Friday, March 14, 2008

Hillary For VP: Going To A Hillary Event


Friday, March 14 at 7:00 PM
Border's cafe @ Time Warner Building (New York, NY) - 9.2 miles away
11:21pm Mar 8th
I've sent the friend request already. The english service at the temple starts at 11:30 tomorrow. Here's the website:
http://www.newyorkbuddhistchurch.org/
Hopefully I'll see you tomorrow.
332 Riverside Dr
New York, NY 10025
(212) 678-0305


Spitzer Resignation

Fucking FBI. Don't respect nothing.



In The News

Paterson Says He Is Ready Wall Street Journal
Paterson Faces Early Test With State Budget New York Times
Obama: Clinton Should Not Get Florida and Michigan Delegates
CBS News
McCain, Clinton, Obama together again in Senate
Baltimore Sun
Movie Stars Help With Obama Ad
The Associated Press Oscar clout like Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.
Michael Jackson will keep Neverland Ranch Los Angeles Times

Friends defend call girl who took down Spitzer MSNBC they have known Dupre for three years, but had never suspected that she was a call girl who adopted the name “Kristen” while allegedly employed by the Emperors Club VIP escort service. ..... “She’s a great person,” Mysterious said. “A lot of people are portraying her as this monster, which she definitely isn’t. She has the biggest heart.” ...... “The leftover food she wanted to take with us just so she could give it to the homeless — the guys who were sleeping out on the street ..... was leaving public life to “atone” for his “personal failings.” ....... “When I was 17, I left home. It was my decision and I never looked back. Left my hometown. Left a broken family. Left abuse. ..... Dupre until recently shared an apartment in an upscale building in the Flatiron district of New York City with a boyfriend ..... a 22-year-old aspiring musician from Manhattan.
Obama talks Spitzer, race, FL-MI MSNBC race and gender issues are very powerful in our society ...... I'm not naïve enough to think that we're going to solve the country's racial problems, and some of these other divisions in the span of six months or a year. What I do think is that our campaign has pointed towards the future, an era where these distinctions are less prominent in our politics ...... "Our campaign has been in conversations with the Michigan delegation, the Florida delegation, and the DNC
Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton camps reject Michigan revote-by-mail MLive.com
Maybe Bill Clinton should stay home
Los Angeles Times As for Obama, the more voters saw of him -- or, at least the more they learned about him -- the more they liked him.
How a Michigan Do-Over Would Hurt Obama BusinessWeek Obama, in recent weeks, has not connected with working class white voters the way Clinton has in Ohio and Pennsylvania. ..... The official unemployment rate in Michigan is about 7%. But the real number is higher, perhaps in excess of 10% ...... one in ten homes currently in foreclosure proceedings. ...... The University of Toledo, Bowling Green State University, and Kenyon College were among the Ohio schools on spring break for the Mar. 5 election. ....... the Obama campaign favors seating the Michigan delegation in the convention, with 50% going to Clinton and 50% going to Obama. ..... Axelrod says the best course for a Michigan do-over is a series of caucuses .... If Obama is forced to have a rematch in Michigan, one source of strength may be the Arab-American vote. Southeast Michigan is home to some 400,000 to 500,000 Arab-Americans.
A WiMax Breakthrough in India ...... Tata Communications unveils an ambitious plan to become global leader in wireless broadband by launching the world's largest commercial network India is about to become the frontier for high-speed, mobile Internet connections. ....... countrywide rollout of a commercial WiMax network, the largest anywhere in the world of the high-speed, wireless broadband technology. ..... by next year Tata will offer service in 115 cities nationwide. ...... "WiMax is not experimental, it's oven-hot" ...... a WiMax network in Washington next month, and in other U.S. cities next year. ..... Predicting that the new technology will make other types of Internet access obsolete, he boasts "Tata will set the cat among the pigeons." ....... The company has invested about $100 million in the project, which will increase to $500 million over the next four years as it begins to near its goal of having 50 million subscribers in India. ...... And as WiMax scales up fast, it will give service providers greater flexibility and costs will drop equally rapidly. ....... an early morning worship service at the famous Balaji temple in South India. The temple permitted Tata to install cameras so that Hindu devotees from around the world could watch the proceedings in the temple around the clock. ...... To get connected initially, users will simply have to go to a store, buy a router, install it, and then they become instantly connected. It will be as easy as buying apples ...... a chance to launch a brand new. fourth-generation technology that the world can follow. "India is becoming the knowledge center of the world; it should take the lead in this"
Obama counters with brass Chicago Tribune nine retired generals and admirals entered a room Wednesday with military precision ..... "no shock Barack" and "no drama Obama"
Nepal party says 10 hurt in Maoist attack on rally Reuters India
More than 4000 candidates to contest key Nepal election Earthtimes
Maoists struggle to win in Kathmandu Hindustan Times In 1768, Prithvi Narayan Shah, the conquering Shah King from Gorkha had attacked the kingdom of Kirtipur (Prachanda's constituency) and after a tough siege, the kingdom was captured. Angry with the resistance, King Prithvi Narayan Shah had ordered to cut off nose and lips of all the male residents. The people of Kirtipur have still not forgotten the ghastly king's torture.
Former Obama aid discusses 'monster' moment Seattle Post Intelligencer the Harvard professor has been hot news on two continents. ..... Power, a 37-year-old Pulitzer Prize winner ..... Power's 12-city U.S. tour for her new book, "Chasing the Flame: Sergio Vieira De Mello and the Fight to Save the World" a 535-page biography of the late United Nations commissioner for human rights. De Mello once was described as "a cross between James Bond and Bobby Kennedy." The Brazilian native was widely admired at the time of his death as a fearless troubleshooter around the globe. .......... Until last week, Power seemed to live a charmed life. .... She had gone to Bosnia as an unknown freelance reporter. and her work there led to her first book -- "A Problem From Hell: America and the Age of Genocide," winner of the 2003 Pulitzer Prize in nonfiction. ....... Only one U.S. official ever contacted Power to discuss her genocide book, a new senator from Illinois. Her long dinner with Barack Obama persuaded her to take a leave from Harvard and work in his Washington office. ........ He tended to care more about the needs of strangers than the needs of those around him. ...... the most compelling international figure of the last half-century, the most important person that no one had heard of ..... It's not a question of whether to engage but how to engage. Humility without paralysis is incredibly important.

Visits on previous 'day': 450.

Woman at the Center of Governor’s Downfall New York Times has spent the last few days in her ninth-floor apartment in the Flatiron district of Manhattan ..... she said she had slept very little over the past week .... “This has been a very difficult time. It is complicated.” ...... She left “a broken family” at age 17, having been abused, according to the MySpace page, and has used drugs and “been broke and homeless.” ...... moved to Manhattan in 2004 and “spent the first two years getting to know the music scene, networking in clubs and connecting with the industry.
Obama on Race and the Race Washington Post
Clinton Apologizes to Black Voters The Associated Press
Democrats in a Fight to Define ‘Winner’ New York Times
Super delegates likely to be needed to split Obama, Clinton
ABC Online
McCain in Dead Heat With Both Obama and Clinton, Poll Says Bloomberg
Ferraro Leaves Clinton Camp Over Remarks About Obama
Washington Post
Obama's team accused of 'racist spin' Telegraph.co.uk
Clinton and Obama Split Over Florida and Michigan
New York Times
Clinton's advisor steps down post racial controversy NDTV.com
Clinton demands re-run of Florida and Michigan primaries Times Online





Wednesday, March 12, 2008

CCC





Brick Wall

CCC: Chapter Caputo is hereby closed.




Gender Neutral

This time the messengers were two female receptionists. I guess that makes it very gender neutral.

Digital Democrat

I am a digital democrat. My best work I do in the 2.0 environment. It feels like meditation.

Not Into Shaking Hands

That is what politicians do. I am not one.

Obama 08 Events

The movement does not end in November. It begins in January. I will have plenty of political events to go to. There are quite a few Barackface fans among the Obama crowd.

Nobel Peace Prize 2010

By then Nepal will have a new constitution, and will have had all its elections, and will be back on track. (पाँच बुँदा, पाँच चुनाव)

Startup

Every fiber in my body, every ounce of energy needs to go to the startup. Anything else will not do. It is high risk behavior. It has to feel intense.

Wet Clay Group Dynamics

I am to venture into 5.0, but this is going to be wet clay group dynamics. Group dynamics has to feel like technology. 2.0 does not go, but 5.0 comes with a vengeance.

Facebook

I belong with the Facebook generation.

Not Local

I think I will stick with the presidential stuff. Local races don't get me. Not even the mayoral race.

मनका हो तो अच्छा
मनका ना हो तो अौर भी अच्छा

When what you want happens, that is good
When what you want does not happen, that is even better
- Hindi proverb

In The News

'Deeply sorry,' Spitzer to step down by Monday CNN
Eliot Spitzer Resigns as NY Governor Washington Post
Trippi on Democratic Campaigns
Washington Post
Clinton insists Michigan, Florida votes should be counted Los Angeles Times
Govt mulling India-Nepal border road construction Economic Times
Ferraro 'absolutely not' apologetic on Obama remarks
Los Angeles Times
For Clinton and Obama, next six weeks are critical
Christian Science Monitor With wins in Wyoming Saturday and Mississippi Tuesday, Obama made up most of the delegate losses from last week's defeats in Ohio, Rhode Island, and Texas. ....... Pennsylvania's 158 delegates. .... would throw 366 delegates back into play ..... would also raise the threshold to win the nomination from 2,025 to 2,208. ...... Neither candidate is likely to pile up enough pledged delegates – those awarded through voting – in the 10 remaining contests to seal the nomination. ..... a mail-in primary. ... 338 super delegates who remain uncommitted. .... Geraldine Ferraro, who told a California newspaper that Obama owed his political fortunes to being black. (Clinton later told the Associated Press that she disagreed with Ferraro.) ...... if the popular voting does not produce a nominee by the convention, analysts say, that could demoralize voters and cripple Democrats in November.
Obama's Mississippi Win Blunts Clinton's Recent Gains (Update3) Bloomberg win gave Obama six more delegates in Mississippi than Clinton .... Clinton had a net gain of about six or seven delegates after her comeback wins March 4 in Texas, Ohio and Rhode Island ...... Obama's campaign projects he'll wind up with five more delegates because of the way they are apportioned and his advantage in the caucuses. In Ohio, Clinton, a New York senator, picked up at least nine more delegates than Obama ...... as counts were finalized in some of California's congressional districts, Clinton's delegate lead in the state slipped. ...... Even a 60 percent to 40 percent victory can mean the delegates are divided almost evenly. ..... In overall votes Obama has about 13.3 million to 12.6 million for Clinton
Obama, Clinton seek to frame the race ahead Boston Globe a pledged delegate lead of 161. ..... The Obama campaign says it will not accept the January results, because Obama was not on the ballot in Michigan and did not campaign in Florida. ..... Plouffe criticized the Clinton campaign's approach to resolving the dispute as "heads we win, tails you lose."
Clinton demands re-run of Florida and Michigan primaries Times Online honour the results or hold new primary elections ...... John Corzine, the multimillionaire New Jersey governor and a Clinton supporter, has said he would be willing to largely underwrite the cost of new primaries. A postal vote in Florida could cost as much as $10 million.
Google could be superseded, says web inventor the "web of the future", which he said would allow any piece of information — such as a photo or a bank statement — to be linked to any other. ...... the "current craze" for social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace would eventually be superseded by networks that connected all types of things — not just people — thanks to a ground-breaking technology known as the "semantic web". ..... building web-based connectivity into any piece of data — not just a web page — so that it can "communicate" with other information. ..... direct connectivity between much more low-level pieces of information ..... creating a seamless web of all the data in your life. ..... One expected application is in the pharmaceutical industry, where previously unconnected pieces of research into a drug or disease, say, could be brought together and assimilated. ....... "mega-mash-up" .... "In the semantic web, it's like every piece of data is given a longitude and latitute on a map, and anyone can 'mash' them together and use them for different things." ..... security risks associated with large databases of information that were attractive to criminals and identity fraudsters. .... a new tipping point where different types of crimes become possible and lucrative
Keith Olbermann to go after Hillary Clinton Baltimore Sun Last night, on his program Countdown, Olbermann called Ferraro's remarks "clearly racist."
Clinton camp hit on race comment Melbourne Herald Sun The Clinton camp was accused of fanning racial politics when one of Senator Clinton's highest-profile supporters, Geraldine Ferraro, was said to have played the race card. ..... labeled her comments "patently absurd" and said they had no place in politics.






Tuesday, March 11, 2008

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






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

Some of the early Obama ads were great.

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

(1) Bio

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



(2) Mother, Health Care

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



(3) Wife, Kids



(4) Hillary

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

(5) Victory, Momentum

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

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

Wyoming Erases Hillary's March 4 Gain

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

Too Much Loving

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

Events

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

In The News

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Obama's Black Support Shows Its Limits The Associated Press Obama's heavy black support is nudging some working-class white Democrats into Clinton's camp .... Clinton won nearly two out of every three white votes in Ohio, and 56 percent of those in Texas .... Pennsylvania's demographic similarities to Ohio ..... Ohio, where 62 percent of all whites lack college degrees and many are anxious about their jobs in a weak economy. .... their resentment can have social and racial overtones. ..... the Clintons "were trying to use race to their political advantage, to cede the black vote to Obama and take the rest" ..... the steep drop in Obama's share of the white vote in Ohio compared to Wisconsin. ..... record turnout among black voters. "In many states, the black vote has doubled" ...... Philadelphia's black neighborhoods could help Obama next month.
Obama wins in Wyoming, adds 7 delegates Kansas City Star, USA Obama generally has outperformed Clinton in caucuses, which reward organization and voter passion more than do primaries. ..... Obama had 61 percent, or 5,378 votes, to Clinton's 38 percent, or 3,312 votes, with all 23 Wyoming counties reporting. .... You won't see me as a vice presidential candidate - you know, I'm running for president ..... "We have won twice as many states as Senator Clinton, and have a higher popular vote, and I think we can maintain our delegate count."
Obama halts Clinton's winning run The Press Association
Obama Leads in Mississippi, Clinton in Pennsylvania, Polls Show Bloomberg 53 percent of Mississippi Democrats compared with 39 percent for Clinton .... Fifty-two percent of Pennsylvania voters now support Clinton, after her recent wins, compared with 37 percent for Obama ..... Mississippi March 11, followed by Pennsylvania on April 22.

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

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





Monday, March 10, 2008

Pained Spitzer Inflicts Pain On His Family


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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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