By Big Tent Democrat

Speaking for me only

The new world's greatest pollster, SUSA, releases its latest Pennsylvania poll:

[I]n Pennsylvania today, 04/08/08, two weeks to the vote, Hillary Clinton defeats Barack Obama 56% to 38%, according to a SurveyUSA poll. The results are almost identical to a SurveyUSA poll released one month ago. Then, Clinton led by 19. Today, 18. . . . Summary: The complete absence of movement among whites and among women is striking. Among white voters, Clinton polled at 61% in all 3 tracking polls. Among women, Clinton was at 62% a month ago, 62% last week, and 61% today. These two unwavering core constituencies help make Clinton so formidable in the Keystone state.

This sounds right to me. NOTE - Comments are closed.

By Big Tent Democrat

WaPo:

Clinton Told True Tale of Woe, Says Kin

By Anne E. Kornblut

The aunt of a young pregnant woman who died after a hospital told her she needed to pay $100 up front for care said in an interview on Monday that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has been telling the story accurately on the campaign trail -- following claims by a different Ohio hospital that it did not turn the patient away.

When can we expect retractions and apologies from the Obama News Network? Oh by the way, from the Obama blogs? what a disgraceful episode.

By Big Tent Democrat

Update [2008-4-7 18:38:43 by Big Tent Democrat]: Meteor Blades updates. And I must update, kudos to daily kos and John Cole for covering the story. Way to go. One additional point - Bachtel was denied medical help because she did not have $100 to pay down a debt she incurred when she was uninsured.

Via No Quarter:

As No Quarter reports, in fact the story told to Hillary Clinton by Ohio Deputy Sheriff Brian Holman did not implicate the hospital that decided to inject itself into the story. It told a story, a real story, about our health care crisis. But since some Obama blogs were more intent on demonizing Hillary Clinton than shining light on the health care issue, this important story was buried under an avalanche of Hillary Hate. Shame on them. This is the worst manifestation I have yet seen of the sickness that has infected the Left blogs. My original post on this subject here. More . . .

Hillary Clinton today on the Olympics:

The violent clashes in Tibet and the failure of the Chinese government to use its full leverage with Sudan to stop the genocide in Darfur are opportunities for Presidential leadership. These events underscore why I believe the Bush administration has been wrong to downplay human rights in its policy towards China. At this time, and in light of recent events, I believe President Bush should not plan on attending the opening ceremonies in Beijing, absent major changes by the Chinese government.

I encourage the Chinese to take advantage of this moment as an opportunity to live up to universal human aspirations of respect for human rights and unity, ideals that the Olympic games have come to represent. Americans will stand strong in support of freedom of religious and political expression and human rights. Americans will also stand strong and root for the success of American athletes who have worked hard and earned the right to compete in the Olympic Games of 2008.

What's Obama's position? He's conflicted.

By Shut the Freud Up Productions, hat tip to KatieBird at The Confluence.

For Hillary supporters watching this, you know what to do.

By Big Tent Democrat

Speaking for me only

Chris Bowers joins the Obama supporter chorus - the nomination of Barack Obama as the Democratic nominee is a certainty. (I also believe this to be so, but I have a bit more humility than to assume my believing something makes it so.)

But like Meteor Blades and Markos before him, Bowers does not make the logical leap - that since Obama will be the nominee, he must and should start thinking about November and move to unify the Party and to secure his being viewed as the legitimate nominee by the near half of the Democratic Party that supports Hillary Clinton.

As I wrote yesterday, the most important thing Obama must do is accept a valid result, preferably through revotes, in Florida and Michigan. Until I read anything from these "not in doubt" Obama supporters, like Bowers, Kos and MB, urging Obama to act on Florida and Michigan, and to act to unify the Party, it seems to me they are acting as if the contest is actually in doubt.

On the Ellen DeGeneres show today, Hillary Clinton unveiled her $300 million breat cancer plan.

Hillary's plan would provide $300 million a year in increased funding for breast cancer research at the National Institutes of Health, the National Cancer Institute, and the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program.

In addition to funding research for new treatments, these investments will also go to investigate the cause of breast cancer, including the role that environmental pollutants may have, as well as, potential genetic and hereditary links. The plan would also improve access to screenings and treatment by making mammograms more affordable and providing funding for treatment for low-income women. Under Hillary's American Health Choices Plan, all women will have affordable, quality health insurance regardless of employment, marital status, or pre-existing conditions so they get the care and treatment they need.

Hillary's goal: To find a cure for breast cancer in our lifetimes.

Hillary has had a long record of being involved in the fight against breast cancer. [More...]

The Senate Armed Services Committee and the Foreign Relations Committee are holding hearings on Iraq Tuesday. Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John McCain will all be in attendance.

All will be hoping to establish their bona fides through questioning of key witesses, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan C. Crocke.

Someone suggested that Obama be moved up past his seniority level in the order of questioning. Joe Biden, Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, put the kabosh on that idea.

"The biggest mistake we could make is politicizing this, looking at this in terms of political advantage," he said. "The American people are sick of this."

McCain has the advantage, as ranking Republican on the Armed Services Committee: (More...)

The first view of Barack Obama's handling of the Jeremiah Wright issue was rosy....he had survived.

Not so quick, reports the Wall. St. Journal:

It has not been defused," says David Parker, a North Carolina Democratic Party official and unpledged superdelegate. He says his worries about Republicans questioning Sen. Obama's patriotism prompted him to raise the issue of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr.'s remarks in conversations with both the Obama and Clinton campaigns.

I'm concerned about seeing Willie Horton ads during the general election," Mr. Parker says, referring to campaign ads that Republicans widely credited for helping defeat Michael Dukakis in 1988. Mr. Parker said the Wright controversy didn't hurt his opinion of Mr. Obama.

More...

By Big Tent Democrat

Speaking for me only

By Big Tent Democrat

Speaking for me only

I was struck by this post, by the invaluable Meteor Blades. It is wonderfully written, as we expect from him. The tone was just right. But I was not struck by that - I expect that from him. Nor was I struck by the conclusions on the state of the race, they largely mirror my own (that Obama will be the Democratic nominee.) Instead, I was struck by the idea that it is incumbent on the loser in the Presidential nomination race to move to unify the Party and think about winning in November. My view is that it is the responsibility of the likely nominee to move towards unifying the Party. Since, like Meteor Blades, and one presumes, Barack Obama, I expect Obama to be the nominee - I believe it is incumbent upon Obama to move towards unifying the Party. More.

Oregon has a law allowing assisted suicides. Yesterday, the Register-Guard conducted an interview with Hillary and asked her views on the topic;

Q: What’s your attitude toward Oregon’s assisted suicide law?

A: I believe it’s within the province of the states to make that decision. I commend Oregon on this count, as well, because whether I agree with it or not or think it’s a good idea or not, the fact that Oregon is breaking new ground and providing valuable information as to what does and doesn’t work when it comes to end-of-life questions, I think, is very beneficial.

Q: Would you have voted for it if you were a resident of the state?

A: I don’t know the answer to that. I have a great deal of sympathy for people who are in difficult end-of-life situations. I’ve gone to friends who have been in great pain and suffering at the end of their lives. I’ve never been personally confronted with it but I know it’s a terribly difficult decision that should never be forced upon anyone. So with appropriate safeguards and informed decision-making, I think it’s an appropriate right to have.

In March, the Medford Mail-Tribune asked Obama his views: (More...)