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 eyeReuters 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 positiveBoston 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 RoleThe 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 tieBaltimore 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
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 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.
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)
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 ...
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.
Last I checked, there were a billion women in India.
Bobby, now, is that a British name?
Bobby is not a Hindu. Or does that not matter no more in 21st century India?
Bobby might have won a few elections in French Louisiana, but he never instigated a French Revolution.
Could Bobby point out Bihar on a map? If not, I am offended.
Four Moods: Texas Debate Watch Party
Let's have a conversation. That was gentle and inviting.
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.
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?
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
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.
I guess one black, one white, that balances it out. That makes it race neutral.
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?
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.
That part before an event starts is when you talk if you want to talk.
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.
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.
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.
She just is not into you.
There are many parties in town? Why this one?
We don't think you should be on TV. We got NY1.
If you had not walked away, I would have talked. I mirrored your motion.
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.
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?
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:
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.
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.
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.
A no go. Street level welcome by a black man in black. 7:15. "The event has not started yet." The website said it started at 7:00. Next time they are going to have someone at the train station to tell me there is no event.
There is not going to be a next time.
After I win the Nobel Peace Prize (Madhesi Movement Victory In Nepal), DL21C should not bother trying to get me as a guest speaker. I would not be interested. I mean, how many Nobel Peace Prize winners are there in this town? I don't know of any.
People who run these four organizations who don't recognize email make you feel like you are their corporate employees when you show up for their events. Some of the time.
I don't know anyone else who shows up for these events who does cutting edge political work.
Pressure, Union Square
This was the Generation Barack Obama event. The place was huge and packed. Jeremy Goldberg runs the show. Phil was there. Two huge spreads of space. Nice choice. I talked to many people. Just basic small talk. What's your name? How long have you been coming to Obama events? Met two recent Brown graduate women, one Puerto Rican, another ethnic Chinese.
Lamont Carolina
Sylvan had mentioned. But Lamont said let's go to the party at Irish Rogue. ObamaNYC had a party going on there. Lamont and his two friends Hose and Ken, we all hopped into Lamont's car.
Lamont said in a celebratory tone, "There are four minorities in the car."
This dude totally knows how to work the crowd.
Just when we needed parking, a car pulled out and made space just in time. Lamont described it as "New York love."
Jeff Kurzon
He is back in town. He is one of those early Obama supporters in town. He took a six month leave of absence for Obama. He works at a fancy law firm. He started in New Hampshire, his home state, and then went state hopping with the campaign. He was in California, at one point. It was good to see him after so long.
Kurzo was in a competitive mood. Which party is bigger? GBO or ObamaNYC? He said he got told the GBO party had a thousand RSVPs.
Back At Pressure
After a while I was back at the GBO party. Hillary took Rhode Island, Barack took Vermont, that was early in the evening. Hillary had been projected winner in Ohio. The two were neck and neck in Texas, that is when I left. I went home.
All The Way
This race is going to Pennsylvania and beyond. The Clintons call it never, never, never give up. We are going to make use of our money advantage.
Got To Hit Back
Obama 08 needs a rapid response mechanism.
Wet Clay Group Dynamics
Group dynamics is my thing. I have always been good at it. It is just that these past few years I have taken that to the 2.0 environment. Now when I am trying to get back into 5.0, I feel like I should do the wet clay thing. Most people take pride in being baked clay. They are set in their ways.
I want to start afresh. I want to challenge assumptions. I want to experiment. I want to participate. I want to have fun. I want to shape and be shaped.
Raise Money, Burn Money
Round one money got raised. Now it is all about burning it. That is another kind of pressure.
On Your Own
On your own, what do you think? How do you feel?
In The News
Ohio win boosts Clinton Los Angeles Times Clinton gets must win in OhioBoston Globe News Coverage Changes, and So Does Tone of the CampaignNew York Times Clinton Wins Ohio, Rhode Island Contests; Obama Takes VermontBloomberg Clinton barbs begin to take toll on ObamaNewsday But a bit of unexpected "turbulence," as Obama himself termed it earlier Tuesday, has hit his campaign. In recent days, he has had a tougher time deflecting Clinton's attacks on his commitment to fighting al-Qaida in Afghanistan, his sincerity in criticizing the North American Free Trade Agreement and his ties to a Chicago real estate developer on trial for fraud. ...... he could still deal a potentially lethal blow by taking jumbo-sized Texas, where initial returns give him a slight lead ..... Early exit polls for Texas showed heavy turnout in African-American and urban areas and lower turnout in Latino districts ..... contests later this month in Wyoming and Mississippi and possibly to Pennsylvania Clinton hits Obama on experience; he fires back Chicago Tribune Clinton calls Ohio and Texas must-winsWashington Times Clinton Focuses on Boosting TurnoutThe Associated Press Clinton and Obama Intensify AttacksNew York Times Providence, he briefly addressed a crowd of several thousand people who had waited for hours in the cold rain and mud but were turned away. He then spoke for nearly an hour to about 5,000 more people at the rally inside. Obama Walks a Difficult Path as He Courts Jewish Voters the tenuous relations between blacks and Jews ..... the penetration of the viral e-mail messages, which were background static in the campaign until they began flooding the inboxes of Jewish voters right before nominating contests. ...... Mrs. Clinton took the Jewish vote by 2 to 1 on her home turf, New York, and also in New Jersey ..... remark of his, made last year in Des Moines, that “no one has suffered more than the Palestinians.” ..... Israel, the only stable democracy in the Middle East Barnstorming Obama plans to pick Republicans Times Online McCain blasts Obama's and Clinton's attacks on NAFTALos Angeles Times Ohio voters blame NAFTA for job loss but skeptical of campaign ...The Canadian Press Bill Clinton: The Bitter Half Time Bill Clinton after a quadruple bypass has given up jogging in favor of long walks ..... how much of the blame for her predicament belongs to him. "I think he just did her such damage," says a friend and supporter, expressing a sentiment that many feel privately. "They'll never see it that way, because they can't. And he has no self-knowledge. This has magnified all his worst traits." ......... The biggest fear was that he would shine too bright, burn too hot, consign the candidate to his shadow. ...... a lack of self-control and an excess of self-absorption. It hasn't always been clear whether Bill Clinton sees Obama as a threat to his wife's prospects, or to his own legacy. ....... Liberal columnist Jonathan Chait wondered, "Were the conservatives right about Bill Clinton all along?" ...... Bill "hijacked the candidacy in South Carolina. It was appalling to watch it." ...... the person who seemed least aware of the havoc he was causing was Bill Clinton ....... "political malpractice" by Hillary's campaign ...... spent money with abandon in the earliest primaries and assumed that the race would not last past Super Tuesday, on Feb. 5 — and failed to prepare for any of the states that followed ...... what's really wrong with Hillary's campaign is something that is simply beyond even Bill Clinton's ability to fix. "It may be," says a friend, "their day has passed." Dee Dee Myers: Why Women Should Rule Dee Dee Myers thinks motherhood should count as diplomacy experience. ..... confronting Leon Panetta on her pay, why she won't endorse Hillary Clinton, and whether or not women rule her own household. ...... bringing more women into all avenues of public life ...... more women in Congress, legislature, business, diplomacy, at every level of public life ....... what makes government work better, what makes business more efficient. ....... it's still more difficult for women to be taken seriously ........ Hillary has had to prove she was tough enough to be Commander in Chief. That's one reason her campaign made her 30 years of experience its foundation. Then again, if you're too tough, then people think you're too hard, you're not feminine enough. The B word comes up. It's a whole other set of obstacles. There's still a double standard. ........ Maybe we thought we were further along. You can still say some things about women that are pretty shocking, and there's no penalty for saying it. ........ I am endlessly fascinated that playing football is considered a training ground for leadership, but raising children isn't. ...... Trying to negotiate getting a couple of kids to watch the same TV show requires serious diplomacy. ...... you were stiffed when it came to proper pay, authority and even the press secretary's rightful office ...... Leon Panetta told you you didn't deserve what a male colleague of lower rank made because you weren't a man supporting a family ........ Bill Clinton was under pressure to appoint women to visible positions. I was 31, I'd never worked in Washington. ....... women are paid less. Women don't ask. ...... men were seven times more likely to negotiate a starting salary than women are. There are all kinds of reasons [for unequal pay]; there's residual discrimination ....... When I was in college 25 years ago, I thought that by the time I reached this elderly station in my life, these problems would be solved. Well, they're not. ....... men are more violent. Men have a greater propensity for violence. ...... George W. Bush similarly, for appointing more women to senior and cabinet-level jobs than any of his predecessors ......... a confidence gap between men and women that begins very young ...... Men are taught to apologize for their weaknesses, women for their strengths ....... . The woman said, Gosh, I was so surprised. The young man said, I knew my project was great — I always knew I'd win. One thinks he deserves to win; the other is surprised. A Clash of Styles in Ohio Debate another cordial, high-road finish. ..... Obama, taking advantage of his front-runner status, played good, error-free baseball ...... used his time to rise above the arguments, elevate the conversation and invoke the larger causes ...... Obama showed a lawyer's flair for conceding the small points that aren't worth arguing about ..... asked whether there was much of a semantic difference between the words "reject" and "denounce," but then defused the situation by ceding the point to Clinton and agreeing to do both. ..... At the end, each candidate threw a bouquet at the other Obama's Ohio Grassroots Advantage She used Obama's website to recruit volunteers and run a phone bank from her living room. ........ — and all but locking up the Democratic nomination .... [Obama's] is the most spontaneous, energetic political operation that I've ever seen ...... the benefits of having a candidate who used to be a community organizer and has run a voter registration drive. ...... a new breed of grassroots campaign — viral, internet-based, built from the ground up by neophytes ...... Obama's surging grassroots success has stolen Clinton's establishment base right out from under her ..... Obama's has a lot more volunteers, and they're all grassroots people from the neighborhood As Ohio Goes "we've gone from 57 foreclosures 10 years ago to more than 500 last year." ...... the slow-motion depreciation of the American middle class has reached critical mass, and not just in Ohio and Michigan ...... "You wonder why there can't be some middle ground" between the old-fashioned, inflexible unions and "the ceos selling out these companies, shipping jobs overseas." ...... the false nonchoices of "victory" or "surrender." Clinton, Obama go down to the wire in Texas, Ohio AFP The rivals set off on a frenzied weekend hop-scotch between two states blanketed by no-holds-barred television advertising blitzes ..... new polls showed a virtual tie in the two states, leaving Tuesday's contests as unpredictable as any in the roller-coaster 2008 election. ...... She was due in economically depressed Ohio, for a cross-state trek Sunday. ...... "Real change isn't voting for George Bush's war in Iraq and then telling the American people it was actually a vote for more diplomacy when you start running for president" ...... "The title of the bill was 'A Resolution to Authorize the Use of United States Armed Forces Against Iraq.' What else were you voting for?" ....... Obama leading Clinton 45 percent to 43 percent in Texas. A previous poll by Zogby released Friday had Obama up 48 to 42 percent. ...... In Ohio, the Democratic contenders were tied at 45 percent, according to Saturday's poll. ..... Obama was dismissive of her gambit. "The question is, what kind of judgment will you exercise when you pick up that phone? In fact, we have had a red phone moment. It was the decision to invade Iraq." Clinton employs famous Mondale ad strategyBoston Globe Trying to alter the dynamics of a primary race she is losing ..... "We've had a 'red phone' moment. It was the decision to invade Iraq. And Senator Clinton gave the wrong answer. George Bush gave the wrong answer. John McCain gave the wrong answer." ..... Within hours, Obama's campaign launched a television ad directly rebutting Clinton's spot. .... "In a dangerous world, it's judgment that matters." .... "It was a tough call and the single greatest national security question, and mistake, of our time." .... 370 delegates are up for grabs in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Vermont. .... Obama had a 48 percent-to-42 percent edge in Texas and was virtually tied with Clinton in Ohio. ..... may well bring calls for her to drop out and endorse Obama for the good of the party. For Obama, a Taste of What a Long Battle Holds New York Times he is sure to face an onslaught from Republicans and their allies that will be very different in tone and intensity from what he has faced so far. ...... as the party adapts to the prospect that it will be running against Mr. Obama rather than Mrs. Clinton. ...... portray him as out of step with the nation’s values, challenge his appeal to independent voters and emphasize his lack of experience in foreign policy and national security. ...... taxes, spending, judges, health care and national security — there is a divide as deep and wide on those issues as the Grand Canyon ...... used against a candidate who is trying to cultivate an appeal that transcends policy specifics, would fall flat this time Nepal Strike Ends as Government Accepts Madhesi Autonomy Demand Bloomberg At least five people were killed during the protests in Terai ..... More than 13,000 people were killed in the civil war, which damaged the tourism-dependent economy. Kenya to build coalition government Boston Globe Obama and Clinton Flush With Cash From February New York Times each had a record-breaking month of fund-raising in February, bringing in more than $80 million combined, but with Mr. Obama again far outraising Mrs. Clinton. ......... $50 million ..... on many days the campaign took in as much as $2 million. ..... $35 million ..... in January, when Mr. Obama brought in $36 million and Mrs. Clinton raised just under $14 million. ..... In Ohio, Mr. Obama had spent $2.4 million, Mrs. Clinton $1.3 million. ..... On the campaign trail, Mr. Obama, of Illinois, is starting to focus less on the Democratic primaries and more on the general election. In recent days, he has spent more time skirmishing with Mr. McCain than with Mrs. Clinton. Obama's Fate in TexasWall Street Journal Stewart and the first dozen paid Obama staffers touched down in this capital city less than three weeks ago. ...... Few experts expected the showdown between Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton to climax here. Texas is a deeply Republican state, and hasn't played a deciding role in a Democratic nominating contest in 20 years. ..... Bill Clinton has said that his wife needs to take both states to stay alive in the nominating race ...... Davis started a blog, TexansForObama.com ..... gives campaign volunteers unsupervised access to names and phones numbers of potential supporters nationwide, which campaigns usually treat as proprietary information. ...... the system was responsible for 250,000 calls in a single day to California voters ...... "turns the asylum over to the inmates." Obama Gains With SuperdelegatesWall Street Journal Clinton hasn't picked up the support of any superdelegates recently, while Sen. Obama has gained more than two dozen since the voting ended Feb. 19 in Wisconsin ...... Obama's gain represents more delegates than are at stake Tuesday in Vermont or Rhode Island. ....... There are 795 superdelegates at stake and about 550 have declared so far. ...... "The superdelegates are paying more attention to voting in the primaries because of the record turnouts" ..... we haven't seen any mass movement...I expect that we'll likely see that next week after Tuesday. ..... Clinton would have to win close to 60% of the 927 pledged delegates left to be awarded. ..... Bill Richardson of New Mexico said he could endorse any day McCain vs. Obama Over Al Qaeda FOXNews Barack Obama hits back after Hussein taunts Times Online Matt Drudge, the website’s owner, said that the photograph was leaked by the Hillary Clinton campaign. The former First Lady said in a debate on Tuesday night that as far as she knew it did not come from her campaign. ..... Obama denounced, and eventually rejected, Mr Farrakhan’s support ...... “If anyone is still puzzled about the facts, I have never been a Muslim.” ...... Bloomberg, the Mayor of New York, said that he would not launch a presidential bid as an independent. Clinton lawsuit could muddy Texas caucusesKansas City Star The obstacles facing Clinton Boston Globe a candidate has to be on the attack, something that voters often find offputting, and which is even trickier for a woman. ..... NAFTA is a fundamental part of her husband's legacy Democrats compete to outbash NAFTABoston Globe Clinton racks up cash record as Bloomberg rules out runAFP "I am not -- and will not be -- a candidate for president," Bloomberg, 66, wrote in The New York Times. ..... said he stood ready to back the presidential candidate who can offer independent leadership to heal the nation's political wounds ..... the Obama juggernaut, which on Wednesday touted its one millionth donor so far. ..... McCain for one is already anticipating a White House match-up with Obama Why I’m Afraid of the Clintons New York Times Nepal reaches historic accord with Madhesis Hindustan Times
Obama calls for a cool-down Los Angeles Times, USA "Certainly I don't think that photograph was circulated to enhance my candidacy. ...... Cleveland, where the biggest storm of the winter is forecast to dump 8 inches of snow on the city. ...... Obama smiled when Dodd quipped that he himself had campaigned on his years of experience, to poor results. ...... he feared that if the campaign grew uglier, it could undermine Democratic hopes in the fall. "It's now the hour to come together," he said, "... to get behind this campaign." ...... former Cleveland Mayor Michael R. White, who had earlier backed Clinton, also endorsed Obama.
