
Whatever happens, being a dreamer, wish that Cynthia McKinney was getting all this attention and leading in the polls.
But, not until there is a revolution in The Corporate States of America.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:45 amAt this point, John McCain may well be the only American denying that he didn’t vote for Bush in 2000.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:46 amMcWars Says:
Thanks for bringing up the Sheehan race. I think her campaign is the hidden gem of the 2008 election season.
I have a serious problem with Sheehan running as an Independent. I think she has shown a definite lack of courage. She didn’t take Pelosi on head to head for the Democratic spot on the ticket. If she had done that, I would be behind her 100%. But coming in at the last minute as an “Independent” reeks of opportunism rather than a firmly held belief.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:47 amRegarding the FISA / telecom immunity…
Keep an eye on the Dem Blue Dogs. Make note of how they vote.
In the dust cloud that is the ‘08 primary & 24/7 Rev. Wright coverage, don’t forget that ALL House members are up for re-election. ALL of them.
If you’re contacting your Representative, don’t hesitate to remind them that you’ll shout from the rooftops, take out ads, demonstrate on the street; whatever it takes to remind voters how YOU voted on approving domestic spying in America.
Scare the shit out of them; it’s become the American way.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:47 amMake sure that the first offices you go to are those of Rockfeller and Hoyer.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:50 amBilbo Hussein Baggins
May 6th, 2008 at 9:30 am
Bill and Hillary’s temper tantrums have been so telling. Especially watching Bill get into it with a cameraman and wagging his finger in a heckler’s face. They expected their lead to be permanently solidified, expected no tough questioning during the primary process, and their anger outbursts, cheap insults, pessimism and blockading on Obama shows for it.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:51 amKay Says:
——————————————————————————–
I wonder what prococative statement Mrs. Clinton will say today? What last minute fear-mongering pronouncement will come out of her mouth?
Maybe if she made more “prococative” statements she wouldn’t be the high priestess of misery from which there is no escape.
I caught your correction but, I just couldn’t pass this up!
May 6th, 2008 at 9:51 amBilbo Hussein Baggins Says
May 6th, 2008 at 9:30 am
All that mattered was that Hillary won by “double digit” (which wasn’t technically true).
____________________________________________
Her margin of victory in Pennsylvania was 9.2%, so she is technically correct when she says “double digit” — although I personally don’t think it counts when there’s a decimal point between the two digits.
Hillary will say anything and spin anything to get nominated, no matter how absurd or ridiculous it sounds. She claims she can win “the big states”, but we know that states like California and New York are going to go blue no matter who the nominee is. And Texas will go red. And the race baiting she and Bill have been engaging in has caused me to lose respect for both of them.
Yes, I would hold my nose and vote for her in November if she was the nominee — only to keep McBushIII out of the Oval Office. But my enthusiasm would be greatly dimmed.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:51 amMcWars Says:
I’d be extra baffled if she continues after such losses. Bill Richardson, for example, who has the best government experience of all the candidates (outweighing Hillary’s claim of “35 years”), didn’t seek to overstay his welcome and made a prompt and strategic decision to leave out of respect of other candidates who were ahead. He didn’t possess an aura of entitlement to the position because he was a former Energy secretary and U.N. ambassador. Richardson, like John Edwards, had a big following of people who didn’t want him to leave the race, but did so to ensure that the math would check out and lead to a democratic presidential nominee.
Hillary’s up next to bow out. Why is she clogging the drain?
The bolded part of your message is why Hillary won’t bow out. It’s really very sad. She has trashed her reputation and Bills reputation. If she doesn’t give up, or isn’t dragged out of the room kicking and screaming, she will become the pariah of the Democratic party. If she doesn’t win at least one state today, I believe the party elders will drag her out of the room.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:53 amBilbo Hussein Baggins Says: May 6th, 2008 at 9:40 am
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I guess I’m so jaded during this primary season that I keep waiting for the other shoe to fall for Obama.
I don’t understand why Obama wouldn’t want the supers to come out publicly now. The more his numbers show that he is ahead in both pledged and super delegates, the harder it is for HRC to justify her continued run for the nomination.
I’m sure this is a well planned out strategy by Obama and his staff. However, I would think he would want to put her way to stop all the negative commercials coming out from HRC against Obama.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:55 amvoters under 30 are headed for increases not just in turnout but also in their share of the electorate.” According to five Gallup and USA Today/Gallup poll since mid-February, “87% said they plan to vote, up from 81% in 2004.”
And these voters are heavy cell phone users, does that make them way underrepresented in polls, which are done mostly through land lines???
May 6th, 2008 at 9:56 ammisshusseinmolly Says:
Yes, I would hold my nose and vote for her in November if she was the nominee — only to keep McBushIII out of the Oval Office. But my enthusiasm would be greatly dimmed.
I’m curious missmolly…If Hillary was able to pull off her “nuclear” shenanigans by getting the committee to give her all the votes and delegates in MI and in FL, would you still vote for her? I wouldn’t. My line is pretty blurry, but doing something like that would be crossing the line in my book. It would also destroy the Democratic Party. If they allowed Hillary to get away with something like that, I think that many Obama supporters would not only not vote for her in November, they would also leave the Democratic Party.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:57 amBilbo Hussein Baggins Says:
I have a serious problem with Sheehan running as an Independent. I think she has shown a definite lack of courage. She didn’t take Pelosi on head to head for the Democratic spot on the ticket. If she had done that, I would be behind her 100%. But coming in at the last minute as an “Independent” reeks of opportunism rather than a firmly held belief.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:47 am
You probably have a better eye in this than I do. As for her independent status, wasn’t that more of a protest against the dems lack of spine? But you are right, the way she’s choosing to run may dim her chances of winning. On the bright side, this will cause Pelosi to confront some serious questions about her lack of accountability.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:58 amA black man is “11.8 times more likely than a white man to be sent to prison” on drug charges, and a black woman is 4.8 times more likely than a white woman,
Cue an idiot racist troll saying “Yeah, but that’s how many more blacks use drugs!”
May 6th, 2008 at 9:59 amcalibleu Says:
I don’t understand why Obama wouldn’t want the supers to come out publicly now. The more his numbers show that he is ahead in both pledged and super delegates, the harder it is for HRC to justify her continued run for the nomination.
I’m sure this is a well planned out strategy by Obama and his staff. However, I would think he would want to put her way to stop all the negative commercials coming out from HRC against Obama.
If he does have a lot of Supers in his pocket, I believe Obama will release them all after today. I think it was a smart thing for him to do to hold them back until after today’s election. If he wins both states and releases the supers, it will look like a landslide for him. If he loses IN today and then releases the Supers tomorrow, it will show that the Supers didn’t think the loss in IN was worth much.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:59 amI watched a movie the other day called “Dazed and Confused” — the movie takes place in 1976. The price of gas then was 60 cents a gallon. So, in 2000, gas cost $1.49. — so, in 24 years gas went up 89 cents.
But since the Nazi Chimp stole the presidency, gas has gone up
almost $2.50 in 8 years.
Boy. Not to hard to figure out.
May 6th, 2008 at 10:01 amMcWars Says:
You probably have a better eye in this than I do. As for her independent status, wasn’t that more of a protest against the dems lack of spine? But you are right, the way she’s choosing to run may dim her chances of winning. On the bright side, this will cause Pelosi to confront some serious questions about her lack of accountability.
Another reason why I have a problem with Sheehan running as an Independent is that she will probably draw a lot of “protest votes” from Democrats. This could end up in causing that seat to go to the Republicans. I don’t like or respect Pelosi, but I don’t want to see that seat go to the Republicans. I think that both Pelosi and Reid have done so much damage to their reputations that the Democrats will replace them when the new Congress takes their seats.
May 6th, 2008 at 10:02 amBilbo Hussein Baggins Says
May 6th, 2008 at 9:57 am
I’m curious missmolly…If Hillary was able to pull off her “nuclear” shenanigans by getting the committee to give her all the votes and delegates in MI and in FL, would you still vote for her? I wouldn’t. My line is pretty blurry, but doing something like that would be crossing the line in my book. It would also destroy the Democratic Party. If they allowed Hillary to get away with something like that, I think that many Obama supporters would not only not vote for her in November, they would also leave the Democratic Party.
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If Hillary grabbed the Democratic nomination by stealing it and essentially destroying the Democratic Party in the process — no, I don’t think I could vote for her. But what would be the alternative? McCain? There’s NO WAY in the world I’m going to vote for another term of Bush — I truly don’t think our country can afford that.
Perhaps a worthy independent will step up to the plate.
May 6th, 2008 at 10:03 amBilbo — The bolded part of your message is why Hillary won’t bow out. It’s really very sad. She has trashed her reputation and Bills reputation. If she doesn’t give up, or isn’t dragged out of the room kicking and screaming, she will become the pariah of the Democratic party. If she doesn’t win at least one state today, I believe the party elders will drag her out of the room.
I would hope all of this doesn’t lead to somee kind of post-electoral stress disorder for the Clinton’s once they lose here. Hillary is ruining her credibility to the point to where she may throw a fit and leave the Senate, or as you pointed as the worst possibility (gasp), a divorce occurring. And that would bring a lot of Republicans to joy.
I still wonder sometimes how Bill and Hillary survived that gubernatorial loss in 1980.
May 6th, 2008 at 10:05 amWhat was that Mr. Pentagon? You need 10,000 more troops? Well, i heard a rumour that there’s around 75,000 troops in a nearby country who might be up for a change of scenery. Of course, you will have to treat them in the manner to which they have become accustomed. They will need poorly designed armour. They must be held responsible for all the PR disasters which occur in the country, no matter which of top brass is truly to blame. Last, but not least they will also require a disney-style theme park to be built in Kabul. Because if there’s one thing the troops cannot live without, it’s cotton fuc*ing candy.
May 6th, 2008 at 10:05 amI saw a clip this morning of Bill Clinton, campaigning yesterday in the “rural” areas (I think in Indiana but I’m not sure) and the clip showed him saying to the small crowd, “So, don’t embarrass me, vote for Hillary!”.
May 6th, 2008 at 10:10 amWasn’t it hilarious to see both Clintons campaigning from the back of a pick-up truck? Don’t they realise that people can see how ridiculous they are?
May 6th, 2008 at 10:13 amGood morning, Mary.
Is what Bill said even out of the republican play book? “Vote for my wife so you don’t bruise my ego any further”?
May 6th, 2008 at 10:17 amrobertoroberto Says:
Wasn’t it hilarious to see both Clintons campaigning from the back of a pick-up truck? Don’t they realise that people can see how ridiculous they are?
And this morning’s paper has Rich Lowry quacking about what a great candidate Clinton will make because she has been pushed to the center (from way over there on the Left, right?) and because she and Bill spent all that time wooing Bubbas in Arkansas. And there is the usual reference to latte liberals — or elitists, you choose. I’m sitting here trying to imagine Rich Lowry down at the Grange or the lodge, knocking back Crown Royal and Bud. Yes, indeed, when I want to understand White Middle America, Rich Lowry is the kind of guy I would turn to.
May 6th, 2008 at 10:19 amPeople don’t use drugs. Drugs use people. This is the knock-on effect of the “war on drugs” which, just like the “war on terror” , has just been a boon to the private prison building industry. Soon there will be the “war on immigration” brought you by Halliburton and its subsiduaries.
Drugs, like terrorism and immigration should not be considered colour coded. These issues only become colour coded when an industry needs to villify a minority in order to scare the majority. For example how much more do you hear about Mexican immigrants committing acts of crime compared to any other nationality? It’s all fear people.
May 6th, 2008 at 10:29 amBilbo Hussein Baggins Says:
If he wins both states and releases the supers, it will look like a landslide for him. If he loses IN today and then releases the Supers tomorrow, it will show that the Supers didn’t think the loss in IN was worth much.
Agreed, Bilbo. Not much has been made of Obama’s organizing skills. Either that, or the media is struggling with giving him any kind of credit for past deeds. I suspect he has more supers in his pocket than Hillary or anyone in her campaign discloses.
May 6th, 2008 at 10:41 am“So, don’t embarrass me, vote for Hillary!”.
We don’t need to.
You were busted getting a hummer in the Oval Office.
You ARE an embarrassment.
May 6th, 2008 at 10:43 amDieNowForPeace Says:
You were busted getting a hummer in the Oval Office.
You ARE an embarrassment.
Somehow, Bill still thinks this all about him, eh? How in the world did those two super-egos ever manage to stay together?
May 6th, 2008 at 10:48 amrobertoroberto Says
May 6th, 2008 at 10:13 am
Wasn’t it hilarious to see both Clintons campaigning from the back of a pick-up truck? Don’t they realise that people can see how ridiculous they are?
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Hey, at least she’s staying out of tanks…
May 6th, 2008 at 10:50 amOver nearly seven years, “not one of the approximately 775 terrorism suspects who have been held” on Guantanamo Bay “has faced a jury trial inside the new complex, and U.S. officials think it is highly unlikely that any of the Sept. 11 suspects will before the Bush administration ends.” A “high-ranking Pentagon officer” has been quoted noting the “strategic political value” of starting the 9/11 trials before November.
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Probably the conspiracy theorist nut in me, but I think, for the GOP, there’s greater value in NOT starting the 9/11 trials while Bush is in office, while NO Republican is President. If they wait till 2008 where (more than likely) Obama or Clinton will be President, they can first shame the Administration into starting the trials: “Well, if they think they can do a better job on the war of terror than the GOP, WHY are these prisoners still awaiting a trial?” They will never mention the fact that these “prisoners” were “terrorists” when Bush was in office, and they never got trials then. After the trials begin, and all those then-terrorists-now-prisoners have to be let go because there’s ZERO evidence against them – they were picked up because they were brown-skinned middle-eastern men – the Republcans will have the talking point that the Democrats are letting alllll these first-terrorists-then-prisoners-NOW-terrorists-all-over-again loose, they’re NOT serious about the war on terror, and if we’re struck again, it will be all Democrats’ fault.
See when you make up the rules as you go along, you can never lose.
May 6th, 2008 at 10:51 amGood morning, everyone. I can’t think of anything profound to say. Loved KO’s riff last night on Hillary – I think my vote was disqualified on at least 8 counts! ;o) I laughed even harder at Keith’s sly dig at Gush Lumpblob’s “date” —er, ESCORT. Heheh!
~ A
May 6th, 2008 at 10:53 amHaha. Yes. True. Although i can’t help but feel she could use that image to carry her loving and peaceful message of ‘obliteration’.
At least neither candidate has resorted to windsailing yet either.
May 6th, 2008 at 10:54 am2MillionLightYearsToAndromeda Says:
Iraqis Slowly Starving as Corruption Eats Into Food Rations
FALLUJAH, May 2 (IPS) – Amidst unemployment and impoverishment, Iraqis now face a cutting down of their monthly food ration. During more than five years of U.S.-occupation, the situation has become even worse. The rationing system has been crumbling under poor management and corruption.
And in comparison stands “Disney Baghdad” and the “Zone of Enterprise” in the Green Zone. U.S. priorities on full display.
May 6th, 2008 at 11:12 am2MillionLightYearsToAndromeda, a great, great loss for our community.
I hope all is well in your world and eagerly await your return. You are one of my favorite posters and you will be missed.
May 6th, 2008 at 11:46 amMs_Joanne Says:
2MillionLightYearsToAndromeda, a great, great loss for our community.
I hope all is well in your world and eagerly await your return. You are one of my favorite posters and you will be missed.
What Ms_Joanne just said, 2 Mil. Your posts have always been pertinent, current & thought provoking. Thank you for your time here; we’ll eagerly await your return.
May 6th, 2008 at 12:20 pmMcWars Says:
Hillary is ruining her credibility to the point to where she may throw a fit and leave the Senate, or as you pointed as the worst possibility (gasp), a divorce occurring. And that would bring a lot of Republicans to joy.
If they get divorced, the following sentence can finally be stated truthfully:
IT’S ALL BILL CLINTON’S FAULT
May 6th, 2008 at 2:12 pm