Political Punch

Hopefully, changefully, unifyingly?

When you look at Hillary's record, she has done these things...

She volunteered to start organizing to help children of migrant families when she was a teenager.

She worked with Bill Frist, Gingrich, and other Republicans in the Senate to build unity and consensus...

The girl's done proved it, and that's why she has my vote!

Woo - hoo!

I want knowledge and experience for President!

That would be a hopeful, unifying, change!

Pretty please, let's have the most truly qualified candidate!

Rats are actually very intelligent animals.

What people write usually reflects more about themselves than what they are writing about.

The Obama campaign being the new candidate with virutally no record who can say anything and be believed, has had a great advantage from the start.

Do any journalists try to be fair and balanced anymore? Has that just completely gone out the window?

It's very disconcerting to live in a country where the "truth" is presented by so few.

Somehow I don't think it's what the founding fathers had in mind.

Look around, is it any wonder we are in the shape we're in, when there's so little attention paid to facts and substance?

I certainly haven't agreed with many of the decisions the Clinton campaign has made, but campaigns don't exist in a vaccuum.

Did people criticize Gore's and Kerry's
campaigns so much?

Our country is so superficial that an intelligent man like Howard Dean lost his potential to be President because of a three second sound. That doesn't say much for our priorities.

Umbrage is not a problem

Daniel "John McCain's "experience" wipes the floor with Hillary. She will try to be the candidate of "Change" at that point... "
John McCain doesn't even have the support of his own party. Hillary is extremely well qualified. She will not be TRYING to be the candidate of change, she has always been the candidate of change. But not just change ---- change combined with the experience to get the job done.

What I cant believe is how much democrats seem to be fighting amongst themselves! All of this Rezko, Canada, African Garb, racism stuff is coming from democrats, and the Clinton Campaign! A mini example of this would be THIS MESSAGE BOARD! Clinton supporters vs. Obama supporters. What happens when Obama wins the nomination? Are you all going to vote McCain?

Also, Clinton is the "experienced" one... What happens if SHE wins the nomination? John McCains "experience" wipes the floor with Hillary. She will try to be the candidate of "Change" at that point...

Senator Clinton is happy to throw mud at Obama, to try and get votes, even though it is ultimately playing into John McCains hands... I dont get it.

I wish all of us who voted for george bush would come forth. Lets count 1 ok 2 ok. I see only two people voted and elected bush. Bush who? We are all the same!!!!

Please read the Obama Rezko story on talkingpoints if you want the truth. It is nothing. And certainly does not compare to Hillary's bundlers: Hsu, Cantu and Bill Clinton (with checks flowing in from Dubai). As for Latinos who won't vote Obama, some will, some won't --but since in TX delegates are apportioned, in part, based on previous voter turnout, "latino" areas are not worth as many delegates anyway.

Spock, Yes how did the Iraqi millionaire who "lent" money to Rezko to buy the property and then again to pay his attorneys (which got his bond revoved) get to Chicago when he was supposed to be banned from entering the USA? who pulled the strings?

Where did Obama get the 1.6 million dollars to buy the house under market value?? The same place Rezko got it!!

Ken your right you never know...I apologize if you were offended... sounds like you were...

you should know there is a fight breaking out right now in the Canadian parliament because they are asking for the prime minister to fire the person responsible for the false accusations toward Obama and those involved with manipulating the American democratic process ... both sides say that the Obama meeting that the Clinton is putting out in reports...never happened.

You never know, dl.

While I can't speak for "Obama---Yikes", some of the people you refer to with time on their hands may be retired or disabled...someone like me.

Our disabilities do give us a lot of free time, and how we use that time is our choice.

You may also notice that we are usually not at a loss for words (hmmmm?) when working pro bono for a cause that we believe in.

Whoever we may be, we do know who we are not.

We are not part of the group of college student bloggers hired by the Obama campaign.

We are not negligent chairs of Senate subcommittees on Afghanistan.

We do not try to fleece Canadians or Americans by using deceptive tactics including multiple stances on NAFTA.

We do not make land deals with people named Rezko.

And, we do not question why other people have views that differ from our own.

We do not take the right to choose for granted.

Obama yikes...you sure have a lot of time to type on these blogs...hmmm...

I seem to have a job and can't type as much as you do everyday... Every time I read one of these at anytime of day you seem to be on here typing pretty long blogs... your name is all over most of the posts...hmmm

strange... but I guess you could work for the campaign because if you were working for the hillary campaign you would be complaining about your constituents working with you and throwing the blame their way... : )

Cinderella Story

Obama's Iraq record is really a fairy tale

Read report in The New Republic

Today we read that United States air strikes are aimed at al-quaida terrorist forces in Somalia.

A short while back a photo of a Presidential candidate in Somali garb drew quite a bit of attention.

I wonder...

You hear it everywhere: Tuesday is Hillary Clinton's last stand. If she can't win Ohio and Texas, she's history.

True, mostly. But it's not the whole story. The rest goes like this: This is Barack Obama's third chance to knock her out. If he can't close the deal this time, maybe he can't close the deal, period.

Read full report in nydailynews

Hilary is looking for momentum? Ha ha ha!

What does BEING IN THE LEAD IN EVERY STATE FOR A YEAR MEANS? MOMENTUM!

It means that queen Hilary only has to bother with larger states and to hell with the small states.

To show that he's an extremely intelligent leader with good judgment, Senator Obama KEPT HIS EYES ON THE REAL PRIZE -- DELEGATES!

The Clintons showed bad judgment with Monica Lewinski and their own White House legacy in 2000

The Clintons showed bad judgment on Iraq

The Clintons showed bad judgment on their SILLY Super Tuesday (big states) strategy.

The Clintons showed bad judgment in squandering monies unfortunate Americans sent her to campaign.

The Clintons showed bad judgment in losing 11 contests in a row and taking down the Democratic Party with them, come November.

Giving away campaign funds won't mitigate what is probably the most famous connection Obama has to Tony Rezko: the real estate deal involving Obama's South Side home. In June 2005, Obama bought a $1.65 million home, paying $300,000 less than the asking price, while Rezko's wife paid the full price of $625,000 for the adjacent vacant lot. Both closed on the same day. In January of that year, Obama bought part of that lot from Rezko's wife for $104,500. The purchases came at a time when Rezko's legal problems were becoming public.

Obama is not telling the whole truth about Rezko, he must come clean!

Obama Yikes! commented:

"SamanthaBee: why don't you send a message to Hillary, herself, about what you said in your blog post? Why trust us Hillary supporters to deliver your message that you are so able to deliver yourself?"

Obama Yikes! You're right. This post contains sensitive information; I must entrust NO ONE with its delivery! There is ONLY one means of delivery that can secure its safe delivery: THE RED PHONE!!!! *Stares at clock. Awaiting -with beads of sweat dripping down face -THE RED ALERT HOUR of 3AM*

I am a Latino from Texas.

No one in my family, in my neighbourhood or in my church (6000 Members) is voting for Obama.

Yesterday in my neighbourhood in San Antonio I did not meet one self-confessed Obama supporter. From the bagel shop in the morning to the grocery store in the evening everyone is voting for Hillary.

Obama and Rezko, trial starts today.

Wake up Americans, who do you think had such deep pockets to put Obama in as a Senator and start him on the presidential campaign.I just hope this scandal reaches ALL THE MEDIA and ALL AMERICANS before this man wins the Democratic party election...I see trouble on the horizon....

CONCLUSION?

No one has been in charge of the Clintons' Campaign SINCE "DAY ONE"! lol

And boy, doesn't it show on the inefficient and wasteful election campaing of the Clintons?

Little wonder the Clintons were blown out of the waters and into THIRD Place in Iowa, came in second on Super Tuesday, and LOST CONTESTS 11 IN A ROW SINCE THEN!

And some Americans still think Hilary Clinton, who can run a family and a national campaign with LOTS OF MONEY AND A HUGE HEAD START) is in anyway capable of being the leader of a nation of 300 million citizens who are not dummies? Ha!

One thing she never gets asked or vetted about is her supposed "35 years" of experience. I didn't know being the wife of a politician gave you "experience". Bill wasn't even in office that long, so where's the experience?? ONE OF THE BIGGEST LIES OF THE CAMPAIGN AND NOBODY ASKS ANYTHING ABOUT IT!!!

Despite Clinton's insistence that she is in the "solutions business," anyone who follows the news knows that she is actually in the excuses business. Remember, this is the candidate who said that she lost Iowa because "she wasn't really trying." The one who insisted that small states don't matter and that caucuses are somehow unfair to her. That her opponent has outspent her; you know, because regular people give him money, and because he doesn't squander those donations -- all of which is somehow unfair to Clinton. That the media is biased against her -- the proof being that after eleven lost contests, they're depicting her as the second-place candidate.

After several months of ridiculous excuses coming from the Clinton campaign, why should it surprise us that her staff are now making excuses and pretending they weren't really very involved in the whole debacle? No surprises here -- just more of the same.

Stop the drama, vote Obama.

CNN News had an interesting on how polls in Texas are being skewed to eliminate consideration of the Hispanic vote.

Essentially, the polls that have been taken in Texas are not offered in Spanish, only English.

As such, Spanish speaking voters have not been counted.

Tuesday will tell the rest of the story.

WOW calling the Clinton camp rats, yet in the Obama camp those rats over there feel very comfortable with lying just to win votes.

Seems to me with this story some people are very happy with lying rats that stay put even when all the evidence is there that they are lying hands down.

ABC News says:

"In sharp contrast to his tough talk about ethics reform in government, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., approached a well-known Illinois political fixer under active federal investigation, Antoin "Tony" Rezko, for "advice" as he sought to find a way to buy a house shortly after being elected to the United States Senate.

The parcel included an adjacent lot which Obama told the Chicago Tribune he could not afford because "it was already a stretch to buy the house."

On the same day Obama closed on his house, Rezko's wife bought the adjacent empty lot, meeting the condition of the seller who wanted to sell both properties at the same time.

Rezko had been widely reported to be under investigation by the U.S. attorney and the FBI at the time Obama contacted him and has since been indicted on corruption charges by a federal grand jury in a case that prosecutors say involves bribes, kickbacks and "efforts to illegally obtain millions of dollars."

This week, a federal judge in Chicago ordered the Rezko trial to begin Feb. 25.

Obama maintains his relationship with Rezko was "above board and legal" but has admitted bad judgment, calling his decision to involve Rezko "a bone-headed mistake."

Rezko's behind-the-scenes connection in the Obama house deal became public as Rezko revealed personal financial details as he sought to post bail.

While Rezko's wife paid the full asking price for the land, Obama paid $300,000 under the asking price for the house. The house sold for $1,650,000 and the price Rezko's wife paid for the land was $625,000."

When it comes to my vote, I want someone who is not married to political division, revenge and derision.

When it comes to my vote, I want it to count for the candidate that will bring a new approach to Washington.

When it comes to my vote, I do not want someone who has made a career of opposition politics for purely partisan purposes.

When it comes to my vote, I want a candidate that owes no favors to special interest groups.

When it comes to my vote, I want it to count for someone that respects opponents and does not resort to cheap political attacks.

When it comes to my vote, I want it to count for a candidate that picks a position and remains consistent, not blows with the wind and flip flops for political expediency.

When it comes to my vote, its as simple as ABC..... Anyone But Clinton.

Funny how the Clinton campaign expects to claim a combined net gain of 5-10 delegates *combined* from Ohio and Texas a "win".

All of Obama's wins in the last 4 weeks have been by at least that much:
Hawaii +9; Washington +28; Virginia +25; Nebraska +8, etc.

All Clinton is doing is spending money that her supporters can't afford to give ($3.50/gallon gasoline because of the war that she authorized)

How much poltical spin do Americans find acceptable, I wonder.

Today Sen. Clinton tells the press: " Ohio is the key to winning the presidency and I'm excited about tomorrow and I'm looking forward to it."

Did I hear that well?! OHIO is the key to winning the presidency? Why not the kitchen sink or het daughter's middle name? Does she think the press is brainless and the voters are clueless?

What sort of campaign is this? How to be proud of our democratic process?

It has become tiresome to hear from the Clinton camp that Senator Clinton’s political misfortunes are the fault of the press. Is it the fault of the press that Hillary Clinton squandered every advantage that she had going for her? The Clinton name and the power behind it -- the money -- the double digit lead in the polls. Is it the fault of the press that Senator Obama comes across as likable and gives inspirational speeches while Senator Clinton complains about his rhetoric and then gives uninspiring speeches about her 35 years of “experience” herself? Is it the fault of the press that Senator Obama has won 11 contests in a row? Is it the fault of the press that Bill Clinton put his foot in his mouth and gave the election in South Carolina to Obama? Richard Nixon blamed the press for everything too, and Clinton supporters are beginning to sound a whole lot like him.

Shakespeare wrote it. ”The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars but in ourselves that we are underlings.”

On the subject of Rezko coverage (or a lack thereof), I found the comments of Lee Cowan, a reporter assigned to Senator Obama's presidential campaign, to be quite interesting.

Mr. Cowan was asked if journalists had been going easier on Obama than his opponent for the Democratic nomination, Hillary Rodham Clinton?

Cowan proceeded to describe several advantages that he saw Obama as having over his rival. "He hasn't been around as long, so there isn't as much to pick at," Cowan said. "He plays everything very cool. He's not as much of a lightning rod."

"Even in the conversations we have as colleagues, there is a sense of trying especially hard not to drink the Kool-Aid," Cowan said, "It's so rapturous, everything around him. All these huge rallies."

Kool-aid, rapturous, rallies...

Are these terms ones that we should be considering when choosing a President?

what typical liberals and Democrat Party members; disloyal, back stabbing, deserters running away and surrendering. The essence of the Democrat Party. Obama B Hussein-- B stands for BULL-- is no different either. That's the change the Democrat Party offers: disloyalty, back stabbing, surrendering, and desertion. What they did to Lieberman and now is B_I_L_L_A_R_Y's turn.

"Honest": ...."she will do or say anything to get elected". Now truthflly, wouldn't ANY candidate, including obama do this? Look back at past elections and how THEY got into office-----look at bush-----he stole the election from Gore----funny how it came down to ONE state, and WOW! bush's little brother just happened to be the Governor in that state tha had to be the decisive point for the Presidency that year.....oh, they ALL want the Presidency----the Power----even obama.......

"It's 3am and your children are safe and asleep. At HRC campaign headquarters, a phone is ringing. There's a problem somewhere in the campaign. A big problem..."

Not surprised at all.

Listen to what Hillary Clinton says when people talk about the way she campaigns - she calls it "the fun part". To this crowd, like many others of that generation of politicians, it's a game. A chess battle. The "political consultants" are even worse - they're mercenaries. They fight with other camps, they fight with each other, just to prove that they are the best at what they do.

They don't *care* really if their candidate loses or not - as long as they are viewed as having the 'best' skills, they know they'll get hired for another campaign in x years. They don't even care if what they may do in the campaign might damage the party or the country. It's all about them.

That's why Penn's been going into survival mode - he's trying to make sure his reputation stays intact for the next job, while landing a hopefully mortal blow on Ickles, who probably is his main competitor for these types of jobs besides Axelrod.

Next time Hillary - get more Indians, less Chiefs.

Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! Clinton warplane going down! Clinton warplane going down!

Everybody jump! JUMP! JUMP!

O my God. No survivors.

Ken, The reason there's no coverage about Obama and the Rezko trial is because Obama is not a part of the Rezko trial. Trial coverage has made that very clear.

She will do and say ANYTHING to get into the White House.Here is a bit of news rather it be true or not who cares.With all the other crap she is slinging here goes.If she don't win Billy boy is filing for divorce.....She stayed with him before for if she got hit with the land deal in AK he was the ONLY one who could pardon her.GessssshIf she is to run against Mc Cain they will have a field day with her dirty past.We will then have another Rep in the White House and I for one will NEVER vote for her.Older woman and registered Ind >>>>>

Thank You Ken for stating something that should be obvious for the MSM to comment on. If you go to MSNBC nothing, front page of ABC news nothing, CNN front page nothing about these Rezko trials.

For anyonone else, after they lost five or six in a row, the media would have started treating them like Gravel or Kucinich: ignoring them. Hillary fans love to gripe about how the press hates her, but in fact they've given her what she needs from them.

And no one actually believes Hillary is a strong candidate for the general election, much as her supporters like to tell themselves she would be.

Im going to go by Clinton Law as stated by Bill in 2004 " If your choice to vote is for fear or for thinking and hope , vote for thinking and hope "

I will Bill - thanks for the Obama endorsement :-)

Considering how Hillary's campaign has been run, can you imagine, what a malfunctioning White House w/her would be like?

She had so much going for her in this nomination process and yet, she still found a way to run it into the ground.

I'm always surprised by the Clinton supporters who 'blame the media', 'blame Bill', 'blame the Republicans', 'blame Obama'... what a victim-complex.

At the end of the day, the candidate is the one responsible for the campaign.

I think that Hillary would be good for the country of India. She should resign her seat from the senate and move to Punjab where her true supporters are. Her plan to create high paying jobs for Indians through outsorcing contracts from American businesses and increasing the number of H1-B visas issued to replace middle class american workers such as computer programmers, registered nurses, teachers etc. would be better recieved by the hundreds of millions of filthy disease ridden impoverished Indians who would benefit from outswourcing than the Texas and Ohio voters who would lose their jobs to this cheap foriegn labor.
Hillary's strength among Hispanic illegal aliens in Texas would not help her that much in the general election against liberal democrat John McCain. John Mc Cain's amenesty program for the 20 million illegal aliens infesting the country is far better than anything Hillary has prosoposed. Illegal aliens are not particularly interested in Hillary's health care plans because illegal aliens already have free taxpayer supported health cqare benefits at local hospital emergency rooms.

Hillary should take her campairgn staff and run for office in India where her ideas about replacing millions of americans with guestworkers would be better recieved.

I don't get people who say this isn't relevant. OF COURSE, it's relevant. Hillary has cast herself as a competent manager with decades of experience, but the facts on the ground don't support this. To the contrary, Hillary has run a dismal campaign, squandering nearly every strategic advantage she's had.

[Note to voters in TX, OH, VT and RI: PLEASE put this campaign out of its misery and let Obama begin to unify the party.]

Do you people never stop?

Why don't you try some reporting on issues and voting records on Iraq and lack of meetings on Afghanistan, and experience?

Oh that wouldn't be good for Darling Obama would it?

This garbage just makes mor women go out and vote Hillary!

Report on the end of her campaign or his when it ends, not before.

Yep, I agree with Ken. The press powerhouses will now shift to another negative re. the Clinton camp. rather than AMPLIFY Obama's involvement with REZCO and NAFTA. Sick !

Why no scrutiny of Obama operatives? you ask... well, that's because Senator Obama's campaign management is a tight team that works together and believes in their candidate.

I doubt that Axelrod or any of the Obama organizers would jump ship if the going got tough.

Oh, and that's right, the majority of Obama's support comes from WE THE PEOPLE of the USA... and we're not jumping anywhere!!

Why no scutiny of the Obama handlers?

The campaign is not managed well - and so the blame game begins - among the workers? Why isn't Hillary taking responsibility for how her campaign is being run?

Taking personal responsibility - is not what Hillary and Bill are all about. In fact, they go to great lengths to avoid taking responsibility - for anything. Examples: Hillary deciding to help authorize the war in Iraq - and still not being able to say that it was a clear mistake - and Bill lying about his relationship with Ms. Lewinsky - until he was forced to tell the truth about it.

When Bill and Hillary are under pressure to take personal responsibility for something - they fail.

That is why - I don't want Hillary or Bill - answering the phone. We can do better than that - as a nation.

They must have the internal polls showing a bad night on Tuesday for the Wise Senator from New York....or just an acknowledgment of the the obvious.

The HRC campaign does stink. How can you blow big $ on pedicures but not put cash into organizing for caucuses, say like for Texas? They are just winging it right now. There's no planning. Dare I say HRC best chance lies with the politics of HOPE...i.e., let's hope for the best.

All this adds up to desparation. Hope. Trust in Hope Hillary Fans. Put your trust in Hope. Ya gotta HOPE.

For a campaign that started off so tightly controlled, on-message, no leaks, and tremendously loyal to Clinton...it looks like it's going off the rails.

Can anyone even imagine David Axelrod saying anything like this? Of course not.

My guess is that's because Axelrod believes in his candidate. Clinton's people believe in their career paths. Sorry that sounds so harsh, but....

Mark Penn may not be so far-fetched. As a long time Clinton critic my distaste for them comes from their arrogance. They do not listen. They are convinced that they know everything. That is their greatest weakness. This campaign is Hillary's. She did it her way.

Just like Bill did not listen to intelligence reports, Hillary did not read the intelligence report on Iraq.

This is why I do not want her picking up that phone at 3AM.

I just hope this does not drag on too long. If Hillary loses Texas or Ohio she really needs to bow out gracefully. Going thru all the primaries without a clear winner would be a disadvantage to the Democrats. Obama 2008!

Okay, we understand the move to shift the spotlight away from the Rezko trial to a Clinton campaign advisor or strategist or whatever.

My question: If the Rezko trial concerned the financial dealings of Ralph Nader, John McCain, or Hillary Clinton, would it still be ignored in favor of a campaign employee's perception of authority?

That Clinton hires these buffoons as the top people of her campaign really says a lot about the way she is going to staff the White House if she somehow manages to pull off an improbable win.

Yeah, well, they'll get theirs when Hillary is elected President. They want distance from the campaign? I'm sure she'll oblige them by giving them distance from her presidency too.

Rats? That's putting it mildly. I have some choice adjectives for them, but they aren't allowed on this blog.;)