By Big Tent Democrat

Speaking for me only.

I have to wonder what in blazes Speaker Pelosi was thinking when she says this:

Thinking a Clinton-Obama or Obama-Clinton ticket sounds too good to be true for Democrats? The Speaker of the House, Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California says you're right. "I think that ticket either way is impossible," Pelosi told NECN's Alison King shortly after an environmental event in Waltham, Massachusetts today.

But for hopes of a Clinton-Obama dream team, there's no subtlety. "I wanted to be sure I didn't leave any ambiguity," she said.

What an irresponsibly stupid thing to say. My gawd is she bad.

By Big Tent Democrat

Obama chief campaign strategist David Axelrod is making stuff up. Today he said:

[T]his has been a pattern that we've seen throughout the campaign, whether it was the Bill Shaheen incident, the Bob Johnson incident, Sen. Clinton's own inexplicable unwillingness to make a direct statement on '60 Minutes' about Sen. Obama's Christianity, even though they've shared prayer groups together in Congress. All of it is part of an insidious pattern that needs to be addressed.

(Emphasis supplied.) Politics is politics. And false outrage is false outrage. But Axelrod has dipped into flat out falsehood here. Forget that Bill Shaheen was fired. Forget that Bob Johnson was forced to apologize.

Axelrod is simply making a deliberate false statement when he accuses Hillary of being unwilling to to make a direct statement about Obama's Christianity on 60 Minutes. She did make such a statment. Eric Boehlert demonstrated that this was all trumped up nonsense.

Axelrod is making stuff up here.

NOTE - Comments closed. It is clear that these subjects are difficult to discuss. Tonight may be even more difficult regarding the Mississippi primary. Understand I will be ruthless in deleting inflammatory comments. Write with care please.

By Big Tent Democrat

Commenter Coral Gables points me to this very revealing story that demonstrates clearly that the Obama Camp is ratcheting up its campaign against revotes in Florida and Michigan:

"The Democratic Party is going to run a mail-in election and they're going to police it and they're going to - I mean, I think it's a nightmare," senior Barack Obama strategist David Axelrod said Monday on MSNBC. . . . [S]tate party staffers are pushing ahead with a $10-million plan that could be submitted to the Democratic National Committee as early as this week.

. . . Growing skepticism from the Obama campaign and from key supporters of the Illinois senator. . . . "Does anyone really believe we're going to get this right? And does anyone really want another screwed up election in Florida?," asked Tallahassee City Commissioner Allan Katz, a DNC member and top Obama supporter.

Who is afraid of the Big Bad Revote? Barack Obama is. And it can not be denied anymore.

NOTE - Comments closed.

By Big Tent Democrat

The new World's Greatest Pollster has its latest from PA:

In a Democratic Primary in Pennsylvania today, 03/11/08, six weeks to the vote, Hillary Clinton defeats Barack Obama 55% to 36% . . .

Obama can not afford to lose Pennsylvania by 19. The internals are interesting. Clinton wins whites (80% of the vote) 61-29, Obama wins A-As by 76-22 (15% of the vote), Clinton wins Latinos (3% of the vote) 56-39. Women go for Clinton by 62-32. Clinton also wins men by 47-42. Clinton wins every age group and every ideology by double digits.

By Big Tent Democrat

If you are interested in the details of the attacks, go here. I am more interested to see if anyone is going to be shocked and appalled by Obama's attacks. I am not shocked. I am not appalled. This is a political campaign.

Do I wish he did not attack Clinton? Of course. I wish Clinton did not attack him. But all this shock and outrage going around about political attacks in a political campaign is a bit much.

Enough with the Political Sorrow and Pity.

By Big Tent Democrat

Al predicts a 17-16 delegate split in favor of Obama. Al also includes great analysis of each congressional district and pretty maps. Check it out. He does a terrific job.

By Big Tent Democrat

Speaking for me only. Jeralyn opposes a revote.

I am starting to worry that some Democrats do not get that they are playing with fire with this MI/FL situation. The latest is from Senator Chris Dodd, who I once supported for President, and who is now an Obama supporter:

"Split up the delegations, let 'em each have 50 percent of it and move on," said Dodd. "You don't have to go back over and re-do these things. . . . My view is make this as simple as you can."

. . . "I don't like the idea that taxpayers will have to pay," said Dodd. "Why should they have to pay twice?" . . . Some in the party have proposed having major Democratic donors pay for the do-over primaries instead of taxpayers. Dodd rejected that approach. "The idea that a bunch of fat cats are gonna finance it, I don't like that idea at all," Dodd said.

More . . .

By Big Tent Democrat

Speaking for me only.

I think ex ante fairness is, as you say, crucial. That said, I really, really, really hope that someone in the party is working very very hard to avoid a situation in which I have to decide what to do if Clinton wins through illegitimate means.

I will vote for [Clinton] in November if she is nominated fairly. (Which means no Michigan and Florida, and also no raiding pledged delegates.) . . .

(Emphasis supplied.) This is where the "rules are rules" crowd really bothers me, they actually are not for the rules. The DNC delegate selection rules (PDF) called for a number of things (Rule 21 provided Florida a safe harbor for its delegates; Rule 20C.1.a. provided for a 50% penalty, not complete stripping of the delegates; Rule 20.C.7 called for the DNC to perform an investigation of the Florida situation, it did not; and Rule 20.C.5 provides the DNC the opportunity to approve a new process for Florida and Michigan to devise alternative means of selecting their delegates). None of these ex ante rules have been followed to date. One is being worked on, the revote primaries. But in Hilzoy's mind, seating the Florida and Michigan delegations, even after a revote, violates ex ante fairness. Please. Not to mention the fact that the ex ante rules allows for "raiding pledged delegates." Yes, rules are rules, except when they are not. More . . .

By Big Tent Democrat

On MTP:

[Clinton Supporter] GOV. RENDELL: . . . [L]et's revote in Michigan and Florida. Let's end all the suspense. If our campaign is wrong and we are not going to be the strongest in those states, let the voters choose it. . . . Let's revote, and let's see how we do.

MR. RUSSERT: So you would be open to primaries in Michigan and Florida?

[Obama Supporter] FMR. SEN. DASCHLE: Oh, of course. Absolutely. We would be.

Clinton surrogate demanding revotes, Obama supporter ACCEPTING revotes. It seems clear what the positions of the campaigns are. More . .

By Big Tent Democrat

Speaking for me only

There are some who hold the view that Barack Obama will welcome revote primaries in Florida and Michigan. I think that view defies common sense. I'll explain why on the flip.

By Big Tent Democrat

Speaking for me only.

A lot of outrage in the blogs about this Hillary Clinton statement:

Even elected and caucus delegates are not required to stay with whomever they are pledged to. This is a very carefully constructed process that goes back years, and we're going to follow the process.

(Emphasis supplied.) What Clinton said happens to be true. But it is wrong of her to bring it up, imo. But the rules are the rules and Clinton is playing by them. I have never been a fan of the "rules are rules" argument, particularly since those invoking it are so selective about "the rules." See the blogs on superdelegates for instance.

Here is my rule - the will of the people. Expressed in the popular vote. That is my rule of who should be the nominee.

By Big Tent Democrat

. . . Al Sharpton threatening lawsuits if the Florida delegates are seated:

Laying the groundwork for a court battle that could divide the Democratic Party, the Reverend Al Sharpton is threatening to sue the Democratic National Committee if it counts Florida's primary results in the official presidential delegates tally.

Rev. Sharpton is traveling to Florida today to compile lists of residents who skipped the January contest because they thought their votes would not count. He plans to have those residents sign affidavits saying they would be disenfranchised by the seating of the Florida delegation, in the event the Democratic Party allowed that to happen.

Unless Sharpton, who I like a lot, is doing this is as a devious plan to force Obama to accept a ReDo Primary in Florida, I can not imagine what he is thinking, other than making sure Al Sharpton is being covered in the Media. Oh wait . . .