Wednesday’s campaign round-up

July 9, 2008

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In response to Iranian missile tests this morning, John McCain said the developments “cry out for collective action,” and insisted the U.S. should end “trade and diplomatic” activities. Barack Obama said in a statement, “Now is the time to work with our friends and allies, and to pursue direct and aggressive diplomacy with the Iranian regime backed by tougher unilateral and multilateral sanctions. It’s time to offer the Iranians a clear choice between increased costs for continuing their troubling behavior, and concrete incentives that would come if they change course.”

* More intra-party unity: “In another sign that Barack Obama’s campaign is moving with all deliberate speed to deal with tensions created by the long primary season, it announced today that Dana Singiser, who was Director of Women’s Outreach for Hillary Clinton’s campaign, would be brought aboard as a senior advisor to ‘help direct efforts to win the women’s vote.'”

* And still more intra-party unity: “The Democratic unity-fest is set to continue this week, with Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton teaming up for some big-money fundraising events on Wednesday and Thursday, the Obama campaign has announced. The two will meet for a Wednesday evening fundraiser in Washington, followed by a Women For Obama breakfast Thursday morning in New York City.”

* The NYT had a very good piece today on the McCain campaign’s healthcare plan and how it relates to those with pre-existing conditions.

* Don’t expect any more Obama-family interviews anytime soon.

* I’d probably avoid hiring this firm: “Former Clinton strategist Mark Penn is teaming up with former Bush strategist Karen Hughes to ‘create a bipartisan consulting organization to advise corporations in crisis.’ Penn will hire Hughes as his vice-chairman. Penn ‘has been blamed in recent months for [Hillary Clinton’s] failed candidacy,’ while Hughes failed in marketing Bush’s policies to the Muslim and Arab world.”

* Obama hit McCain on immigration yesterday, reminding a Latino audience that McCain abandoned his support for McCain’s own immigration legislation during the campaign.

* I think it’s safe to say Congress, as an institution, is not especially popular right now.

* The Planned Parenthood Action Fund officially endorsed Obama yesterday, and Obama spoke to hundreds of the group’s members on a celebratory conference call yesterday afternoon. Keep in mind, this is only the second time the Planned Parenthood Action Fund has officially endorsed a presidential candidate.

* John Kerry won’t be Obama’s running mate.

* Mark Warner has some advice for Obama in winning Virginia: “The roadmap Warner laid out for Obama — win major margins in northern Virginia, drive turnout in the outer suburbs of Washington and “not get smoked in the rural parts of the state” — is a carbon copy of the strategy Warner used to win the governorship in 2001 and that he is implementing in his race this fall against former Republican governor Jim Gilmore.”

* If the catch phrase in McCain’s new TV ad sounds familiar, it’s because the Tories used the exact same line in England in the ’70s.

* Democrats gain ground in Nevada: “According to the secretary of state’s office, 55,560 more Democrats than Republicans are on the active voter rolls in Nevada, as of the end of June. The gap widened from 50,020 in May and represents 5 percent of the 1,031,984 active voters.”

* In Alaska, Mark Begich unveiled two new statewide TV ads, one of which is a biographical spot, while the other talks about energy policy. (That sound you hear is Ted Stevens getting increasingly nervous.)

* Defeating Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) this year continues to look like a long-shot.

while Hughes failed in marketing Bush’s policies to the Muslim and Arab world

that is perhaps a trifle unfair, as it would as easy to sell Zionism to them.

  • Mark Penn + Karen Hughes = 2 Losers

    And it should be pointed out that no one has ever accused Mark Penn of being any kind of a liberal/progressive personality, he just happened to make tons of money losing elections for Democratic candidates.

    Hey, wait a minute….maybe he was a Republican plant all along!!

  • I’d probably avoid hiring this firm: “Former Clinton strategist Mark Penn is teaming up with former Bush strategist Karen Hughes to ‘create a bipartisan consulting organization to advise corporations in crisis.’ Penn will hire Hughes as his vice-chairman. Penn ‘has been blamed in recent months for [Hillary Clinton’s] failed candidacy,’ while Hughes failed in marketing Bush’s policies to the Muslim and Arab world.”

    Nice to see that birds of a feather do indeed flock together.

  • In Alaska, Mark Begich unveiled two new statewide TV ads, one of which is a biographical spot, while the other talks about energy policy. (That sound you hear is Ted Stevens getting increasingly nervous.)

    Please let Stevens go down in flames. The man has been an embarassment to the State of Alaska for decades.

  • Sasha and Malia are adorable and painfully innocent. I can totally see why they want to protect them from the media scrutiny. I enjoy seeing them all together, but I think the Obamas are right that it’s not fair to innocents. Chelsea was protected for the most part until Hillary’s campaign, and I think that was totally appropriate. One of my favorite things Hillary did during the primary was call MSNBC out for calling Chelsea a whore. It didn’t make me want to vote for her, but it reminded me why I liked her ( and by that point I sure needed to be reminded). The fact that the Obamas are protecting their girls is awesome. Family values I can believe in!

  • “The two will meet for a Wednesday evening fundraiser in Washington, followed by a Women For Obama breakfast Thursday morning in New York City.””

    I can’t wait to see what kind of reaction this gets from hillaryis44.org. At some point they’re going to turn on Hillary.

  • Hillary is looking more and more like an appropriate vp choice for Obama. Or should I say Obama is looking more and more like an appropriate choice to have her as his vp. They seem more alike every day.

    Every time I try to regain enthusiasm for Obama I think of FISA. How’s the vote going today?

  • Does the American people need to escalate the 315 million plus population, the census estimates we have now? To a new total of 435 million because the new president wants to add a new blanket AMNESTY? Right now the dire consequences of overpopulation is irrefutable, by just looking at the congestion in our cities, along with the ever growing pollution. We cannot sustain supporting even larger numbers of people, or ignoring the predatory businesses that callously assume that legal citizens will support their cheap labor? We, the American welcome more legal immigrants, than any other country in the world, whatever their national origin. Yet the ‘Special interest lobby, through certain corrupted politicians expect us to import poverty, so that the profits of rogue companies is not suspended.

    The Diversity Alliance for Sustainable America http://www.earthtimes.org/have stated in it’s article that if the U.S. grants amnesty and gives citizenship to 12 to 30 million illegal migrants, as Senators Obama and McCain propose. All those naturalized citizens could possibly add 120 million U.S. and foreign-born relatives to the U.S., in the next 20 years whom all would CONSUME MAJOR ENERGY. Only THE FEDERAL SAVE ACT (H.R.4088) offers any chance of halting this overpopulation quagmire It’s enactment will give ICE and the police more enforcement powers. Join NUMBERSUSA for free and become part of a solution and not lies.

  • “…How completely do you have to relinquish your critical faculties at Barack Obama’s altar in order to get yourself to think that way?…” FISA is the biggest ordeal that has made me lose all enthusiasm for Obama. For him and his campaign to support the Bush/Cheney enabling lawlessness and destroy the 4th amendment and cover up Bush’s crimes…his felonies makes me no longer believe in the ‘virtue’ of Obama. If I vote for him it will be with tears in my eyes,…my heart will only feel good if I write Kucinich’s name on the ballot. Most will scream but that’s a vote for McCain. No it’s a vote for my own integrity. I didn’t do it,…Obama did and I am unwilling to now change all the opposition I had toward Bush and his illegal spying and those who support it just because Obama does it. Bush/Cheney and the other republicans are jumping for joy and no one who opposed this legislation is even smiling…some compromise. It’s too big to just be accepted so Obama can get elected…he will get elected anyway as the only choice besides McCain but now he has shown support for a two-tiered system of justice and executive supremacy over the people. It makes me believe more and more that there is only one party…the money party…and it has two faces… D & R.. Change we can believe in is just a line used by a politician to get elected. A very dark day in American history. We are now a corporate police state.

    It will be used as the excuse to remove our other freedoms. “Armed revolution has no chance of defeating our military but it can effectively get rid of it’s leaders.”-anonymous.

  • “I think it’s safe to say Congress, as an institution, is not especially popular right now.”

    “Defeating Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) this year continues to look like a long-shot.”

    As much as I would like to see Collins gone, among those I would much prefer to see gone are:
    – Nancy ‘I surrender in advance’ Pelosi
    – Harry ‘Repug Lite’ Reid
    – John ‘I’m for sale to the telecomms’ Rockefeller
    – Jane ‘torture/spying conspirator’ Harmon
    & every other dumbocrat who has voted to change the laws to make illegal acts by the Bush Criminal Enterprise “legal after the fact”

  • thorin-1 said:
    “Please let Stevens go down in flames. The man has been an embarassment to the State of Alaska for decades.”

    Beg to differ – Alaskans have been an embarassment to the State of Alaska for letting the rethugs buy their votes to continually get reelected…

  • Don’t expect any more Obama-family interviews anytime soon.

    Which is too bad – it showed that a real person with a real family is running for the Presidency, as opposed to some pre-programmed Bush-bot witha temper.

    I thought the interview was a welcome respite from the political chase.

  • Penn will hire Hughes as his vice-chairman.

    They should be careful being inthe same place together at the same time. The incredible force of “suck” so highly concentrated in one place could be hazardous to bystanders, buildings, the planet …

  • “Former Clinton strategist Mark Penn is teaming up with former Bush strategist Karen Hughes to ‘create a bipartisan consulting organization to advise corporations in crisis.’

    Whaaaaaat?

    I guess we will a lecture on the dangers of Gay Marriage on the corporate bottom line from Karen. Penn’s first bit of advice to the corporation in crisis should be to not listen to any of his advice.

  • Dana Singiser, who was Director of Women’s Outreach for Hillary Clinton’s campaign, would be brought aboard as a senior advisor

    KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!

  • Has the Bush brand really collapsed so much that former top collaborator Karen Hughes can’t get a job with anyone other than Mark Penn? I prefer prison for her and everyone else involved with the crime family, but I guess working for Penn is another kind of punishment.

  • Wolfson goes to Fox and Penn goes to Hughes. I can hardly wait for the Ickes shoe to drop.

    These three have got the International Brotherhood of Losers endorsement locked up. Will Hillary’s ability to read her employees, advisors and associates ever improve? That is some piss-poor judgment she’s got.

  • People, while I agree that the FISA “compromise” is not a great piece of legislation, there is a MUCH bigger 4th Ammendment problem: The Patriot Act. This piece of crap destroyed the “wall of separation” that prevented evidence obtained with FISA warrant from being used in civilian courts. This wall was critical to protecting our 4th Ammendment rights. Without this separation, the goverment can use evidence obtained while spying on you via a FISA warrant WITHOUT ever having to reveal the evidence…national security and all that. THAT is the REAL threat.

    Imagine that someone the government was watching with potential terrorist connections accidentally calls your home once or twice. Now the government gets a FISA warrant to tap your lines and spy on you. Then they hear you mention the pot you plan to smoke with your friend at an upcoming party. On the day of the party federal agents raid your home. “Why are you here?” you ask. “We have a warrant.” the agent says. “I want to see the warrant.” you say. “Sorry, national security.” says the agent. Then in court your lawyer is not allowed to see the evidence used to obtain the warrant because he or she doesn’t have clearance and never will. You cannot defend yourself because you never get to see the warrant or the eveidence. THAT is the REAL problem. Putting FISA back in place is NOT the real problem.

  • Barack and Michele don’t want their kids on T.V., but they didn’t seem to mind subjecting them to the anti-American racist rants of Wright, Moss, Farakan, and Pflleger … every Sunday of their lives.

  • Ah, but Hughes was highly effective at stealing the election from Gore — you don’t give her enough credit.

  • Doesn’t Lee at 19 sound soooooo mid-March? — Maria, @21

    Mad as a mid-March hare? Or someone who didn’t heed the warning about the Ides and is (brain) dead as the result?

  • “The Democratic unity-fest is set to continue this week, with Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton teaming up for some big-money fundraising events on Wednesday and Thursday — CB

    Hopefully, Hillary’s efforts on behalf of Obama will bear more fruit than the vice versa. With some of us “small potatoes” donors too pissed off about his FISA stance (and, for me, also his treatment of Clark) to contribute, he may find he needs the big timers more than ever. But it looks like Obama supporters are as difficult to “herd” as the Hillary ones:
    http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/09/us/politics/09debt.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper&oref=slogin

    “Former Clinton strategist Mark Penn is teaming up with former Bush strategist Karen Hughes to ‘create a bipartisan consulting organization to advise corporations in crisis.’ — CB

    Is that the Karen Hughes who was sent to the Middle East to promote American feminist values to the women who aren’t even allowed to step out of the house without male escort and, even then, only fully veiled?

    Combined with Mark Penn… It seems to me that any corporation which hires that duo is *creating* a crisis, in double quick time (just think of his pay!).

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