An Obama Spitzer Ticket

An Obama Spitzer ticket is something Spitzer himself might not have thought of. He is a New Yorker loyal to the Hillary cause, resigned to at least two terms as Governor. But do the math.

Say it is Obama-Hillary in the White House for eight years. Unlike Cheney, Hillary has a fine heart, in more ways than one. It will be highly unlikely she will step aside. And if she runs for the top job in 2016, she will be younger than McCain is now. If she wins, she will run again in 2020. And it will be awkward for Spitzer to run against her in 2016 or 2020.

If she runs and loses in 2016, some Republican will be seeking reelection in 2020. Unless it is some mediocre, lousy type totally flumoxxed by the office, it will be hard to beat a sitting president. Not impossible, but hard. So you are looking at 2024 for Spitzer. Spitzer will be older than McCain is today.

Since he has no term limits as Governor of New York, I guess Spitzer could get elected Governor again and again. But that is politically high risk behavior. The crowd's love can prove fickle, or you can run out of steam. You can run out of ideas. You can start seeing political setbacks. Some worthy opponent might show up out of the woodworks.

Or imagine this, Obama in for eight years, then Hillary, then Spitzer. 24 years of one party in the White House. When was the last time that happened? That is highly unlikely.

In the trio that are Obama, Hillary and Spitzer, one person is going to lose. Who will be that one person? Only two of the three can hope to be president.

Who was Obama in 2003? Today he is on the top of the haystack. When you mix the political process with near universal broadband, you make it more and more possible for new, grand faces to show up out of the blue. So it is not possible to look and predict too far into the future. It will be nice to see a woman Obama emerge.

In short what I am saying is this. If Obama is not going to be president in 2008, he will have to make peace that this was his last chance. 2008 also might be Spitzer's last shot at the White House. Surprise, surprise.

Or if Hillary is president, and Obama is vice - highly unlikely - then Obama will get in for the next eight, bad news for Spitzer.

But if Hillary is the one who is going to lose, these next generation Dems better adopt a Muscular Gender Agenda. That is the only way I will not feel bad that Hillary did not make it.

2008 is when Spitzer decides if he is serious about the White House or not. Surprisingly, this might be his last chance. Do the math.

As for Obama, he would be lucky to have Spitzer on the ticket. There is absolutely noone like Spitzer in American politics today. Spitzer takes "new kind of politics" to a whole different level. So Obama should go for Spitzer like Clinton went for Gore in 1992. Don't look at anyone else. Don't shop around. Kerry did that in 2004, and that was a mistake. Edwards' first speech after defeat sounded like a 2008 election speech.

2008: Spitzer's Last Shot At The White House

Hillary is going to be in the Senate for a long long time, kind of like Ted Kennedy. She will see Obama come and go. She will see Spitzer come and go.

Early in their relationship Hillary told Bill, "You are the politician."

I have always been under the impression Hillary became Senator to ensure Bill a long life. Some people are hooked to nicotine. They get literally disoriented without it. Bill is hooked to the political process. Hillary's becoming Senator was like saying, my guy is still young, how will he deal with political retirement? So she became Senator so as to give Bill Clinton a direct umbilical cord into the center of the national political life.

Bill Clinton never understood the concept of term limits. And I don't blame him. Human history has not produced a more gifted politician to have worked in the one person one vote framework. The guy desperately wanted Hillary to run in 2004. He knew that if Kerry won, Hillary will not get another shot. And so he had a heart attack and denied Kerry the bounce all candidates are entitled after a convention.

So finally Hillary gave up. White House you want?

The Clintons are our royal couple. Bill Clinton is our Ronald Regan, only more real. But paying respects and running the country are two different things.

In The News

Chaudhary’s son to marry Mittal's daughter Kantipur
Cabinet meeting cancelled after Maoist ministers walk out
13,000 cantoned PLA fighters to be sent home the Maoists have pressed the government to register and issue number plates for some 400 vehicles, which they say were brought illegally from India. .... The Maoists have been using the vehicles that bear their self-issued registration plates in the villages across the country.
Maoist MPs continue to flex muscles, disrupt house proceedings
Maoist victims hold sit-in at PM's residence
Maoist-affiliate transport workers halt traffic in Biratnagar
PM Koirala, Mukherjee discuss Terai
Tough industrial security policy in pipeline
Maoists demand Rs 500m for PLA The CPN-Maoist has demanded Rs 500 million for its People's Liberation Army (PLA) combatants. Maoist Central member Ananta said, "We have demanded Rs 3,000 per month as pocket money for our PLA combatants, besides the regular monthly Rs 1,800 for food." ..... The government has been providing Rs 1,800 per month to each PLA combatant for food. ..... the government has been asking Maoists to submit expenditure details of the previously released amount for the PLA ..... The government had released some Rs 550 million to the Maoists for the management of food and shelter of the PLA. The Maoists haven' t yet submitted expenditure details to the government.
Police seize Prachanda’s vehicle
Airport tax being siphoned off
‘US won't punish people for sins of Maoists’

Google targets PowerPoint but denies building Office-killer iTWire
Google buys Tonic for online PowerPoint capabilities Guardian Unlimited
Google Docs & Spreadsheets: one step closer to Microsoft Office TECH.BLORGE.com
Coming Soon: Google's 'PowerPoint' Techtree.com
Google To Add Presentations To Web based Tools Playfuls.com
Bombs kill more than 100 in Baghdad Reuters
Moktada al-Sadr’s Gambit New York Times a brazen power play by Moktada al-Sadr. .... with an unquenchable appetite for attention and power ..... Mr. Sadr’s party, the largest faction in the ruling Shiite bloc. ...... Mr. Maliki, a colorless and ineffective politician ...... Mr. Sadr, a charismatic demagogue with an intimidating private army, a potent political party and an impressive capacity for sending his followers into the street. ..... Mr. Sadr had his cabinet ministers resign in an attempt to bully the government into setting a timetable for the departure of American troops from Iraq. ......... Mr. Sadr has aligned himself with a highly popular cause that is likely to expand his following even further. ........ The American military drive in Baghdad has yet to show significant results. ...... any security gains would be quickly erased without a series of decisive moves by the Iraqi government. These include sharing political power and economic resources with the Sunni minority, shutting down sectarian militias, and creating security forces committed to protect all Iraqis. ....... That will require political will and authority, not mere administrative competence. Mr. Maliki displayed neither before Mr. Sadr’s latest power play.
Baghdad hit by five car bomb attacks Sydney Morning Herald
NGO team finds high level of fear, violence in Nepal Gulf Times Almost a year after Nepal’s Maoists signed a peace pact with the government signifying a formal end to a decade of violence, an NGO founded by former US president Jimmy Carter has reported “unacceptable levels of continued fear, intimidation and physical violence” in the Himalayan nation. .... After visiting 50 of Nepal’s 75 districts, the Carter Center’s team reported “unacceptable levels of continued fear, intimidation and physical violence” and “disruptive activities” in the Terai plains in the south that were likely to prevent a credible election. .... election officials were locking themselves in their offices out of fear. ..... there was widespread concern in the villages that local Maoist guerrillas were continuing abductions, illegal detention, extortion and threats to resume arms. ...... violations are not consistently condemned and redressed when they occur .... Threats by the rebels to start a new revolt, coupled with fresh protests in the southern plains by armed groups, have cast a cloud on the peace process.
Barack Wins the First Primary FrontPage magazine.com Bill Clinton defined the March 31 financial filings as the "first primary" ..... when it comes to net primary cash-on-hand raised this quarter, Obama has a substantial edge - $19 million vs. $12.5 million. ..... Hillary padded her fund-raising total with almost $7 million that she can only spend in the general election. ..... Hillary raised extensive contributions, certainly more than $1 million, from special-interest political-action committees (PACs) and lobbyists. Obama refused to tap this source of funding and even returned $50,000 he'd received from lobbyists...... An estimated three-quarters of Clinton's donors have maxed out, (that is, given the legal maximum of $2,300 a person for during the primary), vs. with fewer than half of Obama's contributors, according to news reports. Most of his donors can keep giving; most of hers can't. ...... Obama out-raised Clinton on the Web by 3:2. .... Obama's success in assembling a cash juggernaut so early in a campaign that wasn't a gleam in anybody's eye seven months ago is extraordinary. ...... CNN has the Hillary-Obama margin closing from 37 percent to 22 percent on March 9-11 to a bare 30-to-26 on April 10-12. The Rasmussen poll reflects a similar tightening from 34-29 on April 9 to a scant 32-30 on April 16.
'The decor is grander than Taj Mahal' Rediff "Babu, the decoration is so grand that even Taj Mahal will look like a tiny monument," Nurrudin Shaikh, a worker, says. "Those who are not in are really missing something in their life," he adds. "A jhoomar (chandilier) has arrived from London. Everything is newly ordered," quips his friend Shafi Mohammad.
The wedding day finally Hindustan Times
Blackberry users hit by systems failure MSNBC
BlackBerry knocked offline CNNMoney.com
RIM's BlackBerry system remains down CNET News.com
Shootings 'I-Report' a coup for CNN Globe and Mail CNN has a specific section (www.cnn.com/exchange) featuring these amateur clips, where they are branded as “I-Reports.”
Deadly Rampage and No Loss for Words New York Times a gunman who had carefully “put together his killing package” ...... The most disturbing thing on the screen was the sound recorded on Jamal Albarghouti’s cellphone camera outside Norris Hall — the sharp blast of a gun or guns firing over and over. Mr. Albarghouti, a student, told CNN that he thought at first that the police were responding to a bomb threat. Ordered to the ground by officers, he kept his cellphone on and aloft as shot after shot rang out, then at 11 a.m. sent his material to “I-Reports,” a section on the CNN Web site that solicits news and disaster images from bystanders. ........ There have been similar tragedies since then, too many. Now everybody knows the drill. ...... It was the worst shooting ever, but it was also yet another tragedy in which television turned first to amateur reporters on the scene. “Stay out of harm’s way,” the CNN anchor Don Lemon said, addressing students at Virginia Tech. “But send us your pictures and video.”
Citizen Journalists, Dangerous Settings CBS News

Muscular Gender Agenda

"What do women want?"
- Sigmund Freud

I have a Hillary problem. I want Obama to become president. And so I think Obama has no option but to go for a muscular gender agenda.

(1) Equal Pay
(2) War On Domestic Violence
(3) Cabinet Half Female
(4) Universal Health
(5) Lifelong Education

The power should be with the people, not with the leaders. And so the progressive focus has to be on the agenda more than on the leaders. What do we want? How much of it do we want? When do we want it? It is time for the progressives to get ambitious.

In The News

Relative Newcomer Obama Giving Clinton a Run in the Campaign Money ... CQPolitics.com, DC Obama’s campaign spent about $6.6 million overall in the first quarter. It reported spending $909,000 on payroll for nearly 200 individuals. It also spent about $700,000 on travel and lodging, $494,000 on postage and $354,000 on printing.
Clinton old guard lines up with main rival ObamaMail & Guardian Online
Obama dominates local race for money Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Clinton trails Obama in primary donations Turkish Daily News (subscription)
Sen. Barack Obama and wife's 2006 income $991296, much lower than ... Fort Wayne News Sentinel, IN
Obamas' 2006 income put at $991296 China Daily
Barack Obama Makes A Stops in Milwaukee WEAU-TV 13, WI
Obama Postpones Speech New York Times
Obama: Citizens can, must act to stop violence Janesville Gazette
Obama Campaign Announces Launch of Women for Obama Barack and ... dBusinessNews Chicago (press release), IL
Obama launches campaign initiative aimed at women Chicago Tribune Women for Obama raised about $750,000 at its inaugural event, a fundraising lunch in downtown Chicago attended by an overwhelmingly female crowd of about 1,200 ...... Michelle Obama, who introduced her husband, said he knows what women like her are going through as they juggle careers, family and their own well-being. ....... Barack "recognizes that our society, our community is only as strong as our women and our families." ........ a spirit that is embodied in this room, a wisdom that is not unique to women but — in my life — I have found oftentimes it is stronger in women
Obama and Clinton tussle over women ZDNet Hillary Clinton has been aggressively playing the gender card, and Obama is following suit, announcing “Women for Obama”
Obama trounces Clinton in online campaign money grab
Google wins big as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama battle
Obama Comes To Atlanta The Emory Wheel
Barack Obama Visits Tampa Central Florida News 13|
Presidential hopeful Barack Obama makes first campaign trip to Tampa Tampa Bay's 10
Barack Obama makes a central Florida fundraising stop Sun-Sentinel.com
Obama gains ground in new poll MSNBC Clinton leads Obama, 31%-26%
Barack Obama/Hillary Clinton In Dead Heat to be Most Web-Searched ... Business Wire (press release)
Obama backs Armenian genocide allegations Today's Zaman, Turkey
Sen. Obama: 'The Sun Is Shining on Me' NewsMax.com
Obama is Best-Rated Democrat in 2008 Race Angus Reid Global Monitor, Canada 46 per cent of respondents would support the Illinois senator in 2008, while 42 per cent would vote for former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani. Obama also holds an eight-point advantage over Arizona senator John McCain, and a 19-point advantage over Massachusetts senator Mitt Romney. Hillary Rodham Clinton leads McCain by three points and Romney by seven points, but trails Giuliani by six points. .... Edwards also holds advantages over McCain and Romney, but trails Giuliani by two points.

Hillary Clinton Talks American Idol’s Sanjaya Malakar Portable Planet
Clinton asked about Sanjaya Malakar Myrtle Beach Sun News
Hillary Clinton Weighs in on American Idol’s Sanjaya Malakar Bodog Beat During a radio call-in on WOKQ-FM, Sen. Hillary Clinton was asked what the United States can do about 17-year-old Sanjaya Malakar, the American Idol underdog who has the media in a frenzy. "That’s the best question I’ve been asked in a long time," Clinton responded. "Well, you know, people can vote for whomever they want. That’s true in my election, and it’s true on ‘American Idol.’ "
Hillary Has One Senate Endorsement NewsMax.com
Clinton out-raised but still sits atop largest war chest CNN
Hillary Clinton Raises Most From Minn. Donors WCCO, MN
Hillary Clinton postpones visit to Rutgers The Trentonian, NJ
Letter writer holds Hillary Clinton to unrealistic standard Cumberland Times-News, MD
Hillary Clinton, the 'evidence-based decision-maker,' here on May 19 Atlanta Journal Constitution (subscription), GA
Hillary Clinton Piles On - Misogyny Hypocrisy Agoravox, France Clinton blasted the fired radio entertainer for comments that “showed a disregard for basic decency and were disrespectful and degrading to African Americans and women everywhere.” .....Just two weeks ago, Mrs. Clinton pulled in $800,000 at a fundraiser held in the palatial Miami home of music mogul Timbaland. Born Timothy Mosley, the rap composer is one of the most influential producers in the music industry, and one whose songs are peppered with words that even Don Imus didn’t use........ She once said her own iPod was filled with tunes by more mainstream groups like The Eagles and The Beatles.
Presidential candidate Mitt Romney takes back endorsement of ... International Herald Tribune, France
Romney takes back endorsement of Clinton's "village" concept Boston Globe
Wash. Post's Balz alleged "Clinton fatigue" but did not quote ... Media Matters for America, DC "Among Democrats, a sense of 'Clinton fatigue' has led some major fundraisers to reassess with whom they want to align." ..... "some" Clinton donors "cite fatigue after more than a decade" of various fundraising efforts for the Clintons ...... Most, though, blame the defections on the enthusiasm generated by the upstart campaign of Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.). ..... Obama has created an excitement unseen since that surrounding Clinton in 1992. ....... Clinton's current approval rating is 60 percent and that "[i]n the USA TODAY/Gallup Poll, 71% said he was a good president -- more than double Bush's 34% approval in the poll."

1. Sources: Virginia Tech gunman left note
2. Gunman was both methodical and angry
3. Massive Web searches chase shooting details
4. Missing suburban student’s body found
5. The natural rush to blame