Paging Al Gore....

Hillary is finally facing reality and conceding the primary fight on Saturday. Hope Al Gore gives her a call to let her know just how one gracefully exits a political fight. While certainly frustrating, Hillary's problem is nowhere near as heart-rending as what Al faced back in 2000.

Turns out some of her staff turned her in to her Senate colleagues (according to MSNBC), asking them to finally get her to let go of the fight. Apparently, her colleagues organized the proverbial "come to Jesus" meeting. Can't imagine it was easy and that she and Bill folded up their tent without putting up a fight. But they need to do it. And we need to move on.

HRC for VP? Nah, sure hope not. Obama's successful presidency depends on a fellow change agent being on the ticket with him. Being saddled with the Clintons is NOT the way to go. Dispensing with Hillary and Bill will be a good test of Obama's diplomatic skills. So far, so good.

*Photo by Erik Sumption / Sipa Press

Foreign Policy Credentials?

Senator Clinton has tried to make her so-called "experience" as First Lady stand up as making her the better candidate for the presidency. Well, journalists are starting to investigate this jut a bit and the answer is not good:

"In Clinton's case, she may well have exercised influence on foreign policy that is hard to document because she had a unique opportunity to offer private counsel to her husband, President Bill Clinton.

But while Hillary Clinton represented the U.S. on the world stage at important moments while she was first lady, there is scant evidence that she played a pivotal role in major foreign policy decisions or in managing global crises."

I'm not suggesting she has NO experience. Certainly simply observing all the important events of the Clinton administration close up has to be an advantage. But anyone with a decent brain could have soaked up the same experiences.

Also, what is the deal with Senator Clinton saying that only she and Grandpa McW have crossed the "threshold" to be commander-in-chief? Since when do Democrats do that to each other? This infuriated me so much the other night that I picked up the phone and called her Arlington, Virginia, headquarters to give them a piece of my mind. I suppose it was a good thing that I ended up in voice mail hell and eventually was hung up on.

Looks like Joe Lieberman has a competitor for Democrat Most Likely to Implode.

::fingers crossed::

No, They Wouldn't Do That, Would They??

Would the HRC campaign REALLY do this? I'd like to think they wouldn't stoop so low, but it appears to be a distinct possibility. Man, this campaign is getting way too intense, and it only gives Grandpa McW the edge. Check it out for yourself. The top picture is from the recent debate, the bottom picture is how HRC's team featured Senator Obama in a campaign ad (click on the pix below to see it in full size). You be the judge.

A Debate?

Are there any differences between Senator Obama and Senator Clinton? Nah, very little when it comes to policy. They both want universal health care, tax breaks for the middle class, a sensible immigration policy, a more diplomatic foreign policy, ending the war in short order, etc. etc.

So when they debate, the two candidates spend an ridiculous amount of time saying: "I agree with Senator Clinton," and "I agree with Senator Obama." So what's the difference between them...because it sure ain't policy.

It's called style.

It's called change.

It's called not-Clinton.

Sorry, Hillary, but so long as the conversation stays in the "I agree with Senator Obama" space, you're going to lose the nomination. It's not that I want them to disagree, it's just that there's nothing she can do at this point to change the game.

And that makes me happy.

But, I really have to be sure that my support of Senator Obama does not denigrate Mrs. Clinton, who is a strong candidate, a thoughtful person, a brilliant Senator. If it wasn't for Senator Obama, there's a good chance I'd be rooting her on right about now. While I have strong feelings about President Clinton's role in the Senator's campaign and potential presidency, and I'm not a fan of dynastic politics, it is important that we not lose sight of her many contributions. And, I feel strongly that we NOT tear her down, while supporting Senator Obama.

Personally, I look forward to many long years of rooting Senator Clinton on - in the Senate.*




*I remember having a T-shirt back in college that said "A Woman's Place is in the House...and the Senate." In those days, having the possibility of a woman running for president and being taken seriously, was a mere pipedream. Or maybe it was the pipe I was smoking??

Will Texas Do It?

Well, this is interesting! Obama has pretty much caught up to Billary in this recent CNN poll from Texas! It's now Clinton 50, Obama 48. This could be the one that helps put HRC out of her misery. If so, I will have to figure out a suitable gift of gratitude when we go to Austin in April!

And just to prove I can keep an eye on both sides, I understand Grandpa McCain decided he would take the "no new taxes" pledge on the day that his colleague, Bush 41, endorses him. That worked out really well for him, no? What a great harbinger of things to come. Pretty funny timing, if you ask me.

PS: JD, you're also responsible for making sure Vermont votes properly, too!

Uncle Teddy Gets It Right

Although some may think Ted Kennedy is a joke or as irrelevant as yesterday's newspaper, I'm fairly certain his endorsement of Barack Obama today says volumes. Along with his niece's endorsement yesterday, Teddy's seal of approval amounts to a "passing of the torch" to a new generation of leaders. This is clearly a hard-won endorsement and is coming for Obama at just the right time.

Can you imagine the phone calls between the Clintons and Kennedys over this endoresement? Billary has to be downright pissed right about now. Somehow you get the sense that they thought all Hillary had to do was declare her intent to run and everyone would just get out of the way. And it probably came as an enormous surprise that Teddy would actually not stay neutral in this fight.

According to "The Politico":

“This is the biggest Democratic endorsement Obama could possibly get short of Bill Clinton,” said a high-level Democrat.

The Clinton campaign launched a last-ditch effort over the last few days to stop Kennedy's move, orchestrating a flood of phone calls to Kennedy from sources ranging from union chiefs to his Massachusetts constituents.

The former president also called Kennedy in a vain attempt to keep him out of the race, a source familiar with the conversation said.

Since Bill has recently decided he wants to play hardball against Obama, how could he possibly expect that the other side wouldn't?

I certainly hope this brings more of my fellow Massachusetts voters to Obama a week from Tuesday when we have our primary. The polls I've read have shown Hillary with a substantial lead here (although I've yet to meet anyone who is voting for her). Perhaps this will turn the tide.

Thanks (again), Teddy!

Memo to Bill: S.T.F.U.

OK, I'll say it as plainly as possible.

Bill Clinton needs to shut the fuck up.

Watching the state of the political discussion (if you'd like to call it that) this week, I've been incredibly disturbed by the former President's role in his wife's campaign and his need to be the center of attention. As I've said ad nauseum, I'm not interested in voting for Hillary, primarily because I think it's time to MOVE ON to new people with new ideas.

When he left the presidency, we all wondered how Bill was going to keep himself occupied. I hadn't thought of it before, but I am now wondering exactly WHY he befriended the Bush family and was frequently inserting himself into disaster relief efforts: the Asian tsunami; Hurricane Katrina, for example. Somehow he managed to get himself into the limelight, despite what we presume (hope?) were opposing views on the politics.

At the same time, he obviously was interested in Mrs. Clinton pursuing a political career - not only because she was good at it, but likely because it allowed him to continue to be a player. Now that she's running for president, Bill can't help but draw all the attention to himself.

I voted for Bill Clinton twice, and happily did so. I defended him during the impeachment days, and even found myself defending him in recent years - especially in conversations about the inevitable discussions of his and Hillary's marriage.

But, here's the point. Bill Clinton is addicted to attention. Unfortunately, Hillary is too ambitious to suggest they go home and live happily ever after. I think it says something about the two of them that they can't be content with for her just being a damn good senator from New York. Personally, I think it will not be good for the country to wallow in the Clintons' drama (and you KNOW there will be plenty of it) for the next 4 (or 8) years.

If Hillary wins the nomination, I'll vote for her in November, but I won't like it.

In the meantime, I hope Senator Obama figures out how to beat back both of the Clintons and snatch the nomination from their death grip.

The Issue of Gender

Man, this week's presidential race took some surprising twists and turns. New Hampshire, which seemed to be leaning toward Barak Obama, went for Hillary Clinton. All the pundits seem to be saying that the reason she won is because of her now-famous "tearing up" the other day.

If you haven't seen it, you can certainly find the clip on YouTube or any news outlet. I'm not going to run it here. But, here's what I saw. I saw an exhausted, frustrated woman who got emotional and momentarily dropped her professional wall in public. I recognized so much of myself in this moment. There have been many times in the workplace where I have teared up when I least expected it, and gotten emotional when it was MOST inconvenient. It's happened more times than I care to admit.

Considering all the times Hillary has had cameras in her face, I'm actually surprised it took her this long for a small crack in her facade to appear. For 15 years, she has had every iota of her personal life questioned and inspected. In my view, Hillary is MORE than entitled to a moment like this.

Most interestingly, I cannot recall a political question (small though this may be) on which my husband and I disagreed. Bob saw Hillary get emotional and stopped taking her seriously as a candidate. While I don't want to characterize his take on this totally, I think he was a little surprised that I - basically an Obama supporter - could even relate to Hillary in that moment. The thing is, women have those kinds of moments ALL THE TIME. It's who we are - we get emotional, we share our feelings, we vent and we move on. In no way do I think this disqualifies a woman for the presidency because any woman who didn't have these types of emotions would be abnormal.

Just consider, if you will, a moment where one of the male candidates gets emotional. It could be Mitt Romney discussing his religion, or John Edwards talking about his late teenaged son, or Barak Obama discussing what it means to be a black man running for the White House. Picture them tearing up while talking to the press. What would that tell you about them? Try to apply the same thought process to the woman candidate. And, also, try to imagine your wife, your daughter, your niece getting the shit figuratively beat out of her every day at work. She's entitled to get verklempt once in a while, right?

So, guys, I hope you'll get used to it because one day - whether you are ready or not - a woman is going to be in the Oval Office. And the world will be better for it.

PS: I'm still voting for Barak. ;)

Quick and Easy Question for You

My few readers (if you're still out there) are likely not as interested in presidential politics as I am. (Although I do have to admit that this year its gotten way too early - even for me.)

Anyway, I have just one question for you: are any of you looking forward to voting for Hillary Clinton? If anyone answers this question, I'll post my theory. Well, hell, I'll probably post my thoughts anyway.

I'm genuinely interested in hearing from anyone who plans to vote for the Senator from New York.

Short Takes

Interesting times, indeed...here's a catch-up on the news of the day:

• I don't care how naive this may sound to the more jaded among us, but I, for one, will be thrilled to hear the Sargent-at-Arms tonight when the Chimp makes his entrance for the State of the Union: "Madame Speaker!................." I am old enough to remember when such a greeting was unthinkable. Now I can't wait until the person being introduced to the House of Representatives is a woman, or a person of color. I just hope Nancy can keep from putting devil ears over the chimp's head while he's speaking.
• On the same note, I'm fairly certain I won't be supporting Hillary's bid for the presidency. I agree with those who say that a Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton series of presidencies is just not good for America. The same goes for Jeb if he were to decide to run. It's unfortunate, but if her name was anything but Clinton, I'd probably be voting for her and thrilled to have a viable female candidate run. Right now, it's Edwards and Obama for me.
• Second best event tonight will be hearing Jim Webb's response to the State of the Union. This new senator from Virginia is royally pissed. Can't wait ::rubbing hands in glee::
• My infatuation with Patrick Fitzgerald continues, and it appears that we may have Fitzmas after all. Did you see today's unraveling at the Libby trial? Apparently Grumpy McVP was more involved in the outing of the CIA agent after all. Bwahahahahaha. I would pay a LOT of money to watch him being grilled on the witness stand. Finally, there is someone who will force him to answer at risk of perjury. Just when I thought all was lost in this country. This is all occuring at the nick of time.
• Yesterday's news, you ask? The Chimp's poll numbers have dropped BELOW those of Richard Nixon during Watergate. Damn. (Strangest coincidence....just as I typed this, I heard on the teevee that E. Howard Hunt of Watergate fame died today.)
• I attended a business breakfast today in Boston, with a keynote address by our new governor Deval Patrick. I have to say that he's rather impressive - he probably has been in contact with nearly every citizen of our commonwealth in the three weeks or so since he's taken office. Can't say the same for our former goofball governor, Mitt Romney (aka The Hair)
• A non-political note? It's only about 3 weeks till spring training. Wahooooooooooooo!