A Great Read: Once Upon a Time...

Here's a great blog at Democratic Underground.

Gutter-Sniping Toward Oblivion: Part Deux --
SuperDelegates, Please Make it Stop

Last night Obama magnanimously congratulated Clinton even as she once again mocked Obama and his supporters. Time and again, Obama has been gracious in those contests he's lost (he's still got the most delegates and the most states). And usually this has been met with a failure on Clinton's part to congratulate Obama when he has won. Occasionally, there is a grudging statement the next day. Entitlement knows no graciousness. But that's not even the half of it.

While claiming Obama (who still leads in the delegate count) "failed to close" the deal, and conveniently omitting that the reason for that is Clinton's own malicious Democratic Party-destroying ads, speeches, and interviews, Clinton's "success" bar continues to be a moving target. By any measure, Hillary has persuaded a number of her supporters never to vote for Obama under any circumstances. This scorched earth strategy will doom Democrats. Obama has never done such a thing. And one recent poll shows Obama voters are far more open. The solution is not to cater to this manipulative disloyalty. Rather, it is to stand up to it.

However, we should not be taken for granted. This writer has had it with the disgusting tactics of the Clinton campaign. And my loyalties are not transferable. I have often said that if she succeeds is snatching the nomination by underhanded means (i.e., under the table, even as Obama leads in delegates), my vote wasn't in question, but my labor will be. Now it (my labor) most definitely will not convey. There is no chance whatsoever that I could lend my effort to an individual who will win at all cost. There ought to be an honorable line she does not cross. No such luck. And the more she goes on like this, the more voters she will discourage from voting in Novmeber.

Ironically, though, Hillary is the one who's failed to close. Obama even won the most Texas delegates. But most voters don't even know that. At this point, she is a trainwreck. Her mouth is out of control. Her condescension and snottiness escalates by the day. Her campaign is in chaos. She can't fund raise. And her overnight numbers notwithstanding, she has an significantly inferior fundraising effort to Obama's. She can't manage her money. She cannot win without a local party machine assuring she does (80 precincts in and near Harlem, NY registered NO votes for Obama. Hmmm). And her expansionist and belligerent vision for America's role in the Middle East(suggested by her in last week's "debate") is, in short, more imperialist and dangerous than McCain's. Monday's Clinton threat of obliterating a country is making us less safe. Yet she has the temerity to use the fear of OBL to manipulate voters.

Hillary Clinton's poison has injured and will injure the party into the next decade. For how long is unclear. But one thing has become clear: Hillary Rodham Clinton has morphed Karl Rove and has engaged in the most vicious, dirty campaigning of any Democrat, except those who used the same tactics against Howard Dean and Max Cleland. There seems to be a pattern. The politics of destruction are unleashed against anyone breathing fresh air into the stench of machine politics, into the entitlement politics, into the win-at-all-cost politics.

Clinton's closing ad conjured up Osama Bin Laden (OBL) as a reason to vote for her. She has continued the Willie Horton-ing the campaign with false linkages of Obama to Farrakhan (whom Obama has had nothing to do with and has even repudiated) to scare off white middle class voters. This reprehensible display must be repudiated.

Superdelegates, where are you? Hillary Clinton is ruining the party and ruining America's future by imperiling any chance Democrats can turn our country around. Please, please stop this vicious, destructive course. Tell Hillary that if she does not stop the race-baiting, fear-mongering and war-mongering, you will not convey any of your votes to her. Tell her to stop lying about Barack Obama. Tell her to stop saying John McCain is better prepared to be president. She does this despite McCain's rubber stamping a failed agenda, making light by song about bombing another country, and having a temper too hot for steady leadership, and more.) Tell her the destructo-tactics must end. It's almost as if she's trying to extort this nomination. It's as if she is suggesting that if she can't have the presidency, no Democrat can. This above all shows her unworthy of any Superdelegate support.

Gutter-Sniping Toward Oblivion

The ABC so-called Pennsylvania debate showed just how low (as in worse than FAUX News) the so-called mainstream media has stooped.

Here's just a sample of what's being said:

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/04/17/8346/

http://www.consortiumnews.com/2008/041708.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/17/AR2008041700013.html

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/

More later...

Just Say No to Petition Urging a Hillary/Obama Ticket.

Mark Ambinder, a blogger at TheAtlantic.com,has posted a link to a petition by a Hillary supporter, who thinks Obama should hang things up and line up behind Hillary.

Yep. Obama leads, even won the most delegates in Texas (bet you weren't told THAT by the so-called mainstream media!). And we are being fed this stuff. Just say no to such nonsense. BTW, why is an Atlantic blogger supporting Hillary Clinton? Here's what I said in response to Ambinder's ridiculous blog:

Not buyin' it. Obama is ahead. Why on earth would he take second seat to Hillary? The Clinton's have had their chance.

Moreover, the resume padding by Hillary shows just how little experience she actually has. Indeed some of it is negative experience (Iraq vote). Try as she might she cannot concoct enough exaggerated stories about how she solved the problems of the world (with no clearance), "saved" No. Ireland, when she did no such thing, and ducked incoming in Bosnia (not!). She claimed to be against NAFTA all along. She wasn't. Now Mark Penn "left" the top strategist position, but he didn't really. He's just had a change of title. And then, as if the above isn't enough, it now turns out Hillary dissembled about the sad health care story she has told for days. the woman DID have insurance and Hillary is not telling the truth.

Honestly, you would thing she'd learn. We are in a new century and need new leadership. Enough is enough.

Update: We've Been Misled. Penn Still Advising Clinton Campaign

According to the NY Times here, Penn is still with the Clinton Campaign, still polling and advising. He just isn't called her chief strategist any longer. Apparently, then, Clinton wants it both ways. She wants to appear to be on the side of workers in public, but behind the scenes, she wants to appeal to union-busting, multinational-favoring, worker-protection destroying entities.

Mark Penn Exits Clinton Campaign: Why Was He Ever Part of It In The First Place?

Controversial lobbyist Mark Penn has left the Clinton campaign and not a moment too soon. His presence in the campaign was one of the biggest indicators of Hillary Clinton's bad judgment. That he is finally gone does not relieve her of the error of using him as her chief pollster and strategist. And his mere presence was the strongest indicator of Hillary's continuing links to the DLC wing of the Democratic party. Penn is and was a poster boy for DLC anti-worker "free trade" pablum. That's as in "free trade" for workers, but a rigged game favoring employers.

The candidate herself has spoken out of two sides of her mouth on NAFTA. While stating strong support on numerous occasions, she purported she was against NAFTA all along. She claimed to oppose the Fair Trade deal Penn was lobbying for with Columbia. And yet there was Penn trying to negotiate the deal.

One constant reminder of Clinton triangulation exits. But this writer will not forget he was there in the first place. And it is one of the main reasons to hope Ms. Clinton is not the nominee.

Until and unless the workers of the the US and the world regain some of the protections they lost under NAFTA and NAFTA-clones, and until ALL Democratic candidates unambiguously denounce the serious damage to workers resulting from such agreements, we cannot fully believe in all of our candidates. Thank God at least Barack Obama gets it.

Want to Help Make a Better World? Don't Know Where to Start?

Here are some ideas from Democrats.com (not to be confused with Democrats.org, the DNC site). Democrats.com is a progressive organization.

Here are some ideas:

Peter Rothberg of the Nation magazine has written about the Iraq Town Halls:
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/actnow?bid=4&pid=302340

Progressive Democrats of America is helping to organize Iraq Town Halls and has just launched its Healthcare NOT Warfare campaign to bring our troops home from Iraq and use the savings to pass H.R. 676, Rep. John Conyers' bill which guarantees comprehensive publicly-funded, privately-delivered health care for everyone in the U.S. Please sign their petition:
https://www.thedatabank.com/dpg/309/personal2.asp?formid=healthpet

Win Without War is urging its members to take part in Iraq Town Halls and wants Rep. John Murtha, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, to provide funding only for the safe and timely redeployment of U.S. troops out of Iraq. Please sign their letter:
http://www.standupcongress.org

FireDogLake filed a complaint with the FEC because John McCain is breaking his own campaign finance law by spending $4 million above the limit he imposed on himself when he accepted public financing. You can sign it too:
http://action.firedoglake.com/page/petition/mccainfec

The Backbone Campaign is helping to promote Iraq Town Halls and has just created the Procession for the Future, a creative organizing tool with which to inspire, educate and train students, youth and concerned citizens to be more effective activists. The Procession for the Future is a touring parade, using high production value art and spectacle to animate our aspirations and deliver a compelling progressive vision for the country. A dozen giant puppets and floats portray a set of progressive policy priorities. Use this tool:
http://backbonecampaign.org/page.cfm?id=129

TrueMajority is asking its members to be part of Iraq Town Halls and is organizing against an attack on Iran at
http://www.NotAnotherWar.org

Cities for Peace is also involved and is helping localities pass resolutions against an attack on Iran: http://tinyurl.com/2a3p6h

DontAttackIran.org has almost reach 120,000 signatures on a petition to Bush and Cheney opposing an attack on Iran, and 100,000 on a petition to members of the military urging them to refuse illegal orders to launch such an attack:
http://www.dontattackiran.org

Voters for Peace is urging Congress to compel the testimony of Admiral Fallon, who reportedly resigned due to disputes with the White House over whether a military attack on Iran should be pursued:
http://votersforpeace.us

Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) are available as speakers at Iraq Town Halls, and video of their Winter Soldier testimony is available as well and highly recommended:
http://ivaw.org

Veterans for Peace has just published a letter to the peace movement:
http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/32262

Media Infatuation with McCain: Muskrat Love?

Chris Matthews calls the media John McCain's base. The systemic media embrace of John McCain is so significant that David Brock's new book places the Matthews quote right on the cover.

If you are getting a little sick of the media's fawning reportage on John McCain, buy the book over at amazon.



You can also read Media Matters, read Digby here or Crooks and Liars here
for a little validation.

When Decisiveness Isn't a Virtue

One of George W. Bush's supposed claims to executive prowess is his "decisiveness." Time and again, decisiveness is trotted out as a predictor for leadership and , management,

However, wrong-decision decisiveness, overly hasty decisiveness, stubborn decisiveness, and downright ignorant decisiveness are all dangerous. One of my pet peeves about election coverage is how decisiveness psychobabble gets translated as supporting one candidate or another. Now, though, we finally have perhaps the best living symbol ever of the mistake voters make in overrelying on certainty and "decisiveness." Call him, Mr. President.

MSNBC ran an AP story by Ted Anthony on this subject today (read it here). Kudos to MSNBC for exploring this subject. Now let's see if reporters and anchors there learn anything from the article.

Great Primer on Campaign Finance Reform: What the Media is Screwing Up


Day after day the so-called mainstream media, or rather the corporate media, conflates various aspects of election law, misreports campaign finances of the leading candidates, and generally misleads Americans. Now comes DHinMI from Daily Kos with a primer on the subject. It's a great read and very informative. Take a look here.