GARVEYBLOG
May 9, 2008
Oh my God!
By Ed Garvey
Just when both campaigns began talking about peace and a respectful exit strategy for Hillary, she drops the equivalent of the "F bomb" at the prayer breakfast. I am stunned and it ain't easy to stun me. I've heard just about everything in politics from Trent Lott's suggestion the U.S. would be better off had we followed Strom Thurman's Dixiecrat platform in 1948, to the Rev. John Hagee blaming Katrina on a gay pride parade. But Hillary Clinton is not Trent Lott nor is she loony like Hagee. She is held to a higher standard.
The Clintons have been quietly playing the race card in an appeal to southern whites for a long time. Bill's comparison with Jesse Jackson's 1988 South Carolina victory was just one example. Hillary's Rev. Wright fixation was another. (I reach no conclusion about her recently acquired southern accent.) But she went way off the farm yesterday. Way, way off.
In her USA Today interview she claimed she would be a better candidate than Barack because a recent poll showed that Senator Obama's support among (I'm not making this up--even the NYT carries it in an editorial today) working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again. There's a pattern emerging here."
The NY Times agrees--"Yes, there is a pattern--a familiar and unpleasant one."
Then the editorial reflects the sentiments in my blog of yesterday. "The undeclared superdelegates should stop their coy posing" and get on with it. There is no justification for delay in taking on John McCain.
As for Hillary, she ought to be ashamed of herself. Fostering racial division is a grave insult to her supporters, her Party and our country. It is time for her Wisconsin team to help Barack deal with racial division. The primary is over. He won, she lost. A phony "count the votes" chant Tuesday in Indiana sounded tinny and manufactured. Her interview is shocking.
Time for action Herb, Russ, Paula and Lena. Your Party has been pushed to the brink of disaster by a sore loser who appears ready to take down the winner and damn the consequences. Why? Another run in 2012? Pay back? Whatever the reason it is not a pursuit of lofty goals.
There is time to heal but not much and apparently healing will take place, if at all, without Hillary and Bill Clinton. But the process can and should begin now, in Wisconsin.
GARVEYBLOG
May 8, 2008
One-horse race
By Ed Garvey
No matter what Hillary Clinton says about soldiering on to West Virginia, Kentucky, and the other primaries, it is off the front pages. Everyone knows it is over, and there is nothing left to cover. If no one is in the forest we don't know for sure if the falling tree made a noise, and if Obama and Clinton are not competing the news people won't cover Hillary's rallies, fund raisers or ideas. A one-horse race is no fun and the fun is gone, the game is over, Obama is going to be the nominee.
The problem is not her gritty determination to go on it is the subliminal message, openly stated by one of her inner circle after her Pratt-fall in Indiana, that is the problem: "She can't get the nomination and Obama can't win in November." If her decision to fight on even though it is over is sending that signal, the Democrats are in deep doo-doo.
And the signal? That an African-American can't win in America? Whoa Nelly! It is time to send a distress signal to our SUPER-DOOPERS. Herb Kohl remains undecided; Russ Feingold voted for Barack and is "inclined to support him" but not yet? His aide, Paula Zellner, understandably has to wait for Russ. Lena Taylor? C'mon, Lena.
I want a woman president in my lifetime and I want a new chapter in race relations in my lifetime. The latter should happen this November and if the Clinton camp is responsible for another white male, John McCain, winning in November, the Party is indeed over.
We can't tell the Clintons what to do, but we can ask Wisconsin's super delegates to get involved. We elected you to lead. What are you waiting for?
ARTICLE
May 8, 2008
Walking contradiction
By Ed Garvey
Idealogue neoconservatives like Sheldon Lubar and Scott Walker hate government but still want to run it.
GARVEYBLOG
May 7, 2008
On to the White House!
By Ed Garvey
So said Hillary Clinton after Barack's stunning 14-point victory in North Carolina while Indiana was still "too close to call." My night began with decisions--tune in Keith and his screaming colleague Chris Matthews; check C-SPAN; or turn to CNN and a guy named Wolf? Nervous time. The Clinton team had talked about a surprise "game changer" coming soon in N.C. and the first news on MSNBC--the irrepressible Terry McAuliff, seemed giddy about what was about to happen.
Face it, the forces of darkness were ready to shove Barack off-stage had she won Indiana in double digits, as predicted, and North Carolina by any margin. She didn't and the Ever-ready-bunny McAuliff was not seen again.
It was one hell of a victory for Barack Obama. He picked up 19 more delegates and two-hundred-thousand more popular votes. He is, as you know, getting close to the number needed. For the record, Indiana-- Clinton 51 Obama 49; N.C. Obama 56 Clinton 42.
Barack's speech was inspirational while Hillary seemed to be facing reality. She seemed to be saying "it is over" but the words continued to challenge Barack on the gas tax. "On to the White House" was her call, but the look on Bill's face said, "We will need a visitor's pass." And the nasty Lanny Davis, the Clinton's pit bull, lashed out at every former Clinton "traitor."
The only one looking more stunned than Bill Clinton was Chris Matthews. If it is over, who will tune in Hardball?
Nothing good can happen in the remaining primaries. All she can do is tear down Barack--can't catch him in delegates or popular vote total. It all ended last night. Ah, but the yellow caution light came on--"Count the votes" was the chant--you know, Michigan and Florida. Pahhhleeeze!
A new chapter is about to begin.
GARVEYBLOG
May 6, 2008
Big day
By Ed Garvey
The more I listen to the talkers the more confused I become. It fascinates me how TV anchors making hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars a year can seriously question if Barack is an elitist. What are they? Men of the people? I've reached the conclusion that it is more about one's university than one's mother and father or even life experiences. Given Barack's tremendous achievement of being elected the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review, the talkers suggest he must be smarter than they are so write him off as an elitist. (In Adlai Stevenson's day he would be an "egghead.") And spending years as a community organizer--elitist?
All I know is that I'm sick of George, Charlie, Wolf, Brian and Joe. But they do shape the debate and that is too bad. Today is the most important day for Barack since Iowa. Win North Carolina and it is game, set, and almost match.
The crowd in Indianapolis last night for Obama's finish was breath-taking. No other politician since Bobby Kennedy could draw a crowd that size. And the speech? Tremendous.
Back in Wisconsin, the JS reports that Gwen Moore is on the road for Barack. Given his 18 percent victory in Wisconsin, little wonder she joins Dave Obey, Governor Doyle and most Wisconsin delegates in supporting Barack. (One off-key note: Russ Feingold has not decided yet.)
Bill Berry writes a superb article today, "Rooting for Sustainability." And regular contributor John Smart hits an issue most of us missed in "Whale of a job, Brownie."
For my part, I'm getting excited about Bob Fest VII on September 6. Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature will get us moving to save our planet if it is not too late.
See you tomorrow after the anchors tell us how to read the results in North Carolina and Indiana.
ARTICLE
May 6, 2008
Rooting for sustainability
By Bill Berry
In Stevens Point, Ladysmith, and communities throughout Wisconsin, the grassroots are gathering in large numbers to talk about the future.
GARVEYBLOG
May 5, 2008
Ah, the end is near
By Ed Garvey
Yes, indeed, tomorrow we get Indiana and North Carolina. Barack won Guam by 5 votes over the weekend. Good thing he did not fly to Guam to win their 4 delegates. Instead, like Texas, Hillary and Barack split the four. (The likely Michigan and Florida solution.)
Best line of the weekend? Hillary sent a surrogate to argue her position on the gas tax. Barack pointed out the Clinton surrogate is a lobbyist for Shell Oil. "This is truly a shell game," Barack deadpanned.
Best question? George Stephanopoulos: "Senator Clinton, can you name one serious economist who favors your gas tax proposal?" Answer was Clinton-speak about "elites." Nice try, George. He then got second place, too, for asking if her campaign "would ever release the names of donors to her husband's foundation?" Her response? "No." Or was it NO?
Best new line: Barack, "Politics did not drive me to working people. Working people drove me to politics." Take that, Rocky!
Best student? Hillary, so says Robert Reich: "She has learned how to be ruthless."
Best understatement goes to "Rocky" Clinton: "I'm no shrinking violet."
Good news for all of us? All things come to an end. This primary is almost over. Get ready, John McCain.
GARVEYBLOG
May 4, 2008
Who will tell the people?
By Ed Garvey
The title of Bill Greider's great book was borrowed by Thomas Friedman in the Sunday Times. I always knew that eventually Friedman would write a column I agreed with, and sure enough, today is the day. Catch this, "Much nonsense has been written about how Hillary Clinton is 'toughening up Barack' so he'll be able to withstand Republican attacks.
"Sorry, we don't need a president who is tough enough to withstand the lies of his opponents. We need a president who is tough enough to tell the truth to the American people...we are living on borrowed time and borrowed dimes." Well said, Thomas Friedman.
Will Rev. John Hagee, McCain's guy, join Cheney in leading us to bomb-bomb Iran to divert attention from the failed surge? When will gas reach $5 at the pump? Is anybody thinking about breaking up the oil companies? Or taxing their outrageous profits? Have we lost Afghanistan as surely as we have lost Iraq? (Remember a few weeks ago when Gates flew to Munich to urge the Europeans to send more troops to Afghanistan? The NY Times reported then, "Mr. Gates said he would speak directly to the people of Europe, and not to their governments...Gates acknowledged that there was a risk in making a personal appeal to Europeans for support in stabilizing and rebuilding Afghanistan..." Guess what? It didn't work and this week we will send 7,000 more American troops to Afghanistan!)
Forget the silly gas-tax moratorium. Who will tell the people we are going broke? We can't afford one war let alone two.
Now the table has been set. If Barack wins N.C. it is all but certain he will be the nominee. Indiana? No way. (He won Guam by seven votes. One in N.C. is enough.)
ARTICLE
May 4, 2008
Whale of a job, Brownie
By John Smart
Add a disregard for the extinction of a marine mammal species to the Bush-Cheney list of atrocities.
GARVEYBLOG
May 3, 2008
They stole the fun
By Ed Garvey
"They" would be the Clintons and their bully-surrogates. The "fun they stole" is the enjoyment and excitement of the campaign this year. Not just the excitement of the Obama campaign, but the pleasure we felt when Kucinich, Biden, Dodd and Richardson were on stage. (While I was pulling for Edwards, he wasn't much fun.)
They were the "best and the brightest" and Democrats were proud of their candidates and looking forward to November. "Our turn" was the refrain. But a funny thing happened on the way to Denver. Bill Clinton, James Carville, and Howard Wolfson pushed the nasty button, turned to scorched earth tactics, and seemed to holler, "This is our party--if Hillary doesn't get the nomination, we will defeat Barack," and poof! The fun was gone. When Richardson endorsed Obama, Carville called him "Judas." Judas? Whoa Nelly! But the below-the-belt punch may have worked on Edwards who has remained on the sidelines--even in his own state.
Then there was the Hillary pause on 60 Minutes, the Bill Clinton comparison with Jesse Jackson's 1988 South Carolina victory, Bill claiming the Obama camp (incredibly) played the race card on him) the Rev Wright's 10 days on stage and Hillary's confession that she would have quit his church. Then she and McCain passed the commander-in-chief test...the 3:00 a.m. phone call.
The Clintons hint to super delegates that Barack cannot win. (Could any African American win?) It is clear that the Clinton tactics have worked. If she and Bill win in North Carolina--look out Barack, the bullies will roll you.
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