“OBAMA SUPPORTERS” DAILY NEWS Thursday April 17, 2008

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

WELCOME TO “OBAMA SUPPORTERS” DAILY NEWS

Thursday April 17, 2008

?
US Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) signs autographs after the Democratic Presidential Debate at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia April 16, 2008. REUTERS/Tim Shaffer

Esteemed DUer's, please consider taking a moment (or more) to graciously participate
by posting news and announcements about the Obama campaign on this thread. You can:

1. Post stories and announcements you find on the web. :think:

2. Re-post stories and announcements you find on DU,
providing a link to the original thread :applause:

3. Please "Recommend" for the Greatest Page :thumbsup:

4. Clinton supporters or “anti Obama posters please start your own “Clinton Daily News Thread”.

Get your DU-o-matic codificator (to format your posts) here
Read the Daily News Archives here

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

1. *****MULTIPLE PA POLLS SHOW SINGLE-DIGIT GAP: CLINTON'S "TRUSTWORTHINESS" PROBLEM WORSENING******

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5527128

[L0oniX]

70. Making threats to go to war against Iran makes her another chicken hawk....

who is leaning so far to the right that she has wizzed past Bush and McPain.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

2. Sen. Barack Obama meets with the Post-Gazette editorial board.

'Bitter' flap regrettable, Obama says

New polls unclear on controversy's impact
Wednesday, April 16, 2008 By James O'Toole, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Rebecca Droke/Post-Gazette

Sen. Barack Obama meets with the Post-Gazette editorial board.

Sen. Barack Obama said yesterday that the flap over his characterization of small town voters as "bitter" represented a distraction not just from his campaign message but also from Democratic efforts to overcome stereotypes that Republicans have exploited for decades.

"What I do regret is that in one quick statement that wasn't phrased properly I detracted from what I think has to be a genuine effort on the part of Democrats to speak to constituencies we haven't always reached out to," Mr. Obama said during a wide-ranging interview with the Post-Gazette editorial board.

… "When people are angry and frustrated they are also subject to being divided, and politicians will exploit those instincts about so-called wedge issues," he added, contending that such tactics had been part of the Republican recipe for success in the post-Reagan era.
"Karl Rove explicitly targets those issues and made it an entire campaign strategy over two elections,'' he said, referring to President Bush's long-time political adviser.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

3. Obama's 2007 Taxes Show $4 Million In Book Royalties

Obama's 2007 Taxes Show $4 Million In Book Royalties

By Eric Kleefeld - April 16, 2008, 6:53PM

Barack Obama has released his tax returns for the year 2007:

Total income of $4.2 million between himself and Michelle.

The overwhelming majority of the money, $4 million, came from royalties on his two books,
Dreams From My Father and The Audacity of Hope.

The Obamas also donated $240,370 to charity, and paid $1.4 million in federal taxes.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

4. Reps. Watt, Price (NC) are endorsing Obama

These are VERY influential congressmen from North Carolina
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5529473

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

57. Obama Picked up a New SuperDel Tonight; 4th of Day

Breaking: Obama Picked up a New SuperDel Tonight; 4th of Day

by Steven R
Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 09:39:06 PM PDT

Some good news to go to bed with
You heard it here first. Council member and newly-elected superdelegate Harry Thomas Jr., initially a supporter of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, is announcing in minutes that he will cast his vote at the Democratic National Convention in Denver for Sen. Barack Obama.
Thomas received more than 100 phone calls and e-mails from constituents who feared that he would use his power as a superdelegate to vote for Clinton despite the city's overwhelming support of Obama in the Potomac Primary.

Alot was said about Harry Thomas Jr, the way he ran as an undeclared, how he possibly was a stealth Clinton supporter, but according to ABC Affiliate Channel 7 in DC, It's official.
Now a Total of FOUR... I wonder how many more we'll see Tomorrow.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/4/17/02838/8889/1018/497322

[MadBadger]

5. Tom Shales of the Washington Post Pans the Debate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5541898

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

6. Super Delegate Rep. Andre Carson of Indianapolis endorses Obama

April 16, 2008, 5:34 pm
Three More Superdelegates for Obama
By Ariel Alexovich

Barack Obama rolled out three more superdelegate endorsements Wednesday, all of them coming from North Carolina and Indiana, which hold their Democratic primaries May 6.
North Carolina Representatives Mel Watt of Charlotte and David Price of Chapel Hill announced their support for Mr. Obama on a conference call with reporters.

...In Indiana, Mr. Obama can count on the support of Representative Andre Carson of Indianapolis. The 33-year-old won a special election last month to fill the House seat after Representative Julia Carson — his grandmother — died.
Mr. Carson said in a news release that Mr. Obama “is part of a new generation of leadership that will bring needed change for our country

....more at the link
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/16/three-more-superdelegates-for-obama/

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

7. Bruce Springsteen Endorses Barack Obama for President

Bruce Springsteen Endorses Barack Obama for President

Rolling Stone Magazine 4/16/08

With the all-important Pennsylvania democratic primaries six days away, Bruce Springsteen has thrown his endorsement into the ring, backing presidential hopeful Barack Obama. In a signed message on his official website, Springsteen said “Senator Obama, in my view, is head and shoulders above the rest. He has the depth, the reflectiveness, and the resilience to be our next President. He speaks to the America I’ve envisioned in my music for the past 35 years, a generous nation with a citizenry willing to tackle nuanced and complex problems, a country that’s interested in its collective destiny and in the potential of its gathered spirit.” The complete text is after the jump. Springsteen last supported John Kerry during that candidate’s failed Presidential drive. In this year’s primaries, Springsteen’s native New Jersey chose Hillary Clinton, while Nebraska sided with Bruce’s pick.

Dear Friends and Fans:
Like most of you, I’ve been following the campaign and I have now seen and heard enough to know where I stand. Senator Obama, in my view, is head and shoulders above the rest.

…more at the link

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

8. Clinton Imports Angry Pennsylvanian From New Jersey

Clinton Imports Angry Pennsylvanian From New Jersey

Oliver Willis April 16, 2008

I expected something like this.



Barack Obama can take some solace out of Hillary Clinton’s new television ad in Pennsylvania.

At least one of her supporters featured in the spot hammering Obama for his small town comments isn’t registered to vote in Pennsylvania.

Clyde Thomas, who sports a goatee in the ad and says, “the good people of Pennsylvania deserve a lot better than what Barack Obama said,” is actually registered in New Jersey. He voted there for Clinton Feb. 5. He only recently moved to Bethlehem, Pa.
A friend of mine noted that the Clinton camp has a habit of super-shortsighted flailing. They attack and pile-on at the moment without any sort of long term plan for what to do. It feels good, so they do it, without paying attention to any of the possible long term consequence.

[JimGinPA]

58. LOL...

The others were all campaign volunteers. What a phony she is.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

9. TPM: Hillary TV Ad Campaign Is Now 100% Negative in Most PA Markets

Mod Mom posts:

Here's a glimpse into Hillary's ad strategy in the final stretch of the Pennsylvania primary:

In most of Pennsylvania's markets, the only TV ad Hillary is running right now is a negative one -- the spot hitting Obama over his "small town" comments, a political ad buyer who tracks buys in Pennsylvania tells me.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5529511

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

10. Can Clinton's Scorched-Earth Tactics Work?

Can Clinton's Scorched-Earth Tactics Work?

16.04.2008--Jonathan Chait

Doug Schoen has an op-ed in today's Washington Post urging Hillary Clinton to finally get tough with Barack Obama. Schoen's byline identifies him as a pollster, a former advisor to Bill Clinton, and the author of "Declaring Independence: The Beginning of the End of the Two-Party System" (which suggests you don't have to be a rabid partisan to question whether he has the Democratic Party's best interests at heart.)
The most interesting thing about the op-ed is not mentioned anywhere: Schoen is the business partner of Mark Penn, who has reportedly been arguing within the Clinton campaign for a scorched-Earth desperation final drive to take down Obama. I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that Penn helped plant the op-ed.
As far as Schoen's argument itself, he's not entirely wrong. The heart of his case is one that I've made, namely that Clinton's only chance is to make Obama totally unelectable:
…But here's the problem with this strategy: Clinton's attacks may be harming Obama, but they're harming her even more. A new Washington Post poll, published the same day as Schoen's op-ed, found that while Obama has gotten somewhat less popular, Clinton has become wildly unpopular:

….Update: Schoen is Penn's former business partner, and I'm told it's unlikely he put him up to it.
…more at the link

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

11. Squirrel - Howie Kurtz finds a nut.

Blind Squirrel - Howie Kurtz finds a nut.

Atrios 12:59

It's mildly amusing to watch cable hosts with multimillion-dollar salaries wring their hands over how Obama can't possibly relate to the struggling masses. When was the last time most of these people had a shot and a beer in a bar, or visited a small town unless it was to make a highly paid speech? It's a small irony of this "out of touch" debate that upper-echelon journalists with wardrobe allowances or kids in fancy private schools get to pose as the folks who are in touch with the great American working class.

[grantcart]

12. Sub thread on the Debate

If we post all the articles here it may be more accessible

[grantcart]

13. ABC Transcript

http://abcnews.go.com/politics/decision2008/Story?id=3498294&page=1

[grantcart]

17. ABC’s Debate “Restrictions” Will Change…What?

ABC, the sponsor of tonight’s Democratic presidential debate, is circulating usage guidelines stating that (
per the New York Times) “other news organizations are only allowed to excerpt half a minute from the broadcast…That means choosing only one 30-second clip to use on television and the Web between 11 p.m. Wednesday and 5 a.m. Thursday.”

“Gone off the deep end” is how David Kurtz describes ABC’s guidelines on Talking Points Memo. But wait. So, per ABC’s restrictions, CNN and Fox and everyone else will have to essentially reduce the entire debate to one 30-second clip? Isn’t that what they do anyway?

A perhaps more sincere question from TPM’s Kurtz: “If broadcast networks are going to package public events this way, should they count toward the various public interest obligations that networks and their affiliates are supposed to fulfill under FCC regulations?”

CJR

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

38. This Sums It Up

This Sums It Up

Liberaland - Alan Colmes April 16, 2008

We’re allowed to use just 30 seconds of tonight’s debate. So here.

Click to listen

(Debate audio “courtesy” of ABC News/National Constitution Center/WPVI-TV. Oh, and
ABC News also asked that we link to their website, so here you go.)

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

53. UPDATE: the MSM is pretending that the debate was legit/serious

CONFIRMED - MAINSTREAM MEDIA "NEWS" AN ABSOLUTE HOAX

Last night was the clearest demonstration that the goal of the mainstream
media is not to provide news, journalism or debate, but to serve as a
juvenile tool for the talking heads who have fed us bread and circus for
8 years while our country has gone down in smouldering flames.

So of course - the MSM is talking about last night's debate as if it
actually was a legitimate attempt to bring issues and answers to the
American public.

This is why newspapers are having to cut back, circulation is down,
and why people will turn away from their televisions more and more,
in favor of watching movies, American Idol, or You Tube, where you can shut
off the human waste stream at will.

NEVER FORGET, THE MSM EMPOWERED THE TAKE OVER OF OUR COUNTRY AND THE NEAR
RUIN OF OUR WORLD.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

54. JED REPORT: ABC did a bad job, but Clinton is the real culprit

ABC did a bad job, but Clinton is the real culprit

posted by the Jed Report Thu Apr 17

A few brief thoughts on last night's debate:

It's true that ABC carried Clinton's water last night, and they deserve blame for having done so. But remember, it was Clinton's water they were carrying. The questions posed to Obama were all Clinton arguments in some form or another.

I thought Obama did just fine. Part of the reason may have been that I listened more than watched, and by the time that I was able listen/watch to the first part of the debate, I already knew what to expect.

One very important thing to note is that there were no disastrous moments for Obama. In a debate like this, Obama having done nothing memorable is a good thing. Obama always does better in debates when sitting down. Fortunately, McCain will probably want to sit down in the general.

So many people were disgusted by the debate that it could actually help generate new enthusiasm for Obama's campaign and style of politics. So far this campaign season, things that we thought were going to be disasters weren't. Wright. Bitter-gate. Now the same could happen with his debate. Ask yourself: what do you remember from the debate? I think most Democrats will say they remember being angry at Clinton and angry at ABC. In that sense, the debate could have gone far worse.
http://www.jedreport.com/2008/04/abc-did-a-bad-j.html

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

56. Breaking: ABC Hosts Heckled after Debate: 'The Crowd is Turning on Me'

ABC Hosts Heckled after Debate: 'The Crowd is Turning on Me'

Hissyspit has it over here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3271700&mesg_id=3271700

[Adelante]

71. Charles Kaiser reports from Pittsburgh on reactions to the latest presidential debate

Forget almost everything you've read about last night's idiotic presidential debate. It's true that George Stephanopoulos and Charles Gibson engaged in an unseemly competition to see who could humiliate himself the most on national television—but the people like NBC's Chuck Todd who thought Barack Obama's performance was "near disastrous" are just flat wrong.

Here in Pittsburgh, the viewers assembled to watch the debate by the local ABC affiliate were nearly unanimous in their instant analysis: All of the questions asked in the first 45 minutes were a waste of time, and the "journalists" asking them were ridiculous. When Obama said, "This is the kind of manufactured issue our politics have become obsessed with"—flag lapel pins, passing friendships with former Weathermen, or perfectly accurate ruminations about how 25 years of unemployment have embittered some of its victims—most people agreed with Obama.

What's worse? The fact that George Stephanopoulos would go on Sean Hannity's radio show to solicit questions for last night's debate, or the fact that he actually used one of Hannity's questions, asking Obama about his passing friendship with William Ayers, a former Weatherman who once said he wished he had set off more bombs in the 1970s.

"The notion that somehow as a consequence of me knowing somebody who engaged in detestable acts 40 years ago when I was eight years old, somehow reflects on me and my values, doesn't make much sense, George," Obama shot back. Then he pointed out that he was equally close to conservative senator Tom Coburn, who favors the death penalty for anyone who carries out an abortion. "Do I need to apologize for Mr. Coburn's statements?" Obama asked. Chuck Todd thought that was a mistake; I thought it was very effective.

Naturally, Hillary tried to distort the issue further by saying, "What did was set bombs, and in some instances people died." That's true—but the only people who died were the three Weathermen who blew themselves up by mistake in a Greenwich Village town house in 1970. (Bonus points if you can remember who initiated the magnificent American flag pin tradition. Answer: that Great American, Richard Milhous Nixon.)

-snip

http://radaronline.com/features/2008/04/pittsburgh_debates_george_stephanopoulos_full_court_press_01.php

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

14. Hillary Clinton on Southern whites, 1995: "Screw 'em"

Hillary Clinton on Southern whites, 1995: "Screw 'em"

Jed Report Wed Apr 16

Sam Stein's delivers another bombshell. Hillary Clinton, talking about Southern whites in the wake of the 1994 elections:

"Screw 'em," she told her husband. "You don't owe them a thing, Bill. They're doing nothing for you; you don't have to do anything for them."

The statement -- which author Benjamin Barber witnessed and wrote about in his book, "The Truth of Power: Intellectual Affairs in the Clinton White House" -- was prompted by another speaker raising the difficulties of reaching "Reagan Democrats."
Apparently, the Clinton camp wasn't too eager to discuss this with Stein.
The Clinton campaign did not immediately return a request for comment.

I can't imagine why. Good work Sam!

DU Thread - Hillary Clinton on Southern Working Class Whites in 1995: "Screw 'Em'

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3271392

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

15. “Bosnia And Back Again: You’ll Laugh You’ll Cry You’ll Throw Up A Little”

THIS IS REALLY GETTING VIRAL:

Bosnia and Back Again, starring Sen. Hillary Clinton – TRAILER

“Bosnia And Back Again: You’ll Laugh You’ll Cry You’ll Throw Up A Little” – Oliver Willis

Presenting the newest production from The Jed Report -- Bosnia and Back Again, the story of Senator Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. Senator Clinton plays herself in a performance AMERICAblog calls "the most spectacular display of sniper fire since Tuzla." The Field declares that her effort seems like "a paid political ad for John McCain." Watch the trailer now:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=385&topic_id=119397&mesg_id=119397

[WA98296]

26. Really a MUST SEE! Loved it!

[catgirl]

66. Well done video!

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

16. The Electability Issue. Part THREE Of Why Clinton Loses. Badly.

Discussion started Wed Apr-16-08 07:21 PM by gcomeau
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5534238

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

18. Jimmy Kimmel: Hillary Clinton's 1000 Uncomfortable Laughs (Video)

This is hillarious

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x119719

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

19. Clinton owes Mark Penn $10 Million - can't ditch him

Clinton owes Mark Penn $10 Million - can't ditch him

By Laura Roslin - April 16, 2008

Yes, the source here sucks, (Bob Novak, traitor) - but I read it with a bit of vomit in the back of my throat so you wouldn't have to. Even a stopped watch is right two times a day. It looks like the Clinton campaign is in worse disarray, no make that chaos - then previously thought.

Two big issues in the article:

Penn claims to still be running the show and message-

Immediately after Mark Penn resigned as Hillary Clinton's chief strategist a week ago, he was on the phone with at least two prominent Democrats to assure them that nothing had changed. He said that -- though lacking a title now -- he still was polling and crafting her message, adding that he had just participated in a top-level conference call. De facto retention of Penn signaled a desire to defeat Barack Obama at any cost.

The Clinton campaign is bound to Penn by $10 million in debt - they just can't escape –…more

at the link

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

20. The Hillary Deathwatch OBAMA'S "BITTER" GAFFE IS JUST THE MIRACLE CLINTON NEEDED

Check the Death watch later this week, I disagree with this author.

The Hillary Deathwatch OBAMA'S "BITTER" GAFFE IS JUST THE MIRACLE CLINTON NEEDED.

By Christopher Beam Monday, April 14, 2008

The Hillary Deathwatch is now a widget. Add it to your Facebook page or blog

Barack Obama's "bitter" comment is just the gaffe Clinton needed to woo superdelegates. Her chances of winning the nomination jump 4.5 points to 14.2 percent.

Hillary Clinton needed a miracle. She's down in pledged delegates, likely to lose the popular vote, and slipping on the superdelegate front. So, Barack Obama's comment at a San Francisco fundraiser—that bitter Pennsylvanians "cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them" in response to economic hardship—is as close to divine intervention as she could get.

With Pennsylvania a week off, Clinton has just enough time to foment outrage and perhaps regain her formerly wide lead in the polls. It's also as comprehensive a gaffe as Obama could have mustered: It's got elitism, guns, religion, immigration, and trade—just the controversy cocktail Clinton was waiting for.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

21. Slate's Delegate Calculator WITH REVOTES UNLIKELY IN MICHIGAN AND FLORIDA, HILLARY CLINTON'S HOPE IS

Slate's Delegate Calculator WITH REVOTES UNLIKELY IN MICHIGAN AND FLORIDA, HILLARY CLINTON'S HOPE IS FADING.

By Chadwick Matlin and Chris Wilson Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Since the last time we talked in this corner of the Internet, Mississippi and Texas have refined their delegate allocations—and Barack Obama has widened his delegate advantage by six. First off, Mississippi added a delegate to Obama's tally and took one away from Hillary Clinton after party officials realized they'd miscalculated the original delegate distribution. In Texas, meanwhile, the caucus results were finally certified, giving Obama a five-delegate margin overall when the caucus- and primary-delegate allocations were combined—a gain of two from our previous estimates.
Play with our still-new Flash version of the calculator below.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

22. Who's Out of Touch -- Editorial Cartoon by Andrew Wahl

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

23. Barney Frank: "Trailing Democrat Should Drop Out"

Barney Frank, a Clinton supporter, says trailing candidate should drop out by June 3 or 'probably sooner'; and Obama had 'a very legitimate point to make' about voter anger but expressed it poorly.

Frank: Trailing Democrat Should Drop Out

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Published: April 15, 2008

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Rep. Barney Frank said the trailing Democratic presidential candidate should drop out of the race by no later than June 3 -- the date of the two last Democratic primaries -- even if it is the candidate he supports, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

''Probably sooner,'' the Massachusetts congressman added in an interview Tuesday with The Associated Press. He suggested that the trailing candidate should drop out once it became clear that candidate had no remaining practical chance of winning the nomination.

South Dakota and Montana vote on that day. Sen. Barack Obama currently leads Clinton in both pledged delegates and in the popular vote. But neither can mathematically win a majority by that date and the final outcome will depend on superdelegates.

As a member of Congress, Frank is one of the nearly 800 elected officials and party leaders who are superdelegates to the Democratic National Convention.

Obama lately has been battling criticism over his remarks that some voters in small towns in Pennsylvania and in other parts of rural America have grown bitter because of hard economic times and hollow promises by politicians and ''cling to guns and religion.'' Both Clinton and Sen. John McCain, the certain Republican nominee, have painted the Illinois senator as an elitist out of touch with small-town America

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

24. Who's The Elitist?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x119539

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

25. Hill, You've Got $100 Million; Show Some Class

Do I hear an AMEN?!!??! AMEN!

Hill, You've Got $100 Million; Show Some Class

Trey Ellis,Huffington Post 04.16.2008

She had her chance at being part of the Dream Team, although not at the top of the ticket as she had hoped, however her Swiftboating of Obama with her "bitter" new ad campaign sank any hope she might have had of rescuing her campaign from abject defeat. I'm not a Hillary hater and have defended her against months of unfair and often misogynistic ad hominem attacks but this latest round of ugliness from her side has proven that she is unfit to lead the Democratic party.

Yes, Obama's gaffe was a big one and as his opponent she has every right to go after him but she never coupled that with an even more devastating critique of McCain. She is the weakest link in a three-way-race right now so her labeling Obama "elitist" carries much more water for McCain than it does for her slim-to-none chance at victory. An opponent who understood the larger goal of electing a Democrat to the White House would have said to rural Pennsylvanians, "Obama doesn't get it, McCain certainly doesn't get it. However I understand your pain and promise to fight to bring jobs back to America's industrial heartland."

Of course this is not the first time she's played nasty. Saying that only she and McCain were ready on day one was her second strike in my book. Her first came earlier, when 60 Minutes asked her if she thought Obama was a Muslim. Her crack that he wasn't, "as far as I know," made me originally suspect her integrity.

…Obama can win over enough of the rural and the rustbelters by being his authentic, down-home self. I remember years ago seeing him at a fundraiser in LA for his Senate campaign and he said that the whites of southern Illinois were flocking to his rallies. His state is not all that different from PA. Voters just need to be assured that he is regular folks. When they offer him chocolates he's gotta eat them. Drink the beer. He needs to be less professorial and more cool high school science teacher/basketball coach ("Hey, Mr. O! Mr. O! My frog's legs are still kicking.") They need to see him, tie off, jacket off, shooting free throws with a rural Pennsylvania high school basketball team. Obama needs to run for president as if he was running for the mayor of Altoona, PA.

And Hillary needs to go on a long vacation.

…more at the link

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

27. Obama Outraises Clinton Among Small Town Pennsylvanians

Obama Outraises Clinton Among Small Town Pennsylvanians

April 15, 2008 Sam Stein, Huff Po

Sen. Barack Obama's political opponents charge that his recent remarks on the economic woes and bitterness of low-income voters put him gravely out of touch with small town Pennsylvanians.

But a review of campaign finance records -- conducted for The Huffington Post by the Spotfire Division of software firm TIBCO -- reveals that it is Obama, not Sen. Hillary Clinton, who has received the majority of donations from these very same Keystone State communities.

Indeed, through the end of February 2008, Obama received nearly $250,000 in contributions from Pennsylvanians residing in zip codes with populations under 30,000 people. That total, which does not include Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and both city's suburbs, was roughly $30,000 more than the amount raised by Clinton: $220,000.

When the population size is made even smaller, Obama continues to best his Democratic rival. Among those non-urban Pennsylvania zip codes with populations under 20,000, the Illinois Democrat has brought in just over $200,000. Clinton has raised slightly more than $170,000.

…more at the link

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

28. Black Star News: "Hillary Clinton; Elitist, Out Of Touch"

Hillary Clinton; Elitist, Out Of Touch

Black Star News Editorial April 15th, 2008

Senator Hillary Clinton’s credibility was shot with her Bosnian lies. She dodged bullets that never existed. So whatever she says --or whatever she had said-- needs to be examined carefully.

Clinton now claims that Senator Barack Obama is “elitist.” This is downright disingenuous. Obama was once a community activist in poor Chicago neighborhoods. Clinton and her husband over the past eight years have been on mad money-grab missions to satisfy their addiction, accumulating $109 million.

How much does Senator Clinton care about hard working “little people”? The ones who never get to make a million dollars in a lifetime, let alone $109 million?

Well, let’s consider the facts.

According to media reports, Clinton’s campaign had not been paying small vendors, including mom-and-pop businesses that worked on behalf of the campaign, tens of thousands of dollars.

While Clinton was giving these hard working Americans the shaft, Clinton somehow agreed to pay disgraced campaign strategist Mark Penn $10 million; she also owes him another check for $2.5 million.

…While finding millions for Mark Penn, Senator Clinton had not paid the premiums for health insurance coverage for her own campaign staff, it was reported. Yet, she wants the nation to believe that as President Clinton, she would somehow be able to provide an insurance program that would cover the entire nation?

…more at the link

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

29. Did Lou Dobb's head explode when he saw his "are you bitter" poll results?

Will Lou Dobbs read results of his "are you bitter" poll on his show?

Since the vote isn't going Dobb's way, WILL he read the results
live on his show? **No mention of the poll today on his show. hehehe

The poll is lower down on the right hand side.

QuickVote

Which of these best describes your attitude as an American citizen?

Partisan & pitiful 2% 281
Bitter & angry 67% 9271
Independent & proud 31% 4358
Total Votes: 13910

This is not a scientific poll (uh DUH Lou!)

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

30. To Small Town Pennsylvania from a San Francisco Liberal (we have alot in common)

To Small Town Pennsylvania from a San Francisco Liberal

by Elizabeth Ferrari Op Ed News April 16, 2008 Headlined on 4/16/08:

They're at it again, the politicians, trying to make us think we're not only not on the same side, but that we have nothing in common and that we wouldn't even like each other if we met up, by accident, in line at the grocery store. Who they think this will benefit is beyond me -- except, it probably won't be us. Any of us.

If you've never been to San Francisco, you might not know that it is a small city and that is feels like a small town community for those of us who try to keep the place running. We're on the coast and get new families all the time but, the same families have been in our police and fire fighter forces for generations. The same families have been grocers and butchers, carpenters, beekeepers and teachers -- except for those that are getting squeezed out of their family businesses by retail chains. San Francisco liberals have to band together and fight tooth and nail to protect our family owned businesses, our open spaces and our local public schools, just like you do.

...more at the link

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

31. Ambinder: The Democrats: Pennsylvania Polling And National Polling

The Democrats: Pennsylvania Polling And National Polling

Marc Ambinder. 16 Apr 2008

This poll, from Susquehanna Research, was conducted from April 6-10 using live interviewers. It had shown Sen. Clinton with a double digit lead in March; the lead was down to three last week. The poll does not reflect a weekend's worth of headlines and news coverage about a certain San Francisco fundraiser. The Los Angeles Times and Bloomberg polled Thursday through Monday and found a very tight race. So far, no poll has picked up anything remotely resembling an Obama drop except for internal Clinton tracking. Usually, events like these take a few days to reach equilibrium.

When you ask various members of the Obama campaign about polling after Obama's remarks, they're likely to respond with a variant of a single answer: the coverage of these remarks are media-driven -- old media driven, at that. (It's true: once this story left the confines of the Huffington Post, it pretty much became a staple of the cablers, the newspapers, and the evening news.) Whenever the media tells them that they've misbehaved, Obama's supporters and the penumbra of undecided Democrats (who are really not undecided between two candidates -- they're just unsure whether they're going to vote for Obama) respond in equal fashion, exerting upwards pressure and reversing the trend of the storyline. The way in which the campaign expresses its confidence may be off-putting, but there are reasons for it. Those reasons are not, unfortunately, metaphysical; Obama's campaign does not posses the key to a body of knowledge that everyone else lacks.

Here's what I think is going on. Time after time, from the beginning of the campaign to now, the media has called Obama on a "major" gaffe or presented his reacton to an event as a "major" problem only to figure out a week later that Obama hasn't suffered a bit and Hillary Clinton numbers have dropped back down to about 40%. I've written about by Clinton Stock Price theory before: the Democratic primary electorate has been saturated with information about Clinton from time immemorial and her mean level of support -- her true value -- is about 40%. Sometimes it rises, sometimes is falls, but it usually progresses or regresses to the mean. Everything one can know, think, and feel about Hillary Clinton has been priced into her level of support. Well, add to that the perception that she's been the one has campaigned the most unfairly and the most negatively -- the exit polls pick this up even in states she's won.

I wonder if, when events cast a harsher light on Obama, Democrats blame Clinton instinctively because they're forced to make a binary choice and the nomination can't be awarded to two people. I also think that the degree to which Democrats believe that Barack Obama will win the nomination is one of the reasons why, especially now, his bumps on the road are sanded down a bit. There's just not that much at stake. Further, it's not clear whether the fact that John McCain and Hillary Clinton are tag-teaming Obama on this makes base Democrats more fearful of Obama's electoral politics or more resentful of Clinton's penchant for warning Obama about the awfulness of the Republican playbook and then operating from it. A final factor: Obama's supporters don't seem to mind Obama-the-cocky, but they love Obama the fighter. After all, it's their movement too. Nothing rouses the passions like the outrage of an insult. And nothing feels better than fighting back.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

32. McCain Indicates He Will Not Support GI Bill

McCain Indicates He Will Not Support GI Bill.

OpEDNews

Despite his claim that he is a "supporter of educational benefits for the men and women of the military," Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) indicated yesterday that he will not support the bipartisan 21st Century GI Bill, stating that he is working on his own proposal. McCain has been largely absent on the issue, suggesting the bill would give too good a reason for troops to leave the military? Troop! Your country says f**k up.

…more at the link

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

33. Robert L. Borosage: McCainomics

Robert L. Borosage: McCainomics

A Double Dose of the Same Poison Senator McCain, like George Bush, recycles the old platitudes of the market fundamentalists -- about lower taxes, free trade, smaller government, less spending. Forget the global debt, the $12 billion a month squandered in Iraq, the financial crisis, the deepening recession. For McCain, Bush's only mistake has been that he hasn't been extreme enough.

more at the link

[kster]

34. Be Careful these types of threads can bury the important

stories about "Obama" or "Clinton" into a single thread, stories that would have ordinarily been voted up and/or discussed by having its own thread, are now being buried in one thread.

I do not see these types of daily threads as productive, thats just my opinion.

Taking the threads about Obama/Clinton that had the most recommends on them from the past week and putting them into their own thread would be better, again thats just my opinion. :)

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

37. Note the title of the thread, act accordingly - no "concern troll" needed here

I'm not going to endure the type of harassment that you provide
to people posting in the Election Reform Forum.

That forum is a wasteland compared to this one.

We will defend our Obama Daily News thread from anyone who tries to
distrupt it.

[kster]

47. I just don't want any important Obama or Clinton stories to get buried

and possibly lost. My concern is for the DU community, I would rather see them discuss, brawl, fight, argue, vote up individual threads than to let some important story about Obama/Clinton get buried into a single thread like this.

If we take DUer's most highly recommended Obama/Clinton threads from the past week and put them in there own thread I feel that would be more productive, and again, This is just my opinion. :)

Gobama!

GoClinton!

[FrenchieCat]

39. I think that Duers who support Obama need to come and Harvest threads from

here and post them. With a 3 thread limit, I think this is useful as the mothership.

I think a lot of folks read this thread daily; I know that I do.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

42. The poster made life so miserable for me in another forum

that I quit posting there.

I am an election reform activist since Sept 2003 and this person
ran me out of that forum.

Many good election reform activists just gave up on that forum out of disgust.

We just got a shot across the bow from that person.

[kster]

48. You luv me and you know it, GOBAMA!!!

[Ysabel]

41. these daily obama threads are (imnsho) extremely helpful...

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

35. Democrat Taylor Marsh running ad for book comparing Obama to Mussolini

Democrat Taylor Marsh running ad for book comparing Obama to Mussolini

John Brown. Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Faux-talk radio host and blogger Taylor Marsh (her site header proclaims she’s “the antidote to right-wing talk") is a member of the Blogads network and its invite-only ”Advertise Liberally” hive. For the record, back when I ran my previous blog Catch.com I was a member of both Blogads and Advertise Liberally.

Here’s a simple description of how Blogads works: A potential advertiser creates an ad using the Blogads interface and chooses blogs they would like their ad to run on. Chosen blog owners then receive an email notifying them of the request for ad placement. The blogger is then required to log-in to their Blogads admin panel, review the ad and either accept or reject it. This protects the blog owner from having an ad running on their site that they find objectionable or wouldn’t want their blog to be associated with. The Blogads member has total control of all ads that run on their site.

Now let’s look at the approved ad I saw running on Democrat Taylor Marsh’s blog early yesterday, displayed directly under the “Advertise Liberally” banner:


… MORE: Taylor Marsh would like people to email Air America and XM about getting her on the air. I think Air America, in particular, should probably hear from you folks.

….more at the link

[Cha]

36. Nice pic of Obama signing autographs for

his supporters. I hear you wouldn't know it from abc's filming that he even had any there.

<snip>

"To this observer, ABC's coverage seemed slanted against Obama. The director cut several times to reaction shots of such Clinton supporters as her daughter, Chelsea, who sat in the audience at the Kimmel Theater in Philly's National Constitution Center. Obama supporters did not get equal screen time, giving the impression that there weren't any in the hall. The director also clumsily chose to pan the audience at the very start of the debate, when the candidates made their opening statements, so Obama and Clinton were barely seen before the first commercial break."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5541898

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

40. Li-EEYORE-berman, plus the view from Planet Clinton

Li-EEYORE-berman, plus the view from Planet Clinton

Betty Cracker April 16, 2008

Joe Lieberman to be keynote speaker at GOP convention?


…
But cozying up to McCain and Kristol isn't enough. Now Lieberman lauds Rush Limbaugh for his "big heart." Yes, that's the same Rush Limbaugh who savaged Lieberman and Gore relentless during the theft of the 2000 election.

There is some speculation that Lieberman will deliver the keynote address at the upcoming GOP Convention -- he has publicly indicated his willingness to do so. I sure hope they take him up on it. Whereas Zell Miller's performance was riveting -- the spittle-flecked rantings of a crazy-eyed loon are interesting in the same way a particularly hideous bug is fascinating -- Lieberman's soporific droning is likely to produce a mass incidence of narcolepsy. I sincerely hope they've penciled the fool in.

A pollster and long-time advisor to Bill Clinton, Douglas Schoen, removed all doubt in a piece in yesterday's New York Times:
"...For Clinton to capture the nomination she needs to completely abandon her positive campaign and continue to hammer away at Obama... As the underdog, Clinton's positive message will not work unless she is able to undermine Obama's candidacy...

Although voters and the media look favorably upon a positive campaign message, and Clinton is acutely conscious that too much negativity and too many personal attacks will hurt her party in November, a positive message is simply not enough to alter the race at this point. It is too late for Clinton to wait for Obama to make another mistake. She must seize the opportunity that Obama's self-acknowledged mistakes last week presented to her campaign; it is almost certainly her last chance."

So there we have it. A Clinton insider acknowledges that Clinton is "acutely conscious" that her negative attacks will hurt the party in November. But she doesn't give a shit. This is her last chance. It's all about her. She's starting to remind me of Lieberman.

….more at the link

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

43. Black Star News: "Hillary Clinton And White Supremacy"

To borrow from a Bill Cosby book title, "Come On, People." Up until now, Blacks have been accused of being obsessed with talking about race; in this instance, when a Black man is leading a White woman and seems on the verge of victory, the White woman‘s camp keeps dragging another type of “race“ into the contests.

Hillary Clinton And White Supremacy

Black Star News April 2008

…
Pre-1960's, the term "Uppity Negroes" was widely used to describe "colored" people who had education, intelligence, status, influence, and material wealth; furthermore, had enough self-worth as a human being to attain the same standard of living as well-off White people.
Well, today with all the racial overtones used in this presidential election of a Black man versus a White woman to become the Democratic party’s nominee for 2008, the word "boy" has been uttered to describe an adult male African-American Harvard Law School graduate, and phrases like "rolling the dice" and "clean and articulate" are used to stir up stereotypical images; plus, there was Bill Clinton comparing Obama’s South Carolina accomplishments to Jesse Jackson's win there earlier.

These were clear instances of references to alleged White Supremacy.
On the contrary, with all the supposed discrimination against White women, I'm not seeing the same line of demeaning terms describing Hillary Clinton’s gender coming from the Obama camp or anywhere else.

Also, consider the media’s role: On every station, all day, again and again, the airwaves have been bombarded with Obama's "bitter" remarks, describing people he said were angered by the loss of their jobs as industries disappeared. These are people who have unfairly fallen victim to today's economic failures.

This latest psychological trick intends to remind Whites that Blacks are supposed to stay behind Whites. Using this perverted logic, Barack Obama is nothing more than an irritating Uppity Negro, looking down on hardworking good White folks who have less than he has, which is most untrue.
After all, Barack Obama's momma was good hard-working White folk. Unlike, the $109 million dollar the Clintons amassed, and Mrs. Cindy McCain's $100 million dollar inheritance, Barack and Michelle Obama earned a meager $900,000 in 2007, their biggest income to date. Finally, they could pay off their student loans.

….more at the link

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

44. Leechburg PA Mayor Wants Clinton Apology - video and news

Leechburg Mayor Wants Clinton Apology

Former President Bill Clinton is campaigning in western Pennsylvania today on behalf of wife Sen. Hillary Clinton and he could face a serious confrontation.

Video:

Local news is reporting about potential confrontation between mayor of Leechburg & Clinton
The mayor of Leechburg said he would confront Clinton at Kittanning High School and demand the former president to apologize for the major job losses in Armstrong County. The mayor Chuck Pascal said workers lost their jobs due to a free trade agreement passed during the Clinton administration

Ex-President Clinton Back In Town Campaigning For Wife April 15, 2008

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

45. There's Only One SwampRat, And I'm Glad He's On Our Side !!!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=5520507&mesg_id=5520507

[Clintonista2]

46. Ahh, the daily Oceanic news. I love it.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

49. The Clinton Supporters are nice enough to respect this thread

and by the way, the troll that came here isn't from her camp.

There are some people who disrupt because we are democrats, and they are very
good at what they do in stopping us.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

50. Obama was given a flag pin by disabled Veteran Philip Fiumara, Jr.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=5542877&mesg_id=5542877

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

51. **** POLL*** WHO WON THE DEMOCRATIC DEBATE? Take the poll:

WHO WON THE DEMOCRATIC DEBATE?

Democratic Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama squared off ahead of next week's crucial Pennsylvania primary.

Who won the Democratic debate?

Sen. Barack Obama
20,686
Sen. Hillary Clinton7,243
It was a tie2,170
Total Vote: 30,099

GO TO THIS LINK TO TAKE THE POLL

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/DemocraticDebate/popup?id=4668064

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

52. Bitter-Fizzle

Bitter-Fizzle
16 Apr 2008 07:51 pm

The latest data from Gallup analyzing the Democratic race among those with less education and income. No meaningful change. The scandal of Obama's alleged elitism seems restricted to ... elites.

If this pans out in the actual primary, then a very large number of pundits and bloggers and pols are going to be revealed as hopelessly out of touch with the country they are talking about. I'm beginning to think that this past week was a serious tipping point for the media elite. And it's worth noting one individual in that elite who didn't join the throng: Matt Drudge. Sometimes a condo in Miami is more in touch with rural Pennsylvania than anyone in the Beltway.

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/04/bitter-fizzle.html

[JimGinPA]

55. I Got Another Flyer From Obama & An Email From Gov. Rendell... (large pics)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=5537018

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

59. **Voting begins today in North Carolina ****

We have "early in person voting" for those who want it. Also same day registration
during early voting for those who Obama missed before.

Early voting starts today. Early voting does not guarantee or mean quick voting. Early voting typically forms "bottlenecks" because of the extra services provided and larger number of voters allowed. You may have to wait in line, or you may not. Be prepared, bring a form of ID if you are a first time voter or just in case. Bring a book, snack or drink. If you wait until 1:00 PM to head to an early voting site, then you have a bigger chance of being in the "neck" of the bottle neck. Contact your County Election Director if you have questions about voting in your county. Also see the NC State Board of Elections website.

See www.ncvoter.net for information.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Early voting begins today
JOURNAL STAFF REPORT

Early voting for the North Carolina primary begins today and continues through May 3, and some groups have scheduled public events to draw attention to the day. Students at Winston-Salem State University will hold a get-out-the-vote rally on campus morning and march to the Forsyth County Board of Elections to vote. Eight additional early-voting sites will open in Forsyth County on Monday, April 28. Qualified voters can also register at early-voting sites.

Voter registration has surged in North Carolina, particularly among blacks, Democrats and unaffiliated voters, state elections officials say. North Carolina could play a significant role in the outcome of the Democratic presidential primary between Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton.

Obama returns to North Carolina today for campaign events in Raleigh, Greenville and Wilmington. Sen. Hillary Clinton is scheduled to appear Friday at Wake Forest University with Dr. Maya Angelou.

http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ%2FMGArticle%2FWSJ_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173355307421

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

60. TONIGHT: Hillary Clinton to Appear on 'Colbert'

Hillary Clinton to Appear on 'Colbert'

By JAKE COYLE | AP Entertainment Writer
PHILADELPHA - Hillary Clinton is hoping the "Colbert bump" will help propel her to victory in Pennsylvania.

The Democratic presidential candidate will make her first appearance on Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report" on Thursday. Both Clinton and Colbert have come to Pennsylvania ahead of the state's hard-fought Democratic primary on April 22.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-clinton-colbert,1,3854507.story

REMEMBER STEPHEN AT THE WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT'S DINNER?

HILLARY MAY WANT TO THINK ABOUT THAT.

[Kittycat]

68. I just read on Halperin/the page that Obama & Edwards are crashing

the show via satellite.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

61. *****Super Delegate Update*******

tomorrow's news may need mini threads for Supers, Polls and endorsements each as they roll
in quickly.

Plus Six: Obama Adds Another Superdelegate
17 Apr 2008 10:24 am
By my count, Obama has won the backing of six superdelegates since last week to Clinton's zero. The latest superdelegate, per the Washington Post: DC city councilman Harry Thomas, Jr. He is a former Clinton supporter.
http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/04/plus_six_obama_adds_another_su.php

Oklahoma Superdelegate Endorses Obama
by Sam Graham-FelsenThursday, April 17, 2008

Chicago, IL - Today, Oklahoma Superdelegate Reggie Whitten endorsed Barack Obama, citing his ability to unite Americans for change and his proven track record of standing up for middle class families and workers.
His statement regarding the endorsement is below:
"I have decided to endorse Senator Barack Obama and will work wholeheartedly to see him become the next President of the United States. Some say there is no particular need to endorse at the present time. However, I believe this is a defining moment, not only for our Party, but also more importantly for our country. Therefore, I made the decision to commit now.
….more at the link http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/samgrahamfelsen/gGC5sC

[grantcart]

63. Demconwatch's numbers are Obama +8 Clinton +4

Some of those are clarifications for SDs that were thought to have endorsed Clinton earlier but no clear record existed until now.

[grantcart]

62. Simply put the testing of Senator Obama is over;

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5547001

[ORDem]

64. KnR as always.

:kick: :)

[stevenleser]

65. KnR Gobama!

[Kittycat]

67. Obama & Edwards on Colbert Tonight

Looks like they're crashing HRC's appearance. :clap:
http://thepage.time.com/2008/04/17/obama-and-edwards-to-appear-tonight-on-colbert/

If someone has a post left - fell free to start a new topic on it. I'm out for the day :(

[quantass]

69. nice