Will we choose to emphasize boastful rhetoric or constructive engagement abroad? Will we lash out in anger with military force, or will we pursue every reasonable avenue to avoid the terrible destruction of war? Will we “fight fire with fire,” relying on the means and techniques of our adversaries, or live and lead by the higher standard of the values we have professed? At home, will we persist in shortsighted partisanship, or will we follow a stronger vision to the deep reforms needed to secure our future? Will it be selfishness or shared sacrifice that is our rallying cry?
These are the choices before us.
--- General Wesley K. Clark Addresses New America Foundation Audience (1/30/06) on Capitol Hill: "The Real State of the Union 2006"

"Almost Heaven" for discussing West Virginia
Primary results
<--------

Super delegates are left undeclared and who are they? Is there any way to get that information or are they anonymous until they make their endorsements? Sorry for my lack of knowledge on this.

is up! "Curtain Time Part II will show that Obama was the inside guy in the Illinois senate as far as setting up the Health Facilities Planning Board to extort contributions from companies in exchange for the approval of applications to build medial facilities."

Worthy read. Don't miss both parts! (Pt. I link 2 threads back)

http://www.opednews.com/articles/genera_evelyn_p_080513_curtain_time_for_bar.htm

This from Business Week a few months ago-- where they call him the Master of Astroturfing...:

--On the down low, Axelrod moonlights in the private sector.

From the same River North address, Axelrod operates a second business, ASK Public Strategies, that discreetly plots strategy and advertising campaigns for corporate clients to tilt public opinion their way. He and his partners consider virtually everything about ASK to be top secret, from its client roster and revenue to even the number of its employees. But customers and public records confirm that it has quarterbacked campaigns for the Chicago Children's Museum, ComEd, Cablevision, and AT&T.

ASK's predilection for operating in the shadows shows up in its work. On behalf of ComEd and Comcast, the firm helped set up front organizations that were listed as sponsors of public-issue ads. Industry insiders call such practices "Astroturfing," a reference to manufacturing grassroots support.

(Gasp!Say it aint so David!)

Alderman Brendan Reilly of the 42nd Ward describes ASK as "the gold standard in Astroturf organizing. This is an emerging industry, and ASK has made a name for itself in shaping public opinion and manufacturing public support."

Eric Sedler, 39, a former public relations director at AT&T and corporate-reputation specialist at PR giant Edelman, is the "S" in ASK and the company's managing partner. The "K" is John Kupper, 51, a former congressional press secretary and ad-industry consultant, while the "A," of course, is Axelrod.

ASK's relationship with ComEd goes back: The Chicago-based utility says ASK has been an adviser since at least 2002. ASK's workload picked up in 2005, as the Exelon subsidiary was nearing the end of a 10-year rate freeze and preparing to ask state regulators for higher electricity prices. Based on ASK's advice, ComEd formed Consumers Organized for Reliable Electricity (CORE) to win support.

Axelrod's public and private efforts bump into each other at ComEd, too. Illinois employees of the utility and its parent, Exelon, have contributed $181,711 to Obama's presidential bid—more than workers at any other company in the state.

Illinois does not require public-affairs firms to register as lobbyists unless they seek to influence officeholders directly. But New York does. In New York City, Cablevision, owner of Madison Square Garden, hired ASK to stop the New York Jets from building a stadium nearby in Manhattan. In its ads and materials, the opposition called itself the New York Association for Better Choices. Records show ASK was paid $1.2 million by Cablevision from 2004 to 2005. LegislativeGazette.com, an online weekly covering New York government, described ASK's payday as "the biggest lobbying contract of the year."

Among ASK's other clients: AT&T. The telecom company, formerly known as SBC Communications, had been a customer, Sedler confirms, when it requested ASK's help to defeat a broadband referendum in three Fox Valley suburbs in 2004. ASK received $22,500 for its voter-persuasion drive.

http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/mar2008/db20080314_121054.htm

for pointing out the weirdness in how the CPI is figured and that the misery index is actually much higher. BTW, I have his latest book and will get to it after the two I am reading now.

http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/13/news/economy/misery/index.htm?postversion=2008051317

Obama sports flag pin again after long absence

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Like the American flag that Francis Scott Key famously wrote about, the one on Barack Obama's lapel keeps appearing and disappearing.

The Democratic presidential hopeful said he generally stopped wearing a flag pin after the 2001 terrorist attacks because he felt it replaced "true patriotism" for some public officials.

Some Americans, however, say they question the patriotism of a candidate who makes such a choice, a sentiment that shows up in polls.

Last month, the pin briefly reappeared on his suit jacket. Obama said a veteran had given it to him that day and asked him to wear it.

It wasn't seen again until Monday, when Obama spoke to a veterans' group in West Virginia. On Tuesday, when he spoke about the economy to workers in Missouri, it was there again.

-----

Flip, or flop?  

Disclaimer, this is a joke.

Sen. Barack Obama announced a new plan to turn around his dismal numbers among white, working real Americans.

"My plan to win in November in November is to bring my campaign warchest to bear." Reporters pressed Sen. Obama on how he would use his fundraising prowess to overpower Sen. John McCain. "the answer is simple really, I do well among the "latte classes", so in association with Starbucks Corp we will be providing free lattes at the polls." The Senator added "we will be paying to open new Starbucks stores in key battle ground states following the convention in Denver."

Starbucks did not return calls but did release a statement saying that: "We looked forward to opening new stores in West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee and we very much look forward a long and profitable relationship with Sen. Obama's campaign to bring lattes to all Americans."

By Jeralyn

MSNBC just did an electoral vote segment. They made some critical errors.

They assumed Obama would take PA because John Kerry did. Barack Obama did poorly in PA, like he did in Ohio, with rural and blue collar voters. It's more likely in my view that the Democrats will lose Ohio and PA if Obama is the nominee. Hillary has a better chance of keeping PA and winning back Ohio.

They gave no thought to Florida going Democratic in November. They assumed it will go to McCain. Hillary puts Florida in play.

Their silliest comments were that Obama could make the southern states competitive because of the large African-American turnout. Not that he would win them, just make them competitive and make Republicans nervous. But when you're talking about the electoral map, coming close doesn't count. If the Democratic nominee doesn't win the popular vote in those states, the Republican candidate gets the electoral vote.

More...

Once in a while you get shown the light, In the strangest of places if you look at it right.

Hillary tonight underperformed Obama's best TEN Victories

What does tonight's final tally look like?  After reviewing the 2nd Exit Update, Tonight is going to be

65% Clinton
32% Obama

Per the Incredible Poblano

<!-- polls come after this -->

• kubla000's diary :: ::

Obama built his 179 Delegate lead on much larger victories than Hillary's 33% Victory Tonight in West Virginia, Home to 5 Electoral Votes... Let's Recap the Scoreboard.

Idaho  4 Electoral Votes
Obama 79%
Clinton 17%
 Obama +62%

Hawaii 4 Electoral Votes
Obama 76%
Clinton 24%
 Obama +52%

Alaska  3 Electoral Votes
Obama 75%
Clinton 25%
 Obama +50%

Washington 11 Electoral Votes
Obama 68%
Clinton 31%
Obama +37%

Georgia 15 Electoral Votes (Competitive with Bob Barr)
Obama 67%
Clinton 31%
 Obama +36%

Colorado 9 Electoral Votes
Obama 67%
Clinton 32%
 Obama +35%

Minnesota 10 Electoral Votes
Obama 66%
Clinton 32%
 Obama +34%

Get over it. It's so old by now. - Justice Antonin Scalia

I went outside a while ago and it's heavenly! Honeysuckle is in bloom and the scent is everywhere! Mmmmmm! :D

Per ABC News http://abcnews.go.com/politics

Clinton 16,691,403
Obama 16,647,965

Hillary ahead by 43,438 :-))

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/itn/20080511/video/vwl-oxfam-warns-1-5-million-may-die-in-b-15af341.html

Oxfam warns 1.5 million may die in Burma

EXCERPT

Generals deny access to aid workers in order that the junta's military can distribute aid selectively, plastered with Generals' names.. so it is seen as coming from them.. Elsewhere reports state that all non-voters will count as a "yes" in the upcoming referendum on constitution.
tags: burma, generals, genocide 

Get over it. It's so old by now. - Justice Antonin Scalia

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/05/obamicans_pile_on_clinton_at_o.html

"

Obamites Pile on Clinton at Own Peril

By Froma Harrop

Many in the Obama camp, having outfoxed the apparently not-so-formidable Clinton machine, can't seem to get the hang of winning gracefully. They feel a need to drive a stake in Hillary Clinton's reputation, then dance. If they were smart, they'd heap praise on Clinton and let her finish out the race, however she chooses to do so.

That's sage advice, even though offered by Republican mastermind-turned-pundit Karl Rove. Treat Clinton shabbily, he says, and many of her supporters "will remember it by November."

Nonetheless, Obamites are throwing victory parties over the impending defeat of a fellow Democrat who has thus far pulled in over 47 percent of their party's primary and caucus participants. Some take a more direct approach. In anticipation of the West Virginia primary, college students for Obama were hurling insults at farmers and truck drivers holding signs for Clinton.

Meanwhile, Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy, unable to contain himself, administered one last kick to Clinton's dignity by opining that the New York senator lacks the "real leadership" needed for the job of vice president. He said that Obama should pick someone who is "in tune with his appeal for the nobler aspirations of the American people."

So much for the nobility of aspirations held by his own state's Democratic primary voters, who preferred Clinton over Obama by 15 percentage points. Next door in Rhode Island, Rep. Patrick Kennedy dittoes Dad as an unwavering super-delegate for Obama -- this despite Clinton's 18-point win in that state's primary. It's as if the voters are invisible.

Disrespecting the nearly 17 million who have supported Clinton is politically unwise, but turning them into "the enemy" is insane. Last week's enemy was working-class white people. The Democrats can win without a majority of white voters -- as Obama strategists undiplomatically note -- but they can't win without a strong showing among them.

So Obama partisans do not help their cause by willfully misrepresenting Clinton's reference to "hard-working Americans, white Americans" as racist rather than as a poorly worded observation made in a state of utter exhaustion. The fervor of their outrage suggests that some regard the mere consideration of white people, particularly white men, as a demographic needing a special message is an act of bigotry. (That's as opposed to a thousand other racial and socio-economic groups that politicos routinely slice and dice.)

We now hear pained remarks from the Obama camp that many white men won't vote for any black. Oh really? No one was complaining during the early races in Iowa, Maryland, Virginia and Wisconsin, when most of the white male participants backed Obama. That was before the Rev. Jeremiah Wright ugliness became public.

Weirdly, Obamite triumphalism seems to be merging with the festivities on the Republican side. You can understand why the right would welcome what it prays is "the end of the Clinton era." Bill Clinton presided over the longest peacetime expansion since World War II. His budget surpluses put his so-called conservative predecessors and successor to shame. Wouldn't a vow to build on the Clinton legacy, rather than dismantle it, be a better tack for the Obama campaign?

By the way, Clinton's continued sparring with Obama does not hurt the Illinois senator's chances in November. It only crowds out Republican efforts along that line. Believe me, you'd rather have the Clinton version.

Obama can't beat John McCain without large chunks of Clinton's core constituency: women, Hispanics and the white working class. Dumping on their candidate is one step removed from dumping on them -- and some of the Obama people don't even bother with that step. Rove must be enjoying the show.

fharrop@projo.com

Copyright 2008, Creators Syndicate Inc.

morning half expecting to see that overnight every superdelegate had declared for O! That is how crazy and unreal this campaign has become for me. If what I am about to post is in any way inappropriate for General Clark's website someone please let me know and I will delete it. Last night after Hillary's stunning win in WV after listening to the Obots and MSM taking it away from her as usual I started thinking that if the Dems continue their suicidal course with O! at the helm and make him the nominee then Clinton should run with the General as a third party candidate. I mean no disrespect as I know the General has and is fighting tirelessly for the Democratic party. I am an Independent and have believed for years the two party system is not serving us well. I just can't get the thought out of my mind.I don't know how the financing could come together (acknowledging that $$ plays an all too critical roll), but if they could find a way to do it I think they would win. Again, I apologize if this is inappropriate or in any way offensive. I am a sincere Hillary supporter and admire and respect Wes completely. Chalk this post up to my political naivete and my total disgust with the way things are at the moment.

My mom, one of those older white women whose immigrant parents didn't have enough money to send her or her 8 brothers and sisters to college that the Obama campaign and the Democratic elite like to belittle so...also the woman who, along with my dad, taught me growing up that the worst Democrat is better than the best Republican....also the woman who was labeled a "Super Dem" by the ACT PA people because she's voted in every Dem primary since forever....She's seriously considering changing her registration from Dem to undeclared or whatever independent voters are called in PA. Knock me over with a feather, I never thought I'd see the day. This woman is as diehard Dem as they come...or at least she used to be until the "uniter" and his crew took over. Oy! What a mess they are making of my party!

"The mark of leadership is not to standup when everybody is standing, but rather to actually stand up when no one else is standing" - Pulitzer Prize winning author Samantha Power, introducing Gen Clark

Which Democratic candidate would fare better against Sen. John McCain in November?

Currently:

Clinton 44%
Obama 56%