By Big Tent Democrat

Speaking for me only

Hillary Clinton's "Umbrella of deterrence" proposal provides a compelling substantive issue that should be discussed in a continuing campaign. I think it is an excellent proposal. Noam Scheiber wrote:

Her answers [in the Olbermann interview]on the policy questions were pretty lucid and authoritative--particularly on the Middle East "nuclear umbrella" idea, which sounds a little crazy when you first hear about it, but which she convinced me was an anti-proliferation proposal.

Predictably, the A-List Obama blogs dwelled on inanities, ironic after these same blogs ripped ABC for just that type of nonsense. For the record, we have a detailed statement from Hillary Clinton on the issue:

By Big Tent Democrat

Today is Earth Day and D-Day in Pennsylvania. Zogby makes a shrewd play to regain his reputation by predicting a double digit Clinton victory. If it happens, he nailed it. If it does not no one will remember. The other option he had was to predict an Obama win, but PPP already has that ground covered.

BTW, Suffolk says Clinton by 12 and ARG says Clinton by 16.

This is an Open Thread.

Update: More from CNN on Obama refusing pressers for ten days or more and how the campaign teased them about it.

Barack Obama got cranky with a reporter today when asked a question at a diner about Jimmy Carter meeting with Hamas.

As Sen. Hillary Clinton was preparing to campaign here today, Sen. Barack Obama was meeting with voters at a diner and apparently pretty hungry. "Why can't I just eat my waffle?" he said, when asked a foreign policy question by a reporter at the Glider Diner.

What's the big deal? Why is this news? Because, as Jay Newton-Small at Time's Swampland explains, Obama hasn't given a press conference in 10 days and the reporters had no other opportunity to ask him.

Journalists in general don’t relish asking politicians questions in awkward situations, like on a golf course or over a waffle. But sometimes our hands are forced: Obama hasn’t given a press conference in 10 days and the questions, some of them -- like Hamas -- rather important, are starting to build up. If he wins the nomination he'll be running again John McCain, whose philosophy is to give the press total access to the point of saturation; Obama might consider holding avails with a little more regularity. Then, maybe, reporters would let him to eat in peace.

Like Kevin Drum says, this is baffling.

Obama just doesn't give the press much access, sometimes shutting them down for weeks at a time. Why? Does this make sense to anyone else as a campaign strategy? I'm baffled by it.

Howard Wolfson, Hillary Clinton's Communications Director, has a blog post up on Hillary's site called "Primary Eve." It's chock full of links to good reading refuting all the latest attacks on Hillary.

It ends with a link to my post on electability:

In Case You Missed It: “Electability: Why Hillary Is More Likely to Beat McCain” Read more.

Thanks, Howard! And yes, I hope everyone reads it. Hillary Clinton is the better candidate to beat John McCain this fall.

By Big Tent Democrat

Speaking for me only

One of Hillary Clinton's best moments in the Olbermann interview (ironically, Olbermann revealed the limitations of his abilities in his discussion of the answer later in the program with Richard Wolffe, he has no knowledge at all of deterrence theory), was her answer about the "umbrella of deterrence" against future potential Iranian attacks, especially nuclear, against its neighbors. (Here is a Harvard Middle East strategy article discussing the theory.) I am borrowing the Countdown transcript from this dkos diary (which also reveals stunning ignorance of deterrence theory):

Hillary Clinton will be on Larry King Live tonight. It begins in 30 minutes here, and I'll try to live-blog. She was also on Keith Olbermann -- that live thread is here.

Watching a clip now. She says Obama's campaign has gone negative in the past days but overall it's been a positive campaign. She would like nothing better than to keep the discussion on issues like the differences in their health care plans. She'll put a Republican or two in her cabinet and will make good use of Sen. McCain.

Show is about to start. I'll live blog it below.

Hillary Clinton is on Countdown with Keith Olbermann tonight. I'll try to live-blog. Hope you'll add in in comments.

Keith does an intro with the MSNBC/McClatchy poll showing Hillary up by 5. He then has a tape of Obama saying he's showed great restraint in attacking Clinton. Then he shows Hillary at a rally saying "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen." He plays the Osama image in her PA ad and a bit more of it.

Here's Hillary in Harrisburg. Is the election going to be decided by the price of the gallon of gas? Can a President do anything about the price of gas?

She answers the economy is going to be a big issue. There are things the President can do. She'd launch an investigation to make sure the prices aren't being manipulated. She'd release some oil from the petroleum reserve. She gives more specifics. (So yes, Keith, there are things the President can do.) She then talks about how the President needs to develop a new energy policy. She links it right to gas. She's sounding very smart and ready. [More...]

The North Carolina Democratic Party today announced the April 27 debate has been canceled.

Which candidate do you think agrees with the reason? After noting the heightened interest in the race between Hillary and Obama, the notice reads:

However, there were also growing concerns about what another debate would do to party unity.

Has a debate ever been canceled before on grounds of party unity?

I got nuthin. Time to wait on the voters.

This is an Open Thread.

Update (TL): I'm adding the video of the Shirelles, "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" It's been running through my head all day, as I wondered how many Pennsylvanian's will turn out to make sure Hillary stays in the race.

By Big Tent Democrat

Josh Marshall gins up the overwrought reaction to the Clinton ad calling the Obama's camp's link to a Bill Clinton 2004 statement a "gotcha" moment. Just absurd. Obama supporter Steve Benen says it well:

The initial response from the Obama campaign directed reporters to a video of Bill Clinton in 2004 saying, “If one candidate’s trying to scare you and the other one’s trying to get you to think; if one candidate’s appealing to your fears and the other one’s appealing to your hopes, you better vote for the person who wants you to think and hope.” True enough. But I’ve seen plenty of demagogic fear-mongering, and this ain’t it. There’s a touch of the “fear card” there, but it’s so mild, it maybe registers a two on the political Richter scale.

(Emphasis supplied.) The Obama and ObamaWorld overreaction was quite absurd and not smart politically.

By Big Tent Democrat

Why? Because delegate results will be delayed:

The wait is almost over for Pennsylvania's Democratic presidential primary Tuesday, but voters may have to wait a little longer to find out who won the most delegates to the party's national convention. As in other Democratic contests, Pennsylvania awards delegates based on the statewide vote and the vote in individual congressional districts.

Unlike most states, Pennsylvania has a large number of counties split into multiple congressional districts. That could delay results by a day or more as election officials work to assign votes to the appropriate districts.

The popular vote prevails for once. Hurray!

By Big Tent Democrat

Speaking for me only

I think John McIntyre of right leaning Real Clear Politics describes the CW Goal Posts well:

Senator Obama has another opportunity tomorrow [to KO Clinton] in Pennsylvania - and this time he doesn't even have to win. If he simply outperforms the latest RealClearPolitics Average which has him trailing by 5.9%, that will be enough to calm nervous superdelegates while all but eliminating any hope Senator Clinton has of claiming a popular vote victory. Senator Clinton has a much higher hurdle. With time running out and Democrats increasingly anxious to turn their fire on John McCain, a win by 2-4 points along the lines of New Hampshire and Texas will simply not get the job done. Hillary Clinton needs a double-digit win.

More...