The Scorched Earth Duo: Billary Clinton

"If we can't be President, no Democrat can be President."

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Toast! Hillary's Last Dance

The End Of The Line For Senator Clinton?

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If she won only North Carolina or Indiana, Hillary Clinton would probably drop out of the race, or at least so I thought. When I saw sun-burned Bill and the ever-poised (except if you ask about Monica) Chelsea walk on stage at the speech, I was sure she would bow out. But from her first three words, it seemed like she would not. She made a valiant speech, spinning her momentum and thanking all the voters, friends, and hacks that had just helped Obama come within 200 delegates of nailing down the nomination.

Various people--including MSNBC--were reporting last night that Hillary has cancelled her appearance on various television programs tomorrow. She has a huge fundraiser tomorrow night in Washington, D.C. She made a blatant plug for donations to Hillaryclinton.com

Pundits on at least two cable news outlets and dozens of blogs and websites speculated that Hillary was just hanging in another day or two to close out her debts. Her campaign's largest debt by far is, of course, the Five Million Dollars she loaned to the campaign.

It's a tantalizing idea....we let her cash out to drop out.

I'll bet it's happened, but I don't remember a politician holding a major fundraiser and dropping out within the week. It seems kind of greasy doesn't it?
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Elected! The plea of Obama, McCain, and Clinton (with Alice Cooper Video)

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Barack: Thanks Rev.

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Obama issues clarification on his "bitter" remarks

by Pablo Fanque,
National Affairs Editor, All this is that

(Seattle, Wash. - All this is that wire) — Senator Barack Obama on Sunday attempted to clarify (and mitigate!) what he meant when he said some small-town Pennsylvanians are "bitter" people who "cling to guns and religion."

Sen. Barack Obama told All This Is That's Pablo Fanque that his statement was misunderstood and misrepresented. "I didn't say it as well as I should have," Obama admitted to Fanque in Muncie, Indiana, on Sunday, the day after he first defended his comments,

"Many of these traditions are passed on from generation to generation -- but that doesn't mean they're right. These people in the flyover states are shooting innocent animals, are inveterate racists, homophobes, and I understand many still have sexual relations with cousins, in-laws, siblings, and even barnyard animals. Just because these are traditions with these backwoods folk, Pablo, doesn't mean they're right, or that they shouldn't be changed."

"But will the peckerwoods and crackers ever make these changes?," he asked Fanque on Sunday. "No freakin' way! And that, friendos, is why we need to make the changes for them."

"That's why my first act as President will be to round up every single gun in this country. And the second will be to enroll every citizen in this land in mandatory sensitivity training. And in case you're interested, I also plan to raise taxes. Through the roof. And in case you're interested, I have not ruled out mass involuntary sterilization."
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Senator Barack Obama: These people are a bunch of gun nuts, tariff freaks, racists, and cross wavers, or, an Obama Nation Abomination

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's campaign began taking on water yesterday after he thumbed his nose at the middle class of Pennsylvania.

Obama's rival, Hillary Clinton, and Republican presidential nominee John McCain both pounced on the comments Obama made last weekend at a fundraiser in San Francisco.

"And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations," he said.

Video of the speech, which was closed to the press, surfaced as Obama was campaigning in Indiana on the working-class issues like job losses and rising mortgage foreclosures.

"And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations," he said.



His opponent, Senator Hillary Clinton responded at a rally in Pennsylvania: "Pennsylvania doesn't need a president who looks down on them," she told the crowd. "They need a president who stands up for them, who fights for them, who works hard for your futures, your jobs, your families."

The McCain campaign, of course, also lambasted Obama: "It shows an elitism and condescension toward hard-working Americans that is nothing short of breathtaking," said Steve Schmidt, a senior adviser to the Arizona senator. "It is hard to imagine someone running for president who is more out of touch with average Americans."
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Bill Clinton Blows Up Again

Just before a speech on Sunday, Bill Clinton had another of his famous meltdowns, blasting away at Bill Richardson for having endorsed Obama, the media and the entire nomination process.

"It was one of the worst political meetings I have ever attended," one superdelegate said.

He was the Good Old Bill at first, smiling, and charming and making small talk with the 15 or so delegates gathered in a room behind the stage. But then Rachel Binah, a former Richardson delegate now supporting Hillary Clinton, told Bill how "sorry" she was to have heard former Clinton campaign manager James Carville call Richardson a "Judas" for backing Obama.

"Five times to my face (Richardson) said that he would never do that," a red-faced, finger-pointing Clinton erupted.

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A real alternative: Dwayne Alozando Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho for President

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Senator John McCain attempts to dodge the George W. Bush legacy

"Don't move back. I think I'm getting
a chubby." Click to enlarge.

John McCain today attempted to add distance between himself and President George W. Bush—clearly, but gingerly, attempting to dodge the toxic political legacy of Dubyah, as he seeks a way to weasel himself into the White House, through a hazard-littered course.

"The point is, I'm not running on the Bush presidency, I'm running on my own service to the country, my own record in the House of Representatives and the United States Senate and my vision for the future," McCain told ABC television.

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Chelsea Clinton: She'll be a better President than Bill Clinton

Speaking at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Pennsylvania yesterday, Chelsea Clinton was asked by a man in the audience whether her mother would be a better president than her father.

Chelsea Clinton said "yes."




"His question is, ‘Do I think my mother will be a better president than my father?"

“Well, again, I don’t take anything for granted, but hopefully with Pennsylvania’s help, she will be our next president, and yes, I do think she’ll be a better president.”

Unbelievable. Now they're even willing to throw Bill Clinton under the bus.
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Throw in the towel, Senator

It isn't her fanciful imagination about sniper fire, or any of the other piddling mistakes and misstatements she and her henchmen have made. It isn't her gender; in fact I'd prefer a female President. But it is her supporters, it is the large number of backhanded racial slurs that have emanated from her camp (although usually not directly), and whipping her potential supporters, but most of all the right wing, into an Anti-Obama frenzy. I think Obama is indeed pretty special. Do I think he walks on water like most of the Obamanites? Not so much. But he is the real deal.

In recent polls, John McCain taking on either Obama or Clinton gives them a serious ass-whuppin'. I am even sick of seeing Bill Clinton, a person I have *mostly* always admired. And even Chelsea was disgusting last night.

Give it up Hillary. The people may not have spoken with the deafening roar we'd hoped, but they have spoken. Do you want to be VP? Great. Otherwise, as they say, lead, follow, or get out of the way (preferably the latter). Sure you could hope for a great procedural dogfight at the convention, and maybe you could win the nomination. In the end, that will only leave us with a McCan presidency.

It's me and Barack from here on in. It's time. "Hurry up please, it's time."


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Hillary Clinton not only came under sniper fire, she returned it

An excellent video of the then First Lady...she not only encountered sniper fire in Bosnia, she returned it. Thanks to Jeff Clinton for finding this YouTube video...


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Barack Obama's version of gutter politics/Senior adviser invoked Monica Lewinsky's blue dress

Only hours after Governor Richardson ripped into the Clinton campaign and James Carville, for practising gutter politics, one of Obama's advisors took it into the gutter just about as deep as you can go. Gordon Fischer a former director of the Iowa Democrats and an adviser on Indiana, wrote in his blog:

"When Joe McCarthy questioned others' patriotism, McCarthy actually believed, at least aparently (sic), the questions were genuine, and he did so in order to build up, not tear down, his own party, the GOP. Bill Clinton cannot possibly seriously believe Obama is not a patriot, and cannot possibly be said to be helping -- instead he is hurting -- his own party. B. Clinton should never be forgiven. Period. This is a stain on his legacy, much worse, much deeper, than the one on Monica's blue dress."

Uh, is this what Senator Obama meant when he promised to focus on policy differences instead of personal attacks? Those remarks have since been removed from the blog, and Obama's camp has gone to some trouble to distance themselves from both the remarks and the author of those remarks. . .acknowledging by implication that the Clinton camp has no control over James Carville either. Or did they just reverse positions and decide to fight fire with fire?

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Bill Richardson's slap in the face/another rat slips off the sinking ship HMS Clinton

After their shameless open courting of their old pal and cabinet member, Bill Richardson; after the two Bills most publicly drank beer, ate ribs, and watched the Superbowl together last month, and after promising to not endorse Obama, the Governor of New Mexico endorsed Barak Obama for President Friday in Portland, Oregon.

"Your candidacy is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our country, and you are a once-in-a-lifetime leader," said Richardson, the nation's only Hispanic governor, before a roaring crowd of 12,000 in Portland's Memorial Coliseum. "You will make every American proud to be an American."

Richardson broke the news to Clinton late Thursday. "We've had better conversations," he said.

In his speech, Richardson said "It is time for Democrats to stop fighting amongst ourselves and to prepare for the tough fight we have against John McCain," the Republican nominee. Or, in short, "get out of the race Hillary."

The Clinton camp, naturally, tried to brush off the endorsement, saying it was largely symbolic, and not likely to turn any votes around (well, if you don't count the superdelegates!). To find out what the Clintons are really thinking, perhaps it's best to look at their longtime loose cannon rolling around on the deck:

James Carville told the New York Times that Richardson, a former member of Bill Clinton's Cabinet, had committed "an act of betrayal." "Right around the anniversary of the day when Judas sold out [Jesus] for 30 pieces of silver, so I think the timing is appropriate, if ironic."

Now things are heating up. In response, Governor Richardson said this morning on a talk show:

"I'm not going to get in the gutter like that," Richardson said on "Fox News Sunday." "That's typical of many of the people around Senator Clinton. They think they have a sense of entitlement to the presidency."

"I am very loyal to the Clintons," said Richardson, but he said he wanted something beyond "Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton." "You know, what about the rest of us?" he asked.
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The Tally as it stands today: 105 delegates separate Hillary and Barack

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Hillary: I've only begun to fight

The Associated Press reports that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton suggested in Toledo, Ohio this morning that she'll press on with the campaign after Tuesday's crucial primaries, arguing that momentum is on her side despite 11 straight losses to rival Sen. Barack Obama.

"I'm just getting warmed up."

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Why Obama and Hillary both suck on the issue of gay marriage

Barack Obama "supports civil unions," but is against gay marriage. In an Chicago Daily Tribune interview, Obama said, "I'm a Christian. And so, although I try not to have my religious beliefs dominate or determine my political views on this issue, I do believe that tradition, and my religious beliefs say that marriage is something sanctified between a man and a woman." [ed note: does this sentence make any more sense to you than it does to me?]


"Giving them a set of basic rights would allow them to experience their relationship and live their lives in a way that doesn't cause discrimination," Obama said. "I think it is the right balance to strike in this society." [ed. note: isn't this the same sort of argument people once used for why blacks should not be able to vote?]


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Hillary Clinton also opposes gay marriage and supports civil unions between members of the same sex. Hillary was quoted in The New York Daily News saying: "Marriage has got historic, religious and moral content that goes back to the beginning of time, and I think a marriage is as a marriage always has been, between a man and a woman." [ed note: only slightly more palatable gibberish that her opponent].
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Debate 20—a lumbering snoozefest—we call it a draw—guaranteed to anaesthetize the newly enfranchised democrats—a weird sense of calm prevails

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[jack writing in from Austin, Texas] Hillary's opening was almost beyond bizarre. Unfortunately it seemed off the cuff, and in fairness, she has had the first question in the majority of the last debates (still including up to 7 people). But still.

The rest of it, I'd score them each a point here, a point there. One thing that really struck me—and a commentator on MSNBC also mentioned it—was that Obama never seems to generate real excitement in the debates. When he appears in public, speaking to a packed stadium, yeah, El Hombre es en fuego! But he doesn't transmit that same excitement in debates. I think he probably can. But I don't see it. He comes across as way cool. I actually count it against him that he never loses his cool in these unscripted public events. Is he the kind of man who only catches fire when he is front of an admiring throng? Or is it that he's more comfortable speaking to The People? If that's true, he may be right. It's probably long past time to think we can change the corrupt Washington system by working with congress. Maybe Obama really can take it to the people, and rally the country around real change.
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Desperate Clinton campaign's thoughts and actions now more closely resemble the last days in the Fuhrer Bunker than a Democratic politcal operation

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It's a little sad for a long-time supporter to see The Clinton Machine throwing this hydra-headed fusillade of slung mud, desperate Hail Marys, and straws for the wind.

I do believe in hardball, but I believe what the campaign is promulgating is a scorched earth policy--wrought from wrath without a hope of turning around her bungled campaign--that will come back to damage Obama when he faces off with John McCain. [1]

It wouldn't have been so unseemly a couple months ago, when Senator Clinton was leading Senator Obama by 15 points, but coming now, when, really, all is lost, it seems crass, desperate, and guided more by anger and entitlement than wisdom.

I will be in Austin in the afternoon tomorrow--which should be interesting. Austin is an Obama hotbed. Who knows, there may even be a candidate around..though I doubt it. Hillary's lost Austin, Obama won't bother showing up in a town he can win hands down, and I doubt if McCain ever bothers to appear.

At this point, I only regret that Hillary is in the race for two more weeks, doing incalculable damage. . . as our reader/frequent Kev points out, Obama doesn't really need anyone's endorsement right now, But he does indeed need "all hands on deck" as Kev wisely said, come the general.

Well, it's time to get all hands on deck and slap a muzzle on Hillary Clinton. Over the last few days she:

►Denounced Obama over the weekend for an anti-Clinton flier about the Nafta trade treaty;

►On Sunday, sarcastically portrayed his message of hope as naïve;

►On Monday, Senator Clinton delivered a scorching speech comparing Mr. Obama’s lack of foreign policy experience to that of the candidate George W. Bush;

►In Clinton’s Monday speech , she also portrayed herself as “tested and ready” to be commander in chief, while accusing Mr. Obama of believing “that mediation and meetings without preconditions will solve some of the world’s most intractable problems”;

►And the capper was a photograph of Mr. Obama in ceremonial African garb that appeared on the Drudge Report (see our post on this in yesterday's All This Is That), and the item’s author, Matt Drudge, claimed that the image was provided by a Clinton staff member.

Clinton advisers said the attacks were an effort (among other things) to knock Mr. Obama off balance before the debate on Tuesday. Good luck! In the world of videogames (I'm told) there is something known as a finishing move. A finishing move is the coup de grace performed on a crippled enemy. With the Clinton campaign in desperation mode, we just may see Obama apply the finishing move tonight. We may have to wait until March 4th for the twitching to stop, but I have a real feeling Obama may put an end to the madness tomorrow.

[ED'S NOTE: And the Obamanites have to realize sooner or later that this isn't some kind of landslide in the making. Start your real work now! He's had an incredible run and he's an incredible politician--at least on the wholesale level. We don't know how his retail politics fare; how he works on the ground, getting things done with the best and the brightest. We'd bet he's pretty good. He hasn't been a backbencher in the Senate, but let's face it, he hasn't been there very long at all either. He's shown character, charm and elan, and in the end, he's been a political mastermind. If he pulls this off, and leaps from the state legislature to the Presidency in four years...WHEW! He just wrote the book on something George McGovern tried, and Forbes, Perot, Anderson, Nader, Ron Paul, Howard Dean, and others couldn't pull off--a populist, people-based run for the oval office.

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