an important blogger and Newsweek columnist wrote this:

Clinton was the only top-tier candidate to refuse the ultimate Iowa and New Hampshire pander by removing her name from the Michigan ballot. That makes her essentially the de facto winner since Edwards and Obama, caving to the cry babies in Iowa and New Hampshire, took their name off Michigan's ballot. Sure, the DNC has stripped Michigan of its delegates, but that won't last through the convention. The last thing Democrats can afford is to alienate swing states like Michigan and Florida by refusing to seat their delegates.

So while Obama and Edwards kneecap their chances of winning, Clinton is single-mindedly focused on the goal.

(Emphasis supplied.) Now that the preferred candidate of that important blogger and Newsweek columnist is the almost certain nominee, I hope that important blogger and Newsweek columnist joins me in urging the DNC to do the right thing and the smart thing on May 31, seat the Florida and Michigan delegations. Let's all work to avoid "kneecapping" the Democratic nominee's chances in November.

Speaking for me only.

Todd Beeton skillfully skewers Obama supporter and math whiz Poblano on his shocking discovery that political campaigns engage in . . . politics:

Notice the loaded language [describing the Clinton campaign] ..."conspired"...[against the pledged delegate meme] Now, I'm not saying the milestone is entirely meaningless, all I'm saying is let's call it what it is: a meme pushed out by the Obama camp to influence superdelegates and the media and to manipulate public perception. . . . Look, the second it became clear that pledged delegates alone were not going to win the nomination for either Obama or Clinton, the use of psychological warfare was fair game; it's superdelegates' jobs to be influenced by things like popular vote, majority of pledged delegates and electability and as far as I'm concerned it's the campaigns' jobs to try to use any argument at their disposal to make the case to them.

MORE . . .

Chris Bowers joins the burgeoning Unity Ticket Movement (by burgeoning I mean me, Chris, Todd Beeton and Ed Kilgore.) Chris writes:

I do know that we are not going to achieve a realignment unless we win all of the states where one candidate or the other is strong. We need Obama's strength in Alaska, Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon and Washington. We also need Clinton's strength in Arkansas, Florida, Missouri, Ohio and West Virginia. If we are going to truly realign the country, we need to win all of those states, plus a few others like Texas, North Carolina, Virginia and Indiana, four seemingly red states where both candidates are performing reasonably well.

In other words, we need to combine the Clinton coalition with the Obama coalitions, rather than arguing over whose coalition is superior. The nomination campaign is over anyway, so that argument is moot and academic. And, correct me if I am wrong, but isn't the most obvious way to combine the Clinton and Obama coalitions to put them both on the ticket?

Chris might get run out of the Creative Class for this one.

Watching the NBC pundits, Russert, Tweety, Olbermann et. al, rail against Hillary Clinton's fight to count the votes in Florida and Michigan, it is important to remember that the Media has always been against counting the votes. Here is Eric Alterman on the Media's reaction to Al Gore's desire to count the votes in 2000:

. . . Listen to Tim Russert, among the most influential journalists in the entire country, advising Al Gore to be “magnanimous and statesmanlike,” by suggesting he tell the nation, “I won the popular vote. I gave up the presidency, in effect, because of the Electoral College and the Constitution.” . . . Chris Matthews is reported by Salon.com to have offered up a similar observation that Gore concede for ‘the good of the nation.’ . . .

The Media has always had contempt for the voters. Always. Their contempt for Hillary Clinton's fight to count the votes in Florida and Michigan is nothing new.

Our fun is over. Comments closed,

First and foremost, we agree that we must all come together and wholeheartedly support and work hard for the Democratic nominee for President as well as all the Democratic candidates for elective office.

Second, we agree with this statement:

It's clear this mess of a nomination process the Democrats devised is in desperate need of a top-bottom overhaul.

Comments closed

Via John Cole, who loved it, Ron Reagan said:

If Appalachia was a country, Hillary Clinton could be President.”

It is funny how Appalachia keeps growing for some Obama supporters. It now encompasses not only West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, and parts of Pennsylvania and Ohio, but also California, Arizona, New Mexico, New Hampshire, Nevada, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Texas, Oklahoma, New York, Rhode Island and Florida.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

And it begins. Chris Matthews tonight and previously. Keith Olbermann and Dana Milbank did it before. Puerto Rico is a big joke to them. The DNC said they have a say in the process of deciding who our nominee will be. But count their votes? Not to the bigots at NBC.

The ugly racism and bigotry of NBC now joins the previously ugly sexism and misogyny. Here it comes.

NBC has no decency. None.

Any other bad actors in the Media tonight? Let us know.

Here is Andrea Mitchell's dumb statement of the night. Obama can't pick Hillary because it messes up his change message soooo he CAN pick SENATOR Evan Bayh or Governor Ed Rendell. How stupid can you get?

Chris Matthews LIES again, claiming Obama won the young voters in Kentucky. He is simply LYING. Clinton won the 17-29 group by 20 points. And now the education lie from NBC. Clinton won the college educated by 60-34. The Obama News Network marches on.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

First step, blame them for not voting for you. Here is a prime example of why Democrats lose white working class voters, this headline -- Appalachia's Last Chance to Show It Doesn't Have an Obama Problem.

Yes, tell voters they have a problem when they do not vote for you. Heck of a general election plan. When candidates and/or their supporters are blaming the voters, you know you have a problem.

Comments now closed.

I am no Roger Simon fan. In fact, I am a Roger Simon critic. But I think this article was excellent. And as someone who has to eat crow on absolutely underestimating David Axelrod, it also made me feel good about the Obama campaign team and their skills. Here is a snippet:

“After we lost the New Hampshire primary,” Axelrod says, “the next day, on about three hours of sleep, [Obama] said, ‘I think what happened yesterday was right. When you are the new guy, it is not supposed to be easy. It was like Icarus flying too close to the sun. We have to earn this. But it persuaded me this is the right battle.’”

Good on Obama. Good on Axelrod. And good on Simon for this very good article.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

Richard Cohen is especially silly today. His entire column is ridiculous, but this is the best (as in worst) part:

I, too, have taken my shots at Clinton. I have done so not because of any sexism but for reasons having to do with character.

Yes we remember Dick. Bob Somerby told us about it:

"Running into the sun but I'm running behind."
Jackson Browne, Running on Empty

Here's a late night open thread -- you pick the topics, I'll stay out of it.

CNN is repeating the interview from earlier this week with Wolf Blitzer that got sidelined due to John Edwards simulutaneous endorsement of Obama which reduced her interview to a split screen.

She still hopes to be the nominee. She says it would be a big mistake to vote for John McCain over the Democratic nominee. And, it's premature to talk about vice-presidential nominees

As to why she won't drop out: We have a close race, people have gone to conventions with far fewer delegates, and we're going to keep going until one of us reaches 2,210.

This interview was taped the day Obama announced Edwards would make the endorsement. I'm not sure if she knew about Edwards endorsement at the time of the taping, or learned afterwards.