home

Friday :: February 08, 2008

Latest AP Super Tuesday Delegate Count: Obama Leads by 2

The AP has released a new delegate count. Obama has 796 and Hillary has 794.

With nearly 1,600 delegates from Tuesday contests awarded, Sen. Barack Obama led by two delegates Friday night, with 91 delegates still to be awarded. Obama won 796 delegates in Tuesday's contests, to 794 for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, according to an analysis of voting results by The Associated Press.

As for totals to date, the AP includes Superdelegates:

In the overall race for the nomination, Clinton has 1,055 delegates, including separately chosen party and elected officials known as superdelegates. Obama has 998.

And, finally, an explanation of why it's so hard to count delegates in plain English: [More...]

(97 comments, 339 words in story) There's More :: Permalink :: Comments

David Shuster's Apology for Chelsea Clinton Comment

Via Media Matters, here is the apology David Shuster gave on MSNBC's Tucker Carlson show:

Last night during the show, I spoke about Chelsea Clinton and noted the affection that so many of us have for her. I also spoke about phone calls she has made to super delegates to convince them to support her mom. In describing this effort, I used a phrase that was inappropriate, and I apologize to the Clinton family, the Clinton campaign, and all of you who were justifiably offended. As I said this morning on MSNBC, all Americans should be proud of Chelsea Clinton, and I am particularly sorry that my language diminished the regard and respect she has earned from all of us and the respect her parents have earned in how they raised her.

Note to readers: Keep your comments civil. All points of view are welcome here provided they are expressed without name-calling, personal attacks or insults or profanity.

Update: Shuster transcript from last night's Tucker Carlson show below:

(173 comments, 845 words in story) There's More :: Permalink :: Comments

TPM: Tweety Leads To Shuster's Fall

By Big Tent Democrat

Josh Marshall posits that Tweety led to Shuster's fall:

[M]any have rightly criticized Chris Matthews for his repeatedly degrading, often sexist and consistently clownish comments about Hillary Clinton. The most logical way for me to understand this development is that MSNBC is under a lot of fire for Matthews -- but Matthews is untouchable -- and Shuster's easier to can or suspend.

Josh is right as far as he goes but he overlooks some important particulars. First and foremost, imo, is that MSNBC is rightly feeling heat for its anti-Hillary/pro-Obama bias as TPM's own Greg Sargent has pointed out. This clearly contributed to the harsh punishment meted out to Shuster.

More . . .

(93 comments, 214 words in story) There's More :: Permalink :: Comments

MSNBC Suspends David Shuster Over Chelsea Clinton Comment

Via a reader in the comments who just received this e-mail:

NBC NEWS STATEMENT REGARDING CHELSEA CLINTON COMMENT:

On Thursday's "Tucker" on MSNBC, David Shuster, who was serving as guest-host of the program, made a comment about Chelsea Clinton and the Clinton campaign that was irresponsible and inappropriate. Shuster, who apologized this morning on MSNBC and will again this evening, has been suspended from appearing on all NBC News broadcasts, other than to make his apology. He has also extended an apology to the Clinton family. NBC News takes these matters seriously, and offers our sincere regrets to the Clintons for the remarks.

Steve Capus
NBC News President

Update: Comments now closed here, new thread on topic is here.

(208 comments) Permalink :: Comments

Clinton Campaign Calls Out NBC

By Big Tent Democrat

And they are right to. Via TPM:

This is really something. The Hillary campaign has just gone to war with MSNBC, dispatching a top Hillary adviser to launch a lacerating attack on the network on a conference call with reporters moments ago.

On the call, top Hillary adviser Howard Wolfson suggested that there's a "pattern" of reprehensible comments by MSNBC personalities, and said outright that the Hillary campaign could no longer "envision a scenario where we would debate on that network given the comments that were made and have been made."

I think any honest observer of NBC's coverage has to admit that NBC has been incredibly anti-Hillary. Greg Sargent previously wrote:

(98 comments, 444 words in story) There's More :: Permalink :: Comments

Obama And Clinton Will Need Each Other In The GE

By Big Tent Democrat

This is a new position for me. Before I believed Clinton would definitely choose Obama as her running mate because he can help her keep the excitement he has engendered, provide some of the Media Darling status he holds, emphasize the historic nature of the Democratic ticket and energize the Obama parts of the Democratic coalition. But I did not believe Obama need choose Clinton. I now believe that Obama will need Clinton as well. Most, including me, have completely misunderstood how Hillary Clinton has energized her part of the Democratic coalition, especially women.

Today we are hearing about a new Time poll that has Obama running stronger than Hillary against McCain. Generally speaking, looking at GE matchups this far out is an absurd exercise. So much will still happen before we get anywhere close to the election that trying to decipher who will run best in the GER is a futile exercise. That said, I DO believe Obama has the POTENTIAL to run better against McCain than Hillary, for the reasons I have previously expressed. But there are major pitfalls for Obama and some of them have been highlighted on Super Tuesday and the days following.

More . . .

(169 comments, 512 words in story) There's More :: Permalink :: Comments

The Malign Acceptance Of Sexism

By Big Tent Democrat

In my view, the most underreported story of this campaign has been the blithe acceptance of misogyny and sexism. It is the hate that does dare speak its name. We all know about and condemned the many outrageous remarks made by some Clinton supporters and surrogates - Bill Shaheen, Bob Johnson, Andrew Cuomo and yes, Bill Clinton (his Jesse Jackson remark) made contemptible remarks in this campaign.

But the sexism and misogyny from the Media and yes, the Obama campaign, has gone largely unremarked. Here is one that has flown under the radar from Barack Obama himself:

Obama saved most of his criticisms for Bush, but he seemed to have Clinton in his sights when he said, "You challenge the status quo and suddenly the claws come out."

(Emphasis supplied.) The report does not even note the sexism inherent in that statement. Nor did online communities. Jane Hamsher wondered about that and asked FDL readers what they thought. The results were similarly depressing.

I will be honest - I am disgusted today.

NOTE - Comments are now closed.

(225 comments) Permalink :: Comments

Hillary Raises $7.4 Million Online Since Super Tuesday

Mark Penn, in a conference call tonight (audio here) says Hillary has raised $7.4 million online since the polls closed on Super Tuesday from 40,000 plus contributors.

Matt Stoller at Open Left writes about the phenomemal support, and says it comes mostly from suburban women. I don't know if that's true, I can't find a link. The last campaign contribution link I looked out which was updated 1/31/08 showed more campaign contributions to Hillary from men than women. (I've lost the link and can't find it now. It said something about gender being determined as closely as possible from FEC information.) But I agree with Matt on this:

It's remarkable, because it is converting voters and supporters into activists and donors, only it's probably not the creative class anymore. Clinton, like Dean, became an underdog, a real underdog, with more public support than Village support, and her public directly responded over the internet to close this gap.

In other words, the Obama campaign has had a strategy of cultivating online donors and activists, they know how to do it, and they are very good at it. The Clinton campaign has not done any of this particularly well because it hasn't been their strategy. And somehow, they are at rough parity over the last 48 hours.

Curiously, Obama's site is not broadcasting dollars raised, only the number of donations. Its goal is 500,000 donors by March 4.

Bottom line: There's a lot of Democrats giving money this election cycle. They want their White House back and they're willing to shell out to get it.

(79 comments) Permalink :: Comments

Justice Department Indicts Respected Miami Lawyer

What an outrage. The Justice Department has indicted one of Miami's leading, most well-respected, ethical lawyers, Ben Kuehne, on charges of money laundering.

Ben Kuehne, a widely respected Miami lawyer whose clients have included former Vice President Al Gore and other major politicians, surrendered Thursday on federal criminal charges for his behind-the-scenes role in a complex international drug-trafficking case.

An indictment, unsealed at his morning court appearance, charges Kuehne in a money-laundering conspiracy with approving tainted legal payments by an accused Colombian drug kingpin to his defense attorney in Miami.

The Indictment is here (pdf). What jumped out at me was Paragraph 15, alleging a substantial amount of the funds that were the subject of Ben's opinion letters to Ochoa's lawyers came not from the clean business of an Ochoa relative as set forth in Ben's letter, but from five undercover law enforcement operations the Government had in place in New York and Miami. [More...]

(29 comments, 2160 words in story) There's More :: Permalink :: Comments

Thursday :: February 07, 2008

David Shuster's Offensive Remark: Chelsea Clinton Being "Pimped"

By Big Tent Democrat

We all know NBC is the Obama Broadcasting Company but this is ridiculous:

An apology from Shuster is in order. Immediately.

[Update TL: Shuster suspended. This thread's closing, please comment further at new one. Thanks.]

(141 comments) Permalink :: Comments

Rezko STILL Not An Issue

By Big Tent Democrat

At FDL, one of our favorite blogs, a post argues that Rezko IS an issue for Obama. Both Jeralyn and I are on record stating our view that Rezko is NOT an issue. After reviewing the FDL post, nothing I see there changes my view. Indeed, I endorse the analysis provided in this dkos diary:

The author claims that Miner, Barnhill firm that employed Obama was a "sleazy" and "ethically spotty" firm, insinuating that it essentially acted as an arm of Rezko's business and that Obama's choice of this firm itself is deeply suspicious. In this light the Rezko connection become ominous. But a little research shows this entire construction to be [false.]

Pols are pols and to expect them to scrutinize every donation they get is simply ridiculous. In my review of Obama's dealings with Rezko, I see nothing untoward. It remains a nonissue in my view.

(128 comments) Permalink :: Comments

California Delegates Awarded: 207 to 163

The New York Times has posted California's distribution of delegates from the Super Tuesday primary.

  • Hillary 207
  • Obama 163

NBC's Keith Olbermann and Dan Abrams tonight said Obama has a total of 861 delegates while Hillary has 855.

The New York Times says Hillary is ahead with 904 to Obama's 724.

That's a big discrepancy between NBC and the Times. Several of the states Obama won haven't yet awarded delegates according to the Times which may account for Obama's low total number. But, Hillary still has more from the Times than from NBC. Anyone know why?

As to how the Times counts delegates:

Many news organizations include delegate projections in their counts that are based on nonbinding votes for candidate preference, such as the Iowa caucuses. The New York Times counts only delegates that have been officially selected and are bound by their preferences.

To make things even more confusing, here's the San Jose Mercury News saying Hillary has 1000 to Obama's 902.

(69 comments) Permalink :: Comments

<< Previous 12 Next 12 >>