podesta_email_20027.txt

podesta-emails 5,632 words email

P17 P22 V11 D6 D8

-----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK----- mQQBBGBjDtIBH6DJa80zDBgR+VqlYGaXu5bEJg9HEgAtJeCLuThdhXfl5Zs32RyB I1QjIlttvngepHQozmglBDmi2FZ4S+wWhZv10bZCoyXPIPwwq6TylwPv8+buxuff B6tYil3VAB9XKGPyPjKrlXn1fz76VMpuTOs7OGYR8xDidw9EHfBvmb+sQyrU1FOW aPHxba5lK6hAo/KYFpTnimsmsz0Cvo1sZAV/EFIkfagiGTL2J/NhINfGPScpj8LB bYelVN/NU4c6Ws1ivWbfcGvqU4lymoJgJo/l9HiV6X2bdVyuB24O3xeyhTnD7laf epykwxODVfAt4qLC3J478MSSmTXS8zMumaQMNR1tUUYtHCJC0xAKbsFukzbfoRDv m2zFCCVxeYHvByxstuzg0SurlPyuiFiy2cENek5+W8Sjt95nEiQ4suBldswpz1Kv n71t7vd7zst49xxExB+tD+vmY7GXIds43Rb05dqksQuo2yCeuCbY5RBiMHX3d4nU 041jHBsv5wY24j0N6bpAsm/s0T0Mt7IO6UaN33I712oPlclTweYTAesW3jDpeQ7A ioi0CMjWZnRpUxorcFmzL/Cc/fPqgAtnAL5GIUuEOqUf8AlKmzsKcnKZ7L2d8mxG QqN16nlAiUuUpchQNMr+tAa1L5S1uK/fu6thVlSSk7KMQyJfVpwLy6068a1WmNj4 yxo9HaSeQNXh3cui+61qb9wlrkwlaiouw9+bpCmR0V8+XpWma/D/TEz9tg5vkfNo eG4t+FUQ7QgrrvIkDNFcRyTUO9cJHB+kcp2NgCcpCwan3wnuzKka9AWFAitpoAwx L6BX0L8kg/LzRPhkQnMOrj/tuu9hZrui4woqURhWLiYi2aZe7WCkuoqR/qMGP6qP EQRcvndTWkQo6K9BdCH4ZjRqcGbY1wFt/qgAxhi+uSo2IWiM1fRI4eRCGifpBtYK Dw44W9uPAu4cgVnAUzESEeW0bft5XXxAqpvyMBIdv3YqfVfOElZdKbteEu4YuOao FLpbk4ajCxO4Fzc9AugJ8iQOAoaekJWA7TjWJ6CbJe8w3thpznP0w6jNG8ZleZ6a jHckyGlx5wzQTRLVT5+wK6edFlxKmSd93jkLWWCbrc0Dsa39OkSTDmZPoZgKGRhp Yc0C4jePYreTGI6p7/H3AFv84o0fjHt5fn4GpT1Xgfg+1X/wmIv7iNQtljCjAqhD 6XN+QiOAYAloAym8lOm9zOoCDv1TSDpmeyeP0rNV95OozsmFAUaKSUcUFBUfq9FL uyr+rJZQw2DPfq2wE75PtOyJiZH7zljCh12fp5yrNx6L7HSqwwuG7vGO4f0ltYOZ dPKzaEhCOO7o108RexdNABEBAAG0Rldpa2lMZWFrcyBFZGl0b3JpYWwgT2ZmaWNl IEhpZ2ggU2VjdXJpdHkgQ29tbXVuaWNhdGlvbiBLZXkgKDIwMjEtMjAyNCmJBDEE EwEKACcFAmBjDtICGwMFCQWjmoAFCwkIBwMFFQoJCAsFFgIDAQACHgECF4AACgkQ nG3NFyg+RUzRbh+eMSKgMYOdoz70u4RKTvev4KyqCAlwji+1RomnW7qsAK+l1s6b ugOhOs8zYv2ZSy6lv5JgWITRZogvB69JP94+Juphol6LIImC9X3P/bcBLw7VCdNA mP0XQ4OlleLZWXUEW9EqR4QyM0RkPMoxXObfRgtGHKIkjZYXyGhUOd7MxRM8DBzN yieFf3CjZNADQnNBk/ZWRdJrpq8J1W0dNKI7IUW2yCyfdgnPAkX/lyIqw4ht5UxF VGrva3PoepPir0TeKP3M0BMxpsxYSVOdwcsnkMzMlQ7TOJlsEdtKQwxjV6a1vH+t k4TpR4aG8fS7ZtGzxcxPylhndiiRVwdYitr5nKeBP69aWH9uLcpIzplXm4DcusUc Bo8KHz+qlIjs03k8hRfqYhUGB96nK6TJ0xS7tN83WUFQXk29fWkXjQSp1Z5dNCcT sWQBTxWxwYyEI8iGErH2xnok3HTyMItdCGEVBBhGOs1uCHX3W3yW2CooWLC/8Pia qgss3V7m4SHSfl4pDeZJcAPiH3Fm00wlGUslVSziatXW3499f2QdSyNDw6Qc+chK hUFflmAaavtpTqXPk+Lzvtw5SSW+iRGmEQICKzD2chpy05mW5v6QUy+G29nchGDD rrfpId2Gy1VoyBx8FAto4+6BOWVijrOj9Boz7098huotDQgNoEnidvVdsqP+P1RR QJekr97idAV28i7iEOLd99d6qI5xRqc3/QsV+y2ZnnyKB10uQNVPLgUkQljqN0wP XmdVer+0X+aeTHUd1d64fcc6M0cpYefNNRCsTsgbnWD+x0rjS9RMo+Uosy41+IxJ 6qIBhNrMK6fEmQoZG3qTRPYYrDoaJdDJERN2E5yLxP2SPI0rWNjMSoPEA/gk5L91 m6bToM/0VkEJNJkpxU5fq5834s3PleW39ZdpI0HpBDGeEypo/t9oGDY3Pd7JrMOF zOTohxTyu4w2Ql7jgs+7KbO9PH0Fx5dTDmDq66jKIkkC7DI0QtMQclnmWWtn14BS KTSZoZekWESVYhORwmPEf32EPiC9t8zDRglXzPGmJAPISSQz+Cc9o1ipoSIkoCCh 2MWoSbn3KFA53vgsYd0vS/+Nw5aUksSleorFns2yFgp/w5Ygv0D007k6u3DqyRLB W5y6tJLvbC1ME7jCBoLW6nFEVxgDo727pqOpMVjGGx5zcEokPIRDMkW/lXjw+fTy c6misESDCAWbgzniG/iyt77Kz711unpOhw5aemI9LpOq17AiIbjzSZYt6b1Aq7Wr aB+C1yws2ivIl9ZYK911A1m69yuUg0DPK+uyL7Z86XC7hI8B0IY1MM/MbmFiDo6H dkfwUckE74sxxeJrFZKkBbkEAQRgYw7SAR+gvktRnaUrj/84Pu0oYVe49nPEcy/7 5Fs6LvAwAj+JcAQPW3uy7D7fuGFEQguasfRrhWY5R87+g5ria6qQT2/Sf19Tpngs d0Dd9DJ1MMTaA1pc5F7PQgoOVKo68fDXfjr76n1NchfCzQbozS1HoM8ys3WnKAw+ Neae9oymp2t9FB3B+To4nsvsOM9KM06ZfBILO9NtzbWhzaAyWwSrMOFFJfpyxZAQ 8VbucNDHkPJjhxuafreC9q2f316RlwdS+XjDggRY6xD77fHtzYea04UWuZidc5zL VpsuZR1nObXOgE+4s8LU5p6fo7jL0CRxvfFnDhSQg2Z617flsdjYAJ2JR4apg3Es G46xWl8xf7t227/0nXaCIMJI7g09FeOOsfCmBaf/ebfiXXnQbK2zCbbDYXbrYgw6 ESkSTt940lHtynnVmQBvZqSXY93MeKjSaQk1VKyobngqaDAIIzHxNCR941McGD7F qHHM2YMTgi6XXaDThNC6u5msI1l/24PPvrxkJxjPSGsNlCbXL2wqaDgrP6LvCP9O uooR9dVRxaZXcKQjeVGxrcRtoTSSyZimfjEercwi9RKHt42O5akPsXaOzeVjmvD9 EB5jrKBe/aAOHgHJEIgJhUNARJ9+dXm7GofpvtN/5RE6qlx11QGvoENHIgawGjGX Jy5oyRBS+e+KHcgVqbmV9bvIXdwiC4BDGxkXtjc75hTaGhnDpu69+Cq016cfsh+0 XaRnHRdh0SZfcYdEqqjn9CTILfNuiEpZm6hYOlrfgYQe1I13rgrnSV+EfVCOLF4L P9ejcf3eCvNhIhEjsBNEUDOFAA6J5+YqZvFYtjk3efpM2jCg6XTLZWaI8kCuADMu yrQxGrM8yIGvBndrlmmljUqlc8/Nq9rcLVFDsVqb9wOZjrCIJ7GEUD6bRuolmRPE SLrpP5mDS+wetdhLn5ME1e9JeVkiSVSFIGsumZTNUaT0a90L4yNj5gBE40dvFplW 7TLeNE/ewDQk5LiIrfWuTUn3CqpjIOXxsZFLjieNgofX1nSeLjy3tnJwuTYQlVJO 3CbqH1k6cOIvE9XShnnuxmiSoav4uZIXnLZFQRT9v8UPIuedp7TO8Vjl0xRTajCL PdTk21e7fYriax62IssYcsbbo5G5auEdPO04H/+v/hxmRsGIr3XYvSi4ZWXKASxy a/jHFu9zEqmy0EBzFzpmSx+FrzpMKPkoU7RbxzMgZwIYEBk66Hh6gxllL0JmWjV0 iqmJMtOERE4NgYgumQT3dTxKuFtywmFxBTe80BhGlfUbjBtiSrULq59np4ztwlRT wDEAVDoZbN57aEXhQ8jjF2RlHtqGXhFMrg9fALHaRQARAQABiQQZBBgBCgAPBQJg Yw7SAhsMBQkFo5qAAAoJEJxtzRcoPkVMdigfoK4oBYoxVoWUBCUekCg/alVGyEHa ekvFmd3LYSKX/WklAY7cAgL/1UlLIFXbq9jpGXJUmLZBkzXkOylF9FIXNNTFAmBM 3TRjfPv91D8EhrHJW0SlECN+riBLtfIQV9Y1BUlQthxFPtB1G1fGrv4XR9Y4TsRj VSo78cNMQY6/89Kc00ip7tdLeFUHtKcJs+5EfDQgagf8pSfF/TWnYZOMN2mAPRRf fh3SkFXeuM7PU/X0B6FJNXefGJbmfJBOXFbaSRnkacTOE9caftRKN1LHBAr8/RPk pc9p6y9RBc/+6rLuLRZpn2W3m3kwzb4scDtHHFXXQBNC1ytrqdwxU7kcaJEPOFfC XIdKfXw9AQll620qPFmVIPH5qfoZzjk4iTH06Yiq7PI4OgDis6bZKHKyyzFisOkh DXiTuuDnzgcu0U4gzL+bkxJ2QRdiyZdKJJMswbm5JDpX6PLsrzPmN314lKIHQx3t NNXkbfHL/PxuoUtWLKg7/I3PNnOgNnDqCgqpHJuhU1AZeIkvewHsYu+urT67tnpJ AK1Z4CgRxpgbYA4YEV1rWVAPHX1u1okcg85rc5FHK8zh46zQY1wzUTWubAcxqp9K 1IqjXDDkMgIX2Z2fOA1plJSwugUCbFjn4sbT0t0YuiEFMPMB42ZCjcCyA1yysfAd DYAmSer1bq47tyTFQwP+2ZnvW/9p3yJ4oYWzwMzadR3T0K4sgXRC2Us9nPL9k2K5 TRwZ07wE2CyMpUv+hZ4ja13A/1ynJZDZGKys+pmBNrO6abxTGohM8LIWjS+YBPIq trxh8jxzgLazKvMGmaA6KaOGwS8vhfPfxZsu2TJaRPrZMa/HpZ2aEHwxXRy4nm9G Kx1eFNJO6Ues5T7KlRtl8gflI5wZCCD/4T5rto3SfG0s0jr3iAVb3NCn9Q73kiph PSwHuRxcm+hWNszjJg3/W+Fr8fdXAh5i0JzMNscuFAQNHgfhLigenq+BpCnZzXya 01kqX24AdoSIbH++vvgE0Bjj6mzuRrH5VJ1Qg9nQ+yMjBWZADljtp3CARUbNkiIg tUJ8IJHCGVwXZBqY4qeJc3h/RiwWM2UIFfBZ+E06QPznmVLSkwvvop3zkr4eYNez cIKUju8vRdW6sxaaxC/GECDlP0Wo6lH0uChpE3NJ1daoXIeymajmYxNt+drz7+pd jMqjDtNA2rgUrjptUgJK8ZLdOQ4WCrPY5pP9ZXAO7+mK7S3u9CTywSJmQpypd8hv 8Bu8jKZdoxOJXxj8CphK951eNOLYxTOxBUNB8J2lgKbmLIyPvBvbS1l1lCM5oHlw WXGlp70pspj3kaX4mOiFaWMKHhOLb+er8yh8jspM184= =5a6T -----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK----- A Stark Look: The Hillary Clinton Chicago Invasion By Robert T. Starks Last Tuesday, I attended the Hillary Clinton for President Rally at the Parkway Ballroom-the rally that snubbed my Sun-Times colleague Mary Mitchell. The Rally is sponsored by the 21st Century Progressive Alliance of Leaders, which is led by Bishop Tavis Grant. The rally was attended by dozens of prominent Blacks who are veterans of the civil rights movement and progressive Black politics. As a reporter excited about the presidential candidacy of Sen. Barack Obama, my antenna went up and my concern for Obama's campaign was heightened! How can Obama stand by and allow Hillary Clinton to come into the heart of his base constituency and take some of the best and brightest campaign workers away from him? First of all, the Parkway Ballroom is smack dab in the middle of the senatorial district that Obama represented in the Illinois State Senate. This is the Senator's home base, and Parkway was the site of one of the most memorable and significant rallies held for Obama in his 2004 election campaign for the U.S. Senate. Parkway is a historical landmark in Black Chicago that has hosted America's most prominent Black and White political, religious, and civic leaders of the 20th Century. Few places in this city have more African-American symbolism than Parkway, which sits in the heart of the birthplace of African-American electoral politics -- the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th wards. How can Obama stand by and allow Hillary Clinton to come into the heart of his base and take some of the best and brightest campaign workers away from him? Parkway is the venue that Oscar DePriest, the first Black congressman elected in the 20th Century, used many times for gatherings. Among the Black politicians and activists that have used this landmark place to hold rallies and gatherings are the late Mayor Harold Washington, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Stokely Carmichael (aka Kwame Ture), Rev. Jesse Jackson, and many more. One of the primary rules of politics is that one never allows an opponent to invade his home turf and take away a chunk of his base. I am afraid that this is what has happened to Obama. Heretofore, it was a forgone conclusion that he would win big in Chicago and the state of Illinois. This may still happen. However, given the volatility of this election climate and the enormous lead that Clinton holds in the polls, an Obama win here may be by a closer margin than we could have ever imagined. A close victory would be a clear embarrassment to Senator Obama, who won Chicago and Illinois in the 2004 Senate race by such overwhelming numbers in the primary and the general election. The Hillary Supporters Who are these prominent people who came to the Hillary Campaign Rally that received virtually no general announcement or advertisement? Granted, many came out of a desire to hear and see Hillary's best asset, her husband and former president, Bill Clinton. It is no secret that he is a crowd pleaser, especially for women of all races. The overwhelming majority of the audience was, in fact, Black women, who went wild with applause and gave a standing ovation when Bill Clinton came to the podium. While the audience was well punctuated with men, some Whites and Latinos, this was primarily a Black women's affair. An observer could not help but note the large number of Black ministers who were present and who had participated in organizing the event. No one was surprised to see Rev. James Demus III, Atty. Tim Wright, Bob Nash, the former V.P. of Shore Bank, and the rest of the campaign staff. Wright and Nash were part of the Clinton Administration when Bill was president, and Demus is an Arkansas native who proudly states that he has known the Clintons since their early days in Arkansas before they went to the Governor's mansion there. However, I was surprised to see the number of other veteran activists and campaign workers who were enthusiastic supporters of Obama when he ran for the U.S. Senate, who stated to me that they are now supporting Hillary. Included in this group are Rev. Jeanette Wilson, a Rainbow/PUSH member and ally of Rev. Jesse Jackson; Helen Latimore, veteran campaign worker and member of the Task Force for Black Political Empowerment who helped to elect Harold Washington; Cherita Logan, West Side activist and ally of Cong. Danny Davis; and Dr. Sharon Latiker, former official in the Department of Children and Family Services and now a candidate for the Illinois State House. Also attending were Iola McGowan, former committeeman of the 29th Ward and former member of the Chicago Park District; and Dr. Alice Palmer, former Illinois state senator who replaced Sen. Dick Newhouse. Dr. Palmer gave an impassioned and personal speech detailing her support for Sen. Clinton. It is the involvement and support of these credible and seasoned people that will make it hard for the Obama campaign to overwhelm the Clinton bandwagon. All of these supporters were backed up by the presence of such heavy hitters as Elzie Higginbottom, Dr. Leon Dingle, Dr. Jacqueline Jackson and her son Yusef Jackson, real estate manager Rose Jennings, Juanita Passmore, former 21st Ward Ald. Niles Sherman, and south suburban ministers Rev. Dr. Joann Long, Rev. Carl White, Rev. Hinkle, and Rev. Tyrone Crider. Nash, Atty. Wright, Marcus Jefferson (volunteer coordinator), and the others have made it clear that they do not intend to concede Illinois to Senator Obama, and have vowed to organize every corner of the state for Hillary Clinton. I sat next to women from as far away as East St. Louis, Illinois, which means that this group is in the process of organizing Black activists and workers throughout the state. Where's The Mobilization? It is my hope that Sen. Obama does not think that he can mobilize the Black community, the whole of the city, and the rest of the state without a solid base of grassroots workers and veteran campaigners. The Clinton campaign was smart enough to hire the sister of Chicago Ald. Danny Solis as a deputy campaign manager, and to elicit the support of Juan Ochoa, the director of McCormick Place, to help in gathering the Hispanic vote. While it is crucial to have young enthusiastic and committed college students and White middle class people in the campaign, it would be suicidal for Obama to neglect his natural bases of women and African Americans. Yet, why has the Obama campaign not had a major "Women For Obama Rally" that grassroots and poorer women can attend and show their support? Where is the national database of supporters for Obama? Why has the Obama campaign not had a major mass rally in the African-American community that would energize the inner-city base and help to ensure a larger turnout? Does the Obama campaign take these constituencies for granted? If they have taken these constituencies for granted, this campaign is doomed! ([email protected]) <mailto:[email protected]> http://www.ndigo.com/astarklook.asp * * * BET.com Obama the Front Runner in Iowa <http://blogs.bet.com/news/pamela/2007/11/21/obama-the-front-runner-in-iowa/> Posted November 21, 2007 By Pamela Gentry, Senior Political Producer Posted Nov. 21, 2007 - The heat is on, and Democratic rivals in Iowa have a three-way race and new frontrunner, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) On Tuesday, The Washington Post and ABC News released a poll showing Obama bumping Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) from atop the Democratic hill, suddenly becoming the No. 1 choice among likely caucus voters. Obama is now favored by 30 percent to Clinton's 26 percent, with former Sen. John Edwards (D- N.C.) in third place with 22 percent. Clinton has found herself on the defensive since the Oct. 30, debate in Philadelphia. Obama and Edwards came out tough against Clinton and repeatedly challenged her "honesty and trust" worthiness. The debate in Las Vegas last week brought more of the same and could be one of the factors influencing Iowa voters. When the survey asked, "Which candidate is the most honest and trustworthy?" Obama came in first with 30 percent, with Clinton trailing 10 points behind him. This could be an indication that the flurry of attacks against Clinton by her rivals may have eroded some of her mooring. Another possibility for Obama's four-point surge is that folks might be getting to know more about him and liking what they see. This week, he rolled out an education plan that would make community college free through tax credits. Now that's something with mass appeal, and could grab the attention of new undecided voters. There was some good news for Clinton in the poll, however. When asked who they thought was the strongest leader and most experienced, likely voters picked Clinton; she scored 32 percent, 10 points ahead of Obama. She also came in first with voters on strength and experience. On Tuesday Clinton took those "strengths" on the road, challenging Obama's foreign policy experience. "Now voters will judge whether living in a foreign country at the age of 10 prepares one to face the big, complex international challenges the next president will face," Clinton said. Obama is ahead in the poll for first and second place. This could almost guarantee a win for him. Those caucus voters supporting less popular candidates can decide to give thier support to another candidate if their first choice is at the bottom. When folks were asked in the survey who they would pick as their second choice, Obama was on top again. <<Picture (Metafile)>> Who Said What About Obama? <http://blogs.bet.com/news/pamela/2007/11/19/who-said-what-about-obama/> by Pamela Gentry, Senior Political Producer Have Democrats decided to dish the dirt about their rivials? Read and respond. Over the weekend, I got an email from Sen. Barack Obama's (D-Ill.) campaign calling for his rival, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), to put up or shut up. Obama was responding to a story in the "New York Post" by conservative columnist Robert Novak, who wrote that Clinton operatives had started a "word-of-mouth" campaign alleging scandalous information existed about Obama. "The nature of the alleged scandal was not disclosed," Novak said. Not mincing words, Obama responded. "She, of all people, having complained so often about 'the politics of personal destruction,' should move quickly to either stand by or renounce these tactics," he said in a statement. Recalling Clinton's criticism of "mud throwing" in politics during the Las Vegas debate, Obama challenged his nemesis. "But in the interest of our party, and her own reputation, Senator Clinton should either make public any and all information referred to in the item, or concede the truth: that there is none." Obama's "in your face" response was a first. I don't recall any of his communications being this strongly worded. So where did the story come from? Novak is no novice in reporting on politics - or in stirring up a hornets' nest when it comes to those outside his political tastes. Remember, he's the one who outed Valerie Plame in a 2003 column in The Washington Post, letting the world know that she was an undercover CIA agent. Bush administration officials leaked her name to Novak following the disclosure by her husband, Ambassador Joseph Wilson, that the administration had greatly exaggerated reports about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. A grand jury investigation followed and Lewis "Scooter" Libby was indicted for perjury, obstruction of justice, and making false statements to federal investigators. Phil Singer, a spokesman for the Clinton camp, denied anything to do with the Obama smear story, telling CNN Saturday, "We have no idea what Mr. Novak's item is about and reject it totally. Instead of pointing fingers at us, Senator Obama should get back to the issues and focus on what this election is really about." Look, the Democrats don't need to play "gotcha." If they start calling names, flinging mud and running with rumors, the party's nominee will hear it all, play by play, from their Republican opponents. They better get a lid on this quick. And if the Clinton campaign is found to be at the bottom of this, the fallout could harpoon two frontrunners, making room for a new one. http://betintroduces.com/news/pamela/ * * * BAY STATE BANNER Roving Camera Who do you think is the best candidate for president? * Kucinich. The candidate who is really talking from the peoples perspective and conscious of the needs and challenges facing people of color and low-income communities gets my vote. Khalida Smalls Interim Executive Director, Jamaica Plain * Barack Obama. If you look at his website and look at the issues hes addressing, a lot of them are important to me, especially poverty and health care. Jesus Gerena Director of Community Development, Jamaica Plain * At this moment, I think Hillary is still in front. Shes had the most experience. Shes worked on health care, early childhood education, family issues. Shes been in leadership positions for a long time. Louis Elisa Political Consultant, Roxbury * * * EURweb.com MICHELLE OBAMA TO CO-HOST 'THE VIEW' Michelle Obama, the wife of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, will sit in with the ladies of ABC's morning chatfest, "The View," on Dec. 5, reports the New York Post. Mrs. Obama's co-hosting gig will surely enliven the show's half-hour Hot Topics segment, during which regulars Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sherri Shepherd and Barbara Walters talk about the day's headlines. Obama will fill in for co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck, who is away on maternity leave and usually causes the most tension during the Hot Topics segment because of her Republican political viewpoints. Meanwhile, Sen. Hillary Clinton, who has been a guest on "The View" several times, is leading in informal polls among African American voters. Michelle Obama recently told reporters that black voters currently leaning toward the former First Lady will turn to Obama as the primaries approach. It appears as if that's happening already. According to the latest Washington Post/ABC News poll released Tuesday, Sen. Obama has surged to a four point lead over Clinton, and an 8 point lead over John Edwards. In a survey of likely Democratic caucus-goers in Iowa, Obama draws support from 30 percent, compared with 26 percent for Clinton and 22 percent for former senator John Edwards. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson received 11 percent, according to The Post. The poll also asked Iowans whether they are more interested in "new direction and ideas" or "strength and experience." 55 percent said they favored new ideas and direction, compared to 33 percent who preferred experience. Among the "new direction" voters, 43 percent favor Obama and 17 percent back Clinton. http://www.eurweb.com/story/eur38693.cfm * * * Anything can happen November 22, 2007 By Douglas MacKinnon - As a Republican, I have watched in fascination as many in my party, the media and most of the Democrats have not only all but given Hillary Clinton the Democratic nomination, but have continually speculated how she will do against the Republican nominee. As they do this, I can't help but wonder how real life, human nature, media reporting, take-no-prisoner politics and recent history will play into such predictions. In conversations I've had with two well-placed Democrats, they are anything but confident about Mrs. Clinton securing the nomination. According to them, if she goes on to lose Iowa, then "all bets are off." If either Barack Obama or John Edwards beats Mrs. Clinton in Iowa, a strong case can then be made that Mr. Edwards, not Mrs. Clinton, not Mr. Obama, will be the eventual Democratic nominee. That case would be built on the strong desire - bordering on desperation - of Democratic voters, and some in the media, to bring an end to eight years of Republican White House rule. While Democrats won't talk about it publicly as it goes against their vow of political correctness, behind the scenes, a number of them wonder if the America of 2008 will be "open-minded and mature enough" to actually elect a woman or an African American. Former Rep. Harold Ford (whom I consider to be an outstanding public servant) dealt with this question during his run for the Senate in Tennessee in 2006. What pollsters discovered is that whatever number of voters said they were going to vote for Mr. Ford, they had to subtract about 10 percentage points from that number to get close to the truth. Will such a scenario plague Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama? Recent history indicates it could. If the Democratic primary voters get skittish with regard to the overall electability of Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama, who will be the natural beneficiary? Politics of the day seem to point toward Mr. Edwards. Again, let's take a look at recent history. It has been suggested that, back in 2003, neither mainstream Democrats nor many in the media felt Howard Dean had what it took to defeat the despised George W. Bush in 2004. While that is a subject that can be debated, what cannot be argued is that in December 2003, Mr. Dean had an all but "insurmountable" lead over John Kerry. It was at that time that generic stories started to spring up "reporting" that Mr. Dean seemed to be dropping a bit with Mr. Kerry rising. Next, just 11 days before the Iowa Caucus, NBC News dropped a bomb on Mr. Dean with their "unearthed" clips of Mr. Dean from a Canadian news show titled "The Editors." The clip NBC showcased was one from 1999 where Mr. Dean seemed to criticize the process in Iowa. No surprise that Mr. Dean went on to lose the Iowa Caucus. Later that evening, after losing, Mr. Dean gave his now infamous "I have a scream" speech. Next, between that night and the New Hampshire primary one week later, the media played that clip more than 600 times. It was assault and battery by the media and Mr. Dean was down for the count as Mr. Kerry won New Hampshire on his way to the nomination. What must be remembered in all of this is just a couple of months prior to that primary, Mr. Kerry was tracking in the high single- or low double-digit numbers in many New Hampshire polls. Because they border Massachusetts, those voters knew Mr. Kerry well and never liked him. But, when Mr. Dean was blown up by the media, the voters decided that Mr. Kerry was the only "viable" candidate left. It should be noted that after that network assault, Diane Sawyer of ABC News called the heads of the other networks for on-the-record quotes, asking if they overplayed the Dean scream. She reported: "With the exception of NBC News (which started the destruction), they all said collectively the media did overplay it." CNN said, "if we had to do it again, we'd pull ourselves back." Little solace for Mr. Dean but a real lesson for those who try to predict presidential primaries. Until actual votes are cast, anything can happen at any time. As this ugly process plays out, the question should not be who's inevitable, but rather, who's next. Mr. Edwards seems to be third in line for take off, but if Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama crash and burn ahead of him, it may be clear skies all the way to the nomination. Douglas MacKinnon, who served as press secretary to former Sen. Bob Dole, is a former White House and Pentagon official. * * * A campaign to be thankful for By Todd Domke | November 22, 2007 YOU WON'T HEAR it mentioned as a blessing in a Thanksgiving prayer or speech, but we should be thankful for the 2008 presidential contest. We, the people, criticize everything about it - the candidates, campaigns, contributions, commercials, coverage - but the contest in both parties is unusually interesting this year because the multi-candidate dynamic keeps it so unpredictable. There is one outcome, however, that we can safely predict: History will be made. First (something) president Everyone appreciates that Hillary Clinton would be our first female president, and, as a bonus, would give us another "first" - a former president as First Ladies' Man. And we all know Barack Obama would be our first African-American president. However, other candidates also have "first ever" claims to fame. Bill Richardson would be the first Hispanic-American president. Rudy Giuliani would be the first Italian-American president. Mitt Romney would be the first Mormon elected president. Mike Huckabee would be the first former minister (Baptist) elected president. John McCain would be the first former prisoner of war (Vietnam). John Edwards would be the first to have been on the board of a hedge fund (Cayman Islands). Fred Thompson would be the tallest president in history. At 6 feet 6 inches, he would beat out President Lincoln, who was 6 feet 4 inches without his stovepipe hat. (Folks were much shorter in the 1860s, so Abe is probably still taller if we adjust for height inflation.) The first-ever claims for second-tier candidates seem third-rate, by comparison. Joe Biden would be the first to have had hair plugs. If elected, he could plug a growing industry: "I'm not only a member of the Hair Club for Men, I'm also president of the United States." Chris Dodd would be the first to have claimed that his white hair shows he has the experience for the job, which is his mane argument. Ron Paul would be the first to have raised $4 million in one day through the Internet. (However, Mitt Romney could have easily beaten that record if he had sent an electronic check to his campaign website for the $17 million he's donated personally.) Bill Richardson would be the first to claim that the federal government hasn't revealed "everything it knows" about a 1947 flying saucer "sighting" in Roswell, N.M. Dennis Kucinich would be the first to have had a close encounter with a UFO. President Jimmy Carter reported seeing a UFO, but, according to actress Shirley MacLaine in her book, "Sage-ing While Age-ing," Kucinich practically had a mind-meld at her house in Graham, Wash. "Dennis found his encounter extremely moving. The smell of roses drew him out to my balcony where, when he looked up, he saw a gigantic triangular craft, silent, and observing him. It hovered, soundless, for 10 minutes or so, and sped away with a speed he couldn't comprehend. He said he felt a connection in his heart and heard directions in his mind." I assume those directions were to Iowa. Anyway, you know this election is important if extraterrestrial aliens are bothering to spin second-tier candidates. First in irony This is the first time in US history when there is no WASP male among the four leading presidential candidates (Clinton, Obama, Giuliani, and Romney). Ironically, while this is the most diverse field of candidates in history, immigration is the hottest issue. This is also the first presidential race to resemble a reality TV show. Who will survive to become America's Next Top Model Leader? Ironically, the two candidates considered most telegenic are also considered the most chameleon-like in changing their positions to reflect their parties' base voters. Mitt Romney and John Edwards were mellow moderates four years ago. Now Romney is an angry conservative (especially about immigration) and Edwards is an angry liberal (especially about Hillary). The TV networks sponsoring debates have also made history. They've set a record in the number of times their cameras have cut away to a candidate's spouse - the tall, glam Mrs. Dennis Kucinich, who is considered his better two-thirds. They added a "lightning round" ("Can you name the prime minister of Canada?") and featured a question from an animated snowman. Despite the sensational stagecraft, history is being made in another way: Record numbers of voters are not watching these debates. Apparently voters are pacing themselves, keeping their excitement to sustainable levels. They realize that there's still a year for candidates to debate the big issues, like: Should we give driver's licenses to extraterrestrial aliens? Meanwhile, be thankful - there are only 347 days until we make history. Todd Domke is a Boston area Republican political analyst, public relations strategist, and author. http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/11/22/a_campaign_to_be_thankful_for?mode=PF * * * Oprah to Join Obama in Iowa & New Hampshire in the Battle for the Votes of Women <http://bp3.blogger.com/_t-EfdceTs60/R0Q4sN5xcsI/AAAAAAAACQA/J2bwXJPE-RA/s1600-h/gendergap2008.jpg> <<Picture (Metafile)>> In the battle to capture the votes of women, Oprah Winfrey will stump for Barack Obama <http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2007/11/sweet_scoop_oprah_to_stump_for.html> in Iowa and New Hampshire. Already the 2008 election has provoked the most serious battle for the votes of women since Geraldine Ferraro ran for the vice presidency in 1984. In most U.S. elections, women and the issues that most impact their lives are ignored. It's amazing the difference a woman in the race can make. After Obama disclosed the news about Oprah, Ralph Hoagland, a member of Obama's Northeast Steering Group, said: "I think that Oprah can say to women 'you do not have to vote for the first woman president. Vote for what you need.'" Of course, some women feel that they need a woman president. To date, Oprah's support for Obama has not swayed African-American women. It will be interesting to see if she can change that by campaigning for Obama in Iowa and New Hampshire. In the race to capture the votes of black women <http://blog.washingtonpost.com/behind-the-numbers/2007/11/a_persistent_gap_1.html> , Hillary Clinton continues to be way out front. The Washington Post reports: "In a head-to-head competition between Clinton and Obama, black men are evenly divided (44 percent for Obama, 44 percent for Clinton), while black women support Clinton (52 percent to 35 percent)."* It's also true that polls find African-American women to be more supportive of feminist values than white women, and this has been true for pretty well forever. (Of course, there is disagreement among feminists on the question of whether a vote for Hillary as the first woman president is representative of feminist values.) But the gender gap does not prevail in all questions. Among African-American women and men, "more than 6 in 10 in each group" say that Hillary Clinton is "the Democrat with the best chance of getting elected president." *[Determined by the combination of the 2 most recent Washington Post-ABC News polls as of 11/13/07.] http://guerillawomentn.blogspot.com/2007/11/oprah-to-join-obama-in-iowa-new.html * * * Hillary Clinton's lead over her rival Barack Obama dwindling, poll shows BY CELESTE KATZ DAILY NEWS POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT Hillary Clinton is still ahead, but Barack Obama is closing fast, a new poll shows. Clinton's national lead over her Democratic White House rival has dwindled to 11 points, 38% to 27%, according to a new Reuters/Zogby poll - 10 points tighter than a similar survey last month. The poll of likely Democratic primary voters was conducted Nov. 14 to 17. Clinton was hounded by her rivals during an Oct. 30 Democratic debate and on the campaign trail afterward, but she rebounded with a strong Nov. 15 debate performance in Nevada. "Clinton had a bad couple of weeks and as a front-runner, she's a target for everyone," pollster John Zogby said. "She's treated almost as the incumbent." The former First Lady led by 18 points among female voters, while Obama bested her by 14 points among African-American voters. The two were nearly tied among men overall. "We are proud of our support but are taking nothing for granted and working hard for every vote," Clinton spokesman Blake Zeff said. Former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina remained in third place at 13%. Among likely Republican primary voters, ex-Mayor Rudy Giuliani widened his lead over former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson to 14 points - up from his 8-point lead last month. [email protected] http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2007/11/22/2007-11-22_hillary_clintons_lead_over_her_rival_bar.html * * * ALABAMA VOICES: Why let naysayers decide? By Joseph Rembert In Melvin Van Peebles' Broadway musical, "Ain't Suppose to Die a Natural Death," one of his characters laments over the difficulties of being African American. "If I stand, I'm loitering; if I walk, I'm stalking; if I run, I'm escaping; if I smile, I'm flirting; If I don't, I'm arrogant; if I bathe, I'm a pimp; if I don't, I'm a bum. It just don't make no sense." I am almost certain that there are days when Sen. Barack Obama wants to sing a similar dirge. Few people are surprised when Barack's blackness, Romney's religion or Clinton's cleavage becomes the central issue of the presidential campaign. When candidates are reluctant to clearly define their positions on national issues to a fluid electorate, it is not surprising that a $400 haircut manages to muster as much media attention as a half-billion-dollar-a-day war. Sen. Obama, although quite prepared to face the voters who have concerns relative to his color and even his name, must find it very difficult to understand the volley of political missiles fired at him by black leaders. One prominent national black leader intimates that Obama is not black enough on the issues. In Montgomery, two black leaders thought it necessary to voice their opposition to his campaign, stating that white folks aren't ready for a black president. The logic of these black leaders made sense to me in 1984 when the Rev. Jesse Jackson was a candidate for president. I have since repented for my ignorance. The Alabama Democratic Conference endorsed Walter Mondale in the presidential primary, arguing that Rev. Jackson couldn't win. Well, Mondale won the nomination of the party, but lost 49 states in the general election. As a matter of fact, when the dust settled, only one candidate stood as president. Rev. Jackson ran a respectable campaign and did far better than others who were cast into the circle of the also-rans. Rev. Jackson didn't get the presidency, but African Americans got from his campaign the pride needed to work toward the day when even that office will not exceed our grasp. Almost 24 years have elapsed since that campaign and we apparently have not grown wiser with time. Sen. Obama is erudite, articulate, as white as he is black, a relative of Dick Cheney, and is a U.S. senator who never voted for the war; and black leaders judge him on the basis of what they perceive as the mindset of white people. Had Rosa Parks, Mary Smith, Gov. Douglas Wilder, Mobile Mayor Sam Jones and the many other heroes of history halted long enough to raise their finger to the political winds just to see what white folks were ready for, perhaps there would not yet be a candidate of color for us to courteously castigate. If we follow the logic of these black leaders during the presidential preference election, we are telling state Sen. Vivian Figures and other qualified persons to stop dreaming and yield to the status quo. I don't think black folks will buy that logic from politicians who will become the beneficiaries of Hillary Clinton's political patronage. Besides, I don't think white folks have ever let Joe Reed and Alvin Holmes decide what they are ready for. We shouldn't either. Joseph Rembert, minister at New Beginnings Christian Center, writes from Montgomery. http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071123/OPINION0101/711210384/1012/OPINION * * * Oprah to Join Obama in Iowa & New Hampshire in the Battle for the Votes of Women In the battle to capture the votes of women, Oprah Winfrey will stump for Barack Obama <http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2007/11/sweet_scoop_oprah_to_stump_for.html> in Iowa and New Hampshire. Already the 2008 election has provoked the most serious battle for the votes of women since Geraldine Ferraro ran for the vice presidency in 1984. In most U.S. elections, women and the issues that most impact their lives are ignored. It's amazing the difference a woman in the race can make. After Obama disclosed the news about Oprah, Ralph Hoagland, a member of Obama's Northeast Steering Group, said: "I think that Oprah can say to women 'you do not have to vote for the first woman president. Vote for what you need.'" Of course, some women feel that they need a woman president. To date, Oprah's support for Obama has not swayed African-American women. It will be interesting to see if she can change that by campaigning for Obama in Iowa and New Hampshire. In the race to capture the votes of black women <http://blog.washingtonpost.com/behind-the-numbers/2007/11/a_persistent_gap_1.html> , Hillary Clinton continues to be way out front. The Washington Post reports: "In a head-to-head competition between Clinton and Obama, black men are evenly divided (44 percent for Obama, 44 percent for Clinton), while black women support Clinton (52 percent to 35 percent)."* It's also true that polls find African-American women to be more supportive of feminist values than white women, and this has been true for pretty well forever. (Of course, there is disagreement among feminists on the question of whether a vote for Hillary as the first woman president is representative of feminist values.) But the gender gap does not prevail in all questions. Among African-American women and men, "more than 6 in 10 in each group" say that Hillary Clinton is "the Democrat with the best chance of getting elected president." *[Determined by the combination of the 2 most recent Washington Post-ABC News polls as of 11/13/07.] http://guerillawomentn.blogspot.com/2007/11/oprah-to-join-obama-in-iowa-new.html * * * FROM THE BLOGS: Rich Black Girls http://richblackgirls.com/diary/?p=23 MYDD http://www.mydd.com/story/2007/11/21/11579/348 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contributions to Hillary Clinton for President are not deductible for federal income tax purposes. ---------------------------------- Paid for by Hillary Clinton for President ----------------------------------