Bill Clinton questions Obama's experience

It was only a matter of time before this happened: Bill Clinton has joined his wife and begun spinning the Barack Obama-lacks-experience narrative. The former president, in an interview with Bloomberg Television set to air this weekend, says that he was far more experienced as a 46-year-old in 1992 when he first won the White House. Obama is 46 now.

"There is a difference," Clinton says, according to Bloomberg. "I was the senior governor in America. I had been head of any number of national organizations that were related to the major issue of the day, which is how to restore America's economic strength.''

In the Bloomberg interview, Clinton compares Obama's level of experience today to his own in 1988, when he chose not to run for president. "I came within a day of announcing, because most of the governors were for me and I had been a governor for six years,'' he says. "And I really didn't think I knew enough and had served enough and done enough to run."

Bill Clinton has so far largely avoided being critical of his wife's opponents, saying that the candidates are good enough that voters didn't have to be "against" any of them. Does this signal a shift?

Obama spokesman Bill Burton responded by telling Bloomberg News that Obama has more than 20 years of "the experience America needs.'' "He can change the divisive politics of Washington because he's the one candidate who's spent his career bringing people of differing views together,'' Burton is quoted as saying.

Obama campaign passes 350,000 donors

Hours before the close of the quarterly financial reporting period for presidential campaigns at midnight tonight, the Barack Obama campaign announced a few moments ago that it had attracted more than 350,000 donors since the start of his bid for the White House.

The Obama campaign has consistently reported previously unmatched numbers of donors each quarter this year.

The announcement today follows a pattern Obama has set all year long of first focusing attention on the numbers of people who have donated to the campaign. The campaign portrays the numbers of small donors as an indicator of grass-roots enthusiasm for their candidate.

The campaign has generally waited a day or two before announcing a dollar figure for its quarterly fundraising. Obama also has outpaced his rivals so far in fundraising but not nearly as dramatically as in numbers of donors. Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton so far has been raising comparable amounts of cash, although she relies more on big-dollar donors.

Presidential campaigns will likely begin announcing their fundraising totals in the coming days after the quarterly fundraising period ends at midnight tonight.

Among Democrats, the advance spin has Clinton and Obama running close to each other infundraising, with different sources putting either side ahead. But such advance spin has more to do with managing press expectations for maximum impact than providing accurate information.

Iowa Trip to Mark New Intensity for Obama

Washington Post: Candidate's Tour Theme To Be 'Judgment and Experience'

On Tuesday, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois will embark on a four-day campaign swing through Iowa, starting off with events that will mark the fifth anniversary of a speech he gave opposing the war at a rally in Chicago. His advisers have labeled it the "Judgment and Experience Tour," and Obama's success in persuading voters he has both may hold the key to his presidential aspirations.

The tour signals the intensification of Obama's bid for the Democratic presidential nomination and a commitment to spend more time in key early states such as Iowa and New Hampshire and fewer days in the Senate, where he will miss virtually all votes next week. And it will also mark increased engagement with his main rival, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York.

Obama's effort comes as Clinton has solidified her position atop the field of Democratic candidates. A race that once was seen largely through the prism of Obama vs. Clinton has evolved into a contest in which Obama finds himself jockeying with former senator John Edwards of North Carolina to be seen as the clear alternative to Clinton.

National polls suggest that Obama has gained no significant ground on Clinton since the race began, and a new survey in New Hampshire showed the gap between the two widening, giving rise to concern even among Obama's supporters that he has not yet found his groove as a candidate.

At the same time, third-quarter fundraising reports, which will be released in the next few days, are expected to show that the novice candidate and first-term senator has raised $75 million or more in his nine months of campaigning. On Thursday, Obama's aides said, the candidate drew more than 20,000 people to a rally in New York's Washington Square Park. And a poll of Iowa Democrats released by Newsweek yesterday showed Obama leading the Democratic field among people likely to attend the caucuses.

Obama advisers remain confident, saying they are laying the groundwork for strong finishes in the early states that will propel Obama to victory.

"Our campaign was never geared and the plan was never written to win the nomination in September and October," said Robert Gibbs, Obama's communications director. "It's planned and written to win this in January and February when people vote." Obama's chief strategist, David Axelrod, said that "there is this fascination in the political community and Washington to treat every day like Election Day."

"It's our view that the election process begins in January," Axelrod said. "I don't think what counts is what you produce in a national poll or transient polls along the way. It's whether you are building a foundation that will produce what you need next year."

Obama has begun to sharpen his criticism of Clinton, something many supporters have been urging. At last week's debate at Dartmouth College, he criticized "Hillary" by name for using a task force that had closed meetings during her health-care reform effort in the 1990s as first lady. In New York the next day, he poked fun at Clinton for not answering a question in the debate about whether the Illinois native would cheer for the Yankees or the Cubs if they both made the World Series, then turned serious in criticizing Clinton for ducking a question about what she would do to reform Social Security.

But Axelrod emphasized that there will be no all-out assault on the New York senator......

What If Bill Clinton Had Run for President in 1988?

Former President Bill Clinton's recent attempt to slow Senator Barack Obama's rise and the words he chose to speak it raise a new question: What if Bill had run for president in 1988?

It's natural that a husband would be protective of his spouse's political ambitions. And when a rival candidate begins to build momentum in Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucus and in national fundraising who can blame Bill Clinton for taking that recent swipe at Barack Obama? In a televised interview with columnist Al Hunt, Bill echoed Hillary Clinton's claim that Obama is too "inexperienced" for the Oval Office. He said:

"I was, in terms of experience, was closer to Senator Obama, I suppose, in 1988 when I came within a day of announcing... I really didn't think I knew enough, and had served enough and done enough to run."

When Clinton did run for president, in 1992, he was the same age as Obama is today. The claim by a white male that at age 42 he had as much experience as a 46-year-old black man probably will bring unintended consequences by firing up a larger Obama vote among African-Americans.
The hubris of that statement invokes, all too neatly, the gripes by other white males in affirmative-action friendly workplaces across America; it's a way of speaking in code that most white Americans don't notice, but that black Americans understand painfully well.

And while Obama has smartly ignored the bloodlust of pundits that goad him to "take the gloves off" and hit Hillary Clinton more directly (America may be ready for a black president, but probably not for a younger black man pummeling an elder white woman, even with mere words), Bill Clinton's attempted put-down offered Obama a clean shot at the rival camp through its surrogate: Everybody loves to see the younger athlete score on the aging former champ. And that's exactly what Obama did.

In an act of political jiu-jitsu, Obama turned Clinton's words about experience from 1992 into a Wayback Machine endorsement of his own 2008 quest. In a 1992 debate with George H. W. Bush, Clinton had said: "The same old experience is not relevant... you can have the right kind of experience and the wrong kind of experience."

"He's exactly right," smiled Obama.

Score!

He was followed by the so-far neutral Robert Reich (one of the few cabinet-level veterans of the Clinton White House that is still widely beloved and trusted among Democrats) who jumped up from the sidelines and kicked in an extra point for Obama. Reich said: "While I can understand Bill Clinton's eagerness to undermine his wife's most significant primary opponent, he is not, I believe, completely ingenuous. I happened to talk with him in 1988 before he decided not to run, and also in 1991 before he decided to run the following year. His calculation at both times was decidedly rational and entirely political, based on whether he could win."

Bill Clinton's statement begs a more interesting question: What if he had run for president in 1988, defeated Mike Dukakis for the Democratic nomination, and bested Bush the elder for the White House?

Would a younger President Clinton have been so obsessed as Bush, Sr. was with exorcising "the ghosts of Vietnam" to have invaded Panama in 1989?

Would Clinton have appointed William Bennett as "drug czar" in 1989 and begun the demonization of pot smokers and cancer patients, and wholesale imprisonment of young black males, that the escalation of the war-on-drugs wrought on America?

Would Clinton, in a speech before Congress on September 11, 1990, have said: "Out of these troubled times, our fifth objective -- a New World Order -- can emerge"?

Would a younger Clinton administration have signaled to Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein (then a US ally) that it would look the other way if Iraq invaded Kuwait but then gone to war against Iraq once that happened?

Would hundreds of thousands of US military veterans of that Gulf War be permanently disabled and still suffering the ailments and syndromes of that trauma today if Clinton, and not Bush, had been president then?

Would Islamic fundamentalists and terrorist organizations have gained so much support had the US not led a war that killed hundreds of thousands of Muslims in the Gulf War?

Would Caspar Weinberger, Elliot Abrams, Robert McFarlane and others that conspired to traffic in cocaine and armaments to support right-wing guerrillas in Nicaragua have received pardons from Clinton after their crimes, as occurred under Bush I?

Would Clarence Thomas be on the Supreme Court today? ....

Christian Conservatives Weigh Abandoning GOP

Leaders Balk at Supporting Pro-Abortion Presidential Candidate, Consider Third Party '08 Run

A group of highly influential Christian conservative leaders met over the weekend to discuss their rising dissatisfaction with the Republican Party and their willingness to consider supporting a third-party presidential bid should a supporter of abortion rights — specifically, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani — earn the GOP presidential nomination.

The meeting took place during a weekend convention in Salt Lake City, Utah, of the highly secretive Council for National Policy, an invitation-only organization of conservative leaders, founded in 1981, though participants in the presidential discussion said the smaller gathering was not an official CNP event.

Those at the smaller meeting included James Dobson of Focus on the Family, Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, and Richard Viguerie, a direct mail pioneer, who recently authored "Conservatives Betrayed: How George W. Bush and Other Big Government Republicans Hijacked the Republican Base."

Viguerie told ABC News that the meeting was attended by "nationally known conservative leaders, and we took a very strong stand against supporting any pro-abortion candidate.
"Giuliani is beyond the pale," Viguerie said. "It's just not going to happen. There's no way that conservative leaders are going to support a pro-abortion candidate. It was unanimous."

Sentiment among his fellow "value voter conservatives" was so strong, Viguerie said, there was "overwhelming support to consider that idea" of a third-party presidential candidate, in the event Giuliani wins the Republican presidential nomination.

Such a move is not a "done deed," he said, but he described how he'd been angry at the Republican party for six years, "and in the last six months, I've seen a vast majority of my colleagues, at the national level, move in that direction, including a willingness to go third-party. They're even further along on the third-party idea than I am." .....

Competition in the Cornfields

The top three Democratic presidential contenders are locked in a three-way race among likely Iowa caucus-goers, according to the latest NEWSWEEK Poll—while Romney leads his Republican rivals in the Hawkeye State.

Sen. Hillary Clinton holds a double-digit lead over her rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination in many national polls. But in Iowa, home to the January 2008 caucus that is the first major event of the electoral season, the Democratic race is much tighter, according to the latest NEWSWEEK Poll. Among all Iowa Democrats surveyed, Clinton enjoys a 6-point lead over her nearest rival, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama. But among likely Democratic caucus-goers, she is locked in a three-way race with Obama and former North Carolina senator John Edwards, with Obama enjoying a slight edge.

Meanwhile, the NEWSWEEK Poll found that former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney has emerged as the top choice among Iowa’s GOP voters—well ahead of former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, who leads in most national polls. But Romney’s religious beliefs could pose a problem; less than half of all Republicans in the state (45 percent) think the country is ready to elect a Mormon president (35 percent do not).

With less than four months to go before the caucuses, both races still appear quite fluid. While Romney is the first choice of 24 percent of likely GOP caucus-goers, none of the Republican candidates comes close to commanding the support of a majority of GOP voters surveyed. And Clinton appears to be the only Democrat with strong support from her party’s registered voters....

Edwards’s Embrace of Public Money May Be Limited

A day after John Edwards said he had decided to participate in public campaign financing as a matter of principle, his campaign manager appeared to scale back the candidate’s initial commitment.

The campaign manager said Mr. Edwards was leaving open the possibility of rejecting public financing for the general election campaign.

Mr. Edwards’s campaign advisers said he had not meant to commit himself for the general election, but the discrepancy added fuel to a debate over why he had abruptly embraced public financing after long signaling that he would not.

In an interview with CNN on Thursday, Mr. Edwards said he was accepting the benefits and limits of public financing to support the system, which was adopted after Watergate to limit campaigns’ dependence on big donors. Asked about the general election, Mr. Edwards told CNN, “We are talking about through the campaign, period.”

“It’s not about a money calculation,” he said. “This is about taking a stand, a principled stand, for what’s right. I believe in public financing.”

On Friday, however, his campaign manager, David E. Bonior, a former House member from Michigan, said Mr. Edwards might reject public financing for the general election unless the Republican nominee also agreed to take public financing.

Mr. Edwards “understands that almost none of the Republican candidates share this commitment,” Mr. Bonior wrote. “Accordingly, we will continue to raise money for the general election so we will be ready to compete against the Republican nominee.” .....

Obama stuck in 2nd place; hasn't risen in polls

Barack Obama is the campaign rock star. But Hillary Clinton is still the woman to beat.

Despite leading all of his rivals in the race for money, and boasting the largest grass-roots organization in modern political history, Obama is still far back in second place in most national polls. He's closer in Iowa but losing ground in New Hampshire.

With 106 days to go before the Iowa caucuses, it's nearing now-or-never time for Obama to make his move.

"It's kind of like horse racing. If you're a horse that does well in the last sprint, you wait. But if you wait too long, there's going to be too much distance for you to catch up and you're not going to make it," said Steffen Schmidt, professor of political science at Iowa State University.

While supporters are impressed with Obama's signs of strength - his fund-raising prowess, the huge crowds at rallies, the Internet following - some are getting anxious that he hasn't risen in the polls.

"I am worried that he hasn't done more to close the gap," said a New York lawyer who has donated the maximum $2,300 to Obama's campaign and spoke on condition of anonymity. "It's positive that he hasn't fallen farther behind."

Preeta Bansal, a New York supporter, said she's not concerned.

"It's going to be a long fall. The race is just beginning and he's on fire," said Bansal, referring to recent stump speeches where she said he's been "superb."

New York City Councilman James Sanders, a Queens Democrat who supports Obama, conceded that supporters are "always concerned" and looking for the candidate to shine. But he said there's tremendous excitement for Obama, and real optimism that he can knock out Clinton.

"On the ground, the people, the groundswell is growing," Sanders said.....

Iraq War, Iran Dominate Democrats' TV Debate

I have seen all these debates before and I am tired of hearing about the war in Iraq at the Democratic Presidential debates. I don't know why the war in Iraq continues to dominate the debates when there are so many domestic issues that need to be discussed such as health care, education and the divide in this country economic wise. We need our Presidential candidates to stop worrying so much about international issues such as Iran and the war in Iraq and start focusing more of their speeches on more national domestic issues that will save all Americans in the long run such as social security, health care and the economy.

Until I see more of a change in the rhetoric, I won't be seeing another key debate amongst the Democratic Presidential candidates until probably December or January because as of now, I am not hearing anything different in these debates that I haven't heard already.

Disconnect Over Children's Health

I am tired of President Bush and Congress always fighting over pointless things. President Bush needs to just fund children's health care and go along with whatever Congress passes because I don't care if the government has to spend $100 billion on children's health care in the next year, let's just do it because the government is already spending six times as much on the war in Iraq. So it won't hurt anything. I don't have health care and I know many other youth who are in college still that don't have health care because either their health care plan on their parent's system ran out or most jobs don't cover youth past the age of 18 or 21. Therefore the United States Congress and President Bush need to realize that if children aren't protected up until the age of 21 than we are hurting our future. We need to cover the poor by all means but we need to cover our children who are the most likely to get sick because their immune systems are not as strong as full pledge adults.

So it is a shame that we are debating how much funding to give to Children's health care when no matter how much Congress and President Bush gives, it won't be enough to fully cover each and every low income family child in America. It will just be enough to perhaps give a basic care plan to many of them if that. With no remorse or silence in my voice, I want President Bush to know that I want to vote yes on any health care plan that will benefit children particularly those who come from families making less than $50, 000 a year. America needs to cover it's children in youth who come from those families fully and those who come from families that make $50,001 to $99,999 a year they should be covered partially if need be and those who come from families that make more should not be covered by the government. That's how I look it.

No more debate, just vote and cover the children of our great nation once and for all.

'Jena 6' teen released on bail

Mychal Bell is finally out of jail on bail after just a week ago protesters marched in Jena, Louisiana demanding his freedom and the removal of District Attorney Reed Walters from his post for way he mishandled the case. While Mr. Bell's freedom is a sign of a small but very brief victory for some. It isn't for me because no matter how you look at it, the Jena 6 as the six black teenagers in this case have become called since they were charged, are still the victims of a brutal system aimed at destroying black man in America. I'm not saying the actions of these six young black man were right but in this country, we need to do everything fair. Fairness is when you charge the six young white man who jumped a black student the same way you are charging the six young black man in Jena, Louisiana. Fairness is arresting a young white male for pulling a gun on two black teenagers, the same way you arrested the two black teenagers for robbing or stealing the gun from the young white male after they wrestled the gun from his hands.

Mychal Bell's freedom is a sign of victory for some but for me, it's not. As long as we have District Attorney Reed Walters still at his post, nothing will change in Jena. As long as no charges are brought against other students who did the same thing these six young man did than there's no victory. Mr. Bell's freedom is not a complete victory and those in this country who think it is should be ashamed to think that. As long as these six young man are still going to be trailed in a court of law when they shouldn't be the only one's charged than there's no victory.

Victory is when Reed Walters is removed from his post particularly after making comments that by the "Grace of God is why nothing dangerous happened in Jena last Thursday." Let's be real, you can take it how you want to take it but clearly it seems that District Attorney Reed is trying to convey that blacks and people of minority don't know how to protest and act peacefully. Now I hope that is not case but D.A. Reed needs to understand that God was on the side of the protesters and others who fight against such injustices in this world such the one taking place in Jena, Louisiana. Therefore victory will not be seen or heard until either all charges are dropped and District Attorney Reed is removed from his post or until charges are brought against the six white students who jumped a black student in the town. However victory for me would be the first option of removing District Attorney Reed from office and allowing the six young black man to go home for good without any further charges being brought against them.

Teenager Told To Remove Jena 6 T-Shirt

Why would school officials in Symrna, Tennessee tell a student to change her shirt in order that depicted the words "Free Jena 6". While the school's principal said that the reason for telling the young lady to change her shirt is because he wanted to avoide any potential altercations that it might cause at the school since today is the day when the Jena 6 rally in Jena, Louisiana took place. While the school board supports his decision because he was looking at the overall safety of the school. The young lady's parent feels that her daughters first amendment right was being taken away and that the school didn't want to create a learning experience or atmosphere that teaches equality and social justice.

Clearly the school's actions in telling the young lady to change her shirt after she had just attended a rally early that morning in Nashville in support of the Jena 6 was a clear example of how many have shown that they don't want to equal justice in this country. If the principal is trying to justify his actions and the school board will support him than I must say that this is yet another clear example of how the powers at be are trying to misuse or abuse their power when it comes to the youth of this country. The young lady who is a Caucasian student only wanted to advocate and show support for the Jena 6 and if her shirt started any uproar at the school than it is an uproar that was needed because if school don't try to teach equality and social justice that we will continue to see tensions of racial inequality and discrimination continue to take place.

The Jena 6 situation can easily take place in America if we teach our youth about racial tolerance, equality and social justice. Remember an injustice to one is an injustice to all and that is why we as a people cannot allow school officials to hinder our youth's freedom of speech or hinder our youth from being social justice advocates other wise we will never build a future generation of leaders who stand for equal rights, equal justice and fair treatment of all people. So our next protest for Nashvillians and those in the Middle Tennessee area needs to be in Syrmna, Tennessee as we show that we mean business in terms of stop limiting our youths voice by oppressing their good tensions to do well as they fight for social justice for not themselves but for all Americans.

Jena 6 Rally--March for Justice

The truth behind today's events and activities in Jena, Louisiana are that the range of support that was given to this incident poured onto streets and workplaces every where in the United States as many who couldn't attend the rally in Jena wore their black. While many of us rallied today to show our support for the Jena 6, we can not forget that a simple rally or march on a small town won't change America's legal system or the way America looks at justice. Therefore we must continue the efforts of today's march by having more marches throughout the United States against injustices that happen to all Americans not just African Americans. We as a people need to learn from our ancestors and those who were involved int he civil rights movements of yeastier year. We need to learn that the injustices or racist actions of this country won't change over night with just African Americans speaking out against the situation in Jena but it needs to be more of a collaborate effort.

As I watched many of the news outlets in Jena, Louisiana, I saw several Caucasians out there in Jena, Louisiana speaking out against the injustices and racist allegations that stemmed into what we now regard as the Jena 6 situation. We need to understand the fight for social justice and equality can only take place with a collaborate front of African Americans, Caucasian Americans, Native Americans, Hispanic Americans, and others helping to make sure that events that took place in Jena don't take place anywhere else in America. Now while the legal injustices of that took place in Jena, Louisiana came to the media's attention as well as others, we can just imagine how many other stories that never get the lime light or equal justice it deserves so that we as a people can change the perception surrounding around similar cases.

We as a people need to realize that by simply protesting and rallying isn't going to change the situation in Jena but we need to to continue to write letters and make phone to the state politicians of Louisiana particularly Governor Blanco and the United States Congress & President. Therefore we must demand that the District Attorney of Jena Walter Reed steps down from his post because he didn't handle the case properly. We must not forget about the Jena 6 no matter where we go. We must keep today's events in our head as we go forward because we can't allow another Jena 6 to happen. We have to make State Prosecutors and District Attorney's think twice about charging people with excessive charges. We must not allow State Prosecutors and District Attorney's to misuse or abuse their powers against anyone just because of the color of their skin, religion, or economic status.

We must not allow today's events to end. We must continue our fight for justice and equality. We must hold our public officials accountable by any means necessary. Therefore we must not just march or rally any more but we must march, rally, protest, make phone calls, sign petitions and write our public officials when such situations as the one in Jena, Louisiana occur. Also we must spread the word so that no more situations like Jena stay localized but they become statewide, national and global. We have the technology particular the Internet, radio, and television to make sure that no more situations like Jena stay localized but they become nationalized.

Hillary ’07 Battles Hillary ’93

Attacks from GOP, Democrats speak to Clinton’s power over the field

Want to unite the country? Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., has the answer -- or maybe it's just that she IS the answer.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's plan for universal healthcare allowed Democrats and Republicans to join forces for the day. All it took was one little (OK, $110 billion) healthcare plan by one particular presidential frontrunner to bring together the 2008 field.

Clinton's plan is "European-style socialized medicine" (Mitt Romney); straight out of Michael Moore's "Sicko" (Rudy Giuliani); an "imitation" advanced by a flawed saleswoman (John Edwards); inadequate and advanced by a flawed saleswoman (Barack Obama -- but how would he cover more people without requiring coverage?); and automatically bad because Clinton herself "set back our ability to move toward universal health care immeasurably" back in 1994 (a very aggressive Chris Dodd).

All the attention is a form of flattery; just about any other candidate would have had himself hospitalized (maybe even in Cuba) to be attacked like this when he offered his plan. The obsession with "Hillarycare 2.0" speaks to the control that Clinton exerts over the entire field, as the one person who at this moment looks like she has the best shot of being elected president (and who represents the match-up the Republican base craves the most).

"Obviously I've got a lot of experience in tackling this issue -- I've taken on all of these special interests for 15 years," Clinton, D-N.Y., told Diane Sawyer on ABC's "Good Morning America," rising above the attacks (as is her wont -- and her luxury). "The real issue is, who has the best plan? Who has the experience and the commitment of a lifetime to healthcare?"

This was going to happen whenever and however Clinton introduced her healthcare plan, but the other '08ers could not wait to weigh in yesterday. "Swift condemnations of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's healthcare plan Monday attested to her less enviable role as the No. 1 target for Republican attacks," writes the Los Angeles Times' Michael Finnegan. "GOP presidential candidates rarely mention Democrats in the race -- except to invoke with dread the prospect of another Clinton presidency."

The attacks from candidates in both parties feed an argument that's becoming a growing part of the Democratic debate: That Clinton is too polarizing a figure to govern effectively (if not to get elected in the first place). "The real battle will be convincing Democratic primary voters which candidate can actually turn his or her plan into reality," Time's Karen Tumulty writes. Clinton's rivals "aimed their own criticisms less at any aspect of her message than at the messenger herself."

Clinton is addressing (and spinning) her past failures in her rollout. She's launching a new ad today in New Hampshire and Iowa that describes the 1993-1994 failure thusly: "She changed our way of thinking when she introduced universal healthcare to America." (That's one way of putting it.)

Forget Hillary vs. Obama or Edwards or Giuliani or Romney -- the real battle is Hillary '07 vs. Hillary '93. "Hillary Clinton seemed more focused on distinguishing herself from herself Monday than from her opponents for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination," writes Thomas Beaumont of the Des Moines Register, who counted at least six references to her failed attempt as first lady in her speech yesterday.

It's "this year's most daring act of political jujitsu," Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne Jr. writes. "This time, she will coax and charm the country toward universal health coverage. Cold analysis has given way to warm persuasion." .....

What She Learned . . .

Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton released her comprehensive health care plan yesterday and it shows just how much Hillary has learned since the last time she tried to reform health care so that all Americans are covered. While many will try to criticize Hillary's health care plan especially Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney, he as well as others must realize that her ideas are similar to Romney's health care plans for the state of Massachusetts where Romney was Governor. Therefore Hillary has shown her willingness to enter the debate of healthcare along with other leading Democratic candidates John Edwards and Barack Obama. For months Clinton had not released her health care plan like Edwards and Obama did but now that she has it should create a more comprehensive and intelligent debate for voters to consider all three plans and see which one is best for them as well as America.

Therefore Hillary is showing voters that she is truly in it to win it.

Appeals Court Tosses Conviction In Jena 6 Case

Finally Mychal Bell, one of the members of a group called the Jena 6 after a group of black students were charged with attempted murder after beating a white student has new life. Bell was the first of the student convicted by the District Attorney in Jena 6 and now after weeks of movement and outbursts and just a couple of days away from September 20 where one of the hugest rallies in the city of Jena, Louisana history will take place, the Appeals Court of Louisana has tossed out Bell's conviction however he wasn't immediately set free. Bell won't be let go until Monday but at the same time, the District Attorney still wants to charge him as a teenager after the Appeals Court tossed out the charges of him being charged as an adult in the case. So what does all this mean as we go forward toward perhaps one of the hugest rallies agaisnt racism, inequality and intolerance in America's history since the Civil Rights movement of the 50's, 60's and 70's. It means that the fight isn't over and we all should go down there to Jena, Louisiana to show we will not stand for such injustices.

However those who can't make it down there should hold rallies and protests in their own cities and states to show love to the Jena 6 marchers. We all need to wear our black on September 20 and show an alliance throughout America that we are not going to stand for such an injustices any more. Let's unite in our fight against racism, bigotry and inequality because an injustice to one is an injustice to all. There's no one that a group of white stuents who beat up a black student days before at party should still be free while a group of black students who did the exact same thing are being charged with attempted murder at first but now quote on quote assault and battery. Come on people, the district attorney in Jena is clearly abusing his power and seems to be not very tolerate of the black population down there. Therefore September 20 will send a clear message to all those in Louisana and throughout the south as well as America that such injustices, we are not going to stand for as not just blacks, not just as colored people but as people. When we fought against slavery and Jim Crow, we fought against it as a people. One race didn't grant our freedom but an entire group of people didn't. One race didn't defeat segregation but an entire group of people did. One race didn't end Jim Crow laws but an entire movement of people did from all races, backgrounds and cultures.


Therefore as we march toward September 20, we need to wear all black in support of Jena 6 and hold protests and rallys around the noon time hours to show that we as a group of people will no longer stand for racism, inequality, intolerance, bigotry, and most of all any injustice against any group of people no matter there skin color, religion, background, economic status, or culture.

Mark Warner Intends to Seek Senate Seat

Former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner intends to run for the Senate next year, Democratic officials said Wednesday, assuring his party a competitive race for a seat long in Republican hands.

Warner scheduled an e-mail announcement of his plans for Thursday. The seat is currently held by Republican Sen. John Warner, who recently said he will retire at the end of his current term after 30 years in office.

The officials who discussed former Gov. Warner's intentions did so on condition of anonymity, saying they did not want to pre-empt his announcement.

Monica Dixon, who heads Warner's political action committee, Forward Together, declined to comment on his plans.

Mark Warner is one of a small number of prominent Democrats whom party officials have been recruiting for Senate races. In New Hampshire, former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen has not yet said whether she will challenge Sen. John Sununu, while former Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerrey is considering making a comeback bid to replace a retiring Sen. Chuck Hagel.....

Obama Offers Most Extensive Plan Yet for Winding Down War

Senator Barack Obama yesterday presented his most extensive plan yet for winding down the war in Iraq, proposing to withdraw all combat brigades by the end of next year while leaving behind an unspecified smaller force to strike at terrorists, train Iraqi soldiers and protect American interests.

Speaking in Iowa, Mr. Obama combined an attack on both parties in Washington for having gotten the United States into the war with the outline of an approach for getting out that immediately drew criticism from the left of his party for being too timid and from Republicans as being irresponsible.

“What’s at stake is bigger than this war: it’s our global leadership,” Mr. Obama said. “Now is a time to be bold. We must not stay the course or take the conventional path because the other course is unknown.”

Mr. Obama, of Illinois, used the speech to highlight again his early and consistent opposition to the war, and to compare it to the votes in 2002 by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and John Edwards, then a senator from North Carolina, to give President Bush the authority to go to war in Iraq. But Mr. Obama’s strategy for where to go from here, especially in maintaining an American military presence in Iraq and the region, is similar to the plan embraced by Mrs. Clinton, who is leading the Democratic field of potential presidential nominees in most opinion polls.

One day after questioning Gen. David H. Petraeus as he testified before Congress, Mr. Obama and other candidates took their respective cases to voters. On one side of Iowa, Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, argued that the administration’s strategy should be given more time to succeed, while across the state, Mr. Obama offered a conflicting view.

“The best way to protect our security and to pressure Iraq’s leaders to resolve their civil war is to immediately begin to remove our combat troops,” Mr. Obama said. “Not in six months or one year — now.”.....

Oprah vs. Magic: Will Endorsement Race Be a Battle of the Sexes Among Blacks?

Is the 2008 campaign to capture the Democratic nomination for president shaping up to be a battle of the sexes between powerful blacks?

The high-powered men lining up to endorse Sen. Hillary Clinton for president includes folks like Magic Johnson, Quincy Jones, Bob Johnson and Berry Gordy, all of whom are wealthy -- and black.

But the mother of all black media moguls, Oprah Winfrey -- one of the most powerful women in the world -- rolled out the red carpet on Saturday for Sen. Barack Obama at a gala fund-raiser attended by high-wattage stars that was expected to raise $3 million for the Democratic presidential candidate.

Obama has raised more than $58 million for his White House bid. Forbes magazine estimates that Winfrey, the Chicago-based talk-show host, is worth about $1.5 billion.

Winfrey is a well-known fan of Obama, calling him "my favorite guy" and "my choice" on CNN's "Larry King Live" last year before he announced he would run for president.

But for the past several months, a growing list of prominent African-American men are publicly supporting Clinton, perhaps more than any other presidential candidate running for the White House in 2008.

In July, Clinton hosted an afternoon meeting with 200 influential black men in Washington, D.C. to discuss social and economic issues that impact black communities across the country.

As Clinton and Obama campaign aggressively for black voters in an historic presidential race, the Clinton camp says a star-studded list of influential black men are now endorsing her candidacy and, more important, encouraging other black men to join them.

Iowa vs. America

In America, Hillary Clinton holds a solid and enduring 15- to 20-point lead over Barack Obama, who, in turn, enjoys a 2-to-1 advantage over John Edwards, who languishes in third place. But in Iowa, Edwards is often in first place in the polls and, at best, Hillary is locked in a three-way tie with her rivals.

In America, Rudy Giuliani continues to lead the Republican field by 10 points while Fred Thompson edges past the ill-fated Mitt Romney and the snakebit John McCain. But in Iowa, it is all Romney all the time as the former Massachusetts governor, riding a wave of paid television ads, has first place all to himself and has been atop the Iowa polls for four or five months. Meanwhile, Arkansas’s former governor, Mike Huckabee, way down in the national polls, is surging in Iowa and now boasts 14 percent in the polls. Ahead of McCain, he is challenging Thompson and Giuliani in the first-in-the-nation caucuses.

So which is reality? Is it the relatively stable national leads of Hillary and Rudy, or the three-way tie on the Democratic side in Iowa and the Romney romp among the state’s Republicans?
The theory is that with the obsessive national focus on the presidential race, which started as soon as the ballots were counted in 2006, the early states no longer are the only ones to get an overdose of the campaign early on. Thus they will conform, some say, to the national trends before long. But Edwards’s enduring strength and Romney’s surge in Iowa may challenge this conventional wisdom.

Edwards’s strong showing in Iowa is largely an historical artifact, the product of his efforts there in 2004 and the assiduous attention he has paid to the state ever since. As such, it’s probable that his strong performance will be overtaken by the national perception that the race is really between Hillary and Obama. As the two national front-runners begin to run ads in Iowa, they should be able to leave Edwards behind. Indeed, there is no reason not to expect Hillary to surge into the lead in Iowa as she already has in New Hampshire and South Carolina......

Edwards wins Texas Democrats' online vote

Presidential Candidate John Edwards is surely picking up momentum as he won the Texas Democratic online poll. The fact that Edwards won isn't the most impressive part but it is how he won. He garnered 38% of the vote while Senator Barack Obama finished second with 21% and Senator Hillary Clinton finished third with 20%. So what does all of this main for Senator Clinton whose national poll lead continues to remain far ahead of Edwards and Obama. While for me it means one thing that national polls don't tell the whole truth because in order for Senator Clinton to win the Democratic Presidential nomination she has win in primary/caucus states that usually appeal to the candidate who speaks to the heart of their problems.

Since Iowa is the first caucus, many experts believe that Edwards might win Iowa and New Hampshire might very well go to Obama since it has many independent voters that are predicted to vote Democratic this go round in the Presidential race. Therefore Senator Clinton might have to look to Nevada for a primary victory as well as Michigan and Florida before the primary in South Carolina where a victory for her would really be big for Senator Clinton's campaign. However John Edwards looks good right now for Super Tuesday because clearly the Texas Democratic Party online poll shows that Edwards is the more electable candidate out of Edwards, Clinton and Obama. Texas which is a red state, can easily turn Democrat if the right candidate is put up to run who can challenge any Republican state and make the state of Texas a lot harder to win than like in 2000 and 2004.

So Edwards is definitely capitalizing on the online poll victory in Texas as his website launched an email telling supporters about the way and encouraging them to give to the campaign in order to keep the momentum of the campaign going. No matter how it is looked at, Edwards victory has made the Democratic election not so much of a slam door or better yet a two candidate race like others have assumed as of lately.

September 11--A Day to Remember!

September 11 is truly a day to remember. It is a day for Americans to come together as one again in order to understand that we all must help rebuild a nation in the time of crisis. A week ago we celebrated the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and we all know how America can be devastated by the not only a terrorist attack but by a natural disaster. We can never forget anyone of those things in American history, no matter where we go. America must remain united in all that we do no matter what obstacles may come our way. Therefore we must understand that what is happening in Jena, Louisiana, is an injustice to all America. September 11 is a day where we as Blacks and Whites stood united as one and said that "We are Americans!"

Therefore we must understand that no matter what race, ethnicity, gender or religion we are, we are Americans first and we must stand united no matter what. We must fight against any injustice that my arise in this country. We must face of adversity head on and try to change the way we think in this world. We can't sit back as Americans and wait for things in America to get better like leaders are just going to emerge and fix our nation over night. Instead, we must remember what happened on September 11 and use that as our building block as to how we can be mobilized and united in our efforts to make America as well as the world better.

America saw tragedy and turned into triumph as Republicans and Democrats, Blacks and Whites, Illegal immigrants and nationalized citizens all stood together as one. Our nation became united and our nation stood for something in terms of showing the unity and bond that a nation can have during adversity. However we have fallen back over the years and have slowly became separated. That's why as we celebrate remember September 11, we need to remember to remain united in our efforts to change the mindsets of those who hate and those who create injustices against others.

As September 11 is remembered, we need to remember that an injustice to one is an injustice to all. So let's never allow what took place in New Orleans to take place in this nation again and let's make sure that what is taking place in Jena, Louisiana doesn't take place anywhere else. We must not allow racism, bigotry, hatred and intolerance take over our nation ever again. September 11 is a day to remember for what it thought us as Americans that we can be united as one. Therefore America must remember to remain united against all adversity particularly racism and terrorism.

It's Official!

Law & Order television star Fred Thompson has finally decided to make it official as he is set to run for President. On the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Thompson told the American people that he is running and he is set to make his big splash this month as he has fundraisers and events to appeal to the American people in order to change their minds about who they are going to vote for. It's simple, Thompson said, that he skipped last night's debate in New Hampshire because there will be plenty of more debates but it is hard to get on the Tonight Show so that's why Thompson choose the Tonight Show as his chance to announce his candidacy. So the big question is whether or not Thompson waited too late to enter the race and does he really have a chance at winning the GOP Presidential nomination or has he dwindled away his chances by taking so long to enter the race. Well time will tell because if Thompson doesn't raise enough money in the upcoming months, his bid for the White House could be quickly derailed.

Residents: Nooses spark school violence, divide town (Jena 6)

Enough is enough! Alright, I have been hearing about this incident but only until recently has the national media really gave it the proper attention. CNN did a nice piece on it throughout all their programs yesterday and I want to state that no matter how you look at this issue. Charging these young man for attempted murder in a school fight is not right. Now I have seen many fights occur in my life and a lot of times the fights are the reactions to what someone said and the way I look at it, usually in attempted murder cases, their was plot or plan to do it, not just merely simply someone getting beat down. Assualt and battery seems more suited in this case. However one thing that isn't said is that before the six African Americans jumped a white student, a few white students jumped one of the African Americans at a party just a couple of days early. Thus the white student who got jumped was taunting him about it and let's just say the results that occured led to these arrests.

However prior to any of the fights, nooses where hung at a tree used to always be occupied by white students but black students decided to sit there just the day before the nooses were hung. Thus the outcry of racism and racial intolerance broke out with at first those white students who pulled the quote on quote prank being expelled and pracitically kicked out school for good but the school board over turned the school's decision saying that it was only a little prank. With many in the town particularly whites saying the same thing. However, in the deep south, where racism and the segregation existed for years with Jim Crow laws that led to many hangings of blacks with nooses, it is not a little prank by any means.

That's the very problem in this country, we never want to face reality and look at the real picture that any time a prank such as this one offends someone by rehashing or recreating the past than we need to take it seriously. To be quite honest, Jena needs to change and so does much of the South. Why can't blacks and whites in the south get beyond skin color. We must understand that in this world, we need each other and if we continue to be divided by race than we will continue to be a divided country not just by ethnicity but by economics, race, gender, and religion.

Jena 6 Update

Finally the charges in the Jena 6 has been lowered from attempted murder to assault and battery. However any way you fix it, it is too little too late. These charges should be dropped and the fact the Governor of the State needs to investigate all of this along with the State Legislature. The people of Louisiana have been to much and the state leaders from the State Legislature to the Governer to the U.S. Congress Representatives and Senators need to speak out and ask for the charges to be dropped in the Jena 6 case. So until this occurs, the public outcry and march on the capitol on September 20 should still occur and I am looking forward to it.

The political machine vs. the grass roots

As we take a closer look at the 2008 Presidential race. We see a distinct difference between the two leading Democratic Presidential candidates as they campaign in California particularly Los Angeles. While Senator Hillary Clinton chases big donors and celebrities wallets for campaign fundraising cash. Senator Barack Obama chases the little man and the little guy trying to obtain whatever they can give to his campaign. Thus is the political machine versus the grass roots and thus far many say that grass roots usually produce the results to win elections for most politicians. So will Obama's grass roots machine out duel and maneuver Clinton's political machine that has years of experience and wealth to blow the roof off most politicians in America. Well thus far the verdict is still out but as we approach the next quarter of the fundraising season, we shall see who comes out on top in fundraising.

Obama promises to fight special interests

Illinois United States Senator and Democratic Presidential Hopeful Barack Obama has vowed to protect national interests from special interests groups who try to dictate the National agenda of American politics by wining and dining many of our Congressman and Senators on the Hill. Thus Barack told a group in New Hamsphire that he will fight against such things if elected as President and hopes that this brings awareness to an issue that has plagued American politics for a long time. Well we shall see if more speeches and promises are made by Seantor Obama as he continues his march toward the White House.

Mitt Romney, Basking In the Momentum

Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney says that he is basking in momentum and isn't worried about soon be Republican Presidential Candidate Fred Thompson stealing the headlines this week. Therefore Romney has said that he isn't worried about Thompson's entry into the race. Romney has said that Thompson isn't going to effect where he stands in his race for the Republican Presidential nomination and looks forward to Thompson's entry.

Former Gov. Warner undecided on Senate run

Former Governor Mark R. Warner is considering to run for the Senate seat that will become vacant by Senator John W. Warner next year. Many experts say that Governor Warner would be able to wint he seat if he chooses to. Also many people believe that many will just believe that Senator Warner is running again and will vote for the Governor because of the last name similiarity while some believe that Governor Warner has his own following and will be able to pick up enough support and steam to win the Senate seat. So only time will tell as to whether Governor Warner seeks the soon to be vacant Senate seat.

Thompson entry to be watched for effect on Giuliani

Republican Presidential Hopeful Fred Thompson is finally going to make it official this week that he will be running for President of the United States of America. Therefore the question now on everyone else's mind is whethere Thompson's entry will effect Giuliani and his strangle hold on the Republican Presidential nomination. Many experts predict that Giuliani's hold or lead in most polls will diminish as Thompson really gets out there and starts to get the support of many conservative voters as well as a couple of independents. Thus the Republican Presidential race is really going to have a new look at Thompson starts to enter many debates and really starts to gain more national attention in most states.

Democrat Edwards gets fresh union backing

John Edwards got a fresh union backing as he continues to march toward the White House. So Edward's Labor Day came in with a bang as he got a key as well as fresh union backing that he needed in order to restart and rejuvenate his campaign as he continues to be a key figure in the 2008 Presidential Democratic race.

President Thanks Troops for Their Hard Work During Labor Day Visit

In a suprise turn of events, President Bush decided to go to Iraq to tell the forces over there that he appreciates their hardwork and dedication as well as there loyalty to the mission. Therefore President Bush showed our troops that this Labor Day is truly a day for celebration because if it wasn't for them than the world and America wouldn't be as safe as it is said President Bush during his visit to the Iraq. So America should be thankful for the countless hours and tireless well of our troops who even on Labor Day they continue to fight in Iraq as well as attempt to perserve democracy in Iraq.

Labor Day Was No Holiday for Candidates

If you ever thought about running for public office than I can tell you now that you will see lot's of long days and nights. Also you can expect not to have many days off or even holiday's off. Therefore as we march toward the 2008 Presidential elections, Labor Day was no holiday for the Presidential candidates as they continued to have events in order to introduce themselves to potential voters as well as raise some funds in the process. So as many of us celebrated and appreciated today's day off or holiday, many political candidates didn't really have the chance to rest or partake in the holiday break because they have to try to garner as much support as they can. The key to running any successful campaign is to out work your campaign in ever arena and atmosphere as you can.

Graceful exit for Sen. Warner

Senator John Warner of Virginia is not going to seek reelection after his term ends. Instead Senator Warner has decided to take a graceful exit out of the lame light of politics. Thus, Senator Warner has announced has decision early on in order to allow other candidates the chance to start fundraising and campaigning to replace him. While Senator Warner's legacy in due time will be judged by many historians and others.

Obama, Edwards Skip Rogue Primary States

Democratic Presidential candidates Barack Obama and John Edwards say they are skipping rogue primary states Michigan and Florida who moved their primaries up in order to become key components in who gets the Republican and Democratic Presidential candidacy. However Democratic front runner Hillary Clinton hasn't ruled out visiting both states and trying to campaign there in order to get the Presidential primary victories in both early primary states.

The impact of Michigan and Florida moving their primaries up will be found out but as of now, many are still considering only four primaries important in deciding the Democratic and Republican Presidential nominations. Thus Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina still configure to be the decisive states in determining who will become each parties nominee.

Craig Resigns From U.S. Senate Over Restroom Incident

Senator Craig is set to resign from the U.S. Senate after restroom incident. For days Senator Craig has denied that he did anything wrong except for accepting the plea deal in the first place. Now all of a sudden he is set to resign after his restroom incident has become public news for all to look at and criticize. Now the question is why is Senator Craig resigning after saying he did nothing wrong? Why is Senator Craig deeply sorry if he didn't do anything wrong? So as Senator Craig steps down, will his restroom incident finally be swept under the rug like it never happened. Well only time will tell!