Next Order of Business
Well, now that Samantha Power has resigned for her truly unfortunate and inexcusable remarks (tactfully and gracefully, too), I have a procedural question. Is the Clinton campaign going to devote some time and media-attention-generating energy to the fact that the McCain campaign has solicited and embraced the support of a far-right religious fanatic who calls the Catholic Church "the Great Whore?"
Or would that be a breach of protocol? I understand that once a candidate has crossed the Commander-in-Chief threshold, as Clinton and McCain have, certain questions of professional courtesy come into play, and candidates agree not to go after the unfortunate and inexcusable remarks of each other's supporters.
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While they're at it, maybe whoever at Clinton's campaign is saying that McCain is more qualified than Obama should resign. Oh, wait.
Good point on the Hagee nonsense. Why one stupid comment to a reporter is worth more than Hagee's lifetime of attacks on entire communities is beyond me.
March 7, 2008 1:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Isn't it amazing? She doesn't call out McCain for any of his lunatic supporters. She certainly didn't "reject and denounce" that nutty union leader who introduced her at a rally in Ohio the night Obama won Wisconsin and Hawaii for his outrageous insults.
The campaign just has to find a way to refresh the public's memory. All they're remembering in PA is how tough she is -- she surged to a 15 point lead today, after leading by 6 a week ago.
Obama has work to do. He'd better find a way to connect with the working class. He'd better find ways to define his opponent. He'd better find ways to call her out on lies and distortions. Howard Fineman said last night that they are choosing to not make an issue of the fact that Hillary's campaign gave the "wink-wink" to Canada and purposefully slung the mud at Obama at the 11th hour, when she was just as muddy, if not more so.
High road notwithstanding, he's got to define her. Stay honest. Use verifiable facts. Find the Obama-way of doing it.
But do it.
March 7, 2008 1:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Samantha Power, in a lengthening line of Obama women, takes up Perseus' sword -- metaphorically speaking, that is.
March 7, 2008 1:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
The campaign handled this beautifully.
Hillary would have reminded the public of every slight she had endured at the hands of the Obama campaign.
The public has a short memory. He needs to find his way of doing this.
March 7, 2008 1:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
I have this feeling that when Hillary's door is closed at night, she unzips that liberal,caring for-the-downtrodden body armor she wears for the cameras. What would be revealed? Someone eager to destroy another human being's reputation by inference, innuendo and vague half-truths, all for the sake of winning the big "prize". Unfortunately, Barack Obama will have to respond in a like manner from now on. Up to that point,he has shown the American public to be an articulate, even-tempered, intelligent individual - all the things Hillary is not.
March 7, 2008 1:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Samantha Power has resigned for her truly unfortunate and inexcusable remarks . . . . Michael Bérubé
"Remarks," Michael? Wasn't it one word? "Monster"?
"Near them their sisters three, the Gorgons, winged / With snakes for hair— hated of mortal man—" Aeschylus Prometheus Unbound
March 7, 2008 1:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Actually, Ellen, "inexcusable remarks" is the phrase Power herself used in her statement of resignation. I think your question is right out of the Karl Rove playbook, and I for one do not believe that imitating Ken Starr is the way to conduct oneself on this website.
March 7, 2008 4:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Karl Rove responds:
“I'm a myth. There's the Mark of Rove.”
March 7, 2008 5:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
blockquote>Well, now that Samantha Power has resigned for her truly unfortunate and inexcusable remarks
If that's so Michael--and I'm assuming that it was her that misspoke--would it not be appropriate to put the phrase "truly unfortunate and inexcusable remarks" in quotes to disassociate yourself from its accuracy?
BTW
I applaud you for pointing out the double standards of the media. Only wish you would apply it to the Democratic intraparty debate.
March 7, 2008 5:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
March 7, 2008 5:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hillary won't attack the McCain/Hagee connection for the same reason she voted for the Iraq war,
'cover your ass politics'.
March 8, 2008 9:20 AM | Reply | Permalink