Congratulations to DNCC Credentialed Bloggers!
As much as I would have loved for this blog to be on the list, I am impressed with the list of bloggers that were given press credentials by the DNCC. Many of my “must-reads” are on there, including BlogHer, Jack and Jill Politics, Crooks and Liars, MOMocrats, AMERICAblog.com, Digby’s Hullabaloo, Firedoglake, MyDD, Obsidian Wings, Pam’s House Blend, RuralVotes and more.
I’m going to create an aggregated feed of their blogs to add to a page here so you can get up-to-date info when the convention starts.
Congratulations to all! It’s going to be an event we’ll not soon forget. History will be made.
Sphere: Related ContentMichelle Malkin v. Rachael Ray
The real terrorist is Michelle. I’m heading out to Krispy Kreme now. I’m going to wear the kaffiyeh I received as a gift from my relative who served in Afghanistan. Because I can. And because Michelle Malkin is a real danger to women everywhere.
Sphere: Related ContentThe Truth About Barack Obama
I wonder if we should put this on our iPhones and iPods so we can whip it out and show it to the next person who asks if Obama is a Muslim, refuses to pledge allegiance to the flag, has flag pin issues, associations with Rezko, etc.
Probably so.
Sphere: Related ContentMichelle Obama Speaks on Fear
Wow, Michelle Obama dug down into her soul to get to this point, I can tell.
She called on another supporter, whose voice quivered and broke with barely contained emotion as she explained how important it is to her, personally, that our country change course. She explained that she had just returned from Oregon where she campaigned for Obama and attended the 75,000-person rally by the river. She had noticed, she said, that the Secret Service had increased security dramatically for Barack Obama’s rallies since the Phoenix rally in January.
The room collectively gasped and murmured, some aghast that these fears were being spoken aloud directly to Barack Obama’s wife. Some nodded, concern and fear on their faces. Others shifted on their feet, displaying a range of emotions — concern, discomfort with the topic, indignation.
The woman continued: “What can you tell us…” and then her voice caught and broke as a sob rose up from her chest. She paused for a moment. “I’m afraid of what might happen. What can you tell us, after last week’s comments–” another sob– “after last week’s comments, to make us feel more at ease?” She cried unabashedly after finally getting out her words.
The room that had been electrified with positive energy throughout the evening suddenly became still and quiet, all eyes focused on Michelle Obama. Michelle Obama’s eyes, though, were focused on that concerned supporter. She paused, allowing the clearly distraught supporter to pull herself together. Maybe it was 30 seconds before Obama spoke, stretched out into imaginary minutes. Finally, she said firmly, “I’m ok. Really. I am ok. And if I’m ok, you should be ok.
Here’s the part that just yanked me:
“We talked about this as a family.”
The room remained still and quiet. Imagine having that talk with your children. Then, she paused, gathering herself, pulling herself up, seeming to grow even taller, Michelle, the campaigning wife returns. She says,
“I’ve talked about this before. Barack is probably safer now than he was before. Kids are dying in the street in our community. They get shot walking to class, sitting in school, taking the bus home. They are dying in the street…. Send us good vibes. Pray for us. Think positive thoughts. But most of all, be vigilant. Be vigilant about stopping this kind of talk.
It’s not funny. You don’t have to like Barack to dislike that kind of talk. Be vigilant about stopping that kind of talk.”
Amen, Michelle. And I take “that kind of talk” to mean the fear talk, but also talk of harm coming to him at all, a la Liz Trotta and Hillary Clinton, whether by accident or design.
Sphere: Related ContentClinton’s letter to superdelegates
Tell me again that she’s vying for the vice presidency. Um…I don’t think so. I’ve bolded some of the specific reasons in the body of the letter that highlight the ambition and expectation that she will be the nominee. This letter was accompanied by Karl Rove’s charts and polls supporting her argument. Gosh, he’s everywhere lately.
Dear ___________,
The stakes in this election are so high: with two wars abroad, our economy in crisis here at home, and so many families struggling across America, the need for new leadership has never been greater.
At this point, we do not yet have a nominee – and when the last votes are cast on June 3, neither Senator Obama nor I will have secured the nomination. It will be up to automatic delegates like you to help choose our party’s nominee, and I would like to tell you why I believe I am the stronger candidate against Senator McCain and would be the best President and Commander in Chief.
Voters in every state have made it clear that they want to be heard and counted as part of this historic race. And as we reach the end of the primary season, more than 17 million people have supported me in my effort to become the Democratic nominee – more people than have ever voted for a potential nominee in the history of our party. In the past two weeks alone, record numbers of voters participated in the West Virginia and Kentucky primaries. And with 40 and 35 point margins of victory, it is clear that even when voters are repeatedly told this race is over, they’re not giving up on me – and I am not giving up on them either.
After seven years of feeling invisible to the Bush administration, Americans are seeking a President who is strong, experienced, and ready to take on our toughest challenges, from serving as Commander in Chief and ending the war in Iraq to turning our economy around. They want a President who shares their core beliefs about our country and its future and “gets” what they go through every day to care for their families, pay the bills and try to put something away for the future.
We simply cannot afford another four – or eight – years in the wilderness. That is why, everywhere I go, people come up to me, grip my hand or arm, and urge me to keep on running. That is why I continue in this race: because I believe I am best prepared to lead this country as President – and best prepared to put together a broad coalition of voters to break the lock Republicans have had on the electoral map and beat Senator McCain in November. (See, it’s not just about her base — it’s her strong belief that she, and only she, can lead this country. Message: Obama weak; me strong)
Recent polls and election results show a clear trend: I am ahead in states that have been critical to victory in the past two elections. From Ohio, to Pennsylvania, to West Virginia and beyond, the results of recent primaries in battleground states show that I have strong support from the regions and demographics Democrats need to take back the White House. I am also currently ahead of Senator McCain in Gallup national tracking polls, while Senator Obama is behind him. And nearly all independent analyses (This is not true. She handpicked her analyses) show that I am in a stronger position to win the Electoral College, primarily because I lead Senator McCain in Florida and Ohio. I’ve enclosed a detailed analysis of recent electoral and polling information, and I hope you will take some time to review it carefully.
In addition, when the primaries are finished, I expect to lead in the popular vote and in delegates earned through primaries. Ultimately, the point of our primary process is to pick ourstrongest nominee – the one who would be the best President and Commander in Chief, who has the greatest support from members of our party, and who is most likely to win in November. So I hope you will consider not just the strength of the coalition backing me, but also that more people will have cast their votes for me. (again with the popular vote lie…way to make your case, base it all on a lie).
I am in this race for them — for all the men and women I meet who wake up every day and work hard to make a difference for their families. People who deserve a shot at the American dream – the chance to save for college, a home and retirement; to afford quality health care for their families; to fill the gas tank and buy the groceries with a little left over each month.
I am in this race for all the women in their nineties who’ve told me they were born before women could vote, and they want to live to see a woman in the White House. For all the women who are energized for the first time, and voting for the first time. For the little girls – and little boys – whose parents lift them onto their shoulders at our rallies, and whisper in their ears, “See, you can be anything you want to be.” As the first woman ever to be in this position, I believe I have a responsibility to them. (and if you don’t give me this nomination, you’ll disappoint all the little old ladies and little girls and little boys…wah.)
Finally, I am in this race because I believe staying in this race will help unite the Democratic Party. I believe that if Senator Obama and I both make our case – and all Democrats have the chance to make their voices heard – everyone will be more likely to rally around the nominee.
In the end, I am committed to unifying this party. What Senator Obama and I share is so much greater than our differences; and no matter who wins this nomination, I will do everything I can to bring us together and move us forward.
But at this point, neither of us has crossed the finish line. (Actually, one will cross the finish line on 6/3, but not her) I hope that in the time remaining, you will think hard about which candidate has the best chance to lead our party to victory in November. I hope you will consider the results of the recent primaries and what they tell us about the mindset of voters in the key battleground states (hint: they won’t vote for a black guy). I hope you will think about the broad and winning coalition of voters (White women over 50, Appalachian voters and who else? Hispanics are moving in droves to Obama…) I have built.(Because yeah, Obama didn’t build a goddamn thing, it’s all about what SHE’S built. Gimme a break, and give Bush some credit too) And most important, I hope you will think about who is ready to stand on that stage with Senator McCain, (HRC code words arguing her ‘experience’) fight for the deepest principles of our party, and lead our country forward into this new century.
I’m telling you, she’ll take it to the convention, in which case Rachel Maddow will be absolutely 100-frickin’-percent right.
Sphere: Related ContentClinton’s Taking it to the Convention
The Rules Committee meeting on the 31st doesn’t make a whit of difference. Here’s why
Democratic National Committee rules require that the two states lose at least half of their convention delegates for holding elections too early, the party’s legal experts wrote in a 38-page memo
.
Because Clinton has mobilized her over-50-women base in Florida by comparing this situation to the 2000 election, despite the intellectual dishonesty of that idea, Florida will not accept anything other than full seating, despite their flagrant disregard of the rules.
There are two ways to seat 100% of the delegates:
- Give all delegates 1/2 votes
- Appeal to the credentials committee at the convention
]The analysis also said there is an option to restore 100 percent of the delegates — by a recommendation of the Credentials Committee that meets later this summer. However, that would mean a final decision would not be made until the first day of the convention in Denver since Credentials Committee decisions have to be approved by the full convention as it convenes — risking a floor fight.
The Clintons have pulled it out over and over and over again. They believe they can do it again this time, through a combination of stirring the FL/MI pot (despite the fact that Michigan’s election was ruled unconstitutional).
While I understand the Obama campaign’s desire to wait until South Dakota, Montana and Puerto Rico have voted before unleashing the alleged flood of superdelegates, I’d say it’s worth having some step out sooner might be better than later, not because I believe Clinton will win, but because the only way to focus completely on John McCain is to have enough superdelegates to meet the bar after Clinton forces the shift.
After Sunday, it won’t be 2025 for the nomination. It will be something between 2025 and 2210. Since it’s a given that the rules committee cannot arrive at a solution acceptable to the Clinton campaign, she will not concede, unless the superdelegates step up and speak.
Much is happening behind the scenes, I’m sure. The Virgin Island superdelegate who switched his endorsement from Clinton to Obama and then back to Clinton again yesterday is evidence of that, though I’d like to think most superdelegates are smart enough to not look like multi-flip-floppers.
We are now seeing the apex of the Clinton power play for the nomination. If she somehow manages to take it this way by some incredibly long-odds steal, the Democrats will lose to McCain.
At this point, I’m beyond even trying to be generous with her. I am grateful that my mother is an Obama supporter, because I am rapidly becoming rebellious and hardened toward women one generation away from me who are so goddamned determined to see a woman that they would elect an amoral, ambitious, greedy sociopath (thank you, Andrew Sullivan for framing it so well).
Obama is 48 delegates away from the nomination as it stands today. After Sunday, he will probably be somewhere between 48 and 233 delegates away. 86 pledged delegates remain. Assuming a 50/50 split, Obama will have 43 from Tuesday’s contests.
If you think I’m being paranoid, think again. Clinton is challenging the credentials for the Texas delegates won by Obama at the county conventions (see her website for info about organizing for these challenges…yes, it IS her campaign doing the challenging). Her surrogates strongarmed Obama delegates in Michigan (yes, THAT Michigan, the one that doesn’t count).
Either the superdelegates end it, or it goes to the convention floor, where Bill Clinton will be the number one goon acting for her.
I regret ever spending even a second of my life, much less several years, defending them both.
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