It seems to me that Hillary's speech is giving Barack a little bit of love. Not a lot, but she actually acknowledged him in a positive way. I know she could be doing it to make herself seem more positive (due to the negative perception of her campaigning in PA, and I guess her overall negatives), but as the contest draws to a close and her path to the nomination narrowing, does anyone think she is making a soft pitch for the unity ticket?

A high-ranking labor supporter of Hillary Clinton is distributing
to union leaders and to Democratic strategists a document detailing the
radical activities of Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn, two former members of
the '70s group the Weather Underground, who decades later, in Chicago,
crossed paths with Barack Obama.

The document - a three-page emailed essay by Rick Sloan,
communications director for the International Association of Machinists as
Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) -- takes both literary and political license to
outline what Sloan believes would be the thrust of a hypothetical
Republican campaign against Obama focusing on his tangential connection to
Ayers and Dohrn.

The goal of the essay appears to be to discredit Obama as the
prospective Democratic presidential nominee.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/18/clinton-backer-distribute_n_97525.html

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

Barack Obama is the frontrunner for the democratic nomination. This behavior by the clinton campaign is unacceptable to any responsible democrat. Hillary supporters, it is time to decide whether you are willing to support Hillary to the end on this. Seriously. She is singlehandedly trying to put John McCain into the White House.

I understand that she has supporters who truly believe that she could be a better president than Barack Obama. But can you sincerely stand beside her as she tries to sink her own party? There has to be a line at which point supporters are either simply for their candidate, without any respect for the needs of the party, or they are for the party even if it means saying goodbye to their candidate.

I think that Clinton has reached that threshold. If she had not when she blatantly supported John McCain over Barack, she has done so with her actions since that time.

Responsible democrats, democrats who oppose what the republicans have done to our country and will continueto do if McCain is elected, please stand up. Most importantly, Hillary supporters who are more in line with the democratic agenda than you are with Hillary herself, please stand up.

I do not want to be at war with Iraq for the next 8 years. I do not want to see John McCain put any justices on the supreme court. I do not want to see women lose rights that they have fought for.

It is time to end this. Hillary must walk away or be dragged from the building. Democrats should stand for more than the candidate, they should stand behind the ideas.

Council member and newly elected superdelegate Harry Thomas Jr., initially a supporter of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, is announcing in minutes that he will cast his vote at the Democratic National Convention in Denver for Sen. Barack Obama.

Thomas received more than 100 phone calls and e-mails from constituents who feared that he would use his power as a superdelegate to vote for Clinton despite the city's overwhelming support of Obama in the Potomac Primary.

"After meeting with the candidates and listening to my constituents, I have to honor the 83 percent who support Barack Obama," he said in an interview, referring to the results of the Democratic primary.

Thomas will make the announcement at 10 p.m. at a debate watch party.

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/dc/2008/04/breaking_news_thomas_backs_oba.html


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

This is great news for Barack and bad news for Hillary. The supers have been moving over the last 2 days and they have been to Barack's team.

He picked up another super today as well. I hope another 2-3 announce today to send a message.

I think it is, but I do waver from time to time. This country needs great presidents. However, the state of politics in the US is disheartening. As long as I have been following politics, it usually seems as if the presidential candidates with the best intentions for our nation are usually treated the worst. Indeed, this is because, in my opinion, the worst elements of our nation hold the most economic power and sway over shaping public perception.

For all of the great things America is, smart does not seem to be among them, or if it is, it gets lost in the shuffle between outrage, knee-jerk reactions, and sheer stupidity.

I guess some will say it is worth it no matter what. Look at Bill Clinton. He was able to cash in on the presidency unlike anyone before him.

All in all, I do not really know how I feel about presidential politics at the moment. I have long dreamed of getting involved but I am not so sure anymore. My confidence in the direction of this country has been shaken but it is the only country I know. It is also the only country that knows me.

 I know that I am simply rambling on and I apologize. It is stream of consciousness time in my house. Sometimes certain things bother me to my core and it is hard for me to let go of them.

I think that the Pennsylvania bitterness story is heavent sent for Obama. Seriously. It sounds really bad when you hear the snippet, but upon hearing or reading the entire statement, there isn't much really wrong with what he said.

I think that he can use this event to his advantage by calling a press conference to respond to the firestorm. In this press conference he can finally take Hillary to task for her Nafta lies and her Cafta lobbying husband.

In the statement he points the finger G.W.B. and at Bill Clinton. He is blaming both of them for the suffering of the people of Pennsylvania. However, his enemy right now is Hillary, so I think he is going to lay this at her doorstep. This is Barack taking government to task. She claimed 35 years of experience, well she'll have to share her story. Because it was released to the public like it was an expose, the statement sets him up perfectly to attack Hillary without looking like he is doing it because the primary is around the corner. He can attack her by simply explaining why the people of Pennsylvania are bitter, and why they have been that was for two decades. He is going to say that Nafta gutted them and Cafta will finish them off. It is inevitable with Bill taking the money and lobbying from within the walls of the White House. Additionally, he will be able to use Mark Penn to buttress his "explanation."

Perhaps I am a nutjob but I think he can steal pennsylvania if he plays this right. He could do it either in a press conference or during the debate. I think this is the winning strategy for PA.

Over the last few days, Barack Obama has made comments that indicate he is wavering on whether he will accept public financing for his campaign. This is an issue primarily because of a pledge he signed sometime last year, agreeing that he would accept public financing if he became the democratic nominee for president.

Part of me thinks that he should honor his commitment to accept public financing. John McCain has indicated that he is going to accept public financing. I do not think that he is driven by the pledge. Honestly, I think that McCain is being driven by the fact that Barack would raise more cash than him over the duration of the campaign.

Another part of me thinks that he should respectfully decline public financing. He is about to engage in the fight of his life against the republican attack machine and will need every dollar he can muster to keep himself viable. The republican 527s are going to throw everything they can find at Barack (think fake muslim smear, antipatriotic sentiments, etc.).

Truth be told, I think that he should probably skip public finance and let the public fund him directly. I know that he will be in violation of the pledge, but I think it is more important for him to be able to mount a proper defense than to be handcuffed by the pledge.

I would like to see the pledge. Perhaps there is some wiggle room that will allow Barack to take a relatively small hit in public opinion. Even if there is no narrow escape from the pledge, does anyone really think that it will harm him in the long run?

I have a sincere issue with the behavior of the Clintons. This is nota matter of my support of Barack Obama.

Former President Bill Clinton has the right to earn money after leaving the White House. He deserves any amount that people are willing to pay to hear him speak.

However, how he earns his money can become a problem for our country. It is unthinkable to me that we would have former President acting as a lobbying, living within the walls of the White House. This is unacceptable.

Bill Clinton has no ability to show restraint. I hope that the press follows up this story with an exploration of all of his business ties.

Honestly, I feel as though this is very unfair to Hillary Clinton. I am not one of her supporters, but I do respect and admire her, no matter what else I say as a die-hard supporter of Barack Obama, the next President of the United States.

Bill Clinton is destroying his wife. I cannot say that she is without any blame; it is likely she knew that he was taking the money from Colombia. Part of me think that he wants her to win, from the bottom of his heart. Part of me also belives that he wants her to lose, tho avoid standing in her shadow. His legacy would be largely eclipsed by hers, if not swallowed whole, if she managed to pull it out.

I am just ranting, and perhaps I am wrong. Perhaps he is not a lobbyist of sorts. It is possible that he will enter the White House an untainted spouse, silent on all matter aside from drapes and smiling with children on Bosnian runways. I do not think this is the Bill Clinton we know. He will always help stir the pot. Always.

John McCain's temper is well documented. He's called opponents and colleagues "shitheads," "assholes" and in at least one case "a fucking jerk."

But a new book on the presumptive Republican nominee will air perhaps the most shocking angry exchange to date.

The Real McCain by Cliff Schecter, which will arrive in bookstores next month, reports an angry exchange between McCain and his wife that happened in full view of aides and reporters during a 1992 campaign stop. An advance copy of the book was obtained by RAW STORY.

Three reporters from Arizona, on the condition of anonymity, also let me in on another incident involving McCain’s intemperateness. In his 1992 Senate bid, McCain was joined on the campaign trail by his wife, Cindy, as well as campaign aide Doug Cole and consultant Wes Gullett. At one point, Cindy playfully twirled McCain’s hair and said, “You’re getting a little thin up there.” McCain’s face reddened, and he responded, “At least I don’t plaster on the makeup like a trollop, you cunt.” McCain’s excuse was that it had been a long day. If elected president of the United States, McCain would have many long days.

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/McCain_temper_boiled_over_in_92_0407.html

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

If democrats cannot put the final nail in this guy by November, we do not deserve the White House. This guy can't even remember who is doing what in Iraq, can't remember his position on safe sex, and will probably forget who he is by mid summer. Carry on.

Sen. Hillary Clinton made a blunt appeal to North Dakota delegates to switch their support to her, despite the fact that Sen. Barack Obama handily defeated her in the state's caucus in February.

In an indication of how tense the battle has become for each Democratic delegate, Obama abandoned the campaign trail in Pennsylvania and scooted to North Dakota for the state party's annual dinner last night, despite the fact that he's already won 14 of the state's 21 delegates as well as six of the state's seven superdelegates.

The two candidates also will battle for votes tonight in Butte, Mont., when Democrats there hold their annual dinner. The Montana primary, which offers only a handful of delegates, is scheduled for June.

Clinton made it clear to North Dakota Democrats last night that she believes there is no such thing as a pledged delegate and highlighted that stubborn streak in her appeal for delegates to switch from Obama to her when the Democratic national party holds its nominating convention this August.

"I am here tonight because I am seeking your support," Clinton said, adding that she never gives up.

"I know what it's like to stumble. I know what it means to get knocked down. But I've never stayed down. I never will and neither will America if we get ready to win this election in November," she said.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=4596305&page=1


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

I have had it with her. I was a quiet fan of her tenacity and will to win, but I think that she has now gone way over the line. She speaks about voter disenfranchisement but then tries to overturn complete state contests by begging?

Earlier today, I was rethinking my previous position about an Obama/Clinton ticket. I said to myself, it is possible that she could do good things for the people of America as Barack's number 2. I no longer believe this is true and regret the precious moments I wasted considering the idea.

The party needs to coalesce around Barack, in significant numbers, starting this Monday. End is time to put the wounded beast of a candidate out of her misery. I know that she will be in tons of trouble, as will Bill, with the people they made promises to, but oh well, you win some lose some.

Over the last five weeks, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York has featured in her campaign stump speeches the story of a health care horror: an uninsured pregnant woman who lost her baby and died herself after being denied care by an Ohio hospital because she could not come up with a $100 fee.

The woman, Trina Bachtel, did die last August, two weeks after her baby boy was stillborn at O’Bleness Memorial Hospital in Athens, Ohio. But hospital administrators said Friday that Ms. Bachtel was under the care of an obstetrics practice affiliated with the hospital, that she was never refused treatment and that she was, in fact, insured.

“We implore the Clinton campaign to immediately desist from repeating this story,” said Rick Castrop, chief executive officer of the O’Bleness Health System.

Linda M. Weiss, a spokeswoman for the not-for-profit hospital, said the Clinton campaign had never contacted the hospital to check the accuracy of the story, which Mrs. Clinton had first heard from a Meigs County, Ohio, sheriff’s deputy in late February.

A Clinton spokesman, Mo Elleithee, said candidates would frequently retell stories relayed to them, vetting them when possible. “In this case, we did try but were not able to fully vet it,” Mr. Elleithee said. “If the hospital claims it did not happen that way, we respect that.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/05/us/politics/05woman.html?ref=politics


My personal take is that Hillary didn't want to vet the story. It was too good a tale to pass up sharing on the campaign trail. They could have easily vetted the story if they so desired.


I do not think that Hillary is a liar in this case, but she showed really poor judgment in failing to vet the story fully. She has tole the tale numerous times all over the country.


This reminds me of the story Barack shared about people in the military using the ammunition left behind by their enemies, because the military wasn't properly tending to their needs. He was critized all over the country, investigations were launched, and his credibility was trampled upon.

McCain adviser Schmidt: “With ads like that, it’s more likely the call at 3 am is ‘Senator, you just lost another superdelegate.’”

http://embeds.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/04/02/mccain-camp-response-to-new-clinton-3-am-economy-ad/

Wow, that is really quite funny. I almost fell out of my chair. I haven't read many responses like that to the attacks so far. This guy made my evening.

 "There is no way that Senator Clinton is going to win enough delegates to get the nomination. She ought to withdraw and she ought to be backing Senator Obama. Now, obviously that's a decision that only she can make frankly I feel that she would have a tremendous career in the Senate."

http://www.vpr.net/news_detail/79888/

This is great news for Barack!