Obama must be forced by the lazy main stream media to explain his connection to William Ayers. The media is ignoring this story because it would be a body blow the BHO campaign if it became widely known. Ayers and his wife introduced Obama to Chicago politics in 1995. BHO served with Ayers on the board of the Wood Foundation - which voted to give money to BHO's black separatist church. Ayers is an unrepentant domestic terrorist. He bombed the State Department and the Pentagon. He was on the run from the law for a decade. Knowing all this Obama chose to associate with Ayres on numerous occasions and accepted campaign money from him.
The silence on the connections between Obama and Ayres in the media is dereliction of duty at its worst. Much worse than ignoring the Wright story for months.
Route 66 might be the perfect American song. Like the play "Our Town" it is an indestructible piece of pop culture. It cannot be deconstructed either, only reinterpreted. 4 versions below:
If Hillary needs to pull out for the good of the party there is something wrong with the party.
Pennsylvania voters don't make 6 figures to bloviate on television. West Virginia voters don't spend much time hunched over the laptop at Starbucks screeching into the echo chamber at the Dailykos. Many Kentuckians and Indiani (what is the plural for people in Indiana?) actually think since the election is close they have the right to participate. In simpler times -say last year - that was called democracy. I don't say "arugula fascism" lightly but the Arugula Club in the media wants the election over before all the returns are in. Hijacking an election is certainly an element of fascism. The Arugula set has a script: Shining Knight defeats Evil Queen and, by God, they want it played out.
Who can say what will finally happen in this campaign? The infantile demands of the MSM to end the Democratic race now are telling. Not about the race - about the MSM. The Obama apologists in the media have gone from excited teens to strident college kids and just this weekend they approached being good old fashioned nut-jobs.
The two words that keep coming to mind as the the controlled demolition squads at the "news" outlets discuss (read: insist) Clinton exiting now. They are: weird and dishonest.
A look at the raw facts would lead the dispassionate observer to conclude that the race is close. If this was a championship football game the scoreboard would read Obamites: 52 Hillarians: 45 with about 4 minutes left in the fourth quarter. The Hillarians have the ball and are driving (see PA polls). I don't need to stretch this analogy out too much further but let's just say the Obamite side of the stadium is demanding that Hillary drop the ball now and forfeit the game.
No one can honestly assess Clinton's arguments for staying: it's very close in both delegates and popular votes, she's won the big states, there have been bad calls by the ref (Dean) and then say "Gee, we want to go home so you should quit." Wah. wah. wah. The Obamites want to beat the traffic.
It's weird.
Or is it? The media is on the field and playing the game, too. The calls for Clinton to leave are intellectually dishonest. The arguments for her to go now are vapid. So what is this about?
I have few ideas:
1. The "arugula" set has invested emotionally in the idea of Obama in the past few months. Most of the TV media talking heads calling for Clinton's departure are part of the arugula set. Olbermann and Matthews are the most obviously biased - but there are plenty of others. Huffington comes to mind. Wealthy people who think their money and position infers wisdom. Obama is their man. They have the right to their opinions. But they also have the megaphone. There are not any "Budweiser" Democrats hosting shows on MSNBC. Or feminists for that matter. Old boys network meet your new pals - the Arugula Club.
2. Unconscious sexism is clearly at play here. Imagine if John Edwards was less than 1% behind BHO and polling ahead - by large margins - in 3 of the 4 upcoming contests. Would the Arugula club be demanding he cave? Hell no. All they would be discussing is race and the race.
You see, the Evil Queen won't pack up and go like she is supposed too. The script they finished late the night of the Iowa caucuses is being rewritten without their consent. They are hopping mad.
Screw 'em.
Let the election of the next President of the United States proceed.
Frank Rich does a knife job on Senator Clinton today. It's horrible that she "lied" about being under sniper fire in Bosnia. Why would he mention that the pilot took evasive action to avoid sniper fire? Why would he mention that everyone on the plane was instructed to sit on their flak jackets to avoid sniper fire? There's really no point in Mr. Rich doing anything whatsoever to aid Senator Clinton.
The real-estate deal began when a Chicago couple (two doctors) took jobs elsewhere and put their property - a lovely, spacious home in Kenwood with a vacant yard -- on the market. The Obamas liked the house but lacked the money to buy both the house and vacant yard.
What happened next is where the questions arise. Obama recently acknowledged that he toured the property with Rezko. After that, Obama made a discounted offer for the house, and, at about the same time, Rezko made a full-price offer for the side yard. Both offers were accepted. So, the obvious question is: Was there any hidden link between Rezko's full price deal and the discounted price Obama paid?
First off, this happened in June of 2005. I sold my house in a day at full price in June of 2005. This was the tail end of the hottest housing market I can remember and he got the house at a discounted price? Something is up here and hopefully, when Rezko is found guilty he will sing like a canary and we'll find out more. Gosh, maybe even the press might look into it and do some investigating, wait, I must be day dreaming.
The Wright Stuff
Senator Obama is not a Muslim. And there would be nothing wrong if he were. My issue is him sitting a church for twenty years listening and allow his children to listen to bitter, hate filled speech. Then LIE about it. If, as the meme goes, Senator Clinton were willing to do ANYTHING to win this story would have come out sometime last January. It would have been goodbye, Barry. If Senator Clinton's "Lie" about Bosnia is deserving of a column by Mr. Rich why isn't this? First he said he never heard any of the controversial things Reverend Wright said, then he did, then he said that Rev Wright apologized though he didn't, then when you read his book, The Audacity of Hope, which gets it title from one of Reverend Wright's sermons, you learn that the first sermon he heard was rather controversial. And it made him cry.
Senator Obama has credited then Senator Jack Kennedy for bringing his father to America as part of the airlift to get Kenyans here to study. Barack Obama, Sr. came the year before Senator Kennedy got involved. Senator Obama also used the civil rights movement, saying that his parents met because something was stirring in the air when people walked across the bridge in Selma. Something that occurred four years after Obama, Jr. was born. It's a lovely story, but it's just that, a story. Why is he not called on the carpet for at least, mis-remembering?
Michelle Oh so angry
I'm just going to paraphrase Ed Koch
A woman who went to Princeton and Harvard who's husband went to Harvard, who's husband was elected to state senate and the US Senate is just now proud of her country? What does she expect? Exactly how entitled is she? Believe me when I tell you she will one of his biggest liabilities in a general campaign if it comes to that.
Kind of Blue
Senator Obama has won more states! He's won more states! Has he won enough blue states? Has he won purple states that we need to win in a general? If he can't win California or New York or Florida in the primaries how is he going to carry them in the general? Senator Clinton has won more Democratic votes than him and with the Rev. Wright he can count out much Republican cross over. Or independents for that matter. As he continues to push for Michigan and Florida to be disenfranchised any opportunity he might have had to win those states in a general are GONE.
Wouldn't it be nice if you could actually watch tv or read a news paper and get some hard information on the young senator from Illinois? Wouldn't it be lovely if Senator Clinton were not being shoved out of the old boy's club and we could talk about her grasp of the issues?
and mean in spirit, and coldly calculating, and vaguely sexist, and just plain DUMB.
Why in the world would Clinton drop out now? Those calling for her to leave now need to come clean on their motives. Essentially they are lying by omission. But as we know, it is part of the Obama playbook to remove the competition from ballots.
Bullet points: 1. A mere 130 delegates separate Senator Clinton from Senator Obama. 2. Clinton is behind in the popular vote by 1% by most counts. ONE PERCENT 3. If polls hold as they are now in PA and West Virginia she could pull ahead in the popular vote and another pillar of Obama's legitimacy will collapse. Will Pelosi make pronouncements about the "national popular vote" if Clinton has the majority? And what is this nonsense about not counting Michigan and Florida voters in the totals? What planet are these pundits on? 1.7 million people in Florida matter. Dean has done real damage to the party in Florida with his lunk headed edicts. 4. If the FLA delegation is counted - as it should be - Senator Clinton is behind a mere 90 delegates. Obviously if PA and WV hold she would shave that lead further. (To 60? 50?) THe point being the race is close. 5. Clinton has beaten Obama in nearly all the large states or states Democrats must have in the fall: Mass, California, RI, NY, Ohio, Florida, New Mexico, Texas, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey. She has shown true strength among traditional Democratic voters. A huge chunk of BHO's coalition are not even Democrats. 6. BHO has run up some impressive victories but quite a few are in states that will never go BLUE in a general election. NEVER. South Carolina, Wyoming, Alabama, Kansas, Utah. 7. Every-time Clinton has been counted out she has roared back: After Iowa with NH and Nevada, after South Carolina with Florida and ALL the large states on Super Tuesday - except BHO's home state. After BHO ran off a series of minor wins she won Texas, R.I. and thumped him in Ohio - a lynchpin state. 8. BHO's wins in Washington, Minnesota, and Wisconsin indicate a weakness in Clinton's message - but hardly amount to having to exit the race. 9. There are states that a DEM will not win in the fall where Clinton won the Democratic primaries: Arizona, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. This proves that not all states where the Democratic party is a minority automatically went BHO. In short: Clinton has won big Democratic states AND small Democratic states. 10. BHO still has not been vetted. The Wright debacle coming AFTER the large majority of contests proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that ALL voters need to be heard. Imagine if the Wright tapes had been aired relentlessly in January. What else do we need to know about BHO? The major media has remained in an Obama trance throughout this year. But the truth has a way of coming out. By removing his opponents from ballots, and running against very weak opposition Obama has never really been tested. Nor does he intend to be. Presidents should be tested. Democrats have a responsibility to vet candidates. I know Hillary has been tested by on going, ruthless attacks. Everyone does. BHO is another story all together. He survived the Wright crisis with excuses and a compliant media - but lost a major component of his candidacy's must touted reasoning: Cross over Republicans. There won't be any. So if Clinton drops on now, and we find out something else disastrous about Obama - what then? The Rezko trial is ongoing, William Ayres has not been discussed by the television news outlets, nor has his weak Senate record. What else don't we know? I suspect quite a lot. 11. There would be an argument for Clinton to leave if the race was not close. It is exceedingly close. The Obama cabal that is harping on this wants to short circuit the remaining contests. Again: WHY? The media, that is wildly pro Obama, sat on the Wright tapes until the moment they could do the least damage: with 7 weeks between contests. Those tapes were going to be seen. The ideal time was chosen to shove them into the arena. There is no GOOD reason ABC could not have shown us the "God Damn America" tape in January. Or any other outlet. If Clinton leaves now the BHO cabal and the pro BHO media can air out any other damaging information this Spring, making it survivable. October surprises - especially in the case of a man people are prone to distrust already - are much more lethal. Believe me, the RNC has plenty. 12. My hunch is Clinton knows there is more damaging information on Obama. I do not know this. It is a hunch based on this: Clinton explained recently that all delegates have the right to change their minds. Why did she do this? It seems pointless. As things stand now both sides are hardened in their positions. Was she just being wistful? Hillary has many interesting character traits. Wistfulness is not one of them. The pattern of BHO's campaign has been pretty easy to follow - when he is allowed to make unfettered speeches he soars, when he is examined he wilts. The perfect example of this is when he wandered off the stage after 6 questions about Rezko saying "Come on guys!" as he left. Clinton, upon close examination, does quite nicely. Nearly all Clinton's "mistakes" have been in the present tense i.e. foolish statements by advisors, misreading Iowa voters etc. Obama's troubles have all been about his unexamined past. People intuitively know the difference here. 13. Finally, I suggest that Obama has gotten so far because he appears to be the perfect antidote to the awful Bush years, not because he is a better choice than Clinton. This is a reasonable and quite effective strategy. Hadhe run up large leads in votes and delegates I would agree that Clinton should go. No such thing happened. "Change" is a good, but overrated, campaign meme. Ask Carter. He ran on it in 1976 and began the race lapping Ford - by the time things had settled he won by 2% and was hobbled going into the White House.
Clinton is still a strong, viable candidate by all estimations except those of the pro Obama media and his fearful supporters. But there is nothing to fear in allowing the remaining states to have a choice. At least nothing for Clinton to fear. If, with a fair resolution to the Michigan and Florida issue, BHO garners enough delegates to win - so be it. If he does not, as he does not now, then the race should play out. If the race remains a virtual tie and BHO wins it with superdelegates but NOT the 9% of voters in Michigan and Florida (yes, Dean is throwing 9% of the voters overboard) his nomination will not be legitimate. Especially if a breakdown of the registered Democrats who voted indicate a preference for Clinton. Our parties nomination will have gone to the person who got the minority of Democratic votes.
Clinton is being asked to roll over for no good reason and plenty of disingenuous ones. She should do no such thing.
on another note entirely: What is not being discussed by the inept American Media is the dangerous events in Iraq and what they may mean about war with Iran. Read this link.
Check out the new schedule for L.R. to the right. Of course, we'll still be blogging about politics all the time - but adding a little variety, too - including a "quote of the day".
For the first outing of the L.R. Saturday/ music posts I chose the Mexican rock band Mana's Eres mi Religion. Granted I speak about 23 words in Spanish but it does not matter here- this song aches with passion. Besides, in - my not at all humble - opinion after Springsteen , Fher, the lead singer of Mana, has one of the best rock and roll voices around. Enjoy.
The comment by Jay in (not of) LA to a post below is worthy of its own post. My level of cynicism is deeper than Jay's and its been made worse by the hypocrisy of the Obama campaign and the attendant lunacy of the media. The clip attests to the foolishness of the Obama cabal. Jay's comment is below the clip.
I've been watching JOHN ADAMS on HBO. Comparing the current day events to those faced by our founding fathers not so long ago illuminates, by comparison, where we are as a nation.
America is in it's Fall, headed into Winter. I dare say the Winter is underway, starting sometime during W's tenancy in the White House -- but he's not to blame. We are. We put him there. I didn't vote for him, but I'm still part of the 'we'. No matter how you re-tell it, with stolen elections and the like -- we still put him there. And there's important information to be mined from that fact.
I point this out not to be glum. I've been horribly glum about the subject of our nation lately. I point this out because I'm realizing, through historical comparison, that a nation who rises too quickly must, inevitably, falter. Then, hopefully, stagger around a bit, then stand again.
Spring does follow Winter, but, even knowing so, on a cold night with little wood around to burn it's tempting to decide that Spring isn't coming and, therefore, implode -- self destruct under the seduction of simple minded illusion.
Obama's fitness to hold the highest office in our land is a deep and insidious illusion fueled by the darkness of our current Winter.
I'd rather keep faith that Spring will come again. I'm voting for HIllary Clinton.
Lynne pointed out this extraordinary piece by Joe Wilson linked here. The compilation of recent Obama lies and distortions about foreign policy - all aided and abetted by the press - is shocking even to me. But as an epileptic myself I highlight the quotes below. They go directly to the biggest lie about Clinton of all: That she's is a cold, controlling and will do anything to win. And they indicate the truth about who Obama's advisors really are at the core:
David Axelrod, the top Obama political strategist, for one, knows better. After all, he and his wife were direct beneficiaries of Hillary Clinton's personal kindness and public policy experience when, in the midst of the impeachment trial of her husband, she travelled to Chicago to support Susan Axelrod's efforts to raise money for her foundation, Citizens United for Research on Epilepsy (CURE), established by her after one of the Axelrod children was afflicted with the malady. Later, at Hillary Clinton's behest, the National Institutes of Health convened a conference on finding a cure for epilepsy. Susan Axelrod told me it was "one of the most important things anyone has done for epilepsy." And this is how politics works: David Axelrod is now dedicated to derailing this woman's career."
Finally: I am telling you now: when historians write about this campaign they will study America's deep problem with sexism, not racism. We are in the midst of a GENDER RIOT by many an unconscious man from John Kerry to Chris Mathhews to Keith Olbermann. Fear of the female is running rampant in the media culture. It always does, actually, but now it has a political focus.
From the Idea of Ancient Literary Critisism by Yun Lee Too: Invective ( in the Illiad) is meant to be perceived as a challenge to the elite monopoly of public discourse.
Sometime last fall it became clear that the media would not challenge the Obama campaign in any real sense. The Wright tapes, available to all for a while now, being ignored until the largest gap in the primary calendar being the central example of the media's timidity regarding Obama - or in MSNBC's case - its outright cheerleading for him.
Around the same time Clinton was hammered for a bumbled response to a question about drivers' licenses for those here illegally and the major left wing blogs began to function as a cheering section for the Obamites and as attack dogs on Clinton. The subtext of the media and blogs like the Dailykos is "ignore, excuse and blame Clinton" for any misgivings that may arise about Obama. While in Clinton's case the subtext has been to highlight and deride every move her campaign has made. The best example here is Olbermann's almost insane "special comment" about Ferarro's innocuous remarks and Clinton's response to it while excusing and encouraging a far more disturbing 20 year commitment by Obama to Wright's church.
The media narrative has been and remains: The Shining Knight versus the Evil Queen. This is patently false and based in a wild misreading of both Obama's and Clinton's histories. It is only since the Wright story was amplified that the dam has been breached somewhat. The tapes were so disturbing that Fox News could not continue to ignore their own audience - they risked losing it. The right wing radio heads have followed their lead - or lead them.
I have no issue with most of the invective used here. It has a purpose: to shove anyone who might read it into a different thought about the dominant and unfair narrative being manufactured and sold by Dowd, Olbermann and the rest. How and why Olbermann decided to use his platform to work for Obama I know not. But it is clear he has. It is no longer an outlet for those of us who want to see some balance to the mindless CNN and the biased Fox. He uses his show to dismiss Clinton and fete Obama. Nightly.
He is an asshole for this. A dirty, rabid cur.
Olbermann, like Obama, has created a situation that is more divisive not less. It turns out - that people can - and often do - think. They ask questions. They want to know more. In the case of Obama "more" never came. Further, it is became clear that no matter what negative story is on the horizon for Obama he can count on a large portion of the press to ignore or excuse it. So frustration among those who want more information became anger and sometimes fury. The reason 28% of Clinton voters state they will vote for McCain in November is, in large part, because the media has treated her so shabbily.
When Saturday Night Live highlighted this obvious to all pro Obama bias in the media MSNBC incredibly asked its viewers if SNL had an "pro Hillary" bias...stretching the bounderies of irony.
So yes: Dowd is a brittle, pissy priss. Olbermann is just this side of madness. Cafferty is a gas bag, and Huffington is what she has always been: envious of any woman with more power. Or to put it another way- she's a hack with enough money to create a following. Nothing about her has changed since she traipsed around California in 1994 insulting Diane Feinstein.
Until the media comes out of its Obama trance calling out the elite monopoly on publicdiscourse will be the order of the day here. If and when Olbermann and his ilk begin to ask fair and reasonable questions about Obama's fitness and history we can get back to a good old fashioned fight on the issues.
Check out the link here directly to a blog on Clinton campaign site. The piece is an almost exact rendition of Liberal Rapture's greatest hits and the B.S. spewing out of Obama's campaign and his groupies in the media. Yes, I name names every night: Keith "I love Barry so much it hurts" Olbermann, Chris "but it's FUN to mock the lady pol" Matthews, Maureen "I'm smarter and prettier than you" Dowd, and Arianna "I got piles of money from my gay ex husband so I must be right" Huffington are the worst and most corrupt of the lot.
The Obama campaign has lied in word and deed for months.
Hat tip to Scott in Jupiter for sending me the pic!
Vote Totals - including Florida and Michigan. Every single uncommitted vote in Michigan I counted as an Obama vote. Obama: 14,738,256 Clinton: 14,734,256
That is a 4000 vote difference nationally. 4000. With Pennsylvania yet to come. Gee, I wonder if Hillary will flip the total there?
So to all those who say Clinton should get out - I say: SHUT UP!
Twenty years ago, while consulting her well read copy of Nostradumbass, Hillary Clinton realized that in 2008 she was going to be locked in a bitter campaign for President against a young man from Chicago.
She cleverly disguised herself as a typical white woman and flew to Chicago and managed to run into the young man at an Au Bon Pain (the Starbucks of the day.) She recommended a wonderful church and told him that no matter what the Reverend said he should stick with it. She threw a party and introduced him to all sorts of interesting people, Rezko, Ayers.
Later, disguised as a concerned citizen of his district she volunteered for his campaign for State Senate and advised him how to legally get everyone else off the ballot to ensure a win. She told him to vote present as often as possible to show that he was centrist and could bring people together.
Our woman of many faces came into Senator Obama's life when he was looking for a house, this time as a real estate agent. She brokered the deal, after many meetings with Rezko, to allow Senator Obama to buy a lovely home.
Now it won't come as a surprise to learn that she helped David Axelrod write Senator Obama's rehashed speeches and she's the one who decided that no one would recognize any of Duval Patrick's words as they were "just words." She also was the one who put the reference to his grandmother in his wonderful speech on race. Obama didn't want to do it but in her disguise of a Democratic Karl Rove, she convinced him it would be great.
In her role as a campaign advisor for Obama she set up hordes of young women to faint at his concerts. She told him that this would give him an aura of excitement. She told him to focus on the red states that Democrats will never win in the general to show that he could bridge the gap between red and blue and make America purple.
Senator Obama wanted to be specific on issues. She said, NO! Talk only about change and vague generalities. She also befriended Michelle Obama and I think you know where the quote about being proud of America for the first time came from. Who do you think convinced MSNBC that going all the way for Obama would draw the right kind of viewers?
Oh, poor Senator Obama. Set up by the evil Hillary Clinton.
Writehillaryin.com appeared today. The site placeholder says: We will launch this site should it become necessary. You'll be able to check here for instruction, guidance and chat about how to write-in Hillary Clinton in your state.
I fully support this idea and hope it is not needed. But should BHO become the nominee of my party I see little chance I could change my feelings about him before November. He has run a deceitful, hypocritical, mean campaign void of content. He has not been vetted by the press - which has largely bowed down at his feet. The previously helpful "netroots" has trashed Hillary and Bill Clinton for sport. I have come to the conclusion that Keith Olbermann, Maureen Dowd, and the rest of the Obama sycophant media has decided to make Obama President regardless. They will ignore salient facts and make excuses for him until November. They will be vicious and relentless in order to "get" Clinton.
The best action thinking people can take is to shun the anointing of Obama and to continue to demand balance from prigs like Olbermann. Is anyone even aware that as Senate Chairman of the sub committee that oversees Afghanistan the righteous Obama has had exactly ZERO hearings. None. This man wants to be President.
Mr. Obama is now on vacation in the Caribbean "after a difficult week" CNN says...
Imagine that.
Being called out on your minister and church of 20 years amounts to a difficult week. Does Senator Obama even know 2 wars are going on? What was "difficult" about this past week? The truth? How does this man expect to lead?
Finally - I will always love James Carville. He gets how hateful the Obama camp is at heart. Richardson endorsed Obama after saying Superdelegates should go with whoever their state did - except in Obamaland, where the rules don't apply - New Mexico chose Hillary. The man is a liar and an ingrate. Carville said this: Gov. Bill Richardson's endorsement of Obama came right around the anniversary of the day when Judas sold out [Jesus] for 30 pieces of silver.
Carville refused to back down. Why? Because he's right. Just like Ferarro was right. Bill Clinton created Bill Richardson. Before Bill Clinton Richardson was a two bit backwater U.S. Representative who could barely put a sentence together.
If I ever reflect on how it is that I went from being a huge fan of Obama's, to a person who was excited about him and waiting to hear his plans, to wondering why I was not hearing anything tangible, to coming to terms with that fact he had no intention of clarifying anything, to coming to understand that he was a shallow pretender, to loathing everything his campaign represents - I will look no further than this email I received today from an Obamite:
let me guess with all respect, -- you are below college education. thats for sure. right? -- you have a working class background. thats also for sure. right? -- you are not interested in politics. thats possible. right? -- you prefer to eat cheese stakes at geno's. thats also possible. right? -- your are just a bad bad-boy who likes to play mind games. maybe. right? have a nice day
I loath these people. I will vote for McCain or no one if Obama gets the nomination. Not because every one of these assumptions is wrong about me. I have a BFA, come from a middle class background, am obsessed with politics, and am a bad boy but not a "bad bad" boy. (A cheese "stake" would be a bizarre and pointless item so I have no use for it, but I do like a cheese steak every now and again). I will vote for McCain or not at all because of the dripping, oozing condescension that Obamites have for those without college degrees. Because of the high end, fraudulent contempt Obamites have for the working class. Because I do not want to sit through another 4 years of an administration populated by those who think "cheese steak" consumers are less than equal partners in a democracy. I don't give a flying crap where the prigs land on the Left/Right scale.
By lying overtly and covertly about who he is Obama has poisoned this campaign and this country. He has used his considerable talents as an orator to fool the chattering classes and the media. He has used skillful oratory to blur his questionable past, rewrite our recent history, and open another gash in the wound of race in America. He has taken the difficult issue of race and turned it into a Benetton commercial and wonders why Pennsylvania isn't buying it. He breathlessly compares his grandmother to the putrid Wright and wonders why his grand "speech" didn't take. He has taken the low road, while claiming the high one. He has lied about his intentions for the wars if elected. He has lied about his association with his church: Our Lady of Perpetual Resentment. He has plagiarized speeches, lied about both Clintons, lied about NAFTA, and run a dishonest, ruthless campaign. He has willfully associated with bigots, slumlords and terrorists to further his career. (Yes, William Ayres is a terrorist.) He has turned the idea of meritocracy on its head by elevating vagueness and self promotion to messianic heights. He has accomplished nothing of note in his public life and insults those who have. Finally, the clip below of the staged "woman fainting" at his revival meetings is seemingly minor but goes to the heart of the Obama ideology: Illusion over reality.
He is a fraud.
I loath his campaign for good reason.
Voters in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Indiana, and North Carolina can drive a stake (cheese?) into the heart of the Obama campaign - or Republicans, Independents, and 25-40% of the Democrats can in November.
Let me tell you: if Michigan and Florida had not been thrown overboard by Howard Dean and Donna Brazile - Obama would not matter. "God Damn, America!" is not going away. It is testimony to the willing irresponsibility of the media that Wright's bile was not shown to the nation earlier. If Wright had been known to us in January, Obama would be a footnote now. It was out there to be seen. It is only compliant, brain-dead, synchophants in the MSM that kept those tapes off the air for so long. With two candidates that cannot get a majority of the delegates we have a real monster on our hands.
Obama has never been qualified for the Presidency. But staying in a church in which your pastor screams GOD DAMN AMERICA! from the pulpit disqualifies him forever. He is responsible for his actions. His action in this case was to make excuses. All the ass kissing by all the kings men - and women - (Olbermann, Dowd, Rich, and the rest) can't put Obama back together again. Independents are falling away like Greenland glaciers. Republicans will be energized. And half the Democratic party will be angry.
Finally, when all is said and done - it is his lunatic supporters I fear most. We have gotten a small taste of that happy mob turning ugly this week. Imagine what they'd do with a President Obama (lol) stranded between his own rhetoric and reality.
In a follow up interview on a Philly radio station after his "transendent and nuanced" speech on race Senator Obama referred to his grandmother as "a typical white person, who, if she sees somebody on the street that she doesn't know, well there's a reaction that's in our experiences that won't go away and can sometimes come out in the wrong way."
The intrepid Maureen Dowd sees the problem with this soundbite and recommends that he not do it again. She's certainly not going to castigate him for saying it the way she would, if say, Senator Clinton called any African-American a "typical black person."
Ms. Dowd also refers to Senator Clinton as the "Terminator" because she just won't lay down at the feet of the great one and get out of the way of his ascendency. According to Ms. Dowd, Senator Clinton will have to use the Super Delegates to win because she won't have enough regular delegates. She doesn't say that the same holds true for Senator Obama. She also doesn't bother to point out when talking about Governor Richardson's endorsement that he went against the will of the people of his state who voted for Senator Clinton (in a caucus) two to one.
Remember back at the beginning of this campaign, what, ten, fifteen years ago, when the talk on Senator Obama was that he wasn't black enough? You would imagine a REPORTER of news might have tracked down the Reverand Wright story. Or perhaps his links with William Ayers as John points out below. The media decided not to look into Senator Obama or, if they did, decided not to report it.
Senator Clinton said from the onset that we know all there is to know about the bad stuff on her and she was right. Has there been any new scandals associated with Senator Clinton? Sure, some old stuff has been dredged up but compared to what has been brought to light on Senator Obama it's a non-starter.
Senator Obama campaigned with complete confidence knowing that the Reverand Wright story was out there. Reverand Wright said in 2007 that perhaps Senator Obama would have to distance himself from the good Reverand if he got the nod. But where did that confidence come from? He had ties to an indicted slum lord, links to an unapoligetic Black Panther, plagerized speeches and still he acted as though butter wouldn't melt in his mouth. The press went along for the ride and gave him a pass every step of the way. Whether it was a fear of being called racist, a dislike of Senator Clinton or just wanting to keep the narrative going of a tight race they didn't do their jobs.
So what are we left with? Neither candidate is going to have enough delegates to win the nomination outright unless we count Florida and Michigan. Senator Obama's supporters in the Michigan state house blocked a revote. Oh, you didn't hear that in the news? Shocking! There's a law suit here in Florida to get our delegates counted since the States get to decide when they vote, not the party. What the super delegates need to look at is who won the states we need to win the general. Then they need to vote for Senator Clinton.
Why has no one in the press asked Obama about his William Ayers connection? It is possible that there is very little to the connection. But shouldn't we know? What is the press thinking? How have they ignored this story as Obama has made his run? Is it that they INTEND to make McCain President? William Ayers is an unrepentant serial bomber who was on the lamb for a decade. Obama has accepted a small contribution from Ayers and has chosen to appear with both he and his wife, Bernadine Dohrn, at numerous public and private events. Dohrn said this after the Sharon Tate murders: "Dig it! First they killed those pigs, then they ate dinner in the same room with them. They even shoved a fork into the victim's stomach! Wild!"
My God.
Is this not worth a mention on MSNBC? Imagine if the wife of a Clinton contributer had said such a thing? Obama sat on the board of the Wood Foundation with Ayers - since the turn of the century. They have collaborated. Ayers said this after 9/11: "I don't regret setting bombs. I feel we didn't do enough"
Why is Obama even choosing to be in the same room as this man? Again, like staying in that church for 20 years Obama's bad judgement is scary.
Obama has chosen to associate himself with this couple on numerous occasions. Where is the media? Another chose Ayers quote: "Kill all the rich people. ... Bring the revolution home. Kill your parents." I don't care when Ayers said this - Obama sat on a board of directors with him. When will someone confront Obama about this?
What the Arugula chewing OAK (Obama ass kissing) media does not get is that the "God Damn America" sound bite is Obama's "Jane Fonda on the tank" moment. It does not matter what else happens. He did not leave that church. Still hasn't.
But here is something WORSE: Obama has a loose, unrefuted connection to known domestic terrorists. Here is the Jane Fonda on the tank fact: WELL AFTER THESE TERRORISTS WERE KNOWN AND HAD BEEN INVOLVED WITH NUMEROUS BOMBINGS, OBAMA CHOSE TO ATTEND A MEET AND GREET IN ONE OF THEIR HOMES. Gee, I wonder if the GOP will use that in the fall? Besides, what is more and more clear is the man has BAD judgement and will do and say anything to anybody in order to win.
Interesting new polls: 1. In PA: the poll found Obama's favorability among Democrats has taken a hit. In March, 47% of Democrats had a favorable opinion of the Illinois senator, compared to 57% in February. His favorability rating among Dems is under 50% - this poll was before the Wright story. Also: Clinton leads in PA 51% to 35% - she had doubled her lead.
3. Much Less than Meets the Eye in Obama´s Victories here.
4. Read this too: the top of the story details how the pundit class thought Obama's speech gave him a lock on the nomination, the rest details how his support has collapsed in PA and Obama's lead has vanished in North Carolina. The Arugula Democrats and OAKs (Obama ass kissers) just don't get it. The "take away" from the speech for real Democrats seems to be that he insulted his Grandmother. What is wrong with the Arugula Media?
4. Now 2 days after "the speech" Clinton's lead over Obama has increased by 2% more nationally.
5. Check out one of Obama's Superdelegates here - and no I am not kidding this IS an Obama delegate:
BHO told Hillary that words DO matter. I agree. They don't matter as much as actions, though. Obama put his own LIVING grandmother in the same context at Rev. Wright. It is grotesque. This is the woman who raised him while his "free spirit" mother was gone. Here is why that speech of his Tuesday does not and should not matter: He gave lip service to "black anger" and "white resentment" without honestly seeming to understand what causes "white resentment". Using the ancient comments of one of the women who raised him as a theater piece to make a point in speech calculated to save a political campaign goes to the heart of the problem. Obama does not get it. With people like Rev. Wright there is never enough progress. They use history as a battering ram while at the same time ignoring it. Progress has been made, but members of Obama's church don't seem to think so. Michelle Obama says in the clip posted below that her husband as a black man "could get shot at a gas station." without bothering to note that statistics indicate that the shooter would most likely be black as well. Any conversation about race (Lynne pointed out that we are often about to start a conversation about race but rarely go on to have it...remember the Imus affair.) must be as much about responsibility as it is about injustice. It's 2008, not 1968. This is what Michelle and Barrack Obama don't seem to understand. In not understanding this they telegraph and confirm the worst suspicions of many non black voters.
Whether BHO and Wright likes it or not, whether it is "fair" or not is beside the point. The fact is much of the nation is sick to death of taking the blame for what appears to be callous irresponsibility. The haranguing of Bill Cosby by black "leaders" when he dared state that some of the problems in the black community were the fault of the black community is a good example.
To put his own Grandmother in the same category as Mark Furman is desperate.
Thanks to Scott for pointing this clip out. The guy who made it was fired from the McCain campaign today - but I am sure he's employed by a Swift boater by now. It is a sad day when a GOP operative has to be the one pointing out the obvious.
Poor Barry Hussein Obama. The "story" of "God Damn America" minister has upset him. Anderson Cooper got an "exclusive" ass kissing with Obama so BHO could whine about the "story". Not the bigot minister, mind you. He is not the problem. The problem is the story. Cooper, when's he not walking in and out of various closets, or at Gold's gym in Hollywood, can be seen on CNN pretending to be a journalist. It is unclear if the actual "kissing of Obama's ass" ceremony took place before or after the interview. Obama may have been tired from the long hours of Keith Olbermann kissing his ass. Frank Rich and Maureen Dowd have also insisted on more "OAK" sessions of late. (Obama Ass Kissing).
OBAMA CHOSE THIS CHURCH FOR 20 YEARS. That's all the matters here folks.
We've been saying all along that Senator Obama's record has not been examined. We've been pooh-poohed.
We've been saying that Senator Clinton has not run a vicious campaign. We've run up against the "conventional wisdom" and the talking points of everyone from Maureen Dowd to Keith Olbmermann.
Who was right?
If Senator Obama's record had been even slightly looked at by a not completely in love with him press this story of the Church of our Lady of Perpetual Resentment (come for the pancake breakfast, stay for the rage) would have come out months ago.
If Clinton had been running a vicious campaign this story would have come out months ago.
When I talk to regular people, either pro Hillary, undecided or right they all say the same thing - the press is in the tank for Obama. They haven't bothered to get past his soaring renditions of Duval Patrick's greatest hits (he's our own Celene Dion) to look at what he's done.
They are too busy buying into his line that Senator Clinton needs to disclose her tax returns to ask him, hey if you said you made a bone headed decision to allow Resko to help you buy your house will you give it back and how can we trust you to make good decisions once elected? They believe him when he says her back hurt his knife and she should apologize.
John brought up a great point this evening that Senator Obama has not made a case for why he should be Commander in Chief. He campaigns on amorphous promises of change without offering us any concrete evidence that he can handle the job.
If he gets the nomination John McCain will be our next president. I think it was Molly who commented that you can't run a man who went to a church who's preacher said God Damn American from the pulpit against a man who fought in a war and was a POW for five years.
Super Delegates unite - we have nothing to lose but the Presidency.
It is worth remembering that Obama took his name off the Michigan ballot. No one forced him. Now he wants to stop the re -vote. Why? He wants to silence the voices of 1.7 million Florida voters. He removed his own name from the Michigan ballot - removing any chance for his own voters to be heard. Now he is fighting a re-vote there. Why? The "new politician" label is yet another piece of Obama bullshit. You're as craven as Mayor Daley was.
Oh , and Barry - you did not get to choose your Grandmother. You did get to choose your pastor of 20 years. Using your dead Grandmother as a prop to make your excuse to the nation is rotten to the core.
I commend Obama for his speech today. He tried, at least, to get out in front of the conversation and I like that in a politician. He tried to put the Wrong Reverend Wright in some context. Though he was moving (of course, we expect no less at this point) and personal there is only one context for Rev Wright that matters politically - He said "We should not be singing God Bless America we should be singing God Damn America." from the pulpit...
From the pulpit of a church he refuses to leave. That is the context.
I admit this: I am sick of Black Anger. My liberal guilt has morphed into liberal exhaustion. I know many who feel the same way. Many are fed up with making excuses and hearing excuses for bad behavior. For what? To hear a man spew bile from a pulpit? And to then hear a major party candidate make excuses for his membership in this man's church?
An African American commentator said on Fox - "you just don't understand the black church."
No. I don't. If Wright is any indication I no longer care to.
What Rev Wright exposes from that pulpit is not "black anger" so much as it is creepy paranoia. The sermons we have all seen are lists of every screwy idea that too many white voters have long suspected had currency in the black community:
A contempt for the country.
A belief that AIDS came from the government.
Willy nilly, shockingly mean spirited, sexual jibs at President Clinton (for the purpose of rewriting history and Bill Clinton's entire life.) The casual, joking dismissal of Bill Clinton's record on race is disgusting.
An attack on Hillary Clinton's ability to empathize because "she has never been called a niger". Meaning, one assumes, that she just doesn't get it. But lets call this what it is: an attack on her WHITENESS.
A grotesque reference to 9/11.
There is nothing unifying about any of this.
And Obama did not leave this church. By playing fast and lose with race during the past 3 months Obama has become THE divisive candidate. It may not be fair. But there it is. When a Clinton campaign aid said something remotely off base about race she put an end to them. And apologized. Obama made eloquent excuses today.
The BHO campaign used race all along. When it worked in South Carolina they used it and tried to tamp all questions about it down when the political winds blew the other way. His race did not matter - unless it did. Axelrod dictated the when and the where - and the Olbermanns played along. Wright ruined that. The talking points about race have been ripped from Obama's hands. It turns out, Mr. Axlerod, the world is not a Benetton ad campaign.
Tonight I was seeing a truly ridiculous rendering of the otherwise sublime Sweeney Todd in downtown Los Angeles so I have not seen any media. I am sure they are dutifully awestruck. I am not at all sure it matters. Time Magazine has a bunch of responses to the speech. Some are glowing, some not. Michael Munger a professor at Duke said this: A black candidate named Barrack Hussein Obama can't have questions about his patriotism, and commitment to America, not if he is going to beat a genuine war hero. I think Obama is unelectable.
That sums it up neatly. Democrats face and awful choice. A choice created when Obama's handlers decided to make South Carolina a referendum for black voters by race baiting Clinton's LBJ comment.
Questions about Obama's judgement will not go away. It is possible Obama might become a first class Senator given time. I wish he had not gotten this far before Wright's views were aired. He could then s
Obama must be forced by the lazy main stream media to explain his connection to William Ayers. The media is ignoring this story because it would be a body blow the BHO campaign if it became widely known. Ayers and his wife introduced Obama to Chicago politics in 1995. BHO served with Ayers on the board of the Wood Foundation - which voted to give money to BHO's black separatist church.
