“OBAMA SUPPORTERS” DAILY NEWS Monday April 21,2008

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WELCOME TO “OBAMA SUPPORTERS” DAILY NEWS

Monday April 21,2008


Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., left,
and Paul Thiel, a retired chocolate factory worker, chat after a church services in
Lebanon, Pa., Sunday, April 20, 2008. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

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

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1. NY Times: ***Million-Dollar Minute***Monday at 1:00***

WillYourVoteB...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5589518

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2. 'Vast right-wing conspiracy' leader's paper backs Clinton

RamboLiberal
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3275784

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3. I'm A Member of Moveon.org & A Terrible Bowler

Babylonsister
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=5588826&mesg_id=5588826

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4. Barack Obama turns the blowtorch on Hillary Clinton

Barack Obama turns the blowtorch on Hillary Clinton

Stefanie Balogh April 21, 2008

BARACK Obama has turned the blowtorch on his rival, sharply attacking Hillary Clinton in an attempt to turn this week's do-or-die nominating contest in Pennsylvania into a referendum on character.

In his most direct comments yet about Senator Clinton during 15 months of campaigning, the Democratic presidential frontrunner accused his opponent of engaging in "slash-and-burn" politics and of saying whatever was necessary to get votes.

...Senator Obama's attack came a day after the former first lady accused him of being unable to stand the campaign heat and of lacking the toughness to be president.

...She has internalised a lot of the strategies, the tactics that have made Washington such a miserable place where all we do is bicker and fight.

...more at the link

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5. Oh Noes Issues! Frank Rich seems a bit bitter:[/

Oh Noes Issues!

20 Apr 2008 Matthew Yglesias

Frank Rich seems a bit bitter:

Privileged though they are, Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama do want to shape policy to help the less well-heeled. Mr. McCain, who had a far more elite upbringing than either of them and whose wife’s estimated fortune exceeds the Clintons’, is not just condescending to working Americans but trying to hoodwink them. Next week, in a replay of the 2000 Bush campaign’s “compassionate conservative” photo ops among black schoolchildren, he will show he’s a “different kind of Republican” by visiting what he calls the “forgotten” America of Alabama’s “black belt” and the old steel town of Youngstown, Ohio. What he wants voters to forget is the inequity of his new economic plan.

That plan’s incoherent smorgasbord of items includes a cut from 35 percent to 25 percent in the corporate tax rate. For noncorporate taxpayers, Mr. McCain offers such thin gruel as a battle against federal pork (the notorious Alaskan “bridge to nowhere,” earmarked for $223 million in federal highway money, costs less than a day of the war in Iraq) and a temporary suspension of the federal gas tax (a saving of some $2.75 per 15-gallon tank). Now there’s a reason for voters to be bitter — assuming bloviators start publicizing and parsing Mr. McCain’s words as relentlessly as they do the Democrats’.

Ultimately, one suspects that it would be really, really, really hard for anyone involved in politics professionally for as long as a John McCain or a Hillary Clinton or even a Barack Obama to be really and truly "in touch" with peoples' lives. Which is what brings us back to policy priorities. McCains are reducing the level of government services in order to pay for an indefinite prolongation of the war in Iraq, the extension of Bush's tax cuts for the highest-income Americans, a large hike in non-war defense spending, and a series of new tax breaks. Clinton and Obama are both, in somewhat different ways, offering more services paid for by returning to something more like the levels of taxation that so devastated the national economy in the 1990s.

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6. Notice Anything? John McCain doesn’t wear an American flag pin on THIS WEEK

Notice Anything? John McCain doesn’t wear an American flag pin on THIS WEEK

By: Nicole Belle at Crooks and Liars

Let’s call Nash McCabe. I don’t see a single lapel pin between them, do you?

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7. The Critics: ABC Asked Most Scandal Questions, Obama Was Clear Target

The Critics Were Right: ABC Asked Most Scandal Questions, Obama Was Clear Target

Huffington Post April 20, 2008

The furor over ABC's Democratic debate last week was not universally shared.

While Obama supporters (and many media critics) decried what they saw as biased, gotcha-style questioning, a vocal minority (mostly Clinton supporters) was unmoved. Where was the media outrage when Hillary was being grilled in past debates? She got it "much much tougher" than Obama did from ABC, Clinton spokesman Jay Carson charged.

This debate over debates had me curious. Was ABC's debate really in a lowly class of its own? Or were Obama backers (inside the press and out) just being overly-sensitive? So I went through each of the four one-on-one contests between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, starting with CNN's debate way back on January 31, and cataloged every question, classifying them as follows:

….Clinton actually had it much rougher at CNN's earlier one-on-one debate in Hollywood. That was the only debate of the four where Clinton was asked a scandal question while Obama was not. Moreover, Clinton faced three questions on her initial support for the Iraq war ("Why can't you just say right now that that vote was a mistake?"), one question about Sen. Ted Kennedy's endorsement of Obama, and another on the perception of a Bush-Clinton dynasty ("How can you be an agent of change when we have had the same two families in the White House for the last 30 years?").

more at the link

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8. JOHN W. McCAIN-- YES, EVEN WORSE THAN GEORGE W. BUSH

JOHN W. McCAIN-- YES, EVEN WORSE THAN GEORGE W. BUSH

Down With Tyranny April 20 2008

One of the impressions I walked away with after a briefing at the DNC where polling data was shared with journalists and bloggers was that most Americans have vague impressions about McCain but that the "maverick" and "moderate" hype hasn't sunk in, regardless of how heavily pushed it has been by his allies in the Inside-the-Beltway media. Sycophants like Broder and Tweety can swoon over him all they like, but most Americans are still wondering who he is. An extensive page one story in today's Washington Post, one that was apparently kept away from Broder, goes a long way towards helping at least their readers to understand who the real John McCain is.

The Post writer, Michael Leahy, could have saved himself a lot of time and effort by reprinting Cliff Schecter's brilliant new book, The Real McCain: Why Conservatives Don't Trust Him-- and Why Independents Shouldn't, but fortunately he used enough of Schecter's research and ideas to make the piece worthwhile. He starts with a well-documented scene of an angry and obviously deranged McCain attacking Iowa Republican Senator Charles Grassley at a Senate committee meeting. This particular time it only amounted to the much disliked McCain-- disliked by his Senate colleagues (except pathetic bottom feeders like Lieberman and Miss Lindsey)-- cursing, pushing and shoving, ever the high school spoiled bully. Later Leahy gets to Schecter's revelation about how McCain and fellow Arizona wingnut, Rick Renzi, actually got into a punch out (although, here too McCain's lobbyists swear up and down that it was just pushing and shoving and that no punches were thrown; witnesses say otherwise).

…Anyone who wants to see if it's possible for a worse president than George Bush-- with a possibility for even worse outcomes, ought to seriously consider voting for his political heir, John McCain. Everyone else... well, start by watching this new ad from our friends at the DNC:

Click Here to Watch Video

….more at the link

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9. John McCain hearts Karl Rove

John McCain hearts Karl Rove

Jed Report Sun Apr 20

If nothing else became clear this week, it should now be obvious that John McCain will not eschew Karl Rove-style politics this campaign season. In fact, he's already embraced them. On Friday, he sent supporters an e-mail falsely suggesting that Barack Obama had ties to Hamas.

Today -- unprompted -- he parroted the Clinton-Hannity-Stephanopolous line of attack and falsely claimed Barack Obama supported William Ayers' violent acts -- acts which Barack Obama has repeatedly denounced as detestable.

[grantcart]

10. There are a lot of bullshit threads saying that Obama has to have some

big win in Pennsylvania or can't lose more than 10 points and so on.


Some of this is being suggested by Obama supporters.


I say enough to all of this bullshit.


Please join me here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5597813

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11. Obama supporters 50 calls today: The old guy from PA got quiet and said "you're right"

The old guy from PA got quiet and said "you're right"

by Seneca Doane at DKOS Sun Apr 20, 2008

…
This is the story of one of my 50 calls today.
You are given the first name of the voter you are calling. On this call, a woman, I'm guessing in her 50s, answered the phone and responded that she was who I was asking for. When I identified myself as Greg, a volunteer from the Obama campaign, she immediately became antagonistic and wary.

"I won’t vote for Obama, that’s for sure."
"All right – shall I put you down as supporting Hillary?"
"I didn’t say that."
"OK. I just have to click a button here, that’s why I asked."
"Did you want to talk to another voter?"
"I’d be happy to, ma’am."

Technically, before that last line, there should be something like: "" After that sort of reception, she wants to know if I want to talk to someone else? Either she wants to give me a fair chance at earning a vote for Barack, or she want to have someone in her house clobber me over the phone. A man -- my guess is in his 60s, maybe even 70s -- answers the phone. Her husband, I assume. I introduce myself the same way. He's ready for me, loaded for bear

"I’m a Democrat and I’m voting for Hillary Clinton. And if she doesn’t win, I’m voting Republican."
"I see. Well, I’m a Democrat, and if Barack Obama doesn’t win the nomination, I’m voting for Hillary."

There was a pause. Not a "winding up and getting ready for the next zinger" pause. A pause like he had expected that I was more likely to quack like a duck to same something like that. A pause like I had hit him with a stick. They old guy got quiet.

"You are?"
"Absolutely. Our vote in November is going to be a vote on whether to stop the war. I prefer Obama, but either way I’m going to vote to stop the war."
"I want to stop the war."

You lovely old man, I thought. My angry, derisive political enemy. But, deeper down, my ally.
….This November, we will be voting on whether to continue the war, or to bring it to a close.

….more at the link

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12. Matthew Yglesias: The MoveOn Thing

The MoveOn Thing

19 Apr 2008 Matthew Yglesias

Since MoveOn endorsed Hillary Clinton's opponent, it's hardly surprising that Clinton has not-so-nice things to say about MoveOn.
But the bad dynamic between Clinton and MoveOn is a reminder of one of the fundamental problems with her candidacy.
The Clintons, and many of their key supporters, come out of a school of political analysis which holds that the problem with the Democratic Party in the United States is that progressive institutions are too strong. Only by curbing the influence of these institutions, the theory goes, can Democratic Party politicians engage in the tactical repositioning necessary to win elections.

Whether or not that was true in 1988-92 or, indeed, whether or not it remains true today, this is clearly not a long-term strategy for progressive politics. This "crush the left, move to the right" theory of electoral political may or may not work for politicians in the short run, but to create big change you need to strengthen progressive institutions and move the entire spectrum to the left.

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13. The Financial Times Endorses Obama !!!

The Financial Times Endorses Obama!!!!

by richprust at Daily Kos Sun Apr 20, 2008

"After Tuesday’s vote, the Democrats should move quickly to affirm Mr Obama’s nomination - because he is, in fact, the better candidate," states the Financial Times, Excerpts follow:
•

Democrats must choose Obama
April 20 2008

Barack Obama goes into Tuesday’s Pennsylvania primary as strong favorite, whatever happens, to secure the Democratic presidential nomination.
After Tuesday’s vote, the Democrats should move quickly to affirm Mr Obama’s nomination. That is not just because his lead in elected delegates is already unassailable and the contest should be brought to a swift conclusion. It is also because he is, in fact, the better candidate.

The contenders’ differences on policy look small and in reality are even smaller. In almost every area of policy, whether their thinking is good (as with improved support for displaced workers), bad (their opposition to liberal trade) or too vague to say (Iraq), there is little to choose between them. As voters understood all along, this has therefore been a contest of character, temperament and (sadly but inevitably) identity.
Mr Obama has fought a brilliant campaign, out-organizing his opponent, raising more money, and convincing undecided Democrats as well as the country at large that he was more likeable, more straightforward and more worthy of trust.

Mrs Clinton’s campaign, in contrast, has been a shambles. She and her team expected to have it all sewn up long ago; they made no plans for a long struggle, ran short of money and had to reorganize on the run.

How much the way that a campaign is run tells you about a candidate’s fitness to be president is debatable – but it does tell you something, especially if the candidate with the misfiring strategy is running on a claim of management expertise. In fact, the campaigns have underlined the contenders’ respective strengths and weaknesses.

…more at the link

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14. Clinton left speechless when husband's affair mentioned during N.C. stop

Clinton left speechless when husband's affair mentioned during N.C. stop

Sunday, April 20, 2008 By WCNC Staff

Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton campaigned in North Carolina this weekend in a conversation appearance with poet and writer Maya Angelou.
It was apparent there are two things Clinton doesn't like to talk about -- who she might pick for Vice President, and the whole Monica Lewinsky scandal. And that's exactly what she was asked when she took questions at Wake Forest University.

One woman in the audience told Clinton,
"I felt so sorry for you when Bill had his affair and I know nobody wants to talk about it but, but I think now the best way to overcome it is to become president." The woman went on to say, "that's not my question, my question is, who do you want to pick as your running mate?"

There was no comment from Clinton on the affair comment and she says it's still too early to start talking about possible V.P. candidates..
Clinton leads in the polls heading into Pennsylvania's primary on Tuesday. Meanwhile, democratic contender-- Barack Obama -- is campaigning door to door in Philadelphia. Obama and his volunteers are trying to close the gap in Pennsylvania before voters head to the polls.

North Carolina's primary follows Pennsylvania's on May 6th.

...more at the link

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15. Senator Clinton may have dropped the kitchen sink on her own foot

Senator Clinton may have dropped the kitchen sink on her own foot this week: Instead of voters moving away from Senator Obama, as Clinton continued to repeat the so-called Rev. Jeremiah Wright scandal, and even introduce new irrelevant accusations, more voters embraced Senator Obama.

Hillary Clinton: Someone Is About To Sing

Black Star News Editorial April 20th, 2008

Senator Hillary Clinton’s leading supporters in Pennsylvania seem to be moving towards acceptance of a possible Senator Barack Obama upset victory there.

In Separate television appearances today, including on CNN, both Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter said the Democratic Party will rally behind whomever is the candidate. This is remarkably different from recent denigrating comments.

There was no more talk by Governor Rendell of conservative white voters not being prepared to vote for a Black candidate; that kind of inflammatory rhetoric was for weeks ago, when Clinton led by 20 points in Pennsylvania.
…The reality is that Senator Obama is now here with us. He represents a stark contrast; while Clinton, as demonstrated by her constant attacks against Obama in this week’s debate, is firmly tied to the old-school politics--where politicians win by throwing more slime than their opponent.

…For Senator Clinton to continue attracting campaign donations, she would need to repeat the 10- points-margin of victory she enjoyed in New Jersey and Ohio; that won’t happen in Pennsylvania, and the check books will close.
….
....more at the link

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16. Clinton, Obama: Pa. 'chess game'

Clinton, Obama: Pa. 'chess game'

Posted April 20, 2008 11:25 AM by Josh Drobnyk

The Democratic presidential campaigns close out an unprecedented six-week primary contest in Pennsylvania on Tuesday with two separate goals: Win the popular vote and drive up the delegate count.

One doesn't necessarily come with the other. Only a third of the 158 pledged delegates that are up for grabs on Tuesday are divvied up according to the statewide vote. Because it's not a winner-takes-all race, the rest get divided depending on the margin of votes in each of the state's congressional districts.

That quirk has the campaigns pinpointing districts with the best opportunities to poach -- and hold onto -- an additional delegate or two, even as they aim for the more important symbolic victory in the popular vote.

''It is a three-dimensional chess game,'' said Tony Podesta, who ran John Kerry's campaign in Pennsylvania in 2004 and is a supporter of New York Sen. Hillary Clinton. ''You are trying to play two games at once.''

…''At this point, there will be some parts of the state where persuasion won't matter anymore,'' said Obama spokesman Sean Smith. ''We just need to turn people out.''

…more at the link

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17. Newsweek: Obama Building Swift Boat Response Team

Newsweek: Obama Building Swift Boat Response Team
featherman
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=5589405&mesg_id=5589405

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18. Wasserman Schultz in op ed pumps superdelegates' role ....fails to say she is Clinton's co-chair.

Madfloridian
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5590204

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19. Sunday Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Obama's moment: On Tuesday, Democrats should dare to be different

Discussion started Sun Apr-20-08 12:43 PM by RamboLiberal
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5589702

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20. Pennsylvania and Walmart. THANKS HILLARY! (PA Voters, Please Consider before Voting)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5596360

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21. ***DUzy Awards for week ending April 18, 2008.***

Some fun to lighten things up
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3180815

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22. Keith Olbermann has some GREAT questions for McCain

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x121154

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23. Obama's FEC Report Filed Reactions here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=5595428&mesg_id=5595428

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24. An Elitist like Obama

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25. BREAKING! Obama Meets with Lapel Pin Lady!

rust1d
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5568179

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26. “Cindy McCain Antoinette”

“Cindy McCain Antoinette”

By: bluegal at Crooks and Liars

by Dr. Zaius, of course. (Anderson Cooper as a lady-in-waiting is a nice touch, Z.)

Open Thread below….

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27. Election Year Folly Mr. McCain's irresponsible economic plan

Election Year Folly Mr. McCain's irresponsible economic plan

Washington Post Editorial Monday, April 21, 2008; Page A14

WITH ONE significant exception, the essence of Sen. John McCain's speech on economic policy last week could be summed up as, "Let's just get me elected, and then we can talk seriously." Of course, the presumptive Republican nominee is far from the first candidate,
and he's certainly not the only one in this campaign, to put political advantage over telling unpleasant truths. This is why he deserves credit for an element that is minor, as far as dollar amounts go, but still politically risky: his proposal to require wealthier seniors to pay higher premiums for prescription drug coverage. This would affect just 5 percent of seniors, with incomes of more than $164,000 a year per couple, and it would bring in only about $2 billion over five years. But it is one sensible step in the battle to control Medicare spending, and the howls of outrage with which it was greeted by Democrats illustrate the difficulty of dealing with entitlement spending.

At the other end of the spectrum of responsibility was Mr. McCain's proposal for a summer gas tax holiday -- the kind of pandering to voters that the Arizona senator prides himself on avoiding. This juicy promise would be done and gone before he took office, which makes it awfully easy to dangle. It would drain some $10 billion from the trust fund that pays for maintenance and repair, the opposite of what is needed. It's hard to square with Mr. McCain's commitment to combat global warming and his belief in a cap-and-trade system that would result in higher gas prices. And it might not even do much to reduce prices. Gas prices generally rise in summertime because demand is higher and refineries are already running near capacity. If lifting the federal excise tax of 18.4 cents a gallon reduced gas prices, that would push up demand and -- since supply can't grow -- result in driving prices back up. Think of it as help for the struggling petroleum refiner.

The rest of Mr. McCain's economic plan was more of the same. He had already endorsed cutting the corporate income tax from 35 percent to 25 percent, allowing immediate deductions for new business purchases and entirely eliminating the alternative minimum tax, even for the wealthiest taxpayers. To that, Mr. McCain added doubling the income tax exemption for dependents, from $3,500 to $7,000, at a cost of $45 billion per year.
The exemption is twice as valuable to the wealthiest taxpayers as it is to those with modest incomes.

Mr. McCain's tax cuts would cost more than $300 billion a year in 2012, according to estimates from the Urban Institute and the Brookings Institution's Tax Policy Center . That sum does not include the cost of extending the Bush tax cuts (around $110 billion a year beyond the extensions that Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama also endorse), and it assumes any president would end up taking the costly step of fixing the alternative minimum tax. The McCain campaign posits an array of ways to pay for this -- slashing discretionary spending, abolishing earmarks, getting rid of corporate tax breaks -- but it has failed to give details about what, exactly, it would cut. In addition, it assumes that allowing immediate write-offs for all new investment would be cost-free. The Bush Treasury Department scored a plan to allow immediate write-off of 65 percent of the cost of new investments at $1.2 trillion over 10 years. Mr. McCain is making it awfully hard to take seriously his proclamations

of fiscal responsibility.

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28. The Truth Reflected by Mr. Obama's Remarks

The Truth Reflected by Mr. Obama's Remarks

Monday, April 21, 2008; Page A14

When Sen. Barack Obama made his "bitter" comments at a recent fundraiser in San Francisco ("Opponents Paint Obama as an Elitist; Clinton, McCain Try to Score Off 'Bitter' Remark," news story, April 12), he neglected to name two behaviors that blue-collar people in Pennsylvania have turned to -- abusing alcohol and drugs -- probably because his mother brought him up to be polite.

Visiting my northeastern Pennsylvania home town of Athens over the decades, I have seen exactly what Mr. Obama described -- a result of the grim realities of life in a dying culture in a dying place. Many a meth lab exists in those rolling hills, and many people are struggling with alcoholism. And, yes, many do love their guns, many love Jesus and many are trapped in an economic hell created by the neglect and marginalization they have suffered at the hands of Washington.

Mr. Obama got it right, and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton needs to stop pandering to the media's desire for sensationalism. Perhaps she should consider a trip north of Scranton and her comfort zone -- up some winding, poorly paved roads past empty farmhouses to where she will find the very folks Mr. Obama talked about. I'm sure that they have some questions for her about where she was while they slid off Earth's edge into apathy and, yes, bitterness.


JEAN ROSS

Vienna

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29. Who's bitter? Do I look bitter?????

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30. Meet the Press: Obama's Axelrod "schools" Clinton advisor Garin - never misses a beat

Another key to Obama's success, great advisors.

Obama's Axelrod "schools" Clinton advisor Garin - never misses a beat

Ax and Garin on 'Meet'

Ben Smith at Politico April 20, 2008

Geoff Garin had a bit of a rocky debut on "Meet the Press," with Axelrod mock-generously blaming "vestiges of the old regime" for the continuing harsh tone.

Watch the video of MTP here

Also, Axelrod repudiated yesterday's Unknown Soldier gibe.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

31. Casey vouches for Obama's values (a turning point)

We will look back at the day Casey endorsed Obama as a major turning point....

Casey vouches for Obama's values

By CARRIE BUDOFF BROWN | 4/20/08

...Obama needed his character witness.

Casey, the son of a former Pennsylvania governor who bucked the Democratic Party establishment and had endorsed two weeks earlier, took a call from Obama Friday night, April 11, after his comment became public. They talked again Saturday. By Sunday morning, Casey went on CNN to defend Obama. Later in the day, Casey stood by him as he lit into Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton for capitalizing on the comment.

...Casey has since emerged as Obama’s closest surrogate of the primary season, appearing so often at his side that some reporters have referred to Casey as his running mate. Both tall and slender, the two resemble each other at times, with their rolled-up sleeves, bowling shoes or open-collar shirts.

Obama “is very lucky to have the most popular Democrat in the state with him, literally every minute,” Rendell noted on “Face the Nation.”

...“No one would have expected how much they needed him,” said Ken Smukler, a Pennsylvania Democratic strategist. “Close your eyes and think: If you had to pick any politician, any elected official in Pennsylvania, who could answer the ‘bitter’ comment, would there be anybody better than Casey? I can’t think of one of them.”

The Casey name is a brand in Pennsylvania, conferring an immediate appeal to the demographic blocs — union households, Catholic voters, working-class families — that have tended to favor Clinton over Obama.

...more at the link

[grantcart]

32. Hillary's FEC Report Thread

Try and keep them together so we can follow it

[grantcart]

33. Hillary raises $ 20 million - but WTF she reports that $ 8 million is on one day

March 31st.????????/

What could this be? PAC contributions.

Something funny here


http://query.nictusa.com/pres/2008/M4/C00431569/A_DATE_C00431569.html

[grantcart]

37. somebody follow this up please

[grantcart]

34. Hillary's campaign is broke

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=5598361&mesg_id=5598361

[grantcart]

35. Clinton Releases Her FEC Report

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5598116

[grantcart]

36. Obama raises more in NY state than Clinton

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=5598361&mesg_id=5598941

[FrenchieCat]

38. Obama and Cable News

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x121954

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39. John McCain announces fundraiser for Hillary Clinton

John McCain announces fundraiser for Hillary Clinton

Jed Report April 20

I guess Hillary Clinton's debt-laden presidential campaign needs some financial help and John McCain was happy to step up to the plate!



Tee-hee. :)

http://www.jedreport.com/2008/04/john-mccain-ann.html

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

40. Damning McCain with Faint Praise

((((((((((( The RBC Update: Damning McCain with Faint Praise )))))))))))

2008.04.21 07:07:57


------------------------------------------------------------------------

Obama says that McCain would make a better President that
George W. Bush.

Well, yes. But then you could make a better President than
George W. Bush out of papier mache.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://WWW.samefacts.com/archives/campaign_2008_/2008/04/damning_mccain_with_faint_praise.php

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

41. McCain accuses Elizabeth Edwards of "cheap shot" regarding health care

Crooks and Liars has it:

This Week: Bringing Up McCain’s Life-Long, Federally-Provided Health Care Is “A Cheap Shot”
By: Nicole Belle @ 12:15 PM - PDT



Go to this link to get the video:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/04/20/this-week-bringing-up-mccains-life-long-federally-provided-health-care-is-a-cheap-shot/

Case in point: note this little exchange between Stephanopoulos and McCain over healthcare. Elizabeth Edwards has been a vocal critic of McCain’s proposed healthcare plan in that it basically doesn’t help those who need it the most. McCain’s response falls into the less than satisfactory category:

STEPHANOPOULOS: What’s wrong with government — what’s wrong with government-run health care?

MCCAIN: And we continue to have these debates — what’s wrong with it? Go to Canada. Go to England and you can find out what’s wrong with it. Governments don’t make the right decisions. Families make the right decisions.

STEPHANOPOULOS: One of the points Mrs. Edwards made in the Wall Street Journal, she said that your whole life, you had government health care. You were the son of a Naval officer, a Naval officer, now a member of Congress. And her point is, why shouldn’t every American be able to get the kind of health care that members of Congress get or members of the military get?

MCCAIN: It’s a cheap shot, but I did have a period of time where I didn’t have very good government health care. I had it from another government. (LAUGHTER) So, look, I know what it’s like in America not to have health care. We know that Americans are hurting there as well. We’ve got to make health care affordable and available. The difference, again, between myself and the Democrats, and with all due respect, Mrs. Edwards, I want the families to make the choices. They want the government to make the choices. That’s a fundamental difference, and we will continue to debate that issue.

Actually, McSame, let’s look at England’s healthcare. PBS’s Frontline did a fantastic program comparing healthcare in the US to five other capitalist democracies, including the UK. While the UK’s program did have its drawbacks, the government has instituted policies to expand choice for the people and moreover, the government pays significantly less as a percentage of the GDP for healthcare than we do (8.3% vs. 15.3%) and it covers everyone. Hard to make facts sound bad, doesn’t it, John?

....more at the link
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/04/20/this-week-bringing-up-mccains-life-long-federally-provided-health-care-is-a-cheap-shot/

[grantcart]

42. Super Delegate for Obama DNC Goubeaux (OH)

Obama Release on New Ohio SuperdelegateOHIO SUPERDELEGATE ENDORSES BARACK OBAMA
DNC Member Enid Goubeaux cites Obama’s ability to end “politics as usual”

Her statement is below:

“I am endorsing Sen. Obama because his message, ‘yes we can’ has inspired so many voters, especially younger voters, to take part in shaping our country’s future.

“I believe that Sen. Obama will end politics as usual which divides the nation and prevents us from confronting our most serious problems.”

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

43. Scranton rallies: Obama 4,800 fans, Clinton 400 fans

Numbers speak for themselves, Scranton is Hillary's "ancestral" home, where her father is buried.

April 20, 2008 10:15
Scranton #1: Obama Rally
Posted by Jay Newton-Small | Comments (33) | Permalink | Trackbacks (0) | Email This
Dispatches from the Obama trail: Obama ventured into Hillary territory, quite literally where her father is buried, to Scranton, Pennsylvania tonight and rallied 4,800 eager fans. Under the neon lights of a massive indoor soccer field, Obama also unleashed some of his harshest criticism yet of Clinton, laying out three reasons why he’d make a better nominee:
...more here
http://www.time-blog.com/swampland/2008/04/scranton_1_obama_rally.html

April 21, 2008 10:22
Scranton #2: Clinton Rally

If the first event of the last day of the Pennsylvania campaign is any indication, Hillary Clinton intends to make her closing argument a positive one. To a packed house of about 400 people in the Scranton Cultural Center ballroom (more than a respectable size for a workday morning), she talked about her own roots in this community, which go back to her immigrant great-grandparents, and the summers she spent at Lake Winola, some of which apparently involved a boat and a boy named Ernie ("But that's another story..."). Her 17-minute speech would have been even shorter, if it hadn't been interrupted repeatedly with chanting that included "Madame President!" and "One Day to Victory!"
...more here
http://www.time-blog.com/swampland/2008/04/scranton_2_clinton_rally.html

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

44. Hillary in State College: Curtains Hide Empty Rows

Hillary in State College: Curtains Hide Empty Rows

By Dena Pauling- [e-mail]
UNIVERSITY PARK — A U.S. flag and black curtains hid rows of empty bleachers, as Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Clinton spoke at Penn State's Rec Hall Sunday night.

“I was expecting it to be a lot more crowded,” said Penn State senior Matt Golden, 21, who snagged a spot in the spacious standing-room area at the foot of the stage. “I guess the weather and the timing — it’s the end of the semester. But I have a 12-page paper due tomorrow, and I’m here.”

An estimated 1,500 people braved waiting in line in a steady rain to see Clinton, a far smaller turnout than Sen. Barack Obama’s appearance at Penn State on March 30 before a crowd of 22,000 amid sunny skies.

Attendees attributed the low attendance to a number of factors: the weather, short notice, end-of-the-semester crunch,

hangovers from Saturday’s Blue-White football game and young voters’ attraction to her Democratic opponent.

“For college-aged students, Obama appeals more,” Penn State senior Patricia McCarthy, 22, said. Hearing him speak is “kind of like going to a rock concert.”

....http://www.centredaily.com/news/local/story/537079.html

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

45. Robert Reich is concerned about Hillary's Health Plan (me too)

votesomemore
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5574890

[Scurrilous]

46. K & R

:thumbsup:

[catgirl]

47. Hilarious video of McCain with gospel singers

I think it's time to move on. This video demonstrates the contrast between the all emcompassing Obama and the one faceted McCain...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=5609001&mesg_id=5609001

[jefferson_dem]

48. Pool Report for Obama Taping With “The Daily Show”Pool Report #2

Pool Report for Obama Taping With “The Daily Show”Pool Report #2
Pittsburgh Video Center, Pittsburgh, Pa.

6:45 p.m. Obama tapes an appearance on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” by video hookup. Obama campaign moving partial transcript shortly.

Highlights at the top:

*Obama told Stewart during their interview that after starting out 20 points behind Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania, “The polls are now showing us about 6 to 8″ points behind.

*Stewart told Obama what the real concern voters have is: “The Rev. Wright controversy, the flag pin controversy. . . Will you pull a bait-and-switch, sir, and enslave the white race. Is that your plan? And if it is your plan, be honest, tell us now!” Obama’s response (laughing, not mad): “That is not our plan, Jon, but I think your paranoia might make you suitable as a debate moderator.”

For the rest, your pooler will divide this report into two sections - my mostly unsuccessful attempt to get a quote from Sen.Obama re. the Clinton campaign’s ad invoking Osama Bin Laden, and then the Jon Stewart appearance.

Part I
On the way into the studio, I asked Obama why he felt it important to respond to the late-breaking Clinton ad with an ad of his own and what he thought of her ad. “Are you supposed to be doing this with the pool?” he asked, and laughed. Then he sat down and had the earpiece put in. I asked him if he’d give us a comment after the taping and he said, “Maybe, it depends on how well behaved you are.” But then after the taping, I was whisked off ahead of him and didn’t get to bug him again.

In between, I asked strategist David Axelrod again about the Clinton ad. His response: “The irony of it is, she supported the president on the war and that’s one of the main reasons why Osama bin Laden is still free. And then you know to include him in this ad and emulate the sort of fear-mongering that we’ve seen over the last eight years is really ironic. She didn’t have the judgment to see that we were diverting our attention from bin Laden and now she’s using Bin Laden in an ad to say that she is the one who is ready to be president?”

<SNIP>

http://thepage.time.com/pool-report-for-obama-taping-with-the-daily-show/

[JimGinPA]

49. Where Did All The Obama Signs Come From?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=5608796&mesg_id=5608796