Strength? What Strength? Experience? What Experience?

Every day some Hillary spokesperson puts out a rebuttal for whatever is going on that day. "Hillary has the strength and experience" is the rejoinder. Just like Bush never saw a problem whose solution did not lie in tax cuts, Hillary 2008 never saw a problem whose solution did not lie in Hillary's "strength and experience." It is getting repetitive and boring.

What strength? What experience?

If watching Michael Jordan makes you Michael Jordan, I am Michael Jordan. I have watched a few of his games. Hillary is running to be an elected official. Only her experiences as an elected official count. And Obama has been an elected official almost twice as long as Hillary.

Hillary did not have the strength to ask the questions that would have prevented her and others from casting the utterly wrong vote on the Iraq War. Need I say more? She was as subject to groupthink as anyone else. She cowered to the prevailing Washington "wisdom." That was an enormously serious lapse of judgment, and I see no sign Hillary has learned from that mistake. She parrots the Bush line on much everything else foreign. She will not talk to adversaries just like Bush. She will stand by Musharraf just like Bush. That is not strength, that is kowtowing.

Hillary is smart, and I realize the symbolism of a woman in the White House. But then what and how much did she do for women specifically the last time she was in the White House?

Hillary is cautious, she is not strong. Hillary is not experienced, she is tired. She has fought some fights, many of them unfair to her and her family, but she has tired of them. She is not ready for more.

Dynasty Politics

A Bush or a Clinton has been running at the national level since 1976. It is like after 200 years of being a republic America tired and became a monarchy again.

This country is too big, its democracy too vibrant to put up with dynasty politics.

Freshness

America already knows everything there is to know about the two Clintons. Part of the excitement of electing a president is getting to know their life story. You need to turn the page on the 1990s to get that fresh feeling.

Life Experiences

Obama is the only candidate running in either party who can take America into a globalized 21st century. He has the right life experiences.

Strong

He opposed the Iraq War when the rest of the country was feeling the other day. And he did that when it looked like he was about to wage a tough bid for the US Senate running in a crowded primary field, with at least one billionaire opponent, and this was before he was "born" at the Democratic convention in Boston.

That makes him strong.

But he is not strong in a stupid way. As in, facts be damned, I am ploughing through. His primary strength is that he can build coalitions and seek and find common ground. He has the strength to bring America together.

Strength And Experience

Barack Obama has the strength to bring America together and the experience to lead that America in a globalized world.

Let the 21st century begin. Let go the holdup.

In The News

Why Gonzales Bailed Newsweek four candidates: former deputy attorney general Larry Thompson (who would be the first African-American A.G.), former solicitor general Ted Olson, former deputy A.G. George Terwilliger, and current Solicitor General Paul Clement (the acting A.G. once Gonzales leaves).
Rising Pressure From GOP Led Senator to Quit New York Times
Barack Obama, Drawing the Big Crowds Washington Post
For Democrats, Primary Field Gives Confidence New York Times confident of victory in 2008. ..... “But I think Obama is good, too. It’s a flip at this point.” .... “I love the field of Democrats. This is going to be hard.” ..... a party better known for quadrennial rites of grumbling .... Again and again, voters — often unprompted — said they were concerned that Mr. Obama did not have enough experience. ...... “Hillary has the baggage from the Bill years ...... this is a confident party this fall .... a marked shift in mood for Democrats over the past year ..... Democratic voters appear as energized about this election as Republican voters are subdued, though that could change once the Republicans rally around a candidate and if Mrs. Clinton is nominated and turns out to be as polarizing a candidate as Republicans are hoping. ...... “She’s not really warm and fuzzy, so some people are put off by that and threatened by her brilliance.” ...... appears not to have erased the concern — fanned by Mrs. Clinton’s campaign with its emphasis on experience — that he might not be ready to be president.
Bill Clinton turns back clock, Hillary winds it forward AFP Bill Clinton had a weekend campaign party like it was 1992 .... "I love not running for anything, I can say everything I want and nobody cares any more," Clinton said ...... a four-month sprint .... a folksy, self-mocking tone ...... Clinton marvelled at a 1,000 pound pumpkin ..... Casually dressed Clinton, now looking robust three years after heart surgery, serves as an unofficial chief strategist for his wife, and velvet hammer against her rivals. ........ "If you want me to say something bad about them, you might as well leave right now," he scolds, before proceeding to argue, without mentioning names that nobody but his wife is fit for the Oval Office. ....... he and his wife were forged in humble origins, in Arkansas and Illinois, and won't forget ordinary people ...... He jokes how "cool" it is being president, with a great plane, the "best public housing in America," and hearing a "song played every time you walk in a room," but warns such treatment can make a leader isolated. ........ "I would do anything in my power to make her the next president, and you should too," Clinton says, whipping crowds into applause for his wife's entrance.
The political machine vs. the grass roots Los Angeles Times In California, a test of Democratic campaign tactics: Clinton chases big-name endorsements; Obama zeroes in on the little guy ..... unlike the Clinton gathering, led by a paid staffer delivering the campaign line, the Obama meeting was run by a volunteer participating in his first presidential campaign. ...... Clinton has been wrapping up the high-profile endorsements -- Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa -- and building a traditional, centralized campaign organization. Obama has been trying to harness the energy that has brought thousands of people to his campaign rallies. ....... The Clinton campaign has established two state headquarters, one in San Francisco and the other in L.A., and has hired seven full-time staffers. Obama has an L.A. office and four paid staffers, with another likely to be added soon. Both have fleshed out the staffs at their headquarters with a raft of volunteers. ....... The Clinton campaign has focused on high-density Democratic regions such as L.A. and the Bay Area. The Obama campaign is trying to build networks in each congressional district; most state Democratic delegates are awarded to candidates based on how well they do in each district, not statewide. So far Obama has committees in 40 of the 53 districts. ...... "Obama couldn't rack up the endorsements that Hillary can after her years in the White House or in the Senate." ..... grass-roots programs have some of the same goals as big-time endorsements." ..... two-thirds of likely Democratic voters supporting either Clinton or Obama. Clinton enjoys the clear advantage, with 49% support in an early-August Field Poll, compared with 19% for Obama ....... train 1,000 unpaid leaders statewide to oversee groups of 20 local volunteers -- the "Hillary Corps" -- to use their personal networks of relatives, friends and co-workers to identify Clinton supporters. ...... Using a software program called Voter Activation Network, the campaign plans to build a database from the information gathered by the Hillary Corps to target voters for early absentee voting -- which begins Jan. 7 -- and for follow-up efforts on primary day, Trujillo said. They hope to contact 2 million potential voters by primary day. ....... piggyback the Clinton organization on supporters' families and friendships. ..... "Most of our supporters have these big social networks," he said. "Why build something? Why not take advantage of something that exists already?" ...... grass-roots structure .... organizations that report to, but are not controlled by, Obama staffers. ...... In Palo Alto, one of the trained volunteers' first tasks is to contact the more than 400 people in the district who have told the campaign they want to help. They, in turn, will be the core of the volunteer group to contact 180,000 voters in hopes of finding more volunteers and cementing 45,000 votes for Obama -- which the congressional district committee independently set as its goal. ........ the strategy will return a sense of social movement to campaigns, offsetting the modern-marketing approach ...... Fewer than a third of those at the Clinton meeting were men; at the Obama session, men accounted for just over half. ...... "I didn't think ever in my life I would see a viable female candidate for president," said Judy Sweeney, 62 ..... Most Clinton volunteers cited specific issues -- healthcare, abortion, the Iraq war, a woman in the Oval Office -- as reasons they supported her. At the Obama session, the talk was more ethereal, about the desire to effect changes in policy and political engagement. Several cited Obama's 2004 Democratic National Convention speech.
POLL: Clinton vs. Giuliani on the Long Drive ABC News
Nepal's Tricky Transition Wall Street Journal the friction between Nepal's political parties is also heating up. ...... tensions are rising between the Maoists and the democratic Seven Party Alliance, and within the Maoist party itself. ..... it has been a tricky transition for the battle-hardened former guerrillas ...... For the first time in Nepal's history, the elections will be on a mixed-proportional system, so traditionally marginalized ethnic groups and castes will have some representation. That all this has been achieved with little bloodshed is remarkable. ...... There has been an eruption of demands for political representation from a whole section of Nepalis who have historically been left out of the governance structure: indigenous groups, underprivileged castes and the Madhesi people of the Terai Plains along the Indian border ...... the violence in the plains could easily spiral out of control, even forcing a cancellation of elections and taking the country back to war. ....... Internal divisions within the Maoist camp are also deepening. ..... Prachanda, faces mounting pressure from radicals who blame him for "abandoning the revolution." ..... Critics say the Maoists are nervous that they will lose badly in elections, and are using these unrealistic demands to either scuttle or postpone polls. They have threatened to launch a nationwide street-based uprising starting this month unless these demands are met. The Maoists are also using their affiliated trade unions and student organizations to pressure foreign investors, local companies and media. Businessmen complain that extortion and threats are worse now than during the conflict years. ........ The prospect of unrest in the run-up to the election has everybody worried. ..... it would be easy for those who don't want elections (royalists, Madhesi militants and even Maoist hardliners) to foment trouble in the next two months. Except for the moderate leftist communists, the Unified Marxist-Leninist party, no other party has bothered to start campaigning yet. Mainstream parties are behaving as fecklessly as they always did ...... these elections are the only way Nepal can emerge from a messy transition and build on the dramatic and peaceful state transformation of the past year. A new constitution would restore democratic legitimacy and bring forth a new set of young leaders.
Iraq Tops Agenda As Congress Returns The Associated Press
Obama Proposes Ethics Reform Plan Guardian Unlimited centralizing and expanding the regulation of lobbyists to reduce the influence of special interest money in Washington. .... The change Americans crave - universal health care, new energy solutions and better economic policies for regular people - can't happen unless the system for making deals in Washington is fundamentally changed ..... I know some will say that we can't make this change, that the culture of corrosive influence in politics is too sprawling to spotlight or that the lobbyists writing our laws represent real Americans. ... That's not how I see it.'' ..... create a central database giving the public access to lobbying reports, ethics records and campaign finance filings. It would also expand lobbying disclosure rules to include lobbyists seeking government contracts and presidential pardons, and enforce congressional lobbying laws and ethics rules through an independent entity. Government contractors would be required to report money spent on lobbying and campaign contributions. ...... we will close the revolving door between public service and lobbying, ban all gifts from registered lobbyists, and end the abuse of no-bid contracts and the appointment of political cronies .... A task force on energy policy made up of big oil companies. Health care and prescription drug legislation written by industry lobbyists. No-bid contracts for Katrina recovery lobbied for by the firm that bears the name of the governor of Mississippi. No-bid contracts in Iraq for Halliburton, a company that the vice president used to run ... Obama previously vowed to prohibit political appointees who left posts in his administration from lobbying the executive branch for the remainder of his time in office. Members of an Obama administration also would not be able to work on regulations or contracts directly related to their former employers for two years..... In the Senate, Obama has supported legislation that would impose additional restrictions on lawmakers becoming lobbyists and establishes new disclosure rules for lobbyists.
Obama to reignite fireside chats Boston Globe make the federal government more transparent, including national broadband town hall meetings -- he's calling them "21st Century Fireside Chats" -- that he says his Cabinet will hold with the American people. ..... a new centralized database of lobbying reports, congressional ethics records, and campaign finance filings available on the internet; more sunlight on lobbyists seeking government contracts and presidential pardons; and establishing a "contracts and influence" database showing what federal contractors spend on lobbying, contract details, and contractor performance. ..... "The American people want to trust in our government again -- we just need a government that will trust in us," Obama said
Oh-eight (D): Biden: Iowa or bust MSNBC how little has changed since the summer began… Despite her high unfavorable ratings, Clinton remains the Democratic front-runner, with a growing number of Democrats and pundits now convinced that she can win the whole enchilada ...... Despite his stagnant national poll numbers, Obama has the money and the excitement to give Clinton a run for her money in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. ...... Biden said. “My expectation is that I come in first, second or an indistinguishable third. To tell you the truth, if I don't, then this has been a nice exercise and I'll see you again when you come to visit Washington." ...... the financial woes of major fundraiser Sant Chatwal, an Indian American businessman who has been fighting the IRS over unpaid business taxes. Who is vetting Clinton bundlers faster: the campaign or the media? ...... Richardson wants to forgive college loans with a year of national service. "As part of your college loan structure -- in other words we'll pay them off, if you give your country one year of national service: work in a forest, clean up a forest ... work in a hospital, go in the military, go in the Peace Corps, go in Vista .... "Iowa, for good reason, for constitutional reasons, for reasons related to the Lord, should be the first caucus and primary,” Richardson said.
More oh-eight: The battle for CA MSNBC Did the DNC inadvertently help the GOP in its general election efforts to hold Florida in '08 and pick off Michigan? ..... Clinton is the political machine, and Obama is the grassroots. The Democratic machine is AWFULLY powerful in California.
The Primary Mess Michigan will go to an open primary on January 15. South Carolina follows the 19th and New Hampshire and Iowa may slide further back ...... the DNC stripped Florida, which moved its primary to January 29, of all its delegates ..... 4 states with moderate media costs and limited size ...... If the Democratic Florida primary is boycotted or delayed for fear no one will show up, do independents decide to register and show up in the Republican primary? The threat is even more real in Michigan where voters can show up on Election Day and decide to vote in the primary of their choosing. If this happens, the voters who turn out in two key and highly competitive GOP primary elections may have a significant component of independent voters. ...... All of this primary shuffling and Howard Dean’s handiwork have once again made clear that the GOP primary winner will likely be someone with broad geographic appeal, a solid organization and plenty of money to put down multiple “bets” on states which may or may not fall his way. If you must worry about Iowa and Michigan while New Hampshire and Florida still loom large, you need a sizable war chest, large media buys and plenty of bodies on the ground. Given the possible influx of independent voters, the candidate with a sophisticated ground operation in New Hampshire and Michigan which can target voters who are registered Republican and those who are not will be in strong shape. ....... the wild world of primary leapfrog.

Hillary's Racist Twang: Between Hope And Hard Work

Two-for-One Deal, Take Two Wall Street Journal Without naming her chief rivals, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and Mr. Edwards, she took aim at both. Mr. Obama has been a Clinton target for his relative inexperience and vague talk of "hope" for big changes. "You don't just do it by hoping it happens. You do it by hard work," she said at the Sioux City labor picnic before a union rally in Des Moines. "'Change' is just a word if you don't have the strength and experience to make it happen."

"We feel very smart when we are talking to ourselves."
- Hillary Clinton to the bloggers at the Kos Convention

"I can't think in front of a computer."
- Hillary Clinton

Charlie Rose: December 18, 2002



Watch the part here where an otherwise good man Charlie Rose goes on a tangent. He hones in on Spitzer wanting to maybe fine some lousy corporation a hundred million dollars. Is it about the money? Charlie Rose comes across as not clean to me at that point.

Charlie Rose - BARACK OBAMA

Also watch this. An otherwise good man Charlie Rose at one point suggests because Barack Obama's mother was white, it does not matter. If it is not in this video, it is in this other video.

Charlie Rose - An hour with Barack Obama

So if Barack Obama's mother had been black, that would be a problem? Obama, on his part, rescues the situation by saying "Warren Buffett, who is both your friend and mine." He also does a doubletake and says, "My Harvard classmate Ken Mehlman." As in Mehlman thinks three big victories in a row, 2000, 2002, and 2004, is that a majority? "And I don't think so." As in, Mehlman went to Harvard, so did I? It is not about skin color.

Charlie Rose is a good guy. I like his show a lot. He might have played an important role in making sure brown dude Muhammad Yunus got a Nobel Prize.

Charlie Rose - Muhammad Yunus




Charlie Rose - Muhammad Yunus / Annie Leibovitz



But Rose does have to account for his anti-Jew, anti-black lapses. I am not suggesting he should be punished and handed over to the Taliban. All I am saying is it should be honorable to bring these lapses up, to talk about it, for all parties involved to respectfully understand what is going on, to come to a new mutually respectful understanding, and to move on. Maybe apologize and move on. Let's have an honor system here. When you make a mistake, you don't create a traffic jam of the national conversation, but you are open to revisiting and owning up and maybe apologizing and learning, and moving on. That would make a good situation better.

On this planet white people are not better off because they work harder than anyone else. I am all for personal responsibility, including the personal responsibility of the nonwhite peoples to confront racism. But too often black folks get infected by racism and they underperform. How much sense does it make to blame a malaria victim?

Obama is no malaria victim. He is more successful than Hillary as is. But that's not the point.

She also had a lapse in Chicago at the Keith Olberman debate.

"You can think big!" she reprimanded Obama and was promptly booed by the crowd.

Is Barack Obama getting too big for his boots trying to cover new ground on foreign policy? If he is, he well started on that journey back in 2002. He thought big and opposed a dumb war that has been a half trillion dollar way to make America less safe.



I think Hillary is an amazing smart, strong, promising woman whose progressive credentials I don't doubt. Actually I strengthen my own progressive credentials from her progressive credentials. And the Clintons have been out there on race. But there are times when it shows that she attended some all white school growing up.

Like when she suggests in her autobiography about people who stay back in America and do really well. Why don't they go back and build their own countries? That is not as virulent as right wing attacks on immigrants, but it is one step close.

Bill Clinton's foundation fights AIDS in Africa. Why does it not fight dictators? Bill Clinton thinks cozying up with African dictators is essential to his fight against AIDS. George Bush thinks cozying up with Muslim dictators is essential to his fight against terrorism. Both the white boys are wrong on the money. Their good intentions get fundamentally dwarfed by their worldviews.

Bill Clinton was president. How much more power do you need to have had to rectify the fundamentally racist plate tectonic of global politics that makes sure the Africans stay off the radar screens and stay submerged?

Africa sends more money to America than America sends to Africa. That has been true for decades. That is a desperate situation down there.

Hillary's reference to "hard work" in an all white state is not exactly Willie Horton, but it is pointing in that direction.




Barack: Black Enough For Me
Black On Barack Racism

Pig In The Barn, Ailes At Fox News
Fox, Barack, Islam
Wolf Hitler, I mean Bitler, Blitler, Whatever
Bill O'Reilly, Bill O'Rama, Whatever The F___ His Name Is
Barack, Fox, MLK, Mandela

Barack: The Magic Presidential Candidate
Barack The Glass Walls, Ceilings, Smash 'Em

Blacks and Hispanics are 25% of America's population. By simple math, that would mean Blacks, Hispanics and Asians are 50% of the Democrats in the country. But since the ethnic minorities tend to be overwhelmingly Democratic, that figure is more like 65%.

The Democratic Party is the party of the nonwhites. Just look at the numbers. Nevada comes before New Hampshire, and South Carolina follows New Hampshire.

There Is An Albert Einstein On The Obama Campaign Staff

Overheard In New York
I See You As More of an Anarcho-Syndicalist

20-ish guy: What do I want for lunch?
20-ish chick: I don't know... Would you call me a socialist?
20-ish guy: No, not to your face.

--2 train

Overheard by: sarah

Neither Hillary, Nor Rudy

There is a distinct possibility that the two people leading the national polls will fade away: Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton. McCain used to be in the lead. But that was months and months back. Three months, now that's a long time in politics.

The endorsements tell you more about the past than the future. Hillary has so many endorsements because there are Democrats across the country who feel like they owe it to her husband.

Howard Dean had all the top labor endorsements in 2003.

The only people who matter are the voters. And they are only now beginning to pay attention.

Healthy, Respectful Competition

Obama and Clinton have that. They have both left room to team up.

It Could Be Volatile

You could have Barack Obama win Iowa, and Hillary Rodham win New Hampshire. And you could have Obama win Nevada and Hillary come a close second in South Carolina. At that point, despite saturation media coverage, you could have the February 5 states voting independent of how the first four states voted. And we could wake up the morning of February 6 not knowing who the nominee is. And at that point the campaigns better have plenty of cash to keep going for one more month.

It could be a roller coaster ride for a good two full months. That is one scenario.

Another scenario. Barack leads the polls in Iowa, and is second in New Hampshire. He wins Iowa, then he wins Nevada. And that leads to Hillary's lead in New Hampshire evaporating. He wins the state. And the gets him a landslide in South Carolina. The black folks down there are suddenly awake to the possibility of a black president. When they finally come, they come with a vengeance.

All that leads to a resounding Obama victory on February 5. Hillary concedes early morning February 6. By the end of that day, we know they have paired up.

Or. Obama slugs it through January, then through February, and early March we know it's him. He picks Eliot Spitzer to give the country a clean break from the 1990s.


In The News

No Holiday for Candidates Washington Post parades, rallies and other celebrations ..... hot dogs and hamburgers and ice cream ..... 119 days left in the year ..... the most front-loaded presidential voting schedule in history. .... midpoint in a marathon. .... there wasn't a cloud in the sky yesterday morning from Portsmouth, N.H., to Sioux City, Iowa ...... ever-energetic Romney .... long-distance debate ..... It was 10 full months ago when the first candidate formally announced for president -- and it has been more than six months since that candidate formally quit the race. Everything seems accelerated in Campaign 2008 ...... Industrial-size barbecue grills ..... the annual picnic hosted by the Northwest Iowa Labor Council and the Woodbury County Democratic Party. ...... she did for Bill Clinton in 2004, writing in his name .... she's got a good backbone. She's got Bill to back her up ..... riffing through what has happened to the country since he left office ..... She said she would end the war in Iraq, but do so responsibly. ...... As she always does, she concluded with an appeal to Democrats to help make her the first female president in history. She talked about the parents who bring their daughters to her events and about the older women -- in their 90s -- who have said they hope she succeeds. She said these woman have told her they were born before women could vote in America and want to live long enough to see a woman in the White House. ......... Romney likes where he stands in the race for the Republican nomination. ..... I won the Iowa straw poll, I'm ahead here in New Hampshire, ahead in Michigan, ahead in the Nevada ....... two speeches, two town halls, marching in a parade and greeting voters over breakfast ..... several outfit changes .... Romney's manner never changed ..... ex-governor almost never ceased smiling ...... his usual hyper-focused self .... shaking more than a hundred hands, posing for dozens of pictures, and signing a slew of autographs, all in about 30 minutes. ...... Romney run is a family affair ..... the heavy involvement of the couple's five sons ...... Romney was the only one of the GOP contenders in New Hampshire on Labor Day ..... couldn't resist a few jabs at Thompson. "Why the hurry? Why not take a little longer?" ...... While the Democrats are increasingly beating up on each other and President Bush, the Republican candidates are unified: they can't bash Sen. Hillary Clinton enough. ...... "Hillary Clinton would bring change, but it would be a sharp left turn." ..... shaking hands with voters one at a time in tiny towns dotting western Iowa. ..... He called war "awful" and said it was "wretched beyond all description." ..... a retreat would lead to "genocide, chaos; they will follow us home." ...... "Too much blood spilt there already. We should've never been there." ........ Five months ago, McCain launched what was planned as a mega-campaign with a flashy tour of Iowa, kicking off a months-long spending spree that left his campaign broke. ...... "No Surrender Tour ..... "I've never said anything but that it would be long and hard and tough." ..... the electricians, the sheet metal workers, the operating engineers, and in greatest number, the coal miners ..... chiefs of the United Steel Workers and Mine Workers of America ..... Clinton has won the transportation workers and aerospace machinists, while Chris Dodd got the firefighters ...... it might be the largest Labor Day parade in the country, but such is the state of the decades-old struggle of the labor movement. There were plenty of gaps in the crowd along the route. ........ As Sen. Barack Obama led a rowdy mob down the street here during a Labor Day parade, an organizer wearing a Mitt Romney pin stood on the sidewalk and stared in astonishment. "It's going to be tough to beat that guy," he said, shaking his head, to another man with a Romney sign. ...... Obama (D-Ill.) has not picked up measurable steam in the national polls since he annouced his candidacy more than six months ago. His most obvious strength has been seen in the money he has raised and in the jaw-dropping size of the crowds he draws -- a sign of what his campaign says is its solid ground organization. ....... taking swipes at the Washington establishment and the "cynical math" he implied other candidates were using to calculate a narrow victory rather than a broad consensus. ....... "There are those who tout their experience working the system in Washington -- but the problem is that the system in Washington isn't working for us, and hasn't for a long time" ...... "Think about it. We've been talking about the health care crisis in this country for decades. Yet through Democratic and Republican administrations we've failed to act. And you know why -- because the drug and insurance industries have spent over a billion dollars on lobbying in the past ten years alone to block reform." ....... "Too many in Washington see politics as a game. And that is why I believe this election cannot be about those who can play this game better. It has to be about who can put an end to the game-playing. The times are too serious, the stakes are too high." ..... If the Milford parade several hours later was a snapshot of how Obama is faring, it bodes well. He drew by far the loudest and most boisterous group, who grew so enthusiastic about marching that they started down the road ahead of schedule -- and were thus banished by organizers to the back of the parade line. ..... The Obama crowd, with drums and brass instruments, yelled out: "Obama-oh-eight. Be a part of something great!" ..... she had been an ardent Bill Clinton supporter in the 1990s but could not support his wife. ..... they are the old politics and Hillary is a symbol of the old Washington." ...... Grossman, who has a two-year-old son, was one of a handful of supporters selected to have dinner with Obama on Monday night. Between that and walking with him in the parade, she said, it was one of the best days of her life.
The race for White House enters prime time CNN Sen. Hillary Clinton leading Democrats but in tight race in Iowa .... Rudy Giuliani leads Republicans, but pundits question if he will get nomination ..... in this hectic, fast-paced 2008 campaign season, it's been full speed ahead since the beginning of the year. ...... relatively few people across the country have been paying attention to the candidates up until now ..... now "each and every campaign stop counts ..... She's been touting her experience for months, but now Clinton is also emphasizing that she'll be an agent of change, and that voters don't have to choose between experience and change. ...... she's too entrenched with the status quo in Washington, and that she's too polarizing and not a breath of fresh air that can bring change ........ In New Hampshire, which holds the first primary, and South Carolina, which holds the first southern primary, Clinton remains ahead by a comfortable margin in most polls. ....... four years ago at this time, Howard Dean was skyrocketing in all the national surveys. The former Vermont governor and current Democratic National Committee chairman continued to surge into the autumn and early winter before crashing and burning in Iowa and New Hampshire in January 2004. ........ Obama may trail Clinton in the early national and state polls, but he does lead her in another crucial barometer, campaign cash. .... Obama is also drawing large crowds out on the trail. ...... In the modern primary era, the Republican candidate in the top spot the September before the primaries has won the nomination. But there are questions about whether that will hold this time around. ........ the former Massachusetts governor has a healthy lead in the state polls in Iowa and New Hampshire. ..... Romney's also number one among Republicans when it comes to the race for campaign cash. His large war chest has allowed him to spend millions on television ads in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. ....... Thompson .... lackluster speeches, disappointing fundraising, critical stories about his lobbying and staff shakeups ...... Republican voters are less enthusiastic about their current crop of candidates than Democratic voters.
After secretive Iraq detour, Bush heads to Australia summit Turkish Press
President Bush Hints At Possible Troop Withdrawals RTT News
Bush Says Pace of Progress May Mean Fewer US Forces (Update4) Bloomberg
Nepal government condemns attacks BBC News
Thompson entry to be watched for effect on Giuliani Newsday
Di confronted Camilla over affair Zee News Diana even warned Camilla to stay away from Charles. ... "couldn`t understand" what her husband saw in his former mistress .... "It was hard for Diana to understand what Charles saw in Camilla. I remember Diana telling me there were three people in her marriage and that she had confronted Camilla at one of the dinners they had - telling her to, `Back off and leave my husband alone`” ..... "She was really madly in love with Prince Charles, he was the love of her life. She was willing to do anything to make it work out. The only thing she could not tolerate was the one thing which would have allowed the marriage to continue - and that was to share Charles"
Tourists Flee As Felix Nears Honduras Forbes
Obama Critiques Clinton Forbes Democrat Barack Obama on Monday sharpened his critique of lead rival Hillary Rodham Clinton, warning against a return to "divisive, special interest politics" that had demoralized the country even before President Bush took office. ....... "As bad as this administration has been, it's going to take more than just a change in parties to truly turn this country around" ...... "George Bush and Dick Cheney may have turned divisive, special interest politics into an art form, but it was there before they got to Washington. If you and I don't stand up to challenge it, it will be there long after we leave." ...... the latest volley in the "change versus experience" debate that has dominated the dialogue ..... she argued that only a president experienced in the ways of Washington could bring about real political transformation. ...... Obama struck back hard ...... his years as a community organizer and consensus builder ..... sought to frame his hope-driven message as an antidote to the cynicism of political insiders ..... "A lot of people who've been in Washington a lot longer than me, they've got better connections, they go(to the)right dinner parties, they know how to talk the Washington talk," he said. "I may not have the experience Washington likes but I believe I have the experience America needs right now." ....... both Obama and John Edwards have stepped up their claim that Clinton is too cautious and too conventional to bring real change to Washington. ...... He also vowed to tell the truth always as president. .... Obama had a full day of campaign appearances in New Hampshire, where polls show him trailing Clinton by a wide margin. .... He and Republican hopeful Mitt Romney exchanged greetings at the parade .... Obama scooped ice cream for several hundred supporters at an outdoor ice cream social.
Obama touts change, Clinton pitches experience Chicago Tribune "hope and change" .. not just rhetoric but rather "the causes of my life." ..... "Change is just a word if you don't have the strength and experience to make it happen," Clinton said ..... Romney weighed in with a prediction that Clinton would, in fact bring about change, only in the form of higher taxes, bigger government and greater tolerance for "illegal aliens." ...... In most of America, people were enjoying parades and barbecues on Monday ..... As an aide to Sen. John McCain sees it, the senator's weekend swing through Iowa and New Hampshire were more like "the re-re-kickoff." ..... The vast majority of voters aren't paying attention ..... there is a flood of advertising to come that could significantly alter perceptions. ...... push labor-law reforms through Congress that would make it easier for workers to organize.
Obama Touts His Outsider Theme New York Times she is the candidate who can most effectively navigate the political channels of Washington to bring about change. ...... Obama added a dash of vinegar to his line about pundits who believe he lacks experience. ...... Only time in Washington translates into wisdom ..... time served doesn’t guarantee judgment. A resume says nothing about character ..... Obama also left voters with another fresh thought: humility. ..... “I’m reminded every single day that I am not a perfect man. I will not be a perfect president,” he said. “But I can promise you this: I will always tell you what I think and where I stand. I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face.”
As Bush lands in Iraq, Clinton vows to end war AFP
With Big Lead, Is Clinton Beatable? ABC News Many New Hampshire voters believe Clinton can go all the way. .... Mandy Grunwald. "We worry about everything. We try to win every vote." ..... sometimes the front-runners fall flat. .... Edwards said that he believes Clinton is beatable and that his campaign has a good chance because of its momentum. ..... "The problem is most Americans don't feel like they're represented there." ...... some critics believe she has a likability problem. ..... Clinton said even if she heads the Democratic ticket, she fully expects a knockdown fight. ... "The idea that you're going to escape the Republican attack machine
Two-for-One Deal, Take Two Wall Street Journal "The day I'm elected," she said, "I'm going to be asking distinguished Americans -- including my husband -- of both parties, to start traveling around the world, and not just talking to governments and leaders, but talking directly to people and telling them that America is back." ........ Mr. Clinton has said he would continue as head of his Clinton Foundation .... "His expertise at handling high-pressure situations ...... the prospect of both Clintons in the White House doesn't bother him so much as "the idea of Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton," with the two families taking turns in power. "What kind of message does that send to the rest of the world?" he said. "It's as if we're a monarchy." ......."Hillary is the best-prepared to be president of any nonincumbent I have ever had a chance to vote for" in 40 years, he said repeatedly. "You want to restore America's standing in the world overnight? Elect Hillary Clinton." ..... Obama has been a Clinton target for his relative inexperience and vague talk of "hope" for big changes. "You don't just do it by hoping it happens. You do it by hard work," she said ...... "Ultimately, to bring change, you have to know when to stand your ground and when to find common ground....You can't always demand everything your own way or you'll never get anything done in America."
Political Memo Bill Clinton’s Challenge: Keep the Focus on His Wife New York Times Mr. Clinton is famously garrulous on an impressive range of topics: Touring a New Hampshire fair on Sunday, he gave an impromptu master class to reporters on how to grow oversized watermelons and pumpkins. So when it comes to a subject he could dissect on a cellular level, like his wife, he could probably soliloquize for days. ....... Even if they were not married, he says, he would still campaign for her as the best candidate. ..... The inner wonk stays buried for this speech — he keeps the dry policy to under a minute. ..... “she has the best plan to give us a clean, green energy future to create jobs, not cost jobs.” ..... asserting that other nations and world leaders are pulling for Mrs. Clinton’s election in 2008. The leaders are not named but seem to be from all over — Asia, Africa, some in Europe, he has said. On Sunday he roped in voters across Europe and Canada as well, citing a new poll that found Mrs. Clinton more popular than the other American presidential candidates in those countries. ........ the closing anecdote: Mr. Clinton invariably chokes up or bites his lower lip as he recalls how a New York firefighter grabbed his arm on a golf course one day and told him that Mrs. Clinton recognized early the potential health threats of 9/11 and sought assistance for workers at the site who became ill. ..... “I was standing there in tears, practically,” Mr. Clinton said in Portsmouth, N.H., describing the firefighter’s praise for her. “He said, ‘I would do anything I could to make her the next president.’ ” .......... whether the Clintons can persuade the firefighter to appear on the campaign trail at some point and hail Mrs. Clinton ..... Mrs. Clinton’s speech sometimes drags. .... finds Mrs. Clinton’s stump speech to be awkward at times.
Campaigning in NH, Obama targets Clinton The Hill “We need to turn the page. We need to write a new chapter in American history,” Obama said. ...... Obama mentioned no fewer than three times that he was opposed to the Iraq war “from the start,” each time drawing his largest applause from the crowd....... Clinton’s and Obama’s efforts were a balance of their rock-star personas and the retail politics for which Iowa and New Hampshire are known. ..... took great pains Sunday and Monday to work the crowds, shaking hands and signing autographs. ...... healthcare .... “It should be our No. 1 domestic priority,” Obama told the table. “We’re going to fight for you.” ...... “He is so naïve,” Obama said, imitating critics. “He’s a hope peddler. He’s a hope monger. Well, I stand guilty as charged.” ..... Obama was joined by his wife and daughters, and the crowds in the park were younger than those greeting the Clintons the day before. Rep. Paul Hodes (D-N.H.), who has endorsed Obama and introduced Michelle Obama at the event, said the senator is making politics “cool again.”
Starting gun fires, for real, in White House race AFP the most intense US election in decades hit top gear awash in historic potential. ...... a four month sprint ... The Clintons drew huge crowds at a rally under the hot sun in the city of Concord, marvelled at giant pumpkins at a rustic country fair, and wooed voters in an idyllic square here, as dusk fell over a floodlit church spire. ....... The former first lady claimed the legacy of her husband's two-term presidency .... arguing that her simple crusade to become the first woman US president proved she embodied change. ..... Tina Turner's "Simply the Best" and "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" by the Police. ..... Obama paints the Clintons and President George W. Bush as purveyors of a soiled brand of partisan politics, as he sets his sights on the former first lady in his quest to become America's first black president. ...... "We need a woman in there to clean things up," she said. "Obama is good, but she knows what our lives are like," she said. ..... Mitt Romney, a multi-millionaire businessman credited with saving the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics from financial ruin, leads in Iowa and New Hampshire