The Friday Presidential Race ‘BushWhack’ing

Another week down... there are 22 weeks left til we head to the booths…

• Read my “Plea to Democrats” while it’s still a moral imperative
• Sen. McCain wants to slash the US’ nuclear arsenal… which drew a rebuke from Sen. Obama’s campaign that McCain hasn't led on nonproliferation issues in the past and is using this in order to draw parallels between him and Pres. Reagan…
• There should be a deal between the DNC and the brat-like states of Michigan and Florida this weekend. (as I said earlier this week, the two states clearly disobeyed the rules and were held accountable by not having their primaries count. It has absolutely NOTHING to do with disenfranchising voters and EVERYTHING to do with being held accountable for your actions. Giving in, even a little bit, is a horrible example to be passing on and will set a dangerous precedent for the future…)
• McCain’s campaign scaled back two fundraisers this week that were to have an appearance by “President” Bush because, according to the Phoenix Business Journal, the “event was not selling enough tickets” to fill the Convention Center space… (Hard to not laugh my ass off at that tidbit… but I’ll try)
• McCain criticized Obama for not visiting Iraq and refusing to join him on a trip over there… and now Obama seems to be pandering to McCain as he announced yesterday (Thursday) that he may travel to Iraq in the next few weeks…
• The three candidates signed a joint statement on Darfur this past week…
• Obama campaign staffer David Axelrod is apparently taking cues from Mark Penn and said earlier this week that his candidate is about to clinch victory… (the man is a putz for saying that before the final primary… much like CNN political pundit Roland Martin who tried to rouse some rabbles earlier this week by saying there is ‘no graceful bow-out’ for Sen. Clinton…
• Obama used former South Dakota Sen. Tom Daschle in his arsenal to help himself with blue-collar voters…
• We already knew this, but in case you didn’t, McCain i’s out of touch on housing woes facing average Americans…
• McCain tried to explain his opposition to the 21st Century GI Bill… it’s STILL not working…
• Obama is not ready to cede the Western US to McCain yet as he traverses the region as he tries to play up the dissatisfaction with Bush and population changes out there that have put the West in play… stay tuned.
• McCain got some bad news when the Libertarian Party picked former Georgia republican Rep. Bob Barr as its presidential candidate. Yes, Barr is on record saying he has “no intention of being a spoiler,” but has also let his disdain for McCain be known in the past, and if he plays the “true conservative” card, he could bleed many votes away from McCain in November… which is exactly what I want to see happen…
• And have we mentioned? That a CQ analysis of Senate votes shows that McCain is more in line with “President” Bush than he lets on? The analysis shows that McCain, on issues where Bush expressed “an explicit, stated opinion,” voted with Bush 100% of the time in 2008 and 95% of the time in 2007… more proof that a vote for McCain in November would be a vote for a third Bush term… and God knows we don’t want that.

The Friday Presidential Race ‘BushWhack’ing

Another week down, there are now 24 weeks remaining in the campaign season…

• Read my “Plea to Democrats.” It’s a moral imperative… even Sen. Clinton agrees unity is important as she said earlier this week that it would be a “terrible mistake” for her supporters to vote for McCain over Sen. Obama.
• While Sen. Clinton won the West Virginia primary (handedly) she’s also been making a move to help repair the fractured Democratic Party. Yesterday she came to Sen. Obama’s defense regarding AppeasementGate… much like every other Democrat did. With everything she’s done this past week, I still believe (as do others), that Ms Clinton is starting to work towards re-uniting the party that she knows she fractured. Winning in West Virginia and, most likely, Kentucky, she’ll be able to bow out more gracefully with her head high. If I’m wrong, I will be the first to say so… well, probably the second as one of the trolls trolling here will jump on it in some desperate attempt for gratification of beating a complete stranger...
• Obama picked up the endorsement of former Senator, Vice-Presidential candidate and Presidential candidate John Edwards, which is already paying off with the United Steelworkers Union, who had been backing Edwards, changing their endorsement to Obama.
• Sen. McCain’s definition of ‘middle-class’ is a little different than everyone else’s… and by little I mean absolutely gargantuan…
• A new Quinnipiac University poll showed earlier this week that both Democratic candidates could beat McCain in November. Giggity...
• Former Georgia republican congressman Bob Barr threw his hat into the presidential ring this week and sees himself as the true conservative candidate… this could be more trouble for McCain, so stay tuned.
• McCain wavered on the environment… if this surprises you, you should stop paying attention to politics and concentrate on entertainment fluff… …
• McCain gave his vision of the future this week… I would write more, but I can’t stop laughing.
• Former presidential candidate Gov. Mike Dukakis gave his support, he refused to call it an endorsement, to Obama this week, saying he is better prepared to weather a gop assault in the Fall. Mr. Dukakis also had some great advice to the party, and I pray they pay heed to it…
• McCain’s campaign threatened to cut off access to Newsweek… cuz if there’s one thing we DON’T want is our media asking tough question to the person wanting to run the country.
• Time magazine asks “How Healthy is John McCain?”
• McCain tried to compromise on Sen. Webb’s GI Bill, thus eliminating a potential embarrassment for the McCain campaign… Webb’s response was, essentially, ‘suck it.’ (Okay, truth be told that wasn’t the exact wording, but wouldn’t it be great it he did put it that way?)
• McCain has not backed down and has still “accepted” the endorsement of eternal dumbass, Reverend John Hagee…
• Two of McCain’s campaign aides, Doug Goodyear (whom McCain chose to run this year’s republican Convention) and Doug Davenport (a regional campaign manager), were forced to quit the campaign earlier this week because they had ties to a firm that once represented the Burmese military Junta. (Representing a Junta… nice. Stay classy guys…)
• Has anyone else noticed that with each new day in McCain’s campaign we get a bold statement of American values from him… which we then find out he’s on the record rejecting that value within the last 5 years? Anyone want odds as to what’s next?
• A handful of Obama's top fundraisers asked campaign donors to stop contributing to independent political organizations in a move aimed at controlling the tone and message of the upcoming general-election campaign. In essence they’re trying to stop the influence of the so-called 527 groups. McCain has done the same… (Good idea. These groups have been a pox on ALL political parties since their inception, and putting a stop to them is the only way to ensure the end of swiftboating a candidate which tends to focus more on fear and a lack of understanding the issues then the truth)
• And have we mentioned? That a new study by the Center for American Progress Action shows that the US would be fucked from an economical standpoint (and others for that matter) if McCain wins the presidency? According to the report, McCain’s fiscal proposals for his presidency would increase the federal deficit to its highest level in 25 years while at the same time raising the national debt to heights not seen since WW II… (and once again, as if we needed any more proof, we see how a McCain presidency would be a continuation of the Bush presidency… and we don’t want that… do you?)

The Friday Presidential Race ‘BushWhack’ing

Another week down in the 2008 race to see who will become number 44… there are 25 weeks until Election Day…

• Read my “Plea to Democrats” and “Read my words, hear my words, let it sink in people!” they’re both moral imperatives for the survival of the Democrats in November.
• Two more primaries that further dimmed Sen. Clinton’s chances and fortified Sen. Obama’s chances. But you already knew that, didn’t you?
• Obama visited the House of Representatives yesterday to schmooze. Safe to say they liked him...
  
• Obama picked up more super-delegates; North Carolina Democratic Party Chairman Jerry Meek, North Carolina DNC member Jeanette Council, and California DNC member Inola Henry, former Clinton supporter George McGovern,
• Clinton got the super-delegate endorsement of Heath Shuler (D-NC)… I’m surprised he didn’t fumble the announcement. But lost the support of super-delegate Rep. Donald Payne, a New Jersey Democrat and an early Clinton supporter, who is the latest high-profile person to leave Clinton following George McGovern's jumping of the SS Hillary earlier this week... ouch, that's gotta hoit.
  
• McCain needs Hispanics…
• Time magazine published the “Five mistakes Clinton Made.” (while I joked earlier this week that ‘hiring Mark Penn’ should have been on the list, the list is, for the most part, spot on. Clinton has been receiving some very bad advice since the campaign season got into full-swing, and instead of being the agent of change; she talked up her experience of being in the White House before as the crucial part of the campaign. After 8 years of the same old, same old, it was NOT the message people were looking for, and that’s what doomed her campaign)
• With it looking less and less likely that Clinton can garner the nomination, super-delegates are coming out of the woodwork to push her to either give up or keep fighting, at least until Obama seals the deal in Oregon. Stay tuned.
• Obama’s camp is looking at May 20^th to nail down the nomination… which is also the date of Oregon’s primary.
• Ms. Clinton lent her campaign money again, $6.4 million to be exact.
• The race for the Democratic presidential nomination is “alive and well” and must continue… at least according to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).
• Sen. McCain vows to fight “evil” if elected. Good thing he cleared that up, since he’s a republican, I thought he would fight FOR evil if elected…
• Al Gore says he still may endorse a nominee. (Gore is a smart man, so his super-delegate vote will go to whomever is the frontrunner. Frankly, at this stage of the game his backing would do little to sway anyone)
• Sen. Obama on CNN says that the most important thing he could achieve as president would be to deal with Iraq and the threat of al Qaeda in Afghanistan while improving “our influence around the world.”
• Obama got the endorsement of Rush Limbaugh cuz, miraculously, he suddenly has decided that he’s the lesser of the candidates. (Hmmm, seems to be Rush is running scared now and is trying to convince the lemmings that listen to his show that Obama is not going to be a force to reckon with in November. He will be…)
• And have we mentioned? That Clinton supporter Harvey Weinstein has threatened to cut off contributions to congressional Democrats unless House Speaker Nancy Pelosi embraced his plan to finance re-votes in Florida and Michigan… (Fuck. Him. Ignoring for a moment that what he’s doing is blackmail, he’s not in charge of a re-vote… matter of fact, neither is Ms. Pelosi… Howard Dean is. These two states broke the rules, balked at earlier attempts to have a re-vote, and now they have to deal with the consequences. If the Democrats play the game of a goddamn movie producer, the backlash will be like nothing seen before…)

The Friday Presidential Race ‘BushWhack’ing

We rewind the week that was in the 2008 race, there are 26 weeks until Election Day.

• Read my “Plea to Democrats” AND “Read my words, hear my words, let it sink in people!” They’re both moral imperatives…


• The gop attacked a DNC ad this week because it had the audacity to criticize Sen. McCain’s ‘100 years’ in Iraq strategy. The gop says the ad “falsely and maliciously accuses Sen. McCain of stating that prolonging the Iraq war for '100 years' would be 'fine' with him.” (Semantics… he may not flat-out say it, but it’s implied… besides, republicans have no problems using false and malicious ads when it suits them, but as soon as it’s against them, they whine like a pushed 5-year old on the playground. Man up gop…)


• Clinton and Obama are statistically neck and neck in Gallup's national tracking poll this past week…


• Sen. Obama had it with ReverendGate this week… so did Mrs. Obama… hell, so had I…


• Sen. Clinton and Sen. McCain support eliminating the gas tax temporarily while Sen. Obama doesn’t, and Obama has a majority of economists on his side saying it wouldn’t do much help and would further harm the US economy…


• Ron Paul is still hanging around the gop ticket… just like an albatross.


• All three (major) candidates have spent $110 million on TV ads already… and it’s only going to get worse… wake me when it’s over.


• CNN evident headline of the week; “Wild cards could determine deadlocked Indiana” (well duhhhhhhhh)


• Both Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama picked up new super-delegates this week… and are chasing the “blue-collar” vote in Indiana… (I thought they were seeking wild cards… which is it?)


• After Sen. Clinton said earlier this week that the United States could “totally obliterate” Iran if it made a nuclear attack on Israel, the Iranian government sent a letter of protest, to the UN and the U.N. Security Council over her remarks, calling them “provocative, unwarranted and irresponsible.” (This should end well…)


• Sen. McCain released his health care plan this week whose basis are tax credits to help individuals and families buy health insurance… the announcement was met with a unified; ‘meh’ and bares a striking similarity to the healthcare plan “Bush put forth in his 2007 State of the Union address”… but I’m sure that’s just pure coincidence, right?


• Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) is not happy with Sen. McCain. The pair is in an intense debate over the (supposed) shared value of education benefits for veterans. Webb is upset that McCain is refusing to endorse his GI education bill and instead got behind a Republican alternative. McCain shot back and said that Webb’s Senate staff “has not been eager to negotiate” on the bill. Webb replied; “He’s so full of it. […] I have personally talked to John three times. I made a personal call to [McCain aide] Mark Salter months ago asking that they look at this.” (Hmmmm Vice President Webb… has a nice sound to it, doesn’t it?)


• Joe Andrew, DNC chairman from 1999-2001 under President Clinton and a current super-delegate, switched his allegiance to Sen. Obama this week and encouraged fellow Democrats to unite behind the Illinois senator as well in order to “heal the rift in our party”. (This has to be a smack in the face to the Clintons, along the same lines as Gov. Richardson… regardless of who gets the nod though, I will vote for the Democratic candidate…)


• And this week’s winner of “Obvious Statement of the Week” goes to Sen. McCain, who said this past week on MSNBC that the gop brand is harmed… well, duhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
  Is Sen. McCain old? I hadn’t noticed… though it does explain that younger nurse always by his side… what’s that? That’s his wife… oh, my bad…


• A new poll by NBC News/Wall Street Journal shows that 43% of registered voters say they have major concerns that McCain is too closely aligned with the current administration, proving that his greatest liability this November is “President” Bush… oh that’s a shame… what, that didn’t sound sincere?
• Sen. Obama is losing national support according to one poll... gaining national support on another poll...
  
• And have we mentioned? That Sen. Clinton has… how shall we say this… um… she has… you know what, I’m just going to come right out and say it. According to Paul Gipson, president of a steelworker’s local in Indiana, Ms. Clinton has “testicular fortitude.” Um… okay? Perhaps she got Bill’s after the Lewinsky episode… but, on second thought, I think I’m just gonna leave it at that…
  

The Friday Presidential Race ‘BushWhack’ing

Another end to another week in the on-going (god will it ever end) 2008 presidential race. We are 27 weeks away from Election Day.

• Read my ‘Plea to Democrats’, it’s a moral imperative… now more than ever.
• In case you hadn’t heard, there was a primary in Pennsylvania this past week that Sen. Clinton won.
• While McCain is the presumptive gop nominee, a quarter of those that voted did so for Huckabee or Paul instead of McCain (the numbers were McCain – 72.7%, Paul – 15.9%, Huckabee – 11.4%) and that spells problems for the republicans in November…
• Sen. Clinton once again flashed signs of being in a different world this week as she maintained that she’s ahead of Sen. Obama in the popular vote…(which only happens if you count Florida and Michigan, and so far – that scenario hasn’t been decided. So, perhaps, Ms. Clinton should stop bringing it up until it actually DOES get resolved… I’m just sayin’)
• Obama's camp touted a big boost for his campaign this week himself as he got endorsements from 49 John Edwards’ supporters…
• While she won PA, she faces a harder battle in North Carolina, but after starting the month of April in debt, she’s doing better, with her campaign saying this week that she raised close to $10 million in a 24 hour span…
• Sen. McCain showed once again that he doesn’t understand the issues of voters. In discussing his opposition to the equal pay legislation bill he said that instead of legislation that allows women to fight for equal pay, they need “education and training.” (Wow, we can now add equal pay as yet another issue that McCain doesn’t know a damn thing about. That makes it how many now?)
• A new CBS News/MTV poll shows that the economy is the top concern for voters between the ages of 18 and 29, with 75% of those responding say “the state of the economy is bad.” (Well duhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh)
• McCain was traipsing across the nation earlier this week giving stump speeches in poverty-stricken areas.
• Former President Bill Clinton continued his war on his legacy by saying he didn’t do things despite the prevalence of videotaped evidence showing otherwise, the most recent him denying that he had accused Sen. Obama's campaign of “playing the race card” even though there’s evidence showing that he did indeed do that. (Am I the only one who thinks Sen. Clinton’s campaign is worried every time he opens his mouth? I would be…)
• Rather than get behind Sen. Webb’s GI Bill, Sen. McCain released his own version… not surprisingly, it sucks…
• Despite the fact that he once loudly and vehemently opposed Bush’s tax cuts and said that the cuts, along with Bush’s ever-growing budget deficits and high war costs would harm the American people, McCain is now “marching straight down the party line” even though some of his worries have proven to be prophetic. Despite that, McCain is dead-set to (Well duhhhhhhhhh. The 2000 version of McCain is vastly different from the 2008 model that has become MORE of a panderer, flip-flopper and rhetorical spewing politico since announcing this run for the White House)
• Speaking of McCain’s pandering… he was in NOLA yesterday and blasted the Bush(whacked) Administration and all levels of government for the half-assed response to Hurricane Katrina. Never mind the fact that on the day the storm made landfall, he was with Bush celebrating his birthday with a presidential photo-op… he must have forgotten about that.
• And have we mentioned? That former republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee is writing a book about his failed White House run? You can’t make this stuff up… not only will the book tell “untold stories and untold anecdotes” about the campaign, but it will also offer up his vision of the gop’ s future… (Seriously; why would someone care?)
  

The Friday Presidential Race ‘BushWhack’ing

TGIF… there are 28 weeks until the 2008 presidential election.

• Read my Plea to Democrats… it’s a good thing.
• New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Thursday that whoever wins the presidency in November, “at least we'll have an adult in office who can lead and accomplish something.” (BAM!)
• The two Democratic candidates another debate earlier this week… which is being labeled the WORST DEBATE EVER… and for good cause. I didn’t watch it because it was, as expected, a complete and udder farce… in fact, it was as painful as a SOTU by “President” Bush, and we all know how painful THAT is.
• Sen. Obama extended his lead over Sen. Clinton in national polls…
• Obama says they’ve had enough debates, and he’s right. This late in the primary season, it’s unlikely that a debate is going to significantly sway anyone. And besides, most of them have sucked this election season, culminating with this week’s pathetic attempt by ABC…
  Democrats STILL need single women… unless of course you’re Eliot Spitzer, then you have that covered.
• The logic (a term I use very loosely) behind Sen. McCain’s opposition to the GI Bill was learned this past week, and it stems from his concern that “a generous education benefit would persuade soldiers and Marines ending their tours to pursue an education rather than reenlist in the overstretched military.”
• CNN continue to ask “is Obama elitist?” (he’s as elitist as everyone else running for the presidency…)
• We learned this past week that the chances of Sen. Joe Lieberman (I r - CT) giving a keynote address at the Republican National Convention in September are growing by the day. Just ask LIEberman; “If Sen. McCain, who I support so strongly, asked me to do it, if he thinks it will help him, I will.” (How far he’s fallen since he was Gore’s running mate…)
• During a stump speech this week, Sen. Clinton showed off her grammatical skills (yes, that was sarcasm) when she said that “President” Bush was “unready” to be President in 2000… (Points for her point, though we have to take some away for her awkward verbage…)
• Obama got the endorsement of Bruce Springsteen and, yeah, we still don’t care…
• Sen. McCain released his presidential economic plan… Sen. Clinton unveiled her anti-crime plan… Sen. Obama had to refute his ‘bitter’ comments… thanks CNN.
• The DNC filed a lawsuit yesterday in an attempt to fore the FEC to investigate Sen. McCain and whether he violated federal spending limits for his primary campaign or not.
• And have we mentioned? That DNC Chairman Howard Dean is cracking the whip> He told CNN yesterday that he needs super-delegates to say who they’re for and “I need them to say who they’re for starting now.” (Dean throws it down and sounds as though he’s ready for a smackdown. Does he have it in him? Stay tuned…)

The Friday Presidential Race ‘BushWhack’ing

We are 29 weeks away from the 2008 election… my God, do we really have to put up with this for that much longer??

• If you haven’t yet read it, make sure to read my “Plea to Democrats”. It’s a moral, and Party, imperative…
• Sen. Obama is hoping the support of Teamster President Jimmy Hoffa will translate into support from Teamsters in Pennsylvania… which will translate into victory in Pennsylvania… stay tuned.
• Sen. McCain needs women…
• He also needs House republicans…
• Sen. Clinton had one of her campaign offices destroyed by a fire… what that means to her campaign is anyone’s guess… but it’s a fire, so I think the media is legally obligated to report it…
• During an interview with The Advocate (which came about after gay advocates criticized him for not speaking to the gay media) Sen. Obama said he wants to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays if elected president...
• Sen. Clinton said this past week that she’s the only presidential candidate capable of ending the war in Iraq…riiiiiiight…
• Sen. Clinton doesn’t think the controversy of Mark Penn meeting with the Colombians will affect her campaign. I disagree...
• All three of the presidential candidates had the opportunity to question General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker this past week. Sen. McCain said that success in Iraq was “within reach.” Sen. Obama labeled the invasion of Iraq a “massive strategic blunder” and Sen. Clinton said that staying in Iraq was “irresponsible.”
• If you read one poll, Obama is gaining on Clinton in Pennsylvania. If you read another, Clinton is maintaining a sizeable lead. If you read another one, you see that the two of them are neck and neck in Mexico… (I know, I don’t understand it either…)
• Mark Penn resigned his post on the Clinton campaign
• After getting flak for, we’ll call it embellishing for now, a story about her role in Bosnian peace talks, Sen. Clinton was forced to drop another stump speech story about an uninsured pregnant woman who died after being denied medical care. After the hospital in question raised questions, the campaign announced this past week that she will stop telling the story…
• Sen. McCain criticized Sen. Obama this past Saturday for not denouncing comments from a speaker at a North Dakota Democratic Party event that called McCain a "warmonger.” (I know, I don't understand it either...)
• And have we mentioned? That questions about Monica Lewinsky continue to dog Chelsea Clinton? It seems that no matter how much she tries to distance herself and NOT answer questions about it, people continue to ask her how it effected Sen. Clinton, President Clinton and herself. While I accept that people are free to ask anyone any kind of question, I also understand that people, as a general rule, are schmucks who are trying to get the face on ‘tee-vee’. Chelsea needs to attack this question in one of two ways – answer it directly, once and for all, or, become hostile and belligerent when the question is asked and challenge the asker why they think it’s their business. My wish to people; stick to real issues like the war, the economy or the environment and stop asking questions that have no true bearing on how well Ms. Clinton would perform the job.

The Friday Presidential Race ‘BushWhack’ing

There are seven months remaining until the 2008 presidential election…

• Read my ‘Plea to Democrats.’ It’s a moral imperative…
• A new CNN/Essence Magazine/Opinion Research Corp shows that 76% believe that the US is ready for a black president, up 14 points since December 2006.
• Sen. McCain has been on a jaunt to emphasize his life… what we’ve gotten from it so far is that he’s really, really old…
• Obama and Clinton were invited to an Indiana debate by a consortium of Indiana television stations and newspapers… as of today, neither candidate has responded, so stay tuned.
• Is Cindy McCain this election’s Teresa Heinz Kerry?
• Like me, Sen. Obama needs to stay away from bowling…
• Because it worked oh-so-well last time (yes, that was sarcasm), Sen. Clinton has released another “3 AM” ad, this time with an economic issue as the danger… my question is precisely what kind of emergency economic call is going to come in at 3 in the morning?
• Sen. Obama's campaign fundraising grossly outraised Sen. Clinton's by two-to-one in March, with Obama raising $40-million (after getting a record $55.4 million in February) to Clinton raising $20 million after raising $34.6 million in February.
• Ummmmmmmm, Rupert Murdoch’s daughter, Elisabeth, is going to host an Obama fundraiser in London…
• New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson is STILL getting flak for endorsing Obama while denying that he ever promised anything to the Clintons… the Clintons need to let it go as every time they make note of it or complain, they look like whiny little kids. It’s done, it’s passed, he ain’t gonna change his mind… move on…
• Obama and Clinton are tied in Indiana, who holds its primary on May 6th, so there’s still plenty of time for it to flip-flop back and forth a few dozen times, so stay tuned.
• The Obama campaign announced earlier this week that it will start-up a fellowship program for people interested in learning the art of political organizing… such as it is.
• Sen. Obama got a non-endorsement endorsement of former president Jimmy Carter
• Retired General, former presidential candidate and current Clinton supporter Wes Clark sent a message from his political action committee, WesPAC, that criticized McCain for failing recent veterans by refusing to sign a veterans benefit bill…
• John Edwards said he won’t run as a VP candidate again…
• For all of you that thought we were done seeing new candidates enter the race, prepare to be surprised as former Georgia republican Representative Bob Barr is inching closer to seeking the presidential nomination of the Libertarian Party… Ron Paul will be crushed…
• An article in the Wall Street Journal reports that Clinton's chief campaign strategist met with Colombia's US ambassador to discuss a bilateral free-trade agreement, which Clinton supposedly opposes…
• Karl Rove thinks Obama’s lack of wearing a US Flag lapel pin will be an issue in the campaign. I saw Karl Rove has been drinking too much since he left the White House and if people use that as a barometer of Obama, then they probably have some brain cells missing and won’ be able to find the polling place in November.
• Obama promised Al Gore a place in his administration… the secretary of partying down perhaps?
• Obama cut into Clinton's Super-delegate lead
• DNC Chairman Howard Dean says that the party will “absolutely seat” the Florida delegation at the Convention and the two are working diligently to craft a plan that would see their delegates counted
• Sen. McCain has a very long ‘short-list’ of VP possibilities…
• Perpetual conservative tool James Dobson just can’t keep his mouth shut as he said earlier this week that McCain has not been successful in uniting conservatives since he officially nabbed the nomination and that recent moves by him “appear to be fracturing an increasingly divided constituency” instead.
• And have we mentioned? That the Clinton campaign is STILL having trouble paying some of its bills? It was discovered this week that her campaign has been putting off paying hundreds of bills for months in an effort to free up cash for critical media buys, which is earning the campaign a reputation as something of a deadbeat. One has to wonder, if Obama continues to outraise Clinton, how much longer can she realistically stay in the race? And were she to actually get the nomination, how would she do in fundraising in the second stage of the presidential race? Stay tuned…

The Friday Presidential Race ‘BushWhack’ing

Computer connectivity issues this morning, but here is your (late) Presidential Race BushWhack…

• News that sends a shiver down my spine was reported this week as a new poll shows that if Sen. Obama wins the Democratic nomination, a lot of Clinton backers would vote for McBush… the reverse is also true, and to that I say; NO!!!! God damnit, no! As I said earlier this week, we as Democrats can NOT allow that to happen. Never has it ever been more important to vote your party than it will be for this election, for if we Sen. McBush gets into the White House, we’ll instantly have 4 more years of a Bush-style presidency… 4 more years in Iraq, 4 more years of economic crap, 4 more years of ignoring the Constitution and 4 more years of HELL. As much as I dislike Ms. Clinton right now for her actions, if she gets the nomination, I will vote for her in November. To do otherwise would be a slap in the face of the nation and will ensure we have more years of Bush-like politics…
• Since he’s already the presumptive nominee, the talk is now turning over who will be Sen. McBush’s running mate…
• Finally acting like they should, Sens. Obama and Clinton have decided to not attack each other on something and instead have focused their disagreements towards presumptive republican nominee Sen. John McBush…(About time you guys started getting it right…)
• Another poll shows that the bickering between Obama and Clinton could hurt turnout in the general election… (that’s some might fine reporting there Lou CNN…)
• Sen. Clinton’s donors have found themselves facing down one of the grassroots most powerful (and in my opinion sometime unethical) groups; MoveOn… (personally I truly hope the group doesn’t go republican on her and swiftboat her campaign, that kind of in-fighting is something we Democrats do NOT need right now…)
• Speaking of pandering… Sen. Clinton said yesterday that she would have long ago distanced herself from the Rev. Jeremiah Wright if she had been a member of his church…(uh-huh, thanks for clearing that up Hillary…)
• Sen. Obama said earlier this week that if Reverend Wright had not retired, he would have left the church because of the statements made by Wright… (stop pandering Barack, it doesn’t suit you…)
• Despite her most-tried efforts, Sen. Clinton’s SerbiaGate just won’t go away… and rightfully so.
• Obama-Bloomberg? Wasn’t that rumor going around weeks ago? Oh that’s right, it’s CNN…
• Sen. Obama released his tax returns… still nothing from Sen. Clinton…
• And have we mentioned? That Sen. Clinton’s personal approval rating has taken a staggering drop in recent weeks? Not only has her approval ratings fallen, but the amount of those that hold a negative view of her has skyrocketed. Her most recent approval rating was 48%, lowest since March 2001, and only 37% have a positive view of her, down from 45% two weeks ago…(I’m sure it has absolutely nothing to do with her constant whining about Florida and Michigan or her ‘misspeaking’ on multiple occasions about Bosnia… it’s so hard to express sarcasm in the written form…)

The Friday Presidential Race ‘BushWhack’ing

Another week down, another week of Florida, Michigan and Ms. Clinton whining...

• Sen. Obama gave a speech earlier this week that not only defined his candidacy, but also received props in conservative circles…he followed that up with a speech that not only railed against Bush, Sen. Clinton, Sen. McCain and Iraq… but took issue with all three of their foreign policies. (Obama has shown us a lot this week… with the Wright affair threatening to overtake his campaign, he responded with a calm and cool demeanor while also keeping pace on the issues. If he hasn’t shown you he’s ready to be CIC, then you just haven’t opened your eyes wide enough)
  

• Two contractors were fired and another one was disciplined after it was discovered that they had looked into the passport files of Sen. Obama... an act that was reminiscent of a breach of Bill Clinton's passport information during the 1992 presidential campaign... (this is just sad and pathetic, and if it was ordered or even suggested by Clinton or McCain, they should both be penalized or charged...). Now word is coming that Secretary of State Rice is apologizing for the incident...
  

• Despite her vote in favor of invading Iraq, Sen. Clinton won the endorsement of Rep. John Murtha… meanwhile, Sen. Obama got the endorsement of former presidential candidate and current New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson...
  


• A McCain staffer has been suspended from the campaign after it was discovered that he leaked the video of Rev. Wright in an attempt to smear Obama…


• Obama pledged to take an active role in the US oil market if elected president. I assume more of an active role than our current leader has, by which I mean; none.


• It seems McCain has a problem making multiple false claims that Iranian operatives are “taking al-Qaeda into Iran, training them and sending them back” despite there being absolutely no evidence at all to support it. The first time McCain screamed at a reporter but was then corrected in front of the cameras by his BFF Joe Lieberman, ewwww…


• Sen. McCain said earlier this week that; “The problem with Iraq, in my view, is that it was mishandled after the initial success.” (There is a kernel of truth in that statement, but McCain’s continuing touting of the surge and the war are portents that, if he gets elected, we will, in essence, be getting a third Bush term…NOOOOOO!!!!!)


• Kos says that Sen. McCain could keep immigrants in his corner solely because he doesn’t follow the gop handbook regarding the issue… good point…


• Having already been declared dead many, many, many times, Michigan and Florida are still trying to get their votes counted. (tough tatas, ya shouldn’t have broken the rules…). Sen. Clinton got in on the act (shocking I know) and urged Obama’s camp to make a decision on the Michigan re-vote…


• Clinton said this past week that she’s the only candidate that can end the Iraq war… (to which I respond; perhaps you NOT voting for it in the first place would have helped. Besides, both she and Obama would end the war – one sooner than the other – the only one that would keep us in Iraq indefinitely for 100 years or so is Sen. McBush…)


• A CNN poll released earlier this week shows that the majority of Democrats would prefer Sen. Obama nabbing the party’s nomination over Sen. Clinton… but remember, according to Clinton (and for that matter Dick Cheney) our opinions don’t matter…


• And have we mentioned? That the turn for the worse that the Democratic primary race has taken is giving McCain a boost in the Daily Rasmussen tracking polls? I still think the intra-party fighting remains the largest risk to us taking back the White House. If Clinton and Obama continue to go after each other, McCain will easily coast to victory. That’s why we need to make our opinions known that we DON’T support either candidate (but let’s face facts – Hillary has been much worse) if they sling insults, slanders, and allegations. Let’s keep in mind that we have one group to defeat in November; the gop…

The Friday Presidential Race ‘BushWhack’ing

Note: this is a Spitzer-free zone.

Another week down in the 2008 presidential race with another… oh God, really?? That many weeks left? Oy...

• There was a primary in Mississippi this past Tuesday, which Sen. Obama won. And, since CNN called the Texas caucus for him, he now has the lead in state delegates…
• It seems that this week was the week that the Obama campaign took the gloves off. Case in point, this past week Sen. Obama's campaign directly questioned whether Sen. Clinton is prepared to be commander in chief, a tactic she’s been aiming at him for some time. The part of this that makes it even better is that the memo was written by Greg Craig, a former Clinton administration official and current Obama adviser. (If you ask me, this has been a long time coming. Obama has tried to take the high road with Clinton, and each time was met with the venom of the NY Senator. If nothing else, this will give us an idea of how well he’ll manage against McCain and the republicans when he wins should he win the nomination… stay tuned.)
• Regardless of your views on what she said, I think we can all agree that Geraldine Ferraro just needs to stop talking now…
• Nothing has been decided yet about Florida or Michigan. (Is it my imagination or is the state of Michigan acting way more mature regarding their votes than Florida?)
• In the week that he was endorsed by him, gop candidate Sen. McCain went against the stance of “President” Bush and said at a townhall meeting in Atlanta that he believes America is “very likely” in a recession. Welcome to the self-evident fact that we kne—what’s that? He said later that same day that the US economy was strong? Oh God, he’s drinking Bush’s milkshake kool-aid, isn’t he? God help us… another one.
• Ron Paul decided to stay in the race… but he’s still nuttier than a squirrel’s cheeks in October…
• As if you needed more proof that it’s becoming more and more clear that a McCain presidency would be a de-facto third term for George Bush, the Politico reported earlier this week that several of Bush’s former advisers are now “informally advising” Sen. McCain, including Ken Mehlman and Karl Rove. According to McCain insiders, the list could grow with Dan Bartlett and Sara Taylor eager to provide Sen. McCain with any assistance and advice. (one more reason to not only vote against McCain, but to support whichever Democrat runs, Obama or Clinton. If not, we could be facing at least 4 more years of a Bush-like presidency…and really, who wants that?
• Vice President Mitt Romney… at least that’s what George and Jeb Bush would prefer…
  McCain still needs money, and lots of it…
• Sen. Obama rejected Sen. Clinton’s offer of VP, and mentioned, like anyone with a brain would, that it’s interesting that the person in second place would offer the number two slot to the person in first place… perhaps Ms. Clinton’s campaign staff has been drinking the kool-aid of Bush’s campaign handlers, it would explain their overuse of fuzzy logic…
• Sen. Clinton apologized to ‘black voters’ for the inane comments by Geraldine Ferraro… she then apologized for “President” Bush's lackluster response regarding Hurricane Katrina… which she had nothing to do with… but she still apologized. Yeah, can we say; pandering?
• And have we mentioned? That “comedian” Sinbad is weighing in on the presidential race? Uh-huh… it seems her took a trip with then First-Lady Clinton to Bosnia in 1996. A trip that Ms. Clinton cites as an example of her foreign-policy experience, saying that she helped broker the deal that eventually brought peace to the region while risking her life. Not so fast says Sinbad, who says the trip’s primary goal was to provide some entertainment for U.S. troops. Sinbad also told WaPo’s Sleuth Blog that the the scariest part of the trip "was wondering where he'd eat next” and that the “only 'red-phone' moment was: 'Do we eat here or at the next place.’” (Uh-huh… I’m not sure which is more pitiable in this story, that she tried to pass off a trip like this as being more than it was… the fact that we’re paying attention to someone like Sinbad for political information, or that I’m posting it here… though in my defense, it DOES show the ridiculousness that this election cycle is approaching…)

The Friday Presidential Race ‘BushWhack’ing

Another Friday, another week down (of WAY too many remaining) in the 2008 presidential race…

• The Delegate Count for this week: Obama: 1,257 (1,451 with super-delegates) and Clinton 1,127 (1,365 with super-delegates)
• In case you were stranded on a deserted island or on the moon, there were more primaries/caucuses this past Tuesday. On the Left, Sen. Clinton won the Rhode Island, Ohio and Texas primaries while Sen. Obama took Vermont and (we still don’t officially know yet), the Texas caucus. On the right, Sen. McCain swept all four states and in the process grabbed enough delegates to be the presumptive gop nominee.
• Gov. Huckabee dropped out of the race…
• Ron Paul might drop out of the race. (Might?? Mr. Paul, McCain has the nomination sealed, you are a distant fourth in delegate count, and you are bat-shit crazy “odd”, drop out already…)
• Sen. Clinton further estranged herself from some Democrats this week when she told a press gaggle that she and Sen. McCain offer the experience to be ready to tackle any crisis facing the country under their watch, but Barack Obama simply offers more rhetoric. So Ms. Clinton is praising someone who could be her opponent later this year… memo to Mark Penn – you’re doing it wrong.
• Even though they broke the rules and ignored the Democrat and republican parties, Florida and Michigan are insisting that their votes should count and their delegates should be allocated accordingly. (N-O… NO! I’ve already said that quite a few voters stayed home that day because they knew their vote wasn’t going to count, and allowing them to matter now would not only be unfair to those that didn’t vote, but unfair to the candidates who didn’t campaign there or weren’t even on the ballot. Before the anti-Clinton or anti-Obama things start trolling me, this has nothing to do with being pro-Clinton or pro-Obama, it’s a playing by the rules thing, and you can’t change the rules in mid-stream. Unless of course you’re a republican president with approval ratings in the low 20’s… )
• Sen. McCain is trying to boost his support among the more conservative republican voters, especially in key battleground states… and considering his rather lack-luster fundraising, that may be more easier said than done…
• Because she’s been bringing up claims that she has more experience and thusly (and wrongly in my opinion) is more qualified to be president, people are starting to analyze Sen. Clinton’s those claims… and they’re finding a true “lack of clarity” on some issues, namely her claims that she helped bring peace to Northern Ireland…
• Bob Dole said earlier this week that John McCain has a temper…
• Sen. Obama set a fundraising record in February by raising an astonishing $55 million… Sen. Clinton has been doing rather well for herself lately as well, bringing in $3 million in the 24 hours since her Tuesday victories.
• Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton are still sniping at each other over NAFTA… and now there are rumors, first reported by The Globe and Mail, that it was Clinton's campaign that “leaked” the memo
• And have we mentioned? That we can sum up the week that was in the 2008 presidential race with one phrase? The republicans have a presumptive nominee and the Democrats have a horse-race…(As I stated earlier this week, that makes some difference right now, but not as big as some people may think. While it’s true that McCain can now start focusing on the November election and choosing a running-mate, he still has to raise money for his campaign, something that he is lacking in, especially compared to his Democratic opponents who seem to be raising funds faster than a Bush(whacked) Administration employee can claim executive privilege… As we like to say at TBWA; stay tuned)

The Friday Presidential Race ‘BushWhacking’

It’s Friday, another week of presidential race politics is out of the way. Now we only have… oh God is that right?... 30+ weeks?? D’oh!

• Sen. Obama and McCain have been sniping this past week about Iraq and al Qaeda… and neither has the official party nomination, so stay tuned…
• Sen. Obama got endorsements from Sen. Christopher Dodd, and Rep. John Lewis (a super-delegate) and also picked up an endorsement that he didn’t necessarily want – that of Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. Sen. Clinton got endorsed by conservative talk show host Bill Cunningham… wait, what? Sen. McCain picked up endorsements from James Baker and the director of the Office of Management and Budget, Robert Portman. Gov. Huckabee got endorsed by: does anyone else hear crickets?
• The Democrats held a debate Tuesday, and by the end Ms. Clinton looked beaten down…
• Ralph Nader has a running mate, picking former San Francisco Supervisor and Board President Matt Gonzalez. Wow, talk about campaign dynamite… this duo has as much drawing power as a naked Brittany Spears picture…
• A picture started circulating this past week that showed Sen. Obama, while on an African goodwill trip, dressed up in traditional Muslim garb. The website The Drudge Report said the photo was given to them by the Clinton camp, who naturally denies it. Insert own comment about the desperation of the Clinton campaign HERE…
• Huckabee is trying to lure McCain into another debate. So far the McCain camp hasn’t taken the bait…
• Three national polls show Mr. Obama beating Ms. Clinton nationally… and beating Sen. McCain head-to-head…
• Sen. Clinton saw herself in the same position as Sen. McCain this past week – apologizing for something that a supporter said. Adelfa Callejo, a supporter of Clinton’s in Texas and a prominent leader in the North Texas Latino community said about Obama after she was asked about him reaching out to Latino voters; “Obama simply has the problem that he happens to be Black.” (Like McCain I respect Ms. Clinton’s decision to apologize, but when you are a politician and you start having to apologize for what a supporter says – not a campaign staffer mind you, a supporter – a line has been crossed. Having said that, the McCain and Clinton situations are different because McCain’s people lined up Cunningham to speak, Ms. Callejo was asked a question by a reporter)
• Ms. Clinton is seemingly suffering from delusions of grandeuar as she said earlier this week; “people are really rallying to my candidacy.” (Um… what people?)
• Sen. Obama is still battling rumors about being Muslim… unfortunately I don’t think there is anything he can do to completely dispel those. People, as stupid as it might be, will think what they think… and they will continue to think that until their minds are open enough that they can grasp the concept…
• The Clinton campaign raised $35 million in February…
• Chuck Norris is back on the campaign trail with Mike Huckabee… you can’t control Chuck, you can only hope to contain him.
• A show of class by Ms. Clinton as she will be attending the funeral of the Texas police officer killed in an accident while working her motorcade last week…
• Ms. Clinton has unveiled her plan to cut child poverty in half this week. While the plan has some interesting ideas, some people think it’s a veiled attempt to garner the endorsement of Sen. John Edwards… stay tuned.
• And have we mentioned? That CNN claims that “Iraq back in focus for campaigns”? Um… has it ever been out of focus on the campaigns… I didn’t think so…

The Friday Presidential Race ‘BushWhack’ing

Week’s wrap-up of the week that was in the 2008 presidential race that started about 5 years ago… at least that’s what it feels like…

• Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama held another debate last night in Texas. Most pundits said that Clinton needed to knock it out of the park to have any hope for the March 4th primaries… she didn’t.
• Sen. McCain had a bad week after the NY Times ran a story (which he claims is a smear campaign) claiming he had a romantic (eww) relationship with a female lobbyist…
• Obama’s good luck continued as he won, with 65% of the vote, the Democrat’s Abroad primary in which Democrats living in other countries vote… he also lengthened his lead by winning Hawaii and Wisconsin and now seems to be chipping away at Clinton’s supporters… (the time for Ms. Clinton to step down seems to be looming large, and the knockout she needed at last night’s debate never materialized… so expect her campaign to get even more desperate… if that’s even possible…)
• McCain won Wisconsin and Hawaii on the gop side but some conservatives are still leery of him.
• Gov. Huckabee vowed to NOT drop out the race even though some members of his own party are urging him to do so
• Ron Paul is still nuttier than a squirrel’s cheeks in October…
• Sen. Obama met with former candidate John Edwards last Sunday… and Sen. Clinton said this morning that she’s had more conversations with the former senator as well as both fight to pick up his endorsement. As I wrote earlier this week, it’s time for Edwards to make his pick and get off the stage…
• McCain got a key endorsement this past week as Dubya’s father President George H.W. Bush gave him his endorsement (which was met with an unenthusiastic ‘meh’). More the story is the fact that Bush 41 also said that the conservative on conservative attacks on McCain’s records were “absurd.” (Uh-huh. Bush 41’s stock rose with his and President Clinton’s work for the Tsunami victims, but one truly has to wonder if his defense of McCain is being met with anything but disinterest. And Mr. Bush should remember that his son attacked McCain for not being conservative enough back during the 2000 primary season...)
• The FEC said that Sen. McCain can't drop out of the primary election's public financing system until he answers questions about a loan he obtained months ago to kick-start his campaign that was, at the time, struggling mightil (what this also means is that McCain can’t lord it over Clinton and Obama, which puts him at a huge strategic disadvantage…)
• Clinton and Obama are still “neck and neck” in some key battleground states…
• Sen. Clinton now has a swift-boating 527 in her corner, something I wrote about yesterday…
• Obama not only won the endorsement of the Teamsters, but also SEIU and the United Food and Commercial Workers Union… (all three unions were coveted by Clinton and should help Obama in the months to come…)
• And have we mentioned? That the battle over super-delegates shows no signs of waning? In a week that saw one of the super-delegates that was being schmoozed by Chelsea Clinton announcing he is now backing Obama (ouch, that’s gotta hoit. Now, some Democratic voters are still nervous about their choice not getting the nod because of super-delegates. And as we’ve mentioned here before, if that happens, the DNC can and should expect a HUGE backlash… and the changing of the super-delegate rules…)

The Friday Presidential Race ‘BushWhack’ing

TGIFF…

• Sen. Obama increased his lead in Tuesday’s Potomac Primaries and now leads Sen. Clinton in total delegates.
• The New Mexico caucus has finally been decided, and Sen. Clinton has won it…
• The Clinton camp is showing their desperation as one of her chief strategists, Mark Penn, said earlier this week; “Could we possibly have a nominee who hasn't won any of the significant states -- outside of Illinois? That raises some serious questions about Sen. Obama.” (Interesting strategy to get people to vote for you – insult their states by implying they don’t matter… I think you’re doing it wrong Mr. Penn…)
• Sen. McCain got the endorsement of last week’s CTOTW Mitt Romney… which was met with much dis-interest… just like Romney’s campaign was.
• Rumors are also swirling that McCain will get the endorsement of the first President Bush… uh-huh…
• “McCain refuses to Pander”…. Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
• McCain voted against the banning of waterboarding. What was that about not pandering?
• McCain also saw himself quickly backpedaling from his statement about the US staying in Iraq for 100 years…
• CNN is trying to rile the pot by suggesting the Democratic nomination could come down to Michigan and Florida… 2 states Clinton won. Problem is the DNC stripped their delegate status after they moved their primaries up against the DNC’s wishes… so why CNN is reporting it is anyone’s guess.
• And have we mentioned? That the Rasmussen Reports Presidential Tracking Poll for yesterday shows Barack Obama opening a double-digit lead over Hillary Clinton in the race for the Democratic Presidential Nomination? It’s true, as the results from yesterday’s poll, taken daily, show Obama earning support from 49% of likely Democratic voters while Clinton attracts 37%. Obama has also opened up a strong lead among women – thought to be Clinton’s bread and butter - 46% to 41%. (It's still too early to usher Clinton off the stage, but it's becoming clear that the orchestra has started playing and her time may be limited. Stay tuned...)

The Friday Presidential Race ‘BushWhack’ing

Quite a lot happened this week on the campaign trail so let’s get to it…

• Super Fat Tuesday was, well, Tuesday… and with 24 states voting, here’s what went down; Clinton won Arizona, Arkansas, California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma and Tennessee. Obama won Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota and Utah… with New Mexico still too close to call. On the republican side: McCain won Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, New York and Oklahoma. Romney won Alaska, Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota and Utah. Huckabee won Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee and West Virginia.
• Democratic primaries tomorrow in Washington, Louisiana and Nebraska while the republicans have Louisiana and Kansas.
• Romney dropped out and so the question is now; will Romney supporters flock to Huckabee? I think yes… so stay tuned. Oh, and his aides are saying the Mittster might run again in 2012. Personally, I think he's on the short list for McCain's VP as I think McCain's people are talking to Romney about being the VP choice in an attempt to get his supporters... at least that's what I would be doing...
• Despite saying time and again on the stump that passing the economic stimulus package was very important to him, McCain skipped the Senate vote on the package, so I guess it’s not AS important as he led people to believe. By the way, the measure fell short of ending the debate by ONE vote… I guess one person can make a difference, huh John?
• The gop “front-runner” (for the moment) Sen. McCain was booed when he spoke at this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference yesterday… this came in a week that not only saw James “XX” Dobson criticize him, but Mary Matalin take a back-handed swipe at him (favoring the now-defunct Romney), Rush Limbaugh spending an entire program trashing him and XX. McCain is hurting among conservatives right now… and the question is if he can unite them before November…
• Despite some political “journalists” still talking about sex and race as being factors in the Democratic race, others are finally seeing what I’ve been shouting from the rooftops… this race isn’t, and SHOULD NOT BE, about that… the sex or race of a candidate should NOT come into play when deciding on your choice. Leave it to the issues… but I also know that no matter how many times I scream that, some people won’t be able to do it…
• Sen. Clinton loaned her campaign some money this week… Sen. Obama isn’t going to have to worry about that any time soon…
• This week’s delegate tally: Clinton has 1,033. Obama has 937 and Edwards has 26. McCain has 714. Romney has 286. Huckabee has 181 and Paul has 16.
• And have we mentioned? That more than a few pundits are saying the republicans are uniting behind McCain (bullshit) andthat Dems aren’t uniting at all? These pundits also say that that could be a problem if the nominating process drags out to the convention this summer. (I don’t buy that conservatives are uniting behind McCain, even with Romney dropping out. I explained why yesterday, and for more proof, watch video of McCain getting booed at CPAC yesterday. Until Huckabee – who vows to stay in until the last vote is counted - and to a lesser extent Paul, drops out, both races are up for grabs…)

The Friday Presidential Race ‘BushWhack’ing

A quick run-down of the week that was in the presidential race...

• Democratic candidate John Edwards dropped out of the race this week… as did republican candidate Rudy Giuliani…
• Senators Obama and Clinton held their final debate before Super Tuesday, and it was a much more cordial affair than the previous ones… with each complimenting each other and focusing their vitriol onto the republicans… where it should be. This can only help each candidate, so next Tuesday should be a rollicking good time…
• The four remaining republican candidates held their final debate before Super Tuesday this past Wednesday, and while it was essentially a battle twixt Romney and McCain, Paul and Huckabee still got some swipes in. Next Tuesday will probably knock at least one of them out, so stay tuned…
• McCain won the endorsement this past week of California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger…
• Mike Huckabee said earlier this week that he, inexplicably, still believes that there were WMD’s in Iraq…
• Obama won the endorsement of Sen. Ted Kenney and Caroline Kennedy… and Hulk Hogan… oookayyyyyyy
• The next president has a mighty-large task ahead of him or her; a new AP/Yahoo poll found that Americans have a “decidedly dour view” of how things are going in the country and carry “great expectations” for the next president’s ability to get things done. All the candidates should take full notice of this news and do their best to answer the call…
• The gloves are coming off on the gop side as Romney has accused McCain of adopting Nixon-like tactics… ouch, that’s harsh... but most-likely true...
• Sen. McCain promised more wars earlier this week…
• While letting front-runner label inflate his head to Dubya-ian proportions, McCain is about to go on the offensive with ad buys in 20 states…
• The Romney campaign announced that they have raised over $27 million… but 18 of that was loaned by Mitt Romney himself to the campaign in what can be viewed as a desperate attempt to catch McCain…
• Obama raised a staggering $32 million in January…
• A just-released study from the National Journal indicates that Sen. Obama was the most liberal senator in 2007, with Sen. Clinton was the 16th most-Liberal…
• And have we mentioned? That Ralph Nader launched an exploratory committee earlier this week to look into another White House run? Nader, who many blame Al Gore’s 2000 loss on told CNN that he's likely to get in the race if he can put the resources in place. (Sigh... can someone on the Dems side throw this man a bone?? Offer him a role in your campaign, so he can be assured that his issues are talked about. Now some might be asking why offer it to one man...well, this one man, while not TOTALLY responsible for Gore's loss, didn't help it. The man is serious about this and can not be ignored, lest we have another loss like 2000...)

The Friday Presidential Race ‘BushWhack’ing

It’s Friday, so how’s about a healthy dollup of the past week in the presidential race...

• The Democratic South Carolina primary is tomorrow, showing Obama with an increasingly large lead over Clinton and Edwards. Personally I think Edwards may surprise some people in the state like he did in 2004…
• The republican candidates held a debate last night in Florida that was more cordial then the Democratic version held earlier this week and the candidates, rather than sling mud at each other, took aim at Sen. Clinton and the economy… the picture will be slightly clearer after next Tuesday’s Florida primary, but not enough to actually declare a front-runner, so stay tuned.
• Speaking of Florida, Rudy Giuliani is seeing his numbers plunge in Florida, a state in which he has concentrated all his money and effort on… and it’s becoming more and more likely that it will all be for naught, especially after finishing finished fifth in Iowa, fourth in New Hampshire, sixth in Michigan, sixth in Nevada and sixth in South Carolina…
• Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) will be making an official announcement today that he is dropping out of the Democratic race for president… ( Considering that he is getting some serious Democratic challenges for his congressional seat, the only thing that surprises me about this is how long he stayed in the race…)
• Speaking of dropping out, Fred “Ronald Reagan: The Sequel” Thompson dropped out of the republican race after incredibly poor showings in the aforementioned states…
• McCain is “Bush on steroids.”
• Earlier this week, Sen. McCain said; “I still believe our fundamental underpinnings of our economy are strong.” Last night in the debate he said that he welcomes the stimulus package to boost the economy… let the pandering begin! continue…
• The New York Times endorsed Sen. Clinton on the Democratic side and Sen. McCain on the republican side… while slamming Giuliani so hard that his grandchildren’s children will feel it later, describing Giuliani as “a narrow, obsessively secretive, vindictive man.” (Damn, that’s gotta hoit…)