With her campaign in deep political and financial crisis, Hillary
Clinton needs a major breakthrough in tonight’s Texas debate.
Here she says she knows what it is to work the night shift.
** DEMOCRATS DEBATE. Oh, Hillary Clinton’s big showdown with Barack Obama down in the Lone Star State. Looks like a lone star. Short form: No game-changer for Hillary, i.e., advantage Obama, who was quite good, perhaps his best debate performance. She was good, too. Except for when she got booed with that silly “plagiarism” business again. Some of these incredibly over-priced consultants mis-advising her with their endless spin do her no favors.
** HEADING INTO THE TEXAS DEBATE. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were largely overshadowed today by the McCain/Times controversy and the storming of the US embassy in Belgrade. But here are some telling scenes leading into tonight’s debate at the University of Texas in Austin. ..
The Change To Win labor federation of seven unions representing 6 million workers endorsed Obama today. Change To Win chair Anna Burger said on a conference call that it’s time for Hillary to leave the race. Four of the member unions — the federation formed a few years ago in a split with the AFL-CIO — had previously endorsed Obama. … I hear Clinton Texas state chairman Garry Mauro is complaining that the national campaign is totally disorganized since February 5th and in the process of screwing up the Texas campaign. … Obama, who spent an hour touring the facilities of the University of Texas Longhorns with the team’s popular coach, picked up the endorsement of Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson when he made a surprise introduction of Michelle Obama at an Ohio rally. … Former President Bill Clinton’s two-day fundraising expedition to California at the beginning of the week was far less than a panacea for the financially-challenged campaign. He raised $325,000 in his day in Southern California and “less than half a mil” in his day in Northern California.
** L’AFFAIRE MCCAIN/NYT: HOW IT’S PLAYING. Short form: Badly. For the New York Times. The talk show wing of the Republican far right has rallied to John McCain against the dread liberal MSM. The lefty/liberal blogoshphere is mostly expressing major qualms about the story, or ignoring it. With the notable exception of our friends at the Huffington Post, whose proprietor, my old friend Arianna Huffington, was once a huge fan/friend of the Western senator, who are playing up the scandal angle big-time.
And, contrary to Rush Limbaugh’s ramblings about how this shows the MSM is out to get any Republican no matter what, much, if not most, of the conventional media are openly expressing doubt about the New York Times story and its methods.
Team McCain’s take at the end of the day: “We feel good.”
** NEW TEXAS AND OHIO POLLS: LONE STAR DEAD HEAT, HILLARY STILL LEADS IN OHIO. The brand new ABC News polls have Barack Obama in a dead heat in Texas with Hillary Clinton, and closing the gap on her once huge lead in Ohio.
Here are the numbers. Texas: Clinton 48%, Obama 47%. Ohio: Clinton 50%, Obama 43%. Clinton, who trails by about 150 pledged delegates won in primaries and caucuses to date, needs big wins in both states to climb back into a closely competitive position in the race.
In both states, Obama is now seen by primary voters as the more electable of the two in the fall. Hillary is seen as the stronger leader.
** A MCCAIN STORY IRONY, AND A BIG CALIFORNIA CONNECTION. No sooner do I acknowledge that the day’s media buzzing will be dominated by the John McCain controversy do thousands of Serbian protesters occupy the US embassy grounds in Belgrade and trash the embassy’s exterior. So that story is now crowding the McCain/New York Times story for screen space.
Serbs are upset by Kosovo’s declaration of independence. The best real time analysis award has to go to retired General Wes Clark, for his MSNBC analysis and commentary. As NATO commander, Clark played the lead role in winning the Kosovo War against Slobodan Milosevich in 1999. I’ve been on a few conference calls with Hillary Clinton and Wes Clark. Invariably, she defers my questions to Clark, who then answers impressively and thoughtfully, and then Hillary agrees with what he said. Clark would have been a top choice for VP with Clinton. With his own presidential campaign experience from 2004 (he won the Oklahoma primary) and tremendous on-camera skills, this highly decorated Vietnam combat vet, first in his class at West Point, Clark could also make a good running mate for Barack Obama.
Now to the California connection on the McCain story. The New Republic has a brand new story on the back story of the New York Times’ publication of the story. Some say the planned New Republic publication prompted the New York Times to publish late yesterday.
The New Republic reports that the Washington bureau chief of the Times, Dean Baquet, played the key managerial role in pushing the story forward, against the skepticism of Times editor Bill Keller.
What the New Republic piece doesn’t say, since it’s written by an Easterner, is that, prior to becoming the Washington bureau chief of the New York Times, Dean Baquet was the managing editor of the Los Angeles Times. And in his role at the LA Times, Baquet was deeply involved with and a key internal advocate of the late-breaking LA Times story during the 2003 California recall slamming Arnold Schwarzenegger.
That story proved to be a major backfire, as Schwarzenegger not only survived but went on to a landslide victory, with most not buying the convenient late timing of the story and its prior awareness by top Democrats. The LA Times and its influence has been on a steep downslope ever since.
I wonder if the McCain story will have a similar effect on the New York Times.
** OBAMA V. CLINTON: SHOWDOWN IN TEXAS. There is no question that the biggest buzzing today is going to be around the John McCain/New York Times controversy. But the biggest actual event of the day is the Democratic presidential debate tonight — 5 PM Pacific on CNN — between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
Hillary Clinton’s campaign is in big trouble, political and financial. She needs a game-changing event to prevent the further attrition of her campaign by the forces of Barack Obama.
The new financial filings with the Federal Elections Commission make clear that her campaign is in bad financial straits. At the end of January, she had a whopping $7.6 million debt. That did not include the $5 million she and husband Bill Clinton loaned to her campaign from a joint account. She also had millions more in cash on hand, as she deferred paying vendors around the country.
But Obama had a huge cash on hand edge, and there is no reason not to believe that his edge continues, notwithstanding claims from the Clinton campaign of great fundraising feats since then. I’ll have more on that later today.
This is why the much-rumored anti-Obama/pro-Clinton independent expenditure 527 committee dominated by California Democratic operatives backing Clinton, which I reported yesterday morning, has been launched.
So Clinton needs to get it going tonight. Unfortunately for her, since she has thrown so many charges at Obama already, it won’t be too hard for Obama and his team to anticipate and develop counters. Yet, something could happen. Which is why we watch.
** THE MCCAIN CONTROVERSY. Make no mistake, this story, which you already know about, though I’ve been sleeping through much of its emergence following the longest day Game Day package of Tuesday and Wednesday early morning, is about an implied illicit relationship with an attractive, much younger blonde telecommunications lobbyist. Here’s the Washington Post front page story on the controversy, which makes that obvious.
John and Cindy McCain held a press conference early this morning to address the allegations and reporting in the story and flatly deny them.
McCain senior advisor Steve Schmidt calls the story something that “belongs in the National Enquirer,” referring to it as filled with “rumor and innuendo.”
This may be a blessing in disguise for McCain, for the New York Times is hated by the right. It could actually help him unify his fractious Republican Party.
Assuming the story is wrong in its implications. I’ll be following this more closely during the day.
** OBAMA WINS DEMOCRATS ABROAD GLOBAL PRIMARY. Make that 11 wins in a row for Barack Obama. The returns are in from the first online global primary, held by the Democrats Abroad, and Obama again crushed Hillary Clinton, 66% to 33%.
Seven delegates were at stake in the primary which combined online voting, mail ballots, and some in-person voting.
** WHERE THEY ARE TODAY.
JOHN MCCAIN, after his hastily scheduled press conference early this morning with wife Cindy McCain to refute the bombshell New York Times story on his past relationship with a female lobbyist, has events in Toledo and Perrysburg, Ohio and tours the Ford plant in Wayne, Michigan.
MIKE HUCKABEE is campaigning in Texas today. He has a rally and fundraiser in Houston, visits the Alamo, and has a rally in San Antonio.
BARACK OBAMA participates in the CNN/Univision debate in Austin, Texas. He then holds a post-debate rally/fundraiser in Austin.
HILLARY CLINTON has an early vote event in Laredo this morning before participating in the CNN/Univision debate in Austin, Texas.
BILL CLINTON holds early vote events across Texas in San Antonio and San Angelo.
** 24/7 LIVE TV NEWS FEED FROM RUSSIA TODAY. Russia has re-emerged as one of the world’s great powers. Click here for a live TV news feed on your computer, bringing you English-language, jargon-free, fast-paced coverage of global and Russian news from the new Russia Today channel.
You probably already know about CNN International, BBC World, and Al Jazeera. Russia Today, which also features culture, entertainment, and sports, is based in Moscow and is owned and operated by the TV Novosti division of Russia’s state news agency, RIA Novosti.
While it’s quite foolish to expect to see, say, criticism of Vladimir Putin on Russia Today, the channel is very interesting nonetheless. The NWN live link to RT does not constitute an endorsement of the channel’s views. It’s presented as an otherwise unavailable new media window.
** TRACK GLOBAL AND U.S. ENERGY PRICES IN NEAR REAL TIME VIA BLOOMBERG ENERGY MARKET WATCH. Crude oil is trading in the $99 to $100 per barrel range after hitting a record $101 per barrel yesterday.
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You’re saying Dean Baquet may do to the New York Times what he helped do to the LA Times with a politically motivated hit job.
Maybe I’m the only won, but what I took away from the NYT story as the real attack is that of McCain’s self righteousness and its impact it has on his decision making. For those of us who didn’t care what kinda shenanigans Bill got up to with interns, the fact that McCain might have had an indiscretion or two in his marriage isn’t something I worry about.
What is a bigger concern is that the story highlights a pattern of behavior where McCain thinks that because he is on the whole extremely moral and ethical, and i believe he is, because of that, he can assume that he is always so, even when it appears that his behavior his at least highly suspect and at worst highly immoral/unethical.
I like John McCain, though I won’t be voting for him, and I think he’s an excellent public servant. But I’ve kinda had it up to hear with people who find their own behavior to be beyond reproach and unworthy of questioning. And if Obama is the same way, I’ll be happy to say that he should learn to realize that he can be wrong too. Self-righteousness is a terrible trait in a leader. Strong and committed leadership can and should always come with a respect for fallibility. Those who forget that are doomed to have their indiscretions turn up on the front page of the daily rag…
Maybe I’m the only won, but what I took away from the NYT story as the real attack is that of McCain’s self righteousness and its impact it has on his decision making. For those of us who didn’t care what kinda shenanigans Bill got up to with interns, the fact that McCain might have had an indiscretion or two in his marriage isn’t something I worry about.
What is a bigger concern is that the story highlights a pattern of behavior where McCain thinks that because he is on the whole extremely moral and ethical, and i believe he is, because of that, he can assume that he is always so, even when it appears that his behavior his at least highly suspect and at worst highly immoral/unethical.
I like John McCain, though I won’t be voting for him, and I think he’s an excellent public servant. But I’ve kinda had it up to hear with people who find their own behavior to be beyond reproach and unworthy of questioning. And if Obama is the same way, I’ll be happy to say that he should learn to realize that he can be wrong too. Self-righteousness is a terrible trait in a leader. Strong and committed leadership can and should always come with a respect for fallibility. Those who forget that are doomed to have their indiscretions turn up on the front page of the daily rag…
I have in the past posted my opposition to bailouts. Especially with my tax dollars.
That said, I thought the Sam Loomis spin was particularly cold blooded, to salivate over the opportunity of this sad spectacle was a bit too much.
Frankly this proves the unregulated “Let the Market decide” approach is dangerous. My apartment building was sold in 2003 for $7 million and then in 2007 re-sold for $17 million (both times sold to absentee owners only interested in profit). That is the sort of pure speculation that fosters boom/bust cycles. We need adults to oversee the market, instead of letting profit potential alone decide how we live.
>Chris M :
Dana,
Opposing unlimited bailouts for people who either foolishly took out mortgages with adjustable interest rates or who used their home equity to take out loans for vacations or new cars is not “right,” it’s fiscally prudent. Or, at least it better be, if the Dems want to have any hope of retaining the support of moderate, independent voters.
You’re the only one. If a newspaper is going to attack someone for being holier than thou, it better have a story it can back up.
>Scott :
Maybe I’m the only won, but what I took away from the NYT story as the real attack is that of McCain’s self righteousness and its impact it has on his decision making. For those of us who didn’t care what kinda shenanigans Bill got up to with interns, the fact that McCain might have had an indiscretion or two in his marriage isn’t something I worry about.
What is a bigger concern is that the story highlights a pattern of behavior where McCain thinks that because he is on the whole extremely moral and ethical, and i believe he is, because of that, he can assume that he is always so, even when it appears that his behavior his at least highly suspect and at worst highly immoral/unethical.
You’re the only one. If a newspaper is going to attack someone for being holier than thou, it better have a story it can back up.
>Scott :
Maybe I’m the only won, but what I took away from the NYT story as the real attack is that of McCain’s self righteousness and its impact it has on his decision making. For those of us who didn’t care what kinda shenanigans Bill got up to with interns, the fact that McCain might have had an indiscretion or two in his marriage isn’t something I worry about.
What is a bigger concern is that the story highlights a pattern of behavior where McCain thinks that because he is on the whole extremely moral and ethical, and i believe he is, because of that, he can assume that he is always so, even when it appears that his behavior his at least highly suspect and at worst highly immoral/unethical.
No, Scott is not the only one.
I agree.
And I continue to assert McCain has serious liabilities, including the shadow hanging over him named George W. Bush. Also his stance in re the war and the Bush tax cuts. You may want to LOL about this, but it is hollow laughter at best.
>Hap Hazard :
Obama will continue to be the change candidate, growing more familiar and likable to Americans each week. — I, too am hopeful for Obama’s prospects, but one thing he will have to follow the nomination act with is something decidedly more substantive than what we have seen to date.
Me, too!
>Sacramento Solon :
No, Scott is not the only one.
Me, too!
>Sacramento Solon :
No, Scott is not the only one.
This is the LEAD of the story. With a photo of Ms. Iseman, whose private email address one of our friends here decided to post, in an evening gown. The reason why it exists:
Early in Senator John McCain’s first run for the White House eight years ago, waves of anxiety swept through his small circle of advisers.
Stephen Boitano/Getty Images
The lobbyist Vicki Iseman, whose relationship with Mr. McCain troubled some of his aides.
A female lobbyist had been turning up with him at fund-raisers, visiting his offices and accompanying him on a client’s corporate jet. Convinced the relationship had become romantic, some of his top advisers intervened to protect the candidate from himself — instructing staff members to block the woman’s access, privately warning her away and repeatedly confronting him, several people involved in the campaign said on the condition of anonymity.
“would have been”
Touche!
>BB: Clark would have been a top choice for VP with Clinton
Just to clarify, the point is not about whether or not McCain had an affair. I don’t care, I really, really don’t. The point is about whether he was astute enough to allow that hanging around with an attractive woman 30 years his junior, whom he was helping politically, might be politically damaging. Ignoring the potential implications of his behavior is either naivety or a brash disregard based on what one feels is their impeccable moral character. Whether or not one has an impeccable moral character, it behooves a major politician to avoid such obvious pitfalls, especially one previously caught up in a major political scandal based on what he asserts was not wrongdoing, just the perception.
Thus the takeaway from the story, for me, is that might be missing a keen ability to self-question, a feature I think is essential to good leadership and whose absence endangers us in a way the past 7 years have demonstrated all too well. Perhaps that’s why the story is titled the way it is…
Just to clarify, the point is not about whether or not McCain had an affair. I don’t care, I really, really don’t. The point is about whether he was astute enough to allow that hanging around with an attractive woman 30 years his junior, whom he was helping politically, might be politically damaging. Ignoring the potential implications of his behavior is either naivety or a brash disregard based on what one feels is their impeccable moral character. Whether or not one has an impeccable moral character, it behooves a major politician to avoid such obvious pitfalls, especially one previously caught up in a major political scandal based on what he asserts was not wrongdoing, just the perception.
Thus the takeaway from the story, for me, is that might be missing a keen ability to self-question, a feature I think is essential to good leadership and whose absence endangers us in a way the past 7 years have demonstrated all too well. Perhaps that’s why the story is titled the way it is…
Point taken, Mr. Bradley. However, this is often more to the news than what editors want us to focus on…
Scott,
Good points.
Right. It’s not a sex scandal story, it’s a story about judgment. Get real.
Right. It’s not a sex scandal story, it’s a story about judgment. Get real.
Sorry to be off topic. but thought since we have talked about L.A. Mayor Villaraigosa in the past it was noteworthy that Charlie Rose had him for the hour last night. It is obvious Rose next time should do more due diligence in re the key issues in L.A., California and the west for guests from our region. Lots of softball questions. But it was an OK interview, with AV very charming while giving some thoughtful answers and with hardly any mis-steps.
http://www.charlierose.com/guests/antonio-villaraigosa
I know I agreed I came away with the bigger story about Mccain and his judgement. But Marcus, Bill is right the big story is it was offered up as a hit piece that is a non-story in re the main emphasis. Sort of like the old leering Pythom nudge nudge sketch–lots implied but despite the sizzle there is no steak. The Baquet angle deserves scurtiny. The NYT piece smells of an agenda–somebody thought this was some sort of smoking gun. We wonks can dig up deeper implications etc. but the main story is why in the world the alleged leading newspaper printed what is offered up as a scandal where there is no scandal, only innuendo (and thin, at that).
Point taken, marcus and Dana. I do realize that for most it’s a sex scandal and that is why it’s the big story it is. The timing and all the Baquet stuff should def. be looked into. I was just trying to say that not everyone cares about sex scandals. Now if/when sex is traded for influence and or done in an illegal fashion (ala DC madame), that’s a different story. But if the NYT really wants to push that story, they better be able to prove it, otherwise it’s just gossip and distracts us all from the true issues at hand.
Point taken, marcus and Dana. I do realize that for most it’s a sex scandal and that is why it’s the big story it is. The timing and all the Baquet stuff should def. be looked into. I was just trying to say that not everyone cares about sex scandals. Now if/when sex is traded for influence and or done in an illegal fashion (ala DC madame), that’s a different story. But if the NYT really wants to push that story, they better be able to prove it, otherwise it’s just gossip and distracts us all from the true issues at hand.
Bill Bradley :
My friend, you’ll understand why I’ve removed Vicki Iseman’s private e-mail address from NWN …
Bill, while I may have been wrong to post it, it was a business e-mail address, not a private one.
Bill Bradley :
My friend, you’ll understand why I’ve removed Vicki Iseman’s private e-mail address from NWN …
Bill, while I may have been wrong to post it, it was a business e-mail address, not a private one.
You’re a great guy, Larry, and a very valued NWN poster.
But Vicki Iseman’s not a politician, and that’s still a private address. She uses it for business and personal correspondence, not to receive personal criticisms for a story she certainly did not promote.
You’re a great guy, Larry, and a very valued NWN poster.
But Vicki Iseman’s not a politician, and that’s still a private address. She uses it for business and personal correspondence, not to receive personal criticisms for a story she certainly did not promote.
Bill, you are a gentleman. Question: The debate will touch on the Belgrade incident (first question no doubt), so who will go after the Albanian vote and who will seek the Serb vote?
La Times. I remember when. lol
Obama is tied in Texas. This is great news, real news. The New York Times looks foolish this afternoon.
Obama is tied in Texas. This is great news, real news. The New York Times looks foolish this afternoon.
“A MCCAIN STORY IRONY, AND A BIG CALIFORNIA CONNECTION”
Thanks for connecting those dots!
The Ohio/Texas numbers are amazing. Given Clinton’s lack of cash, maybe she’ll have to move resources into Ohio that she would have spent in Texas.
The Ohio/Texas numbers are amazing. Given Clinton’s lack of cash, maybe she’ll have to move resources into Ohio that she would have spent in Texas.
“This may be a blessing in disguise for McCain, for the New York Times is hated by the right. It could actually help him unify his fractious Republican Party.”
He’s already sending it out to his supporters in a fundraising appeal.
Grim tidings for the Clintons. Boo hoo oo.
Republicans for Hillary is having a debate viewing party tonight and the mood is pretty morose. She needs to hammer Obama in the debate, probably her last chance to knock him off his impressive win streak, both at the polls and with the all important donor and Superdelegate classes.
We are serving 2005 Walter Hansel pinot noir (recommended by Sacramento super premium grocer David Berkeley) to begin the evening, but the medicinal Wild Turkey will be close at hand.
Republicans for Hillary is having a debate viewing party tonight and the mood is pretty morose. She needs to hammer Obama in the debate, probably her last chance to knock him off his impressive win streak, both at the polls and with the all important donor and Superdelegate classes.
We are serving 2005 Walter Hansel pinot noir (recommended by Sacramento super premium grocer David Berkeley) to begin the evening, but the medicinal Wild Turkey will be close at hand.
Vodka shots every time Hillary says “Experience.” lol
Kandy,
Try to go easy this evening. But, also let me know what you think of the pinot. It’s one I’ve never tried.
The scandal story on Mr. McCain is over.
The scandal story on Mr. McCain is over.
The scandal story on Mr. McCain is over.
The scandal story on Mr. McCain is over.
Sorry for the double -posting.
Sorry for the double -posting.
Sorry for the double -posting.
Sorry for the double -posting.
there was a great photo and caption at the right-leaning site below that pretty much sums it up
http://lucianne.com/main.asp
there was a great photo and caption at the right-leaning site below that pretty much sums it up
http://lucianne.com/main.asp
Obama is dominating the debate.