By Big Tent Democrat

The McClatchy Newspapers, MSNBC and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette poll conducted by Mason Dixon polls PA at 48-43 Clinton. This is similar to M-D's Ohio poll, which had Clinton up 4. Clinton won Ohio by 10.

Key finding - "Obama pulled just 33 percent of the white vote, but 83 percent of the black vote." Roughly using my SUSA conversion calculation, this gets me to a 56-44 Clinton win.

Chuck Todd's take:

By Big Tent Democrat

NOTE: MTP used the story today. This now becomes an issue. I never thought the Move On/Clinton story actually hurt Clinton, but the methods used by the HuffPo poster have come under fire from Paul Lukasiak:

By Big Tent Democrat

As Jeralyn noted yesterday, the Barack Obama campaign turned sharply negative this weekend. There are a number of reasons why a campaign might go negative. But strangely, I think John Zogby, of all people, may have hit on the reason:

If this small group of white/Catholic undecideds do not vote, Obama can win Pennsylvania if he is able to get out his base of young voters, African American voters, and Very Liberal voters. If those white/Catholics do vote, then they will probably vote for Clinton and she can conceivably meet the 10-point victory threshold that meets pundits' expectations. It looked like she was moving some of these voters after the debate, but today is a different story. Too soon to tell."

(Emphasis supplied.) Knowing he can not win their votes, Obama could be attempting to have these voters not vote at all. This is "politics as usual" of course but it is striking when compared to the rhetoric of the Obama campaign.

By Big Tent Democrat

I think this might be an interesting week of Sunday Talk. Because of the ABC Debate Brouhaha. I will be keeping an eye on Meet the Press but especially, George Steph's This Week program. They start at 9:00 am my time (EST).

Let's make this an Open Thread as well.

Jerome Armstrong at My DD writes about "the tiny tent dems."

Also check out:

• Eriposte at Left Coaster has the best examples, all in one thread.

• Anglachel's Journey
  

• Riverdaughter (The Confluence)

• Big Tent Democrat on Boehlert's Revenge
  

[Hat tip to Avedon Carol at Sideshow.]

Bill Clinton on the campaign trail in Pennsylvania today succinctly explains why Obama's ad attacking Hillary's health care plan is not only wrong, but shows that Obama is clueless. Elizabeth Edwards made the same points about the need for everyone to be covered and how it will result in lower costs.

Shorter version: Obama: Not everyone can afford it. The truth: Yes they can.

"Hillary's being subject to a television ad that has been roundly criticized in the form of mass mailings all across this country saying she's trying to make you buy insurance you can't afford and you're gonna be fined and all that. It isn't true. It is not true," he said. "Every expert who has looked at this says if you provide the subsidies and you cap somebody's income, everybody'll be able to afford it, it'll be cheaper than anything you're buying now if you buying it. But I'm just telling you, we won't get control of cost unless we cover everybody. Doing the morally right thing is the economically essential thing. If you agree with that, if you agree with that, you have only one choice left with the three candidates for president. You got to vote for Hillary for president, she'll fix this problem."

Obama is digging himself into a hole here, just like he did with his Bitter-Gate statements. He really doensn't get it. Like he doesn't get social security and has bought into the crisis meme. He should have corrected his health care plan months ago. Better yet, he should work on it for another eight years and then come back and try again.

On the job training is not what most of us have in mind for the Presidency -- at least not while there's a better Democratic choice.

Update: The AP has a new article on Obama's many efforts at gun control.

***

At Wednesday's debate, Barack Obama wouldn't say what his position is on the DC law banning handguns. He dodged, saying he wasn't familiar with the facts of the case.

Of course, in November, his campaign told the Chicago Tribune he supporteed the ban. (Chicago Tribune November 20, 2007.)

But the campaign of Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama said that he "...believes that we can recognize and respect the rights of law-abiding gun owners and the right of local communities to enact common sense laws to combat violence and save lives. Obama believes the D.C. handgun law is constitutional."

Tonight, Obama surrogate Bob Casey was on Lou Dobbs. Dobbs asked Casey whether Obama would support or oppose the DC handgun ban. (No link, I typed from his answer.)

Bob Casey: He would probably be a supporter, as he has been in the U.S. Senate and the Illinois legislature, for various restrictions on gun ownership. I happen to disagree with him on that, we have our disagreements.

More....

Passover begins tonight. Here's the story in a nutshell:

The Children of Israel arrive in Egypt; Pharaoh fears their growth and enslaves them; a leader is born. As a young man, Moses leaves the palace and discovers the hardship of his brethren; thus begins his journey to become leader of the Israelites.

Pharaoh refuses to let the People of Israel go; G-d brings upon Egypt ten plagues; the people of Egypt beg Pharaoh to let the Jews go; Pharaoh's heart remains hardened.

Pharaoh's resistance is finally broken and he actually chases the Israelites from his land. Finally, the Jews are free...but the story's not over yet.

More...

Update: John Dickerson at Slate on the hypocrisy between what Obama says and what his aides do.

***

As for Obama's positive message of hope and change on the campaign trail and how he won't be a typical politician but one who brings a breath of fresh air to Washington, here's what he said today:

Barack Obama cast his Democratic presidential rival Saturday as a game-player who uses "slash and burn" tactics and will say whatever people want to hear, a sharp jab at her character in the final chapter of the pivotal Pennsylvania primary campaign.

...."Senator Clinton has internalized a lot of the strategies, the tactics, that have made Washington such a miserable place."

...."She's got the kitchen sink flying and the china flying, the buffet is coming at me ... constant distractions, these petty, trivial, slash and burn, back and forth, tit for tat, politics."

Mirror, mirror on the wall? It's politics as usual from the candidate for change. [More...]

By Big Tent Democrat

Petey points to Obama's last PA ad - he's going Harry and Louise again on health care:

[Obama] ad attacks Clinton’s health care plan, saying it “forces everyone to buy insurance even if you can’t afford it."

Wonder if Ezra Klein will notice? Let me add that I have no opinion on the mandates question. I know too little about the issue. but if you say you care about it and have studied it and think mandates are good policy, you might be affronted by the use of GOP talking points to defeat a policy you think important. If you actually care about the issues, that is.

Update (TL): Hillary's response to Obama's ad which she say has "False And Widely Discredited Claims."

By Big Tent Democrat

Speaking for me only

I am a long time critic of Move On, including their idiotic General Betray Us ad. Barack Obama was smart not to vote against the Senate resolution condemning Move On. Hillary Clinton made a mistake voting against it.

I find the outrage expressed by the "Creative Class" blogs on Hillary Clinton's critique of Move On quite amusing. What most amuses me about it is how none of these blogs are asking Barack Obama to do or say anything in defense of Move On.

It's funny to me because Barack Obama has studiously avoided acknowledging the existence of Move On throughout this campaign. My question for the "Creative Class" blogs is this, if what Hillary Clinton said was so bad, how come Barack Obama won't defend Move On against Hillary Clinton's attacks?

For Hillary: Livin' On a Prayer, my favorite version, which isn't available free anywhere but here since it's from my recording (it probably won't last long either so watch it while you can.) See if you can spot a very animated Charlotte from Sex and the City in the audience.

This is an open thread.