By Big Tent Democrat

On the Trina Bachtel story, I disagree with Paul Krugman's correction. I think Krugman is wrong when he writes:

By Big Tent Democrat

Speaking for me only

Last summer, Clinton Communications Director Howard Wolfson defending Daily Kos:

BILL O’REILLY, HOST: Now for the top story tonight, another view of this. Joining us from Washington, Howard Wolfson, a top advisor to Senator Clinton. On Mrs. Clinton's website stands this statement: "Tell Bill O'Reilly to stop smearing grassroots progressives." That after our reporting on JetBlue sponsoring the Kos convention. So Mr. Wolfson, you want to explain that?

HOWARD WOLFSON, CLINTON COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Bill, I think it's unfortunate that in the last week or so, you have cherry picked some comments on the DailyKos site that you or I or others might find objectionable and have decided to smear an entire community, hundreds of thousands of people who go to the site every day, who talk to one another, who participate vigorously in our democracy, and are urging Democratic presidential candidates to stay away from their yearly conference. And unfortunately, with all due respect for you, the days where you can dictate where Senator Clinton and other Democrats go, who we talk to, are over.

Daily Kos today:

It's bizarre, but I don't really consider [Hillary Clinton] a Dem any more.

By Big Tent Democrat

Speaking for me only

On the theory, I guess, that one of his darts might possibly hit a target, the charlatan pundit who claims to be a pollster, John Zogby, tells us Pennsylvania is a tie (Let me add that if Zogby were actually a pollster, this finding would not be particularly newsworthy in that the movement from his previous poll (Clinton down 2, Obama up 1) is well within the MOE. It is not a surprising finding. But I know that Zogby is a charlatan and he just makes the numbers up by manipulating his turnout model.)

The race might indeed be a tie but I am sure John Zogby has no idea if it is or if it is not. He is a charlatan. But I do thank him for giving me another chance to call him one. After his disappearance after his humiliating exposure this campaign season, I thought I might not get such a chance again.

By Big Tent Democrat

Speaking for me only

Our friend Markos approvingly quotes this offensive comment:

It's bizarre, but I don't really consider [Hillary Clinton] a Dem any more.

It is bizarre that any Dem who wants to win in November with a unified Party would quote that approvingly. For the record, would "not a Dem" say this?

By Big Tent Democrat

Speaking for me only

Greg Mitchell writes:

In perhaps the most embarrassing performance by the media in a major presidential debate in years, ABC News hosts Charles Gibson and George Stephanopolous focused mainly on trivial issues as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama faced off in Philadelphia. They, and their network, should hang their collective heads in shame.

Apparently, Mitchell skipped all of the NBC moderated debates this campaign season. ABC's performance last night was truly horrendous. The bias and unfairness against Obama incredible. But Greg Mitchell has had nothing to say about NBC becoming the Obama News Network. During debates and beyond. Has he watched Keith Olbermann's embarrassing performances? Truth be told, people like Greg Mitchell need to hang their head in shame because they said NOTHING when the hatchet job was done on Hillary Clinton. This is Boehlert's Revenge:

What’s happening online now is potentially dangerous: HRC has gotten dreadful press, not fair, “gotcha,” and so on — there’s a portion of the blogosphere that has ignored that and there’s a portion that has encouraged that.

It’s dangerous because the media criticism has to be consistent and relentless, and we can’t very well say, “You can’t go after our candidates … except this one.” I get nervous about pushback regarding disingenuous coverage - our response needs to be, “You can’t treat Democrats this way.” When people in the left blogosphere are quoting an anonymous Matt Drudge source, it makes me nervous.

Now that you've had some time to reflect on last night's Pennsylvania debate, what did you think?

Some journalists are outraged over the the questions. Of course, the questions in this debate were no different than those in previous debates that lacked substance and seemed designed to put a candidate on the hot seat -- the difference was that this time (for once) it was Obama, not Hilary getting the heat.

I've watched the debate twice. The second time I tried to view it through the lens of a Pennsylvania voter who wasn't familiar with the nitty gritty details of William Ayers and lapel pins. (I figured even they knew about Bitter-Gate and Rev. Wright and Bosnia.)

It was unfortunate that the substantive portion of the debate didn't focus more on issues of importance to PA voters. The PA polls have shown PA voters of both parties are very concerned about immigration, the economy, health care and terrorism. They are less concerned about the war. By economy, I don't think they mean capital gains taxes for the wealthy. I think they mean creating new jobs, maintaining the jobs they have, how to avoid foreclosure, feed their families and put something away for their retirement and their kids' education, and how to be able to deal with having to take care of elderly parents.

[More...]

Here are video highlights from ABC on tonight's Pennsylvania debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

• Does Hillary Think Barack Can Beat McCain?
  George Stephanopoulos asks Clinton if she thinks Obama can win.

• Obama's Pastor Under Fire
  Clinton says you get to chose your pastor over controversial remarks.

• Should Voters Doubt Obama's Patriotism?
  Voter questions why Obama doesn't always wear American flag pin

• Clinton's 'Baggage' an Asset?
  Candidate says her past has been 'rummaged through for years'

More...

How did Hillary and Obama do in tonight's debate? Did Hillary make the strong showing she needed? Did Obama gain support or fumble?

What was each candidate's strongest topic? Where did they score and where did they go flat or fall down?

How is the media reaction?

Update: Comments now closed.

Update: Comments now closed, new post-debate thread is here .

Hillary Obama PA live thread continued.

If you're not by a tv or on the East Coast, you can watch online here.

Our first live thread is here.

I'll be putting up some polls during the debate to see how you think the candidates and questioners are doing. Big Tent's posts will say BTD and mine will be TL.

The live blog stays below the fold so that it can be a bit wider than the front page allows. Just click on the "There's More" button or bookmark the permalink to go directly to it.

If comments hit 200, we'll start a new one.

This is it. The Pennsylvania debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

If you're not by a tv or on the East Coast, you can watch online here.

Big Tent Democrat and I will be live-blogging starting just before 6:00 pm.

I'll be putting up some polls during the debate to see how you think the candidates and questioners are doing. Big Tent's posts will say BTD and mine will be TL.

The live blog stays below the fold so that it can be a bit wider than the front page allows. Just click on the "There's More" button or bookmark the permalink to go directly to it.

If comments hit 200, we'll start a new one.

Barack Obama released his tax return today. He earned $4.2 million.

In tax returns the campaign released Wednesday, the Obamas reported a significant jump in their income from the previous year as profits from the books "Dreams From My Father" and "The Audacity of Hope" accounted for some $4 million. The Obamas paid federal taxes of $1.4 million and donated $240,370 to charity.

Their salaried income was $260,735, which include his $157,102 salary as a U.S. senator and hers of $103,633 as vice president of community and external affairs at the University of Chicago Medical Center.

In 2006, the Obamas earned $991,296.

The sum included Obama's Senate salary of $157,082 and his wife's earnings of $273,618 from her position as an administrator at the University of Chicago Medical Center. Michelle Obama also earned $51,200 in director's fees from TreeHouse Inc., a food distributor.

What we have: two candidates who made millions from book deals. Good for both of them, I don't begrudge either their good fortune. And for both, let's face it, fortune or at least celebrity has a lot to do with it.

More...

By Big Tent Democrat

Speaking for me only

I have sworn off calling rabid Obama supporters cultists. It is mean, divisive and not fair to the 95% of Obama supporters that realize Obama does not walk on water. But I must admit some Obama supporters sorely tempt me:

I don't recall past campaigns where one candidate (in this case Clinton) devoted pretty much all her resources into examining tapes and transcripts to find awkward phrases that could be used to fan fears about a the opposing candidate. I don't know. But I do know this. I'm glad my candidate [Barack Obama] is not the one who is relying on tactics like this to win to win the Presidency.

My gawd. The sad thing is he really believes this. I end this post now before I direct the dreaded cult word at him.