The Pennsylvania Primary Will Be Won With A Blitz Of TV Ads

We have to fight in Pennsylvania like it were a primary and not a caucus. The war will be waged through TV ads. The two dozen ads run by Obama 08 in OH and TX were disappointing. First, two dozen, that is too many. You can only run a total of five. Two, the ads lacked aesthetics, focus, intensity. They did not grip. The ads we ran in OH and TX said we have a lot of money that we raised in February and not much else.

Some of the early Obama ads were great.

People don't know Barack Obama. By now they might know the word Obama, but that does not mean they know him. That has to be the starting point.

(1) Bio

All Dem voters in Pennsylvania should be able to spout about five biographical facts about Barack. If not, we lose. Policy is not enough. People need a story before they will vote. They need to connect.



(2) Mother, Health Care

This is my absolute favorite ad of all Obama 08 ads. This is not racial pandering. This is not like saying, oh look good white people, Obama was raised by a white mother. Barack can talk about his mother like it was okay for Bill Clinton to talk about his father in 1992. This is not about race, this is about introducing the man. How do you hide the person who raised him? Especially when that person is the reason he is so passionate about health care, his signature issue.



(3) Wife, Kids



(4) Hillary

Cut an ad that says Hillary started the Iraq War. She did not read the intelligence report before voting. There were no weapons of mass destruction. It was not Saddam but Bin Laden who was behind 9/11. Iraq was an expensive distraction from the legitimate fight on the Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and the border areas. Look all we could have at home with all that money.

(5) Victory, Momentum

Brag about our victory and strength. How many volunteers, how many donors? Largest grassroots movement in history. How many states? How many votes? Claim delegate victories in Nevada and Texas. Point out Hillary did not win Michigan and Florida.

Run these five ads on and on. More than five will be too many.

Wyoming Erases Hillary's March 4 Gain

Hillary made a net gain of four delegates on March 4. One Obama victory in Wyoming, and that margin is poof.

Too Much Loving

A man is entitled to loving his wife, but this much loving? Bill Clinton is spending way too much time on the phone with the superdelegates.

Events

Mississippi Results Watching Party Today, March 11 at 6:00pm

DL21C's Political Author Series with Doug Schoen Tomorrow, March 12 at 7:00pm

In The News

GOP to Push for NY Gov Impeachment The Associated Press
One in Four Women in Teens Have STD’s, Study Finds New York Times
1 in 4 Teen Girls Has Sexual Disease The Associated Press
STDs rife among US teenage girls BBC News
Spitzer in 'Transition Talks'; Had Planned to Quit Last Night ABC News Spitzer had planned to announce his resignation at 7 p.m. last night but abruptly changed his mind on advice from his lawyers ...... Spitzer's resignation could still come as early as today, and that Spitzer was involved in "transition talks." ..... "It is inevitable; it is just a question of when," said one cabinet-level New York state official. ..... Paterson and his chief of staff reportedly spent the morning reviewing organization charts and assessing which members of the Spitzer administration might be kept on once he resigns. ..... Spitzer's lawyers are already in negotiations over what criminal charges the governor could face in a plea negotiation. .... financial crimes involving alleged violations of the law in the way Spitzer moved money through a series of accounts to pay for his prostitutes ..... An offer to resign as governor could be part of any negotiated package
Obama Courts Mississippi as It Goes to Polls New York Times a rare chance for Democrats here to play a role in the presidential nominating process ..... a commanding lead in polls in the year’s final primary in the Deep South. ..... African-Americans account for 36 percent of the population, the highest in the nation. Mr. Obama was hoping to repeat his showing in other Southern states, which he has carried by double-digit margins. ...... ordered a breakfast of hard-scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, wheat toast and grits. ..... “I promise when I’m president of the United States, I’ll come back to the Delta,” he said. “You all keep me in your prayers, now.” ...... his campaign portrayed her as having grossly exaggerated her foreign policy experience as first lady. ..... the Obama campaign fired back by saying that the energy bill she had voted against she had voted against “actually raised taxes on oil companies and made the largest investment in renewable energy in our nation’s history.” ........ there was “no reason to believe” that “she was a key player in foreign policy at any time during the Clinton administration.” ...... “She did not sit in on National Security Council meetings. She did not have a security clearance. She did not attend meetings in the Situation Room. She did not manage any part of the national security bureaucracy, nor did she have her own national security staff. She did not do any heavy-lifting with foreign governments, whether they were friendly or not. She never managed a foreign policy crisis, and there is no evidence to suggest that she participated in the decision-making that occurred in connection with any such crisis. As far as the record shows, Senator Clinton never answered the phone either to make a decision on any pressing national security issue — not at 3 a.m. or at any other time of day.” ......... Her claims of helping to bring peace to Northern Ireland have been debunked ...... had won about twice as many states as Mrs. Clinton. ..... and you start — and your campaign starts — leaking photographs of me when I’m traveling overseas wearing the native clothes of those folks to make people afraid, and then you run an ad talking about who is going to answer the phone at 3 in the morning, an ad straight out of the Republican playbook, that’s not real change,” Mr. Obama said. “That’s not real change. That’s the same old thing.”

Aides Say They Expect Spitzer to Resign New York Times Paterson and his staff have begun laying the groundwork for him to take over as governor and are reaching out to members of the Legislature .... a high-priced prostitution ring broken up last week by federal authorities ..... he would begin moving to have Mr. Spitzer impeached if the governor did not step down within 48 hours. ...... he had used the prostitution service before, although it was not clear how often. ..... did not appear early Tuesday for his regular morning jog. ...... The news was met with disbelief and shock in Albany, a capital accustomed to scandal. Some legislative assistants said they were too stunned to speak, and lawmakers gathered around television sets in hushed offices, trying to make sense of what had happened. ....... “We’re at a total standstill” ...... “Everybody is stunned. Everybody is absolutely stunned.” ...... structuring, which carries a penalty of up to five years in prison. ...... Bruno, the state’s top Republican, would assume the duties of the lieutenant governor. ...... On Saturday night, he attended the Gridiron Club annual dinner, a political roast put on by Washington journalists, and appeared ebullient, according to people in attendance. ....... Silda Wall Spitzer, who was among them, told her husband that he should not resign in haste ........ the Emperor’s Club provided women to clients in London, Paris, Miami and other cities, and charged them between $1,000 and $5,500 an hour. ...... He testified before Congress about the bond insurance crisis the following morning. Among the open questions is where Mr. Spitzer’s security detail was while the prostitute was inside the hotel. ......... Room 871 at the Mayflower that evening was registered under the name George Fox. ....... a few of the prostitutes came to realize he was the governor of New York. ....... Room 871 at the Mayflower Hotel had been registered in Mr. Fox’s name with Mr. Spitzer’s Fifth Avenue address ....... In a wiretapped conversation after the encounter, the prostitute, Kristen, called her booker to inform her that the session had gone well, and that she did not find the client “difficult,” as other prostitutes apparently had ........ sometimes asks the women “to do things that, like, you might not think were safe.” ....... Spitzer was elected in a landslide in 2006, capitalizing on his popularity he won as the “Sheriff of Wall Street” ....... With a reputation for personal probity and independence, he pledged to bring higher ethical standards to the statehouse.
Spitzer Said to Be Weighing Resignation his Fifth Avenue apartment ..... he had used the prostitution service before, although it was not clear how often.
Clinton at Home in Scranton New York Times the town where her father was raised and where she visited often as a child ...... went even wilder when she said she would be back on Saturday for this city’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade, one of the biggest in the country. ...... every time she hit on a brand name — Scranton Lace mills, Diamond Avenue, Revello’s Pizza, Joe Paterno — the crowd roared. ...... he’s buried here and I have a feeling he’s here in spirit ..... for whom seeing Mrs. Clinton seemed to be a near-religious experience. They waited in line for nearly four hours in the cold before getting in. ....... “I was praying I would meet her before my surgery,” he said.
Obama up in Mississippi, Clinton on to Penn. Chicago Tribune the long, 42-day march through the eventless desert leading to the April 22 ..... 33 delegates at stake. ...... Clinton's husband suggesting that Obama and Clinton together might be an "unstoppable force'' on the same ticket ...... "I don't know how somebody who is in second place is offering the vice presidency to the person who is first place," Obama said, in Mississippi. ...... Obama's two Mississippi events on Monday drew heavily black audiences that cheered him unabashedly.
Obama shuns VP talk, says he's No. 1 Chicago Tribune
Obama Favored in Mississippi Primary Voice of America
Clinton keeps her eye on big prize The Press Association
Hillary Clinton's Spitzer Problem Washington Post
Hillary Clinton erases Eliot Spitzer in a New York minute Los Angeles Times as state attorney general, he went after prostitution rings and the media publicity attached thereto. ..... Gavin Newsom, the mayor of San Francisco, who publicly apologized last year for conducting an illicit affair with the wife of one of his top aides. ..... Antonio Villaraigosa, another mayor, who also announced his endorsement of Clinton last year and then soon after also announced his impending divorce due to a long-running love affair with a local TV anchorwoman. .... Eliot "Let's give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants" Spitzer. ...... the number of visitors to websites with Spitzer stories absolutely rocketed off the charts ....... the Spitzer endorsement on the Clinton website disappeared. Vanished. Gone. Poof. Like he never happened to her last May. ...... "I'm not going to comment on an ongoing legal case."

Succession in the New York State Constitution New York Times, United States
Lt. Governor Could Replace Spitzer in NY The Associated Press
Eliot Spitzer’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Year in Office Wall Street Journal Sixteen months ago he was elected governor with a commanding 70% of the vote. ...... his tenure was been punctuated by screw-ups, scandals, and just plain stupid politics .... “I’m not naturally suited to this job, perhaps.” ..... Spitzer’s most well-known mishap was championing a plan to provide driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants. ...... His hard-charging style put off members of his own party, and his unwillingness to compromise alienated him from potential allies in Albany. ...... just 23% said they would vote for him again. ..... there was no comparison for Spitzer’s downward spiral. “Not in modern history,” he said. “It’s a complete reversal of fortune.”
Emperors Club prostitute: 'I have a way of dealing' Baltimore Sun, United States

It Wasn't the Sex; Suspicious $$ Transfers Led to Spitzer ABC News triggered by Gov. Eliot Spitzer's suspicious money transfers, initially leading agents to believe Spitzer was hiding bribes ..... the IRS and the FBI determined that Spitzer wasn't hiding bribes but payments to a company called QAT ..... As recently as this past Valentine's Day, Feb. 13, Spitzer, who officials say is identified in a federal complaint as "Client 9," arranged for a prostitute "Kristen" to meet him in Washington, D.C. ..... The woman met Client 9 at the Mayflower Hotel, room 871, "for her tryst" ...... Client 9 also is alleged to have paid for the woman's train tickets, cab fare, mini bar and room service, travel time and hotel. ..... "Never talk when you can nod, and never nod when you can wink, and never write an e-mail because it's death. You're giving prosecutors all the evidence we need"
After Spitzer, first black governor in New York history on deck Newsday Less than two years after he reluctantly ran for lieutenant governor, David Paterson is suddenly in line to be just the eighth black governor in American history ....... Paterson, the 53-year-old Democrat, legally blind career politician from Harlem is well respected by Republicans and Democrats. .... Koch recently called Paterson "very capable, not withstanding his near sightlessness. It's never impeded his public actions or his personal actions and he's really overcome it in an extraordinary way." ...... memorized lengthy, impassioned speeches without missing a mark. ..... a guy who likes to get along with people ...... Paterson has enjoyed a good relationship with Spitzer's chief nemesis, Republican Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, despite being the architect behind getting Democrats to within one seat of taking control of the Senate. In pointed yet often humorous floor debates, a kind of father-son relationship was evident between the Harlem Democrat and the rural, upstate Republican. ....... so focused was he on taking control of the Senate and becoming majority leader. ....... Spitzer, he appears dead in the political water.
RPT-FACTBOX-New York may get first African-American governor Reuters
On the Hill, Stunned Silence on Spitzer Washington Post, United States "I was absolutely shellshocked," King said of the Spitzer news. "I've never heard any rumors, any whispers, anything at all." ....... "I've never known a guy who was more self-righteous or more unforgiving than Eliot Spitzer," King said.
Fox Erroneously Reports Resignation Houston Chronicle, United States
Spitzer Apologizes, Does Not Resign Washington Post, United States
Clinton Declines to Comment on Spitzer Washington Post, United States
Dear Hillary: Eliot Spitzer Was "Already Vetted" Too Huffington Post, NY
Emporers Club: The web site behind the Spitzer scandal 7Online.com, NY

Obama dismisses joint ticket with Clinton Reuters
Obama Rejects Clinton Suggestion of Vice Presidential Nod Bloomberg
Obama: I'm No VP Washington Post
The Case for Obama's Readiness Yahoo! News
'Hillary manages to nearly erase Obama's lead' Sify
Obama mocks VP talk as race heads to Mississippi AFP
Clinton-Obama battle heads South CNN International
Obama Looks to Miss. for Momentum The Associated Press
Tight 'Super Tuesday' for Clinton, Obama Hindustan Times
Can Hillary Clinton still win? BBC News it is impossible for either one to secure the 2,025 delegates that would give them the Democratic nomination with pledged delegates alone. ..... Obama will have more pledged delegates than she will ...... Obama also has a clear upper hand with super-delegates so long as he has the majority of pledged delegates and the majority of the popular vote. ...... 57% of Americans think the candidate with the most votes should win the Democratic nomination. ... Six months is plenty of time to build an unbeatable argument for super-delegate support .... Six months is plenty of time to build an unbeatable argument for super-delegate support
Clinton-Obama Ticket? Obama Says No Way CBS News
Obama: Clinton lacks standing to offer me VP spot Baltimore Sun
2 Clinton Backers Offer a Way to Stage New Primaries New York Times
A resurrection that would bring life to Clinton's campaign Globe and Mail

Spitzer Is Linked to Prostitution Ring New York Times caught on a federal wiretap arranging to meet with a high-priced prostitute at a Washington hotel last month ...... apologized for his behavior, and described it as a “private matter.” ..... “I have acted in a way that violates my obligation to my family and violates my or any sense of right or wrong,” said Mr. Spitzer, who appeared with his wife Silda at his Manhattan office. “I apologize first and most importantly to my family. I apologize to the public to whom I promised better.” ...... I must now dedicate some time to regain the trust of my family. ....... Both had glassy, tear-filled eyes ..... charged out of the room, slamming the door. ..... The governor’s aides appeared shaken before he spoke, and one of them began to weep ....... Client 9 met with the woman in hotel room 871 ..... Spitzer had a difficult first year in office, rocked by a mix of scandal and legislative setbacks. ..... his Democratic party poised to perhaps gain control of the state Senate for the first time in four decades. ..... As attorney general, he also had prosecuted at least two prostitution rings as head of the state’s organized crime task force.

Nepal Maoist leader hits the campaign trail Tehran Times Just over two years ago, Nepal's former rebel Maoist chief Prachanda was on Interpol's most wanted list. Now he is campaigning for elections ..... The man who waged a decade-long revolt to topple the 239-year-old monarchy and install a communist regime now favors expensive watches, travels in a fancy sports utility vehicle and is escorted by dozens of security personnel.

Obama's Black Support Shows Its Limits The Associated Press Obama's heavy black support is nudging some working-class white Democrats into Clinton's camp .... Clinton won nearly two out of every three white votes in Ohio, and 56 percent of those in Texas .... Pennsylvania's demographic similarities to Ohio ..... Ohio, where 62 percent of all whites lack college degrees and many are anxious about their jobs in a weak economy. .... their resentment can have social and racial overtones. ..... the Clintons "were trying to use race to their political advantage, to cede the black vote to Obama and take the rest" ..... the steep drop in Obama's share of the white vote in Ohio compared to Wisconsin. ..... record turnout among black voters. "In many states, the black vote has doubled" ...... Philadelphia's black neighborhoods could help Obama next month.

Obama wins in Wyoming, adds 7 delegates Kansas City Star, USA Obama generally has outperformed Clinton in caucuses, which reward organization and voter passion more than do primaries. ..... Obama had 61 percent, or 5,378 votes, to Clinton's 38 percent, or 3,312 votes, with all 23 Wyoming counties reporting. .... You won't see me as a vice presidential candidate - you know, I'm running for president ..... "We have won twice as many states as Senator Clinton, and have a higher popular vote, and I think we can maintain our delegate count."

Obama halts Clinton's winning run The Press Association

Obama Leads in Mississippi, Clinton in Pennsylvania, Polls Show Bloomberg 53 percent of Mississippi Democrats compared with 39 percent for Clinton .... Fifty-two percent of Pennsylvania voters now support Clinton, after her recent wins, compared with 37 percent for Obama ..... Mississippi March 11, followed by Pennsylvania on April 22.

Kenyan Parliament Opens on Theme of Unity as Rivals Sit Apart New York Times
Clinton, Obama, give GOP boost The Daily Yomiuri Clinton lost because her delegate difficulty has intensified, not eased; her negative attacks have demeaned her, inviting a counterattack and providing fodder for the Republicans; and she can "win" only using skulduggery at the Democratic convention that will alienate the mass of Obama supporters without whose votes she cannot possibly prevail in the presidential election itself. ..... to beat back Obama among pledged delegates, Clinton now needs an average 26-point victory in the remaining 12 primaries and caucuses. ...... laughable, for example, the claim that she helped to bring about peace to Northern Ireland. ..... What seemed exciting and was drawing millions of new and young voters into political engagement is turning into a protracted guerrilla war. ...... Wyoming (March 8, 18 delegates, Obama); Mississippi (March 11, 40, Obama); Pennsylvania (April 22, 187, Clinton); West Virginia (May 13, 39, Clinton); North Carolina (May 6, 134, Obama); Oregon (May 20, 65, Obama); and Indiana (May 6, 84, tie). A de facto stalemate by the end of April-May will mean the contest is decided on the convention floor in Denver
Clinton-Obama dream team? Oh, dream on! Chicago Tribune "It is premature to talk about a joint ticket," he said. ..... When Blitzer asked if they would consider "an Obama-Clinton or Clinton-Obama ticket going down the road," Obama parried, "Well, obviously there's a big difference between those two." ...... Clinton, the former first lady, has little desire to be second banana again and Obama needs her less than she needs the support of his supporters.
Obama, Clinton Tied for Support Among Democrats, Newsweek Says Bloomberg
Obama Leads Clinton in Wyoming Caucuses The Associated Press
Obama Leads Clinton in Wyoming Caucuses; 30% of Vote Counted Bloomberg
Michigan 'firehouse primary' nixed by Obama camp Baltimore Sun
Obama leads Clinton in Wyoming as Democrats deluge caucuses Boston Herald straining the ability of party officials to accommodate crowds. ..... a relevancy they haven’t experienced in a presidential race in nearly 50 years. ..... caucuses, which rely on greater campaign organization and voter commitment than primaries
Obama attacks Hillary Clinton over Iraq Telegraph.co.uk Barack Obama has launched his most pointed attack so far on Hillary Clinton's support for the Iraq war, during a series of tit for tat exchanges that threaten to plunge the Democrat Party into civil war. ..... assembling in shops, churches and living rooms to pick their candidate. .... he craves the momentum, confidence and publicity a win can provide. ...... there are questions to answer about the Clintons' newfound wealth.

In Times Square Blast, Echoes of Earlier Bombings New York Times No one was injured in the blast. .... The British Consulate in 2005. The Mexican Consulate last year. And on Thursday, the Times Square military recruiting station. Three bombings with similar devices at three high-profile locations in Manhattan, each occurring at nearly the same time of day, in the predawn hours; each inflicting little damage; none injuring people. And in each case, someone — most likely a man — seen pedaling away on a bicycle with a hooded jacket or sweatshirt hiding his face. ...... the blast occurring at 3:40:43, although he said police believed it was closer to 3:43. The May 5, 2005 bombing at the British Consulate occurred at 3:55 a.m.; the bombing last year at the Mexican Consulate was at 3:40 a.m. on Oct. 26. ..... a very frustrated individual ...... People move in ways they are comfortable with, even when carrying out violence .... Bombers tend to have signatures.
Shattered Glass and Rattled Nerves Outside the Blast Site New York Times, United States
NY Bomber Sought, but No Link to Letters The Associated Press
Police canvass bombing scene early Friday Newsday, NY
Hunt on for Clues in Times Square Blast The Associated Press
New lead in New York blast probe The Press Association
US checks border stop for link to New York blast Reuters
Canada link probed after Times Square blast: police AFP
Times Square bomb fails to shatter city spirit Newsday, NY
Times Square Bomber's Bike Found ABC News
Bomber hits Times Square recruiting office Toronto Star, Canada
Cyclist sought in bombing at NYC military site Detroit Free Press, United States
Military recruitment center targeted in Times Square bombing Kansas City Star, MO
Letters after Times Square bombing CNN International
NYC bomber mailed letters to US lawmakers: report The Age, Australia
Canadian Border Incident, Photos Part Of Times Square Investigation MSNBC
NYC Struck Again by Mystery Bomber The Associated Press
Times Square recruiters accustomed to protests, but bomb a first Newsday, NY
Small bomb hits Times Square The Statesman, India
Video Shows Bicyclist Fleeing Times Sq. The Associated Press
NYC Police Investigate Small Blast in Times Square (Update8) Bloomberg
Police probe explosion at Times Square NDTV.com, India
NYPD: Person on bicycle seen near Times Square blast site Newsday, NY
Small Explosion Rattles New York's Times Square Voice of America
Explosion hits New York military recruiting center AFP
Improvised Bomb Hits Times Square Wired News
Small explosion hits Times Square Canada.com, Canada
'No threat to US' after Times Square blast Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom
Blast at US army recruitment centre Aljazeera.net, Qatar
US says no imminent homeland threat in NY blast Guardian, UK

Pained Spitzer Inflicts Pain On His Family

1. The idea of Eliot Spitzer some day running for President Of The United States: it is over. It probably never was there to begin with, but now it is certainly over. But he should not resign.
   
2. Nothing changes the fact that Spitzer is an extremely talented man.
   
3. He had an extremely rough first year. A load of it can be attributed to anti-Semitism. He got more votes than Hillary. But Albany did not respect that.
   
4. It is not easy to be Jewish, and be talented, and be a first, and be a fighter. You can end up alone.
   
5. The personal attack on his father, he took it hard.
   
6. At some level I was always uncomfortable about the fact that Spitzer made his wife quit her career. A job is not just about bringing in the dough to pay the bills. Silda is a wronged woman.
   
7. Minority men tend to be more sexist in family settings. The pain the world inflicts on them, they in turn inflict on their families. That is the psychological explanation, but that is not an excuse.
   
8. It was hard being Eliot Spitzer during his first year in office. And it was hard being his wife. It probably was harder being the wife. It is not easy to not be Jewish and still be able to relate to a man for whom the Holocaust - crime number one in the history of humanity - is heritage.
   
9. He should have sought counseling instead of prostitution. I think his wife would have accompanied him. But it takes guts to seek counseling. Spitzer is gutsy, but maybe not gutsy enough.
   
10. This is a Greek tragedy situation.
    

Spitzer Is Right, Albany Is Wrong
Processing The Holocaust Pain
The Jewish Identity In New York City



Working on my online autobiography has felt like Rambo taking bullets out of his arm digging with his own knife. I have been seeking to be cured. I relate to someone like Spitzer. The scale is not the same at all, but Eliot's first year reminds me of when I became a record breaking student body president at the number one liberal arts college in the South. I had much more dignity as a human being before than after I had just made myself technically the most powerful student on campus. My propensity to compromise was nil, my isolation was total and lasted years. My attitude was, I thought racist people like you were dead and gone, but if you are not dead and gone, time is on my side. You are at the pinnacle of your career, I have not even started yet, and I am already sitting across the table from you. Fuck, you just cost Berea a few buildings.

My heart goes out to Dave Pollak. He will have to be part of the damage control now. Pollak I got to know after I moved to the city. He is the founder of the most amazing political organization in the city: DL21C. He chairs the state party. Spitzer appointed him. In December I sent him a Facebook email saying you are such an "unpolitician politician." I like him personally. I respect his political instincts. And the dude just throws good parties.

When the Monica thing erupted, I was online at the Computer Center at Berea after dinner. I stayed up almost all night trying to get the latest. That hug video I watched so many times.

My first reaction was political. Ken Starr is the reason why this happened. Bill Clinton is not Jewish, but he is from Arkansas. You are not exactly the establishment when you are from Arkansas. Bill Clinton did Monica to protect his wife. He got sick and tired of his wife getting hounded by Starr. That was my political reaction.

But he punished Hillary for a mistake he made, that Hillary strongly advised against. He had the option to not authorize Ken Starr to do the investigations. He authorized him against Hillary's advice and then took him on a tour of the White House. That was naive.

But you can not imagine Hillary doing it to Bill Clinton, you can not imagine Silda doing it to Spitzer. That's what makes it sexist. Jews might have had the Holocaust, but women got Global Trafficking Of Women. Today. Don't get holy on me now.

Plan Of Action

1. Seek serious counseling, wife by the side. It is okay to bring up anti-Semitism during counseling.
   
2. The first year was always going to be hard. That is what happens to activist progressives. You are trying to get a sitting Titanic to move. It is not easy. And it sure takes time.
   
3. Do not resign. Fuck Bruno.
   
4. Pace yourself. You got eight years. Year three and beyond will be much better. You are on schedule to taking the Senate.
   
5. Take extra pride in your Jewish heritage. Secular JFK started going to church every Sunday.
   

In The News

Spitzer Is Linked to Prostitution Ring New York Times, United States
NY governor apologises in scandal BBC News, UK
NY Assembly Minority leader says Gov should resign Reuters
New York's Spitzer Apologizes to Public for Conduct (Update2) Bloomberg
Gov. Spitzer apologizes to family, public CNN International
Spitzer Apologizes, Does Not Resign Washington Post, United States
Report: Spitzer Linked to Prostitution Ring WCAX, VT
ELECTION NOTEBOOK Spitzer sex scandal rocks Democrats MarketWatch
NY Gov. Spitzer Tied to Prostitution Bust Smartmoney.com
NY Governor Apologizes After Link to Prostitution Ring People Magazine
Eliot Spitzer: Breathtaking Recklessness? Kansas City Star, MO the crusading New York prosecutor who left no stones unturned tracking down suspected malfeasance, whether it be Wall Street wrongdoing or questionable contracts by a local school board. His resume includes the arrests of persons connected with at least two prostitution rings. ...... breathtaking recklessness on a par with Bill Clinton's White House dalliance.
What’s next for New York Governor Spitzer? Reuters He said nothing about possibly resigning.
New York governor acknowledges wrongdoing Monsters and Critics.com
NY Gov. Spitzer to resign-Fox News Reuters
NY governor Eliot Spitzer 'linked to prostitution' Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom a father of three ..... the ring operated in cities across the United States and in London and Paris, employing more than 50 prostitutes who charged clients fees ranging from US$1,000 to more than US$5,500 per hour. ..... Since his election in November 2006, he has emerged as one of the highest-profile figures on the national stage outside Washington. ..... He combines classic Democrat positions on illegal immigration and same-sex marriage with a tough approach to reforming the state’s governance and New York City’s financial services industry.
Spitzer's path to the governorship of New York Guardian, UK He did not win his cases every time and he made many enemies among the state's financial elite, but Spitzer's populist fervour made him a rising star in the national Democratic party. ..... By the time he polled 69% of the vote in the governor's race against Republican John Faso, US political analysts already had down as a future presidential hopeful. Like fellow Democratic prodigy Barack Obama, Spitzer was an editor of the law review at Harvard University; like former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, he earned crime-fighting credentials by taking on the state's organised crime networks. ..... He displayed a penchant for stubbornness that unnerved even his closest allies, campaigning against legislators from his own party when Democrats voted for a new state comptroller of whom Spitzer did not approve.
New York governor keeps job, despite prostitution link AFP
Spitzer's fall: The prosecutor and the prostitutes Baltimore Sun, United States There is nothing quite like a sex scandal to stop a successful politician in his tracks. ..... the Emperors Club collected more than $1 million in its international prostitution ring, charging $3,100 an hour for a "seven-diamond prostitute.'' For some, two- and three-day rates ran $35,000 and $55,000, federal court filings allege. ...... a ring ranging from Vienna to Miami ... Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho, arrested in an airport men’s room, has resisted calls for his resignation. .... Soon, people may becoming a lot more familiar with another name. David Paterson.

Cocoa Tea - Barack Obama
Uploaded by jahsensie

Women's Unity Day: Event

http://www.thirdwavewomen.org/node/72



Virginia Woolf's London, my New York City.

Hogging The Spotlight

One good thing about Barack and Hillary keeping at it is McCain does not get the national spotlight. This contest is not over.

Women's Unity Day: Event

This is an Obama event. But not solely.

Time: Saturday, March 8 at 7:00 PM
Duration: 3 hours
Host: Keisha Spradley
Location:
Union Square, NYC (New York, NY)
17th & Broadway
New York, NY 10012

There is a scene in the movie, The Hours. The husband says, but it was meant as an act of love. Some of the most racist people at Berea College would use the family metaphor. But we are family.

Simple

The goals are simple. Half the Congress should be female. Half of a company should be female. That is a goal I have for my company. A company that is almost half female at all levels will make more money. That is my bet. You unleash the productivity potentials.

Women do handle group dynamics differently than men. The two have to be tapped for best effects.

Ultimately it is the basic democratic process of voting, and the transactions of making purchases that have to be tapped to attain equality for women.

You work relentlessly to raise the political consciousness level of both men and women.

Relationships and marriages have to be reimagined. They have to become egalitarian. Men have to raise children. I am lucky in that department. I naturally like the company of children. They are more fun than adults.



The workplace has to be reimagined. In a knowledge economy, bodies that bear children are at no disadvantage. As long as the mind keeps chugging, the body can do whatever.



Love

Sexism suffocates the possibility of love. Racism suffocates the possibility of love.

Tom, Nicole

Nicole Kidman was a nobody when Tom Cruise was a huge star. When Nicole Kidman blossomed as a megastar in her own right, her marriage was the price she paid.

When the Clintons ran in 1992, it was still a big deal that a woman will marry and still have a career. What about two mega careers? Is that possible? Two mega careers and a very happy relationship.

Tom Cruise refused to seek counseling with Nicole. Tom Cruise refused to grow with his wife's career growth.

Meryl Streep's Potter Husband

Love is love. U2's Bono also has a high school sweetheart. These two are examples of the possibility of only one mega career inside a marriage.




California, New York

These two big states have lots of career women in them. Gender is a daily reality.



In The News

Clinton Again Raises Running With Obama The Associated Press Clinton on Friday again raised the possibility that she might run with rival Sen. Barack Obama on the same Democratic presidential ticket. ....... Clinton said, "I've had people say, 'Well I wish I could vote for both of you. Well, that might be possible some day. ..... the second time this week that she has hinted at a joint ticket with the Illinois senator; he has not ruled it out ..... Mississippi, where 33 delegates ..... Mississippi's population is 37 percent black. ....... Job losses were widespread: in construction, manufacturing, retailing, financial services and a variety of professional and business services. Those losses swamped gains elsewhere, including education and health care, leisure and hospitality and the government. ..... Wyoming to campaign ahead of its Saturday caucus, another state that her campaign has already said is likely to favor Obama.

McCain now has challenge of staying in public eye Reuters
India is the new Australia The Age
Defeats puncture the Obama bubble CNN International Near-tie may last for weeks or even months of hard and nasty campaigning ...... For now, the fun is over and the fight is on. ....... his extraordinary charisma and expertly run campaign ....... Hillary Clinton's tireless campaigning was probably the key to her victories this week, in Texas, Ohio and Rhode Island.
Obama vies to push back, stay positive Boston Globe Clinton has been able to land a few blows ...... "Just remember," he said. "What we've been doing has worked." ...... Clinton, believing that her fusillade against Obama on trade and national security contributed to her campaign-saving wins in Ohio and Texas, has gained a head of steam and shows no signs of letting up. And Obama acknowledges her attacks on him have worked. ....... Obama's past criticisms of Clinton's healthcare plan as an example of a "tough but fair" line of attack ...... Obama's campaign has also begun running a radio ad in Mississippi attacking Clinton for "derogatory" comments she made about the state last fall. "I was shocked when I learned Iowa and Mississippi have never elected a woman governor, senator, or member of Congress," Clinton was quoted as saying in October by The Des Moines Register. "How can Iowa be ranked with Mississippi? That's not the quality, that's not the communitarianism, that's not the openness I see in Iowa." ......... Clinton's advisers believe their tougher line against Obama in Ohio and Texas did work, pointing to exit polls suggesting that late-deciding voters - about a fifth of the electorate in each state - broke for Clinton by wide margins.
Bill Clinton Adopts New Campaign Role The Associated Press Her advisers credit him with boosting her support among rural voters, especially men. He also phones through a list of party "superdelegates" almost daily, urging them to back the former first lady. And he has raised considerable cash for her campaign, both at events with the well-heeled and in online appeals to smaller donors. ..... the former president was headed to Philadelphia for a meeting with city ward bosses Friday. It was then on to Mississippi, whose primary is Tuesday. ...... "How can someone so popular with the base of his party hurt his wife so badly? And how did he underestimate the unique power that a former president has, especially one with his strength and sense of drama?"
Obama advisor quits after calling Clinton a 'monster' AFP
Clinton camp backpedals from Ken Starr-Obama tie Baltimore Sun
Clinton rebuffs calls for re-running of Florida and Michigan primaries Guardian the growing but controversial call for a re-running of primary elections in Florida and Michigan. ...... "There are 1.75m reasons not to do that," Florida congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz said, referring to the number of votes cast in her state. "We had the largest turnout in party history." ...... Nelson gave Dnc chairman Howard Dean two choices: seat the delegates already chosen in January, or use the national party's money to pay for another round of voting...... Recent days have seen a growing call for new contests in the two states, in large part because Democrats are uneasy about the prospect of essentially disenfranchising millions of Democratic voters. Florida is likely to be a crucial swing state in November, and the party wants to avoid ill will. ...... He's ahead 1,567 to 1,462. ...... "Let's let all of the voters go again if they are willing to do it," Clinton adviser Terry McAuliffe said Tuesday night on MSNBC. ..... The Florida Democratic Party has estimated the cost of a contest there at $25m. ...... at once chastising the states for violating party rules, while indicating they could get away with it. ........ He has welcomed the idea of new contests, but also hinted the states could appeal to a party committee and ask that their delegates be seated according to the results of the January vote. .... The two state parties will have to find the funds to pay for new contests without help from the national party, Dean said.

Obama sets fundraising record Los Angeles Times, USA Barack Obama raised $55 million in February, $20 million more than Hillary Rodham Clinton and a record sum for a single month in any presidential campaign ..... Much of the difference came from the Internet. ..... national Democratic campaign committees were significantly out-raising their Republican counterparts for the first time since the commission started counting amounts raised by party committees. ...... The Democrats' three main committees -- the Democratic National Committee, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee -- raised $191.3 million in the 13-month period from January 2007 to the end of January. ....... she had raised $4 million since the polls closed Tuesday in Ohio and Texas. ...... Obama significantly outspent Clinton in TV advertising in Texas and Ohio but lost both states. ..... Obama received money from 727,972 donors in February, including 385,101 new contributors. To date, Obama has received donations from 1.07 million donors

Pledge Of Allegiance

Wednesday, March 12

7:00 pm

DL21C's Political Author series continues with
Dr. Doug Schoen
Author, Declaring Independence:The Beginning of the End of the Two-Party System
Founding Partner, Penn, Schoen & Berland and former pollster for President Bill Clinton and Mayor Michael Bloomberg
books available for purchase and signing on-site

I pledge not to engage in any kind of partisan political action at the event.

I pledge not to incite others to show up for the event.

I pledge not to engage in any kind of group political activity at the event. ("Is This An Obama Party?", DL21C Annual Summer Bash: Barack Won The Straw Poll)

I pledge to show up on time, and to leave after the event is over, or after half the people have left and there are no more interesting people to talk to.

I pledge to take an extra hard look at any door I might try to open and that I might not just keep my head high and miss any fire alarm that usually are placed half way down, because by the time you realize you set off a fire alarm without meaning to, it might be too late.

I pledge not to ask any question of the speaker unless I am really, really compelled to. I pledge not to ask any question that might even be remotely suggestive of the current, ongoing Barack-Hillary battle. I was not allowed to ask Terry McAuliffe a question. (Terry McAuliffe: E=mc^2) I took the lesson to heart. I did not ask Mark Penn a question, and it was not even a DL21C event. (Mark Penn At Strand) You can ask him to confirm. I was in the front row, it is not like I would not have got the opportunity to ask. On his part he offered not to talk about the current campaign.

In October 2007, I got told I was already a member of DL21C. It must be because I must have paid enough money for a membership, one event at a time. Does that membership go by calendar year, or does it last until October 2008? I pledge to retain, or acquire membership, or just go ahead and pay the one event fee, whichever is asked of me.

I pledge not to drink more than one beer, if that. That would be my usual self.

I hereby reveal to DL21C what the rest of the world already knows. I have always liked Hillary. I like her today. I have liked her through all stages of the current campaign.

A Vote For Barack Is Not A Vote Against Hillary

I also reveal that I have never, never at any point had any interest in gunning for the top DL21C position. One, my political style is 2.0. DL21C leadership is a heavily 5.0 position. I have feared if I venture too much into 5.0 I might become less good at 2.0. But I have offered to bring the two together for the benefit of the organization. But I realize unless the organization makes the democratic choice to do so, it will not happen, and I respect that. Two, I have always thought extremely highly of the DL21C leader. She is a future President of the United States. I think she should keep the DL21C leadership position all the way to becoming president. I am like a 5.0 scientist, she is like a 5.0 engineer. But it is a mixed bag and we wear both hats, but overall she is better at 5.0, and that gap will likely always remain. She is better than me at 5.0, and I am better than her at 2.0. If I were given the DL21C leadership position, I would not know what to do with it.

I share that I have never been opposed to becoming a DL21C member, it is just that saving maybe 20 dollars a year just did not appeal, and I kind of liked the act of paying up on entrance. I liked the ritual.

I share that I have never been opposed to becoming active with the DL21C, it is just that I did not get the impression DL21C intended to do anything more than what it was already doing, and what it was already doing, it was doing very well, my participation would not have made the output any better. In fact, since it was purely into event planning, I had to stay away because I have no interest in event planning. But I am very interested in the Women's Revolution Committee in a non-leadership position as long as the committee agrees to go into 2.0. And to go into 2.0 is to become a leaderless, non-hierarchical organization. You are looking at cloud group dynamics, not pyramid group dynamics. (Looking For 10 Ninja Women) Overall I have zero interest in DL21C event planning, except that I think all its events should be videoblogged. But I have enormous interests in its committees, as long as they all go 2.0. Minus 2.0, the organization is not race-neutral enough for me. Not efficient, intense enough, not scalable enough.

Coat check is not a problem.

The idea primarily is to experience the event.

Liz coveted her political space next to Kristina Hoke, Dan covets his political space next to Elizabeth Caputo. If I am not interested in the number one position, why would I be interested in the number two position? I don't compete with Dan and Liz politically, I compete with Eliot Spitzer: Madhesi Movement Victory In Nepal. A bone surgeon is not also a heart surgeon. My political style is 2.0. It works for me. Towards the end of the Louisiana Senator event, Dan asked me aside and basically started yelling at me. I don't remember all he said, but one was, stop, I guess as in don't email Caputo. But one thing he said loud and clear was "Don't you threaten me!" The dude at that point was yelling. Berger went entrepreneurial. Caputo has been pushing the fiction that the fire alarm went off because she said "You are already a member!"

Kristina and Liz once shared with me how after Kristina got elected MYD leader, quite a few guys stopped cooperating, a few actively tried to mess things up. I was honored that they would feel comfortable enough to share that with me. I don't struggle with the idea of a woman leader of an organization, actually I like it greatly. I might have made some unfair comments to Cohen at DFNYC as if to say, get out of the way of these two women. But in the case of Caputo, it has not just been about a woman leader. Man or woman, she is just an amazing, fantastic political talent, and I have always felt that way. She is big league.

I felt the shock tremor of Benazir's death. Before that Caputo felt the shock tremor of Bobby's election. Bobby is the next wave of Republican leadership. I admire Caputo's instincts for her reaction. I don't begrudge it. It is one of those things that makes me feel she is big league like I thought she was.

She is one year older to me, I think, something like that.

I think about deaths on a daily basis as a political , Third World guy, deaths to stupid violence, petty disease. A third of the women in India get beat by their husbands, many routinely. When you meet a random Indian guy, you got to ask, are you a Mr. 35%? That would be a legitimate question. Half the women who get murdered in this world get murdered by their boyfriends and husbands. Every third or fourth woman will get raped at some point in her life. My mind soars with the plight of the Third World people, I would be surprised if Caputo's mind does not soar with the plight of women worldwide.

But there is another angle. I have been to all parts of this city. On foot, and not just during daytime. When I walked from Little Bangladesh south of Prospect Park to Jackson Heights, I got there at midnight. I have walked from Times Square to Little Bangladesh after midnight a few times. Granted if you have my skin color and you are casually dressed and possibly have had a bad hair day, you are probably the one who is scaring people. But my point is this is overall a safe city. I never heard a gun shot during my numerous walks. You go to these events in Manhattan and it is so obvious most of these people take get pride in never, never venturing out of Manhattan. I find that weird. Don't you get curious sometimes? So when there were people keeping a safe distance of 20 feet from me at the Holiday party, and that included people I thought I had talked to a few times, and perhaps knew, I am like, you don't know me. This is your rotten value system that is getting the better of you. There is this thing called taking positive pride in your heritage, but there are many people who think to be racist is to be white. That includes some Nepalis I know who will go on to say the most racist things about black people.

If you feel uncomfy discussing race and gender, in my book you are not a progressive.

Gender fascinates me the way the Milky Way might fascinate some astronomer. I am not in it to do women a favor any more than Sam Walton was out to do his customers a favor. Women will vote. Group dynamics is my thing and there are few things in group dynamics as fascinating as gender. The race gender coalition idea is secondary to that positive, mind-blowing fascination. (The Need For A Race Gender Coalition)

About this author though, Bloomberg already decided he is not running. (Spitzer Is Right, Albany Is Wrong)


Amazon.com: Declaring Independence: The Beginning of the End of ... and is currently helping New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg weigh his options as a potential independent candidate .... the next election will be decided by the 35-40 percent of the electorate fed up with "partisanship and the extremist wings of either party," a group Schoen calls "Restless and Anxious Moderates." ...... the rising importance of the internet and the 24-hour news cycle ..... While a third-party candidate might not win in 2008, Schoen shows, he would provide-as Perot did-an important role in shaping the political agenda, invigorating debates and encouraging consensus between the two major parties. ....... Independent voters now constitute the largest segment of the American electorate. ...... We are a nation of political moderates who want smart, workable solutions to our serious problems.
Powell's Books - Declaring Independence: The Beginning of the End ...

"The Power of the Vote" by Douglas E. Schoen
Amazon.com: Dr Douglas E Schoen Interviewed by Randy Gilbert on
Doug Schoen - Politics on The Huffington Post
Cosmopolity - DL21C's Political Author series continues with Dr ...
International Crisis Group - Douglas E. Schoen has worked for the past 30 years creating and developing winning communication messages and campaigns for Fortune 500 executives, political leaders, and heads of state, from Bill and Hillary Clinton to Mike Bloomberg and Jon Corzine. ...... From 1994 to 2000, Dr. Schoen was President William Jefferson Clinton’s research and strategic consultant and has been widely credited with creating and effectively communicating the message that turned around the President’s political fortunes between 1994 and 1996 and in the aftermath of the impeachment proceeding. ..... In both 2001 and 2005, Dr. Schoen was New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s lead strategic advisor and was responsible for positioning the Mayor to win an unforeseen victory on the heels of September 11Th as well as a historic election victory this past November 2005. ..... an extensive list of corporate clients, including AOL Time Warner, Procter & Gamble, Major League Baseball, AT&T, Frito Lay, and Citibank. ...... A magna cum laude graduate of Harvard College, a graduate of Harvard Law School, Dr. Schoen has his doctorate in philosophy from Oxford University in England.
Douglas Schoen - SourceWatch
Douglas E. Schoen, Author of "The Power of the Vote: Electing ...
Douglas Schoen Speaker Bio Find booking agent contact to book top ...
About Douglas E. Schoen, Author of The Power of the Vote
The Aspen Institute

---

Hello June, Congratulations On The Victory
Between June O'Neill, David Pollak and You

Paramendra Bhagat

12:35pm Mar 5th

Got to take the Senate. That is when the Spitzer governorship begins.

http://democracyforum.blogspot.com/2008/01/spitzer-is-right-albany-is-wrong.html

By the way, would you know someone by the name of Elizabeth Caputo? If you do, can you please ask her why she will not let me into the DL21C events?

http://democracyforum.blogspot.com/2008/03/march-4-returns-parties.html

Granted I am a Third World guy, but I have never carried a gun in my life. I am nonviolent as a cockroach. I am not some random, suspicious looking, shabbily dressed, funky shoes wearing, by himself in the corner, having a bad hair day, outer borough guy. All the top people who run all the top political organizations in Manhattan know me, and most have some respect for my political acumen. I am fairly social, and normal. I would like to believe I have pleasant manners.

The first act of hostility was after Bobby became Governor of Louisiana, but Bobby is Bloomberg, I am Spitzer. We are from two very different political persuasions. Caputo once called me a republican from stage, though not exactly by name. She is one of the most avid readers of my blog (another is Barack Obama). Of all people she should know I am a progressive. But I will give you I am a corporate progressive, I have an ambitious tech startup.

Caputo is from Indiana, but it is my firm conviction and observation she is an extremely open minded person on all issues of diversity upto and including the disabled and the stem cell research people. So there is no race angle to my curiosity. I am an Asian living in an Asian century.

Thank you and much appreciated. Maybe you will make it possible for me to get into DL21C events all over again.

PS. Please tell the Governor I am a huge fan of his. I am from a very different country, so I am not too rehearsed on the issues, but I am all into the Spitzer action. Every time he gets into a fight, he makes my day, win or lose.

http://democracyforum.blogspot.com/2008/02/madhesi-movement-victory-in-nepal.html

---

Talking Points Against Bobby Jindal

1. I am better looking.
2. Last I checked, there were a billion women in India.
3. Bobby, now, is that a British name?
4. Bobby is not a Hindu. Or does that not matter no more in 21st century India?
5. Bobby might have won a few elections in French Louisiana, but he never instigated a French Revolution.
   
6. Could Bobby point out Bihar on a map? If not, I am offended.
   

---

Four Moods: Texas Debate Watch Party

1. Let's have a conversation. That was gentle and inviting.
2. Then the mood changed. I don't like you, never did. Why are you looking at the floor? If you liked me, you would look at me.
   
3. Dan is not here, I am saying this to you myself. As in, so you are saying I needed crutches to speak? Third time is the charm? Minus two guys. Then minus one guy. Am I supposed to be honored?
   
4. Inviting. You have been blogging for a year and a half. For me? Then change again. If you are not talking to feel safe, I am also taking precautions. So you like me for my political acumen?
   

Gesture: I have my coat on. Sorry you got offended by the compulsory coat check. I am in solidarity.

Dozen Or More Layers: Texas Returns

1. Black security guard. "The event has not started yet." 7:15. Me: "Okay, I will be back in 10 minutes. When does it start? 7:30?" "Hold on, hold on. There is this woman." He gets on radio. I am in motion to walk away like, okay. Caputo flashes like on a screen like she was coming down then she flashes back, as if to walk back, not to come. Out walks the same white guard who was there at the Holiday party. The black dude looks puzzled. I walk away. I was already in motion after the not started yet part, I never stopped.
   
2. I guess one black, one white, that balances it out. That makes it race neutral.
   
3. Or, if you got offended by the compulsory coat check by a white guard, do you like it better when a black guard is about to beckon the woman to you? Is that how it works?
   
4. Or even at the Holiday party, the first part was another party where you were not even allowed, but the white guard actually liked you and let you in. Like Justin Krebs liked you on day one.
   
5. That part before an event starts is when you talk if you want to talk.
   
6. Dan and Mike are not men who do what I can't. I am not some pushed aside woman. I am in charge. I ask them to do. Just like these two men.
   
7. If I had my way, you would not have been at the Holiday party, but Pollak let you in. What after the fire alarm? You scared so many white people all at once.
   
8. You have put me, Berger and Pollak into tight spots. We all have Hillary fan bosses. Do you not understand? What does crash the party mean? You think you got Obama freaks? I got Lord and Manor.
   
9. She just is not into you.
   
10. There are many parties in town? Why this one?
    
11. We don't think you should be on TV. We got NY1.
    
12. If you had not walked away, I would have talked. I mirrored your motion.
    
13. You should have been here at 6:30. Then "The event has not started yet" would have made sense. Dan Berger changed the time of the event "DL21C's Super Tuesday Party - Part II". 11:16am, March 4.
    
    

Hillary Had A Net Gain Of Four Delegates On March 4

A Message from David Plouffe: "The Math"

Our projections show the most likely outcome of yesterday's elections will be that Hillary Clinton gained 187 delegates, and we gained 183.

That's a net gain of 4 delegates out of more than 370 delegates available from all the states that voted.

For comparison, that's less than half our net gain of 9 delegates from the District of Columbia alone. It's also less than our net gain of 8 from Nebraska, or 12 from Washington State. And it's considerably less than our net gain of 33 delegates from Georgia.

The task for the Clinton campaign yesterday was clear. In order to have a plausible path to the nomination, they needed to score huge delegate victories and cut into our lead.

They failed.

It's clear, though, that Senator Clinton wants to continue an increasingly desperate, increasingly negative -- and increasingly expensive -- campaign to tear us down.

That's her decision. But it's not stopping John McCain, who clinched the Republican nomination last night, from going on the offensive. He's already made news attacking Barack, and that will only become more frequent in the coming days.

Right now, it's essential for every single supporter of Barack Obama to step up and help fight this two-front battle. In the face of attacks from Hillary Clinton and John McCain, we need to be ready to take them on.

Will you make an online donation of $25 right now?

https://donate.barackobama.com/facebookmath

The chatter among pundits may have gotten better for the Clinton campaign after last night, but by failing to cut into our lead, the math -- and their chances of winning -- got considerably worse.

Today, we still have a lead of more than 150 delegates, and there are only 611 pledged delegates left to win in the upcoming contests.

By a week from today, we will have competed in Wyoming and Mississippi. Two more states and 45 more delegates will be off the table.

But if Senator Clinton wants to continue this, let's show that we're ready.

Make an online donation of $25 now to show you're willing to fight for this:

https://donate.barackobama.com/facebookmath

Thank you,

David

David Plouffe
Campaign Manager

In The News

The obvious strategy for Obama: A subtle attack on Hillary's tax ... San Diego Union Tribune The delegate count and the dynamics of the race still make Barack Obama the strong favorite to win the Dem nomination, but the chances that Hillary Clinton can credibly take the fight all the way to the party's convention in Denver appear far higher after her wins Tuesday in Texas and Ohio. ..... A revote in Michigan would probably favor Hillary, and perhaps Florida, too. ...... He needs to preserve his image as a sunny, positive idealist.

Obama Moves to Sharpen His Critique of Clinton New York Times Instead of answering questions about Mr. Rezko, Mr. Obama said, Mr. Obama had chosen to “lash out.” ..... Mr. Obama has 1,456.5 delegates compared to 1,370 for Mrs. Clinton ..... Mr. Obama would fare better against Mr. McCain than Mrs. Clinton would.
Obama gets tough after Clinton comeback The Age
Facebook fills No. 2 post with former Google exec San Jose Mercury News
Buffett topples Gates as world's richest person MarketWatch
Microsoft Details Internet Explorer 8.0, Introduces Beta InformationWeek
Is America Ready for a Gay 'Idol'? The Associated Press

Who Is This Hillary Person? And Why Does She Keep Coming At Us?

Hillary, Fighter

Who is this Hillary person? And why does she keep coming at us?

The answer is Hillary really, really, really wants to be our Vice President. That is why she is so very relentless. Think about it. If she had lost New Hampshire, she would have been out before January was over. And then we Obama people would have been asking, so who do we want on the ticket? Edwards, the fighter? Spitzer, the fighter? Or Hillary the fighter? Fighter because she did start the Iraq War, did she not?

But Hillary would not have none of that. She was not about to get on Obama's short list of candidates. She wanted to be the only person on the list. And she dug hard and fought hard.

I am at a point now when I am beginning to think Hillary might be the one. Through January and February and now going into March, I have really had a chance to take a very close look at her. And so I am no longer wondering if someone else might look good on the ticket. The primary contests have served their purpose.

Who Is This Bill Clinton Guy? And Why Will He Not Go Away? On A Vacation?

Bill Clinton will be around on the political scene for a few more decades in various capacities, and I will not have it any other way. But I would like it if this guy went to the Bahamas for the next few months. I would be happy to organize a fundraiser to that effect if he were to express interest. He can call up his wife as much he wants from there. It is not like he does not get to talk politics.

Bill Clinton has been more of a nuisance than is becoming someone of his age, maturity and world renown. Instead of acting the elderly statesman, he has really gone down and dirty this campaign season, has he not?

Hillary Is A Good Looking Woman

It will be great to have her much on TV, which is where she will be as Vice President.

We Won Nevada, We Won Texas

This nomination fight is a race for delegates and we won both states.

Going Negative Worked For Clinton 08

It was the same playbook in New Hampshire. It was the same in Ohio. They dug up Rezko this time.

All attacks have to be answered. You don't have to get mean, you don't have to engage in the politics of personal destruction, but you do have to answer all attacks, especially the negative ones. Obama 08 missed out on this basic lesson in New Hampshire and again for March 4.

When You Get Hit, You Hit Back

The new kind of politics changes how you hit back, but it does not change that you do hit back.

NAFTA: We Did Not Handle It Well

Even people in Ohio who have suffered from the loss of manufacturing jobs realize the old days are not coming back. There is no going back. How better to manage the transition when the economy necessarily morphs? How to better handle retraining?

This is a really tough one. The suffering is real. The changes are inevitable. But the solutions, hard and elusive they might be, but they are all forward looking.

Takes Two Arms And Two Legs To Swim

Poor Rapid Response Mechanism

Obama 08 top campaign people are going to have to plug this hole, or the Clinton boys are going to keep going negative, and those negative attacks are going to keep working for them.

If Obama 08 does not plug this big, gaping hole, we might as well lose. Our guy ends up Vice President. What we need is a war room, a rapid response mechanism. Let no attack go unanswered.

In The News

Advisers for Clinton Plan the Endgame New York Times ground game, advertising budgets and a confidence-brimming outreach strategy ...... with her victories in Texas and Ohio last night, she can convince superdelegates to stand with her after a Pennsylvania victory. ...... Pennsylvania, which has 188 delegates at stake, could set up a powerful one-two punch two weeks later in the Indiana and North Carolina primaries, which have a combined 218 delegates ...... the final contest on June 7 in Puerto Rico, where 63 delegates will be at stake. ..... the Clinton campaign’s chief objective was not to sully Mr. Obama’s image or record, but to cast a spotlight on lightly examined or unknown aspects of both.

Clinton Sees New Race; Obama Talks Tough The Associated Press Obama blamed negative attacks by the former first lady for his defeats and quickly made good on a promise to sharpen his criticism of her. ...... Obama gained endorsements from superdelegates in Georgia, Vermont, Ohio, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. ...... talk of arranging for makeup primaries or caucuses in Michigan and Florida ...... Obama, on a long flight home to Chicago from Texas, told reporters he believed criticism like that helped send him to defeat.
Obama camp claims TX delegate victory MSNBC there are 611 delegates left to win in the Democratic race, and Clinton needs to win 60% of them to erase Obama's lead ..... Obama's campaign has less support in Pennsylvania than Clinton and more ground to make up.

Hillary discusses Clinton-Obama ticket for election Newsday, USA Clinton's victories yesterday "barely" put a "dent" in his lead. .... voters who made up their minds in the last three days voted overwhelmingly for her.