Saturday, May 31, 2008

Michigan and Florida Seated


More breaking news. CNN reports that Florida and Michigan will be fully seated but each delegate will only be allocated one-half vote.

People from Florida are fuming. There is absolutely no reason why Florida voters should be disenfranchised like that.

The Sun Sentinel had a warning, which Democratic party officials obviously did not heed. "[D]isrespect Florida in this way [and it] could turn out to be one of the most monumentally stupid moves in the history of presidential politics."

Barack Resigns from Trinity

"I could no more disown him than disown the black community," said a somber Barack Obama a few months ago.

That was then and this is now. It looks like Barky is not only disowning Wright but the entire Trinity United Church of Christ.

In breaking news, ABC News reports that Obama's campaign sent out a press release notifying the media that Obama had resigned from the Chicago church.

Like Larry Johnson of No Quarter notes, since "there are no more primaries in states with significant numbers of African Americans, he can throw those folks away.

Historically, Barky is very good at that kind of thing.

But praise the Lord and Hallelujah! About two dozen years too late...

Update: Michelle Obama also resigned her membership from Trinity.

Michigan Voters Denied

And for their troubles, Barack Obama supporters have been richly rewarded.


Catholic League Pissed Off at Obama & Priest

It's not bad enough Barky has pissed off women, Jews, working class and southerners, nope, he's done gone pissed off Catholics, too.

The Swamp reports the Catholic League released a statement scolding Barack Obama for his unsavory ties to divisive religious "leaders."
Catholic League president Bill Donohue criticized Obama's relationship with Pfleger, whom he compared to controversial former Obama pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr.
"Senator Obama says he wants to bring people together," Donohue said in a press release. "Then why does he choose as his clerical friends people like Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Father Pfleger? They are two peas in a pod, both equally divisive, separated only by the color of their skin."
Swamp republished the original statement:

"Most commentators are already focusing on the inappropriateness of the race-baiting comments by Father Pfleger. More serious is the venue in which he delivered his diatribe and his long-standing ties to Sen. Obama. "

Father Pfleger's tirade would be inexcusable anywhere, but it is even more offensive when it happens in a church. It does not matter that it was not his own, nor does it matter that it happened in a church that has a record of allowing demagogues to exploit it. When churches become forums for political rallies, both religion and the
First Amendment are corrupted.

"Obama and Pfleger are no strangers. Indeed, when Obama was in the state senate in Illinois, he conveniently arranged for Father Pfleger's St. Sabina's Church to receive state monies for its social programs. Of course, the guardians of church and state separation said nothing then and they are saying nothing now. That's because they're all in the tank for Obama. Just as important, why is it that of all the wonderful Catholic priests in the Chicago Archdiocese, Obama long ago chose Pfleger to hang with? Truth be known, Pfleger has a very troubling history: he has welcomed the anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan to preach in his church; he has hired prostitutes to worship there; he has been arrested for defacing billboards; and he once urged the crowd at an anti-gun rally to hunt down a gun store owner 'like a rat' and 'snuff' him.

"Senator Obama says he wants to bring people together. Then why does he choose as his clerical friends people like Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Father Pfleger? They are two peas in a pod, both equally divisive, separated only by the color of their skin."

Indeed, the sheer hypocrisy of Barky's raison d’être for running for president is quite, uhm, oh yes, audacious.

The Rules


Obama supporters keep insisting that Hillary wants to break the rules so she can stealthily win the Democratic presidential nomination that by everything that's just and holy rightfully belongs to The Chosen One. To seat Florida and Michigan, two crucial swing states is beyond the pale because they broke the sacred rules.

Well, as in almost every legal case, each side has a valid point; that's why cases end up in court. Of course, if Obama had allowed a do-over in both Florida and Michigan a few months ago as Hillary wanted, we wouldn't be here, would we...?

Here's Jeralyn of Talk Left with a useful breakdown of the rules and what the media and Obama bloggers are not telling their audience:
Tomorrow, there will be extended coverage in the Media of the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee hearing on Michigan and Florida. And not one of them will know what they are talking about (NOTE: It is not just the Media, it is also bloggers like Matt Yglesias who continues his competition with Josh Marshall to become the next David Broder.) They will not know that New Hampshire spurred this crisis by not accepting the DNC primary schedule. They will not know that Rule 11 (the DNC primary schedule rule) was violated by Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. They will not know that Florida was entitled to a "waiver" pursuant to Rule 21 of the DNC rules. They will not know that the DNC Rules did not require candidates to take their names off the MI and FL ballots, that in fact that was an Obama ploy to pander to Iowa and limit Michigan's influence. They will not know that the DNC Rules called for a 50% penalty, not a 100% penalty for violating Rule 11. They will not know that Florida and Michigan wanted to have revotes but were stymied by the Obama camp. Tomorrow, there will be extended coverage in the Media of the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee hearing on Michigan and Florida. And not one of them will know what they are talking about (NOTE: It is not just the Media, it is also bloggers like Matt Yglesias who continues his competition with Josh Marshall to become the next David Broder.) They will not know that New Hampshire spurred this crisis by not accepting the DNC primary schedule. They will not know that Rule 11 (the DNC primary schedule rule) was violated by Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. They will not know that Florida was entitled to a "waiver" pursuant to Rule 21 of the DNC rules. They will not know that the DNC Rules did not require candidates to take their names off the MI and FL ballots, that in fact that was an Obama ploy to pander to Iowa and limit Michigan's influence. They will not know that the DNC Rules called for a 50% penalty, not a 100% penalty for violating Rule 11. They will not know that Florida and Michigan wanted to have revotes but were stymied by the Obama camp.
The long and short of it: New Hampshire broke the rules first. Iowa and South Carolina followed suit. Obama, losing badly to Hillary in Michigan, strategically took his name off the ballot -- even though he ran ads asking supporters to vote "uncommitted" and the rest is history.

Webb V-P Talk Buzz


Nearly every recent article and blog post about Sen. Jim Webb is about the very real possibility of Webb being asked to be on the ticket as the Democratic vice presidential nominee.

Webb, of course, is an excellent choice...few are better. Nevertheless, one pesky thought keeps germinating to the top, Would Webb be happy even if he were to accept...???

James Fallows of The Atlantic makes an excellent point in the latest column on the issue:

About Webb's value up through election day, I realize that there's an argument: Would his credentials on national security and as an undoubtedly tough southern Populist offset, among other problems, the perceived slight to older women among Hillary Clinton's base? It's like a vector problem in physics. My belief is that, purely as a matter of electoral math, Webb would help Obama much more than he would hurt. But I know that's a judgment call, with countless ramifications to argue out.

The problem is what would happen if he did help Obama win. Having first met Webb nearly thirty years ago -- and having co-written an Atlantic cover story with him, and having broken my rule against giving money to political candidates two years ago when he began his Senate run -- I can't imagine a job he would enjoy less than the vice presidency.

Jim Webb has arranged his life so as to maximize his intellectual and personal independence, and minimize the things he "has" to do and the bosses he must answer to. Novelist, essayist, journalist, movie-maker -- through the two decades before his Senate race he's been his own boss as much as possible, and has clearly relished saying exactly what he believes. The federal government office that most nicely matches his previous life is the one he now holds: as a U.S. Senator. Especially a Senator of the model Webb has described as his ideal: Daniel Patrick Moynihan. There are still lots of things Webb "has" to do -- fundraising, constituent service, party efforts -- to maintain this role. But in the big scheme of things, not that many.

Webb -- who has not endorsed either Clinton or Obama - has often said during his recent VP mentioning-boomlet that he thinks he could help a new Democratic president best by staying in the Senate. (And holding that Virginia seat for the Democrats.) Whether or not that answer is coy, I think it's absolutely correct. He's a great person for the Senate; the Senate is a great place for him, and I hope it will be for a long time to come.

And that's the crux of the matter. Jim Webb is too much of a free spirit and too darn good at his current job.

Friday, May 30, 2008

The Nation Endorses Sen. Jim Webb

Previously, The Nation endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for Democratic presidential nominee.

CBS reports The Nation has endorsed Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia as the Democratic nominee for vice president.

The howler is on her way out to dinner; more later, but in the meantime, here's a link to The Nation's endorsement.

Update: Nothing to add. Jim Webb would make a great vice president under a Hillary Clinton administration.

Obama - No Credibility with Voters




Through telephone interviews, Rassmussen has some eye-popping statistics, reported via Yahoo News.

Sen. John McSame who admitted to knowing next to nothing about the economy is still trusted by more Americans on the economy than Obama, 47 percent to 41 percent.

Like gaffes and reverend eruptions, bad polling news for The Chosen One keep on rolling and rolling on a daily basis.

When it comes to Iraq, more Americans trust McSame than they do Barky, 49 percent to 37 percent. "McCain has an even larger edge, 53% to 31%--on the broader topic of National Security."

McCain also leads on taxes, 44 percent to 38 percent.

Oh, and white women don't seem to like Barky, too much either. The Pew Research Center via Talk Left reports that 49 percent of females view Obama unfavorably.

Are you PAYING ATTENTION, SUPERS????

Largest South Dakota Newspaper Endorses Hillary


Despite Obama's claim of inevitability and invisibility, some folks aren't buying the company line and continue endorsing Hillary Clinton.

The largest newspaper in South Dakota today enthusiastically endorsed Sen. Clinton.

In endorsing her, the Argus writes that Hillary is "the strongest Democratic candidate for South Dakota.

Her mastery of complex policy detail is broad and deep, and her experience as a senator and former first lady matches that.

[...]

Clinton's energy policy is forward thinking and wise. She advocates a broad federal research initiative to help solve our looming oil crisis. It's a plan that would join university researchers, private industry and individual inventors behind a common goal.

[...]

Clinton has demonstrated a real commitment to Native American issues and will have visited several South Dakota reservations before the race is over. Clinton is precisely correct when she says that people outside the region have a poor understanding of the troubling trends on our reservations. Federal attention could help. That includes but is not limited to higher-ranking posts in the federal bureaucracy.

Her truly universal health care plan would be welcomed by thousands of South Dakotans. Even on reservations, where health care is nominally universal already, such a plan would be welcome. The federal government would never be allowed to subject everyday Americans to the kind of care Native Americans living on reservations routinely receive.

Argus Leader acknowledges that Obama is a powerful speaker with a lot of pretty words in his rhetorical arsenal. But since Barky has no real resume to speak of -- it was the only good point they could write about and left it at that.

H/T The Confluence.

Update: Another tip of the hat, this one going to Lambert of Corrente; he correctly observes how Argus, the same newspaper that interviewed Hillary last week didn't think too much of "the baseless, defamatory, and grotesque charges propagated by the NY Post and the Obama campaign" as evidenced by their endorsement of Hillary.

Hillary Picks Up Superdelegate

Still trickling in, Hillary picked up another superdelegate; this one from Washington.

The Seattle Times reports that Eileen Macoll, vice chairwoman of the state Democratic Party made the surprising endorsement yesterday.

"I think Hillary Clinton would be the best commander in chief to get us out of this mess in Iraq," Macoll said.

Macoll said she was spurred to announce her endorsement by her reaction to Memorial Day.

"I just got very emotional this Memorial Day weekend," she said. "This war just makes me sick."

Any delegate worth their super status has to know that with Hillary as the Democratic presidential candidate, chances of a Dem win are 100 percent. With Obama, drops to 47.2 percent.

H/T Talk Left.

Olbermann and MSNBO - No Longer Credible


Mainstream media is starting to create some distance between themselves and the boyz at MSNBO.

See for for yourself.

Howard Kurtz of The Washington Post writes:

The political coverage of MSNBC anchors Chris Matthews, left, and Keith Olbermann has been criticized for being blatantly left-leaning and pro-Barack Obama.

[...]

[T}here's no confusion on 'Hardball' or 'Countdown' as to where they stand. They are and have been enamored of Obama from the beginning."


Thursday, May 29, 2008

McClellan Outed by Gannon


White House Press Secretary Dana Perino's not too subtle threat directed at Scottie has been lowered, fired and released.

Radar reports that Jeff Gannon aka James Guckert aka "Bulldog" finally revealed who was his "very special White House friend [that] provided the gay blade...such remarkable access."

Today, for the first time, Guckert offered an explanation.

"I can say without fear of contradiction, that I knew [ex White House press secretary] Scott [McClellan] better than any other White House correspondent or Washington reporter," Guckert wrote on his blog.
Well, this bit of news should not come as a huge surprise to inquiring minds who've been following McClellan's career; there have been long-whispered rumors of Scottie visiting gay bars back home in Austin. Not that there is anything wrong with that...

Pucker up, laddies. McClellan is currently single.

MSBNO: Obama Cheerleading Hurts Obama

Digby of Hullaballo has an excellent post about the pitfalls of media shilling -- even when they're on your side; and to prove her point she links to an Obama supporter who writes and warns:

MSNBC's bias has actually hurt the Illinois senator. After all, it was the Obama cheerleading from MSNBC (among others) that helped lead to Clinton's New Hampshire comeback. And even if you think (as I do) that the Clintons have made too big of a deal out of the "sexist" and "unfair" portrayal their candidate has received in the press, if you watch enough MSNBC, you realize that their claim isn't without truth. How could you believe otherwise when Olbermann, with his trademark hauteur, told Hillary that "voluntarily or inadvertently, you are still awash in this filth [of the campaign]," or when Matthews took such self-evident glee in trouncing Clinton in between the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary? Similarly now, by mocking Clinton's decision to stay in the race, Olbermann has only bolstered her argument that "the boys" are trying to push her out. And finally, on a number of primary nights, but most notably in Pennsylvania and Ohio/Texas, MSNBC has become so excited by early exit polls that it has raised expectations that Obama ultimately could not live up to.

[...]

[A] downside quickly surfaced. Shuster's "pimping" remark and Matthews's crude (even if somewhat accurate) comment about the Monica Lewinsky scandal being a boon for Hillary's political career were notable precisely because they had nothing to do with policy or ideology. It wasn't as if Shuster and Matthews and Olbermann were siding with Obama on the issue of individual mandates. Rather, by giving "the personal" precedence over "the political," the network was using Hillary Hatred to fuel its coverage in a similar fashion to how Fox News uses Democrat Hatred to excite its viewers. But there is a distinction here that makes MSNBC's agenda almost more disquieting than Fox's. With Fox, I have to believe that most people know they're watching something that approximates GOP talking points (seeing an analyst like Paul Begala spin for Hillary on CNN doesn't really stick, either; everyone knows he's an apparatchik). With MSNBC, however, the bias is much harder to pin down. Does it stem from a personal vendetta? Sexism? Corporate diktat? Who knows? If an Obama presidency were to bomb in a way similar to George W. Bush's (unlikely, sure, but I'm speaking hypothetically here), it's difficult to imagine that MSNBC would treat Obama as reverentially as Fox still does Bush.

[...]

Dangerously, too, MSNBC's coverage can lead to a perverse sort of cognitive dissonance in viewers like, well, me. Throughout the primary process, I often found myself much more bullish on the Illinois Senator's chances after watching MSNBC than I had any reason to be. After Obama's Iowa victory, for instance, I remember hearing Matthews' description of a giant "wave" of Obamamania sweeping across the nation; surely, the race was over. Likewise, during the month of February, when Obama won eleven straight primaries, I recall watching the network and occasionally convincing myself that Clinton was certain to drop out before Texas and Ohio because her chances had become so diminished. The problem here is that when supposedly "straight" news anchors phrase questions in leading ways, and report one campaign's spin as if it were fact, it distorts what is actually going on in the campaign--even for those of us who make a living obsessing over and writing about politics. And when anchormen themselves shill for Obama, the distinction between his talking points and the truth grows even blurrier still. So, as much as I find MSNBC entertaining, their creation of a parallel, pro-Obama universe is the type of thing I'd expect of Fox. That's when I know it's time to change the channel.

Howling Latina can unequivocally attest that shilling and over the top manipulation by media and blog elites -- together with dishonest charges of racism by Obama surrogates persuaded her to endorse Hill. She knows when she is being stage-managed and doesn't like it one bit...

Jim Clyburn of South Carolina Will Endorse on Tuesday...


ABC News reports that Rep. Jim Clyburn of North Carolina will formally endorse a presidential candidate on Tuesday.

Geez, the howler just wonders who Clyburn, an Obama leading shill, will endorse???

The electrifying excitement is stunning; everyone awaits with bated breath...

ZZZZzzzzzzz

Emphasizing Gender is Polorizing...


So sayeth the voice behind the curtain.

Sliming Hillary, well, that's just good ol' fun reporting.

Obama's Church: Hillary Cried Because Obama is Black


Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Obama's Grim Scenario


Eugene Robinson of The Washington Post was shilling today -- as usual -- for his bestest hero, Barack Obama.

Robinson asks, "If this campaign goes on much longer, what will be left of Hillary Clinton?" One simple answer: She'll be president of the United States.

His little tale about Hillary "being reduced to citing the timing of Robert F. Kennedy's assassination as a reason to stay in the race" is total bullshit. Let me say this for the hundreth time so you can understand, Mr. Robinson. Hillary's point was that campaigns sometimes go on for a very long time.

But the purpose of Robinson's op-ed is clear: to hype Obama and trash Hillary; and with a few strokes from his unity pen, the seasoned scribe extends the story of Hillary's media-framed outrage into a second week of 24/7 wankfess, harping on and on about Hillary's comments and then gamely framing them as "animate[d] myths and fairy tales."

Well, for anyone who missed it, Barack Obama claimed yesterday that his uncle liberated Poland. Now setting aside Obama's disturbing historical gaffe, it was a lie; more wishful thinking, a fairy tale, if you will (Bill Clinton probably won't mind the howler borrowing the phrase). The Soviet Army liberated Poland.

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. Maybe Obama's uncle parted the seas, too.

As for Robinson's observation that Hillary is "disintegrating," well, if anyone is falling to pieces right before our eyes, it's not Mountain Mama but Barry, the tired hero who keeps making gaffes of the kind that'll cost Democrats the presidency in the fall. If Barack can't take the heat and needs a rest, well, let him take as long as he likes while Hillary continues to clean his clock by her work ethic alone.

Now begging your pardon, Mr. Robinson, you go too far in claiming Hillary needs an excuse to stay in the race. Hillary doesn't need your permission or anyone else for that matter. And equal to Hillary's "evocation of RFK," Obama's evocation of Auschwitz suggests that he too needed "some tactical reason." And it was to puff up his legacy and pander to Jews; and thusly, Obama fabricated his little yarn out of thin air.

Yep, Obama's campaign has to know that Clinton is the better candidate with a better resume, more votes,a greater chance to beat McCain and now, longer coattails in the fall for Dems in congressional races (as evidence by Kentucky).

Every day more superdelegates may well trickle to Obama's side of the ledger, but everyday more superdelegates also trickle to Clinton's side. Is Robinson trying to argue on behalf of Obama by using language and imagery that conjures up inevitability and advances this spurious meme???

It seems to the howler that if anyone is losing their soul during the Democratic race, it's not Hillary; it's people like Robinson and Olbermann and Matthews and Shuster and a whole slew of male pundits who've been shilling for Obama and have too loud of a microphone during the process.

In light of Obama's most recent gaffe, the karmic irony of Robinson's op-ed is not lost on the howler. He opined to readers about the scenario of Hillary's demise; here's the howler's for Barry.

Sheer tears of agony when he loses to the bitch who refused to quit.

Cocaine and Bush


In the past, Bush used cocaine.

Of course, we knew it all along. But now we have the smoking gun, courtesy of former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan and ABC News.

Writes McClellan: "'The media won't let go of these ridiculous cocaine rumors,' I heard Bush say. 'You know, the truth is I honestly don't remember whether I tried it or not. We had some pretty wild parties back in the day, and I just don't remember.'

"I remember thinking to myself, How can that be? How can someone simply not remember whether or not they used an illegal substance like cocaine? It didn't make a lot of sense."

And Scottie would know whether or not Bush remembered since as chief of staff to Karen Hughes and roving press secretary during the 2000 presidential campaign, Scottie knew where all the embarrassing bodies were buried.

Hell hath no fury like a press secretary scorned. Guess Scottie is getting his revenge for all the lies Bush and intimates fed him during his years at the White House; and the humiliation he suffered as water boy to the press, which ultimately didn't even save his job. A new sheriff arrived at the White House and Scottie was gone before you could say Texas hold 'em.

The Washington Post writes:
The former aide describes Bush as a willing participant in treating his presidency as a permanent political campaign, run in large part by his top political adviser, Rove.
No doubt about it. Bush will be remembered as the absolute worst president, ever; and Americans who voted for him will be remembered as the dumbest.

Every dark innuendo about Bush is absolutely true and then some.
"I could feel something fall out of me into the abyss as each reporter took a turn whacking me," he writes of the withering criticism he received as the [Plame] story played out. "It was my reputation crumbling away, bit by bit." He also suggests that Rove and Libby may have worked behind closed doors to coordinate their stories about the Plame leak. Late last year, McClellan's publisher released an excerpt of the book that suggested Bush had knowledge of the leak, something that won McClellan no friends in the administration.
You almost feel sorry for McClellan...

[I]n a chapter titled "Selling the War," he alleges that the administration repeatedly shaded the truth and that Bush "managed the crisis in a way that almost guaranteed that the use of force would become the only feasible option."

[...]

McClellan, once a staunch defender of the war from the podium,
comes to a stark conclusion, writing, "What I do know is that war should only be waged when necessary, and the Iraq war was not necessary."

Imagine, all those deaths for nothing. Kinna hard for McCain to run away from his record of staunch support of the Iraq War; there was no justification for going to war and there is no justification for staying there now.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Obama's Auschwitz Gaffe

Breaking news, breaking NEWS!

Forget Hillary taking bullets in Bosnia, Obama's uncle liberated Europe.


It's Already Started...


Hard to imagine a Newsweek cover with Hillary's picture and this headline

Not to worry, though. Michelle will put a stop to such talk -- lickity-split.

Ex-Cop Gets 45 Years

A former Prince Georges County police officer and county homeland security deputy director shot two unarmed men, killed one and for a while thought he'd gotten away with it.

Justice of sorts prevailed in the end. Keith A. Washington was sentenced to prison for 45 years today.

Interestingly on the very day Virginia is firing up their death gurney, one former cop kills and gets 35 years; a penniless person kills and gets the needle.

For the former cop, it began one sleepy Saturday morning on Jan. 24, 2007, when two men tried to deliver furniture to his home.

For some unexplained reason, Washington became agitated, brandished a gun, shot one dead, called the police department and then claimed self-defense.

Initially, the department told the media charges would likely be filed against the surviving delivery guy. And in fact, it is highly unlikely Washington would've ever faced the consequences of his deed if he hadn't pulled a gun against a harmless real estate appraisal who mistakenly went to his house a few months later.

Prince Georges County has a very long and shameful history of police abuse. They got away with it, most of the times.

For Mr. Kevin Green, the penniless sap from Virginia, he's about to be executed in less than an hour.

Psss, Wanna a Senate Majority???

Hillary Clinton is the best Democratic candidate for the presidential nomination; and any senator who has already endorsed Obama may want to reconsider -- especially if he or she wants to see a super-Senate majority of 60 in the next Congressional session.

MyDD notes that a 60-seat majority runs through Kentucky. And in the latest Rasmussen telephone survey, "Democratic challenger Bruce Lunsford [has] a five percentage point lead over long-time Republican Senator Mitch McConnell.

Unfortunately for Obama, polling data in Kentucky is not as sanguine. "John McCain leads Barack Obama by twenty-five percentage points. "

Sensing the new political paradigm, McConnell forwarded a press release last week saying that "he [was] looking forward to running against the 'Lunsford-Obama plan for America.'"

Ouch...

Oh yeah, almost forgot. Hillary beats McCain, 51 percent to 42 percent. Got any more questions, supers...?

Deja Vou Gaffes ...Obamspeak

Another day, another Obama gaffe:"On this Memorial Day, as our nation honors its unbroken line of fallen heroes -- and I see many of them in the audience here today -- our sense of patriotism is particularly strong."
Poor Obama, he's now seeing dead people; and with each passing day, his gaffes sound more and more eerily familiar.

H/T Tennessee Guerilla Women.

Unsubscribe to Huffington Post


The howler just received her daily brief from Huffington Post and decided it was the absolute perfect time to notify the Obamalog to stop sending her spam, er, updates.

The vitriol and puff from Huff directed at Hillary Clinton, the presidential candidate of choice for millions and millions of Democrats, including the howler, is simply unacceptable. Something must be done.

So Arianna, take your so-called updates and shove them in someone else's inbox; any of your future updates will be reported as spam.

Man with Low IQ to be Executed

The killing machine is about to fire up again...

Kevin Green, a black man with an IQ lower than 70, is scheduled to be killed by the Commonwealth of Virginia tonight at 9:00 PM.

Unless Gov. Tim Kaine grants a stay of execution, Green will be shackled to a gurney and injected with a deadly cocktail of sodium thiopental, a rapid-acting anaethetic, pancuronium, a muscle relaxant and potassium chloride, a solvent that stops the heart and causes cardiac arrest.

Kevin Green was convicted of robbing a convenience store and shooting the store owners and killing one of them. Green admits to the shooting but claims that he didn't intend to kill anyone; the gun accidently went off. The jury deliberated for one hour, found Green guilty and recommended eye-for-an-eye-justice: death.

The initial capital murder conviction was later vacated when a circuit judge ruled that two biased jurors should have been striken from the trial. Green was retried and once again found guilty and sentenced to die.

Although Green's IQ is below 70, two judges from Norfolk U.S. District Court ruled that Green failed the required two-prong test since he had "conceptual, social and practical skills" as evidenced by prior employment.

Now if that ain't a crock of crap...

Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty are asking concerned citizens to e-mail Gov. Tim Kaine and ask him to commute the sentence to life imprisonment. Green is mentally retarded and without the high court loophole that allows states to determine threshold, Green would never be executed in most states.

Kaine's e-mail is: http://www.governor.virginia.gov/AboutTheGovernor/contactGove.

Thank you.

Monday, May 26, 2008

Gettin' High With Obama

The new ad geared toward youn' uns.


Another Phony Scandal


Paul Krugman of The New York Times shows us the ridiculous way the media has treated Hillary Clinton throughout her presidential campaign; and how maybe, just maybe her sacred "negatives" have more than a little something-something to do with media framing since forever than anything else.

It is, in a way, almost appropriate that the final days of the struggle for the Democratic nomination have been marked by yet another fake Clinton scandal — the latest in a long line that goes all the way back to Whitewater.
Indeed it is!

[I]t’s absurd to suggest, as some Obama supporters immediately did, that Mrs. Clinton was making some kind of dark hint about Barack Obama’s future.

But then, it was equally absurd to portray Mrs. Clinton’s assertion that it took L.B.J.’s political skills to turn Martin Luther King’s vision into legislation as an example of politicizing race. Yet the claim that Mrs. Clinton was playing the race card, which was promoted by some Obama supporters as well as in a memo by a member of Mr. Obama’s staff, achieved wide currency.

Yes, the media have been shameless Obama lapdogs! You can't blame a guy for trying to clear the field for ol' time's sake, though.
[M]any grass-roots Clinton supporters feel that she has received unfair, even grotesque treatment. And the lingering bitterness from the primary campaign could cost Mr. Obama the White House.
And indeed it will!

Obama the Henpecked Hubby


Howling Latina thinks she finally knows the answer to the seminal question everyone is asking, "Who is Obama's Dick Cheney"?

Drum roll: Come out, come out so we can who's behind the curtain...

Why, holy frightening news, gasp! It's none other than Michelle Obama!!!

Once again, courtesy of No Quarter, a telling post. Yes, it's true; any time you see or read about Michelle Obama, she comes across as a dominatrix.

Here's Pat Racimora's take on Michelle:

My first vague feeling of discomfort occurred when Michelle Obama and her husband appeared on 60 minutes (Feb., 2007). She said, “I hate it. That’s why he doesn’t do it anymore…I’m the one who outed him on the smoking. That was one of my prerequisites for, you know, entering this race, is that, you know, he couldn’t be a smoking president.” Then, we viewers were deputized to contact her if we caught Barack smoking. Whereas I applaud anyone who is supporting a partner to onquer a tobacco addiction, her demeanor on national TV came off as unnervingly controlling.

[...]

The kicker that jolted me back to my orginal perception of Michelle Obama, however, came upon reading the transcript of an interveiw with Monica Langley of the Wall Street Journal in February, 2008. Langley writes, “On a conference call to prepare for a recent debate, Barack Obama brainstormed with his top advisers on the fine points of his positions. Michelle Obama had dialed in to listen, but finally couldn’t stay silent any longer. ‘Barack,’ she interjected, ‘Feel — don’t think!’ Telling her husband his ‘over-thinking’ during past debates had tripped him up with rival Hillary Clinton, she said: ‘Don’t get caught in the weeds. Be visceral. Use your heart — and your head.’ The campaign veterans shut up. They knew that Mrs. Obama’s opinion and advice mattered more to their candidate than anything they could say.” Langley adds, “Mr. Obama, in a speech after a primary, called his wife ‘the love of my life and the rock of the Obama family.’ But in a candid moment last March, he told a crowd: ‘She’s too smart to run. It is true my wife is smarter, better looking. She’s a little meaner than I am.’”

All those people who've been griping and bemoaning Hillary Clinton's ball-busting prowess, get ready to hit the mat.

Oh what irony to witness them pick a dominatrix as First Lady, all nice and secretive behind the scenes, just like Dick Cheney.

Get your new and improved nutcracker, folks, courtesy of the Big Boyz and MSNBO. Are we all having a good cry yet...?!?

Another Poll, Another Obama Loss

The latest from Newsweek via Taegan Goddard's Political Wire.

Low Ratings for Keith Olbermann



Since Keith Olbermann injected himself into the media lynching of Hillary with one of his blistering special commentaries filled with hyperbole and hype, the howler decided tonight would be an opportune time to link to an old story about Olbermann's issues with females.

It's about low ratings; and the story ain't got nothing to do with television.

Read the gory details; the hypocritical scum bag.

Hell, only a few weeks ago Olbermann had to apologize to Hillary for a remark he made filled with violent imagery.

That's right, Edward R. Murrow, in "referring to what Democrats needed to [do to] force Senator Clinton from the race," recklessly invoked violence by saying: "Somebody who can take her into a room and only he comes out."

Yes, he really said THAT! Please someone, anybody, slap some sense into that bitch.

But as the law of just deserts would have it, Olbermann's YouTube "special comment" is a huge flop, currently ranking only one measly star.

H/T New York Post and No Quarter.

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Change Dems Will Lose With

Here's a link with bunch of graphs from Clear Politics; they represent Barack Obama's losing coalition.

H/T No Quarter.

Michelle Obama on Unity


Hillary Op-Ed: Why I Continue to Run


Hillary wrote an op-ed in The New York Daily News on why she is running, why she continues to run and to set the record straight about her RFK remarks.

Sorry Barky, no Dr. Alice L. Palmer exit; you're going to have to earn any win against Hill.

One More Superdelegate for Hillary and then Another One...



Even though the media keeps insisting that Obama is the Democratic presidential nominee, it looks like a few Democratic superdelegates are going to need Fredo to deliver a horse's head pillow to them before they become convinced.

On Friday, former Sen. Pilar Lujan of Guam publicly endorsed Hillary Clinton.

But in endorsing Hillary, the Obama Camp was once again outraged (what is it this time!?!) because Lujan had overturned the will of the people in Guam. Obama won by seven votes.

To date, no outrage directed at Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, Bill Richardson and other Obama supporters, though. Stay tuned...or not...

Meanwhile, Hillary also picked up another superdelegate in Georgia.

More Proof: Hillary Wins, Obama Loses


Yet one more poll, this one from Quinnipiac University showing Hillary Clinton beating McCain in key swing states; and yep, Obama loses.
Plagued by a defection of Clinton supporters and white working class voters, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, the leading Democratic presidential contender, trails Arizona Sen. John McCain, the likely Republican candidate, in Florida and Ohio, according to simultaneous Quinnipiac University Swing State polls released
today. Sen. Obama is six points ahead in Pennsylvania. New York Sen. Clinton wins handily in all three states. No one has been elected President since 1960 without taking two of these three largest swing states in the Electoral College.
Earth to Obamatrons, give up the fight for the good of the party. Please stop insisting that superdelegates vote for your guy. Remember, you promised to abide by the will of the sacred voters, the same bunch you kept blabbing about on and on 24/7 until you realized that Barky was likely to come up short on the vote total.

The numbers for Florida and Ohio are good news for Sen. John McCain and should be worrisome for Sen. Barack Obama. That is especially true about Ohio, which decided the 2004 election. Ohio's economy is worse than the rest of the country and the Republican brand there is in disrepute. McCain's Buckeye lead may be a sign that nationally this may not be the easy Democratic walk to the White House that many expected," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.
Worrisome??? Obama should be quivering in his unity seat right about now.

Looking back at the Hillary/Obama slugfest, Howling Latina can't help but recall how netroots sweetheart Leslie Byrne supported Hillary during the Virginia Democratic presidential primary; and how in running against Fairfax County Executive Gerry Connolly, Byrne was enthusiastically endorsed by Sen. Jim Webb, Emily's List, Blue Majority and the blogosphere; and how Gov.Tim Kaine endorsed Fairfax Board of Supervisor Chairman Gerry Connolly; and how Kaine also endorsed Sen. Barack Obama; and how Webb has steadfastly refused to commit to Obama; and...how very likely it is that Webb favors Hillary over Obama because he knows that Obama is not the strongest candidate to against McCain -- the decisive factor as explicated by Webb in an earlier inteview on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos."

H/T Talk Left.

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Appalachian Politics with Mudcat

In an interview with Politico, Dave "Mudcat" Saunders has a few choice words of warning to superdelegates and Obatrons.
“Republicans will hit Obama for a lack of military experience. They will hit him as being out of touch with regular working-class voters. And then the NRA is going to take a wire brush to him on handguns,” Saunders said. “And he’s got to come to a reckoning on all these. Because you can put Jesus Christ at the second spot and if he ain’t right with Virginians, he ain’t going to win.”
Add Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania to the equation and one can see why Republicans are just giddy with joy right about now.

Don't believe? Go ahead and read the disturbing voting analysis from Corrente with charts that do not lie.

Done with Huffington

Equal to boycotting MSNBO, the howler will not read the Huffington Post until Arianna apologizes to Hillary for the vile and hateful histrionics directed at the first woman presidential candidate with a real shot of winning the race (no thanks to her).

And yeah, Ariamna is probably a little frustrated because her race for governor didn't go exactly as she might've liked a few years ago.

But tough bananas as they say somewhere. Besides...that voice....yikes...between Arnold the Groper and Arianna the Maligner, Californians wisely chose Arnold.

June 1 - ¡Qué dulce será!


Obama Plays the (Other) Race Card

With Puerto Rico and their 2 million voters coming up, Obama is taking no chances.

"A certain segment has basically been feeding a kind of xenophobia. There’s a reason why hate crimes against Hispanic people doubled last year. If you have people like Lou Dobbs and Rush Limbaugh ginning things up, it’s not surprising that would happen."

Oh my dearsweetjesus; how bizzare and tasteless. Is Obama advancing a new theory of violence against poor Latinos by "bitter people" of the "regular white" kind...?

"Why should I drop out before xenophobics can attack to prove my point about immigration?" Obama rhetorically asked -- but only to establish his pro-Latino position.

Well there goes all that talk about unity, change we can believe in and practicing a new kind of politics. Obama's done gone and hurt poor Rushie's feelings in the heat of battle.

Not to worry, though; he only did it to send a big wet kiss to his homies in Puerto Rico, in kumbaya fashion of course.

Now let's wait and see if we ever get to hear a little equal opportunity outrage from the blogosphere and mainstream media after such unequivocally and absolutely provocative remarks, shall we?!? But please, don't do anything stupid while you wait forever...

Mary Mary - Shackles (Praise You)

Here's one of my favoritest Christian songs.

Shout and PRAISE! And boogey down...it's a Holy Ghost party.


Memo to Pro-Hillary Women Scorned


GET OVER IT!!!

Sound familiar??? Drudge is the latest blogger to add a familiar refrain to the Democratic presidential nomination dialogue and process via link to David Corn.

How pathetic is that???? YES we CAN.

Lose that is; and with Barky as the Democratic presidential candidate, you can bet on it.

DIVE - steven curtis chapman

Five-time Grammy winner, Christian singer and writer Steven Curtis Chapman, tragically lost his five-year old daughter in an accident.

His daughter, Maria Sue "was hit in the driveway of the family's home Wednesday afternoon by a Toyota Land Cruiser driven by her teenage brothe," the Associated Press reports.

Rest in peace, Maria Sue.


See for Yourself


From Robert Kennedy, Jr.

"It is clear from the context that Hillary was invoking a familiar political circumstance in order to support her decision to stay in the race through June. I have heard her make this reference before, also citing her husband's 1992 race, both of which were hard fought through June. I understand how highly charged the atmosphere is, but I think it is a mistake for people to take
offense."
So very glad to see there are still some decent people in this world; my faith in humanity is restored, present media excluded.

H/T Anglachel's Journal.

Friday, May 23, 2008

Time's Swampland is Drinking the Cash Kool Aid

Karen Tumulty of Time in partnership with CNN has a tasteless post about Hillary's alleged tasteless remarks to The Argus Leader.

In fact, Howling Latina just about barfed-up everything she ate this evening after reading the bitchy post from Karen Tumulty. And yes, the howler is being totally sexist but hey, if it's good enough for Alex Castellanos, CNN political pundit, the howler can do the same; it's out there.

It seems Tumulty reads a major conspiracy of the Vince Foster variety and she's outraged. But dear readers, all you need to know about Tumulty's outrage is this teeny weeny matter about who is sponsoring her indignity at the bottom of her post: "Sponsored link: Obama Campaign Website. Sign up now for invitations to Barack Obama campaign events. Join us! BarackObama.com."

How deliciously purrfect...! Are we feeling the unity and love yet????

And no one expresses the kumbaya sentiments better in paraphrasing Hillary than David Rees of Huffington Post: "Why Would I Drop Out Before Barack Obama Is Assassinated?"

Well, here's some reality and context from The Argus Leader courtesy of The Washington Post:
"The context of the question and answer with Sen. Clinton was whether her continued candidacy jeopardized party unity this close to the Democratic convention. Her reference to Mr. Kennedy's assassination appeared to focus on the timeline of his primary candidacy and not the assassination itself."

What a Crock of Outrage - Video Included


Do supporters of Obama know how much they piss off Democrats who support Hillary with their phony outrage???

Breathlessly Davis Shuster went on and on this afternoon about an innocuous comment Hillary made that should've never warranted even a footnote. A bunch of bloviating for absolutely nothing, see for yourself.

Wisely, David Axerol took it back after Hillary apologized for offending any person stupid enough to be offended.

"I don't think she's hoping for some tragic catastrophic event to intervene," Obama senior strategist David Axelrod told MSNBC's "Hardball" this afternoon, when discussing Sen. Hillary Clinton's controversial invocation of Robert Kennedy's assassination during a general discussion about whether her staying in the race puts party unity at risk.

Some in the Clinton campaign are saying that the media is misrepresenting the context of her remarks. She was not discussing why she's staying in the race, they say. She was
saying that she doesn't think the length of the race was hurting the party.

Nah, Hill; that's just your imagination. MSNBO would never, ever, ever misrepresent, slant, lie, malign, falsify, con or fake anything you say; they'd never do that to you...they're just honest brokers trying to report the truth to their audience -- NOT!!!

Here's the heart of the matter from ABC:

The debate seems to be whether Clinton was merely suggesting that previous Democratic races have gone on a long time, through June, and, "Hey, remember that horrible moment in 1968 with Bobby Kennedy's assassination was in June?" -- or whether she was saying, "Hey, anything could happen. Obama might get assassinated. No reason for me to drop out yet."

The Argus Leader editorial board issued a statement saying, "The context of the question and answer with Sen. Clinton was whether her continued candidacy jeopardized party unity this close to the Democratic convention. Her reference to Mr. Kennedy's assassination appeared to focus on the timeline of his primary candidacy and not the assassination itself."

How's that for a slapdown, MSNBO???

Rick Noriega Within Striking Distance in Texas


Quiet as a church mouth -- without fanfare -- Democratic State Rep. Rick Noriega of Texas is rising up the polls against Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn.

Only a few weeks ago, Fox-TV posted a poll that showed Noriega statistically tied with Cornyn, 47 percent to 43 percent with a 4 percent margin of error.

Fox helpfully explains the polling data:

Any incumbent who polls below 50% is considered potentially vulnerable. That is especially true when a little known challenger is so competitive in an early general election match-up.

[...]

Democrats are likely to expand their majority in the Senate this year by picking up several Senate seats currently held by the GOP. Early polling indicates that many states offer potential Democratic gains including: Virginia, New Hamsphire, New Mexico, Colorado, Minnesota, Oregon and Alaska.

Nah, you think??? We need to add Texas to the list, for sure.

Moreover, after the huge turnout of nearly 3 million voters during the Democratic primary last March, one can certainly envision a boatload of new voters coming out to vote in droves and hurling Noriega across the winning line -- whether Hillary or Obama is the Democratic presidential candidate.

YES we CAN!!!

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Who is Obama's Cheney...?

Since Barack Obama is too inexperienced and green, Jonathan Cifre, J.D., of Savage Politics argues (and the howler mostly agrees) that if Dems help elect Obama in November, they'll be making as big a mistake as Republicans did eight years ago in voting for George W. Bush.

[W]e all know that George W. Bush is a great motivator of fear and distrust, but to pretend that any member of the Republican Party is exactly the same as him would be similar to proclaiming that every Democratic Party official is the same as Howard Dean or Obama himself...[T]he irony of it all becomes even more dramatic when you compare Barack Obama to the ‘boogie man’ himself; George W. Bush.

[...]

[W]e all know that George W. Bush is a great motivator of fear and distrust, but to pretend that any member of the Republican Party is exactly the same as him would be similar to proclaiming that every Democratic Party official is the same as Howard Dean or Obama himself. But, the irony of it all becomes even more dramatic when you compare Barack Obama to the ‘boogie man’ himself; George W. Bush.

[...]

Now, the Democrats are about to nominate their own ‘Interracial Bush’. An inexperienced candidate with openly naive perspectives on foreign policy. Just like Bush, Obama claims that he wishes to “change” the world’s perspective about America, and thus is pushing for a “compassionate” approach to international politics. Just like Bush, Obama is either naive enough to believe his own nonsense or actually feels that this is possible, which in either instance begs the question; WITH WHOM will Obama surround himself for advise? Since Americans have NO power in this decision-making process, it would be wise to consider the people with whom Obama has previously chosen to associate himself throughout his more than 20 year history of political maneuvering.

The critical question as earlier posed by Katiebird of The Confluence, "[W]ho’s going to [his] “Dick Cheney”?

And after looking at how mainstream has gone the full Monty over a junior senator with no foreign policy experience who less than four years ago was a state senator, Cifre reasons that it has to be motivated by sheer self-interest of the tingly kind.
[M]any educated voters already know that Obama is a puppet too, but most Americans get their information directly from his puppet masters; the Mainstream Press...Only by defeating the perfect representation of all that is degenerate and superficial in this Country, will we be able to ’save our soul’ as a global community and putting our Nation back on track. Only by REJECTING the “American Idol”, reality show candidacy of Barack H. Obama, will the world begin to respect the United States as the formidable entity it still is. Only then will we be able to look at Bush’s term as one that is finally far behind us (both Liberals and Conservatives should rejoice about this). But, we still have another Bush approaching, and this one is even more nefarious than the first one, because this one has been actually BOUGHT and SOLD as a savior by the most powerful “lobbyists” in the world: THE MAINSTREAM NEWS MEDIA.

Apropos to Everything...


Just in time for the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee members meeting of May 31 that will decide whether votes from Michigan and Florida will count towards the Democratic presidential delegate count or not, HBO is kicking off a docudrama on Sunday with eerie parallels.

In the movie, HBO transports viewers "behind the scenes of th[e] 2000 presidential election" that was heavily disputed and only settled after the U.S. Supreme Court stepped in with their controvertial decision that awarded the presidency to George W. Bush and changed the course of history.

"Recount" is a fictional narrative of the seminal event with an "all-star cast that includes Kevin Spacey, Laura Dern, Tom Wilkinson and Denis Leary." It will premiere at 9 p.m. EDT.

The film plays out over a 36-day period, walking viewers through what took place from Election Day to the date the race was finally decided.

“We worked very hard to make it as historically accurate as possible,” explains director Jay Roach, better known for zany comedies such as “Austin Powers” and “Meet the Parents.” “It’s meant to capture the essence of what actually went on within the state of Florida within that limited time frame.”

Jolly, jolly, jolly. Does anyone besides the howler see the delicious irony in timing...???

Just asking...

Why Obama Won't Seat FL & Mich


Craig Crawford of CQ Politics has a very interesting post explaining why Obama will never agree to seat Florida or Michigan -- even if his campaign goes over the magic 2026 delegates he claims to only need to go over the top.

The entire premise of Obama and his supporters has been that once he reaches the 2026 delegate count, Dems must anoint him the presidential nominee; maybe unfair, but those are the rules.

However, as Crawford points out, "even if [Obama] gathers enough superdelegate endorsements for a winning majority and Clinton suspends her campaign, [Clinton] could always revive her candidacy if something suddenly reversed Obama's chances, causing unbound delegates to waver."
And in such circumstances, the two large-state delegations (which gave Clinton the lion's share of their primary votes) could become a crucial factor if Obama had earlier agreed to seat them.
Obama ain't gonna let it happen. Too risky. Once Mich & FL are seated, unbound supers could always swing to Hillary and poof, there goes Obama's unity victory.

The key is that superdelegates do not have to rubberstamp Obama's strategy to suppress votes.
Their role is to consider what is best for the Democratic party in the fall; and if it becomes increasingly evident that Obama falters against McCain, supers can and will vote accordingly; those are the rules.

In the meantime, it sure looks like the biggest "primary" of all is coming up May 31 when members of the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee meet and decide what to do about Michigan and Florida.

Arkansas Judge Voted Off for Free Speech and Social Justice

The third-highest ranking member of the Arkansas Court of Appeals who fought for the right to criticize President George W. Bush and the Iraq war lost his bid for reelection on Tuesday, CR reports.

Wendell Griffen, a Baptist minister who joined the state's second-highest court in 1996, lost decisively to a juvenile court judge. His opponent did not discuss Griffen's comments during the campaign but credited them in part for her victory.

"I think it's fair to say that there were a lot of people in the community who were disappointed with the statements he's made over the years," Judge Rita Gruber said.
As a staunch advocate for social justice, Griffen had also publicly rejected the "idea that incarceration cures crimes" in a recent interview.

"If I told you that I could cure cancer or AIDS, you would pay attention," Wendell Griffen...said in an e-mail interview with EthicsDaily.com.

"If I then said that my cure consists of building more cemeteries and hiring more morticians, you would certainly reject my suggested cure."

[...]

"Building more jails and prisons and hiring more jailers and prison guards is to solving crime as building cemeteries and hiring morticians is to curing cancer or AIDS," he said.

Hmmm, guess it's statements like that Gruber found so offensive. Howling Latina can't believe that judges in some states have to run for election. Hell, this guy shouldn't of been voted off the island; after eight long years of Bush idiocy and misery, he should've been awarded the medal of freedom or something

Of course, Griffen is African-American and race may have had a little something-something to do with the whole sordid affair.

You see, back in 2002, "[t]he Arkansas Judicial Discipine and Disability Commission sought sanctions against Griffen...after he criticized the University of Arkansas' racial diversity in the wake of the firing of [a]popular basketball coach."

Griffen also sparked controversy after decrying the federal government's callously inept response in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Fortunately, the ethics panel eventually "dismissed charges that he [had] violated judicial rules by speaking out on political issues." Griffen had the pesky constitution on his side.

"In defending his right to speak freely, Griffen relied mainly on a U.S. Supreme Court case that struck down Minnesota's limits on free speech rights for judges. Arkansas' court rules were similar to Minnesota's. "
After the wrongful conviction in Alabama of Don Siegelman and the politicizing of justice under Gonzo, the entire justice system really needs to be revamped from the ground up; it stinks to high heaven and hell and back.

Thom Hartmann on Dream Ticket


Thom Hartmann of Air America Radio lays down his argument why Obama and Hillary should both be on the Democratic presidential ticket.

Yes, the howler thinks that's a grrreat idea. And a nice consolation price for Obama after superdelegates endorse Hillary for president.

We know the drill. Against McCain in the fall, Hillary wins and Obama loses. Can't get away from those pesky poll numbers.

Still...not sure that's exactly what Hartmann had in mind but here's a listen.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Is There Any State Where Hillary Doesn't Beat McCain???

Just logged in to check the latest buzz and lo and behold, the howler came across another post showing Hillary beating McCain and Obama losing to him.

Courtesy of Talk Left who seems to always have the latest polling scoop, we can now add Missouri (yes, another state "won" by Obama) and Florida to North Carolina.

In a Missouri survey by SUSA, Hillary beats McCain, 48 percent to 46 percent. Obama loses 48 to 45.

And in a Rassmussen poll in Florida, it's the same verdict. Hillary wins, 47 percent to 41 percent. Obama loses 50 to 40.

Two superdelegates endorsed Hillary -- Craig Bashein of Hunting Valley, Ohio and Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley.

In endorsing Hillary, Mr. Bashein said:

Hillary brings a wealth of proven experience in both domestic and foreign policy that provides a great sense of confidence and security in our future," Bashein said. "She has the strength and determination to beat John McCain this Fall."

Attorney General Coakley said:

"I am determined to see a successful Democratic campaign for President in November. I believe that the Democratic primary has demonstrated to the American people that there are two able and hard working candidates, either of whom can win the presidency. Either will be a huge improvement for America over what the Republicans have offered for the last eight years and what they offer now for the next four. I will support whoever is the nominee of the party.

"However, as one of two unpledged delegates elected by the Massachusetts State Committee, I have determined to cast my vote for Hillary Clinton. Running for office under any circumstances is arduous and stressful; it is at times exhilarating and at times exhausting. It tests the issues, the families and supporters, and the very core of the candidate. Running for President of the United States is all of that many times over.

"Regardless of the outcome of the primary, Mrs. Clinton’s energy, stamina, and resolve have changed the course of history for women seeking office, including the presidency, and I dare say, have changed the course of history of Presidential politics in the United States. It is for these reasons that I will vote for Hillary Clinton in August at the Nominating Convention."

Oh, and it looks like Hillary had a great month in April, raising $21 million. Yes, Obama raised $32 million but unfortunately, it costs a lot of $$$ to lose; he spent more than he raked in to the tune of $5 million.

WWTBJQ - Continued


Hillary Picks Up Minimum of 58 Delegates


After yesterday's primaries in Kentucky and Oregon, Hillary picked up at least 56 pledged delegates. Talk Left also notes that she won almost 150,000 more votes. Obama picked up 43 pledged delegates.

CNN reports today that Hillary also picked up two additional superdelegates. Obama only one.

Now here's the kicker about Obama claiming victory last night:
As a result of last night’s primaries, Obama now has a majority of the 3,253 total pledged delegates, though that has no direct bearing on winning the nomination.
Hmmm, sure looks like the supers didn't receive their special unity memo. It's over for Hillary. Give it up for Obama. Come out, come out supers, wherever you are hiding...

New Clinton Ad in South Dakota

Clinton ain't going nowhere; she's staying in for the long haul!

Obama fans can just forget about Hillary pulling out of the Democratic presidential race. Mountain Mama just bought herself some ad buys in South Dakota.


Virginia's Shameful Milestone


Without fanfare, Virginia will pass a shameful milestone in June. The state will have executed 100 convicted felons in our name.

Within a 30-day period, Kevin Green, Percy Walton and Robert Yarbrough will be executed.

Last year, Howling Latina was a contributing writer for Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, a statewide citizens coalition. Profiles of death-row inmates in Virginia can be viewed here.

Percy Walton is a psychotic schizophrenic. Kevin Green was involved in a robbery gone bad. And Robert Yarbrough was convicted of capital murder after three African-American were removed from the jury pool.

Oh Youth, Where Art Thou???

Howling Latina decided to comb through Democratic primary results to discern just how strong is the current youth movement in relationship to oh, let's say 2004.

In putting data in historical context, Democrats may want to recall the much touted 'Rock the Vote' and Howard Dean youth movement of '04; Dems suffered a humiliating defeat in the fall.

The share of voters aged 18-29 in the Iowa caucuses of 2004 was 17 percent; in New Hampshire primaries, the youth vote share dropped to 14 percent. Any data after New Hampshire is fairly meaningless since after New Hamsphire in '04, Kerry was the presumptive nominee.

Moving ahead to 2008 primaries and caucuses, data is not readily available in some caucus states but here are the available number for the rest:
IOWA - 22 percent
NEW HAMPSHIRE - 17 percent
MICHIGAN - 17 percent
NEVADA - 13 percent
S. CAROLINA - 14 percent
FLORIDA - 9 percent
ALABAMA - 13 percent
ARIZONA - 8 percent
ARKANSAS - 9 percent
CALIFORNIA - 16 percent
LOUISIANA - 10 percent
MARYLAND - 14 percent
VIRGINIA - 14 percent
WISCONSIN - 16 percent
OHIO - 16 percent
RHODE ISLAND - 13 percent
TEXAS - 16 percent
VERMONT - 11 percent
MISSISSIPPI - 14 percent
PENNSYLVANIA - 12 percent
INDIANA - 17 percent
N. CAROLINA - 14 percent
W. VIRGINIA - 14 percent
KENTUCKY - 13 percent
OREGON - 16 percent
Data shows a slight tick in some states -- but hardly a seismic movement.

Gore Still Ain't Buying

In 2004, former Vice President Al Gore endorsed Howard Dean, no problem.

This time, he's taking his sweet time in endorsing. Just like other wise superdelegates such as uhm, Sen. Jim Webb.

Indeed, what reasonable person can blame them???

If Hillary's recent thrashing of Obama in Kentucky, Indiana and West Virginia to go along with wins in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas (and yes, 100,000 additional votes is a win), doesn't give superdelegates pause, nothing ever will.

For a long time, Howling Latina has had the sneaky suspicion that supers were paying close attention to Hillary's blow-out wins and the future electoral map.

Here's a quote from a reporter that rather nicely pinpoints the howler's sentiments:

[T]he argument that she’s making, particularly that she has sort of a greater ability to appeal to blue collar and senior white voters, that she argues are going to be necessary to beat John McCain in November, is resonating a little bit with super delegates. They’re thinking a little bit about it, at least enough to stay on the fence. Sure, we’re seeing a trickle of delegates backing Obama, but I think if they were not thinking a little bit about this argument and the case that she’s making on electability, I think we’d see more of a wave to Obama right now.
Oh, they're thinking all right; they'd be idiots if they weren't.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Uh, oh...Obama Loses North Carolina

Obama may have won the North Carolina presidential primary a few weeks ago but...according to the latest SUSA poll, Hillary Clinton beats Sen. McSame in the Tar Heel State.

Obama -- not so much.

Here are the telling numbers, courtesy of MyDD.

North Carolina

Clinton 49
McCain 43

McCain 51
Obama 43
Geez, whatever happened to that song and dance about Obama placing North Carolina in play in the general election?

Perhaps not so much...

Clinton Runs the Board in Kentucky


Hillary Clinton crashed through the gate to win Kentucky by more than 30 points -- yet another punishing victory for Hillary.

Hell's bells, according to CNN she won more men; she won more women; she won all age groups, income groups, education levels; in fact, the only group she lost was African-Americans who "overwhelmingly [went] for Barack Obama, 87 to 7 percent."

Yes, we can now understand the urgency of Hillary getting out the race. She's crushing The Chosen One.

Hillary Projected Winner in Kentucky



CNN projects Hillary to win Kentucky only minutes after polls closed. Now let's count Michigan and Florida.

Polls in Oregon are open until 11:00 PM. Let's see how long it takes for Barky to win Oregon -- if at all.

Remember, no slacking -- no NBO or MSNBO tonight.

Update: Holy Crapola, Batwoman. Talk Left writes that Hillary won Kentucky by at least 30 points.
Exit polls project a 30 point win for Clinton.

White voters (89% of the vote) went for Clinton 72-22. African Americans (9% of the vote) went for Obama 88-7.
Update 2: With 70 percent of Kentucky's vote in, Clinton leads Obama by a 2:1 margin, 65 percent to 31 percent. Another wolloping win.

Update 3: With 97 percent of Kentucky's vote in, Hillary leads Obama 444,000 to 203,000, 65 percent to 30 percent.

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