February 2008

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"Yes, We Can" the sequel

Filed under: Barack Obama

Just in time for the Texas and Ohio primaries, Will.i.am releases a follow-up to his original pro-Obama video, "Yes, We Can."

"We Are the Ones" features a chorus of "Oh-Bah-MUH! Oh-Bah-MUH!" chants over the testimonials/inspirational one-liners of a slew of celebrities, including Macy Gray and a preggers Jessica Alba.

No doubt looking to energize the large bloc of Hispanic voters in Texas--a demographic that Hillary Clinton has relied on and whose support she needs to retain to even have a shot--the video incorporates a few choice Spanish phrases and Hispanic celebrities (take a bow George Lopez and John Leguizamo.)

Overall take: like most sequels, this one falls short of the bar set by its predecessor.

Decide for yourself:

Posted by Matt Snyders at February 29, 2008 2:11 PM | Comments (0)

 

McCain embraces Harry Potter hater

Filed under: John McCain

John Hagee has many disturbing traits -- his feelings that the Catholic church represents the Antichrist, that New Orleans had it coming from Katrina, and his open hatred of gays -- but John McCain's favorite preacher has another kooky belief that might present greater problems. He thinks Harry Potter is a tool designed to bring kids into the occult. Hell hath no fury like a Rowlingite scorned.

Mike Huckabee is dismayed that he didn't get the nod from Hagee, arguing that his principles are closer to the wingnut minister's. But be fair, Huck -- are you willing to go on video spewing unhinged anti-Catholic bigotry?

In case you're scoring at home, Democrats must scramble to denounce vile kooks like Louis Farrakahn (even if they've done so many times in the past, and are in no way affiliated). Republicans must scramble to get endorsements from vile kooks, and can proudly take the stage with them. As usual, Glenn Greenwald has the goods.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at February 28, 2008 7:06 PM | Comments (1)

 

Police ordered to stop weapons screening at Obama rally in Texas

Filed under: Barack Obama

In a befuddling move that has yet to be explained--or, for that matter, even admitted--the Secret Service last week ordered security detail at an Obama rally in Dallas to take down metal detectors and cease checking through purses at the front gates more than an hour before the Illinois senator walked on stage at Reunion Arena, reported The Fort Worth Star-Telegram Thursday.

The following day, the Secret Service denied the incident.

"There were no security lapses at that venue," Eric Zahren, a spokesman for the Secret Service, told the Star-Telegram, adding that "no deviation" from the "comprehensive and layered" security plan had occurred.

So either the Dallas police suffered a bizarrely realistic, collective hallucination or... the Secret Service is lying.

Posted by Matt Snyders at February 28, 2008 1:26 PM | Comments (0)

 

Free Speech Zones

Filed under: Republican National Convention

Marches during the RNC will be restricted to one route, and protesters confined to a yet-to-be-determined area. Let me consult my shopping list:

[ ] Constitutional
[X] Upheld by the courts
[ ] Will end well

Posted by Jeff Shaw at February 28, 2008 1:01 PM | Comments (2)

 

Is John McCain an illegal alien?

Filed under: John McCain

The New York Times is reporting this morning that questions are being raised about whether John McCain is a "natural-born citizen" and thus eligible to hold the office of President of the United States.

McCain was born on a military base in the Panama Canal Zone, where his father, a Navy officer, was stationed. Because he was not born in one of the 50 states, there is some question whether he qualifies as "natural born" as it was defined in 1787.

From the article:

Mr. McCain’s citizenship was established by statutes covering the offspring of Americans abroad and laws specific to the Canal Zone as Congress realized that Americans would be living and working in the area for extended periods. But whether he qualifies as natural-born has been a topic of Internet buzz for months, with some declaring him ineligible while others assert that he meets all the basic constitutional qualifications — a natural-born citizen at least 35 years of age with 14 years of residence.

Most legal scholars seem to think this is a red herring, and I'm inclined to agree, but the campaign is taking it seriously enough that they've hired a former soliciter general to prepare a detailed legal analysis.

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at February 28, 2008 10:09 AM | Comments (6)

 

Military donations shift toward Dems, anti-war candidates

Filed under: National Republicans

Traditionally considered a Republican constituency, uniformed members of the military are donating more and more money to Democratic candidates.

In the 2002 election cycle, which is the last full period before the war began, members of the military gave 23 percent of their donations to Democrats, the report says. So far this year, they have given 40 percent of their donations to Democrats, both for Congress and president.

That's a huge shift. Keep in mind also that these figures are total money donated, not a person-to-person tally of individuals in the military. The more affluent officer corps is chock full of Republicans, while tons of rank-and-file military members vote Democratic. The service is a more diverse enterprise than it's usually painted.

The numbers in that study were current as of last September, but according to an updated report from this month, it's still true.

Leading the pack among military donors is war opponent Barack Obama. On the Republican side, Ron Paul -- the sole vehemently anti-Iraq war voice among the GOP candidates -- received the most donations for service members. Can you draw any conclusions from this other than the obvious -- that those most intimately affected by the war would rather it ended, and right now?

One unrelated interesting note from the second link:

Youth vote, shmooth vote, Obama has raised more from retired individuals -- the second biggest donor group -- than any other remaining candidate.

Older Americans generally have higher turnout rates than other demographics, so this could be significant for Obama going forward.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at February 27, 2008 9:26 AM | Comments (8)

 

Newsflash: Gov. Pawlenty would eat an illegal immigrant if it earned him a spot on the McCain ticket

Filed under: Gov. Pawlenty

One of the more inane aspects of the current VP speculation is that candidates must pretend that they're not really interested in the job. This means that public officials presumed to be on the short list are required to vehemently insist that they really just want to keep their day jobs.

The reality, of course, is that Tim Pawlenty, Mark Sanford, Tim Kaine, and any of the other folks currently being prominently floated would gladly gouge the eyes out of babies to get to the front of the line. Thus we have Pawlenty, grinning like a mischievous school boy, as he denies any VP aspirations in a conversation with The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza at the National Governors Association:

Posted by Paul Demko at February 26, 2008 3:20 PM | Comments (5)

 

Memo to Hillary: Take a cue from John McCain

Yesterday I wrote about the brewing controversy over the so-called "dressed" Obama photo that a low-level Hillary supporter allegedly distributed. While the facts aren't entirely clear, what cheesed me off the most was the way Clinton campaign guru Maggie Williams responded with venom directed toward Obama, who had every right to be offended by the sleazy tactic:

If Barack Obama's campaign wants to suggest that a photo of him wearing traditional Somali clothing is divisive, they should be ashamed. Hillary Clinton has worn the traditional clothing of countries she has visited and had those photos published widely.

If Hillary's campaign is looking for an object lesson in how to handle a situation like this in the future (if there is one beyond March 4), they should study John McCain's playbook.

At a recent rally, John McCain supporter/talk show host Bill Cunningham took the stage and started firing low blows at Obama, most notably repeatedly using his middle name, Hussein, in an apparent attempt to once again foist the "Muslim Machurian Candidate" motif into the public consciousness:

"Now we have a hack, Chicago-style Daley politician who is picturing himself as change. When he gets done with you, all you're going to have in your pocket is change," Cunningham said as the audience roared.

The time will come, Cunningham added, when the media will "peel the bark off Barack Hussein Obama" and tell the truth about his relationship with indicted fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko and how Obama got "sweetheart deals" in Chicago.

After the rally, when McCain faced reporters, he didn't wait for them to bring it up, and rather than trot out some bullshit that Obama shouldn't be ashamed of his middle name, immediately repudiated the remarks and distanced himself from Cunningham:

"I apologize for it," McCain told reporters, addressing the issue before they had a chance to ask the Arizona senator about Cunningham's comments.

"I did not know about these remarks but I take responsibility for them. I repudiate them," he said. "My entire campaign I have treated Senator Obama and Senator (Hillary Rodham) Clinton with respect. I will continue to do that throughout this campaign.

McCain called both Democrats "honorable Americans" and said "I want to dissociate myself with any disparaging remarks that may have been said about them."

Asked whether the use of Obama's middle name—the same as former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein—is proper, McCain said: "No, it is not. Any comment that is disparaging of either Senator Clinton or Senator Obama is totally inappropriate."

See Hillary, that's how you do it. Say what you will about McCain, but in this instance at least, he showed a lot of class.

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at February 26, 2008 1:31 PM | Comments (10)

 

Come back Mitt! All is forgiven.

Filed under: Mitt Romney

Behold a pale horse: Mitt Romney might be coming back.

[Image from Overcompensating]

With the emerging lobbyist scandal creating issues for the McCain campaign, the Los Angeles Times reports that Mitt might re-enter the race, and that he maintains control of the 300 delegates he won previously. Being stupendously wealthy helps. Quoth the Times:

"A Ticket item here Sunday noted Romney's graceful exit from the Republican race, which was characterized by the unusual absence of a follow-up plea for donations to retire campaign debt. The Romney campaign cost $98 million, $42.3 million of it contributed by the candidate himself."

Yes, that graceful exit where he said the Democratic candidate winning would constitute a surrender to terror. After spending 42 million of your own money, taking a swipe at half the country is the only dignified way out.

Speaking as one of those so tarred: come back, Mitt! All is forgiven. We need you to hold the banner for True Conservatives (tm) against John McCain, if you've decided to be a true conservative this year. And if you haven't, we could just use you to lead us to a brokered convention.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at February 26, 2008 5:52 AM | Comments (0)

 

"Dressed" Obama photo is Hillary's racist rock bottom

Filed under: Barack Obama

The big kerfluffle this morning is about a photo of Obama dressed in traditional Somali garb taken in 2006 during his visit to Wajir, a rural area in northeastern Kenya.

The drama started when Drudge posted the picture with a banner headline: "Clinton staffers circulate 'dressed' Obama." The article quoted an email from a Clinton campaign staffer remarking, "Wouldn't we be seeing this on the cover of every magazine if it were HRC?"

The ploy is reminscent of when George W. Bush's campaign circulated a photo of John Kerry in which he looked like ... well, like a sperm.

Only this time, the old "embarassing photo" trick carries a racist, anti-Muslim edge. It seems fairly obvious that the photo is designed to call into question Obama's patriotism, his religious beliefs, and the fact that he's an African American. Which all conveniently fits into the meme that Hillary's campaign has been pushing in a desperate attempt to get something to stick to the Teflon orator--of course, they do it with the sneaky "this is what conservatives will say if he's the candidate" dodge.

But what I find most intellectually dishonest is Clinton campaign guru Maggie Williams' response to the controversy over the photo:

If Barack Obama's campaign wants to suggest that a photo of him wearing traditional Somali clothing is divisive, they should be ashamed. Hillary Clinton has worn the traditional clothing of countries she has visited and had those photos published widely.

Of course it is divisive--that was the whole point of the original email leaking it. And now you're going to claim Obama's a racist for being offended? Much like Bill Clinton playing the race card, this is something that could not only damage her campaign, but tarnish her legacy.

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at February 25, 2008 12:08 PM | Comments (15)

 

Slowly Decomposing Corpse: I'm Running for President

Noted seatbelt booster, megalomaniacal popularity wanter and country ruiner Ralph Nader has announced his third run for the presidency. If you're on the fence about Ralph--if you think all his good work on consumer rights outweighs the damage he's done to this country in more recent years--you should check out this New Republic piece from the last election cycle, which puts the lie to "The good Nader" myth.

Or, click through for a couple highlights...

For starters, Nader has always been hella paranoid:

"Ralph was a very suspicious man," former Labor Secretary Daniel Patrick Moynihan said of his onetime subordinate. "He used to warn me that the phones at the Labor Department might be tapped. I'd say, 'Fine! They'll learn that the unemployment rate for March is 5.3 percent, that's what they'll learn.'"

He's also never been one to let annoying facts to get in the way of his greater truth:

In 1971, Nader pressured one of his associates, Lowell Dodge, to sex up his study "Small on Safety: The Designed-in Dangers of the Volkswagen." Nader insisted that Dodge rewrite the conclusion of the study so that it began, "The Volkswagen is the most hazardous car in use in significant numbers in the U.S. today." Objecting that "the conclusion is not reflected in the data," Dodge left the project, allowing others to take credit as principal authors. "I have always carried around considerable guilt about what I regard as the extreme intellectual dishonesty of that conclusion," he said.

And he's always been tragically pig-headed:

In 1970, the Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill to create a Consumer Protection Agency (CPA), what Nader called his highest legislative goal. But, just days after praising the bill, Nader turned against it, saying that "intolerable erosions" had rendered the bill "unacceptable." Without Nader's backing, the bill lost momentum and died in committee. The pattern repeated itself, as the CPA passed either the House or the Senate five more times over the next six years, but Nader rejected every bill as too compromised. "Ralph could have had a consumer agency bill in any of three Congresses," liberal consumer activist and former Nader associate Mike Pertschuk said. "But he held out for the perfect bill."

The final defeat came in 1978. Again, Nader's strategy was to impugn every Democrat who harbored any reservations at all about the bill. He maligned Washington Representative Tom Foley as "a broker for agribusiness"--despite the fact that Foley had bucked agribusiness to pass a bill regulating meatpackers. He attacked Colorado liberal Pat Schroeder, who had supported earlier versions of the CPA but had minor reservations this time, as a "mushy liberal" selling her vote to corporate contributors. He so alienated Democrats that, as the measure went down to defeat, one reportedly said as he voted no, "This one's for you, Ralph." House Speaker Tip O'Neill told The Washington Post, "I know of about eight guys who would have voted for us if it were not for Nader."

In other words, Nader didn't somewhere along the line morph into the intolerable, sanctimonious prick we now know him to be. It's been his M.O. since day one.

Posted by Jonathan Kaminsky at February 24, 2008 10:19 AM | Comments (5)

 

YouTube: Obama is to rhetoric what Vanilla Ice is to rap

Filed under: Barack Obama

This is a pretty funny YouTube clip on the dustup over whether Obama plagiarized lines from his friend:

Except that the comparison doesn't hold water. When Vanilla Ice was caught borrowing Queen's bassline, he retreated into the ridiculous argument that the nearly-identical strings of notes were somehow "different" in a way only recognizable to his trained ear. When Obama was asked about using his friend's lines, he copped to it, saying they shared lines all the time:

The notion that I had plagiarized from somebody who’s one of my national co-chairs who gave me the line and suggested that I use it, I think is silly,” Obama said.

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at February 22, 2008 5:07 PM | Comments (3)

 

Straight Talk Express derailed by deposition

Filed under: John McCain

Newsweek is giving the lie to McCain's claim that he never carried water for anybody from his alleged mistress' firm:

Just hours after the Times's story was posted, the McCain campaign issued a point-by-point response that depicted the letters as routine correspondence handled by his staff—and insisted that McCain had never even spoken with anybody from Paxson or Alcalde & Fay about the matter. "No representative of Paxson or Alcalde & Fay personally asked Senator McCain to send a letter to the FCC," the campaign said in a statement e-mailed to reporters.

But that flat claim seems to be contradicted by an impeccable source: McCain himself. "I was contacted by Mr. Paxson on this issue," McCain said in the Sept. 25, 2002, deposition obtained by NEWSWEEK. "He wanted their approval very bad for purposes of his business. I believe that Mr. Paxson had a legitimate complaint."

Here's the deposition from 2002:

Q: "Do you know were they got the information?"

McCain: "No. But I would add, I was contacted by Mr. Paxson on this issue."

Q: "You were?"

McCain: "Yes."

Q: "Can you tell us what you said and what he said about it?"

McCain: "That he had applied to purchase this station and that he wanted to purchase it. And that there had been a numerous year delay with the FCC reaching a decision. And he wanted their approval very bad for purposes of his business.I said I would be glad to write a letter asking them to act. But I will not write a letter, I cannot write a letter asking them to approve or deny, because then that would be an interference in their activities. I think everybody is entitled to a decision. But I can't ask for a favorable disposition for you."

Q: "Did you speak to the company's lobbyist about these matters?"

McCain: "I don't recall if it was Mr. Paxson or the company's lobbyist or both."

Q: "But you did speak to him?"

McCain: "I'm sure I spoke with him, yes."

Which doesn't seem to jibe with this statement from McCain:

"No representative of Paxson or Alcalde and Fay discussed with Senator McCain the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proceeding regarding the transfer of Pittsburgh public television station (WQED) to Cornerstone Broadcasting and Cornerstone Broadcasting’s television station (WPCB) to Paxson. No representative of Paxson or Alcalde and Fay personally asked Senator McCain to send a letter to the FCC regarding this proceeding."

But the McCain camp is sticking with its guns in this denial to Newsweek:

"We do not think there is a contradiction here," campaign spokeswoman Ann Begeman e-mailed NEWSWEEK after being asked about the senator's sworn testimony five and a half years ago. "We do not have the transcript you excerpted and do not know the exact questions Senator McCain was asked, but it appears that Senator McCain, when speaking of being contacted by Paxson, was speaking in shorthand of his staff being contacted by representatives of Paxson. Senator McCain does not recall being asked directly by Paxson or any representative of him or by Alcalde & Fay to contact the FCC regarding the Pittsburgh license transaction.

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at February 22, 2008 4:27 PM | Comments (2)

 

GOParty Cards' savings to be spent on whiskey, hookers

Filed under: National Republicans

The Minneapolis-St. Paul Host Committee for the 2008 Republican National Convention yesterday announced a new discount card that could save GOP conventiongoers money that might better be spent on whiskey and hookers, organizers announced Thursday.

The card will offer the expected 45,000 visitors to the Twin Cities special discounts at participating businesses from August 23 until September 7.

"The Republican National Convention offers a major opportunity to showcase the metropolitan area and beyond," said organizer Cindy Lasher. "Look, I don't like their politics any more than you do, but there's some major bling to be fleeced off these hicks."

Area sex workers are getting in on the act as well, banding together to create what they are calling GOPanty Cards. Among those expected to participate are "Horny Asian Housewife Getting Tired of Masturbating" and "Christi" a "blonde and busty chick" who has "no time for a relationship" but plenty of time to post naked pictures of herself on the internet.

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at February 22, 2008 2:56 PM | Comments (1)

 

VP sweeps: Pawlenty is the frontrunner

Filed under: Local Republicans

That's the word from The Fix this morning. Here's what Chris Cillizza has to say about T-Paw:

The two-term Minnesota governor has to be considered the frontrunner at the moment to be McCain's pick. He hails from the electorally important Midwest, is young enough to balance concerns about McCain's age, and he stuck by the Arizona senator in the darkest days of the campaign. The criticism that Pawlenty is an unknown on the national stage may, in fact, be an argument in his favor -- voters won't bring any preconceived notions about him to the ticket. Never forget that one of the guiding principles in picking a VP is to find someone who is comfortable being seen but not heard. Want more about the man they call "Tpaw"? Make sure to read Jonathan Martin's profile of the man.

Posted by Paul Demko at February 22, 2008 9:51 AM | Comments (1)

 

The Lessons of Rwanda's Genocide

Filed under: Barack Obama

Fox News's Special Report had the following exchange a few days back where Bush demonstrated a curious understanding of history:

GOLER: The president says it's better that African nations deal with African problems. White soldiers in Darfur, he believes, would be targets for all sides.

BUSH: A clear lesson I learned in the museum was that outside forces tend to divide people up inside their country and are unbelievably counterproductive.

The museum, as Atrios notes, was the Rwandan genocide museum. The lesson Bush internalized, as should be apparent, is the opposite lesson one ought draw from Rwanda. It wasn't outside forces that caused the slaughter. It was the world's failure to act that allowed the slaughter to continue.

This is not a partisan issue. Bill Clinton has much -- perhaps the most -- to answer for in this regard as well. As David Halberstam's book War in a Time of Peace makes clear, Clinton knew full well that genocide was taking place and not only failed to act, he ordered staff not to use the "g" word until it was well too late.

This is to Clinton's great shame, and it's no surprise Bush doesn't know any better. Looking to the future, though, one candidate might be able to use the opportunity to gain ground on foreign policy issues as well as moral authority.

Barack Obama's advisor Samantha Power is an expert on this issue, having won the Pulitzer for her book on the topic.

It'll be interesting to see if Obama (or Power through the candidate) uses Bush's recent words to draw a distinction between his foreign policy views and those of the last two presidents. This could be a chance for him to proactively counteract those who would tar him as nothing more than an eloquent voice, bereft of ideas.

A lot is going on in the race, and much relates to foreign policy. Will Obama (or Power through him) take this opportunity to the bully pulpit? We'll see.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at February 21, 2008 11:37 AM | Comments (0)

 

McCain Mistress Bombshell! UPDATE

Filed under: John McCain

The New York Times is leading with a report suggesting John McCain had an inappropriate relationship with a female lobbyist:

WASHINGTON — Early in Senator John McCain’s first run for the White House eight years ago, waves of anxiety swept through his small circle of advisers.

A female lobbyist had been turning up with him at fund-raisers, visiting his offices and accompanying him on a client’s corporate jet. Convinced the relationship had become romantic, some of his top advisers intervened to protect the candidate from himself — instructing staff members to block the woman’s access, privately warning her away and repeatedly confronting him, several people involved in the campaign said on the condition of anonymity.

When news organizations reported that Mr. McCain had written letters to government regulators on behalf of the lobbyist’s client, the former campaign associates said, some aides feared for a time that attention would fall on her involvement.

Mr. McCain, 71, and the lobbyist, Vicki Iseman, 40, both say they never had a romantic relationship. But to his advisers, even the appearance of a close bond with a lobbyist whose clients often had business before the Senate committee Mr. McCain led threatened the story of redemption and rectitude that defined his political identity.

Both McCain and Iseman deny that they had an affair, but this is sure to give momentum to Huckabee, who suddenly looks smart for staying in till the bitter end.

By the way, this is McCain's "O" face:

UPDATE: And it's not the first time. The current Mrs. McCain started out as a mistress:

Skousen also notes that "McCain cheated on his first wife after she had a severe accident. He then divorced her and married his multi-millionaire mistress, whose daddy bought McCain a spot in the Congress."

More damning details about the first affair and the potential future first lady:

McCain was immediately dazzled and spent the event chatting her up.

"She was lovely, intelligent and charming, 17 years my junior but poised and confident," McCain wrote in his 2002 book, Worth the Fighting For. "I monopolized her attention the entire time, taking care to prevent anyone else from intruding on our conversation. When it came time to leave the party, I persuaded her to join me for drinks at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. By the evening's end, I was in love."

McCain recalls that both he and Cindy initially misled each other about their ages. McCain made himself a little younger, and Cindy made herself a little older. They found out their real ages when the local paper published them. McCain was 43, Cindy 25.

"So our marriage," McCain cracks, "is really based on a tissue of lies."

Emphasis added to point out the blinding irony. Back to the tape, here's where McCain dumps his old lady for a hot new model:

McCain needed a divorce from Carol, his wife of 14 years from whom he was separated. After McCain's dramatic homecoming from Vietnam, the couple grew apart. Their marriage began disintegrating while McCain was stationed in Jacksonville. McCain has admitted to having extramarital affairs.

"If there was one couple that deserved to make it, it was John and Carol McCain," author Robert Timberg wrote in John McCain: An American Odyssey. "They endured nearly six years of unspeakable trauma with courage and grace. In the end it was not enough. They won the war but lost the peace."

In February 1980, less than a year after he met Cindy, McCain petitioned a Florida court to dissolve his marriage to Carol, calling the union "irretrievably broken."

His wife's take? McCain was suffering a midlife crisis (which makes this latest possible affair his late late life crisis):

She did briefly address her divorce to Timberg: "The breakup of our marriage was not caused by my accident or Vietnam or any of those things. I don't know that it might not have happened if John had never been gone. I attribute it more to John turning 40 and wanting to be 25 again than I do to anything else."

So then McCain marries his mistress a mere month after divorcing his wife. Also, note that the groomsmen including Gary Hart(!):

In April 1980, the judge entered a default judgment and declared the marriage dissolved.

A month later, McCain married Cindy in Phoenix, where the couple would move. The wedding party included a couple of McCain's high-profile friends from Washington. Sen. William Cohen was the best man. Sen. Gary Hart was a groomsman.

Monkey business, indeed.

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at February 20, 2008 9:17 PM | Comments (10)

 

Bill O'Reilly talks about lynching Obama's wife

Filed under: Barack Obama

Media Matters is calling attention to a strange freudian slip by Bill O'Reilly in which he makes reference to "lynching" Michelle Obama.

In defending Michelle Obama from a caller's accusation, O'Reilly said:

"I don't want to go on a lynching party against Michelle Obama unless there's evidence, hard facts, that say this is how the woman really feels."

Now normally I'm not one to play language police--I recently stirred up a hornet's nest of comments when I disagreed with Hillary Clinton throwing a tantrum over an off-hand reference to "pimping out" Chelsea--but this comes barely a week after President Bush condemned nooses, saying:

"The era of rampant lynching is a shameful chapter in American history."

I guess the question is: Do you think O'Reilly would have used the term "lynching party" if he was talking about a white wife, or was this some subconscious expression of racism?

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at February 20, 2008 6:09 PM | Comments (25)

 

Olbermann: "You're a Fascist and a Liar, Mr. Bush"

Filed under: National Republicans

I'm not usually into the single-link video posts, but this is a singular piece of ownage that brings rare venom and insight.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at February 19, 2008 5:38 AM | Comments (4)

 

McCain to Bush: It's Not You, It's Me.

Filed under: John McCain

Word from John McCain's campaign is that the presumptive nominee is asking the President not to appear too often at campaign rallies. Lay low, the logic goes, and he won't bring down his fellow Republican with that 30ish approval rating.

How does one go about asking a sitting president to stay away? We've obtained an exclusive letter from McCain to Bush that reveals how the candidate is navigating these tricky political waters.

CITY PAGES EXCLUSIVE!!1! MUST CREDIT CITY PAGES! MUST USE EXCLAMATION POINTS!

The Hon. George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear George,

We've had some good times together, haven't we, over the years? There's no easy way to say this. I just need some more space right now.

It's not you, it's me. It's about my needs. Specifically, me needing to have a presidential campaign without the 200-pound millstone of being associated with the least popular president of modern times.

Our relationship has had its rocky, times, to be sure. Like when your lackeys ran a race-baiting primary campaign by spreading false rumors that I had fathered a black child out of wedlock. But I forgave and forgot. When you used fringe figure J. Thomas Burch to malign my image among fellow war veterans, I turned the other cheek.

(Well, OK, I actually ran ads asking if they wanted "another president in the White House that America can't trust." Boy, it's a good thing for you that voters weren't ready to hear "straight talk" back then, right?)

I kid! Bygones.

The irony of this being a "Dear George" letter from a guy named John is not lost on me. If you look up "irony," it will not be lost on you either. Probably.

You'll always be a part my life. In my own way, I'll advance your legacy as president. Why do you think I want to stay in Iraq for anywhere between 100 and 10,000 years? It's out of honor and respect for what we once had, and the war we created together. As a team.

You never know: maybe you and I will have another opportunity to start an armed conflict someday. After all, radio stations still play our song sometimes. Ah, memories!

For now, though, let's just be friends. Of course I still respect you. Can we hug it out?

Sincerely,

John

Posted by Jeff Shaw at February 18, 2008 11:48 AM | Comments (1)

 

Don't Tase Me or St. Paul, Bro

Filed under: Republican National Convention

It's time to rename Kellogg Boulevard "Electric Avenue." The St. Paul police want to buy an additional 230 Tasers to outfit every member of the 370-strong force with a portable Mr. Zappy.

The St. Paul City Council is likely to approve the $210,000 funding request on Wednesday, but they should not. There are three reasons why.

REASON NO. 1: Tasers are more dangerous than people think, and we're learning more about how dangerous all the time. New health studies cast doubt on the manufacturer's safety claims, and suggest that running 50,000 volts of electricity through a body can cause long-lasting cardiac effects.

What an, ahem, shock.

More than 150 people have died in the U.S. after being shocked by police, and as it turns out, many studies that say Tasers are safe are commissioned by the manufacturer -- hardly an unbiased party. Yeah, you'd rather have someone get tased than shot, but is that really the only choice?

REASON NO. 2: Once police forces have the Tasers, they suffer from "mission creep," and use of the devices snowballs. The 2004 Amnesty International report [PDF] Excessive and Lethal Force? Deaths and Ill-treatment Involving Police Use of TASER found that “…far from being used to avoid lethal force, many US police agencies are deploying Tasers as a routine force option to subdue non-compliant or disturbed individuals who do not pose a serious danger to themselves or others.”

In one Colorado county, a 2004 study found that one-third of the 112 people tased were handcuffed at the time the juice went through 'em. A taser might be a dangerous piece of equipment, but it feels like a toy, and people treat it as such -- when you have one, you want to use it.

First, it's a rioter throwing a rock. Then, it's a skateboarder who is pissing you off.

REASON NO. 3: They say it's not about the Republican National Convention. But we all know it's about the Republican National Convention. I'm not even going to take the obvious tack and point out that it's a risk to civil liberties when you can just tase every annoying street theater performer (tempting as that may seem). It is a risk to civil liberties, but there's another angle I want to talk about.

Speaking as someone who reported on the WTO riots in Seattle, the last time you want police officers to be trying out new equipment is during a massive demonstration -- there's so much potential for miscalculation and escalation. You run the risk of not having officers fully trained, not knowing how to use the devices properly or in what context to use them, and, worst of all, the very real potential for overuse.

Nonlethal weapon use by American police is a complex issue, and one that I see both sides of. Whatever side you come down on, though, now is the worst possible time to implement a policy like this.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at February 17, 2008 5:45 PM | Comments (10)

 

Charles Barkley: Conservative Christians are terrble!

Filed under: Celebrity Endorsements

The Round Mound of Rebound is shooting off his mouth again, calling Conservatives "fake Christians" on CNN:

He also claims he'll run for governor of Alabama in 2014. What kind of crazy state would elect as governor a TV personality/athlete best known for making indefensible statements?

I'd love to see Frank Caliendo ring in on this:

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at February 16, 2008 4:42 PM | Comments (0)

 

Nobody puts Hillary in a corner!

Reader Willy Dickinson writes in a Letter to the Editor:

I like Obama. I hope he seals the deal soon, so he can properly train his guns on the Repubs. Yet, when I get a vibe that Hillary’s being pushed aside, I’m viscerally appalled. I don’t like to see Hillary minimized. I don’t like to see her relegated to the corner for no other reason than being an in-your-face Democrat that stands for the right things. The whole thing smells like “Let’s send the women out for coffee so the boys can finally get to work.” I hate it. Hillary deserves to be president, and there’s no doubt that after a couple of Hillary terms, our nation would be in much better shape than when she started. Yah, I know. Obama needs to close the nomination, and the sooner the better, The boy’s got the magic touch, and it’s clear he can win, even win big. But that doesn’t make it fun to watch Hillary fade. Given a proper chance, she would have rocked.

By nominating Obama, are we effectively "sending the women out for coffee"? Is the Obama nomination sexism--or is it the electorate choosing the best person for the job, regardless of gender?

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at February 13, 2008 7:25 PM | Comments (6)

 

In Soviet of Washington, votes cast you

Filed under: Mike Huckabee

Time was, conservatives called the state north of Oregon "the Soviet of Washington" based on its left-wing history. These days, we have Mike Huckabee comparing the state GOP's handling of their caucus to the USSR's election practices -- and actually kind of having a point.

To recap, during Huckabee's strong run over the weekend, he and John McCain were running neck and neck in Washington. Then, Huckabee pulled ahead. From there:

* The votes began being counted veeeeeeery sloooooooowly.

* State GOP chair Luke Esser abruptly called the race for McCain, despite the fact that McCain was leading by just a few hundred votes with 87 percent of the precincts reporting. Huckabee's supporters were furious.

* Responding to criticism, state GOP chair Esser said the following day that they were "trying" to get as "close as we can to 100 percent" of the vote counted. A paragon of democratic principle, that one.

* Then, observers began saying that the race probably didn't even meet caucus standards, and was more like a straw poll -- one reason Huckabee's lawyers got involved.

* The spin coming out was that Esser never meant to call the race, just to give "his analysis" (despite the strongly worded press release that contradicts that notion).

* Finally, with almost 100 percent of the votes counted (and substantial irregularities reported), McCain appears -- shockingly -- to have won the race. Huckabee's not so sure, and still plans to contest the election.

Late update: Vladimir Putin is being called in as an independent election observer. "Seems fair to me," he is reported to have said before arriving in Washington state.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at February 12, 2008 10:11 AM | Comments (0)

 

Parody of Obama video featuring McCain

Filed under: John McCain

Remember the Barack Obama "Yes We Can" video that's drawn rave reviews and churned out pageviews? Unsurprisingly, there's a new parody of it out now. Surprisingly, it's well worth your time.

Mostly I smile at but quickly turn away from these one-off parodies. Once you get the joke, what's the point of watching the full 90-second video?

Occasionally, though, such a parody manages to approach or even surpass the original. This is one of those occasions. Splicing together clips of John McCain's utterances on the topic of Iraq, this movie manages to be entertaining and skewer its subject satirically all at once. Well worth every second invested.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at February 11, 2008 12:17 PM | Comments (1)

 

Ron Paul revolution scoffs at traffic safety

Filed under: Ron Paul

The Revolution will not use its rear-view mirrors.

Heard this one about the 18-year-old Ron Paul supporter whose fervor will cost him hundreds of dollars? An 18-year-old from Owatonna has had near-daily trouble with the law due to his oversized candidate sticker.

Cody Hauer has been cited four times in one week for displaying a 13-inch-by-40-inch "Ron Paul Revolution" decal in the rear window of his car. The problem is that such decals are illegal if they obstruct the driver's view.

These citations could amount to $550, and it's not like the Owatonna cops go looking for trouble. Police chief Shaun LaDue told the Associated Press that Hauer shows direspect for the officers every time he gets pulled over, and "talks himself into a citation each time."

Some would say this type of stubborn commitment to one's candidate is more than a bit stupid -- but I see it as justifiable contempt for these "laws" designed to enhance "public safety" based on being able to "see other cars." Humbug!

This type of civil disobedience is in the tradition of Ron Paul's hero, Martin Luther King. King fought to integrate the school system; Ron Paul wants to abolish the federal highway system, because, you know, who needs roads? Road users should pull themselves up by their bootstraps.

It's a modern civil rights struggle. Besides, if there were no federal highways, there would be fewer places for young men like Cody Hauer to get tickets.

Hauer says the cops are guilty of hassling him for "DWR -- driving while Republican." This is basically confirmed by the recent rash of police beatings involving Owatonna's Fred Thompson supporters. What's next, pastoral Minnesota? Turning the fire hoses on the many followers of Mike Huckabee with tinted windows? All for the so-called "crime" of putting a three-and-a-half-foot blockage in one's field of vision. The freedom to back over your neighbor's dog is in the Constitution somewhere, and if not, it should be.

Pity poor Cody Hauer. Maybe he should have used that $550 to buy ad time on the blimp instead.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at February 11, 2008 1:40 AM | Comments (18)

 

Recipe for Huckabee Fried Squirrel

Filed under: Fried Squirrel

Take one varmint. Put in the popcorn popper until golden brown. Dig in on fried squirrel goodness! It tastes like KFC, except somehow more ... southern.

The details:

Dress squirrel.

Wash thoroughly.

Cut in pieces for servings.

Cover with salt water.

Let stand overnight. Drain.

If squirrel is not tender, parboil 10 minutes. Drain.

Roll in flour.

Fry in vegetable oil until tender.

If the squirrel is young, parboiling is unnecessary.

Make a brown sauce.

Serve squirrel garnished with lemon slices and parsley.

-- From "How to Cook Wild Game"

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at February 10, 2008 6:49 PM | Comments (0)

 

Huck fights on, sends lawyers to Washington

Filed under: Mike Huckabee

Just when you thought it was over, Mike Huckabee not only scores a series of wins, but takes the gloves off in the closely-contested Washington caucuses.

Washington State GOP chair Luke Esser halted the ballot count with 87 percent reporting and McCain with a razor-thin lead. In a tersely worded statement, Huckabee decried this decision and shipped lawyers to the Pacific Northwest to contest matters.

Calling the count "dubious" and citing numerous "irregularities," Huckabee vowed to soldier on. This is curious, because many assumed that Huck had packed it in and was essentially running for the vice presidential nomination at this point. Mathematically, he's still in it, but the likelihood of the former Arkansas governor actually securing the nomination at this point are very slim. Seems like an odd decision on his part.

On the other hand, the Washington State GOP decision is worse than odd. It's disenfranchisement, pure and simple. The comments on Team Huckabee's official blog show that his supporters are incensed. Also, some are a little unhinged. (The "McCain falsified his war record" kooks are out, along with some other pretty gross anti-McCain comments). But in this case, they certainly have a right to be upset about a race that was inexplicably called too soon -- not by the media, but by the party itself.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at February 10, 2008 4:23 PM | Comments (2)

 

Hillary's fake outrage at "pimped out" Chelsea

Filed under: Hillary Clinton

Am I the only one that finds Hillary Clinton's supposed outrage over the "pimped out" comment just a tad disingenuous?

Apparently, Hillary is so mad at MSNBC's David Shuster for saying that the Clinton campaign had "pimped out" Chelsea by having her make phone calls to superdelegates that she's now threatening to boycott the network's debates. MSNBC has suspended Shuster and issued a press release that says:

On Thursday's "Tucker" on MSNBC, David Shuster, who was serving as guest-host of the program, made a comment about Chelsea Clinton and the Clinton campaign that was irresponsible and inappropriate. Shuster, who apologized this morning on MSNBC and will again this evening, has been suspended from appearing on all NBC News broadcasts, other than to make his apology. He has also extended an apology to the Clinton family. NBC News takes these matters seriously, and offers our sincere regrets to the Clintons for the remarks.

OK, so it probably wasn't Shuster's finest hour, but it seems to be a case of an accidental allusion rather than a deliberate attempt to call Chelsea a bona fide hooker (sort of like when someone says "money shot" without really knowing the origin of the phrase). And one can certainly see what Shuster meant--the campaign is indeed using Chelsea to woo superdelegates. At this point, Chelsea is a grown woman (27 years old!) and if she's going to play a role in a political campaign, she has to be fair game. Is this really more harmful to her than what her father put her through with the Monica Lewinsky scandal? And why does Hillary seem to get outraged and cry whenever its politically expedient?

Feel free to disagree in the comments, but I'm giving Shuster a pass on this one.

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at February 8, 2008 4:14 PM | Comments (37)

 

Mitt Romney calls it quits

Filed under: Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney has dropped out of the presidential race. Which is not all that surprising, given his anemic showing on Tuesday. But check out this parting (and hyperbolic) shot he delivered to the Dems during this morning's announcement:

"If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I would forestall the launch of a national campaign and make it more likely that Senator Clinton or Obama would win," he said. "And in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign be a part of aiding a surrender to terror."

Even more noteworthy: he reportedly said this with a straight face.

Posted by Matt Snyders at February 7, 2008 1:07 PM | Comments (1)

 

Abolish the caucus

Filed under: Minnesota Caucus

Minnesotans, especially DFL'ers, have been busy patting themselves on the back for the huge turnout at last night's caucuses. According to the Secretary of State's office, more than 200,000 Democrats cast presidential ballots, while the Republicans drew in excess of 60,000 primary voters. Participation rates for both parties broke records. On the DFL side, turnout nearly tripled the previous high-water mark. Caucuses throughout the state reported long lines, traffic jams, and a shortage of ballots. Pretty impressive stuff--and profound evidence that beltway blowhards like David Broder are full of beans when they whine that the compressed primary schedule is harming Democracy.

But let's examine those caucus numbers more closely. As of 2006, there were 3,118,515 registered voters in the state of Minnesota. In other words, roughly 8 percent of folks who had gone through the bother of registering to vote actually participated in the presidential primary last night. The numbers are even more pathetic when you consider eligible voters. There were 3,727,000 such folks as of 2006. Now we're down below 7 percent of eligible Minnesota citizens registering their preference in the presidential primary.

That's not impressive. It's a travesty.

But this isn't a knock on Minnesotans and their proud history of political engagement. The evidence is overwhelming that when presented with a rational system for voting, they'll flock to the polls. Consider recent elections. In 2006, with no presidential contest on the ballot, 2.2 million Minnesotans voted--roughly 60 percent of the electorate. Two years earlier, with John Kerry facing off against President Bush, a whopping 78 percent of eligible Minnesotans made it to the polls. In fact the percentage of voters showing up for a general election hasn't dipped below sixty percent since 1994.

So why the abysmal turnout yesterday, despite the most intriguing, tightly contested presidential primary contest in decades? Clearly the answer is the caucus system, whereby voters are forced to show up at a specific time to indicate their preference for president. Many people can't show up because they're working. Others can't find babysitters. Some may have been waylaid by a demon case of the runs. There's plenty of valid reasons why folks couldn't make it out last night.

To make matters worse, Minnesotans don't actually caucus for the presidential primary. They're not required to gather in tribal circles and publicly declare their allegiance to Mike Gravel (or whomever) as is the case in Iowa. You simply fill out a ballot indicating your preference and call it a night.

So what is the justification for this confusing, un-democratic, inefficient caucus process that disenfranchises thousands of potential voters every four years? Beats the hell out of me.

Posted by Paul Demko at February 6, 2008 4:37 PM | Comments (4)

 

McCain inspires "suicide voters"

Gaahhh! I'm terrorized! According to this NY Post story which I saw posted on Drudge, the conservatives hate John McCain so much that some have ... well, I'll let them say it:

Still, McCain has so radicalized key conservatives that some have vowed to turn themselves into suicide voters next November by pulling the lever for Hillary Rodham Clinton over him.

Radical Right indeed.

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at February 6, 2008 3:29 PM | Comments (3)

 

Obama Super Tuesday Victory Speech (Parts 1 & 2)

Filed under: Barack Obama

In honor of his Minnesota victory.

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at February 6, 2008 9:44 AM | Comments (0)

 

McCain-Huckabee '08, anyone?

I'm not the only one to think so.

It would also set the stage for a Ron Paul third-party candidacy.

Posted by Jonathan Kaminsky at February 5, 2008 11:17 PM | Comments (2)

 

Speech review: Barack Obama

Filed under: Barack Obama

This will be short, because you already know Barack Obama is a mesmerizing speaker. You further know that "O-ba-ma" is the most mellifluous of chants.

Briefly, let's note that Obama sounded all the right substantive notes, drawing distinctions between himself and Clinton on Iraq, Iran and torture, framing these as electability issues. He also did fine getting out his agenda items, though we've all heard them before.

So why is a Barack Obama speech so effective? Largely, this is because Obama just seems so much warmer than any other candidate. Because the most resonant moment to me might have seemed like a throwaway moment to you, I'm going to just describe my impressions of it for the bulk of this review.

During an oh-so-brief pause, a fervent supporter shouted words to the effect of "we love you!" Without missing a beat, Obama lowered his voice from his booming, sonorous speechifying voice and said -- easily, naturally -- "you know I love you back," as if relaying such a message to his followers was the most natural and obvious thing in the world.

It took maybe three seconds. It didn't interrupt the flow of his speech. And it seemed such a normal exchange that fit into the evening's context. An acknowledgment as much as a rhetorical tactic.

Can you see any other candidate pulling that off? Me either.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at February 5, 2008 10:46 PM | Comments (4)

 

Speech review: John McCain

Filed under: John McCain

Dear God, not the "Mac is Back" chant again. This makes my eyelid twitch.

McCain seemed to have more energy tonight than in previous speeches, but still had the "I'm reading this off the teleprompter verbatim" problem. At least they didn't send him up there with a piece of paper to fumble with as in previous primaries, but the only time he seemed to get off his prompts was when he talked about his mom. What is it with moms in tonight's speeches?

Though McCain was more fluid and poised than in past speeches, he still had the "squint and look confused" problem when he'd stare out at the teleprompter during a portion he didn't have memorized.

The more I see this man speak, the more I see an older version of Bob Dole. The elder statesman who has earned respect in many circles -- and raised hackles in others -- but will never be president.

CNN cut away from McCain in mid-speech to go to Barack Obama. A better programming decision hasn't been made since they canceled "Cop Rock."

Posted by Jeff Shaw at February 5, 2008 10:38 PM | Comments (0)

 

CNN calls MN for Mittens

Filed under: Mitt Romney

Romney takes down the Minnesota caucuses. Now I'm regretting not sending a photographer to the (alcohol-free) Romney party.

McCain and Huckabee ran basically neck-and-neck for second, with Ron Paul an embarrassing fourth. Embarrassing because it's shameful that he got so many votes here.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at February 5, 2008 10:19 PM | Comments (0)

 

Record turnout for DFL

Filed under: Minnesota Caucus

No hard figures, but the DFL is projecting record caucus turnout. Party chairman Brian Melendez predicts that it will be well into six figures. "We're not just going to break the prior record," he told the audience here at the Carpenters Union hall. "We're going to smash the prior record."

(The DFL has the most ridiculously wretched sound system ever going on here. You can't understand 90 percent of what's being uttered from the stage. Way to go DFL!)

Posted by Paul Demko at February 5, 2008 10:03 PM | Comments (0)

 

Speech review: Hillary Clinton

Filed under: Hillary Clinton

I missed Huck and Romney. This leaves Hillary and Obama on the Democratic side, and then McCain to put me to sleep. (Seriously, just from an oratorical perspective, his speeches have been atrocious, leaving one with the impression he's aging in a hurry).

For her evening-ending speech -- call it a victory speech if you want -- Hillary took quite a while to get rolling. Given the benefit of a super-hot crowd, ready to pop at any provocation (and boo lustily at any mention of Bush), she was stumbly and stilted through the first few minutes. Speaking from Manhattan Center Studios, Hillary looked a little wooden even when reaching out to tornado victims in Arkansas and Tennessee.

When she went on the attack, the senator got on track in a hurry.

Her series about how the GOP abuses American trust and ask for more ("They see five years in Iraq and ask, 'Why not 100 years more?'") was effective, and the final applause line about how the Republicans have until Jan. 20 and "not one day more" fit her audience perfectly.

Surprisingly, it was a personal line that caught fire with the crowd. After saying the requisite thank-yous to Bill and Chelsea, Hillary thanked eder mom, who was born before women could vote -- "and is now watching her daughter on this stage."

The crowd roared and chanted. It even got a little dusty at my place.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at February 5, 2008 9:58 PM | Comments (0)

 

National Dem Picture: It's a draw!

Via Drudge:

CLINTON: AR, MA, MO, NY, NJ, OK, TN
OBAMA: AL, CT, DE, GA, ID, IL, KS, MN, ND, UT

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at February 5, 2008 9:47 PM | Comments (0)

 

It's McCain in the North, Huckabee in the South

McCain picks up powerhouse NY, Romney wins his home state and Utah (duh), and Huckabee comes on strong in the South.

CNN:

Republicans: CNN projects McCain as winner in New York, Connecticut, Illinois, Delaware and New Jersey and Oklahoma; Huckabee takes Alabama, Arkansas, West Virginia; Romney takes Massachusetts and Utah

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at February 5, 2008 9:44 PM | Comments (0)

 

Minnesota goes to Obama

Filed under: Minnesota Caucus

BBC America, a mercifully Wolf Blitzer-free zone, has called Minnesota for Obama.

Posted by Jonathan Kaminsky at February 5, 2008 9:30 PM | Comments (1)

 

Another high turnout anecdote ...

Filed under: Barack Obama

... from St. Paul's Ward 6, District 2, DFL turnout looked to be roughly three times higher than last year. Also, it was Obama in a landslide. From memory, I believe it was Obama 63, Hillary 15, with one vote each being cast each for Dennis Kucinich and Joe Biden.

Joe Biden?

Posted by Jeff Shaw at February 5, 2008 8:52 PM | Comments (0)

 

Nordeast crowded too, albeit peaceful

Filed under: Minnesota Caucus

Yours truly caucused at an old folks' home on Central Avenue in Northeast. It was the DFL's ward 1, precinct 6 party spot. Very crowded, although I don't have a metric against which to measure it; it was my first caucus there. Waited on line for about 20 minutes to vote. The line was orderly; no fisticuffs. Oh, and everyone donning any sort of presidential advertisement on their person was doing so on behalf of the Barack Obama campaign. And some for Franken.

Posted by Jonathan Kaminsky at February 5, 2008 8:25 PM | Comments (0)

 

Huckaboom

Filed under: Mike Huckabee

Mike Huckabee has been the forgotten man in recent days. Many media reports about the GOP contest didn't even mention the former Arkansas governor. It was repeatedly cast as a contest between Romney and McCain. Yet early projections show Huckabee winning at least three states today: Alabama, Arkansas, and West Virginia. Georgia, Oklahoma, Missouri and Tennessee also look strong for him.

Posted by Paul Demko at February 5, 2008 8:08 PM | Comments (1)

 

What a ridiculous clusterfuck

Filed under: Minnesota Caucus

I just finished "caucusing" at Rondo Education Center in St. Paul. I put the word in parentheses because it's not necessary to actually caucus in order to vote in the DFL presidential primary. You simply fill out a ballot indicating your pick--just like any other election. Yet for some ridiculous reason we're all forced to show up at the same damn time to try and vote for president.

The good news: turnout is definitely heavy. The bad news: it's a chaotic scene. I had to stand in line for 20 minutes to cast my ballot in ward one, precinct four--and I arrived even before the six o'clock door opening.

By 6:30, there were hundreds of people waiting to file into the correct classrooms to cast their ballots. There weren't nearly enough election workers to help direct traffic. The parking lot and surrounding streets were a nightmare. Undoubtedly people left before voting, rather than deal with the mess. It definitely seemed to be an overwhelmingly pro-Obama crowd.

By contrast, I've never had to wait one second in line while voting in any other election. Why the hell does Minnesota persist in staging such a ridiculous process? It seems designed to make it as difficult as humanly possible for people to vote.

A couple of (not very good) photos after the jump should give some sense of the scene.

Posted by Paul Demko at February 5, 2008 7:45 PM | Comments (1)

 

Minnesota Caucus Report: Huge Turnout!

Filed under: Minnesota Caucus

I just returned from a Democratic caucus and the story of the day is turnout. I have not seen so many Minnesotans gathered in one place since the State Fair. And they were far from a uniform breed: young, old, black, white, disabled and able-bodied--it was among the more diverse assemblies I've seen as well. Having never before participated in a Minnesota caucus (we moved here from Ohio, land of the lost ballots, one year ago) I had no frame of reference. Luckily, the lady in back of me--a friendly gray hair--offered to be my institutional memory. She said it was 10x the turnout she had seen in 2004, which is undoubtedly an exaggeration but seemed possible considering the overwhelming mass of people that were filing in orderly lines (this is in a neighborhood in Nokomis, with a good deal of snow on streets lined bumper-to-bumper). With more than an hour before close of polls, they had already run out of the "official forms." I was surprised by the casualness of the caucus (compared to the touchpad Diebold machines that I was used to eating my vote)--I simply wrote down my choice on a scrap of paper and slipped it into a box.

I couldn't help but look at the votes a few fellow caucus-goers (all women of various ages) and I will say that four out of four of them wrote down Obama. This might be an anomaly because of the demographics of the neighborhood, but if it's at all emblematic, expect Obama to sweep Minnesota by a large margin.

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at February 5, 2008 7:30 PM | Comments (1)

 

California cluster: will hundreds of thousands of ballots go uncounted?

Filed under: National Republicans

This could be huge. The LA Weekly is reporting that perhaps as many as 776,000 Los Angeles County voters are in danger of having their presidential votes go uncounted.

Basically, if you're registered Nonpartisan, and you want to vote in the open primary for the Democratic candidate, you have to fill out an extra bubble.

In order for any of the county's 776,000 voters who have registered Nonpartisan to vote in the open primaries for the Democratic or American Independent parties, they would have to mark an extra bubble on the ballot naming the party for which they wished to cast a cross-over ballot. After a weekend of research, Jacobs says, CC.org contacted the office of L.A.'s Registrar of Voters on Sunday and were told it was true -- an extra bubble had to be inked, and, yes, it could prove to be a big headache on election day. The bottom line: If the “declaration” bubble is not inked on a Nonpartisan ballot, the voter's presidential preference would be voided, though not the part pertaining to propositions.

Reports are coming out that poll workers were not informing voters of this, at least at first, so there's no telling how many ballots might be affected. It's probably fine -- it's not like California could be the essential turning point of the Democratic nomination and hence pivotal to deciding the leader of the free world.

This evidently is not an issue for Republican voters in the county, because the California Republican primary is not an open primary.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at February 5, 2008 6:24 PM | Comments (0)

 

Exit Polls: Mitt, Huck hanging in?

Filed under: Mitt Romney

The Corner has been getting up what seems to be reasonably accurate exit polls in previous races, and if that form holds true, perhaps these numbers might make Super Tuesday more interesting than I previously thought.

To be sure, McCain is still the frontrunner, and he's still winning important states. But he's not winning convincingly (if this data is accurate) in any of them save the NYC metro states, and with Romney apparently leading in places like Missouri and Huckabee performing well in the south, perhaps this one isn't ready to get put to bed just yet.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at February 5, 2008 6:19 PM | Comments (0)

 

Conservatives vs. McCain

Filed under: John McCain

The long knives are out. Rush Limbaugh says he'd rather see a Democrat in the W