We've watched The Decider shred the Constitution.... "just a piece of paper".... and write executive orders for any parts of legislation he didn't want to follow.
Through a series of Attorney General enablers, the Bush administration has thumbed its nose at laws, and the enforcement of laws.... lying, destroying evidence, perverting justice.... an ends-justify-the-means mentality.
Now, Hillary Clinton is trying to foist the same convoluted moves on the Democratic electorate as Newsweek points out in "What's the Magic Metric?"
"Talk about playing the numbers. The morning after her Pennsylvania primary win, Hillary Clinton's aides staked out the aisle of the press plane and proclaimed that with Pennsylvania's big victory, Clinton had surged ahead of Barack Obama in the popular vote total..." if they count the Michigan and Florida votes even though the Democratic party stripped them of their delegates for violation of party rules, and if the caucus states aren't counted.
The nominating contest winner according to the agreed-upon rules is the one with the winning number of delegates, the popular vote isn't in play although this is now Clinton's metric.
Since Clinton can't overtake Barack Obama's insurmountable lead in elected delegates.... which are the measure of the winner.... she's trying to move the goal posts by disregarding the rules and with voodoo math declaring she's ahead in the popular vote.
Clinton is using this ignore-the-rules tactic in an effort to convince the superdelegates to go against the delegate outcome of the primaries and caucuses and vote for her. Anything goes as long as she wins. And, the first thing to go is playing by the rules.
Hillary's rude elbowing aside of the established Democratic party nominating process is just more my-way-or-the-highway manipulative Bush arrogance in a pants suit.
Is this what we need in the White House?
Showing posts with label superdelegates. Show all posts
Showing posts with label superdelegates. Show all posts
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Superdelegates.... Do Your Thing!
Today after Hillary Clinton's expected win over Barack Obama in the Pennsylvania primaries, the New York Times sums up this excruciating "demeaning political process" in "The Low Road to Victory."
The Times worriedly admonishes... "It is past time for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton to acknowledge that the negativity, for which she is mostly responsible, does nothing but harm to her, her opponent, her party and the 2008 election."
Their disappointment is clear... "Clinton became the first Democratic candidate to wave the bloody shirt of 9/11. A Clinton television ad - torn right from Karl Rove's playbook - evoked the 1929 stock market crash, Pearl Harbor, the Cuban missile crisis, the cold war and the 9/11 attacks, complete with video of Osama bin Laden...."
They warn that with these tactics, her reckless interview on ABC where she nuke-rattled against Iran with "obliterate them" language, and for not engaging Obama on the substance of issues, "she undercut the rationale for her candidacy that led this page and others to support her: that she is more qualified, right now, to be president than Obama."
This Times loss of faith in Clinton is delivered by the mothership of endorsements.
But, perhaps Maureen Dowd said it best in her Times op-ed today "Wiltling Over Waffles."
Dowd laments, "Now that Hillary has won Pennsylvania, it will take a village to help Obama escape from the suffocating embrace of his rival.... as the Democrats grow ever more desperate about the Attack of the 50 Foot Woman.....
"They also cringe as Bill continues his honey-crusted-nut-bar meltdown." Once fawning Clintonistas are dumbstruck with his lounge-lizard performance and conclude.... we never really knew you, Bill.
The Times advises, "It is getting to be time for the superdelegates to do what the Democrats had in mind when they created superdelegates: settle a bloody race that cannot be won at the ballot box."
Negative-campaign-weary Democrats would thank you.... but John McCain wouldn't. Because then he would then have to defend his many preposterous policies starting with his corporate-welfare plans, explain his many flip-flops and his joined-at-the-hip continuance of The Decider's failed "with-us-or-against-us" presidency.
Superdelegates.... vote!
The Times worriedly admonishes... "It is past time for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton to acknowledge that the negativity, for which she is mostly responsible, does nothing but harm to her, her opponent, her party and the 2008 election."
Their disappointment is clear... "Clinton became the first Democratic candidate to wave the bloody shirt of 9/11. A Clinton television ad - torn right from Karl Rove's playbook - evoked the 1929 stock market crash, Pearl Harbor, the Cuban missile crisis, the cold war and the 9/11 attacks, complete with video of Osama bin Laden...."
They warn that with these tactics, her reckless interview on ABC where she nuke-rattled against Iran with "obliterate them" language, and for not engaging Obama on the substance of issues, "she undercut the rationale for her candidacy that led this page and others to support her: that she is more qualified, right now, to be president than Obama."
This Times loss of faith in Clinton is delivered by the mothership of endorsements.
But, perhaps Maureen Dowd said it best in her Times op-ed today "Wiltling Over Waffles."
Dowd laments, "Now that Hillary has won Pennsylvania, it will take a village to help Obama escape from the suffocating embrace of his rival.... as the Democrats grow ever more desperate about the Attack of the 50 Foot Woman.....
"They also cringe as Bill continues his honey-crusted-nut-bar meltdown." Once fawning Clintonistas are dumbstruck with his lounge-lizard performance and conclude.... we never really knew you, Bill.
The Times advises, "It is getting to be time for the superdelegates to do what the Democrats had in mind when they created superdelegates: settle a bloody race that cannot be won at the ballot box."
Negative-campaign-weary Democrats would thank you.... but John McCain wouldn't. Because then he would then have to defend his many preposterous policies starting with his corporate-welfare plans, explain his many flip-flops and his joined-at-the-hip continuance of The Decider's failed "with-us-or-against-us" presidency.
Superdelegates.... vote!
Friday, March 28, 2008
Hillary's Firefight
Hillary Clinton has made it clear.... she'll do whatever it takes to win.... whatever.
From trying to imply Barack Obama isn't up to the job of commander-in-chief or a patriot, while lauding GOP candidate John McCain in those same roles.... to using the donor muscle of the rusting Clinton $$$ political machine to pressure Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to back off of her comments that superdelegates should support the candidate who has the most pledged delegates....
From trying to imply Barack Obama isn't up to the job of commander-in-chief or a patriot, while lauding GOP candidate John McCain in those same roles.... to using the donor muscle of the rusting Clinton $$$ political machine to pressure Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to back off of her comments that superdelegates should support the candidate who has the most pledged delegates....
To trying to capitalize on the media's dust up over Obama's pastor-gate. This week, Hillary said to the editorial board of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review.... owned by her once arch-enemy, "vast-right-wing conspiracy" master manipulator Richard Mellon Scaife no less.... that if she were in Obama's place she would have left the church.
She's relentlessly trying to stir up controversy over the Michigan and Florida delegates, constantly advocating that they must be seated at the Democratic convention.... though it was the choice of their state party to go against agreed upon party rules.
Still, she persists and threatens a credentials fight at the national convention, a fight that might well destroy the party nominee's chances in November.
Trying to make her First Lady forays into legionnaire duty.... dodging bullets in Bosnia and bringing peace to Northern Ireland.... when caught out she unblushing said she just "misspoke," even though she misspoke on numerous occasions and from prepared remarks.
What Hillary's flamethrower scorched-earth campaign has gotten her is a drop in the opinion polls.... eight points nationally behind Obama as of today.... while her negatives steadily rise.
As Eugene Robinson points out in "Collateral Damage" (WaPo) Hillary's anything goes approach "was always Bill Clinton's political method: Do what you have to do; apologize later, if necessary.
"But maybe what the people want this time is a real person, rather than an image or a strategy."
She's relentlessly trying to stir up controversy over the Michigan and Florida delegates, constantly advocating that they must be seated at the Democratic convention.... though it was the choice of their state party to go against agreed upon party rules.
Still, she persists and threatens a credentials fight at the national convention, a fight that might well destroy the party nominee's chances in November.
Trying to make her First Lady forays into legionnaire duty.... dodging bullets in Bosnia and bringing peace to Northern Ireland.... when caught out she unblushing said she just "misspoke," even though she misspoke on numerous occasions and from prepared remarks.
What Hillary's flamethrower scorched-earth campaign has gotten her is a drop in the opinion polls.... eight points nationally behind Obama as of today.... while her negatives steadily rise.
As Eugene Robinson points out in "Collateral Damage" (WaPo) Hillary's anything goes approach "was always Bill Clinton's political method: Do what you have to do; apologize later, if necessary.
"But maybe what the people want this time is a real person, rather than an image or a strategy."
Friday, March 07, 2008
1912 Election Redux?
Is 2008 a replay of the election of 1912? A brilliant piece in The New Republic draws the parallels.
Just like today, 1912 was a time when the country yearned for change from the many years of Republican governance... the Republican electorate believed the party had betrayed them... and voters wanted more popular participation in elections and in policymaking, more progressive taxation, and less corporate control of policy.
Recognizing this demand for change, former president Theodore Roosevelt challenged the incumbent William Howrard Taft for the GOP nomination, running an insurgent campaign to take back the GOP for the people. Just like Barack Obama who is challenging the Democratic machine in the person of Billary.
The voter-elected delegates to the 1912 Republican nominating convention gave Roosevelt an overwhelming majority..... 278 to Taft's 48.
But, 540 delegates were needed to cinch the race. So, hundreds of delegates, awarded by the Republican National Committee.... a majority of whom were Taft men.... put Taft over the top.
These GOP back-room "superdelegates" cooked the books, defied the voters, and the results were....
The popular Roosevelt bolted the GOP in a fury and formed the Progressive party. In the general election Taft came in a far third behind Roosevelt.... handing Democrat Woodrow Wilson the presidency. GOP nominee John McSame could win with a similar scenario.
Yet, while there are similarities, and no one expects Obama to bolt the party, it's still a sobering cautionary tale. Roosevelt, the "inspirational candidate" lost the GOP nomination to a party insider.... and the voters showed the party their disapproval at the polls.
One wonders if the Democratic National Committee leaders have lost their bearings and forgotten the lessons of history.
Especially in the world of 2008, where the GOP is meddling with the Democratic nominating process.... crossover voting, primary date tampering, pushing for primary re-dos.... while the 24/7 instant-"reporting" media hypes every negative item, especially gossip.... endlessly.
And, there's a cautionary lesson for Obama's campaign to be learned from the 1912 fiasco. Roosevelt.... allowing his frustration and bitterness to overtake his inspiration.... stooped to calling Taft names.... "puzzlewit" and "fathead" were among his talking points.
This is the precipice on which Obama's campaign now stands. The slings and smears from the Clintonistas are increasing, and the temptation to smear back is strong.
The latest attack on Obama is from Clinton's top aide Howard Wolfson who likened Obama to Democratic pariah, Whitewater prosecutor Kenneth Starr, because Obama (gasp) asked Clinton to release her tax returns.
Unfortunately, a foreign policy adviser to the Obama campaign, Samantha Power, succumbed to temptation to respond, and said (off the record) to a Scottish newspaper of Clinton's many sleazy campaign tactics... "She is a monster.... she is stooping to anything."
Today Power issued a statement of apology to Clinton saying "she deeply regretted" her remarks while an Obama spokesman said they have no place in his campaign.
A step back from the Theodore ledge for Obama.
Now, it's up to the vaporous DNC to avoid the same trampling of the voter-delegate majority with their gimmicky "superdelegates" and "add on" delegates and other fussy, non-democratic nonsense.
And, they had better clarify things soon, otherwise McSame will drive his Straight Talk Express through the inevitable split in the party right to the Oval Office.
Just like today, 1912 was a time when the country yearned for change from the many years of Republican governance... the Republican electorate believed the party had betrayed them... and voters wanted more popular participation in elections and in policymaking, more progressive taxation, and less corporate control of policy.
Recognizing this demand for change, former president Theodore Roosevelt challenged the incumbent William Howrard Taft for the GOP nomination, running an insurgent campaign to take back the GOP for the people. Just like Barack Obama who is challenging the Democratic machine in the person of Billary.
The voter-elected delegates to the 1912 Republican nominating convention gave Roosevelt an overwhelming majority..... 278 to Taft's 48.
But, 540 delegates were needed to cinch the race. So, hundreds of delegates, awarded by the Republican National Committee.... a majority of whom were Taft men.... put Taft over the top.
These GOP back-room "superdelegates" cooked the books, defied the voters, and the results were....
The popular Roosevelt bolted the GOP in a fury and formed the Progressive party. In the general election Taft came in a far third behind Roosevelt.... handing Democrat Woodrow Wilson the presidency. GOP nominee John McSame could win with a similar scenario.
Yet, while there are similarities, and no one expects Obama to bolt the party, it's still a sobering cautionary tale. Roosevelt, the "inspirational candidate" lost the GOP nomination to a party insider.... and the voters showed the party their disapproval at the polls.
One wonders if the Democratic National Committee leaders have lost their bearings and forgotten the lessons of history.
Especially in the world of 2008, where the GOP is meddling with the Democratic nominating process.... crossover voting, primary date tampering, pushing for primary re-dos.... while the 24/7 instant-"reporting" media hypes every negative item, especially gossip.... endlessly.
And, there's a cautionary lesson for Obama's campaign to be learned from the 1912 fiasco. Roosevelt.... allowing his frustration and bitterness to overtake his inspiration.... stooped to calling Taft names.... "puzzlewit" and "fathead" were among his talking points.
This is the precipice on which Obama's campaign now stands. The slings and smears from the Clintonistas are increasing, and the temptation to smear back is strong.
The latest attack on Obama is from Clinton's top aide Howard Wolfson who likened Obama to Democratic pariah, Whitewater prosecutor Kenneth Starr, because Obama (gasp) asked Clinton to release her tax returns.
Unfortunately, a foreign policy adviser to the Obama campaign, Samantha Power, succumbed to temptation to respond, and said (off the record) to a Scottish newspaper of Clinton's many sleazy campaign tactics... "She is a monster.... she is stooping to anything."
Today Power issued a statement of apology to Clinton saying "she deeply regretted" her remarks while an Obama spokesman said they have no place in his campaign.
A step back from the Theodore ledge for Obama.
Now, it's up to the vaporous DNC to avoid the same trampling of the voter-delegate majority with their gimmicky "superdelegates" and "add on" delegates and other fussy, non-democratic nonsense.
And, they had better clarify things soon, otherwise McSame will drive his Straight Talk Express through the inevitable split in the party right to the Oval Office.
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Harkin: Play By the Rules
Iowa's Senator Tom Harkin (D) has it right.... "Seating delegates would be 'disastrous' " (DesMoinesRegister)
"Rules are rules," said Harkin, who is an uncommitted superdelegate. "We had a national schedule that everyone agreed to.... Michigan, even knowing they would not be seated, and Florida, decided to step out of the line. They are the ones that created the situation, not the DNC, and now they have to live with the consequences."
Harkin said he has talked to the DNC Chairman Howard Dean, and that Dean and other Democrats are "adamant" that the Michigan and Florida delegates not be seated.
At last, a superdelegate who speaks up.... you can't change the rules after the game has started.
It's the only fair and decent stand to take, regardless of Hillary.... and the meddling GOP's.... full court press to the contrary.
"Rules are rules," said Harkin, who is an uncommitted superdelegate. "We had a national schedule that everyone agreed to.... Michigan, even knowing they would not be seated, and Florida, decided to step out of the line. They are the ones that created the situation, not the DNC, and now they have to live with the consequences."
Harkin said he has talked to the DNC Chairman Howard Dean, and that Dean and other Democrats are "adamant" that the Michigan and Florida delegates not be seated.
At last, a superdelegate who speaks up.... you can't change the rules after the game has started.
It's the only fair and decent stand to take, regardless of Hillary.... and the meddling GOP's.... full court press to the contrary.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Superdelegates or Stupordelegates?
Let's call a spade a spade.... it's impossible for Hillary Clinton to win the Democratic nomination aboveboard. Even with wins in most of the upcoming primaries...which gives her a huge benefit of the doubt and then some.... she still trails Obama in elected delegates.
Unless, she can get the superdelegates to go against the wishes of the majority of the elected delegates, breaks party rules in Michigan and Florida, and continues her campaign of personal destruction against Barack Obama.... and in the process tears apart the Democratic party to John McCain's benefit.
And even then, Clinton's nomination is problematic. Let's take these desperate and destructive Clinton strategies one by one.
Superdelegates. According to Politico today, there is a "behind the scenes battle" over superdelegates with Clinton scrambling last night to "freeze" them before they announce support for Obama.
According to Democratic officials, Obama is lining up a package of superdelegates to announce their support as a bloc. Will these party stalwarts stay on the fence looking to their own political fortunes or act now in the best interests of the party?
Michigan and Florida. They were counted out after they moved their primaries up to January against party rules; Clinton stayed on the ballot in both and "won" them with no real competition in Michigan and no real campaign in Florida. Regardless.... she named them as hers in her victory speech last night, and on MSNBC's Morning Joe today.
Personal destruction. That can go two ways. Until now Obama has avoided the politics of personal destruction, limiting himself to responding to her attacks, attacks which are arming the GOP for the coming slug fest.
With her bulldozing win-at-any-cost methods, Clinton even said that she and McCain had experience but Obama had "just one speech." McCain must be jumping for joy with this endorsement, which will undoubtedly show up in his general election ads.
Word is that Obama will.... must.... take off the gloves. Clinton has plenty of skeletons to choose from.... tax records she has so far refused to release, source of donations to the Clinton library, not making available papers from her time in the White House.... all pointing to a lack of transparency that is the reviled modus-operandi of the Bush administration.
"The winner of that fight would be John McCain.... who would love nothing more than fratricide among Democrats. He could use the time to raise money, energize conservative voters and sharpen his general election message." To say nothing of sniping from the sidelines.
This Clinton-Obama mud wrestle is a no-win for the Democratic party.... bound to soil Obama's message of hope, splashing supporters in both camps with Clinton's no-hope dirty tactics.
It's time for the superdelegates to step up and end the Clinton's scorched-earth, smoke-filled-room grab before the party self-destructs and hands the presidency to the GOP. Otherwise, why are they super?
Unless, she can get the superdelegates to go against the wishes of the majority of the elected delegates, breaks party rules in Michigan and Florida, and continues her campaign of personal destruction against Barack Obama.... and in the process tears apart the Democratic party to John McCain's benefit.
And even then, Clinton's nomination is problematic. Let's take these desperate and destructive Clinton strategies one by one.
Superdelegates. According to Politico today, there is a "behind the scenes battle" over superdelegates with Clinton scrambling last night to "freeze" them before they announce support for Obama.
According to Democratic officials, Obama is lining up a package of superdelegates to announce their support as a bloc. Will these party stalwarts stay on the fence looking to their own political fortunes or act now in the best interests of the party?
Michigan and Florida. They were counted out after they moved their primaries up to January against party rules; Clinton stayed on the ballot in both and "won" them with no real competition in Michigan and no real campaign in Florida. Regardless.... she named them as hers in her victory speech last night, and on MSNBC's Morning Joe today.
Personal destruction. That can go two ways. Until now Obama has avoided the politics of personal destruction, limiting himself to responding to her attacks, attacks which are arming the GOP for the coming slug fest.
With her bulldozing win-at-any-cost methods, Clinton even said that she and McCain had experience but Obama had "just one speech." McCain must be jumping for joy with this endorsement, which will undoubtedly show up in his general election ads.
Word is that Obama will.... must.... take off the gloves. Clinton has plenty of skeletons to choose from.... tax records she has so far refused to release, source of donations to the Clinton library, not making available papers from her time in the White House.... all pointing to a lack of transparency that is the reviled modus-operandi of the Bush administration.
"The winner of that fight would be John McCain.... who would love nothing more than fratricide among Democrats. He could use the time to raise money, energize conservative voters and sharpen his general election message." To say nothing of sniping from the sidelines.
This Clinton-Obama mud wrestle is a no-win for the Democratic party.... bound to soil Obama's message of hope, splashing supporters in both camps with Clinton's no-hope dirty tactics.
It's time for the superdelegates to step up and end the Clinton's scorched-earth, smoke-filled-room grab before the party self-destructs and hands the presidency to the GOP. Otherwise, why are they super?
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