OBAMA DAILY NEWS THREAD Mon. Feb-18-08

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WELCOME TO THE OBAMA DAILY NEWS THREAD

Monday Feb-18-08

This is a place you can post today's daily news about the Obama campaign

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We've been doing this in the Election Reform Forum for years, and its a great way to make sure you don't miss anything!

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:yourock:

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1. Is the Lion King Singing the Swan Song of Hillary Clinton?

From The Strange Death of Liberal America blog

Is the Lion King Singing the Swan Song of Hillary Clinton?

Posted: 17 Feb 2008



Civil Rights veteran John Lewis will soon announce he is switching his endorsement from Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama. Is Hillary Clinton listening? It is a decision that could not have come easily for Lewis, who is one of the most principled men to ever hold a Congressional seat. Among the principles Lewis holds high is loyalty.

John Lewis has a well-earned reputation for fairness, for fighting for equity and, most of all, for moral courage. He was there for the original Selma March and almost gave his life for the cause when he was brutally beaten in the head with a nightstick, leaving him lying on the ground in a pool of blood.

..Lewis’ announcement that he was switching his endorsement from Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama stems from his deepest beliefs and because of that it carries a great deal of weight among those who still believe that the Democratic Party stands not for the “Republican Lite” of the Democratic Leadership Council, but the principles of Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman: the government exists to help keep the playing field level.

...For John Lewis and for the rest of us the path ahead is quite clear. Hillary Clinton can only win the nomination if she pulls off unbelievable twenty-point victories in Ohio and Texas. Her strategy has become too transparent: barring that miracle she can win if she can cut enough backroom deals to sway the superdelegates and then convince the Democratic Party to go against its word and certify her delegates from Michigan and Florida...

[goclark]

3. Come on John Lewis ~ do it!

:bounce:

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

2. Clinton - Desperate Final Attempts to Smear Barack Obama

Steven Leser writes about the surge in negative campaigning by the Clintons:

Hillary Clinton - Desperate Final Attempts to Smear Barack Obama and Stave off Defeat

February 18, 2008

..When you see likely defeat coming around the corner in politics, you can go one of three ways, you can give up, which I don't recommend, you can fight harder using the best of what you have, or you can fight harder using the worst you have to offer. With the impending blue tsunami that was election 2006, too many Republicans chose to fight with the worst they had to offer.

Race baiting, general bigotry, attacking spouses, lying about opponents records, robo-calling, denigrating someone with a debilitating illness all of these and much more was employed by one or more Republicans in an all out effort to eke out a victory. If your party was going to surrender control after 11 years in the majority, is this the last thing you would want people to remember about your party's days in power?

When you talk about character, one of the things that stand out about a person's character is how they behave when things are not going their way. Anyone can be a great guy when success is around every corner. But when you are facing defeat right in the eye, that is the test of character. In Election 2006, Republicans failed this test badly.

Hillary and her campaign seem to be taking their cues directly from the GOP's failed attempts to hold onto the congress in 2006. They are hurling so much mud at Barack Obama; I don't see how anyone in Hillary's campaign has the time to do anything else. This was one of my main fears about Hillary from the beginning and one of several reasons why I chose to endorse Barack Obama. As I said in my endorsement article...

Steven Leser specializes in Politics, Science & Health, and Entertainment topics. He has held positions within the Democratic Party including District Chair and Public Relations Chair within county organizations. Steven Leser writes for www.opednews.com, an internet only media site that has grown to become one of the highest traffic news sites in America, reaching more traffic, according to alexa.com, than all but the thirty largest daily newspapers in the US. Mr. Leser is one of the 500+ liberal pundits who, each month, are published in what has become one of the top five Liberal/progressive media sites in the US.

[MadBadger]

4. New SurveyUSA Poll for Wisconsin in the GE: Obama up by 10 over McCain, Hillary down 7

electability folks
http://www.surveyusa.com/electionpolls.aspx

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

5. TNR Debunks - Obama's "Plagiarism"

18.02.2008 From The New Republic

Obama's "Plagiarism"

Mike and Noam have already done a great job explaining the ridiculousness of the Clinton campaign's charge that Obama plagiarized from Deval Patrick, but I thought I'd add one more point. Obama's already on record as admitting he borrows lines from Patrick (and vice versa). Stumping in New Hampshire last December, Obama said:

"But you know in the end, don’t vote your fears. I’m stealing this line from my buddy (Massachusetts Gov.) Deval Patrick who stole a whole bunch of lines from me when he ran for the governorship, but it’s the right one, don’t vote your fears, vote your aspirations. Vote what you believe."

I look forward to the Clintons' next desperate gambit.

--Jason Zengerle

[stellanoir]

6. He was just on Ed Shultz's show

talking about his meeting with the Edwards and how he values their opinions and ideas and doesn't know whether or not they will endorse anyone but sees them contributing greatly in the years to come.

He explained how he had declined public financing for the primaries but had inquired of the FEC as to whether if he got the nomination, he could revisit the matter later and they said that he could.

He also talked about the speeches are just words he explained them as being important motivators for action. He said that Hillary was exactly right though in that speeches don't put food on the table.

He addressed the plagiary meme by saying the Governor Patrick and he share ideas and words all the time.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/18/us/politics/18video.html?_r=2&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1203346318-gZfI/qIFtltC3C/qSZwCzg

[DeepModem Mom]

16. Thanks for this report! nt

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

7. KOS: More state dissing by Hillary's campaign

Kos note today that the Clinton campaign is cranking up the excuse machine again.....

More state dissing by Hillary's campaign

by kos
Mon Feb 18, 2008 at 09:58:15 AM PST
Here we go again:

A co-chairman of Hillary's Michigan campaign and has a line that's sure to drive a whole bunch of red state governor's up the wall:

"Superdelegates are not second-class delegates," says Joel Ferguson, who will be a superdelegate if Michigan is seated. "The real second-class delegates are the delegates that are picked in red-state caucuses that are never going to vote Democratic."

What is it with Clinton's people and their utter disdain for a 50-state strategy?

And do they not realize that there are other races on the ballot, and that having the party's standard bearer trash red states publicly isn't going to do any favors to congressional, statewide, and local-level Democrats busting their asses to move their states in a progressive direction?

Update: As several people pointed out in the comments, this must mean that Hillary will skip Texas.

And I want to make one thing clear -- if this was an isolated quote, it wouldn't be a big deal. But it's clear that from Bill, to Hillary, to Mark Penn, and on down, the campaign has made clear to its surrogates that this line of attack isn't just tolerated, it's encouraged

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8. OBAMA CAMPAIGN FIRES BACK! Releases list and video of Hillary using Obama's words in her speeches

OBAMA CAMPAIGN FIRES BACK! Releases list and video of Hillary using Obama's words in her speeches

(Thanks TeamJordan23 who posted this first here

VIDEO HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rweVOO-fhug

Obama Release on Clinton’s Languge

Here are a couple of places Clinton freely borrowed rhetoric from Obama…

Clinton Stole The Phrase “Fired Up And Ready To Go” From Obama. “We are fired up and we are ready to go because we know America is ready for change and the process starts right here in Iowa.” In Davenport, Iowa, those words escaped the barriers of a tired Hillary Clinton’s teeth. Without irony. That phrase is associated with Barack Obama. Obama borrows it from a woman in South Carolina who helped remind him what was important in life. It’s the signature, in fact, of Obama’s close.

Clinton Stole Rhetoric From Obama And Said She Wanted “Bring Our Country Together” And How She’s Not Running For President Of The Sates That Voted For Democrats. “One other thing about those Clinton events yesterday: The woman is not at all bashful about stealing from her rivals. Between the two events, I counted six rhetorical turns I’ve heard other candidates employ: She talked about goals ‘I hope will bring our country together,’ a la Barack Obama. In response to a question about excessive partisanship, she talked about how she’s not running to be president of the states that voted for Democrats, she’s running to be president of the United States. This closely resembles Obama’s ‘I don’t want to pit red America against blue America. I want to be the President of the United States of America.’”

Clinton, Stealing Obama’s Line, “Yes, We Can” Said That Obama Was The “No We Can’t” Candidate And Said In Contrast, “Yes We Can.” Stealing a line, Clinton casts Obama as the “no we can’t” candidate, and herself as saying “yes, we can.” Obama is the “Yes We Can” candidate of the 2008 presidential race, an Elvis-like presence riding a wave of popular enthusiasm unseen in U.S. politics in many years. Democratic strategist Liz Chadderdon said Obama is sweeping Americans off their feet.”It’s this incredibly moving speech about how it’s time for Americans to turn inward and fix America’s problems. You listen to it and you say ‘Yes.’ Not that what’s coming out of her mouth isn’t solid, it just doesn’t have the same emotional connection that we’re feeling with him,” she said

10/30/07: Clinton Said “We’ve Got To Turn The Page On George Bush And Dick Cheney.” Clinton, speaking about her electability said “In a perverse way, I think that the Republicans and their constant obsession with me demonstrate clearly that they obviously think that I am communicating effectively about what I will do as president. I am trying to do that because it matters greatly. We’ve got to turn the page on George Bush and Dick Cheney. In fact, we have to throw the whole book away.”

more at Time Magazine

[MadBadger]

9. Obama back up 7 in the latest Gallup Tracking Poll.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

10. Alternet: How Far Are the Clintons Willing to Go?

Robert Parry writes of the Clinton machine's ruthlessness at Consortium News - full article posted at Alternet.
Sounds like scandals on the horizon...

How Far Are the Clintons Willing to Go?

By Robert Parry, Consortium News. Posted February 18, 2008.

Hillary has shown she'll do whatever it takes to win, even if that
means overriding the majority of voters and skirting campaign finance laws.

Hillary Clinton, who has built her case for the presidency on her superior "ready on Day One" management skills, burned through almost $130 million of campaign money, had to kick in $5 million from her own murky family funds, and is now pressing her chief financial backers to find creative ways to raise more money.

Some of those financial schemes appear to skirt the law --
as some backers consider putting money into "independent" entities that can spend unlimited sums but aren't supposed to coordinate with the campaign -- while other ideas are more traditional, like appealing to wealthy donors involved with the pro-Israel AIPAC lobby.

The Money Race
..The Wall Street Journal reported on Feb. 13 that some of Sen. Clinton's top fund-raisers, who have "maxed out" at the individual limit of $2,300 and have tapped out their personal network of donors, are consulting with lawyers about how they can create "independent" groups that can spend unlimited money in support of her campaign.

[MadBadger]

11. Obama is about to begin his Ohio Campaign at Youngstown State

Keep an eye out for Cnn.com.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

12. Buzzflash: "Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Race as a Campaign Tactic"

Buzzflash editor Mark Karlin wrote this editorial about the Obama/Clinton contest, and how the race card was not condemned. Below is just an excerpt

Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Race as a Campaign Tactic

Submitted by mark karlin on Mon, 02/18/2008 - EditorBlog
BUZZFLASH EDITOR'S BLOG

...Senator Clinton demanded that MSNBC clean up the "locker room" sexist talk on some of its programs, particularly "Hardball." We couldn't agree more. MSNBC could do this with a stern memo to its on-air staff and they would get the message.

Similarly, Senator Clinton, if she is the leader that she says, could have stopped her surrogates from engaging in a widespread campaign to marginalize Barack Obama as the "black candidate" –- and a "black candidate" who had ingested some drugs in his college years. The racial and drug talk coming from the Clinton surrogates was so widespread it could not have been an accident. Senator Clinton could have done exactly what she asked MSNBC to do: issue a clear and unequivocal public and private statement that such talk would not be tolerated by the campaign, that it was contrary to the values that the Clintons had championed during their presidential years. She could have stopped the racial innuendos, but she didn't. She is, after all, running on her ability "to get things done."

Sen. Clinton hasn't stopped what has been going on because the racial strategy is a tactic employed by the campaign, but it backfired in South Carolina.
Nonetheless, it has emerged recently again, as we have detailed, as examples in the comments of Clinton surrogate Governor Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania and in a commentary by Susan Estrich, author of "The Case for Hillary Clinton."


...There are unacceptable sexist attacks on Hillary Clinton, and there are valid criticisms. We have only offered the latter, but have been accused of the former.
Being a particular gender does not excuse one from accountability.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

13. Public Policy Polling: Barack Obama opens up double digit 13 point lead in Wisconsin

From the Public Policy Polling Institute Feb 18, 2008 Press Release

Barack Obama opens up double digit 13 point lead in Wisconsin -
Obama leads 53-40

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: DEAN DEBNAM
February 18, 2008 888-621-6988 / 919-880-4888
Obama, McCain primed for victories in Wisconsin

Raleigh, N.C. – Barack Obama has expanded his lead over Hillary Clinton in Wisconsin
to 13 points, according to Public Policy Polling’s latest survey in the state.
Obama leads 53-40, after holding a 50-39 advantage in a survey done earlier this week.
He received support from well over 60% of those polled under the age of 45, and leads
with both white and female voters in addition to his core constituencies of males and
African Americans.

“Our poll showed that with a standard turnout, Obama would lead Clinton just 47-44,”
said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling. “But we expect Wisconsin will
see the same record levels of turnout from young voters and black voters that Obama has
been bringing out in other states. That should propel him to a double digit victory.”

...“Our poll showed that with a standard turnout, Obama would lead Clinton just 47-44,”
said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling. “But we expect Wisconsin will
see the same record levels of turnout from young voters and black voters that Obama has
been bringing out in other states. That should propel him to a double digit victory.”

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

14. Hillary Should Apologize to Red State Democrats, discouraging turnout there

Hilllary continues the alienate 40 states policy...
Votes from these states mean nothing to hear her tell it.

These states voters might as well not vote, to hear her tell it

Cecil Andrus: Hillary Should Apologize to Red State Democrats

Clinton Criticism of Red States

Today, former Idaho Governor Cecil Andrus called on the Clinton campaign to apologize for remarks made by Joel Ferguson, the Co-Chairman of the Clinton Campaign in Michigan for calling delegates in red states “second-class.” Ferguson said, “Superdelegates are not second-class delegates. The real second-class delegates are the delegates that are picked in red-state caucuses that are never going to vote Democratic.”

This is the latest in a string of attempts by the Clinton campaign to discount the votes of Democrats in the red states. In an effort to spin their losses, the Clinton campaign has repeatedly criticized Senator Obama’s wins in red states. Governor Andrus said, “Today, a Clinton campaign surrogate took it to another level and said flat out the Democrats in Red States are second-class citizens. This is a step too far. Senator Clinton’s surrogates are telling Democrats in almost half the states in the country that they don’t matter, and that they are second class. Senator Clinton needs to immediately denounce these comments and tell her campaign surrogates to stop taking cheap pot-shots at committed Democrats across the country.”

Andrus added, “We have a senate race and a congressional race that we are going to win. I have been elected four times so don’t tell me a Democrat can’t win. If we tell people that their votes don’t matter, of course they aren’t going to consider voting for Democrats in the general election. This attitude doesn’t just hurt us in the Presidential campaign, but it also hurts down-ballot candidates and our efforts to build the party. We can’t have another polarizing election that starts with a candidate If you tell telling people living in smaller states that their voices don’t matter. Obama has been successful in earning support from voters of all races, genders, in red states and blue states. We need to continue those efforts and not stifle them before the election even begins....”

Bottom line, Hillary is encouraging low turnout in these states by saying their votes don't matter!

[bicentennial_baby]

15. Kick!

:kick:

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

17. "Clinton: Back To Dirty Tricks"

Posted at Black Star Daily News

Clinton: Back To Dirty Tricks

A reader in a letter published in today’s New York Times voices a widespread sentiment when she writes: “My message to the Clinton campaign is this: If your campaign meddles with the nomination process, and somehow manages to assign the delegates from Michigan and Florida to Hillary Rodham Clinton, I a lifelong Democrat, will vote for John McCain in the general election.”

...Obama has better crossover appeal than Clinton: He’s now winning up to 40% of white voters. Clinton, on the other hand, attracts about 18% of the Black vote, meaning she is actually more dependent on the “race” vote than Obama. Without the white vote to help her, there would be no contest. Obama would have already wrapped up the nomination on February 5th Super Tuesday.

Which brings us to the issue of super delegates, which is the Democratic Party’s version of the old Soviet-style Politburo. During the Soviet regime, the aged party bosses disappeared in the Kremlin for a few days, following the death of one of the country’s aged presidents. A few days later, they would emerge to announce who would be president of the Soviet Union. A handful of aged men got to determine who was to rule over millions of Soviet citizens.

Hillary Clinton’s attempts to sow confusion into the process must be denounced and rejected.
The only winner would be the Republican Party’s John McCain as the reader who sent the letter to the Times –and millions of voters who share that position—makes clear.

http://blackstarnews.com/?c=135&a=4245