February 24, 2008 - March 1, 2008

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Hillary's new "3 a.m. and the children" ad

Filed under: Hillary Clinton

It's 3 a.m. My imaginary kids are safe and asleep. But there is about to be a thermonuclear war, or a plague of locusts, or the Twins are trying to trade Joe Mauer for Miguel Batista or something. Who do I want answering that phone? Do I want the truth? I can't handle the truth!

But ... but what about Clinton's law of politics?

Posted by Jeff Shaw at March 1, 2008 9:38 AM | Comments (3)

 

"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)

 

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