Buck Naked Politics

Former Sec. of State Tells Jon Stewart Why Hillary's Experience Matters

by D. Cupples |   After watching Former Secretary of State Madeline Albright speak last week, I Googled her and came across a Daily Show interview from February, in which Jon Stewart asks Albright about Hillary Clinton's experience.  Albright is not on Hillary's campaign but does support her. 

Most crucial to Albright is Hillary's experience on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Hillary's numerous trips to other nations, and her knowledge of the Iraq war and U.S. veterans.  Stewart asks the question about a minute and a half into it the video clip.

 

Hillary the Uniter Impresses Scaife

by D. Cupples |  Given my dealings with some friends who fully believe what Rush Limbaugh says, I know first hand that it takes great patience and diplomatic skills to have productive  conversations with people who staunchly disagree with me -- and to end on a positive note.

Once again, Hillary Clinton proved her ability to work with people who intensely disagree with her and to leave the door wide-open for future conversations.  And she just bagged the elephant, so to speak:  Richard Melon Scaife, the outspoken billionaire right-wing owner of the Pittsburgh-Tribune Review -- a man with a documented history of being anything but fond of the Clintons. 

My jaw is still on the floor over how positive Mr. Scaife's written reaction to Hillary is:

Obama Says He's OK With Hillary's Staying in the Race

Posted by D. Cupples|   Barack Obama reportedly said this at a speech yesterday:

“'My attitude is that Senator Clinton can run as long as she wants,' Mr. Obama, of Illinois, said at a news conference in a high school gymnasium here. 'Her name is on the ballot. She is a fierce and formidable opponent, and she obviously believes she would make the best nominee and the best president.'” (New York Times)

Contrast that statement to the strongly implied message his campaign sent out in a March 5th email, signed by Obama Campaign manager David Plouffe:

The Obama Rules v. the Clinton Rules Illustrated: the Carville flap

You know, an Obama campaign co-chair recently compared Bill Clinton to Joe McCarthy—-a truly dire insult from the point of view of anyone old enough to remember what McCarthy was and did.  And the insult was generated not because of anything Clinton said or did but because of something McPeak assumed he meant or might have meant or could be construed to have meant, despite the fact that he didn’t in fact say what McPeak said he said.  The reaction of the Hillary -demonizing media and punditocracy to McPeak’s response to a meaning he had to wring out of Bill Clinton’s words?  "….................."

Hillary's Health Care Plan, One Way to Help Pay for it

by D. Cupples |  The New York Times recently did an extensive interview with Hillary Clinton about her health care policy and how she would make health care affordable for us Americans.  Some naysayers believe that there is little room in the budget to pay for affordable health care coverage.

There would be a lot more room in the budget, if our public servants would truly crackdown on  health care contractor fraud -- more about that after a bit about Sen. Clinton's interview:

Presidential Primary Polls Conflict: Pick the One You Like?

by D. Cupples |   Over the last couple days, media reporting of a Pew poll's results simultaneously upset some Clinton supporters and excited some Obama supporters. I'm not sure why.

Before significant presidential Democratic primaries this year (e.g., California, Iowa, New Hampshire and Texas), different polls showed different results.  The upshot: some of those polls necessarily turned out wrong -- we just didn't know which ones were wrong until after those elections took place.  Recent  nationwide polls are similarly conflicting.

........................Gallup.......Rasmussen....... NBC/WSJ.........Pew................Fox.........
..................(Mar 24-26)......(Mar. 23-26)......(Mar 24-25).......(Mar. 19-22).....(Mar. 18-19)

Clinton............44%.................46%................45%..................39%...............40%

Obama.............48%................44%................45%..................49%..............38%

Other/Und.........8%.................10%................10%.................12%...............22%

Big Dem Donors Stage Intervention: They Want Primaries to Continue [Update]

Posted by D. Cupples|  Some of the Democratic Party's most influential fund raisers sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in which they 1) explain the function of super-delegates, and 2) ask Pelosi to stop pushing for an end to the presidential primaries before 10 states' voters have been allowed to vote. 

In part, the letter states:

Hillary and Obama to Supporters: "Don't Vote for McCain."

Posted by Damozel | In North Carolina, Hillary Clinton pleaded with supporters, "Don't vote for McCain."

"Every time we have a vigorous contest like we're having this primary election, people get intense. Senator Obama has intense support. I have intense support. It's exciting because people want to be involved. But, the differences ... pale in comparison to the differences between us and Senator McCain."  (AP)

She said that she'd work for a unified party if Obama gets the nomination.

'The Gathering Storm': One Democrat's Analysis of Anti-Obama Feeling Among Democrats

Posted by Damozel | Anglachelg has written a brilliant piece on the 'gathering storm' of anti-Obama feeling among Hillary Clinton's supporters.  Though I'm on record as urging Dems to band together when the dust settles to prevent a McCain presidency (because anything would be better than a McCain presidency), this post perfectly articulates the anger and frustration of Hillary's Democratic supporters----and the seething indignation that both the media and the disingenuous tactics deployed by Barack Obama and his supporters has engendered.

Obama has rudely lost the good regard of Democrats like me. The hysteria and hate of the elite punditocracy who have declared me and my candidate to be illegitimate in an attempt to bully her supporters, while giving him a free ride, cannot be rewarded. The Democratic Party is choosing to declare Hillary voters to be expendable (can’t count your vote if it would change the outcome of the race) and of lesser worth than Obama supporters. And all of this is being viewed with increasing disgust by a growing number of Democratic voters.(Anglachelg).

Murtha Confident in Hillary's Problem-Solving Skills

by D. Cupples |    "...There's no individual who can do this more effectively than Hillary Clinton": that's what Congressman John Murtha (D-Pa), an outspoken critic of the Iraq war, said recently while stumping for Hillary. 

What was he talking about? The Iraq war, among other problems our nation is facing. It's a short video clip: check it out.

Attention, My Fellow Democrats: McCain is Bush v.2.0.

Posted by Damozel | Did you know that George W. Bush is still president?  It's true.

And John McCain, it appears, will be a worthy successor.  McCain says that even though the US death toll stands at 4000, and we've been in Iraq for five years, he wouldn't change a thing.  Or, as he put it, he "wouldn't change course." (NYT) That's because we're in Iraq to fight Islamic extremism, according to McCain.  That could take a long time.  In fact, it could take forever. 

Perhaps we Dems need to spend less time obsessing about the Rev. Wright's race- and ethnic-group-baiting rhetoric and what it means about Obama---come on; who really believes that Barack Obama is a racist?---and more time worrying about what McCain's pastor's anti-Islam rhetoric means about McCain.(NYT)

Hillary, Obama and the Electoral College

by D. Cupples |   In an article titled "Clinton Backer Points to Electoral Votes as a New Measure," the NY Times'  Katharine Seelye seems to subtly jab Hillary's campaign for considering the importance of electoral college votes in the context of whom the super-delegates should support. 

One problem with the article: electoral votes are not a new consideration.  About two weeks ago, I blogged about the importance of electoral college votes, and other people were discussing it weeks before my post. 

The only people who haven't been discussing electoral college votes are some of Obama's strategists and supporters (and, apparently, some of the people surrounding Ms. Seelye).

A Rebuke to Obama for the McCarthy Slur

Posted by Damozel | As I said,this time the Obama campaign's trademark fake hysterical outrage over something else Bill Clinton didn't actually say has gone way, way over the line. Pointing out that Barack Obama was standing right next to McPeak when McPeak compared Clinton to Senator McCarthy, Larry Johnson asks, "Senator Obama, Have You No Decency?"

Obama's people carry on exactly as if Hillary Clinton had no supporters who might be alienated by this ridiculous insult.  It's bizarre.

Criticism of Candidates Is Not a Personal Attack on Supporters

 by D. Cupples |   Progressive bloggers have often unified over issues like war, health care, FISA, the economy, contractor fraud....  These days, many progressive bloggers are bitterly divided over the Democratic presidential race.

Whether a month from now or five, the primaries will conclude.  And we'll need to re-unify over  substantive issues, because unity makes our collective voice audible.

I'm not proposing that we join hands and agree on a candidate.  Pigs would sooner navigate the friendly skies.

Obama's Advisers: Less Progressive than Advertised?

Posted by Damozel | My, Barack Obama's advisers and officials are contributing quite a little heap of embarrassments to his campaign, aren't they? 

First, there was Austan Goolsbee's little chat with the Canadians about NAFTA (Obama didn't mean it) that the bad Canadians totally misunderstood and twisted out of context.  Then Samantha Power told a far right British paper that Hillary Clinton is a 'monster' before remembering to add (too late, said the reporter) that it was "off the record."  In all the outcry over the insult, Obama's supporters seemed not to have noticed or to have cared that she also announced that his firm commitment to prompt troop withdrawals wasn't nearly as firm as progressives assume. 

Then intelligence adviser/former Bush Administration official John O. Brennan announced that he was afraid he just didn't  agree with Obama on telecom immunity.   And I don't even need to mention the Rev. Wright. 

Is it 'Gall' or 'Clinton Entitlement' for HRC to Propose that Obama Take the VP Slot?

Posted by Damozel | In a post that I also addressed here, Andrew Sullivan brings up one of the sillier and most self-defeating arguments to come from Obama's supporters---and AS now seems to believe as firmly in the righteousness of  Obama as he once believed in the righteousness of  Bush and the Iraq War:

I still think the Clintons cannot believe the gall of anyone daring to challenge their power or their specious self-regard. I've said it before, but imagine if Clinton had won over a dozen primaries in a row, was ahead in the delegate count, ahead in the popular vote, and way ahead in the number of states won. Don't you think the pressure on Obama to pull out would be enormous? And wouldn't Clinton regard his persistence as treachery? And yet Clinton in the exact same situation carries on, with a minimal chance of victory,and actually had the gall to offer Obama a veep slot. Who on earth does she think she is? At best it's pure Clinton entitlement. At worst it's white entitlement.

Richardson's Excruciatingly Staged Endorsement Speech

 by D. Cupples |   Most people already assume that political speeches are largely scripted and staged, but it's interesting to see concrete evidence of just how scripted and staged they are. 

Yesterday, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson endorsed Barack Obama (Richardson dropped out of the presidential race in January).  Below is a the text of Richardson's speech, including a stage direction:

Note to my Fellow Dems: Lighten Up, or It will be Raining McCain (Illustrative Video Included)

Posted by Damozel | While I am not feeling the usual love for my fellow Dems who are connected to the Obama campaign, this I know:  no Democrat should be repeating the stupid---and viral--- "I would vote for McCain if Obama/Hillary gets the nomination" meme.  Even voting for Nader or---as I've threatened to do myself, sulking at home---isn't really an option.  No, it is not.  Shut up, me.   Stop and think.   

Brad of Sadly, No!, an Obama supporter, points out:

Dept of Desperate Diversions: Obama Aide Compares Bill Clinton to Joseph McCarthy

Posted by Damozel |Here's what Clinton said to some North Carolina veterans:

I think it would be a great thing if we had an election year where you had two people who loved this country and were devoted to the interest of this country...And people could actually ask themselves who is right on these issues, instead of all this other stuff that always seems to intrude itself on our politics." (Breitbart)

Whereupon this McPeak, "a former chief of staff of the Air Force and currently a co-chair of Obama's presidential campaign, said:

Carville on the Ingratitude of Bill Richardson

Posted by Damozel | And to think I initially supported Bill Richardson.  James Carville gets it right:

Richardson stopped returning Mr. Clinton’s calls days ago, Mr. Clinton’s aides said. And as of Friday, Mr. Richardson said, he had yet to pick up the phone to tell Mr. Clinton of his decision.

The reaction of some of Mr. Clinton’s allies suggests that might have been a wise decision. “An act of betrayal...Mr. Richardson’s endorsement came right around the anniversary of the day when Judas sold out for 30 pieces of silver, so I think the timing is appropriate, if ironic,” Mr. Carville said, referring to Holy Week.  (NYT)

Wait for it:  any moment now, the segment of Obama's base consisting of Hillary-hating embittered Republicans and jerky-kneed O-bots will be attributing this statement by a "Clinton surrogate" to Hillary and arguing therefrom that she has claimed she is Jesus.