hillary is toast . and I can say I acually hate bill and hill.

Howard is first and most likely doesn't hate anybody. 

I posted some good articles and some humor on the old thread.

http://www.blogforamerica.com/view/25061#comment-1190617 

linda b, don't give up hope.  It still looks good for your guy.

ATTN:  left coast

"Boston Legal" on in 30 minutes. 

Gonna repeat this from the last thread: Hillary Clinton netted SIX delegates tonight.

Hi all.   So it drags on.  However, a small silver lining:

There is good news in the prolonged battle for the nomination, too. Democratic registration rolls have swelled and voters in states that normally don't get a say in the primary process are welcoming the attention. But there is another, often overlooked, benefit of the long march to the 2008 nomination. As the contest moves from state to state, and canvassers knock on doors and make telephone calls, the campaigns are collecting valuable information about likely voters and laying essential groundwork for November.

"When the Clinton and Obama campaigns are making calls, they are not just asking, 'Are you going to support our candidates?'" said Michael McDonald, a professor at George Mason University who studies voter files and turnout patterns. "You're also asking questions about what issues are important to them, and profiling them in deeper ways. Once you've got them into the system, and you've got their email address, they're part of this organizing system the Democrats are building."

Even as he frets about avoiding a dramatic showdown at the party convention this August in Denver, Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, agrees that there is a big upside to the drawn-out primary contest. "I take issue with all of the hand-wringing that goes on in the 24-hour cable cycle about how the Democrats are beating each other up," Dean said. "That's a short-term problem."

"The long-term benefit is that in every state, including places like Pennsylvania and North Carolina where we're likely to have competitive races, we have on-the-ground operations which are vacuuming up enormous amounts of information."

The information -- everything from a voter's cell phone number and e-mail address to voting intentions and top issues, from newly registered Democrats and long-time voters -- is being channeled back into a central voter file organized by the Democratic National Committee. "We know where all the people we are going to have to get out in November are, now," Dean said. With John McCain's claim on the GOP nomination cemented back in February, Republicans can't say the same thing.

"[Democrats are] really organizationally way ahead, and in much better detail, than in any previous cycle," said Peter Leyden, director of the New Politics Institute at NDN, a progressive think tank and advocacy group. "This is a greater benefit that the negative effects that go with this extended primary."

Dean has made the file a priority, working with state parties and spending more than $10m to build it and streamline the data. That information begins with voter registration data like name and address, and, in some states, race and gender. It is supplemented with other public records, such as voting history and hunting licenses, as well as mailing lists and other commercially available data. But it also is benefiting from simple legwork, the kind that energized Democrats have been carrying out across the country as the primary race has proceeded.

Allen McQuarrie, a retired teachers' union worker who lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania -- where Democrats tipped the balance, from a Republican advantage of 21,562 voters at the start of the year, to a Democratic edge of 3,472 voters at the start of this month -- did his part.

McQuarrie worked as a volunteer for the Obama campaign, carrying voter registration forms door-to-door, and handing them out at the library and the local commuter railroad station. "I think Obama has made Republicans feel welcomed," he said. "They seemed to feel like they found a home with him and that they could switch parties and not feel uncomfortable about it."

Each time a new registration form was completed, McQuarrie said it was photocopied at the local Obama headquarters before it was turned in to local election officials. That's standard operating practice, but with 300,000 new Democrats registered in the state since the start of the year, the information collected -- and entered into campaign databases -- is staggering.

♥s Christy ♥s

Air Force slow to help out, defense chief complains
Tuesday, April 22, 2008 2:57 AM
By Peter Spiegel

LOS ANGELES TIMES

WASHINGTON -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates said yesterday that U.S. military services are not doing enough to support soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, singling out the Air Force for adapting too slowly to the new enemies on those battlefields.

-------

The Defense Chief seems upset at everybody these days over the QUAGMIRES. First, NATO was failing miserably in Afghanistan....the Wehrmacht refusing to go south. Now, the USAF isn't performing to standards. I miss Don Rumsfeld and his sidekick....then again, they didn't care for the uniformed services either....Shinseki and that TN National Guard soldier had some nerve.

I need to get some sleep.

My thanks to EVERY person who worked for Barack Obama in PA. ♥

♥♥♥ Thankful ♥♥♥

Howard is FIRST!!!

...and the vacuuming of info not to mention the organizing of an organization is, too.

Love ya, Howard Dean :-)

12:39 am est

♥'s to all

Kindness is free!

12:41 am est

"When the Clinton and Obama campaigns are making calls, they are not just asking, 'Are you going to support our candidates?'" said Michael McDonald, a professor at George Mason University who studies voter files and turnout patterns. "You're also asking questions about what issues are important to them, and profiling them in deeper ways. Once you've got them into the system, and you've got their email address, they're part of this organizing system the Democrats are building."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I did this for Kerry.  And they destroyed the information.  I wonder if Clinton is turning hers over to the DNC?  

I found a little bit of stuff about Gov. Dean. It was hidden away and hard to find. Still no history. There are a few pages missing.

---

There is no mention of the mission statement at the new site. It looks like it was made for urban and inner city renewal projects. So much for us rural Americans who live in red states and red rural areas of blue states. There is also nothing about helping with the 50 state strategy or building the Democratic Party.

Mission: Inspired by the presidential campaign of Howard Dean, Democracy for America (DFA) is a political action committee dedicated to supporting fiscally responsible, socially progressive candidates at all levels of government—from school board to the presidency. DFA fights against the influence of the far right-wing and their radical, divisive policies and the selfish special interests that for too long have dominated our politics.

DFA has a long-term goal to rebuild the Democratic Party from the bottom up—it will take time, but we must start building a base now for the future.

----

It does have this nonsensical statement regarding candidate endorsements.

...DFA does not have a litmus test of specific progressive positions for which a candidate must stand. ....

Bill Nelson threatening Dean again...says there will be blood on the floor at the convention if Hillary went over 7%, and she did. He also says again that Floridians will not vote for Obama unless Dean gives them their way.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/2021

I think it's kinda humorous yet sad listening to Hillary's supporters chant at her speech tonight. "Yes we will, yes we will!"   wasn't that their original insult to Obama supporters?  that their chanting made them sound like a cult, filled with fools who had 'drunk the koolaid'?  wasn't that the beginning of the animosity between his supporters and hers?  what a strange, twisting road this has been.

That George Bush could have been elected twice; that we have been lied into a phony war 40 years after Vietnam; that Bill Clinton would have been an immature, self aggrandizing fool; that we have a media that feeds us sound bytes and commercials; that Republicans have selected John McCain as their nominee; that Hillary and Bill Clinton have had the kind of power, sway, and influence not only on this country and the Democratic Party, but also in this nomination process is mind boggling.   How did we fall so low?  When did we throw our brains and consciences into the sewer pond?

Those whom the gods would destroy they give gifts, according to Homer.  We, the unique American people, have certainly been given gifts.  

Gahhh!  Ethics, honor, consistency, honesty, leadership, real service and commitment, selfless dedication to country and principles, are humans capapable anymore of honor?

Am flat under my desk in despondancy.   

Thanks Mary vb for the link the the New York Times editorial on the previous thread.  It actually raises my spirits.

I remarked how could all those Catholics vote for Clinton with her duplcity, complicity, lack of ethics and decency.  My husband said, "Look at the Catholic Church."  Yes, of course, authoritarian, power hungry, allowing molesting priests to get away with their crimes for 50 years, punishing, discriminatory.  Yes, and to think that I have thought of it with gratitutde for training in ethics.

Night all.  Better dreams ahead.

Good morning, everybody,

So, I take it Hillary Clinton picked up in pledged delegates what she'd lost in supers on tuesday.  Only fair.  Pennsylvania is her ancesteral state.  Though Scranton?  Well, let's just say it's not my favorite place, but it is better than Hazelton where they wanted to pass an ordinance excluding illegals.  

Have you noticed that a small failure is more energizing than success?

I sure hope that's true of HQ and beta. 

puddle wrote she only netted six delegates.  That is great news. Thanks for posting puddle.

Found the following on The Field

We’ll know more in the morning but it seems like the margin in Pennsylvania will be between 8 and 10 percentage points, which means:

Clinton’s margin among all voters in Ohio (10.5 percent) diminished by the time she got to Pennsylvania.

The margin among registered Democrats (a 14 percent lead in Ohio) diminished by at least 39 percent in Pennsylvania.

Among white registered Democrats (70 percent of them in Ohio) - the demographic that the pastor-bashing and bitter-posturing was aimed at - Senator Clinton lost 24 percent (down to 53 percent in Pennsylvania).

Among African-American registered Democrats (14 percent of them in Ohio) she lost 42 percent of her previous support (down to 8 percent in Pennsylvania).

All the posturing and negativity didn’t gain her a single yard.

In fact, Senator Clinton lost ground in every one of those key foundations of her former base vote.

Whether or not the commercial media spins it that way - in her campaign’s lexicon - “doesn’t matter.”

And ye shall know the dumbest and slowest - and intentionally dishonest - political reporters, pundits, bloggers (and former presidential candidates and spouses) by those that argue otherwise.

 http://ruralvotes.com/thefield/?p=1105#comments

After her statement about annihalating Iran, I no longer see much difference between her and McCain.  And now according to conversation on the blogs, she is going to try to convince superdelegates that an African American cannot win in America. 

She needs to go far far away.

I think it was Catholic women who gave Hillary a boost in NH, too.  Catholic women are of two minds.  They've been schooled to be obedient and they're use to abuse.  Others are convinced that women in charge could do much better.

seashell,  on the last thread you posted she had raised 2.5 million in the last hour.  I found where she raised a couple hundred thousand, would you please post your source for the 2.5 milliion, thanks.

seashell, I see where she raised the 2.5 now.  Hope she pays off all those debts she owes.

Obama is picking up another superdelegate today.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Governor Brad Henry is endorsing Illinois Senator Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination.

In a statement released by the Obama press office in Chicago, Henry called Obama an inspirational leader who can unite the country. He says the senator will be able to move beyond the divisiveness and partisanship that has characterized Washington politics.

The endorsement gives Obama the official support of 3 of Oklahoma's 10 superdelegates, while Hillary Rodham Clinton has the backing of 1 superdelegate. The rest are uncommitted.

http://www.kswo.com/Global/story.asp?S=8212970

Obama needs to go back to the message of change and hope and let her try and beat him to the mountaintop.

The Clinton team proved once and for all they are old politics. (not quite as old as McCain), that was an ugly win. This struggle does need to go on to all fifty states so everey single America gets an opportunity to be a part of the change.

Mike I dare you to sit it out when so much is on the line. you too seashell

Never thought of this

“The one clearly interesting thing I’ve heard on this network so far is actually by Howard Fineman, who’s saying that Obama’s real PA strategy was to bleed HRC’s finances while limiting her margin of victory,” Kilgore writes. “Under that theory, if Obama avoids a double-digit loss while forcing the Clinton campaign into virtual penury, then he’s lost the battle, but maybe contributed to victory in the war. We’ll see.”

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/22/the-cost-of-victory/index.html?ref=opinion

Phil,

I totally agree with you about the message of hope and change, and I was glad to see some of it in his speech last night.

I liked the example in the lead post.

We do need the discussion. 

I think Obama slipped down in the ditch for a mud wrestle and paid a price for his negative ads. if you say you are going to be different you have to be different. he took a suckers bet

she did just well enough to continue

a point or two less for her and more for him and it would have been over

I totally agree with you about the message of hope and change, and I was glad to see some of it in his speech last night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It is a winning message, he has proved it time and again.

bbl

Latest percentage from PA with 99.07 reporting

Obama 45.8

Clinton 54.3

Isn't the difference  8.5 not the 10 percent double digit being reported?

http://www.electionreturns.state.pa.us/ElectionsInformation.aspx?FunctionID=12&ElectionID=27

Someone please explain to me how she can claim momentum?  How is going from a 25 percent lead two weeks ago to a 8.5 win momentum?  Somebody needs to tell her momentum is a forward direction not backward.

Well I've hogged the blog long enough.  It is 258 AM here.  I'm going to try and get some sleep.

I'm glad PA is over.

Kept it under double digits, I'm not happy, but not devastated either.

Obama/Boxer

The spread was 10%--that's double digits.

The Democratic Party continues its suicide march.

I'm not looking forward to president McInsane, but I have to agree with Michael that that's the most likely outcome.

That, and a Rethug Senate.

Cry the Beloved Country.

7:18am

The Catholic Curch is the one that should be worried with the candidate backed by Emily's List and Planned Parenthood winning the Catholic vote. talk about a leadership out of touch with the rank and file

the other demographics I understand

double digits???!!!   next they will say Hillary won Texas, well she did win PA, and she did it by being forced to claim she would re-write NAFTA, so markers are being laid down, and McCain in Youngstown had a different message. ("screw you union labor, your jobs are gone forever")

we had an early nominee last time, see what it got us

I'll take my chances.

Still cannot sleep.

Where do you get double digits John?

time to set a fund raising record from the grassroots

The local paper published my letter on impeachment today.  It's sort of all-purpose, if you leave off the last paragraph.  LOL

http://hannah.smith-family.com/?p=2344 

Votes are still being counted in Pennsylvania, but one thing is already clear.

In a state where we trailed by more than 25 points just a couple weeks ago, you helped close the gap to a slimmer margin than most thought possible.

Thanks to your support, with just 9 contests remaining, we've won more delegates, more votes, and twice as many contests.

We hold a commanding position, but there are two crucial contests coming up -- voters will head to the polls in North Carolina and Indiana in exactly two weeks. And we're already building our organization in the other remaining states.

But it's clear the attacks are going to continue, and we're going to continue fighting a two-front battle against John McCain and Hillary Clinton.

I need your support right now. Please make a donation of $25:

https://donate.barackobama.com/whatthismeans

Thank you for all that you're doing to change our country.

Barack

7:40 AM EDT

ABB* won last night in PA

(*anybody but Bush)

(*anbody but Barack)

(*anybody but black)

The Catholic church has never been about being in-touch, although touching is part of the ritual.  Think of ashes on foreheads and candles on throats and water dirpped on a baby's head.

Interesting that someone got Ashcroft to assert there's a difference between water being "poured" over someone's face and water being "forced" into nostrils and mouth.  Perhaps that's a consequence of not understanding the force of gravity.  On the other hand, such a fine distinction would seem to provide evidence that the matter was carefully considered and partial drowning was given the green light.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/4/23/04046/3938/224/501151 

I would expect *rdorgan that the admonition,  "I will be VERY disappointed in you, if you associate with one of THOSE people,"  resonnates with a lot of people.  They have sacrificed a lot to keep the faith and be true to their own kind.  It's a lot to ask them to give up the security in the bosom of their family and friends that they thought they'd bought.  After a while, obedience comes easier.

Anyway, PA was a secret ballot.  While one might argue that it's easier to make a hard choice in private, with no-one looking over your shoulder, it's even easier to continue being a coward and not risk having to explain a "wrong" choice or lie.  Besides, Obama said they were both good candidates.  In effect, he gave the cowardly an out.  That will serve us well in November.

Vote for her now; vote for him later.  The best of both possible worlds.  I think we can agree on that.  lol 

Howard Dean is first.

Yes he is.

If you can stomach it - here's Hillary putting words into Obama's mouth at the AAM meeting in PA. She gets booed for being cheeky.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/4/14/...

8:10 AM EDT

Monica -

The way a majority of dem PA voters voted last night, makes me all the more glad that I'm a lapsed Catholic.

As for the Pope coming to America last week (yawn).

login doesn't work--just thought you'd like to know there's soooooooome progress.

*rdorgan---there are so very many of us

As for Ratzinger, he was cardinal in munich.  The family was not enthused about the designation.  I think it reminded them that the National Socialist party got organized in munich, hidden amidst the somewhat deviant population. 

No trace this morning of the pundits' earlier talk that she needed to win by at least 10 or get out.

Even if she gets every uncounted vote she would only be at 8.53.

Repellent yesterday to see Bill Clinton wagging his finger again, saying how could he be playing the race card when his office is in Harlem.

That's like saying "some of my best friends are." And yes, Bill, you did play the race card wth the statement about Jackson. And your wife's "camapign" has been represensible in its use of the race card.

Obama could have cut Hill's percentage a little further with more specifics. That would have helped him in the debate too.

My niece is an Obama supporter but is bothered by his lack of specifics. She's 21. I was glad to see he did an ad about Hillary planning to garnish pay for health care premiums should people choose to decline coverage. He needs to get specific around issues like that.

-- volney

I'm not looking forward to president McInsane, but I have to agree with Michael that that's the most likely outcome.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Looks that way..........the historians will look back, 100 years from now from caves and say "what the fuck were they thinking back then"?.............

Hmm, I think this sums it up best how the general election will go...........

Obama vs Clinton is irrevelant. Neither can win the general election. Clinton has appeal with Democrats and is truly partisan figure. Obama is green and has been irrevocably damaged by the Wright issue. The Byers angle will also be exploited mercilessly by the GOP come November. The Dems will win the states they normally do and white working class Dem men will defect to McCain. He will be shaped in his campaign as a centrist Republican and this approach will deliver him most of the swing states.

benjamin, Ulsan South Korea

9:20 AM EDT

fyi - new Front thread

Good morning all. I can't say I'm feeling much better than last night. I know Hillary doesn't have a path to the nomination - unless she destroys Barack Obama and the Democratic Party in the process. But I can't for the life of me understand how good people can vote for such a dishonest person. It's mind-boggling really.

Maybe a good cup of coffee will strenghten my resolve to fight on for Barack!

new thread

Just to set the correct facts straight on just a few incorrect statements up thread

One, Hillary has 55, from Pennsylvania, that's 10 pct more.


Hillary has netted an additional 14 Delegates, not just 6


Hillary was the first to come out about rewriting NAFTA long before Pennsylvania. We remember well when Senator Obama agreed with Hillary's commitment to renogitate or cancel NAFTA in the Ohio debate. That was when Canada released information that Obama's Austan Goolsbee (Economic Advisor-who still works for him)had been making private assurances that his anti NAFTA talk was "just campaign rhetoric".

And Bill has been supporting the free trade treaty with Columbia, received a medal and $300,000 to appear with the President of Columbia. 

How do you reconcile all those contradictions? Well, guess that doesn't matter for some.