Proof that we’re obsessed with bullshit
Just after the RBC adjourns, look what’s at the top of Memeorandum.
Forget the so-called party elite. Bloggers suck. Big time.
The Party Elite Sucks?
Um…I’m sorry, but Hillary Clinton has been a member of the party elite for YEARS.
“This election is just being manipulated away from Hillary…”
We are victim, hear us roar.
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Sad to hear a Democrat repeat Republican lies.
Sadder still to see the conclusion of this one:
Sphere: Related ContentDeath jokes are just NOT okay
And that goes for Republicans as well as fellow Democrats, particularly when they are at the expense of a US Senator and presidential candidate — in this case, Hillary Clinton.
Right now, U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert is up. He repeated a joke I first heard him tell at the Pierce County Republicans’ Lincoln Day breakfast earlier this year. It involves an airplane that’s going to crash, one fewer parachute than passengers and, ultimately, Hillary Clinton dying.
Rep. Reichert should just stop. This is the kind of nonsense that the Republicans think they can do and get away with, but they shouldn’t and can’t. Time for these people to mind their tongues and their manners, or lose their standing and their elected office. It’s irresponsible and ‘fire in the crowded theater’ speech.
Reichert is running against Democrat Darcy Burner. Consider a contribution to Darcy Burner’s campaign as a statement against violent speech that targets candidates running for president, whether Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama.
I just did that. Let’s get this joker out of office for good.
Sphere: Related ContentObama Family Letter of Resignation from Trinity
The thought occurred to me that not leaving Trinity was going to take its toll on that church, too. I’m still sad over it. Here is the text of the Obama Family letter of resignation (posted by an Obama supporter on their blog):
May 30, 2008
Dear. Rev. Moss:
We are writing to make official our decision to end our memebership at trinity.
We make this decision with sadness. Trinity was where I found Christ, where we were married and where our children were baptized. We have many friends among the 8,000 congregants who attend there and we are proud of the extraordinary good works the church continues to perform throughout the community to help the hungry, the homeless and people in need of medical care. We also have come to appreciate your ministry and both think you have been, and will be, a wonderful pastor for years to come.
But as you know, our relations with trinity have been strained by the divisive statements of rev. wright, which sharply conflict with our own views. Our larger concern is that because of my candidacy and membership at trinity, these controversies have served as an unfortunate distraction for other trinity members who seek to worship in peace, and have placed you in an untenable position as you establish your own ministry under very difficult circumstances.
Our faith remains strong and we will find another church home for our family. But we also know that faith and prayer are not merely exercises to be discharged for two hours on Sunday. They are and always will be a bulwark for us in our daily lives.
We are grateful for our years as part of the Trinity community, and wish you all the best as you lead the congregation into the future. You, your family and the entire Trinity family will be in thoughts and prayers.
Sincerely
Michelle Obama
Barack Obama
What does ‘participate’ mean?
As I mentioned last night, the meeting of the RBC today is meaningless. Harold Ickes, in high dudgeon, dramatically reserved Senator Clinton’s right to ‘take the Michigan compromise to the credentials committee.”
Clinton supporters, in addition to being incredibly rude and unruly, are unhappy that Obama was given ANY delegates in Michigan, just as I suspected. Everything turns on the Four State Pledge signed by all candidates where they agreed to this paragraph:
THEREFORE, I _______________, Democratic Candidate for President, pledge
I shall not campaign or participate in any state which schedules a presidential
election primary or caucus before Feb. 5, 2008, except for the states of Iowa,
Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina, as “campaigning” is defined by
rules and regulations of the DNC.
Everything turns on the word “participate”. A couple of facts:
- Michigan automatically adds names to their ballot for their primary on the day that candidates declare their candidacy. Michigan also has a rule allowing candidates to remove their names from the ballot.
- Florida does not have a similar provision allowing candidates to remove their names from the ballot. Once names are there, they’re there.
Participate has an active and passive definition. The active definition is “be involved in; enter a race; enter an agreement; enter negotiation;” The passive definition is to ‘become a participant’ by default (e.g., having one’s name added to a ballot)
If one does not actively pursue adding their name to the ballot, then the term ‘to participate’ has to be interpreted as leaving it there.
Therefore, the only way to stay consistent with the pledge was to withdraw their name from the ballot. Further, voters for Edwards, Obama and Biden were urged by the Michigan Democratic party to vote ‘uncommitted’ to express their preference for unlisted candidates. They did so, with the assumption that either no votes would count, or their ‘uncommitted votes’ would be allocated to some candidate in some fashion later on.
For anyone to argue that Obama wasn’t entitled to any delegates is simply dishonest. For any DEMOCRAT to argue for voter’s rights while simultaneously moving to disenfranchise 238,000 Michigan voters proves the cynical basis for the original argument.
Obama needs 68 delegates to reach the now-firm delegate number of 2118. He will likely win 43-45 after the final primaries. He only needs 28-30 superdelegates to reach the nomination. If an additional 40 superdelegates make a public commitment, the threat of the credentials committee appeal will be irrelevant.
It would be good for Hillary Clinton to be gracious on Tuesday night. It would certainly go far toward healing the very large breach and softening me toward her and her rude, obnoxious supporters who were so incredibly harsh in Washington DC today.
It would be good, but don’t hold your breath.
For more info about the credentials committee, see my post on Delegate Voodoo.
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