• Barack Obama,  Bill Clinton,  Hillary Clinton,  President 2008

    Hillary Clinton Watch: Taking The HEAT for Staying Alive

    IN HARLEM: Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton poses with well-wishers in 2006. The racial overtones of her presidential campaign have eroded some of her support among black New Yorkers. “She has a problem,” says the Rev. Al Sharpton, a civil rights activist .

    Bill Clinton today in South Dakota delivered a harsh message on how Hillary has been picked on for staying in the race for the Democrat nomination for President.

    The Money Quote:

    “(I) have never seen a candidate treated so disrespectfully just for running,” and that, “she will win the general election if you nominate her. They’re just trying to make sure you don’t.”

    Clinton spent more than six minutes calmly discussing what he called a “frantic effort to push her out” of this race, saying that no one asked Ted Kennedy, Jesse Jackson or Gary Hart to end their presidential campaigns early.

    Clinton also spoke against bullying superdelegates to make up their minds, saying, “I cant believe it. It is just frantic the way they are trying to push and pressure and bully all these superdelegates to come out. ‘Oh, this is so terrible: The people they want her. Oh, this is so terrible: She is winning the general election, and he is not. Oh my goodness, we have to cover this up.'”

    In the meantime, former President Jimmy Carter said the Superdelegates would soon pressure Hillary out of the race and Al Sharpton turned up the heat on Hillary in New York.

    But, the pressure in New York is the most fascinating since it is driven by African-Americans who favor Barack Obama.

    Even as she continues her longshot presidential bid, Hillary Rodham Clinton faces a political rift in New York, where black leaders say her standing has dropped due to racially charged comments by her and her husband during the campaign.

    African American elected officials and clerics based in New York City say Clinton will need to defuse resentment over the campaign’s racial overtones if she returns to New York as U.S. senator.

    What the black leaders in New York have to worry about is Hillary not the other way around. Nobody will be pushing Hillary out of the race until after the June 3rd primary elections and Michigan and Florida credentialing is decided. So, these black leaders, including Al Sharpton better take a “CHILL” pill.

    Why?

    Hillary’ term in the U.S. Senate is not over until 2013 and she has been rumored to be interested in running for Governor of New York in 2010 (she would have a “free ride”. And, who would Hillary be running against in 2010? Why the first black, blind Governor, David Paterson of New York who was the Lt. Governor until Governor Elliot Spitzer resigned under a sex call-girl scandal.

    There is lttle doubt that Hillary would be easily nominated by the Democrat Party in New York should she choose to run for Governor. David Paterson would be no competition. Of course, Rudy Giuliani is said to be interested in this race – but this is another story.

    As Flap has said before and before, Hillary is NOT going anywhere until SHE decides it is time.

    Who knows? Lightening might strike and she finds a way to beat Barack Obama.


  • George W. Bush,  John McCain,  President 2008

    John McCain Watch: Bush Scaling Back Fundraising?

    bush-mccain-hug

    Senator John McCain and presumptive GOP nominee for President and President Bush are to embark on a fundraising tour after the Memorial Day holiday. The Politico is all too happy to denigrate the Bush effort to augment the McCain campaign’s coffers.

    President Bush is scaling back next week’s fundraising swings for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) at the request of the campaign, which wants the events closed to the press, POLITICO has learned.

    The change — in both Arizona and Utah — is part of McCain’s delicate effort to find the balance between embracing an unpopular president and taking advantage of his huge continuing draw with well-heeled Republicans.

    The Arizona event, which was to be at the Phoenix Convention Center, was the first time Bush was to have appeared with McCain since their White House meeting in March.

    A McCain aide said: “The McCain campaign has a policy that fundraising events are closed press. In keeping with that policy, the campaign requested the event be moved to a private home.”

    On Tuesday, the president was to appear with McCain at the Phoenix Convention Center at a McCain for President and Republican National Committee Victory Reception.

    And on Wednesday, Bush was to appear at Salt Lake City’s Grand America Hotel with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney at a McCain for President and Republican National Committee Victory Reception (followed by a more exclusive dinner at the Romneys’ Park City home).

    Now, both of the public events will be at private residences.

    Big deal.

    Most GOP fundraising events are closed to the press and isn’t this the real reason why the Politico reports this? They are pissed that they will NOT be let into the event.

    Or is it that the Politico (in the tank for Mitt Romney since the primary season) is trying to tie McCain’s reluctance to embrace President Bush with his unpopularity? Why would McCain even bother with President Bush if he thought he would be a negative to the campaign?

    There are many reasons why a fundraising tour with the President for the McCain campaign would be private. The biggest – being security. The second would be the reluctance of donors to be followed and hounded by the press or Code Pinko demonstrators. A third, is the reporting publicly the names of the donors and the photos of their wives and family on the internet a few minutes after they attend – their security.

    The idea behind fundraising is to raise funds for campaign advertising. This is what President Bush will do for John McCain and the national GOP. Unfortunately for the Politico there will be NO show or circus.

    McCain is not hiding an unpopular President as the Politico implies.


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    links for 2008-05-25