Our Republic

Palin Agrees With Cheney That Veep Belongs to Neither the Executive Nor Legislative Branch

2008-10-02T22:20:00.037-04:00

Asked whether she agrees with Dick Cheney that the Vice President belongs to neither the executive nor legislative branch of government, Sarah Palin incredibly said yes.

You may recall that a while back Cheney told Congress that his office is not fully part of either branch to exempt it from an executive order regulating federal agencies' handling of sensitive national security information. This claim was discredited by everyone from the news media to the President himself. It was so preposterous that Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel mockingly proposed withholding appropriations for the Office of the Vice President until Cheney decided which branch he belonged to.

Article II of the U.S. Constitution provides unequivocally that the Vice President is part of the Executive Branch. One would have thought the Republican nominee for Vice President would have taken the time to read it.

McCain to Abandon Michigan

2008-10-02T16:08:00.018-04:00

John McCain knows he's in trouble. National polls put him roughly 6 points behind Barack Obama, and if the election were held today, he'd lose by a landslide in the Electoral College. So with just over a month until election day, campaign manager Rick Davis has confirmed that McCain is pulling out of the Great Lakes State.

Republican sources say that McCain will no longer air TV ads and or continue direct mail and other outreach in Michigan, but will instead redirect staff and resources to states like Wisconsin, Ohio, and Florida, which the campaign believes to be more competitive. As the latest polls show McCain behind in Ohio and Florida, and well-behind in Wisconsin, they clearly have their work cut out for them. Particularly when one considers that as the electoral map currently stands (353 to 185), McCain could win all three states and still lose handily.

Quinnipiac: Obama Up Big in Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania

2008-10-01T08:58:00.017-04:00

New surveys by Quinnipiac University show Barack Obama building commanding leads in the battleground states of Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Boosted by his performance in Friday's presidential debate and Sarah Palin's declining favorability, Obama now bests John McCain by 51 percent to 43 percent in Florida, 50 percent to 42 percent in Ohio, and 54 percent to 39 percent in Pennsylvania.

"It is difficult to find a modern competitive presidential race that has swung so dramatically, so quickly and so sharply this late in the campaign," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "Sen. John McCain has his work cut out for him if he is to win the presidency and there does not appear to be a role model for such a comeback in the last half century."

As it stands, Real Clear Politics shows Obama trouncing McCain in its Electoral College projection, 348 to 190.

Spain in Latin America, Venezuela in Middle East?

2008-09-30T15:51:00.015-04:00

At an economic roundtable today in Des Moines, Iowa, John McCain stressed the importance of "ensuring that America is secure, and not dependent on oil from people like Hugo Chavez or other parts of the Middle East..." For crying out loud, will someone please give him a crash course in geography? Chavez is president of Venezuela, a country in Latin America. And no, senator, it does not share a border with Spain.

Palin Can't Name Supreme Court Case Other Than Roe v. Wade

2008-09-30T09:06:00.007-04:00

We already know that Gov. Palin's interview with Katie Couric was a complete and utter disaster. When prompted to defend her claim that geographic proximity makes her some sort of expert on U.S.-Russo relations, she observed that Putin flies over Alaska to get to the lower forty-eight. When asked to identify a single market regulation that McCain supported in his 26 years of service, Palin said "I’ll try to find you some and I’ll bring them to ya." (She didn't.) When queried about the bailout, she responded with a cadre of incoherent rambling about healthcare, spending, and trade. And unfortunately for Palin, it's not over.

Yesterday, Howard Kurtz revealed in his column that "the worst may be yet to come for Palin; sources say CBS has two more responses on tape that will likely prove embarrassing." As media insiders held their fire to avoid looking like they're piling on, a number of prominent conservatives jumped ship. Conservative columnist Kathleen Parker summed up sentiments well: "If BS were currency, Palin could bail out Wall Street herself."

Last night, the substance of one of the ill-fated responses leaked. Couric's interview had turned to the highest court. Palin noted Roe v. Wade but was apparently unable to identify any other Supreme Court cases. Marbury v. Madison? Nope. Brown v. Board? Nuh uh. Bush v. Gore?! Not so much.

But why sweat the small stuff? She's a 'maverick' and can see Russia from her house.

DOJ: Rove, Miers Behind U.S. Attorney Firings

2008-09-29T10:19:00.032-04:00

A Justice Department report to be released today is said to offer harsh condemnation of the political motivations that led to the dismissal of nine U.S. attorneys. While former Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez will likely not face criminal charges, sources close to the investigation tell The New York Times that criticism in the report centers on Gonzalez's chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, who carried out the firings.

Perhaps most significant, the report is expected to produce evidence that Sampson's orders came down from senior White House staff; namely, former Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove and White House counsel Harriet Miers.

Update (11:15 am): The report has been released and Attorney General Michael Mukasey has appointed a special prosecutor to examine whether criminal charges are warranted.

Justice Department Inspector General Glenn Fine and Office of Professional Responsibility Director Marshall Jarrett said that a special prosecutor is necessary because "serious allegations involving potential criminal conduct have not been fully investigated or resolved."

Investigators were particularly troubled by the circumstances surrounding the David Iglesias's firing, but said they were unable to get the complete story because Karl Rove, Harriet Miers, Monica Goodling, New Mexico Sen. Pete Domenici, and others have thus far refused to cooperate. That notwithstanding, Rove and Miers remain lead characters in the 392 page narrative.

Heavy responsibility for the scandal is also laid at the feet of Alberto Gonzalez, who the report says "abdicated" his leadership role and was "remarkably unengaged."

Huckabee: McCain Made a "Huge Mistake"

2008-09-26T13:45:00.014-04:00

Speaking to reporters in Mobile, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee called Sen. McCain's decision to suspend his campaign and possibly skip tonight's debate a "huge mistake." A President has to "deal with the unexpected," he said. "You can't just say, 'World, stop for a moment. I'm going to cancel everything.'"

Huckabee said it's more important for the American people to hear from the presidential candidates than for them to huddle with politicians in Washington. Given that McCain's helping hand has thus far torpedoed at least one tenative rescue deal, I think it's safe to say at this point that any excuse to get McCain out of Washington will do.

Palin Incoherent on Bailout

2008-09-26T08:30:00.012-04:00

It turns out the Bush doctrine was Palin's strong suit.

PALIN: But ultimately, what the bailout does is help those who are concerned about the healthcare reform that is needed to help shore up our economy. Um, helping, oh -- it's got to be all about job creation too. Shoring up our economy, and putting it back on the right track. So healthcare reform and reducing taxes and reining in spending has got to accompany tax reductions, and tax relief for Americans, and trade, we've got to see trade as opportunity, not as a competitive, um, scary thing, but 1 in 5 jobs being created in the trade sector today. We've got to look at that as more opportunity. All of those things under the umbrella of job creation. This bailout is a part of that.

McCain Photo Op Stymies Progress on Rescue

2008-09-25T09:04:00.017-04:00

Congressional leaders and Bush administration officials are close to a deal on a $700 billion rescue plan with greater protections for taxpayers and new assistance for distressed homeowners. But John McCain is floundering and needs the President to help him pull off his peculiar political stunt. So now, at McCain's request, Bush is taking the parties away from work on a package they have effectively already agreed to for a meeting after-the-fact at the White House.

Rep. Barney Frank, Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee and point-person in negotiations with Treasury Secretary Paulson, called the meeting an unneeded distraction.

"We're going to have to interrupt a negotiating session tomorrow between the Democrats and Republicans on a bill where I think we are getting pretty close, and troop down to the White House for their photo op," he said. "I wish they'd checked with us."

Indeed, one would think the "country first" candidate would have checked with those having actual responsibility for moving the deal forward. But he didn't. So the greatest financial crisis since the Great Depression is just going to have to wait. McCain needs his photo op.

Palin Unable to Cite One McCain-Backed Market Regulation

2008-09-25T09:02:00.015-04:00

In case you missed it, Gov. Palin took part in a rare interview with CBS's Katie Couric yesterday and was asked if she could name one instance in which Sen. McCain advocated for greater regulation of the market. She couldn't ("I’ll try to find you some and I’ll bring them to ya.") This is relevant, of course, because in recent days McCain has attempted to claim the mantle of market regulation (one of the biggest flip-flops in presidential campaign history).

While Palin's inability to define the Bush doctrine was inexcusable, it's hard to fault her for this one. After all, the correct answer to Couric's question was "No."

Panicked McCain Suspends Campaign to Save Economy He Knows Nothing About

2008-09-24T18:37:00.016-04:00

Holy Hail Mary! You really have to hand it to the man -- he's as unpredictable as a wounded elephant. And he just so happens to be a wounded elephant. Well, metaphorically speaking.

Today was quite possibly the worst day of the campaign for John McCain. It started out with his running mate taking flack for banning reporters from her meetings with world leaders yesterday, it veered off course when new Washington Post/ABC and Fox News polls showed him trailing Sen. Obama by 9 and 6 points respectively, and came in for a crash landing when news broke that Freddie Mac paid campaign manager Rick Davis's firm $15,000 a month from 2005 through last month. The revelations concerning the $15,000 payments were undoubtedly the straw that broke the elephant's back as McCain had just told CNBC and The New York Times on Sunday that Davis had not been involved with Freddie for several years.

So what did McCain do? He threw what Congressman Barney Frank called "the longest Hail Mary pass in the history of either football or Marys." That is, McCain suspended his campaign and asked that Friday's debate be postponed, an obvious political ploy meant to divert attention away from the fact that his woefully unqualified running mate won't answer questions, that he has no idea what to do about the economy, and that his campaign manager lobbied until recently for the very reckless, hands-off policies that set the current crisis in motion.

McCain Lied About Campaign Manager's Ties to Freddie Mac

2008-09-24T08:40:00.004-04:00

On Sunday, in an interview with CNBC and The New York Times, John McCain stated unequivocally that his lobbyist campaign manager, Rick Davis, has had no involvement with Freddie Mac for several years. Today, however, The Times reveals that Freddie Mac paid Davis's firm $15,000 a month from the end of 2005 through last month. The payments ceased only after the beleaguered mortgage giant was taken over by the federal government a couple of weeks ago.

"The two officials with direct knowledge of Freddie Mac's post-2005 contract with Davis spoke on condition of anonymity. One is a Democrat and the other a registered independent. Four other outside consultants, three Democrats and a Republican also speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that it was widely known that Davis was being paid though his firm."

These revelations obviously reak of hypocrisy on the part of McCain, who has levied repeated and widely discredited charges that former Fannie Mae executives have served as Obama advisers. But what's worse is that McCain lied to the American people.

Campbell Brown: Let Palin Answer Questions

2008-09-24T08:26:00.016-04:00

CNN's Campbell Brown delivered a scalding editorial last night in which she accused the McCain campaign of sexism in their treatment of Gov. Palin. Brown said that Palin is not "a delicate flower" and should be permitted to face the press and answer questions like "a real candidate."

Here's a complete transcript of Brown's remarks:

"But, first, bear with me for a short rant on another subject, because, frankly, I have had it. And I know a lot of other women out there are with me on this. I have had enough of the sexist treatment of Sarah Palin. It has to end.

"She was here in New York City today meeting with world leaders at the U.N. And what did the McCain campaign do? They tried to ban reporters from covering those meetings. And they did ban reporters from asking Gov. Palin any questions.

"Tonight, I call on the McCain campaign to stop treating Sarah Palin like she is a delicate flower that will wilt at any moment. This woman is from Alaska, for crying out loud. She is strong. She is tough. She is confident. And you claim she's ready to be one heartbeat away from the presidency. If that is the case, then end this chauvinistic treatment of her now. Allow her to show her stuff. Allow her to face down those pesky reporters, just like Barack Obama did today, just like John McCain did today, just like Joe Biden has done on numerous occasions. Let her have a real news conference with real questions.

"By treating Sarah Palin different from the other candidates in this race, you're not showing her the respect she deserves. Free Sarah Palin. Free her from the chauvinistic chains you're binding her with. Sexism in this campaign must come to an end. Sarah Palin has just as much a right to be a real candidate in this race as the men do. So, let her act like one."

Palin Bans Reporters from Meetings With Leaders

2008-09-23T12:23:00.027-04:00

The Associated Press and others are reporting that Gov. Palin has banned reporters from her meetings with world leaders today, allowing access to only photographers and a television camera crew. In other words, she wanted a free photo op with no strings attached. Palin's move is in keeping with her practice of refusing access and answers to any and all things relating to her background, qualifications, and record.

When the Associated Press and other news organizations objected, Palin's staff informed them that the matter was not open for discussion. CNN, which was on hand to provide television coverage, pulled its camera crew after it, ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, and others voted not use any video coming out of Palin's meetings in protest.

McCain Caught Lying to Michiganders

2008-09-22T14:53:00.023-04:00

The McCain campaign's efforts to portray Sen. Obama as an elitist have hit another, well, bump in the road. NEWSWEEK reports that John McCain owns a fleet of 13 automobiles and, to make matters worse, has been caught in yet another lie.

In a recent interview with Detroit station WXYZ-TV, McCain bragged that "I've bought American literally all my life and I'm proud." It turns out that McCain's "all-American" fleet includes four foreign-made automobiles: a Honda sedan, a Volkswagen convertible, a Toyota Prius, and a Lexus with vanity plates reading "MS BUD." And that doesn't include Cindy's tricked out Nissan drift racer.

So at a time when U.S. automakers and their employees are fighting for their lives, McCain actually had the audacity to go to Detroit and lie to their faces. Oh and for the record, Barack and Michelle Obama own 1 automobile: a Ford Escape Hybrid.

McCain Looks Foolish in Assault on Cox

2008-09-19T14:01:00.029-04:00

This week John McCain, completely out of his element with respect to developments on Wall Street, lodged another uninformed and impetuous attack -- this time, at SEC Chairman Christopher Cox.

"The chairman of the SEC serves at the appointment of the president and, in my view, has betrayed the public trust," McCain said. "If I were president today, I would fire him."

And he would have diminished his office by attempting to do so. Here are just two reasons why.

First, it is borderline ridiculous to lay the blame squarely at Cox's feet. Our current crisis dates back to reckless deregulation of the financial markets by the GOP-controlled Congress and its chief deregulator, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Phil Gramm (now McCain Campaign Chairman and presumptive Treasury Secretary), in the 1990s. Gramm's work left the SEC and others without the necessary authorities to regulate adequately existing and new markets and securities. Sure, Cox should have spoken up and done so forcefully. But the current financial crisis wasn't set in motion by Cox or his predecessors.

McCain's misdirected, bellicose rhetoric has drawn the ire of even America's most conservative editorial board, the Wall Street Journal, who called his statements about Cox "false," "deeply unfair," and downright "unpresidential." Ouch.

Second, if McCain hadn't shot first and asked questions later, he likely would have discovered that the president doesn't have the power to dismiss Chairman Cox. While the president does indeed nominate the chairman and other commissioners of the SEC, they, like their counterparts at the Federal Reserve Board, the National Labor Relations Board, the Federal Communications Commission, and the Federal Trade Commission, cannot be removed by him. What an awkward conversation that would be.

Disaster Looming: China in Talks to Buy Half of Morgan Stanley

2008-09-18T11:56:00.017-04:00

"The capitalists will sell us the rope to hang them with." - Lenin

Bloomberg reports that Morgan Stanley, America's second largest securities firm, may sell as much as 49 percent of its holdings to China. China already holds a 9.9 percent stake in Morgan Stanley, which it purchased in December after the firm reported a quarterly loss. Obviously, Morgan Stanley's in trouble again. It's shares fell 42 percent this week as Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy and Merrill Lynch allowed itself to be acquired by Bank of America. But this would be a complete and utter disaster; perhaps not for Morgan Stanley, but certainly for America.

China is already leveraging its position as one of America's biggest bankers to defend an untenable status quo in U.S.-China trade; one that has seen the devastation of U.S. manufacturing and that continues to permit China to levy 12 percent higher average tariffs on U.S. goods than the U.S. imposes on Chinese goods, inflate its competitive posture in U.S. markets through blatant currency manipulation, and extract annually from the U.S. a trade surplus of $233 billion (and rising).

And if America has any hope of reacquiring the leverage necessary to pressure China to exert its influence in Darfur, cease hostilities towards Tibet and Taiwan, and respect the human rights and civil liberties of its citizens, our government better think hard and fast before they allow the Chinese government to purchase half of Morgan Stanley.

China owns far too much of America already. It would be sheer folly to put them on the path to a controlling interest.

Baroness Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild: Obama Out of Touch

2008-09-18T07:57:00.002-04:00

It's no mystery that Sen. McCain's selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate was a cynical ploy to bring in disaffected Hillary Clinton supporters. Criticize him all you want, but he finally got one!

I listened intently yesterday as CNN announced that "a prominent Hillary Clinton supporter" had endorsed John McCain for President -- and very nearly wet myself when I heard it was none other than the Baroness Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild. Here's Lady Forester's reason for defecting:

"This is a hard decision for me personally because frankly I don't like [Obama]. I feel like he is an elitist."

If you haven't yet figured out why this is so funny, here's a little bit of background. Lady Forester is the billionaire CEO of a major international holding company, one-time "mega communications mogul," and wife of famed international banker Sir Evelyn Robert Adrian de Rothschild. She is mistress of the Ascott House, the 3,200 acre Rothschild family estate North of London, and owns a lavish summer home in Marthas Vineyard and what has been described as "the most beautiful apartment in New York." She's been dubbed "the flashiest hostess in London" by Portfolio and "a New York socialite" by the Wall Street Journal. And Lady Forester is clearly anathema to the plight of ordinary Americans.

Now say her full name (and title) five times real fast.

McCain's Top Economic Adviser: McCain Invented the Blackberry

2008-09-16T10:18:00.009-04:00

Asked by reporters this morning what work Sen. McCain did as Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee that helped him understand financial markets, the senator's top economic adviser Douglas Holtz-Eakin waved his Blackberry in the air and declared "He did this!" Not realizing that he had just damned his candidate with a sequel to "I took the initiative in creating the Internet," Holtz-Eakin pressed on:

"Telecommunications of the United States is a premier innovation in the past 15 years, comes right through the Commerce committee so you're looking at the miracle John McCain helped create and that's what he did."

Remember, this is the same guy who admitted he doesn't know how to send emails or use the internet.

It's 3 A.M. and McCain Still Doesn't Understand Economic Issues

2008-09-15T11:32:00.033-04:00

It's 3 a.m. and we're in the midst of a once-in-a-century economic crisis. Who do you want answering the phone? Well, let's start by taking a look at where we are after 8 years of Republican economic policies.

The housing market is soft, credit is scarce, foreclosures are at an all-time high, and we're $10 trillion in debt. While labor productivity has risen 13.5 percent, middle class real wages have fallen roughly $1700. At the same time, the cost of healthcare, college, energy, and food have skyrocketed.

Earlier this year, federal taxpayers bailed out one of the world's largest investment banks. Earlier this month, taxpayers bailed out the country's two largest mortgage lenders. Earlier today, another of the world's largest (also U.S.-based) investment banks filed for bankruptcy. And just a few hours ago, John McCain told Floridians that he still believes "the fundamentals of our economy are strong."

To his credit, McCain has conceded that "the issue of economics is not something I’ve understood as well as I should." But as McCain made clear today, he remains not only completely out of touch, but hopelessly ill-equipped to take on the economic challenges we face.

McCain, Palin At Odds Over Stem Cells

2008-09-12T16:52:00.020-04:00

The McCain campaign has released a new radio ad highlighting the Arizona senator's relatively moderate stance on stem cell research. The ad says the following:

"They're the original mavericks. Leaders. Reformers. Fighting for real change. John McCain will lead his Congressional allies to improve America's health. Stem cell research to unlock the mystery of cancer, diabetes, heart disease. Stem cell research to help free families from the fear and devastation of illness. Stem cell research to help doctors repair spinal cord damage, knee injuries, serious burns. Stem cell research to help stroke victims."

Just one problem: Gov. Palin is adamantly opposed to stem cell research. During a 2006 gubernatorial debate, Palin was asked about the issue. Here's what she said:

"Well, another hypothetical, because I certainly have not seen it on the docket in our university system, stem cell research. But here again, with a pro-life position, and its interesting that so many questions revolve around this centeredness I have of respecting life and the potential of every human life, but no, stem-cell research would ultimately end in destruction of life. I couldn’t support [it]."

Again, the ad says "mavericks." Now I get that John McCain is supposed to be one of them. I'm just wondering who the other is.

Palin: Bush Doctrine?

2008-09-12T07:45:00.000-04:00

Palin Moving to Block 'Troopergate' Subpoenas?

2008-09-11T15:44:00.015-04:00

Bloomberg reports that the Alaska Attorney General's office is interfering with the legislature's investigation into whether Gov. Palin abused her office by firing Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan. While Alaska's legislature is controlled by the GOP, Palin's lawyers are nevertheless calling into question their authority and motivations and threatening to move to quash the subpoenas that legislators are expected to issue tomorrow.

But Jay Ramras, the GOP representative who chairs the Judiciary Committee, isn't backing down. "We have to prevent this because it is going to diminish the reputation of Alaska," he said.

Pres. Clinton: Obama Will Win "Pretty Handily"

2008-09-11T14:09:00.006-04:00

Sen. Obama and former President Clinton just finished having lunch at Clinton's Harlem office. When asked about Obama's prospects for victory in November, Clinton expressed optimism. "I predict Sen. Obama will win and win pretty handily," he said. (Photo: AP)

Bears Are So Yesterday

2008-09-11T09:31:00.012-04:00

On the campaign trail John McCain routinely mocks Congress's lavish taste for earmarks by way of such comedic examples as an appropriation to study the DNA of Bears in Montana. "I don’t know if that was a paternity issue or a criminal issue," McCain quips. Well, if McCain is in need of new material, he need look no further than his running mate's FY 2009 earmark requests.

It turns out that Gov. Palin has requested federal funding to study the DNA of harbor seals (bears are so yesterday) and the mating habits of crabs. When coupled with Palin's support for the infamous bridge to nowhere, these revelations show that McCain's running mate represents, perhaps better than anyone else, the very me-first, country-second, fiscally irresponsible Washington politicking McCain professes to detest.

And yes, it's okay to laugh.

Divorce Judge: Harrassment of Wooten by Palin and Her Family "A Form of Child Abuse"

2008-09-10T13:57:00.013-04:00

According to Newsweek, in 2005 a judge repeatedly warned Sarah Palin and members of her family to stop disparaging Mike Wooten, the Alaska state trooper who divorced Palin's sister Molly and was alleged to have been targeted for termination by Palin when she became Governor. (Click here for more on "troopergate")

Court records show that Judge John Suddock heard testimony from a representative of the Alaska State Troopers' union about how Palin and her family filed as many as a dozen complaints against Wooten with the state police. The representative testified, inter alia, that the complaints were "not job-related" and that Wooten was being "harassed" by Palin.

Judge Suddock called the conduct of Palin and her family "a form of child abuse" and believed their conduct so reprehensible that he threatened to award Wooten sole custody of the child. In granting Wooten and Molly a divorce, Judge Suddock warned Molly that he would consider limiting her custody rights should she prove unable to control Palin and other members of her family.

Begala: No Debate About Bridge to Nowhere

2008-09-10T12:02:00.008-04:00

Does the High Road Lead to Defeat?

2008-09-10T10:38:00.011-04:00

When Obama secured the Democratic nomination, John McCain pledged to run a civil campaign founded on the issues. While he almost immediately kicked that pledge to the curb, I must confess that I hadn't expected McCain's message to deterioriate into that which he had once condemned: the very Karl Rove politics of smear and deceit that doomed his candidacy in 2000. And I certainly hadn't expected him to best Rove at his own game. But he has.

Without any discernable plan to get the economy back on track, expand access to healthcare, achieve energy independence or take the fight to the terrorists in the tribal regions of Pakistan, McCain has pinned his electoral fortunes on two new narratives. The first displaces issues with feel-good catchphrases like "country first" and "original maverick." The second uses innuendo and untruths to reinforce subsconscious fears and biases about Obama.

An example of the latter can be found in McCain's new ad on education, wherein Obama is cast as someone who supported "comprehensive sex education" for kindergartners. The fact that it is a blatant lie is immaterial. It's out there -- and some people will go to the polls in November believing it.

It is the same strategy McCain's employed with taxes. Under Obama's tax plan, 95 percent of Americans would get a tax cut and seniors with incomes under $50,000 would pay no income taxes at all. Nevertheless, McCain continues to carpet bomb the swing states with ads saying Obama will raise everyone's taxes. And surprise, surprise, a new Washington Post/ABC News poll shows that 51 percent of Americans and 41 percent of seniors believe Obama will raise their taxes.

It's the most cynical and dishonorable campaign strategy I've ever seen -- and it appears to be working. It's working in part because the McCain campaign has cowed the media into abandoning its commitment to objective fact. So now when McCain throws a ball, the media widens the strike zone.

Given this reality, the question is no longer as simple as whether playing McCain's game will do more damage to Obama's brand than its worth. The more important question it seems is whether, under these circumstances, the high road leads anywhere at all.

Obama Slams McCain for "Swift Boat Politics"

2008-09-10T10:35:00.001-04:00

Palin Championed Bridge, Led Nation in Earmark Requests as Governor

2008-09-09T09:49:00.028-04:00

While politicians have always taken certain liberties with fact and circumstance, the McCain-Palin ticket has, true to their newly discovered message of 'change,' taken it to a whole new level. In every speech given as McCain's running mate, the moose-hunting hockey mom from Alaska has boasted that she told Congress "thanks but no thanks on that bridge to nowhere." Palin, like McCain, has also criticized Obama's earmark requests as typical pork-barrel spending. There are two problems with this line of argument: Palin championed the bridge to nowhere as a gubernatorial candidate and as Governor, and has led the nation in earmark requests in her two years as Alaska's chief executive (it wasn't even close).

First, let's look at Palin's record with respect to the bridge. In 2006, Palin told the Anchorage Daily News that she would like to see the bridge "built sooner rather than later. The window is now -- while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist." Once elected, Palin reiterated her support for the project. "We need to come to the defense of Southeast Alaska when proposals are on the table like the bridge," she said, "and not allow the spinmeisters to turn this project or any other into something that's so negative." Only after the bridge became a national scandal did Palin change her mind. Of course, that didn't stop her from keeping the money which had already been earmarked for the project.

Which brings us to Palin's record on earmarks. During her tenure as Mayor of Wasilla, Palin hired the town's first Washington lobbyist and succeeded in extracting tens of millions of taxpayer dollars from the federal treasury. Notwithstanding her success in Washington, Palin managed to leave Wasilla $20 million in debt. And in less than two years as Governor, Palin has asked for $750 million in federal earmarks, by far the largest per-capita request in the country.

So if McCain and Palin are indeed "the original mavericks," why do they look so much like the establishment?

Tom Ridge Defends "John Bush"

2008-09-05T11:41:00.002-04:00

Palin Switched Colleges 6 Times in 6 Years

2008-09-05T10:04:00.019-04:00

Gov. Palin's resume just keeps getting better. And by better I mean oh my god. First we learn that Palin's relevant experience consists of less than two years as Alaska Governor and service as Mayor of Wasilla, a town of 7,000 that she left $20 million in debt (that's $3,000 per resident.) Then we learn that she's under investigation by Alaska's GOP-controlled legislature for possible ethics violations. Then we learn that she was actually for the famed 'Bridge to Nowhere' before she was against it. Then we learn that she believes the prosecution of the Iraq War and the construction of an Alaska gas pipeline to be tasks ordained by God. Then we find out that she picked up her religious fanaticism from her radical pastor, who preaches, among other things, that the hottest part of hell is reserved for critics of President Bush and the 59 million Americans who voted for John Kerry.

And now the news off the wire is that Palin attended 6 colleges in 6 years en route to a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Idaho. Fortunately for Palin, federal privacy laws prohibit the schools from disclosing her grades. Okay, now swallow your coffee or food. Ready? She left her first college, the University of Hawaii at Hilo, after only a few weeks because it rained too much. I mean come on, this isn't funny anymore. Is this really the best the GOP can do for Vice President of the United States?

Stewart in Stride: Exposes Hypocrisy of McCain Surrogates on Experience and Gender

2008-09-05T09:30:00.000-04:00

Sen. Clinton Releases Statement at Close of RNC

2008-09-04T23:09:00.005-04:00

As Sen. McCain wrapped up his acceptance speech, Sen. Clinton released the following statement:

The two party conventions showcased vastly different directions for our country. Senator Obama and Senator Biden offered the new ideas and positive change America needs and deserves after eight years of failed Republican leadership. Senator McCain and Governor Palin do not.
After listening to all the speeches this week, I heard nothing that suggests the Republicans are ready to fix the economy for middle class families, provide quality affordable health care for all Americans, guarantee equal pay for equal work for women, restore our nation's leadership in a complex world or tackle the myriad of challenges our country faces. So, to slightly amend my comments from Denver: NO WAY, NO HOW, NO McCAIN-PALIN.

Simon Mocks McCain's Anti-Media Campaign

2008-09-04T14:08:00.008-04:00

Roger Simon of the Politico authored a fantastic piece today about the McCain campaign's brazen attempts to silence legitimate media inquiries about Gov. Palin's experience and record. The hypocrisy is palpable, as Simon illustrates. Here's an excerpt:

On behalf of the media, I would like to say we are sorry.
On behalf of the elite media, I would like to say we are very sorry.
We have asked questions this week that we should never have asked.
We have asked pathetic questions like: Who is Sarah Palin? What is her record? Where does she stand on the issues? And is she is qualified to be a heartbeat away from the presidency?
We have asked mean questions like: How well did John McCain know her before he selected her? How well did his campaign vet her? And was she his first choice?
Bad questions. Bad media. Bad.

Palin Speech Empty as Her Resume

2008-09-04T09:06:00.010-04:00

Gov. Palin's speech last night was well-delivered, but totally devoid of substance. While she seemed comfortable in the traditional attack dog role of a VP nominee, she did little to address doubts as to whether she is ready to be President should the need arise.

Aside from fleeting references to what seemed a petroleum-based energy policy, Palin didn't touch a single issue of consequence to American families. We find ourselves in the midst of recession and a housing crisis, in a war we can't afford and with a spiraling debt we can't seem to arrest, but you wouldn't have known it listening to Palin's speech. Then again, McCain's campaign manager did say, "This election is not about issues," so I suppose we should have expected as much.

And as far as one can tell, Palin is just as unqualified today as she was yesterday. She attempted to counter this argument last night by pointing to her experience as a small-town mayor. "I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a 'community organizer,' except that you have actual responsibilities," she quipped. Fair enough. But where I come from, officiating a snowmobile race doesn't count as an "actual responsibility," and America has tens of thousands of mayors. What makes her any better than the rest?

Apparently not much, at least according to McCain confidants Mike Murphy and Peggy Noonan. Yesterday on MSNBC, Murphy and Noonan, unaware that their mic was still on, essentially called Palin an empty suit chosen for political theater.

So when the McCain campaign is asked about Palin's inexperience, ethical problems, ties to secessionist organizations and, coming soon, her radical pastor, it's not because America's full of raging sexists. It's because she might become President -- and last night's speech did little to assuage concerns that she's not up to the job.

Palin's Pastor Far Crazier Than Wright

2008-09-03T14:40:00.012-04:00

You may have heard that in June of this year, Gov. Palin told congregants at the Wasilla Assembly of God that the Iraq War and the construction of an Alaska gas pipeline are tasks from God. Well, now we have a better idea of where this radical crusader-mentality may have come from. If you think Jeremiah Wright was bad, just wait until you meet Palin's Pastor, Ed Kalnins.

During the 2004 election season, Pastor Kalnins warned congregants that critics of President Bush and supporters of Sen. Kerry would be banished to hell. He maintains, inter alia, that the 9/11 terrorist attacks and Iraq conflict are part of a larger war "contending for your faith," that Jesus "operated from that position of war mode," and that damnation awaits critics of the Bush administration's handling of Hurricane Katrina.

News of Pastor Kalnin's ministry and association with Palin is developing as we speak, so stay tuned.

The Palin Strategy

2008-09-03T09:42:00.011-04:00

In McCain's eyes, the fact that Sarah Palin has less than two years of relevant experience, a far-right political ideology, ethical issues and ties to a fringe secessionist organization is of little consequence. He obviously didn't pick her because he believes her qualified to assume the presidency should something happen to him. Rather, he tuned in for the Democratic convention, saw Obama's acceptance speech, and panicked. He needed to shake things up; country ~~first~~ be damned.

So here's the strategy the McCain campaign came up with: Choose a woman who is woefully unqualified to be president and then brand as sexist any and all who question her credentials. That ought to rile up those disaffected Hillary supporters. Since the announcement, the McCain campaign has operated as a well-oiled machine, leveling charges of sexism at the Obama campaign, the media, and anyone else with the audacity to go public with Palin's resume.

"I am appalled by the Obama campaign's attempts to belittle Governor Sarah Palin's experience." says RNC Victory Chair Carly Fiorina. "Because of Hillary Clinton's historic run for the Presidency and the treatment she received, American women are more highly tuned than ever to recognize and decry sexism in all its forms. They will not tolerate sexist treatment of Governor Palin."

Yes indeed, the McCain campaign has taken up the mantle of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucrietta Mott, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Blackwell and other pioneers of the equal rights movement. Nevermind that their new champion opposes equal pay for equal work, a woman's right to choose (even in cases of rape or incest), and everything else Hillary and the vast majority of American women believe in.

McCain Picks Palin, Puts Electoral Prospects First

2008-08-29T10:28:00.016-04:00

Sources confirm that John McCain has selected Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. While Palin is popular among conservatives, she will almost certainly exacerbate concerns about McCain's age. Should something happen to McCain, the reins of the country would fall to an unknown and undistinguished one-term Governor with considerable ethical baggage.

Palin has been accused, inter alia, of dismissing Alaska's public safety commissioner because he would not fire her former brother-in-law, Mike Wooten, from his job as a state trooper. A panel of the GOP-controlled Alaska legislature has ordered an investigation into the matter. The Alaska Attorney General's office launched a separate investigation and has thus far discovered that 14 members of Palin's administration made calls to Department of Public Safety officials about Wooten.

McCain has clearly made a strategic decision to go after Clinton voters. However, the pick bellies McCain's central campaign message. By picking an unknown and ethically suspect individual with less than two years of relevant experience, McCain has made plain that this time around, it is his electoral prospects, and not his country, that comes first.

Conflicting Clues: Romney or Pawlenty?

2008-08-28T16:39:00.011-04:00

While John McCain is set to announce his running mate tomorrow in Dayton, Ohio, experience dictates that his choice will leak within the next few hours. And McCain has already said he intends to inform that person today. So who is it? Well, there are conflicting clues coming from the two frontrunners.

Gov. Pawlenty arrived in Denver today to combat the Democratic message, but abruptly cancelled his afternoon interviews with reporters. Meanwhile, "sources with strong Michigan ties" have told David Drucker of Roll Call that the Secret Service conducted a security sweep of the home of Gov. Romney’s sister. The Secret Service denies the report. But as Drucker points out, a sweep wouldn't be dispositive of a Romney selection anyway.

[O]ne campaign operative familiar with the working of a presidential-level campaign cautioned that a sweep of such a location could have been conducted in advance of Romney appearing as a surrogate -- not the vice presidential nominee -- at an upcoming McCain campaign stop in Michigan.

Update (7:15pm): The tea leaves point to Pawlenty. All of the scheduling for the Minnesota Governor has been turned over to the McCain campaign.

Please, No Greek Temple at Invesco

2008-08-27T16:20:00.013-04:00

The GOP has been relentless in their attempts to paint Obama as a presumptuous celebrity who believes he has a lock on the presidency. Apart from the pseudo presidential seal introduced and, thankfully, thrown by the wasteside in June, Obama has succeeded in looking presidential without acting as if he is already president.

So let me put this mildly: the temple backdrop that the Obama camp is constructing at Invesco sends the wrong message. The GOP has already begun to call it the "Temple of Obama." Let's not turn it into a headline.

And whoever is responsible for bringing the Air Force One replica to Invesco needs to be fired immediately. Like right now.

Bob Casey With the Zinger!

2008-08-26T21:29:00.010-04:00

CNN's talking heads are at the DNC and on pace once again to drown out the evening's speakers and overall message. However, they did allow us to see and hear from Sen. Bob Casey. While Casey is not known for his eloquence, he's delivered the best line of the night thus far:

"John McCain calls himself a maverick, but he votes with George Bush 90 percent of the time. That's not a maverick. That's a sidekick."

Bill Just Can't Keep Quiet

2008-08-26T14:51:00.010-04:00

Today Democrats celebrated a successful first night capped off by unifying messages from Ted Kennedy and Michelle Obama. That is, of course, until Bill Clinton arrived. Just hours before Hillary is set to take the stage, Bill posed a hypothetical question in which he seemed to imply that Democrats were choosing the wrong candidate.

"Suppose you're a voter, and you've got candidate X and candidate Y. Candidate X agrees with you on everything, but you don't think that candidate can deliver on anything at all. Candidate Y you agree with on about half the issues, but he can deliver. Which candidate are you going to vote for?"

Then, the oh-shit moment. And Bill proceeded to backpaddle. "This has nothing to do with what's going on now."

Breaking: Plot to Assassinate Obama Thwarted

2008-08-25T23:12:00.003-04:00

CBS4 in Denver reports that at least four people are under arrest in connection with a plot to assassinate Sen. Obama on the night of his acceptance speech. The men, whom had high-powered, scoped rifles and other equipment in their cars, confessed to federal authorities that they had come to Denver to kill Obama. At least one of the apprehended men was wearing a ring with a swastika.

CNN Talks Through First Night of Convention

2008-08-25T22:22:00.007-04:00

I've been watching CNN's coverage of the first night of the Democratic Convention and I've been struck by how little of it I've actually been able to see and hear. CNN's "Best Political Team on Television" won't let us see or hear from any of the speakers. Instead, we've been served inordinate helpings of weak jokes and empty analysis. Now, after hours of hearing themselves talk, Anderson Cooper and David Gergen have begun to criticize the first night's program as lacking a message.

Incredible.

Clinton Camp Still Trying to Sink Obama?

2008-08-25T10:48:00.024-04:00

We've all heard the theory: sink Obama in 2008, coronate Hillary in 2012. I must confess that it seems all the more credible in light of statements by Clinton's top advisers and confidants; a sort of coordinated tumult that has followed Obama's selection of Biden as his running mate.

One anonymous Clinton adviser expressed "outrage" at the way in which the VP selection process was handled. "They thought her supporters were mad before? They are really mad now." Another suggested that Clinton "was deliberately snubbed." One called Biden's selection "a death wish." A couple of Clintonites went on record.

Within the past twenty-four hours, for example, Paul Begala and James Carville have both accused the Obama camp of "disrespecting" Clinton.

And last, but certainly not least, was Gov. Rendell's temper tantrum last night at a Shorenstein Center-sponsored panel discussion with NBC’s Tom Brokaw, ABC’s George Stephanopoulous and CBS’s Bob Schieffer.

"Ladies and gentleman, the coverage of Barack Obama was embarrassing. It was embarrassing," Rendell whined. Rendell was particularly critical of MSNBC, which he called "the official network of the Obama campaign." Their coverage was "absolutely embarrassing," Rendell said.

No sir, throwing a hissy fit about your candidate's loss on the eve your party's convention is embarrassing. The coverage was fine.

All in all, the evidence thus far seems to suggest that the Clinton camp is doing everything possible to step on Obama's convention message. And we've seen this game before: The principal takes the high road while the surrogates go to town. Can you say Hillary 2012?

Will John Kerry Take Over Foreign Relations Chair?

2008-08-23T21:03:00.012-04:00

Sen. Obama's selection of Joe Biden as his running mate raises the question of whether Biden will retain his position as Chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The second-ranking Democrat on the committee, Chris Dodd, chairs the Senate Banking Committee and is not likely to resign that post. This brings us to the third-ranking Democrat and most likely candidate: John Kerry.

Although Kerry chairs the Small Business Committee, he would almost certainly give up that job to claim a first-tier assignment. In addition, the word on the street is that Kerry is interested in being Obama's Secretary of State. If that is indeed the case, this is one bulletpoint that is sure to move his resume to top of the stack.

Chet, Not John

2008-08-22T13:00:00.021-04:00

The Associated Press reports that Obama's shortlist includes another name: Edwards. And that's Chet, not John. Edwards, a powerful nine-term Congressman from Corpus Christi, is a favorite of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has on multiple occasions touted his "extraordinary credentials" and expressed publicly her hope that he is the veep nominee. His district includes President Bush's hometown of Crawford.

Edwards brings a particularly strong command of military and veterans issues, derived in part from his service as Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs. In 2007, he authored the largest increase in veterans' funding in the 77-year history of the VA. In 2008 alone, he's received the American Legion Distinguished Public Service Award, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Congressional Award, and the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans Congressional Award.

House aides on both sides of the aisle tell me that Edwards is immensely popular with colleagues and would be invaluable in helping to shepard Obama's big initiatives through Congress.

Good News for National Journal: Biden Already Ranked Third Most Liberal Senator

2008-08-22T11:38:00.008-04:00

It just occurred to me that the National Journal ranked Joe Biden as the third most liberal U.S. Senator in 2007. Bernie Sanders, a self-described socialist, came in fourth. This is clearly good news for the Journal. If Biden is selected, they won't have to revise their formula to achieve their preferred outcome.

Obama Says He's Chosen His Running Mate

2008-08-21T15:57:00.009-04:00

Sen. Obama confirmed to Kathy Kiely of USA Today that he has chosen his running mate. He would not reveal whether he's informed that person or say when he would notify supporters.

Obama did say that he sought someone who is "prepared to be president," who would be "a partner ... in strengthening this economy for the middle class and working families," and "somebody who's independent, somebody who can push against my preconceived notions and challenge me so we have got a robust debate in the White House."

McCain Unsure How Many Houses He Owns (Seriously)

2008-08-21T13:16:00.014-04:00

Seriously? I didn't believe it at first. I mean confusing Sunnis and Shia is one thing, but not knowing how many houses you own? Holy shit. The question arose during an interview with the Politico, which presumably also included stumpers like "What's your favorite color?" and "Who are you?" In the end, McCain punted to his staff.

"I think — I'll have my staff get to you," McCain said. "It's condominiums where — I'll have them get to you."

As if it could get any worse, McCain's staff had to ballpark it. "At least four." Seven. You own seven houses, Sen. McCain. Naturally, the Obama camp jumped on this, releasing a new ad that is appropriately titled "Seven."

Obama Meets Privately With Kaine and His Staff

2008-08-21T11:36:00.008-04:00

Sen. Obama met with Gov. Kaine and his staff this morning for 15 minutes at a Richmond hotel. Sure, the two were scheduled to hit the trail together. And yes, for weeks the media and blogosphere alike have tried in vain to divine a decision out of everything from Obama's scheduled stops to his use of personal pronouns. One more attempt won't kill you.

Here's what we know. First, the VP announcement will come before on or before Saturday, when Obama and his newly minted running mate are scheduled to attend a big rally at the former state capitol of Illinois, where Obama launched his White House bid nearly 19 months ago. And second, according to Howard Fineman the Obama camp has asked one or more of the prospective veeps how to get in touch with them on Thursday. Odds are, Obama's running mate is going to find out today.

One can assume that Obama would prefer to ask his choice to join the ticket in person -- after all, that's how its been done in the past. And the fact that Kaine's staff were also in on the meeting would make sense as they would undoubtedly have a hand in the rollout and/or Kaine's transition from the Governor's office to the campaign trail.

Is it Kaine? Your guess is as good as mine.

Don't Panic, Just Improve Your Aim

2008-08-20T14:31:00.017-04:00

While troubled to see McCain ahead in the latest Reuters/Zogby poll, I was even more surprised at the media's reaction. First of all, this is not the latest nationwide poll. It was conducted August 14-16. The latest nationwide poll is LA Times/Bloomberg, conducted August 16-18 (with a larger sample size), which has Obama leading by 2.

Second, Reuters/Zogby is most likely an outlier. Although Obama is undoubtedly slipping in the polls, he's not 5 points behind. Unless, of course, you're willing to believe that he's lost the support of 12 percent of voters between the ages of 18 and 29 in the last week.

Far more worrisome than Obama's performance in recent national polls are the numbers coming out of battleground states, particularly Ohio. According to Rasmussen, Obama is as many as 10 points down in Missouri and 5 points down in Ohio. Yes, Ohio, the state where McCain and his campaign manager Rick Davis personally orchestrated a controversial DHL deal at the expense of at least 10,000 jobs. When all is said and done, McCain's deal is expected to yield a crippled regional economy and job losses in the 30,000 range.

When the story broke, Obama campaign manager David Plouffe called it "the most important development of the entire campaign this week." Wrong. It is thus far the most important development of the campaign, period. Each and every time Obama lands in Ohio, his first words ought to be, "McCain outsourced a quarter of your state to Germany. Oh, and hello." If Obama is ever 5 points behind in Ohio, it's because he and his campaign have stopped talking about the DHL deal and how representative it is of McCain's flawed approach to trade and utter incompetence on economic issues.

So yes, Obama needs to go on the offense. But he also needs to improve his aim.

Obama Hits Back on Taxes

2008-08-20T11:02:00.010-04:00

Sen. Obama is finally hitting back on taxes with a new ad. Sen. McCain has been running a series of attack ads featuring blanket claims that Obama's election would mean "higher taxes." In fact, Obama's plan would yield three times greater tax relief to middle class families.

Not mentioned in the ad is the fact that Obama's plan is the more fiscally responsible one. Against current policy, Obama's proposals would bring in $300 billion more in revenues, an increase of 1 percent, whereas McCain's proposals would add another trillion -- or 3 percent -- to the federal deficit.

Drudge: Obama VP Announcement Likely Wednesday Morning

2008-08-18T18:18:00.006-04:00

While Obama-beat reporter Jeff Zeleny of the New York Times caught wind of plans to roll-out the Illinois Senator's running mate via email Tuesday morning, a source close to Caroline Kennedy has since told Drudge that the announcement is more likely to come early Wednesday morning. So you can stop hate-refreshing your inbox, for now.

Kaine Golden on Meet the Press

2008-08-18T15:46:00.007-04:00

On July 29, I took issue with the assessment of the Atlantic's Marc Ambinder that Gov. Kaine would not "do all that well at the VP debates" and is, therefore, not "a campaign choice." Well, yesterday on "Meet the Press," Kaine had his tryout. And I hate to say it, but I told you so.

Kaine dubbed McCain the "sole cheerleader" remaining for the failed strategy that distracted us from al Qaeda in Afghanistan and led us into a war without end in Iraq. When asked to respond to Karl Rove's criticism of his tenure as Governor, Kaine didn't miss a beat. Noting that Virginia had been named "top governed state in America" by Governing Magazine and voted best for business three years in row by Forbes, Kaine quipped "maybe Karl Rove and the Republicans don't care about business climate, that would explain why we're in the situation that we're in."

Chris Cillizza of the Fix, caught up in the Olympic spirit, awarded him the Sunday Talk Show gold medal. "If there were any lingering questions about whether Kaine is ready for the national stage," Cillizza writes, "they were erased during his virtuoso performance on the crown jewel of Sunday talk shows."

Deployed Troops Give 6:1 to Obama

2008-08-14T16:30:00.017-04:00

According to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, Sen. Obama has received nearly six times as much money from American troops deployed overseas as has Sen. McCain. When all military personnel (at home or abroad) are included, Obama's advantage holds at 57 percent.

These figures represent a staggering reversal of the trend in previous elections. In 2000, then Gov. Bush held a 2:1 fundraising advantage over Vice President Gore among military personnel. In 2004, Bush held a 1.5:1 advantage over Sen. Kerry.

Madam Speaker, Bring Rove's Contempt Citation to the Floor for a Vote

2008-07-31T13:10:00.012-04:00

While the name "George W. Bush" will not be on the ballot this November, the damage the forty-third President has done to the Constitution will abide long after he retires to Crawford. No President in history has doned a veil of such swallowing secrecy on its activities, both foreign and domestic. No President in history has demonstrated as much distrust in the American people. And no President in history has wielded executive privilege with such reckless abandon.

Bruce Fein, associate deputy attorney general in the Reagan administration, wrote in a letter to the House Judiciary Committee that under Bush's tenure, "The executive branch has vandalized the Constitution every bit as much [sic] the barbarians vandalized Rome in 410 AD." Rove's refusal to comply with a Congressional subpoena compelling his testimony about the politicization of the Department of Justice and the prosecution of former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman is just the latest example. Each time these acts go unanswered, the Congress is diminished. It's coequal stature has already been compromised.

President Bush has stated unequivocally that he had nothing to do with the U.S. attorney scandal, the outing of CIA operative Valeri Plame, the destruction of CIA videotapes of detainee interrogations, and the prosecution of Gov. Siegelman. This is precisely why the President's claims of executive privilege are so ludicrous. Communications between current or former aides of the White House and an executive department, of which the President has no knowledge, are a hard sell on executive privilege grounds. When such communications concern potentially illegal activities, of which the President would disapprove (if he knew) or, in any case, could not by law authorize, claims of executive privilege fall by the wasteside.

Should Congress again refuse to mount a serious challenge to what Fein calls, "the executive branch's counter-constitutional theory of executive privilege," it may well "sound the death knell of congressional oversight and the public's right to know what their government is doing and why." It was Congress's unwillingness to shirk its constitutional obligations that brought White House counsel John Dean before them to testify, and exposed the full extent of President Nixon's scandal. What if they had instead just ceded the field?

When historians look back on the presidency of George W. Bush, what will they say of the Democratic Congress sent to challenge him? That each member fully and faithfully discharged their oaths to support and defend the Constitution -- or that they stood idly by while the promise of our forefathers and the possibilities endowed to us faded from consciousness?

Update: Speak of the devil... The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has just ruled that White House aides must obey Congressional subpoenas, rejecting out of hand the administration's specious executive privilege arguments.

McCain Pins Hopes on Fearmongering and Falsehoods

2008-07-30T14:29:00.014-04:00

When Sen. Obama secured his party's nomination in June, Sen. McCain pledged to Obama and all Americans "a respectful campaign" grounded in a "civil, substantive debate on the issues." In a month's time, McCain has not only broken his pledge, but unleashed one of the most negative, deceitful and empty campaigns in American history. In just the past week, for example, McCain has accused Obama of sacrificing American soldiers on the altar of political expediency, scolded Obama for honoring the DOD's request that he not visit with troops on the campaign leg on his trip and, in an incredulous new ad, identified Obama as the sole architect of America's energy woes.

The New York Times editorial board -- the same people who endorsed McCain in the GOP primary -- has appropriately devoted today's page to McCain downward spiral on the "Low Road Express," a descent made possible by McCain's investiture of Karl Rove and disciples (Inc.) with the responsibility of carrying out his "high-minded" pledge on civility and substance. Shocking how it turned out.

Alas, all betrayed by the broken promise of civil, substantive discourse really should have seen it coming. After all, McCain abandoned almost every principled position he held to secure the nomination and rally the GOP behind him. Once a proponent of fiscal responsibility, comprehensive immigration reform, and affirmative action, the new McCain has reversed himself on the Bush tax cuts, steered towards an enforcement-only approach on immigration, and supports the same legislation to end affirmative action in Arizona that he opposed in 1998. And these are just a few examples.

To be fair, not all of McCain's flops have been to the negative. After criticizing Obama's long-held belief that we must invest more troops and resources in Afghanistan, McCain now supports Obama's call for an additional 3 brigades in Afghanistan. Until recently, McCain believed that Americans' concerns about the economy were merely psychological -- or as his top economic adviser put it, "we've sort of become a nation of whiners." McCain has since abandoned efforts to cure us of "mental recession." And, last but not least, McCain no longer concerns himself with mischief on the Iraq/Pakistan border or advocates the installation of a missile defense system in Czechoslovakia. On these developments, we applaud the Arizona Senator.

On balance, however, McCain's words and deeds suggest that he is not interested in civil, substantive discourse -- just fearmongering and falsehoods.

Think Kaine Is Too Nice for Primetime? Think Again.

2008-07-29T17:13:00.019-04:00

I read with great interest a recent veepstakes entry by Marc Ambinder of the Atlantic wherein Mr. Ambinder characterizes Govs. Kaine and Sebelius as solid "governing choices" but lacking in enthusiasm and surrogate skills. Many have suggested either explicitly or implicitly that Kaine is simply "too nice" for the VP spot on a Democratic ticket (an argument familiar to Kaine). We need an attack dog, they say, someone who can go toe-to-toe with the GOP and the media -- day-in and day-out. "[T]hey're not going to do all that well at the VP debates," Mr. Ambinder warns.

I can only assume that Mr. Ambinder and others of a similar mind have not seen the debate between Kaine and the 2005 GOP gubernatorial candidate, Jerry Kilgore (Virginia's attorney general at the time). I have seen my fair share of debates, but I must confess: I have never seen a thumping as bad as the one Kaine thrust upon Kilgore. Heading into the debate, Kilgore was slightly ahead of Kaine in the polls. As I watched, I remember feeling embarrassed for Kilgore (truly) and thinking to myself, "Wow, this race is over." And it was. Kaine trounced him by 6 points on election day.

At present, I cannot find a link to the debate video (I watched it online, so I know its out there somewhere), but the transcript should give you a taste. In any case, my point is this: don't underestimate Kaine, he'll make you look foolish and look like the nicest guy in the world doing it.

Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens Indicted

2008-07-29T13:05:00.017-04:00

Ted Stevens, the longest serving and among the most powerful Republican Senators, has just been indicted on seven criminal charges. The indictment follows a four-year investigation into corruption of Alaska public officials which included a raid of Stevens' resort home in Girdwood, Alaska one year ago. The Department of Justice will roll out the details in a press conference scheduled for 1:20 EST.

The indictment is a political gift to not only Stevens' Democratic challenger, Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich, but also Barack Obama, who has been criticized for substantial ad-buys and other investments in Alaska -- one of the reddest states in America. With GOP corruption in the air, Obama may stand a chance in the Last Frontier State.

And as the latest polling shows Begich with a 5 point lead over Stevens, we think it safe to say that come November, Mark Begich will be representing Alaska in the U.S. Senate.

Update: Here is a copy of the indictment. For more on the corruption investigation that led to the indictment, see the Anchorage Daily News case file.

Kaine's Nuanced Stance on Abortion Rights

2008-07-29T09:18:00.013-04:00

Gov. Tim Kaine of Virginia has had "very serious" conversations with Sen. Obama about joining the Democratic ticket and "ranks very, very high on the short list" according to sources close to the process. In Kaine, Obama has a loyal friend and confidant with executive experience and the ability to end the GOP's 44 year stranglehold on Virginia in presidential elections.

While Kaine lacks the military background and foreign policy experience that many pundits believe Obama needs, Kaine's biggest perceived liability is his nuanced stance on abortion rights. In the past twenty-four hours, friends and colleagues -- many of whom are astute political observers -- have raised the same question, isn't Kaine pro-life? Well, not exactly.

Kaine claims a personal, religious opposition to abortion, but nonetheless respects and supports a woman's right to choose. In other words, Kaine believes that while abortion is wrong, the decision is not his to make. Unsurprisingly, his gubernatorial opponent, Jerry Kilgore, characterized him as a disingenuous opportunist.

"It is a classic example of Tim Kaine recognizing the audience and delivering the message that the audience wants to hear," Tim Murtaugh, Kilgore's press secretary said [in 2005]. "One the one hand he [runs] . . . down his supposed list of pro-life credentials and on the other he gathers with liberal Democrats at a fundraiser and uses all code words of the pro-abortion crowd."

If Kaine is selected, expect to hear similar critiques from the GOP and conservative talking heads. Undoubtedly, we would also see some expressions of concern from the left; but a reluctant pro-choice candidate is not likely to incite riots on the convention floor.

Pawlenty to Address National Press Club on Aug. 6: Coincidence?

2008-07-25T11:05:00.010-04:00

After an extended vacation, Our Republic has returned to a political climate rife with speculation over whom Sens. Obama and McCain will choose as their running mates. Of immediate interest is news that Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota will be addressing the National Press Club on August 6. McCain recently dropped a strong hint in favor of Pawlenty during a private meeting with a small group of New Hampshire supporters. "You are really going to like" Pawlenty, McCain is reported to have said.

Top aides to McCain have indicated that the presumptive Republican nominee will likely announce his VP choice after Obama returns from Europe and before the Olympics commence on August 8. As McCain can be expected to choose on or before August 6 to maximize press coverage, this begs the question: Why would Gov. Pawlenty address the Press Club -- that is, why would he be of interest -- if someone else were chosen?

Clinton Demands Vice Presidential Nod

2008-06-03T21:47:00.006-04:00

Sen. Clinton's just delivered a veiled demand that she be offered the Vice Presidential nod, stating that "what she wants" is the nearly 18 million people who voted for her to be respected. In campaign lingo, it doesn't get any more obvious than that.

Hillary's Hypocrisy

2008-05-28T09:10:00.009-04:00

On May 31, the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee will entertain options for seating delegations from Florida and Michigan in spite of the states' noncompliance with well-established party rules. In anticipation of the festivities, the Clinton campaign is mobilizing large-scale protests, lodging false claims of sexism at the media and invoking slavery, Jim Crow and the civil rights movement as appropriate analogues for their pursuit. To quote one former President, "This whole thing is the biggest fairy tale I've ever seen."

Clinton's concern for Florida and Michigan was borne of a peculiar brand of perceived necessity. While Clinton is throwing every instrument of division at any- and everyone in sight, she and her campaign well know that she stands no chance of wresting the nomination away from Obama.

"Well, you know, It's clear, this election they're having [in Michigan] is not going to count for anything," Clinton said in October 2007. Why? Because Michigan (like Florida) broke the rules and Edwards and Obama took their names off the ballot.

In May 2008, circumstances have changed. Clinton finds herself sailing down the proverbial creek without a paddle -- if only she could drag Obama along with her, then maybe, just maybe, she might have another shot in 2012. In the meantime, party and country be damned.

So when the Clinton protests air on Saturday, don't be fooled. Clinton has placed her self-interest ahead of party and country, embraced hypocrisy as a favored campaign tactic and, most regrettably, damaged her credibility beyond repair.

"Several Dozen" Supers to Back Obama After June 3

2008-05-27T13:55:00.012-04:00

After the Democratic primary season comes to a close on June 3, several dozen superdelegates will move en masse to Sen. Obama according to ABC's Chief Political Correspondent George Stephanopoulos. Stephanolpolous formerly served in the Clinton administration as the President's Senior Adviser for Policy and Strategy.

"Once these contests are done, you'll see several dozen superdelegates go his [Obama's] way following June 3," Stephanopoulos said today.

When asked what the chances are of Clinton taking her fight to the convention floor, Stephanopoulos answered, "Zero."

Clinton Campaign in Talks with Obama About VP Spot

2008-05-23T11:34:00.005-04:00

CNN has just reported that Sen. Clinton's campaign has entered into formal talks with Sen. Obama's campaign about the possibility of Sen. Clinton becoming Obama's running mate. The discussions apparently include ways in which Sen. Clinton can make a graceful exit -- good news for Sen. Obama and the party as a whole.

Our Republic's Top 10 Vice Presidential Prospects

2008-05-23T09:50:00.019-04:00

As the race for the Democratic nomination winds down and Sen. Obama begins to consider possible running mates, he will derive some comfort from the fact that there is no shortage of talent in the Democratic party. Of course, this is not to say that he will not have a tough choice before him. Some candidates are more qualified for the job while others are better for the electoral bottom-line. Therein lies the dilemma. Here's what our list would look like.

1. Sen. John Edwards

It is of little consequence that Sen. Kerry failed to carry North Carolina with Sen. Edwards on the ticket. Fair or not, North Carolinians think better of Illinois than Massachusetts. Moreover, Americans' opposition to the war in Iraq and concerns about the economy were relatively modest in November 2004. As Edwards's performance on the campaign trail and cable news networks have demonstrated, he is tougher and more popular than he once was.

Most importantly, Edwards's appeal extends well-beyond North Carolina, into states like Virginia and among white working class voters nationwide. As we noted yesterday, an Obama/Edwards ticket appears to dominate the field. In Virginia, for example, Obama/Edwards beats McCain/Huckabee 53% to 41, McCain/Romney 53% to 40 and McCain/Pawlenty 54% to 36.

With Edwards on the ticket, Obama has a partner who is ready to be President should the need arise -- and a running mate that will help him carry North Carolina and Virginia.

2. Sen. Jim Webb

A Jacksonian Democrat with impeccable national security credentials, a strong command of economic issues, significant cross-over appeal and a natural ability to connect with white working class voters. Obviously, he would help Sen. Obama carry Virginia. However, he is still somewhat of an unknown commodity with a cool, wonkish and occasionally awkward demeanor. But if you want to get tough on national security and foreign policy, there are few better to have in your corner.

3. Sen. Hillary Clinton

One cannot ignore the fact that Sen. Clinton has amassed a formidable coalition of female and working class voters -- at least on the Democratic side. Her high negatives would be problematic and, sadly, a female or minority on the ticket may be more change than the country can handle at this time. Nonetheless, she is tough, relatively strong on national security and will assuredly bring out the base of the party on election day.

4. Sen. Claire McCaskill

A maverick in her own right who has built a reputation in the Senate as a straight-shooter whose cross-examinations make the most-seasoned Oil executives sweat. With McCaskill, Obama will most likely carry Missouri and a greater share of women nationally.

5. Gov. Kathleen Sebelius

A popular female Governor in a Red State with executive experience to round out the ticket.

6. Fmr. Sen. Sam Nunn

A national security and foreign policy guru who brings instant credibility on these issues. However, he is 3 years younger than McCain and is a tough sell on a change ticket.

7. Sen. Evan Bayh

A former Governor who is indeed an institution in Indiana. Would help unite the Clintonites.

8. Sen. Jack Reed

Offers credibility on national security; speaks and looks the part.

9. Gov. Bill Richardson

Undoubtedly the strongest resume of the bunch; helps with the latino vote.

10. Gov. Ted Strickland

Ohio.

Harold Ickes Still Crazy

2008-05-22T15:27:00.004-04:00

Harold Ickes, Senior Adviser to Sen. Clinton, is out of his mind. Today Ickes asserted that Sen. Obama should receive 0 delegates out of Michigan since his name was not on the ballot. Of course, it is common knowledge that Obama supporters in Michigan had urged voters to cast their ballots for "uncommitted." In addition, it is indisputable that a great many voters did not cast ballots having been told that their candidate would not be on the ballot and, even if he were, that their votes would not count.

"The views of the voters in the Michigan primary and in the Florida primary [should] be respected and be reflected in terms of the allocation of delegates," Ickes said. "It is presumptuous to assume that each and every one of those delegates is an Obama supporter. That will be up to those individual delegates to make those decisions."

While the Clinton campaign's desperation is understandable, Ickes's proposal would have the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee jump headfirst off the deep end into an empty pool.

SurveyUSA: Obama Beats McCain in Virginia

2008-05-22T13:24:00.011-04:00

A new SurveyUSA poll shows Sen. Obama with a 7 point lead over Sen. McCain in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Obama leads among men 48% to 44, among women 51% to 40 and among every age group save voters aged 65 and older. Obama also beats McCain among independents and captures a whopping 17 percent of the GOP vote.

SurveyUSA also polled some possible VP candidates. Sen. John Edwards dominated the pool. With Edwards on the ticket, Obama downs McCain/Huckabee 53% to 41, McCain/Romney 53% to 40 and McCain/Pawlenty 54% to 36.

The Morning Report

2008-05-22T09:08:00.016-04:00

Clinton signals she may take her fight to Denver. Sen. Clinton trails Sen. Obama by nearly 200 delegates, more than 550,000 popular votes and 16 contests with just Puerto Rico, Montana and South Dakota left on the calendar. To a mere mortal, Sen. Clinton's uphill climb would seem impossible (because it is). But, as the media constantly reminds us, she's a Clinton (whatever that means). As such, Clinton sent out new signals yesterday that she may take her fight for the nomination all the way to Denver (leaving no Democrat alive).

Thank you, Jonathan Alter. I was beginning to think I was the only one who noticed that Sen. Clinton's wholly ficticious claim to the popular vote has thus far gone unchallenged. This morning, Mr. Alter took a brief reprieve from his usual, more substantive analysis to give the cable news networks and many in the print media a needed refresher on the finer points of counting. Mr. Alter also offered some advice to the Obama campaign; advice they and all sensible Democrats should heed. "If the Obama people have any sense, they will demand in their negotiations with the Clintonites that Hillary cease and desist in her specious claim to have won the most popular votes," he writes.

Conan on the Native American Vote. "This week, Barack Obama, true story, campaigned on an Indian reservation and the tribal chief adopted him . . . Yeah, the Indians actually prefer Obama to John McCain, because they still remember when McCain took their land."

Media Fails to Challenge Clinton's Popular Vote Fable

2008-05-21T09:42:00.009-04:00

If there were a single common thread in last night's coverage, it was the failure of the cable news media to challenge Clinton's claim to the popular vote. When Clinton surrogates and the candidate herself asserted the ficition, the punditry remained silent, as if weary of the truth and willing to cede to the loser a moral victory she has not earned. Various print media including the Politico and the New York Times followed suit this morning.

The fact of the matter is that Obama commands a popular vote lead of more than 550,000. This includes the caucus states because these contests were contested by both Obama and Clinton and valid under the rules -- rules that all Democratic candidates agreed to abide by. Even if one were to exclude the caucus states, give Florida and Michigan to Clinton and Michigan's uncommitted vote to Obama, Clinton would still trail Obama in the popular vote.

Still Clinton persists, in spite of the impossible math and the general election prospects of the near-certain nominee. As I write this entry, Clinton is touching down in the Sunshine State, where she intends to spend the day convincing Floridians that Obama wants nothing more than to disenfranchise them.

The latest polls show that Democrats are looking forward to November. All indications from the Clinton campaign are that they too are preparing for the general election -- in 2012.

Obama Opens Up 17 Point Lead in Oregon

2008-05-13T10:19:00.006-04:00

A new poll of likely Democratic voters in Oregon shows Sen. Obama with a commanding 51% to 34 lead over Sen. Clinton. The poll was conducted by Davis, Hibbitts & Midghall and has a margin of error of +-4.8 points. Obama leads not only among men, but also among women, working class and rural voters.

"One of the messages Clinton has been driving is that Obama is having a hard time with white voters, but here in Oregon, he's clearly doing very well," Hibbitts said.

Obama Takes It To The House

2008-05-08T13:24:00.011-04:00

On Wednesday, Sen. Clinton returned to Capitol Hill and summoned uncommitted superdelegates to her chambers in hope of persuading them to back her or else stay on the fence. Few answered her call. Sen. Obama, the probable Democratic nominee, showed infinitely more humility this morning when he strolled unannounced onto the House floor in the middle of a vote to solicit members' support. Shailagh Murray of the Washington Post offered the following account:

The senator's escorts included Illinois Rep. Jan Schakowsky and Steven Rothman (N.J.), an early defector from a pro-Clinton state, who hovered nearby for the entire 40-minute session, whispering names into Obama's ear and beaming proudly. Rep. Ellen Tauscher (Calif.), a Clinton supporter, waited her turn to extend a warm handshake. Uncommitted Rep. Bart Stupak (Mich.) got a few minutes of quality schmooze time. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer bowed gallantly and gave bama a big hug. The Maryland Democrat is neutral -- officially at least.

Republicans lined up too: David Dreier (Calif.), Jerry Lewis (Calif.), Dana Rohrabacher (Calif.), and Roscoe Bartlett (Md.). Rep. Judy Biggert, from Obama's homestate of Illinois, tapped him on the shoulder to say hi. Wyoming Rep. Barbara Cubin congratulated Obama and spoke to him briefly...
...
Eventually, Obama escaped, only to be greeted by around 100 Congressional pages waiting in the hallway for a group photo with the Democratic front-runner.

(Photo by Doug Mills, New York Times)

And We Have a Nominee

2008-05-08T09:23:00.016-04:00

Our Republic has just returned from North Carolina, having witnessed Sen. Obama deliver the long-awaited knockout punch (as we predicted). Sen. Clinton entered Tuesday promising a game-changer in North Carolina and Indiana -- and a game-changer it was . . . just not the sort Clinton had hoped for. Instead of a landing a big win in Indiana and a competitive showing in North Carolina, Clinton battled to a virtual tie in Indiana and a crippling 56% to 42 defeat in North Carolina. By all accounts, the race for the Democratic nomination is over.

Where We Stand

On the day, Obama netted at least 97 delegates while Clinton picked up at least 86. Obama now has 1,594 elected delegates, 262 superdelegates and 1,856 delegates in total. He is just 169 delegates shy of the nomination and is likely to win a majority of elected delegates in two weeks, when voters in Kentucky and Oregon head to the polls. This assumes, of course, that Clinton makes it that far. Yesterday, we learned that Clinton loaned her campaign $6.4 million over the past month -- on top of an earlier $5 million loan.

Questions about Obama's toughness and electability have been answered. For more than two weeks, the media has obsessed about Rev. Wright and Obama's misstatement concerning small-town voters. At the same time, Clinton and McCain ganged up on Obama over his refusal to support a gas tax holiday -- a disasterous policy proposal with great political appeal . . . or so they thought. Throughout, Obama stood his ground, answered controversy with poise and purpose and in so doing earned the admiration and support of Democratic voters.

Clinton's Legacy on the Line

Clinton waged a fierce and respectable campaign. She and her supporters have every reason to be proud. That being said, the manner of Clinton's exit will determine whether she emerges stronger for it. While Clinton has no chance of winning the Democratic nomination, she has a promising future indeed. A graceful exit will ultimately open a number of doors, including Senate Majority Leader, Governor of New York or elder statesperson in the mold of Ted Kennedy.

Should Clinton persist in her questionable attacks of the past couple of weeks and in her attempts to drive a wedge between Obama and working class whites, she is likely to find the aforementioned doors bolted shut and her standing in the party greatly diminished. As House Majority Leader James Clyburn suggested over a week ago, the party cannot, should not and, I believe, will not tolerate any attempt to bloody Obama with an eye towards 2012.

Thus far, Clinton appears to be on the right course. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Lawrence O'Donnell and others have spoken with senior officials and advisers in the Clinton campaign. Sen. Clinton understands that the end is near and has indicated that the negative campaigning will cease altogether.

Time to Unite

While Clinton has earned the right to continue until inevitability is actualized, the voters have spoken and the contest is at an end. It is now time for uncommitted superdelegates to show leadership and rally behind the new leader of their party, Sen. Barack Obama.

California Superdelegates Aligned with Clinton Consider Defecting to Obama

2008-05-05T12:23:00.013-04:00

The Los Angeles Times reports today that some California superdelegates are considering defecting from Clinton to Obama. At the California Democratic Convention, two of five California superdelegates aligned with Clinton said that they will consider switching their support to Obama if Clinton fails to emerge on top in either pledged delegates or the popular vote.

Practically speaking, Clinton has no chance of catching Obama in pledged delegates. As we noted earlier, Clinton would need to win 85 percent of the vote in all remaining contests (assuming a 50-50 split in North Carolina and Indiana). Clinton's prospects for winning the popular vote are also unlikely as she currently trails Obama by more than 500,000 votes -- and well over 600,000 if caucus estimates are included.

Numbers Don't Add Up for Clinton

2008-05-05T09:43:00.012-04:00

Heading into the North Carolina and Indiana primaries, the Clinton camp has to be wondering whether tomorrow's two-state contest is anything but an exercise in futility. Were Clinton and Obama to split the 187 delegates at stake, Clinton would then need 85 percent of all remaining pledged delegates to catch Obama. In other words, Clinton needs big wins in both North Carolina and Indiana if she hopes to seriously contest the nomination.

It is more likely, however, that Obama will expand his delegate lead tomorrow. According the latest polls, Obama commands a 7 point lead in North Carolina -- the most delegate rich contest left -- and is nipping on Clinton's heels in Indiana.

Clinton Adviser on Indianans: "Those People Are Shit"

2008-05-02T10:27:00.045-04:00

A disturbing video has surfaced that could end Sen. Clinton's run for the Democratic nomination. In it, Clinton advisers Mickey Kantor, James Carville and George Stephanopoulous are reviewing the latest polls out of Indiana, when Kantor remarks, "It doesn't matter if we win. Those people are shit." See for yourselves.

Zogby: Obama Up 16 in N.C., Tied in Indiana

2008-05-02T09:46:00.010-04:00

Sen. Obama's unequivocal denunciation of Rev. Wright has apparently struck a chord with voters as he is now ahead by 16 in North Carolina and tied with Sen. Clinton in Indiana. Both polls were conducted by Zogby and carry margins of error just under +-4 points.

In North Carolina, Obama bests Clinton in every age group save voters over 70, whom he and Clinton split. He leads among men, 57% to 30, and also among women, 44% to 37. When asked if the statements of Jeremiah Wright made voters more or less likely to support Obama, only 15% of North Carolinians said they were less likely to support him, while 4% said Wright's statements made them more likely to support Obama.

While other polls show Clinton leading Obama in Indiana, Zogby has the two senators deadlocked at 42% with 16% undecided. Catholics in Pennsylvania went heavily for Clinton, but Indiana Catholics narrowly favor Obama 41% to 40. The Wright controversy has had a greater impact in Indiana with 21% of voters saying Wright's statements made them less likely to support Obama.

Fmr. DNC Chair Joe Andrew Defects to Obama

2008-05-01T14:34:00.015-04:00

Sen. Obama received a key endorsement today as former Democratic National Committee Chairman and superdelegate Joe Andrew switched his support from Sen. Clinton to Sen. Obama and called on other party leaders to do the same. Mr. Andrew previously served as Chairman of Indiana's Democratic Party.

"We cannot let our family affair hurt America,'' Mr. Andrew wrote in a letter to fellow superdelegates. "It is clear that a vote for Hillary Clinton is a vote to continue this process, and a vote to continue this process is a vote that assists John McCain."

Mr. Andrew's defection couldn't have come at a better time. Sen. Obama needs to change the subject today or else news of Rev. Wright is likely to dominate the weekend news cycle.

"[Obama] has shown such mettle under fire," Mr. Andrew said at a news conference. "The Jeremiah Wright controversy just reconfirmed for me, just as the gas tax controversy [yesterday's entry] confirmed for me, that he is the right candidate for our party."

Kerry Blasts NBC for Obsession With Wright

2008-05-01T13:31:00.022-04:00

Sen. John Kerry blasted NBC and other cable news networks today for obsessing over Rev. Wright while ignoring the many critical challenges facing the American people.

KERRY: Can I say something to you? Obviously it is painful and he said it. You folks need to let go of this. Television needs to stop dwelling on something that is in the past. I thought Barack Obama yesterday gave America his second big presidential moment of this campaign. The first when he spoke out about the issue of race and the second yesterday, when he made it clear, every one of the statements of the minister are just unacceptable. They're not the person that he knew before.
Now let's move on to how we'll put people to work. How are you going to give people health care? How are you going to create jobs in America? What Barack Obama is offering in this gas price issue is real leadership. I mean, do we want people who sort of put their fingers in the wind and throw out an idea for the short term that is sort of politically pleasing, or do you want a leader who stands up and says, no, what we need is to really lower gas prices by having a real energy policy, an intelligent policy that puts in place the incentives for renewable fuels and alternative fuels. That's what Barack Obama is doing. And I think you guys have to focus on the thing that really matter to the American electorate. The other thing is just worn out, old history now. This guy had his narcissistic moment and it is finished.

WITT: Okay -- point well taken. And did I say to begin, can I just say, sir, I knew you weren't going to like that question -- just on the record.

KERRY: Let's move on to the things that really matter to people. I think people in America are tired of this stuff.

WITT: Okay.

Amen.

Mason-Dixon: Obama Up 7 in North Carolina

2008-05-01T11:42:00.004-04:00

Despite four-straight days of Rev. Wright on the cable news networks, Sen. Obama remains 7 points ahead of Sen. Clinton in North Carolina according to a new Mason-Dixon poll. This is not to say that Wright has not hurt Obama; he has. However, the poll, conducted April 28-29, is not a reliable measure of the damage done as it takes stock of Wright's media tour, but not Obama's denunication of Wright on Tuesday.

When asked what issues are most important, 51 percent of North Carolinians said jobs and the economy; 14 percent said the Iraq war. Clinton received the highest marks on the economy and jobs while Obama scored highest on the Iraq War.

Hey Democrats, The DNC Needs Our Help

2008-05-01T10:02:00.008-04:00

The cash has poured into the Obama and Clinton campaigns this primary season, shattering all records and putting McCain at a theoretical disadvantage. McCain's disadvantage is, unfortunately, theoretical at this point because we do not have a nominee and the excitement surrounding Obama and Clinton has diverted critical financing away from our party.

According to FEC filings, the DNC is in dire financial straits with just over $5 million on hand. The RNC is doing considerably better with $31 million on hand. As a result, McCain has been free to define himself and our Presidential candidates at the same time the RNC slams our House and Senate candidates.

Although the media licks their lips at the prospect of a divided Democratic party and chaos at the Convention, it is incumbent on supporters of Clinton and Obama alike to rise above the primary smoke and fire and prepare for the battle ahead. McCain's had a free ride to date. Let's come together and end it.

Get our house in order. Contribute to the DNC.

Clinton Risks Too Much in Gas Tax Pandering

2008-04-30T17:07:00.011-04:00

Senators Clinton and McCain have both attacked Sen. Obama for refusing to support a temporary 18 cent-per-gallon tax "holiday." While residents of Indiana and North Carolina are rightly concerned about gas prices, the Clinton-McCain tax holiday would do far more harm than good. That's why most Economists and Governors oppose it, including Gov. Jon Corzine of New Jersey, a Clinton supporter.

The gas tax holiday would rob the states of needed revenue at a time when most are facing budget shortfalls. More importantly, it could cost hundreds of thousands of American jobs, particularly in construction, and forestall critical investments in infrastructure -- investments that may well prevent another major bridge from collapsing and ultimately save lives.

For these and other reasons, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and the Democratic leadership in Congress are right to oppose this reckless "holiday." It may not be the politically expedient to do, but it is surely the right thing.

GOP Ignores Clinton, Takes Aim at Obama

2008-04-30T11:26:00.007-04:00

Today in the Politico, Jonathan Martin observes that while Clinton's win in Pennsylvania enabled her to continue for another round, "you wouldn’t know it from listening to the Republican party." The GOP has turned the whole of its attention to Obama, purchasing $0.5 million in ads and flooding reporters with anti-Obama emails.

"Even when Clinton attacks McCain, President Bush or GOP policies, the response is either outright silence or snarky, dismissive ridicule about a failed campaign barely relevant enough to merit a response," Martin writes.

Whereas the RNC dispatched 18 emails attacking Obama in the wake of the Pennsylvania primary, the RNC sent out 0 emails concerning Clinton. While the GOP and McCain campaign concede that Clinton has little or no chance of capturing the Democratic nomination, it is, as we discussed yesterday, in their best interest to see the contest drag on as long as possible.

New Michigan Proposal Unacceptable

2008-04-30T09:13:00.010-04:00

Under a new proposal for seating Michigan's delegation, Sen. Clinton would be awarded 69 delegates while Sen. Obama would receive 59. This is simply unacceptable.

One cannot honor the DNC's decision to strip Michigan of its delegates and at the same time declare a winner. In consequence of Michigan's deliberate violation of party rules, the candidates were barred from campaigning there and took a pledge not to do so. Consistent with the DNC's action, Sen. Obama, Sen. Biden, Sen. Edwards and Gov. Richardson had their names withdrawn from the ballot.

Michiganders were left with a single viable candidate to vote for, Sen. Clinton, who said "it's clear, this election they're having is not going to count for anything." And Clinton should know; the rules at issue were crafted and adopted by Clinton Campaign Chairman Terry McAuliffe and members of the DNC Commission on Presidential Timing and Scheduling - all of whom were appointed by McAuliffe. (See "A Defining Moment for Democrats")

While it may be in the best interests of the Democratic party to seat delegations from Florida and Michigan, any arrangement other than a 50-50 split would be unfair, unjust and undemocratic.

Obama Denounces Wright

2008-04-29T15:33:00.008-04:00

Sen. Obama unequivocally denounced Rev. Wright's three-day media tour today, saying that he was "outraged" by Wright's recent remarks and "saddened by the spectacle."

"I cannot prevent him from making these remarks," Obama said, "but when I say I find these comments appalling, I mean it. It contradicts what I'm about and who I am . . . It is completely opposed to what I stand for and where I want to take this country."

Watch the entire press conference below.

Hillary to Court GOP Voters on O'Reilly Factor

2008-04-29T14:52:00.006-04:00

With an open primary in Indiana forthcoming, Operation Chaos sounds pretty good to Hillary Clinton. Both Clinton and the GOP apparently share the common goal of seeing Clinton emerge as the Democratic nominee in Denver, or as is more likely the case, dragging the Democratic contest through the mud as long as possible. To that end, Clinton and McCain have sychronized their assault on Sen. Obama in recent weeks. Now Clinton plans to state her case directly to GOP voters in a two-day series on the O'Reilly Factor. Nevermind that the host is a hatemonger and bigot.

Why are Limbaugh, McCain and O'Reilly aligning themselves with Clinton? The answer is very simple (as we have repeatedly noted). Clinton viewed favorably and seen as honest and trustworthy by just 37% and 39% of voters respectively. In other words, McCain's chances in the general election are markedly better with Clinton as an opponent.

Obama Commands 14 Point Lead in New NC Poll

2008-04-29T14:17:00.005-04:00

Rev. Wright has had little effect on Sen. Obama's run in the Tar Heel State, Rasmussen's latest poll of likely North Carolina voters shows. Obama commands a formidable 14 point lead (51% to 37) over Clinton in the most delegate rich contest left. Whereas Obama is viewed favorably by 71 percent of Carolina Dems, Clinton's favorability has dropped four points to 62 percent.

Obama does need to continue to reach out to lower-income white voters as Clinton maintains a significant advantage among whites earning under $60,000. Among whites earning more than $75,000, Obama remains on top.

Hillary's Ticket: McCain 2008, Clinton 2012?

2008-04-29T09:33:00.025-04:00

Hillary is campaigning for 2012 says Dick Morris, political commentator and former adviser to President Clinton. "The math is dead against her and she’s a realist." As the New York Senator has no chance of catching up to Obama in pledged delegates, it makes perfect sense.

Should Obama defeat McCain in the general election, Hillary may not have another crack at the Presidency until 2016, when she'll be 69 years old.

"But if McCain wins," Morris says, "she would have to be considered the presumptive front runner for the nomination, a status which she might parlay into a nomination more successfully than she has been able to do this year."

Pennsylvania was, practically speaking, Hillary's last stand. She needed a blowout to make meaningful inroads into Obama's formidable delegate lead. As Peter Fenn, an unaffiliated Democratic consultant, described it, "The wheels would have to come off the Obama bus, and the engine would have to blow." But the wheels did not come off and the engine remained intact as Hillary scored a meager 9 delegates (less than Obama netted in states like Idaho and Kansas).

Of course, Mr. Morris is not the first prominent Democrat to suggest that Hillary is going Tonya Harding on Obama. On Friday, House Majority Whip James Clyburn related a conversation he had with Democratic members on the House floor. "[T]hey’re hell-bound to make it impossible for Obama to win," they said. Only then could Hillary consummate her Presidential aspirations.

To be clear, I am not suggesting that Democrats urge Hillary to drop out. However, Democrats ought to hold her accountable for GOP-style, scorched earth attacks on the probable Democratic nominee because, as Mr. Morris points out, Hillary has already demonstrated that self-interest trumps party.

"In 2004, it is pretty obvious that Hillary did nothing to help John Kerry beyond giving a speech at the convention and waging a token campaign on his behalf," Morris observes. "Bill did even less. Their goal was obvious: they wanted Kerry to lose to Bush so that Hillary could run in 2008. Is she playing the same game now? Only time will tell."

What about Pastors Synder, Hagee and Huckabee?

2008-04-28T15:41:00.015-04:00

As the media continues to drill Obama over his former pastor, one cannot help but wonder why they have completely ignored the words and deeds of the other candidates' spiritual advisors.

Hillary Clinton's own pastor, Dean J. Synder of the Foundry United Methodist Church, has lavished praise on Rev. Wright, calling him, among other things, "an outstanding church leader," "a profound voice for justice and inclusion in our society" and "an agent of racial reconciliation." When the Lewinsky scandal erupted, President Clinton invited Rev. Wright and other religious leaders to the White House to solicit their understanding and counsel.

Perhaps most disturbing is the free pass John McCain has been given with respect to Pastor John Hagee. Pastor Hagee, of course, is the infamous church leader who maintains that God sent Hurricane Katrina to New Orleans as punishment for a gay rights march. Hagee als o believes that "all Muslims have a mandate to kill Christians and Jews" and that the "feminist movement today is throwing off authority in rebellion against God's pattern for the family." Oh, and Hagee once planned a "slave sale" to benefit high school seniors in his congregation. But none of this seems to merit media attention.

And what about Governor Huckabee's recent remarks in defense of Obama? As an ordinated minister, one would think his insights more valuable than the partisan talking heads on the cable news networks.

[Obama] made the point, and I think it's a valid one, that you can't hold the candidate responsible for everything that people around him may say or do. You just can't. Whether it's me, whether it's Obama . . . anybody else. But he did distance himself from the very vitriolic statements.
. . .
And one other thing I think we've gotta remember. As easy as it is for those of us who are white, to look back and say "That's a terrible statement!". . . I grew up in a very segregated south. And I think that you have to cut some slack -- and I'm gonna be probably the only Conservative in America who's gonna say something like this, but I'm just tellin' you -- we've gotta cut some slack to people who grew up being called names, being told "you have to sit in the balcony when you go to the movie. You have to go to the back door to go into the restaurant. And you can't sit out there with everyone else. There's a separate waiting room in the doctor's office. Here's where you sit on the bus . . ." And you know what? Sometimes people do have a chip on their shoulder and resentment. And you have to just say, I probably would too. I probably would too. In fact, I may have had more of a chip on my shoulder had it been me.

The media's double standard in covering Wright has been, and continues to be, both shameful and irresponsible. I frankly believe this entire conversation is a distraction from the many critical substantive challenges we face, but if we are going to have it, there ought to be -- and we must continue to insist upon -- some semblance of balance. If Rev. Wright's remarks, presented completely out of context, are worthy of the American people's attention, so too are the remarks and experiences of the other candidates' pastors.

Clyburn Says Clinton Gunning for 2012

2008-04-25T10:50:00.007-04:00

House Majority Whip James Clyburn of South Carolina said what many have suspected for a while now. Clinton knows she cannot win the nomination, but hopes to bloody Obama up so badly, that he'll lose to McCain and open the door to a Clinton run in 2012.

"I heard something, the first time yesterday, and I heard it on the floor today, which is telling me there are African Americans who have reached the decision that the Clintons know that she can’t win this. But they’re hell-bound to make it impossible for Obama to win" in November, Clyburn said.
...
The purported theory is that an Obama defeat in November against Republican presidential candidate John McCain would let Clinton make another presidential bid in four years, Clyburn said.

While Clyburn has yet to endorse a candidate, he also took the Clinton campaign to task for insisting that Michigan and Florida be included in the popular vote count.

“I think it’s so disingenuous . . . Carville and Sen. Clinton were all on TV. I’ve seen them two or three times this week, talking about counting Florida and Michigan," he said. "Her name was the only one on the ticket in Michigan and still 42, 43 percent of the vote was against her."

N.C. TV Stations Block Anti-Obama Attack Ad

2008-04-25T10:19:00.012-04:00

Some North Carolina TV stations have refused to air the NC GOP's new ad featuring snippets of Rev. Jeremiah Wright's now-famous "roost" sermon. The ad condemns two local Democratic candidates for endorsing Sen. Obama, saying Obama is "just too extreme for North Carolina."

The TV stations have deemed the ad to be offensive and even racist.

"I just don't think it's appropriate to be on our air," said a station manager in Charlotte. "I think it's offensive, and I'm not real comfortable with the implications around race."

Although Sen. McCain and the RNC have publicly denounced the ad, it seems clear that McCain's condemnation came with a wink and a nod. Obama campaign spokesman Hari Sevugan criticized McCain's purported inability to have the ad taken down.

"The fact that Senator McCain can’t get his own party to take down this misleading, personal attack ad raises serious questions about his promise to the American people that he will run a civil, respectful campaign."

Clinton Wins by 9 Points, Nets Just 10 Delegates in Pennsylvania

2008-04-25T09:26:00.012-04:00

With 99.99% reporting, the Pennsylvania Secretary of State confirms that Sen. Clinton fell short of the double-digit victory she had hoped for. The final tabulations show that Clinton's margin of victory was, in fact, a hair over 9 points.

While Clinton claims that "the tide is turning," she netted just 10 delegates in Pennsylvania. This can hardly be called a "big win" seeing as Obama netted more delegates in states like Idaho and Kansas.

Obama Holds Narrow Lead in Indiana Polls

2008-04-25T08:58:00.008-04:00

Sen. Obama holds a narrow lead in Indiana according to two new polls by Research 2000 and Indy Star/Selzer. In the Research 2000 poll, Obama's 48% to 47 lead is well within the 5 point margin of error. Obama's 41% to 38 lead in the Indy Star/Selzer poll is also within the 4.2 point margin of error.

In the Indy Star/Selzer poll, Obama bests McCain 49% to 41 in a hypothetical matchup while Clinton breaks even with McCain 46% to 46. Whereas 49 percent of Democratic voters say Obama is the most electable candidate, just 35 percent say the same about Clinton. These numbers validate our analysis in "How Obama Transforms the Electoral Map II," where Obama is said to have the advantage over Clinton in Indiana.

Reid, Pelosi and Dean: Decide by July 1

2008-04-24T14:49:00.008-04:00

Sen. Harry Reid just announced that he and Speaker Pelosi will join DNC Chairman Howard Dean in pressuring superdelegates to endorse either Sen. Obama or Sen. Clinton no later than July 1. To this end, Reid said he, Pelosi and Dean are considering a joint letter to superdelegates making the party's position known.

"The three of us, we may write a joint letter, we may write individual letters,” Reid said. “We’re in contact with each other. What we will do — unless something comes up untoward — we’ll do it together."

Reid continues to believe there will be a Democratic nominee by some point in June. "If you were in Las Vegas, you could get odds,” Reid remarked. “It’s pretty well determined who’s going to win each state."

Oregon Congressman David Wu Backs Obama

2008-04-24T13:30:00.003-04:00

Sen. Obama just picked up another superdelegate: Oregon Congressman David Wu. Wu cited Obama's superior judgment and his ability to bring real change to Washington and restore American leadership in the international community.

"Every dollar that we have spent in Iraq—which adds up to over $500 billion so far—is a dollar not spent at home, a school not built, a bridge not repaired," Wu said. "We need new policies both at home and abroad. Like Americans, the international community wants to see real change in America and I believe that Senator Obama embodies that change."

Sen. Obama is now just 291 delegates away from the Democratic nomination.

43 North Carolina Mayors, IFPTE Endorse Obama

2008-04-24T13:02:00.006-04:00

43 North Carolina mayors from major cities and small towns including Asheville, Durham, Greensboro, Chapel Hill and Cary endorsed Sen. Obama today. The mayors cited Obama's command of issues on the front lines of local economic development and his ability to "usher in a new era of prosperity" for American workers.

"I’m honored to have the support of so many mayors from across North Carolina who are committed to working hard to change America," Obama said. "These mayors understand what leadership is, and how important it is to bring people of diverse backgrounds together to make change happen for our working families and our communities. Their support is incredibly important to this campaign – and I look forward to working with them to build a stronger economy where Main Street thrives, not just Wall Street."

Sen. Obama also picked up a big union endorsement from the AFL-CIO affiliated International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE). The IFPTE voted unanimously in favor of the endorsement yesterday.

"While IFPTE applauds both Democratic candidates, our union’s internal polling results, coupled with Senator Obama’s unblemished record of support for the critical issues facing IFPTE, prompted our action to endorse Senator Obama," IFPTE President Gregory Junemann said in a statement.

Richardson and Carville Meet on Larry King

2008-04-24T12:03:00.008-04:00

A month ago, James Carville called Gov. Bill Richardson a "Judas" for endorsing Sen. Obama in lieu of their mutual friend, Sen. Clinton. The two men squared off on Larry King Live last night, marking the first time they've spoken since Carville's controversial remarks.

Conservative Punditry Drives Democratic Contest

2008-04-24T09:00:00.016-04:00

In the aftermath of the Pennsylvania primary, media coverage of the Democratic race has devolved into a third grade soccer game at recess. The cruel irony is that conservatives are driving the debate. This morning, for example, Robert Novak (de)constructs the "Deepening Democratic Dilemma" in the Chicago Sun-Times, Michael Barone asks "What If She Wins the Popular Vote?" in U.S. News and Karl Rove queries "Is Obama Ready for Prime Time?" in the Wall Street Journal.

Meanwhile, Steven Stark of the Boston Phoenix panics. "It's Time for Dems to Recruit Al Gore." This is by far the most ridiculous proposition I've heard this election cycle - and Stark is hardly the first to present it.

The fact is that Pennsylvania changed very little. Obama is way ahead in pledged delegates, states won, votes and money, and none dispute that Clinton has no chance of catching him in any of these metrics. While Karl Rove says Obama was "pummeled 55% to 45%" in Pennsylvania, he's already made two errors. First, Obama lost by less than 10 points (granted, a double-digit victory sells more papers and brings in better ratings). Second, 9 or 10 points hardly constitutes a pummeling. These are pummelings . . .

South Carolina: Obama +28
Alaska: Obama +50
Arkansas: Clinton +44
Colorado: Obama +35
Georgia: Obama +35
Idaho: Obama +63
Illinois: Obama +32
Kansas: Obama +48
Minnesota: Obama +34
North Dakota: Obama +24
Oklahoma: Clinton +24
Louisiana: Obama +24
Nebraska: Obama +36
U.S. Virgin Islands: Obama +84
Washington: Obama +37
Maine: Obama +20
Dems Abroad: Obama +34
D.C.: Obama +51
Maryland: Obama +25
Virginia: Obama +29
Hawaii: Obama +52
Vermont: Obama +20
Wyoming: Obama +23
Mississippi: Obama +24

Is it any wonder why conservatives are going after Obama? Sen. McCain has little or no chance of beating him. Clinton, on the other hand, is already on the verge of defeat. Whereas 62 percent of Americans believe Obama to be honest and trustworthy, only 39 percent say the same about Clinton. Whereas 32 percent have an unfavorable opinion of Obama, a staggering 48 percent view Clinton unfavorably.

This isn't rocket science. Clinton is still in contention with Obama because conservatives insist she is - and because independent media are having too much fun or are too happy with the ratings to report the cold, hard facts.