By Big Tent Democrat

Speaking for me only.

It is one polling outfit, but here is the crux of Hillary Clinton's electability argument:

FLORIDA: Clinton 44 - McCain 42
McCain 46 - Obama 37

OHIO: Clinton 48 - McCain 39
Obama 43 - McCain 42

PENNSYLVANIA: Clinton 48 - McCain 40
Obama 43 - McCain 39

68 electoral votes. I believe Michigan will show similar results. 17 more electoral votes. I believe Obama can point to Iowa, Wisconsin, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon and Virginia in his column of advantage. 55 electoral votes. I stand by my assessment, Obama expands the map, but is the bigger risk in the big contested states. More risk, more reward electorally. I still think the risk is worth the reward. I thought the argument more compelling pre-Wright of course. But I think it survives that.

Maggie Williams, Hillary Clinton's campaign manager, has sent out a memo addressing why she's staying in the race. It's very simple. Politico has a copy.

As of today, the citizens of 42 states, the District of Columbia, Democrats Abroad and 2 territories have had an opportunity to vote – and they have exercised that right in overwhelming numbers. But the citizens in Pennsylvania, Guam, North Carolina, Indiana, West Virginia, Oregon, Kentucky, Puerto Rico, Montana and South Dakota have not yet had the opportunity to exercise that fundamental right. Together, this adds up to nearly 43 million Americans. Are their voices any less important than those of the citizens who have already voted?

....The simple fact is that this election is too close to call. After 46 primaries and caucuses, by virtually every measure, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are neck and neck – separated by roughly 130 of the more than 3,100 delegates committed thus far and less than 1% of the 27 million-plus votes cast, including Florida and Michigan. Less than 1%! With hundreds of delegates still uncommitted, neither candidate has reached the number of delegates required to secure the nomination. And either candidate can reach the required number in the coming weeks and months. This is indisputable.

More...

John Lennon, r.i.p, would be proud. Yesterday, Hillary Clinton announced a plan for 3 million new jobs.

At the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Convention in Philadelphia, Hillary Clinton announced a plan to create three million new jobs through increased investments in the nation’s infrastructure. Hillary would create these jobs over 10 years by combining emergency initiatives like fixing the immediate safety risks of the I-95 bridge in Philadelphia along with long-term investments to create a greener, sleeker 21st century highway and transit system.

"President Bush has stood by and watched as we've lost 3 million manufacturing jobs. And he’s done nothing about the loopholes in our tax code that actually encourage companies to ship jobs overseas," said Clinton. "It's time for a different approach. I'll fight for every single job in America – and create millions of new, high paying jobs that can’t be outsourced. We're trying to run today’s economy on yesterday’s infrastructure – and we’re jeopardizing tomorrow’s prosperity. So I will rebuild America – by rebuilding, repairing and modernizing our infrastructure."

It's a $7 billion plan of tax incentives to companies that will keep jobs from going overseas. [More...]

The Justice Department today released John Yoo's 2003 torture memo to Congress. This is the infamous memo that the Bush Administration relied on in justifying it's "harsh interrorgation techniques" on prisoners overseas. This was the memo that was in force when the Abu Ghraib detainees were subjected to cruel treatment and torture.

Part One of the memo is here, and Part Two is here (pdf.)

Shorter version: Yoo wrote the Constitution is not in play.

In the March 14, 2003 memo, Yoo says the Constitution was not in play with regard to the interrogations because the Fifth Amendment (which provides for due process of law) and the Eighth Amendment (which prevents the government from employing cruel and usual punishment) does "not extend to alien enemy combatants held abroad.":

The memo goes on to explain that federal criminal statutes regarding assault and other crimes against the body don't apply to authorized military interrogations overseas and that statutes that do apply to the conduct of U.S. officials abroad pertaining to war crimes and torture establish a limited obligation on the part of interrogators to refrain from bodily harm.

The memo also says the Geneva Conventions don't apply al-Qaida and the Taliban. [More...]

Howard Dean on CNN tonight: There are only 2 ways Michigan and Florida delegates will be seated. One is if Hillary and Obama agree on a plan. The other is after the nominee is chosen when she or he will control the credentials committee.

In other words, Florida and Michigan are not getting seated in time to have a say in the nominee.

If I were a voter in Florida or MIchigan, I'd be livid.

The one thing neither Dean nor the DNC can control is whether the superdelegates consider the votes in Florida and Michigan. They can factor the votes into their own calculations of the popular vote. They can factor them into their decision as to which candidate is more electable in November.

Florida and Michigan voters who want their vote counted ought to let the superdelegates from the other 48 states know. Here is a list of uncommitted superdelegates, and here is a list of committed superdelegates. Both should be contacted since superdelegates can decide or change their mind any time before they vote.

Update (TL): Comments now closed.

By Big Tent Democrat

Speaking for me only

Mostly what Atrios said:

I've thought a lot about what Boehlert had to say about concerns about liberal bloggers channeling Drudgico type horsesh[*]t about Hillary Clinton. I think his basic point is important and correct, but he's wrong to make it an Obama/Clinton thing. One can certainly find pro-Clinton bloggers and commenters who do similar. Personally, I've tried to call media bullsh*t on both sides when I see it and as much us possible live by my basic rule of not reinforcing right wing narratives against Democrats. But I don't claim to be perfect or imagine that I always succeed at what I intend to do along those lines.

What Atrios glosses over is NBC. Because MSNBC has been the cable network that has been most fair to Dems generally for the past few years, Left blogs have given it a pass on its blatant sexist and misogynistic anti-Hillary bias. Most will not tell the truth about Keith Olbermann especially - he has become a bad joke. Most will not say that. And that is what Boehlert is talking about.

Update: For those who don't want to read through the live-blog below, the shorter version is the DNCC is making efforts to accommodate more bloggers than in 2004. Enabling a state blogger to sit with the delegates from their state is a big improvement, but it only applies to one blog per state, and doesn't apply to non-state bloggers.

Also, the credentials are only for events at the Pepsi Center, not for events at the Convention Center where other events and meetings will be taking place. I don't think this should deter anyone. In Boston in 2004, our media pass got us into events at the hotels and events outside the Fleet Center. Nothing really happens at the Pepsi Center until late afternoon. [More...]

By Big Tent Democrat

Speaking for me only

Harold Ickes is supposed to be a pro. He did not demonstrate that in his interview with Greg Sargent:

[Ickes] [c]onfirmed that the Hillary campaign could still try to woo super-dels even if she lost the popular vote, with Michigan and Florida counted.

Just ridiculous. Hillary Clinton is out there arguing in favor of counting the votes in all 50 states and here is Ickes saying that the RESULT of those votes will not matter to the Clinton campaign. This is inexcusable, harmful, stupid and reprehensible. There are other issues in Sargent's interview that others will certainly take issue with, but that statement is, to me, the worst of all. If it is true, I will be the first in line denouncing the Clinton campaign when the time comes.

By Big Tent Democrat

SUSA Indiana Poll:

In a Democratic Primary in Indiana today, 04/01/08, 5 weeks until votes are counted, Hillary Clinton defeats Barack Obama 52% to 43%, according to a SurveyUSA poll conducted for WHAS-TV Louisville and WCPO-TV Cincinnati. Obama leads 3:2 among the youngest voters. Clinton leads 2:1 among the oldest voters. Clinton leads by 21 points among whites. Obama leads by 58 points among blacks.

It is encouraging that the racial divide is not as pronounced in Indiana.

By Big Tent Democrat

Speaking for me only

Apparently, Michael Stickings did not understand my post. More likely Clinton Derangement Syndrome took over. Stickings writes:

Indeed, the view of the media as supporting Obama over Hillary is a popular one among Hillary supporters — see Taylor Marsh and TalkLeft’s Big Tent Democrat, for example, both of whom, believe it or not, argue that Rendell is right. Here’s the latest Clintonian trend: suck up to the right-wing media. . . I’ll let Steve Benen translate: “Rendell’s argument seemed to be that Fox News is more negative towards Obama than the credible cable news networks, which therefore makes Fox News ‘fair,’ ‘objective,’ and ‘balanced.’”

Stickings denies the Media favors Obama over Clinton? Well, what more do you need to know about where his mind has gone. But it is a shame to see that Steve Benen suffers from the same Clinton hating disease. Let me explain to Benen and Stickings one more time. The argument is NOT that Fox is fair to Dems. It is not. It is unbelievably unfair and biased against Dems. We all know this. The point is that the Obama News Network (NBC) is so in the tank for Obama, and so anti-Hillary, that Fox is fair by comparison to NBC. Now they KNOW this was the point. But they ignored the NBC point of Rendell's comments. It's sad really what Clinton hate can do to once fine minds. More . . .

By Big Tent Democrat

Speaking for me only

TPM wakes up to its and other Obama supporters' errors:

That Hillary is now pushing this line [that Obama surrogates have called for her to drop out] suggests that her advisers believe Obama surrogates erred in giving her an opening to galvanize her supporters and play the feisty underdog -- something the Obama campaign may recognize, too, judging by its efforts to rapidly dial back the calls for her to leave the race.

Um, duh. And Josh Marshall's own laughable attempts to retract his negative campaign against Clinton's continuing in the race demonstrates TPM "erred" in its campaign for its favored candidate, Barack Obama. More . . .

It's very funny. Any other April Fools' stuff out there?