Clinton backers warn Pelosi on super delegate rift

            If you are looking for something to differentiate Obama and Clinton, other than his prolific gift for oration and her prolific gift for hyperbole you need look no further than who is supporting each candidate and how they are expressing that support.  You all have heard about Obama’s million plus contributors, the tens of thousands of who show up for Obama rallies or the millions of new participants into the political process and how that contrasts with Hillary’s PAC and lobbyist funded campaign.  You have heard how Obama’s received substantially more money than Hillary and how his contributions are coming from people of modest means in the form of $25 and $50 gifts.  And we are all aware that Hillary’s campaign is concerned because her short list of wealthy contributors have maxed out on legal contributions and she even had to infuse $5 million of her own money into her campaign.

            But perhaps the nature of the motivation behind these two candidates’ contributors can best be summed up by a letter that Nancy Pelosi recently received from 20 of the most prominent insider party activists.  Nancy Pelosi had recently stated that super delegates should support whoever emerges from the primaries with the most delegates.  Such a statement shows an unflinching understanding of how Democracy is supposed to work but Clinton supporters will have none of that.  "This is an untenable position that runs counter to the party's intent in establishing super delegates in 1984," the letter from the wealthy Clinton backers said. “Super delegates, like all delegates, have an obligation to make an informed, individual decision about whom to support and who would be the party's strongest nominee," said the letter signed by some of Clinton's biggest fund raisers.

            And there lies the rub.  Super delegates by their nature in this particular contest wield an excessive amount of power to undermine the will of the electorate in this campaign.  And the wealthy Clinton donors feel entitled to all of the power that their prominent status of super delegate appears to bestow.  And then there are millions of us regular shmo’s out here who have been working hard to get out the vote, chipping in when we can and feeling like we really do have a voice this time around.  We felt like we could make a difference and we were showing up in numbers like never before because we believed the America we love was within our grasp.

            So Nancy Pelosi if you never do another thing right in your life do not retract your statement.  Do not bow to status quo of politics as usual and abandon those of us out here in the real world who want so desperately to believe that this is our country and this is our time.  To be sure your stand with the people will take all of the courage and conviction that a position such of yours commands.  Among the signees of the letter were prominent Democrats and Clinton supporters like Robert Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television; Bernard Schwartz, former chairman of Loral Space and Communications; and venture capitalist Steven Rattner.  In what qualifies as extortion by any definition the signees of the letter went on to remind Pelosi of their support for the party's House campaign committee and said "therefore" she should "reflect in your comments a more open view" about super delegates.

I've been a bit grouchy lately...
                                            Red Hog Diary

Does saying Obama is getting a free ride over and over again make it true... in spite of the redundant coverage of every so far unsubstantiated accusation made against him Obama continues to gain support.  Could it be that America has finally smartened up?

            When considering who to support for president there has been a lot of talk about who will be ready to be Commander in Chief on day one.  You can take Hillary and her fine tuned political machines word for it or you can take the word of six of America’s most decorated generals who endorsed Barack Obama for president yesterday.  READ ABOUT WHAT THEY SAID HERE:

Hey Red Hog Readers!  Head over to the new site for todays post.  I am looking for your opinion about where I should go on my summer vacation.

            Okay, I’m finally ready to concede that the First Lady has more experience than Barack Obama.  I’m ready to concede that she has more experience at lying and the business as usual of a Washington insider.  Who in the hell is voting for this lady?  I'm going to leave alone, for today, the fact that Hillary has been posturing that John McCain would be a better alternative than Barack Obama for president.  Regarding the NAFTA flap that could be attributable to Obama’s loss in Ohio; news is now coming out that it wasn’t the Obama campaign that suggested to Canadian officials that campaign rhetoric should be taken with a grain of salt.  It was in fact the Clinton campaign.  I couldn’t venture a guess at how many times I have pointed out that it is a tried and true GOP strategy to take your own weakness and paint your opponent with it but Hillary seems to have paid close attention to those tactics in her years in Washington. 

Perhaps concerned that word would get out in labor intensive Ohio that high level officials in her campaign were the ones who actually contacted Canadian officials; the Clinton campaign went on the offensive and publicized misleading allegations that Austan Goolsbee had contacted Canada, made a trip there, and told them Obama’s position on NAFTA was all political posturing.  This all came about while the race for voters was at a frenzy in gullible Ohio and they bought it hook line and sinker.  By the time the truth came out it was too late for Obama.  Canadian officials admitted that they had actually contacted the Obama campaign, the meeting took place in Chicago and NAFTA was only spoken of for a few minutes and nothing was said that was inconsistent with Obama’s campaign positions.  And all the while and to this day Hillary is denying her campaign did any such thing in spite of contradictions by Canadian officials. Prime Minister Stephen Harper's chief of staff, Ian Brodie, told journalists in Ottawa that Clinton's people told Canadian officials to take her campaign with a grain of salt.

And that media that Hillary keeps bitching and whining about as unfair?  They haven’t seemed to pick up on the story with any of the tenacity that they reported when allegations were first made against Obama.  I guess the old adage of dog biting man not being news worthy is a relevant truism.  It has become a cliché that Hillary wants to take credit for all of the good things that happened in her cheating husbands administration but she wants nothing to do with the negatives of those days.  She is continually trying to paint the revisionist history that she had always objected to NAFTA when speaking in economically depressed areas.  Look at this:

"I don't just criticize [NAFTA]. I don't have my campaign go tell a foreign government behind closed doors: `That's just politics. Don't pay attention to it'" - Hillary Clinton, Toledo, Ohio, March 3, 2008.
“I think, on balance, NAFTA has been good for New York and America."  - Hillary Clinton on NBC's Meet the Press, 2004
"NAFTA is proving its worth" and later praising NAFTA as "a free and fair trade agreement." – Hillary Clinton quoted by Associated Press 3/6/96.
In her memoir, Clinton trumpeted her husband's "successes on the budget, the Brady bill and NAFTA."

            Hillary’s arrogance to take one position while documentation to the contrary is readily available is galling.  And yet it would appear that she is comfortable in the idea that her command of the inner workings of American politics will allow her to get away with it.  It is central to Obama’s campaign that this the time for this sort of politics has passed and that American’s deserve a more transparent and accountable government.  And that is what is so appealing to Obama supporters and it is particularly painful for us to see that the rest of the country just doesn’t seem to get it.  I just hope they don’t get what they deserve if they continue buying into Clinton lies and smear tactics to the point where she is able to steal the nomination via entrenched insider super delegates who are most comfortable slithering under the cloak of darkness.

Hillary’s 35 years of experience:

1. Worked for a corporate law firm.
2. Served on Wal - Mart board and had no issues with the labor policies there.
3. Formulated a disastrous health care plan that postponed universal coverage for years.
4. Had tea with foreign leaders.
5. Voted for the war
6. Scandal after scandal.
7. Within a couple of years managed to lose both the house and the senate due to vindictive and divisive politics

Experience we can count on?

            Back on October 30^th I did something that I have to admit, has at times, crossed my mind as being one of the worst decisions of my life.  I hope you didn’t blow right past the enormity of that statement.  I’ve done some pretty boneheaded things in my day.  Included in the list of dumb decisions I have made was the time I waited for an hour for clothes to dry before I took off on a six hundred mile ride on my Harley.  A friend and I had made plans to make a Labor Day weekend ride to Toledo for a visit with a friend.  Had we left before my laundry finished we would have been ahead of a storm that rolled through and resulted in our riding in the rain for the first two hundred miles of our trip.  There was also the time I took the kids to Adventureland, Iowa’s “premier” amusement park, and was so excited to get in the front gate that it wasn’t until after I had jumped out of the van and locked the doors that I realized I had left the motor running.  But not many of my bonehead plays in life have been as life altering as adopting Gomez - the dog from hell that is our newest family addition.

               Since the fateful day of our adopting Gomez we have lost shoes, blankets, pillows, a cell phone, two pair of reading glasses, on pair of prescription glasses, untold numbers of dish towels, oven mitts and potholders as well as half of the socks owned by either of my sons.  Perhaps more frustrating than the loss of material goods has been the loss of sanctuary that a home is supposed to afford.  Gone are the days of relaxing at the dinner table, enjoying a snack while watching a movie, or really just enjoying a good movie period.  You see; Gomez is what I might best describe as, for lack of a better term, an attention whore.  And it wouldn’t be so bad if he would just sit by your side or at your feet and let you scratch his belly or behind his ear.  But no.  To show any sort of affection for Gomez is an exercise in doggie style mixed martial arts.  If you are having trouble envisioning what I mean here I think the words “extremely frisky pain in the ass” might sum up what I am thinking about. 

            What makes all of this difficult is that before Gomez we truly valued our family time each day after a long day at the office.  There was always a bit of hustle and bustle as mail was sorted, laundry was tended to and dinner was prepared but eventually we could all sit down and enjoy each others company or just each others presence as we disbursed around the family room and kitchen area enjoying television, a good book, or time on our computers. 

Since Gomez we seem to have become a dysfunctional family as each of us in turn falls victim to the continual demands of the demon dog.  Ignoring the beast is no option because it is no matter that we have attempted to dog proof our home.  With all of the agility of the hound dog he is Gomez will smell out something he obviously knows he should not have.  Once he scores his canine contraband he will let out a joyful “woof” and start tearing around the house with it daring anyone to try and retrieve it from him.  We know he knows when he is being mischievous.  I am fairly certain from his behavior that he knows we know he knows he is behaving badly.  Or the dog will incessantly nudge you with his big wet nose until you stop what you are doing and engage in the aforementioned doggie style mixed martial arts.  Or he will park himself just beyond your reach and bark and bark and bark and an astounding decibel level that is beyond annoying.  So eventually we yell and blame each other for not properly training the dog and mutter that things are going to have to change. 

            So Tuesday night things sort of came to a head.  What began with the hope of SWMBO and I as a rational discussion with our oldest son, the official owner of old Beelzebub, ended in heated words.  Our discussion quickly deteriorated to the point where Clayton stormed out of the house fully convinced that he was about to lose his pet.  The pet that perhaps he alone has an unbreakable bond with.  Okay, it’s not like we hate the dog but every night SWMBO and our youngest son and I eagerly anticipate Gomez getting all of “it” out of his system when he finally curls up and dozes on the couch.  That never happens before sometime between 8:30 and 9:00 each evening.  And suddenly Gomez becomes the dog we love.  The dog we all wanted.  Once he tires from his rambunctious antics he will lie quietly and let you stroke him gently or scratch him behind his humongous ears.  Relief. 

            Yesterday morning the heat of the prior evening’s battle had calmed and I had to admit that I would hate to actually seek a different home for our horrible hound.  He has grown on me.  But something is going to have to change.  Maybe if the boy enrolls his dog in obedience school, learns to run the vacuum to help gather up the endless pounds of dog hair left in Gomez’s wake and tries to wear the dog out before we get home once in a while there is hope for us.  I’m not holding my breath.  For some reason I see us enduring hell on earth every night until this dog grows out of his puppy stage and becomes the quiet porch dog and park companion that we all had hoped for. 

            Did I hear that right?  Sixty percent of Ohio voters said in exit polls that race was a big factor in their voting.  WTF?  And among those voters who said race was a big factor in whom they would support Hillary got eight in ten of those votes.  Hillary has consistently done better among less educated voters.  Ohio has done nothing to prove that observation inaccurate.  Shame on you Ohio. 

            While I obviously had hopes of another Obama sweep it’s not the end of the world that the Clinton campaign has lived to fight another day.  John McCain secured the Republican ticket last night.  I’m not too concerned about McCain having the rest of the primary season to establish his identity for the general election while the Democrats continue their fight to come up with a nominee.  I’m not concerned about that because the more McCain speaks the more he sounds like George Bush and we all know what most Americans think of that. 

            The saddest thing about last nights events, other than the blatant racism that obviously runs rampant throughout Ohio, is the affirmation of Rovian politics as the best way to secure votes from the American public.  Over the last week the Hillary campaign went nearly entirely negative as they dispatched their “kitchen sink” attacks doing everything they could to distract voters from Hillary’s negatives.  Hillary’s campaign added the politics of fear to her negative campaign tactics which stood in stark contrast to Obama’s message of hope and unity.  As if that weren’t enough the Clinton campaign then started to whine incessantly about the “unfair media” which is detailed in chapter one of the Republican campaign handbook.  And it seems to have worked. 

            So it will be interesting to watch the Democratic nomination unfold over the next month or two.  Will the American public continue to buy into smear tactics and the politics of fear that have been embraced by the Clinton campaign; or will they take stock in a message of hope and unity?  A couple of days ago I had confidence in America’s future.  Today I am not so sure.  As I write this it is projected that the Clinton campaign will gain 3-7 or so delegates as a result of last night’s primaries.  Conventional wisdom suggests that if the Texas caucus results do not make yesterday’s primaries a delegate dead heat; Obama will win back any delegate gain made by Clinton in Wyoming and Mississippi next week.  And let’s not forget that Hillary didn’t even come close to winning Ohio or Texas by the margins that she was projected to win by only two weeks ago. 

            The Clinton campaign wants to talk a lot about momentum but I don’t know how they reconcile losing her once status of inevitability, winning by a smaller margin than expected in yesterdays three victories as having gained momentum.  But then I suppose I am more interested in what is good for America and good for the Democratic Party than I am about the personal political ambitions of the Clinton family. 

            Last night in coverage on MSNBC there was some breaking news and speculation about a phone call being reported having been made by Barack Obama to Hillary Clinton after results were taking shape.  Rachel Maddow suggested that Obama should have waited until 3:00 in the morning to call her to see if she answered the phone.  I found that hilarious! 

            Last night in coverage on MSNBC there was some breaking news and speculation about a phone call being reported having been made by Barack Obama to Hillary Clinton after results were taking shape.  Rachel Maddow suggested that Obama should have waited until 3:00 in the morning to call her to see if she answered the phone.  I found that hilarious! 

            Super Mini Tuesday is finally upon us.  And Hillary is showing her win at any costs blind power obsession as she and her handlers attempt to smear Obama.  They have found it necessary to attempt to smear Obama because they have been unable to gain an advantage through better policy.  I’m not comfortable being angry with another Democrat.  Especially while it is still uncertain that Hillary might possibly be the Democratic candidate when all is said and done.  But I guess if it comes down to it integrity should always take precedence over ideology and if our choice in November is between Hillary and McCain I’m not sure that is a fight that Hillary can win in my household.
           
            The ad running in Texas suggesting Hillary is the person we want answering the phone at night and Obama’s quick response that good judgment is more important than experience has been all the rage on the cable news networks since the weekend.  I’m really wondering why nobody is questioning how being first wife would somehow make her more ready to do any job on day one.  Prior to her short experience in the Senate Hillary has never been elected to a single office and yet to hear her campaign she is best suited for the office of president.  If the last couple of administrations are the bar to be met I suppose she does have one qualification that sets her apart from Obama.  She is infinitely more experienced with deflecting scandal.  And that would seem to be requisite for the job based on the integrity of her husband and GW Bush.  Of course it is quite possible that McCain or Obama would not need to be nearly as proficient in spin control.
           
            Yesterday the Clinton campaign tried to spin a story of dishonesty by Obama on the campaign trail when they reported that Obama’s senior economic advisor, Austan Goolsbee, has assured Canadian officials that his position on NAFTA is political positioning and not policy.  The Clinton campaign cited an internal memo between a Canadian consulate in Chicago and his superiors.  Goolsbee has retorted that the only political positioning going on is the mis-interpretation of his meeting as reported in the memo and when pressed the Canadian Embassy has confirmed that Goolsbee had said nothing that has not been part of Obama’s consistent record on the campaign trail.  But Hillary is not willing to let facts get in the way of a good smear so she is sticking to her guns that Obama is untrustworthy with regards to his position on NAFTA. 
           
            All of this negative campaigning is coming from a candidate who has lost 11 consecutive contests and has seen her once inevitable road to the White House fill with pot holes of that can swallow a bread truck.  The evaporation of the 20 point leads she enjoyed in Ohio and Texas to the point of both races being too close to call should give Hillary the message that her viability is at risk.  Despite such plain sight indications Hillary is campaigning in Texas and Ohio that momentum is on her side.  It sure is.  It is just heading in the wrong direction.  How you can go from dominant favorite to possible loser in two short weeks and maintain the attitude that if your opponent does not win by the margins you were projected to enjoy is a whole new level of arrogance.  I guess it should not surprise us and we maybe should never expected more from a candidate who talks about change but goes about business as usual. 
            
            Oh, one final comment.  With regard to Hillary trying to tie Obama to recently indicted Tony Rezco; pot - kettle to the nth degree.  Check out this picture with the Clintons posing cozily with Mr. Rezco.  There is absolutely no evidence or even a suggestion of impropriety by rational thinkers that untoward dealings have occurred between Barack Obama and Tony Rezco.  Yet because Mr. Rezco had made a campaign contribution to Obama, which was later given to charity when Obama learned of Rezco's improprieties Hillary wants us to believe the Senator responsible for some of the most sweeping ethics reform in history has an improper relationship with an indicted real estate mogul.  There is no substance to the very open and above board real estate transaction between Rezco's wife and the Obama's.  And to hear the Clinton campaign speak of it; Mr. Rezco is the kiss of death.  I wonder if she has asked her husband to return all of the campaign contributions he received from Tony Rezco?  Surely not.  That would mean less money in the Clinton war chest to spend on smear tactic campaigning.  

            It was a balmy 36 degrees in East Central Iowa yesterday.  Everyone was giddy as you met them coming in and out of the credit union or local eateries and people even seemed willing to show a little road courtesy as a result of the warmer weather and sunny sky.  It’s rather amazing how such a slight break from an untypically harsh winter can lift people’s spirits.  I am quite frequently reminded by my friend Mike, who lives in Maine that we are rather an un-hearty stock here in fly-over land.  I was whining about the 60 inches of snow we had received this year because hey, I thought 5 feet of the stuff was enough but Mike continually reminds me that such snowfall amounts amount to a mild March where he hails from.  But I digress. 

            I actually drove home from work yesterday afternoon with my window down.  The heater was on but the fresh air was invigorating.  And it got me to thinking about expectations.  It maybe wasn’t warm enough to drive down the road with the wind in my hair but it was bearable enough and foreshadowing of warmer days ahead.  I found my mind drifting to thoughts of throwing a leg over the Harley and getting back out on the road.  The treacherous pot hole hell of a road system that we must navigate on our daily routines is a challenge but I’m thinking the nimble Harley will be up to the challenge. 

It wasn’t too long ago when gas had dropped down to around $2.75 a gallon here in Iowa and I was excited about that.  It’s now well over $3.00 a gallon for the cheap stuff and they can never give us an answer that we can understand when we ask why.  How did we go to figuring that any price over $2.00 per gallon was reasonable?  But even the gas prices were not enough to get my spirits down yesterday. 

The presidential campaign offers hope in that any of the candidates will be a refreshing change from the debacle we must endure for the remainder of the year.  I wonder how we have become appeased by hearing claims that “the surge is working!” It seems strange to me that we would find comfort in those words considering our soldiers appear to be no closer to coming home now than they were a year and a half ago when the six month surge got its start.  But enough about that.

Today and Sunday we have a forecast calling for temperatures in the 40’s.  It might be time to break out my shorts!  I hope I’m not jumping the gun in my full anticipation of the arrival of an early spring.  We have been known to see heavy snowfall as late as April here in Iowa.  But I’m not going to think about that either.  I’m just going to enjoy the weekend for what it is.  I hope you have a great weekend as well.