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Oh My, Darling (by Anglachel)
With Hillary currently showing herself to be highly competitive with McCain in battle ground states and wiping the floor with him in blue states, while Obama is losing ground in recent polls and showing himself to be less than appealing to many voting constituencies, it becomes harder and harder to sustain the argument that she is too divisive and polarizing to win. She is doing so quite handily in large state primaries while running a shoestring campaign, being outsepnt 4 and 5 to 1, and being pummeled unmercifully by the press and Blogger Boyz. As Hillary supporters have patiently told her detractors on the left since Day One, her negatives will not go up, they will only come down. Those record turnouts in the primaries have been just as much for her as for Obama… In short, the claim that Hillary can’t win is being overturned by the fact that she is winning big and is fully competitive in one of the biggest, most energized, most expensive, most engaging primaries ever held. Ten million viewers on the last debate! A primary turn out in Pennsylvania that rivaled the Democratic turn out in the last gneral election! This is not the campaign of someone who is hated by voters, no matter what WKJM would like to argue.
Rise Hillary, Rise! (by garychapelhill at The Confluence)
I wanted to start with some pictures I took at an event I attended last week at Wake Forest University with Hillary and Maya Angelou… This event was really a great chance to get beyond the stump speech of a campaign rally as the two women sat down and had a conversation. It lasted almost two hours and both of them were radiant throughout. Anyway, thinking about Angelou’s book [I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings] I kept thinking to myself, “I know why Hillary is running”. She’s doing it , like the caged bird, because she has to. She’s doing it because this country needs her. She’s doing it because the alternatives are shockingly inadequate for a country as great as this one. Rise Hillary, Rise!
Click through to see the photos. I received a message recently from a doofus who told me that NO ONE is supporting Hillary Clinton any more. I told him he should get out more.
Media Conventional Wisdom Shifting Towards Belief Clinton Could Defeat Obama? (by Joe Gandelman, The Moderate Voice)
There are signs of what could be a shift in the news media conventional wisdom: for the first time in months, some key pundits are hinting and even saying that Senator Barack Obama could lose the Democratic nomination to what has long been described as a seemingly-impossibly behind Senator Hillary Clinton. These kinds of cracks in the conventional wisdom often signal the beginning of a major shift, totally negating what earlier conventional wisdom steadfastly suggested “had” to be true. The catalyst: Clinton’s win over Obama in Pennsylvania. Even though it was expected, the recent bad publicity surrounding Obama on several fronts, his campaign being on the defensive, the unrelenting push by Clinton on several fronts, and the realities of how American politics works in the 21st century have started to change some media thinking.
Even MoDo sees the change: Desperately Seeking Street Cred (by Maureen Dowd)
[T]here’s something eerie going on in this race. Hillary grows more and more glowy as Obama grows more and more wan. Is she draining him of his precious bodily fluids? Leeching his magic? Siphoning off his aura? It used to be that he was incandescent and she was merely inveterate. Now she’s bristling with life force, and he looks like he wants to run away somewhere for three months by himself and smoke. Hillary is not getting much sleep or exercise, and doesn’t, like the ascetic Obama, abstain from junk food and coffee and get up at dawn to work out on the road. She’s still a long shot and she’s 14 years older than her rival. Yet she’s the one who is more energetic and focused and beaming, and he’s the one who seems uneven and gauzy, often fatigued and unable to disguise being fed up with the slog. Even his speeches don’t have the same pizazz.
When the Obamas revealed that this is his only run for president, I understood that Barack is not a real fighter. When everything is going his way, he does well. But when push comes to shove, he just doesn’t have the moxie for politics. He wants it to be handed to him.
He’s Back (Wall Street Journal)
HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. — Bill Clinton, who called himself the “comeback kid” during his first presidential run, is pulling out all the stops for Hillary Clinton’s comeback… The Clinton campaign says Mr. Clinton is helping Sen. Clinton far more than he hurts. “He’s making the best case for his wife and converting hundreds of people at each stop,” says press secretary Jay Carson. “A lot of politics is being played about the former president here. The other campaign wants to diminish the importance of our best campaigner.”… As evidence of Mr. Clinton’s impact, the campaign cites the Pennsylvania primary… Campaign data show that Sen. Clinton won by huge margins in several rural counties that her husband visited: 44 percentage points in Armstrong County, 44 points in Cambria County, 48 points in Carbon County and 50 points in Greene County. This compares with an edge of 26 points for Hillary among rural voters statewide.
Ex-Obama pastor tells NAACP he’s descriptive, not divisive
DETROIT – The former pastor of Barack Obama whose words have rallied many but offended others told an audience of 10,000 that his critics get it wrong when they call him divisive and polarizing.
Obama Sinks in National Poll (Political Wire)
After his most difficult month of the presidential campaign, Sen. Barack Obama’s double-digit lead over Sen. Hillary Clinton has dropped to 7 points, 48% to 41%, in the latest Newsweek Poll. Just a week ago, Obama led Clinton by 19 points. Key finding: “One of the more problematic results for Obama was that four in 10 of registered voters (including Republicans and independents) now have an unfavorable opinion of him — and the same number said there is “no chance” they will vote for Obama if he becomes the nominee.”… Meanwhile, the latest Gallup tracking poll shows Obama and Clinton tied at 47%.
Obama TANKING with Independents, Losing Moderate Voters (by Paul_Lukasiak at Corrente)
In the last six weeks, Barack Obama has been losing support in virtually every key demographic category when matched against John McCain, while Hillary Clinton has gained support. Perhaps most disturbing is Obama’s decline among Independent voters… But Independents are not the only category that Obama is doing poorly in. In February, when matched against McCain, Obama was doing better among Moderates and Liberals. In mid-April, Clinton was doing better. And Clinton has increased her relative advantage over Obama among Democrats.
Obama has difficulty wooing seniors
Barack Obama’s difficulty attracting older voters now far exceeds Hillary Rodham Clinton’s own weaknesses with youth.
Obama stars in Mississippi attack ad (Politico)
The Republican candidate in a special election to fill an unexpectedly contested seat in a conservative Mississippi congressional district is using recent controversies surrounding Senator Barack Obama to tar his Democratic rival. A television ad from Southaven Mayor Greg Davis tells viewers that his Democratic rival, Travis Childers, a realtor and Prentiss County official, has accepted the endorsement of “liberal Barack Obama.” Then, with Childers’ face beside footage of Rev. Jeremiah Wright, it says, “When Obama’s pastor cursed America, blaming us for 9/11, Childers said nothing.” Then: “When Obama ridiculed rural folks for clinging to guns and religion, Childers said nothing.” “He took Obama’s endorsement over our conservative values. Conservatives just can’t trust Travis Childers,” the ad concludes.
Hey, he wasn’t supposed to have coattails for the OTHER side!
Gravity Takes Bite Out of “Obama Wind” (by Steve Clemons at the Washington Note)
Barack Obama for the most part articulates a vision of American engagement in global problems that jumps out of the dangerous incrementalism that Bush, McCain, and even Hillary Clinton seem driven by. But my enthusiasm wanes for Obama when I note that when one scratches the surface, his proposals are far less inspiring in detail than rhetorically. One case in point is [Obama’s proposal for] opening up family-related travel between Cuban-Americans and relatives in Cuba and increasing the financial amount that these relatives could send into Cuba. The problem with this gesture by Obama is that it lacks the principles he himself speaks to so frequently… This kind of triangulation is frustrating to many — because it plants doubts with people like me as to the seriousness and depth of Obama’s positions on many issues… Gravity has set in on Obama — and there are six months left until November.
Electoral map favors a Democrat, has McCain playing defense
WASHINGTON – The electoral road to the White House favors Democrats this fall — either Barack Obama or Hillary Rodham Clinton — and has Republican John McCain playing defense to thwart a presidential power shift.
But this is an average. Clinton beats McCain in the Electoral College, and Obama doesn’t.
Florida’s back in thick of Demo mess (Miami Herald)
Florida’s status in picking the Democratic presidential nominee remains in question and the Pennsylvania contest did little to change that. A spokesman for Clinton said the campaign is waiting for the Democratic National Committee to take up an appeal, filed on the state’s behalf by committee member Jon Ausman, who argues that national party rules require at least half of the state’s delegates to be seated… Other Florida Democrats — led by Hillary Clinton supporters — are turning to public protests to keep the pressure on the national party… ”This has to do with our civil rights,” said Millie Herrera, a potential Clinton convention delegate and the president of the Hispanic Democratic Caucus of Florida. “No one has the right to invalidate our votes.”
Delegate challenges concerning Florida, Michigan to be heard
WASHINGTON – A plan to award half-delegates for the disputed Michigan and Florida Democratic presidential primaries will get a hearing before party leaders.
Meet The Press: Dean On Healing The Party (by Nicole Belle at Crooks and Liars)
Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean appeared on Meet The Press to address the issues of party unity and whether we will go to the convention without a nominee decided. Dean has been vocal that he wants the issue resolved by June before, but as the thread yesterday over a possible way to resolve seating Michigan’s delegates proves, it’s a highly fractious issue that will leave many Democrats upset, no matter how it’s handled. Therefore, Dean charges that the key to healing the party will be the actions of the person who does not get the nomination, not him.
Click through to watch the video. I have no doubt that Clinton will rally her supporters to still vote Democratic if Obama ends up as the nominee. But I’m not so sure about the other side. See below.
“There will be blood” if Obama doesn’t get the Democratic nomination – Donna Brazile, on This Week 4/27/08 (video, at 10:53)
Limbaugh gets pwnd by caller over Operation Chaos and his wishing for a ‘Riot’ over Dem nomination. Calls her a ‘mush head.’ (by John Amato at Crooks and Liars)
Limbaugh went off the racist/violent rails again when he discussed his “Operation Chaos” plan and sang a little tune about it. “The dream end of this is that this keeps up to the convention and we have a replay of Chicago 1968 with burning cars, protests, fires, literal riots, and all of that. That’s that’s the objective here.”… Responding to this lunacy [Wednesday]—Rush Limbaugh had to cut off the phone on caller Lisa after she slammed him over his racist and hateful comments that he made about hoping for “riots” in America.
Click through to listen to the audio.
Bowling 1, Health Care 0 (by Elizabeth Edwards)
FOR the last month, news media attention was focused on Pennsylvania and its Democratic primary. Given the gargantuan effort, what did we learn? Well, the rancor of the campaign was covered. The amount of money spent was covered. But in Pennsylvania, as in the rest of the country this political season, the information about the candidates’ priorities, policies and principles — information that voters will need to choose the next president — too often did not make the cut… Watching the campaign unfold, I saw how the press gravitated toward a narrative template for the campaign, searching out characters as if for a novel…
News is different from other programming on television or other content in print. It is essential to an informed electorate. And an informed electorate is essential to freedom itself. But as long as corporations to which news gathering is not the primary source of income or expertise get to decide what information about the candidates “sells,” we are not functioning as well as we could if we had the engaged, skeptical press we deserve… If voters want a vibrant, vigorous press, apparently we will have to demand it. Not by screaming out our windows as in the movie “Network” but by talking calmly, repeatedly, constantly in the ears of those in whom we have entrusted this enormous responsibility. Do your job, so we can — as voters — do ours.
Nevertheless, a new study says that people somehow obtain the information they need. See below.
Why Are American Presidential Election Campaign Polls So Variable When Votes Are So Predictable? (Columbia University)
We show that responses to pollsters during the campaign are not generally informed or even, in a sense we describe, ‘rational’. In contrast, voters decide, based on their enlightened preferences, as formed by the information they have learned during the campaign, as well as basic political cues such as ideology and party identification, which candidate to support eventually. We cannot prove this conclusion, but we do show that it is consistent with the aggregate forecasts and individual-level opinion poll responses. Based on the enlightened preferences hypothesis, we conclude that the news media have an important effect on the outcome of presidential elections – not through misleading advertisements, sound bites, or spin doctors, but rather by conveying candidates’ positions on important issues.
Is it possible that the public has learned to sift through the bullshit?
Obama throws Kos under the bus (by lambert at Corrente)
Haw: “WALLACE: John Roberts, Supreme Court. OBAMA: John Roberts nomination, although I voted against him, I strongly defended some of my colleagues who had voted for him on the Daily Kos, and was fiercely attacked [clutches pearls] as somebody who is, you know, caving in to Republicans on these fights.” God. What an asshole. Kos purges his whole site of [not Obama] supporters and trashes his brand for the sake of The Precious, and this is the thanks he gets? And I’m playing the world’s smallest violin, too. Don’t say you weren’t warned, kidz. That Obama would throw anybody under the bus was shown, long ago, when his campaign destroyed another online community on MySpace.
Obama Doesn’t “Take Fox On,” After All (by Greg Sargent at TPM Election Central)
The Fox News Sunday interview is over. And Obama didn’t take on Fox at all in any meaningful sense. On Friday, a senior Obama adviser responded to criticism of his decision to go on Fox with a bunch of tough talk, saying that Obama knew full well that Fox has been at the forefront of spreading “the most specious of rumors” (i.e., lies) about Obama and vowing that he would “take Fox on.” Well, it didn’t happen. Obama definitely pushed back hard on some of Chris Wallace’s questions, but at no point did he draw attention to Fox’s spreading of lies about him or critique the network in a general sense.
Unlike Bill Clinton, if you’ll remember, who took Wallace and Fox News to task for their lies.
Obama on Fox transcript (by Jerome Armstrong at MyDD)
The transcript of Obama on Fox is up. As I mentioned, Obama is trying to separate himself from the most strident parts of his base, and he does this pretty effectively throughout the interview… A shorter Obama: The far left? That’s over there, and I’m willing to take them on.
Obama tells Fox that Rev. Wright controversy raised a ‘legitimate issue’ (On Politics, USA Today)
Wallace addressed the issue of Obama’s controversial former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Has Wright been unfairly demonized? “People were legitimately offended by some of the comments he had made in the past,” Obama said. And, “the fact that he is my former pastor … makes it a legitimate issue” in the presidential campaign. Still, Obama said, Wright has been “simplified and caricatured … in a fairly deliberate way.” Obama repeated that he has “strongly denounced” the controversial words of his former pastor.
Badge Of Honor (by Turkana at The Left Coaster)
In his interview on Faux News, Barack Obama wanted to prove he’s a safe choice for that network’s demographic. Here was one example: “John Roberts nomination, although I voted against him, I strongly defended some of my colleagues who had voted for him on the Daily Kos, and was fiercely attacked as somebody who is, you know, caving in to Republicans on these fights.” Imagine the reaction had Hillary Clinton said that.
And we constituents had to twist his arm to vote against Roberts. We tried to get him to filibuster Alito, which he finally said he would. But then he destroyed all chance of a filibuster working as a threat by telling the media the Democrats didn’t have enough votes. I’d love to play high-stakes poker with this guy!
Feet Of Clay (by Big Tent Democrat at TalkLeft)
When I discuss the Left Blogs’ reaction to everything Barack Obama, I am past the point of pointing what I perceive as aspects of his political style that I find lacking. I am no longer pointing out Obama’s feet of clay. I am pointing to the feet of clay of the Left blogs. Now Matt Stoller writes about Obama on Fox: “I think lost in all this nonsense is just how weakened we [the Left blogs] have become in all this. When we accept lies from our leaders and openly dismissive knocks from them, it destroys our core argument that Democrats need to have integrity and to stand up for themselves. No they don’t. We don’t stand up for ourselves and we let them lie to us without consequence.” Indeed.
You got a problem with that? (by Lynne in Lakeland at Liberal Rapture)
When Senator Obama made his comments about “bitter” voters it wasn’t elitist. It was obnoxious. You don’t reach people by talking down to them. Which is why both Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan (who I still abhor) were so good at what they did. Bill Clinton was always the smartest person in the room but he never made anyone feel stupid. That’s a tough thing to pull off… Interestingly enough, I think voters are voting for their economic best interest when they vote for Senator Clinton. The Recession hand writing is on the wall. Obama offers platitudes of hope with no substance. Senator Clinton is wonkish to the extreme and people pulled the lever for her in states hard hit by the economic bust. I don’t know if she can pull us out of the mess we’re in, but I do not believe that anyone else could do better.
All the Wrong Moves (by Tom Watson)
Lately, … the Obama campaign has been making the wrong moves and it’s troubling to a Democrat who wants his second choice to run strong against McCain come November’s chill. Senator Obama allowed his supporters in Michigan to oppose a revote he might easily have won, and in doing so, removed one of Clinton’s best arguments for going on the Denver. He’s thrown away his massive lead in the media primary by refusing to meet regularly with the press, and acting as the most aloof of the three remaining candidates for President. And now, he’s refusing to debate Hillary in Indiana or North Carolina. This is almost indescribably stupid. For one, running and hiding from Hillary looks, well, like running and hiding from Hillary. It cements that growing perception in the press that she’s tougher, and that he’s a brittle political actor – all smiles when the polls are moving upward, quite another story in stormy seas. When you’re running against a beloved American war hero and the Republican attack machine, this is never a good posture.
Jaws V: Starring Barack Obama (by Pat Racimora at No Quarter)
I confess: I’m a Rezko trial junkie. You can’t make this stuff up — this parade of colorful, shady characters who promoted Obama on his rise to national prominence, gliding him along like a wave on a sunny day. (I feel a cartoon coming on…) Chicago investigative reporters have done a good job tracking a spider web of corruption and backroom deals. Obama’s name is attached to many of them. Evie Pringle has formed rather solid opinions of Obama after looking deeply into “Operation Board Games”: Read her work. Meanwhile, the mainstream media mostly ignores the unfolding story. But, it has to hit the national news sometime. And it should be a bad bite. (Ah, now I see the whole thing …)
Lou Dobbs: I don’t understand why “the Republicans aren’t doing everything they can to get this man the nomination” (by SusanUnPC at No Quarter)
From CNN’s Lou Dobbs This Week, aired April 26, 2008, with guests Diana West, Hank Sheinkopf, and Errol Louis: “DOBBS: I have to say that what I don’t understand. … With the antipathy towards Senator Obama that has built up over the last few weeks, for the life of me, I don’t understand why the … Republicans aren’t doing everything they can to get this man the nomination.”
Click through to watch the video.
Why is Obama Hiding the Truth About William Ayers? Follow the Money (by Larry Johnson at No Quarter)
Barack Obama is not telling the truth about his relationship with [unrepentant 60s terrorist] Bill Ayers… Barack … was essentially an employee of Bill Ayers for eight years. In 1995, the Chicago Annenberg Challenge was created to raise funds to help reform the Chicago public schools. One of the architects of the Challenge was none other than Professor Bill Ayers. Ayers co-wrote the initial grant proposal and proudly lists himself on his own website as the co-founder of the Challenge. And who did William Ayers, co-creator of the Challenge, help select as the new director of the board for this program? Barack Obama.
Late Night: Johnny Can’t Read (by Jeralyn at TalkLeft)
The Annenberg challenge was “Ayers’ baby” in the sense he was in charge and Obama was picked to head the Board of Directors. And Michelle Obama and Ayers’ wife, Bernadine Dorhn, were law associates at the same firm back then, Sidley Austin, a firm with ties to Bill Ayers’ father Tom… Obama seems to be minimizing his legitimate ties to Ayers for some reason… He also, according to many articles I’ve read that appeared in mainstream and professional publications, didn’t do much for education while he served on them. With No Child Left Behind being an issue in the campaign, Obama should be asked some more questions about what he did for this $50 million board?
ABC Ignores Obama’s Misleading Message about Lobbyists’ Money (by D. Cupples at Buck Naked Politics)
I don’t care about politicians’ jewelry. I do care about mainstream media’s repeated failure to cover the more substantive misleading statements that Sen. Obama has made: chiefly, those about where he gets his campaign funding. [Sunday], ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos presented a prime opportunity to spotlight this important issue, but George and his guests chose not to. George shared a video clip of an Obama campaign TV ad running in Indiana, in which Sen. Obama states that he does not take money from lobbyists. Technically, that may be true, but it’s a highly misleading statement.
Click through for the evidence.
Obama donor received a state grant (Los Angeles Times)
WASHINGTON — After an unsuccessful campaign for Congress in 2000, Illinois state Sen. Barack Obama faced serious financial pressure: numerous debts, limited cash and a law practice he had neglected for a year. Help arrived in early 2001 from a significant new legal client — a longtime political supporter.
Chicago entrepreneur Robert Blackwell Jr. paid Obama an $8,000-a-month retainer to give legal advice to his growing technology firm, Electronic Knowledge Interchange. It allowed Obama to supplement his $58,000 part-time state Senate salary for over a year with regular payments from Blackwell’s firm that eventually totaled $112,000.
A few months after receiving his final payment from EKI, Obama sent a request on state Senate letterhead urging Illinois officials to provide a $50,000 tourism promotion grant to another Blackwell company, Killerspin.
Killerspin specializes in table tennis, running tournaments nationwide and selling its own line of equipment and apparel and DVD recordings of the competitions. With support from Obama, other state officials and an Obama aide who went to work part time for Killerspin, the company eventually obtained $320,000 in state grants between 2002 and 2004 to subsidize its tournaments.
Bush, Media Condemn Carter; Black Out Hamas’ Overtures Towards Peace (by Ira Chernus, AlterNet)
If the U.S. or Israel were to accept Hamas’ willingness to negotiate, they would tacitly acknowledge that Hamas is a player in the game.
Obama also criticized Carter. Like Bush, Obama can criticize people but they still love him. Clinton helps people and they diss her.
You’re a racist! (by vastleft at Corrente)
You’re not really a racist, are you? But how about if I convince millions of people that you and your spouse are, attempting to cheat you out of a job by creating a deafening whisper campaign that says you are? If you fight back, I’ll create another whisper campaign saying — with the cruelest of irony — that you’ll stop at nothing to destroy all that’s good and decent. Why, you may ask, would anyone ever look me in the eye again after I did such a thing? Because fabricating dehumanizing, reputation-destroying, hate-fueling lies is hopeful, transcendent, and unity-building change you can believe in!
I don’t normally link to Democratic Underground, but there’s an excellent post there on how the Obama campaign has engendered racial divisiveness among Democrats: “Putting All The Race Cards on the Table: ‘The Race Memo’” by McCamy Taylor.
Blowback Ahead (by Anglachel)
The Obama campaign has turned itself into a one-note wonder – If you don’t vote for me, you are a stupid white racist. No more Hope and Change. No more Unity Ponies for everyone. Just a direct, crude, defamatory accusation at millions of loyal Democrats… Why won’t the campaign drop something this incendiary and divisive, particularly as it appears to be costing him votes? Probably because everyone from the boss on down really, truly believes it. Obama’s statements about working class whites was in response to a question about why couldn’t he get their votes. His answer was they are bitter – superstitious, violent, racist and xenophobic – and so they fail to vote for me. It is their fault, their failing, their lack that is costing me votes. It can’t be his fault that he’s losing, because all the Very Serious People agree that Obama simply must be President…
The Obama campaign response to losing New Hampshire was to instantly accuse working class residents of being closet racists and this toxic and grievously insulting charge continues to this day. The more his campaign trumpets this accusation, the greater the resistance to his campaign, which then pumps up its rhetoric, which offends more people, etc… There will be a long-term political price to pay for insisting that working class voters don’t have concrete interests, but are only voting out of bigotry. Obama will pay his part of that price soon, whether in the primaries or in the general. The party will be paying for years.
THE BUBBA GAP…. (by Kevin Drum at Political Animal, the Washington Monthly)
Apparently this week’s issue of Newsweek was guest edited by Mark Penn. The cover story is blurbed like this: “Barack Obama is a Niebuhr-reading ESPN watcher. The origins of his troubles with the ‘other’ tag.” And the cover photo dramatizes this as arugula vs. beer. Cute! And on the off chance that you don’t quite get the message, the issue also includes pieces by Karl Rove (“President Bush’s former senior adviser offers advice for fighting the ‘elistist’ label”); Jonathan Alter (“Hillary wants to cast Obama as a ‘Brother From Another Planet’”); Ellis Cose (“No matter what Obama does or what issue he takes, many voters may vote purely on demographic and racial terms”); and Raina Kelley (“With Barack Obama, it’s about much more than just race”). That’s an impressive package. I’d say they hit pretty much every latte-sipping talking point in the book. Nice work.
CHASING THE BIRDS: (by Bob Somerby at the Daily Howler)
Wednesday evening saw Keith [Olbermann] enjoying a rare bit of personal pleasure. Comedian Paul Mecurio had been asked to help kill the program’s final segment. Keith asked about the guys in those Abercrombie/Fitch tee-shirts—the ones who were visible as Obama spoke Tuesday night. Soon, Keith was running with Paul in the fields, very much as he used to: “MECURIO: … I don’t believe the campaign. I think it was a plant. Remember when Barbara Bush said Hillary rhymes with ‘witch?’ Well, Obama is sending a message to the world that she rhymes with ‘Fitch.’” Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Actually, Barbara Bush said that Geraldine Ferraro “rhymed with rich,” way back in 1984. But so what? A minor change in a famous fact let the gentlemen gambol and play. Back to the fun: “You’re saying it was to get everybody to think that Hillary Clinton was rich,” Keith playfully countered. “Don`t want to get the network in any more trouble.”
Bush Made Permanent (by Paul Krugman)
As the designated political heir of a deeply unpopular president — according to Gallup, President Bush has the highest disapproval rating recorded in 70 years of polling — John McCain should have little hope of winning in November. In fact, however, current polls show him roughly tied with either Democrat. In part this may reflect the Democrats’ problems. For the most part, however, it probably reflects the perception, eagerly propagated by Mr. McCain’s many admirers in the news media, that he’s very different from Mr. Bush — a responsible guy, a straight talker. But is this perception at all true? During the 2000 campaign people said much the same thing about Mr. Bush; those of us who looked hard at his policy proposals, especially on taxes, saw the shape of things to come. And a look at what Mr. McCain says about taxes shows the same combination of irresponsibility and double-talk that, back in 2000, foreshadowed the character of the Bush administration.
Hagee Retracts Katrina Comment: ‘I Should Not Have Suggested’ I Knew God’s Intent (Think Progress)
Earlier this week, ThinkProgress reported that controversial Pastor John Hagee had reiterated his long-held contention that Hurricane Katrina was God’s punishment to New Orleans for hosting a gay pride parade. Yesterday, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) — who had recently said he was “glad” to have Hagee’s endorsement — distanced himself from Hagee’s comments, calling them “nonsense” nine times. Now, Hagee has put out a statement saying that he “should not have suggested” that he knew “the mind of God concerning Hurricane Katrina”:
McCain frequently used wife’s jet for little cost. (Think Progress)
Last year, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) backed legislation requiring presidential candidates to pay the actual cost of flying on corporate jets. He also promised not to use his wife’s personal wealth for his presidential nomination. Yet The New York Times is reporting that McCain repeatedly used Cindy McCain’s corporate jet at very little cost to his campaign:
Judicial Watch Calls on FEC to Investigate McCain Presidential Fundraising Luncheon Held in London
Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it filed a formal complaint, dated April 22, 2008, with the Federal Election Commission related to a fundraising luncheon held at London’s Spencer House to benefit Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign.
Bush tweaks candidates at correspondents’ dinner
WASHINGTON – President Bush poked fun at his potential successors Saturday night, expressing surprise that none of them were in the audience at the White House Correspondents’ Association annual dinner.
Blowing Off the Media: Video Shows the Perils of Covering Dick Cheney (by Jonathan Turley)
This video shows that even Vice President Dick Cheney’s plane blows off media on occasion. The plane returned a few second later to strafe the tarmac for survivors.
It is SO funny.
Isikoff: Drudge is ‘much less of a factor than he was five years ago.’ (Think Progress)
In their book, The Way To Win, Mark Halperin and John Harris praised right-wing internet gossip Matt Drudge’s influence on the media, saying, “Matt Drudge rules our world.” But yesterday, Newsweek’s Michael Isikoff — whose Monica Lewinsky reporting was famously leaked to Drudge — declared at “Q & A Café” that Drudge is “is much less of a factor than he was five years ago.” “I think he has lost a little bit of his edge,” said Isikoff.
We can certainly be grateful for that!
Pentagon Propaganda: So Much Worse Than We Thought (by John Stauber, Sheldon Rampton, PR Watch)
The Bush Administration has spent millions on deceptive PR to sell the war, as recently documented in the New York Times. Where’s the fallout?
Pentagon suspends media propaganda campaign. (Think Progress)
Responding to The New York Times’s explosive report exposing the Bush administration’s secret campaign to use analysts in order to “generate favorable news coverage,” the Pentagon has “temporarily stopped feeding information to retired military officers pending a review of the issue.” A department official said that a timeline for the investigation had not been set, but that they would “take the time to do it right.”
Public Turning Even More Negative on Iraq (Public Opinion by Ruy Teixeira, Center for American Progress) Recent polls show a record high proportion of the U.S. public now believes Iraq was a mistake.
Feith: ‘We Took An Extremely Strong Pro-Geneva Convention Position In The Pentagon’ (Think Progress)
Since writing his new book, Iraq war architect Doug Feith has consistently tried to rewrite the history of Bush administration foreign policy, blaming its failures on others. Feith continued these gross distortions yesterday, in a three-hour interview with right-wing radio talker Hugh Hewitt. It is well-known that the administration’s torture program violates the Geneva conventions, which even conservatives admit. Feith told Hewitt the administration was “strongly pro-Geneva convention,” and so was he.
Click through to listen to the audio.
Justice Scalia on “60 Minutes” (by Jeralyn at TalkLeft)
“60 Minutes” featured Justice Anton Scalia [Sunday night]. He’s a very personable fellow. Among the highlights and lowlights…: • torture is not punishment when you are trying to get information out of someone • Fetuses are not persons within the meaning of the Equal Protection Clause. Persons means people who can walk around. Pregnant women shouldn’t be counted twice. • He has 9 kids and 28 grandkids. He was an only child. Why? They practiced their version of “Vatican Roulette.”
Today’s single payer post; Charlie Crystle explains why we shouldn’t settle for less (by DCblogger at Corrente)
Single-payer is good for business[:] “My growing software company’s health-insurance premiums have more than doubled over the past four years. This is not sustainable and the governor’s bill would do nothing to change it; rather, it would preserve the status quo of the failed “market” system, which actually provides more of a monopoly than a competitive market. SB 300, in contrast, would ensure full coverage for all Pennsylvania residents, regardless of their employment or social status.” Say it with me, health insurance is not healthcare.
Did Robert Rubin Jeopardize Financial Stability to Protect Goldman Sachs? (by Dean Baker)
That is what he claims, according to the NYT. The NYT reports that Rubin claims that he was considering imposing stricter margin requirements on futures trading when he was leaving Goldman Sachs to take a top position in the Clinton administration. According to the article, Rubin claims he abandoned the plans when the Chicago Board of Trade told him “we will make sure Goldman Sachs never trades another future on the C.B.O.T. if this went ahead.”… If such a threat was actually made, then it should have been reported to the F.B.I. and some people connected with the C.B.O.T. should be sitting in jail right now… The fact that Robert Rubin would have no qualms claiming to the NYT that he dropped a regulatory proposal to protect Goldman Sachs, suggests that such behavior is common.
Media Matters for America headlines
• Ignoring reversals, Boston Globe cited taxes and immigration as evidence that McCain “appears to delight in defying his fellow Republicans”
• NewsBusters attacked Pelosi as “more of a shallow politician than a devout Christian” for calling the Dalai Lama “His Holiness” — as Bush has repeatedly done
• Wash. Post’s Broder joins Cohen in ignoring numerous falsehoods, asserts McCain “is not assumed to be willing to sacrifice personal credibility to prevail”
• Today, Early Show covered Wright interview, but didn’t ask McCain about Hagee
• O’Reilly claimed “McCain has no power at all” in NC to stop state GOP from running ad attacking Obama
• Noonan suggests what Obama “think[s] of America” is a mystery — but he wrote a whole book on the topic
• Networks reportedly refused to appear on PBS’ NewsHour to respond to NY Times’ military analysts story; several continue blackout
• Matthews’ obsession with Obama’s ability to “walk[] into a dinette [sic]” continues
Saudi Arabia releases popular blogger
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – A friend of Saudi Arabia’s most popular blogger says authorities have released the writer months after arresting him without charge.
Thomson Reuters’ Ethics Code: Blogging’s OK, Just Don’t Talk To Competitors (Paid Content)
Staff of the new Thomson-Reuters are forbidden from using blogs for internal communications and for liaising with co-workers. The merged news agency produced a new a code of ethics late last week – a fairly standard piece of corporate housekeeping that says “it’s OK to mention Thomson Reuters in a personal blog” but which bars employees from blogging about confidential info and company clients. “Further, personal blogs should never be used for internal communications among fellow employees and you should not use a personal blog to air any differences with co-workers, Thomson Reuters or people or companies that we do business with.” The code also bars staff from taking gifts and includes a litany of suggestions for ensuring nearby people can’t see their laptop screen.
Reluctantly, a Daily Stops Its Presses, Living Online
On Saturday, The Capital Times, the fabled 90-year-old daily newspaper of Madison, Wis., stopped printing to devote itself to publishing its daily report on the Web.
The Newspaper Death Watch
Tumultuous Week Highlights Industry’s Many Challenges
The End of Network News as We Know It?
Decreases in Ads and Viewers Mean Change Is in the Air for Big Three
The WSJ’s Little Committee That Failed… (by Dean Starkman, Columbia Journalism Review)
To protect the paper’s editorial independence
Murdoch’s ‘Head of Content’
Robert Thomson, the new de-facto editor at The Wall Street Journal, is charged with executing the vision of its owner, Rupert Murdoch.
Zuckerman Bids $580 Million For Newsday; Matches Murdoch (Paid Content)
Mort Zuckerman, the owner of the New York Daily News and U.S. News and World Report, has offered $580 million to acquire Newsday from Tribune, matching a bid earlier this week by News Corp. As NYT points out, Zuckerman is expected to make the argument to executives at the Tribune that his bid is more attractive because it can be completed faster and does not have the potential to fall into regulatory limbo. News Corp. owns New York Post, WSJ and two New York City-area local TV stations.
Public Radio Tries to Reignite Its Public
PUBLIC radio is drawing its largest audience ever, some 28 million listeners nationwide each week. But if it’s a golden era, you wouldn’t know it from the frenetic activity to remake the genre… Public radio “had an enormous surge in listening over about a 10-year period from the mid ’90s up through about 2003, principally driven by a huge response to public radio’s news and information programming,” said Tom Thomas, co-chief executive officer of the Station Resource Group, a public radio consortium. But since 2003 “the audience has essentially been flat,” he said. To address this, the consortium recently received a Corporation for Public Broadcasting grant to identify ways to get the audience growing again, and “Everything is on the table,” Mr. Thomas said.
They would do well to stop trying to turn themselves into a right-wing medium.
Microsoft in quandary over Yahoo bid as key deadline looms
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Microsoft Corp. is no closer to buying Yahoo Inc. than when it made its $44.6 billion bid nearly three months ago, leaving the software maker in a quandary over whether the deal is still worth pursuing.
Yahoo plans makeover with elements of social network
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Yahoo Inc. plans to make its Web site a social hub by hosting applications from other online services, part of the Internet pioneer’s effort to spawn more advertising opportunities. “We are going to rewire the entire experience at Yahoo to make it social in every dimension.”
Bunker Mentality: YouTube Bars Account of Leading Scientology Critic (by Jonathan Turley)
YouTube has pulled the account of popular anti-scientology channel “Xenutv1″ run by Mark Bunker — just before it aired a long-anticipated three-hour interview with Jason Beghe – a film and television actor who recently came out against his former Scientology church. The church as been aggressively pursuing and threatening such sites under copyright laws to prevent the disclosure of material on the church. In the meantime, hackers have “declared war” on the Church, which they denounce as a dangerous cult. Bunker insists that the interview has no copyrighted material and that an earlier warning was heeded about the presence of such material. Critics of Scientology see the hand of the Church, though YouTube has been pretty draconian with other controversial subjects.
Golden Years of Television Find New Life on the Web
Television distributors have recently made thousands of episodes of programs like “The Twilight Zone” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” available free online.
Cartoons of a Racist Past Lurk on YouTube
Among the millions of clips on the video-sharing Web site YouTube are 11 racially offensive Warner Brothers cartoons that have not been shown in an authorized release since 1968.
Revealing Photo Threatens a Major Disney Franchise
A picture of Disney star Miley Cyrus posing in satin sheets in Vanity Fair has sparked outrage from parents.
Adults Say OMG As Teen Slang Spreads
It’s nothing to LOL about: Despite best efforts to keep school writing assignments formal, two-thirds of teens admit in a survey that emoticons and other informal styles have crept in.
Dear Spam, Happy 30th Birthday. P.S., You Suck. (by Sean P. Aune at Mashable)
May 1978 may not seem like an important time to you, but to the multi- billion-dollar spam industry, it’s the equivalent to the beginning of time. Kurt Kleiner of NewScientistTech reminds us that it was Gary Thuerk who sent the first spam to the 393 users of ARPANET, the original version of the Internet. Either on May 2nd or 3rd (sources vary on the specific day; a Wikipedia entry says 5/2), Mr. Thuerk sent a marketing pitch for a new computer model from his employer, Digital Equipment Corporation. And then as now, people were rather annoyed by the concept of getting such an email. Yet, it apparently resulted in some sales. Thus Internet spamming was born.
Take a Picture of an Ad, Earn a Reward
The magazines Rolling Stone and Men’s Health are testing programs in which readers can take cameraphone pictures of icons on ads to receive more information or an offer from the advertiser.
Presenting a Post-2.0 Way to Think About Media Measurology (by Simon Dumenco, Advertising Age)
Traffic Stats From Competing Metrics Firms Just Don’t Add Up. Could It Be We’re Counting the Wrong Stuff?
A Google Prototype for a Precision Image Search
The company presented a new algorithm for blending image-recognition software methods with techniques for weighting and ranking images that look most similar.
