Well, Well, Well ... We Found Those Republican Hats!

I knew they were out there, somewhere.

The other night, in your post "There Is No Greater Cause", we brought up the issue, raised by Laura Bush and Cindy McCain, of these nefarious "Republican Hats" they were talking about;

But this thing about hats ... WTF is up with that?

We have to have a "hat controversy" now.

Who knew, in the first place, that there were "Republican Hats"?

What do they look like? ... Where do you get them from?

Do Republicans wear these hats all the time, so, as indicated in the speech, to do something else, they have to take off the Republican Hat and put on whatever hat it is to get the job done, in this case, an "American Hat"

And where are they hiding these "American Hats"?

Is this a new "Lapel Flag" thing they're trying to cook up?

Will we soon see the Right Wing Freak Show start hammering Obama and Biden for the hats they wear?

Or don't wear.

I suppose, if either Obama or Biden went hatless yesterday or today, we'll see something from Michelle Malkin, that Biden must want the people of New Orleans to drown, because he wasn't wearing his "American Hat" (or "Democratic Hat", if there is such a thing).

Jonah "Prom Dress Boy Goldberg will have a 15-million word essay on how, Barack Obama going around hatless, means he's a fascist.

Or friend, Nick Zaino, over on The Optimistic Curmudgeon, found'em!

This is one of the most disturbing, Orwellian images I've seen in quite some time, coming from a story in today's New York Times. The image of the president, looming in a dark cave with hats that appear to be headless looking up at him. Are these the "American Hats" we're all supposed to be wearing now because the Republicans have decided to finally react to a potential crisis?

If ya got'em, wear'em ...

"You're Not Big Enough To Do This To Rocco ... I Kill You ..."

Make the big wave ... Send it crashing down on us ... Destroy us all, if need be ... But punish him ... Make a big wave ... Send it against us ... Take us all ... But destroy him ...

James Temple, from the film 'Key Largo'

Ah yes, the classic John Huston film, with the all-star cast of Bogart, Bacall, Edward G. Robinson, Claire Trevor (who won an Oscar), and Lionel Barrymore.

People huddled in a hotel, down in the Florida Keys, held hostage by gangsters on the lam, the great Johnny Rocco, while a fierce hurricane bears down on them

Irony and Karma are setting up on a collision course this weekend.

Hurricane alert puts New Orleans on evacuation footing

Forecasters say Gustav will have become a powerful hurricane by the time it reaches the Gulf of Mexico and will probably hit the US coast on Monday, somewhere between Florida and Texas. Its most likely path will take it over New Orleans.

What makes this so special, along with it coming on the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, it also could hit on the opening day of the Republican National Convention.

Irony and Karma ...

For the attendees of the convention, with the likes of The Commander Guy, Vice President Darth Vader, and, of course, Stumblin' Bumblin' John McCain on stage, they, too, may feel like hostages in that hurricane-beaten hotel.

There are new reports that The Commander Guy is bailing out of the convention, due to the storm (which will, no doubt, be spun by the Bush Grindhouse, on him showing leadership, and compassion; Actually, it's, kind of, like a reverse photo-op).

Well, that opens up a new excuse, as the RNC is having a little difficulty getting the elected members of their own party to attend the festivities (we assume, there'll be an Barack Obama pinata hanging for the GOP kids to be whacking).

We certainly hope the storm veers away from populated land, and that human life is spared (and, most definitely, that the people of New Orleans don't get their first serious test on how well our government has secured their city against Mother Nature).

Irony and Karma ...

Oh, and let's not forget, the McCain's-Minister-for-a-Minute, James Hagee encouraged his followers to pray for rain, during the Democratic Convention, specifically, Obama's big, outdoor speech.

The only thing that could make this more perfect, is if the World Court announces on Monday, they intend to bring the Bush Regime in on War Crimes charges.

Or, the RNC delegates, after listening to Stumblin' Bumblin' Johnny, for a few minutes, decide by unanimous acclamation, they're not going to nominate anyone.


Bonus Links

Cernig - Crooks and Liars: Gustav On GOP’s Horizon?

Think Progress: Hagee Ministries: ‘No Comment’ on Tropical Storm Gustav

Salon: Bush might not make same mistake twice

Think Progress: Fox: Bush might not speak at RNC on Monday because of Gustav

The Bob Dole For The New Millennium

New JibJab - Time for Some Campaignin'

The cool cats over on JibJab have surfaced again, for the 2008 Campaign, with their new Time for Some Campaignin';

In our first election satire since 2004's "This Land" and "Good to be in DC", we bid farewell to Bush and give Obama and Mccain a proper JibJab hazing! And, of course, who could forget about Hillary and Bill? This rip-roaring musical romp gives the election process the proper spanking it deserves!

Time for Some Campaignin'






You can go HERE for more JibJab videos, or visit the JibJab website

Unity? ... Show Me The Money!

Taking the day off (too much going on in the homefront, including having to attend a wedding later today), however, the largely heralded "Unity" dog-and-pony show yesterday bears a riff.

Yes, they got the photos they wanted, the soundbites they wanted heard, and all was "We Are Family".

Hillary Rocks!!

Yet, behind the scenes, Hillary is still playing TMFOITW.

Reports are she is "negotiating" to make the convention all about HER, husband Bill is said to be in a snit, feeling dissed (self-inflicted IMHO), and there's the Grand Central Station Locker Creatures, the Hillarylanders ("Hillary is back! The keeper of the light! All hail Hillary! All hail Hillary! Oh Hillary can you see by the dawn's early light..."), clamoring that Barack Obama should pay off Hillary's campaign debt.

Unity, right?

Seems like this is the song they should have been playing yesterday;

Dusty Springfield - You Don't Have To Say You Love Me

Stay Tuned ...

Guess Who's Coming To The General Election?

Well, it seems that cinematic, movie themes were in vogue, and applied to the wrap-up of the Democratic Primary race this week,

As you know, we here at The Garlic choose the riveting 'White Heat' to frame the narrative for "Made It Ma, Top of the Campaign! ..."

And in a cool piece of writing, Erza Klein, over on The American Prospect, choose something else;

Towards the end of the 1967 movie "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," Dr. John Wane Prentice, played by Sydney Poitier, sits down with his fiance's white father, played by Spencer Tracy. "Have you given any thought to the problems your children will have?" Tracy asks. "Yes, and they'll have some...[But] Joey feels that all of our children will be President of the United States," replies Poitier. "How do you feel about that?" asks Tracy, looking skeptically at the black man in front of him. "I'd settle for Secretary of State," Poitier laughs.

Written in the late-1960s, the exchange was, indeed, laughable. The Civil Rights Act had been passed three years prior. Two years before, the Watts riots had broken out, killing 35. Martin Luther King Jr. would be assassinated a year later. But here we are, almost exactly 40 years after theatergoers heard that exchange. The last two Secretaries of State were African-American and, as of tonight, the next president may well be a black man. John Prentice's children would probably still be in their late-30s. They could still grow up to be cabinet officials or even presidents, but they would not necessarily be trailblazers.

Rather interesting observation, no?

Now, if we can just keep the script for "Carrie" out of TMFOITW's hands, we may actually get someplace.


Bonus Wrap-Up Links

Chris Cillizza: What Went Wrong for Clinton?

Chris Cillizza: What Went Right for Obama

Al Giordano: No More Drama

Oh Yeah, She Will "Do What It Takes", Alright ...

Last evening, and this morning, the cable new pundits are all drooling over themselves, pontificating and speculating on how Hillary Clinton will "graceful" exit the presidential race, once Obama goes over the magic number of won delegates.

All complete with the talk of unity, the good and bad of her campaign, how she is, despite losing, a role model for future woman candidates (most definitely true), all rosy prognostications of a Capraesque-framed shot of "out with the old, in with new" kind of thing.

Well, I'm not holding my breath that it all ends, tonight, or tomorrow.

From CNN;

Sen. Hillary Clinton is poised to deliver a message Tuesday "that she will do whatever it takes" to put a Democrat in the White House — a message that Barack Obama insiders say indicates she would accept an offer to be Obama's running mate if asked.

"In her speech tomorrow night, she will convey the message that first and foremost she is committed to Democrats winning in November and will do whatever she's asked to do," a close friend and adviser of the former first lady, who speaks with her regularly and is privy to her deliberations, told CNN Monday.

You can throw out that BS about Obama asking her to be VP ... It ain't happenin'

But, notice she's using the generic "Democrat", not using the name "Barack Obama"?

Oh yeah, she'll do what it takes, alright ...

The words "I am suspending my campaign" may squeeze through her teeth, with all the same ease of how she has explained her vote for the Iraq War.

I will expect whatever type of speech Hillary gives tonight, it will be parsed, calculated, triangulated, giving a tepid nod to Barack Obama, but then saddling up and riding the rhetorical horse she's been on over the past few months ...

I won the popular vote

More people have voted for me than any other primary election in history

I won the big states

I won the swing states

I won the states the Democrats are going to need to win in November

We need to count all the votes, not disenfranchise voters.

I'm fighting for the voters in Florida and Michigan

I am the better candidate

I am the better candidate to beat the Republicans in November

Superdelegates can change their mind

Anything (even assassination) can happen, between now and the convention

I'm a fighter, not a quitter

There will be no shrine-building to Barack Obama in her speech, in her position.

She's not closing the door, no way Jose!

It's too close for her to shut down. She wants it too much, and she is not the least bit concerned about what a continued battle will do to the Democratic Party, likely arguing that it is a healthy sign of Democracy, that people are engaged and, did you know, over 17-million people have voted for her, that she was won the popular vote ...

I don't know what the pundits are seeing, but I haven't (and I have cleaned my glasses, over-and-over) seen anything that indicates Hillary is about to put herself on the shelf.

As we said yesterday, we had all the delusional Clintonistas, in their best Grand Central Station Locker Creatures (from the Movie "Men In Black), making the cable news rounds with all their unbridled enthusiasm, ("Hillary is back! The keeper of the light! All hail Hillary! All hail Hillary! Oh Hillary can you see by the dawn's early light..."), still trying to sell the "Hillary's winning the popular vote! ... It's the popular vote that should count! ..."

After all, Hillary Clinton is "The Most Fabulous Object In The World".

It will not be a concession speech tonight, especially if the split the vote, Obama winning Montana, and Hillary taking South Dakota.

I hope I am wrong, dead wrong, and will have no problem eating crow tomorrow.

But if I have to flip a coin on how the next 24-48-hours plays out, Hillary is still muscling herself into the picture, and setting her sights on creating a photo album of her time in Denver later this summer.


More The Most Fabulous Object In The World Links

Marc Ambinder - The End: How It Happens

John Aravosis: Hillary is now rallying her major donors to help her stay in the race for a long, long time

Barry Crimmins: Metriculous

And One More For The Road ...

UPDATE

As I was readying to post this, the cable news bobbleheads were all in atwitter, first, babbling endlessly about how and when Hillary would bow out, and then, over an AP report indicating Hillary Clinton was, indeed, going to concede this evening.

They couldn't rush in enough talking heads to hash over this and, then, the inevitable denial came from the Clinton Camp;

Wolfson denies AP report

UPDATE: Here's the campaign statement: "The AP story is incorrect. Senator Clinton will not concede the nomination this evening."

As Bette Davis said, "Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night!"

Better Than Any Last Second, Heroic Shot, Goal or Touchdown - Or Hillary Claim ... By A Mile!

Boy, I needed a "pick-me-up" today.

Aside from things on the homefront, we had all the delusional Clintonistas, in their best Grand Central Station Locker Creatures (from the Movie "Men In Black), making the cable news rounds with all their unbridled enthusiasm, ("Hillary is back! The keeper of the light! All hail Hillary! All hail Hillary! Oh Hillary can you see by the dawn's early light..."), still trying to sell the "Hillary's winning the popular vote! ... It's the popular vote that should count! ..."

And, The Most Fabulous Object In The World, herself, conducted the delusion, fanning it more, giving it wings;

Hillary's latest lie: I've won more states than Obama... if you don't count 38 of the 50 states

“I’ve been closing very strongly since Feb. 20,” she said, referring to the day after Mr. Obama won Hawaii and Wisconsin. “I have won more votes and won more states than Senator Obama. All the independent analyses break in my direction. A lot of the key states that we have to win, I win those states.”

Which Kos sets straight, noting the facts - "Obama has won 32 states (including the Texas caucuses) plus DC. Clinton has won 19 (including the Texas primary). Now of course, Clinton is using a little sleigh of hand to disenfranchise the states that voted before February 20. That's 37 states."

Help Me Mr. Wizard!

Well, Mister Wizard came through, for which we H/T Barry Crimmins for delivering this nothing-but-major-cool-feel-good-story (and I'm kickin' myself I missed this, as it occurred just over a month ago);

'Unbelievable' sportsmanship in softball game; CWU players carry WOU player around bases after knee injury following HR

PORTLAND, Ore. - With two runners on base and a strike against her, Sara Tucholsky of Western Oregon University uncorked her best swing and did something she had never done, in high school or college. Her first home run cleared the center-field fence.

But it appeared to be the shortest of dreams come true when she missed first base, started back to tag it and collapsed with a knee injury.

She crawled back to first but could do no more. The first-base coach said she would be called out if her teammates tried to help her. Or, the umpire said, a pinch runner could be called in, and the homer would count as a single.

Then, members of the Central Washington University softball team stunned spectators by carrying Tucholsky around the bases Saturday so the three-run homer would count — an act that contributed to their own elimination from the playoffs.

You can read Barry's post - Title IX... Title IX... Title IX - to connect the dots.

And while you do, listen to the legendary Bob Dorough, and his classic rendition of "Better Than Anything", to add another layer to the buzz.

The Most Fabulous Object In The World

Not too many have noticed, as it has been going on for some time.

And, no doubt, following yesterday's Rule and Bylaw Committee resolution to the Florida-Michigan kurfluffle, we'll continue to get more, likely amped up louder, more forceful, more desperate.

What are we talking about?

Only that Hillary Clinton is "The Most Fabulous Object In The World".

Hillary, and her band of Clintonista's, have embraced the Terry Gilliam film, "Time Bandits", claiming they have the map (and only they have it) that shows Hillary to be "The Most Fabulous Object In The World"

Here was Hillary, just a few days ago, writing to the Superdelegates;

Recent polls and election results show a clear trend: I am ahead in states that have been critical to victory in the past two elections. From Ohio, to Pennsylvania, to West Virginia and beyond, the results of recent primaries in battleground states show that I have strong support from the regions and demographics Democrats need to take back the White House. I am also currently ahead of Senator McCain in Gallup national tracking polls, while Senator Obama is behind him. And nearly all independent analyses show that I am in a stronger position to win the Electoral College, primarily because I lead Senator McCain in Florida and Ohio. I’ve enclosed a detailed analysis of recent electoral and polling information, and I hope you will take some time to review it carefully.

In addition, when the primaries are finished, I expect to lead in the popular vote and in delegates earned through primaries. Ultimately, the point of our primary process is to pick our strongest nominee – the one who would be the best President and Commander in Chief, who has the greatest support from members of our party, and who is most likely to win in November. So I hope you will consider not just the strength of the coalition backing me, but also that more people will have cast their votes for me.

Want more?

Here was Lanny Davis (still crying), writing in the Wall Street Journal, just yesterday (and, never mind about the irony of appealing for support via the Ruppert Murdoch-owned media);

First, Sen. Clinton is more experienced and qualified to be president than is Sen. Obama. This is not to say Sen. Obama cannot be a good, even great, president. I believe he can. But Sen. Clinton spent eight years in the White House. She was not a traditional first lady. She was involved in policy and debate on virtually every major domestic and foreign policy decision of the Clinton presidency, both "in" and "outside" the room with her husband. She has been a U.S. senator for eight years and has a record of legislative accomplishments, including as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee ...

Third and finally, there is recent hard data showing that, at least at the present time, Sen. Clinton is a significantly stronger candidate against Sen. McCain among the general electorate (as distinguished from the more liberal Democratic primary and caucus electorate).

Davis even, after the committee meeting last evening, roamed the hotel's hallways, ranting to anyone that would listen to him how Hillary Clinton is "The Most Fabulous Object In The World".

(And we can't ignore Davis's uncontrollable sobbing earlier last week)

And, in the Prophetic Department...

More?

We have Hillary tossing around assassination manhole covers (and her cronies playing out that she's the victim), and her husband, intimating the biggest mystery since The 39 Steps, that there's a conspiracy to deny Hillary the nomination.

"I can't believe it. It is just frantic the way they are trying to push and pressure and bully all these superdelegates to come out," Clinton said at a South Dakota campaign stop Sunday, in remarks first reported by ABC News.

Clinton also suggested that some were trying to "cover up" Hillary Clinton's chances of winning in key states that Democrats will have to win in the general election.

" 'Oh, this is so terrible: The people they want her. Oh, this is so terrible: She is winning the general election, and he is not. Oh, my goodness, we have to cover this up.' "

Clinton did not expound on who he was accusing.

"The Most Fabulous Object In The World".

Ahh, but we know, from Time Bandits, that "The Most Fabulous Object In The World" was just a ruse, to lure one into the Fortress of Ultimate Darkness, where Evil resided.

Does Hillary, and her band of Clintonistas follow the map all the way?

Does this all end up in the Fortress of Ultimate Darkness?

Well, "the drinking-from--the-Lanny-Davis-cup" Harold Ickes intimated that in the RBC meeting, bitterly (another irony) chastising his fellow board members for tossing Hillary overboard, saying he was "empowered by Mrs. Clinton" to reserve their right to continue claiming Hillary is "The Most Fabulous Object In The World" to the Credentials Committee.

Here's the video of it.



Based on what went down yesterday, with the RBC clearly indicating they don't want to go near the Ultimate Fortress of Darkness, it's likely, the Credential Committee will give Ickes an Ickes-like thrashing right back;

Did Hillary campaign with the sceptre of entitlement, underestimating Obama, and all other candidates?

You bet your ass she did ...

Did Hillary lose this primary fight?

You bet your ass she did ...

Is Hillary attempting to hijack the nomination now?

You bet your ass she is ...

The Clintons are quickly becoming Willie Mays, with the Mets, or Joe Louis, opening doors in Las Vegas.

Relics of the past, of better days, a sad memory jolt, of when once, they were on top.

The Dems, to stay in the Time Bandits motif, are going with the Supreme Being, the antidote, the protector, the one standing up against the Ultimate Fortress of Darkness.

Hillary, complete with her band of Clintonistas, marched into the Primary Campaign, boosting of entitlement and inevitability, of just showing up, of Hillary being "The Most Fabulous Object In The World", setting their campaign strategy up to Super Tuesday, when, the following day, the coronation would take place.

Hillary campaigned to win an election

Obama, meanwhile, dug down, from the roots, setting himself up across the land, building support from the ground, up.

Obama campaigned to win the Primary, to win delegates.

And there lies the difference.

From the U.K. Telegraph;

Dee Dee Myers, the former press secretary to President Clinton, said: “It seems clear to me from watching her, and talking to people, that she doesn’t really know what she wants.” But after 17 months of campaigning, and $150 million (£76 million) spent, the question that haunts the Clinton camp is: how did someone who a year ago had unrivalled name recognition, a legendary campaign organisation and more money than her opponent contrive to throw it all away?

The answers come down to wrong message, wrong tactics, complacency, character – and, ultimately, the opponent. Even Clinton aides agree that she wrongly sold herself as a candidate of experience, when voters yearned for Barack Obama’s message of change. Her campaign machine then failed to win January’s crucial opening Iowa caucuses, handing lethal momentum to Mr Obama.

Her staff mistakenly believed they could knock her rival out by “Super Tuesday” on February 5, when 22 states voted. When that did not happen, she had neither the resources nor the organisation to compete in the succession of caucuses that followed, allowing Mr Obama to build the delegate lead he maintains to this day.

Closing out with 'Time Bandits', if Hillary is "The Most Fabulous Object In The World", then John McCain is the smoldering, dead piece of Evil, sitting in the toaster oven.

Best advise we can offer at this point is, stay away from the toaster oven, the Evil, Obama, it will implode, soon enough, all on its' own.


Bonus Links

Today's Must Read: Al Giordano's "Damn you, Barack Obama" ... It Lays Out What We Are Seeing Now

Three "Must Reads" From Al Giordano

CSI Hillary RFK Gaffe

Wolcott: Nixon in a pantsuit

What About On Day Two?

Brother, Can You Spare A Photo?

An admirable endeavor, in a life already overflowing with admirable endeavors, by Barry Crimmins is getting off to a slow start.

Crimmins photo project: Picture this

It's time for the digital revolution to live up to its name. If you have a digital camera (or a traditional camera and the means to convert your photos into digital files) please get out and start snapping shots of the America we rarely see depicted elsewhere. The closed factories, the abandoned business districts, the substandard housing and environmentally insulted land, air and water. How about some pix of abandoned malls. Perhaps you have some old photos that could show before and after in your town. Maybe you could take pictures of an empty Main Street and then contrast them with the new superstore conveniently located where the city limits meet the edge of oblivion. How about pictures of the growing lines at soup kitchens, food banks, homeless shelters and health clinics? Well you get the idea. And there's nothing new about it. Some of the most amazing pictures I've ever seen, documented the Depression and were done via WPA/Art grants and government agencies such as the Farm Services Administration

It's a timely calling, to document just what condition America is in, as we rocket down the pathway to a new day (hopefully), with the Presidential elections coming this fall.

Barry has been posting, for months, photos of deteriorating homes and empty, desolate Main Street USA's in his area of Upstate New York and Pennsylvania.

For a second, a split-second, you may believe you are looking at 1930's, Depression-era photos.

But, alas, they are current ... Now ... Today in America!

And Barry would like to do something about it.

I want to steal the WPA/Art idea except it can't be stolen because it was a gift. A gift of the acknowledgment of the humanity of impoverished people. A gift not for the poor but from the poor for all of us. A gift that gave us a chance to see what we ourselves were made of. We are again at a point when we need to see just how bad we've allowed things to become. We are at a point when the tangible damage of misguided priorities is everywhere, if only we would open our eyes and see it. We need to see all that's been lost because we haven't watching out for one another. We need only look at Depression era photos to see how much worse things can get if we continue to wear blinders.

Look around, whether you live in the big city, or a small, nowheresville berg, and snap a few shots ...

Whether you have a cellphone camera, digital camera, or an old, classic Brownie, take a moment in your travels, on the way to work (if you have a job), while your out shopping, jogging, taking an evening stroll, and snap a few shots and send them to Barry.

Barry will be humbly grateful.

Visit, and send your photos to, Barry Crimmins here.


Bonus Links

Barry Crimmins on The Garlic

Barry Crimmins Is Giving Away The Store!

Barry Crimmins: Of Exits and Eulipions

Three "Must Reads" From Al Giordano

This, actually, is a rewrite of something I put together yesterday morning.

The rewrite necessary after Hillary's magnificent, tremendous, gigantic gaffe.

When I awoke on Friday AM, the blogosphere was tsunami-flooded with stories and posts about "Hillary as VP" and "Camps Talking" (you can look Here, Here and Here for a sampling).

I read a bevy of these, the regular big-and-small blogs, the MSM articles and not a one referenced the scoop that Al Giordano had published - on Thursday;

“The Nightmare Ticket Is Dead”

The Field can now confirm, based on multiple sources, something that both campaigns publicly deny: that Senator Clinton has directly told Senator Obama that she wants to be his vice presidential nominee, and that Senator Obama politely but straightforwardly and irrevocably said “no.” Obama is going to pick his own running mate based on his own criteria and vetting process.

So now, when the Clinton surrogates continue to advocate that Obama choose Senator Clinton as veep, everybody will know: It’s Bill, and not Hill, stoking the fire. When New York political insider Mark Green’s Air America sent an email blast this morning to its entire mailing list featuring the milquetoast, boring and Arbitron-ratings neglected Thom Hartmann’s plea - “Obama: Ask Hillary First” (and this Air America subscriber summarily unsubscribed from that list this morning upon receiving that piece of corporate-paid advertising), everybody knows: the ventriloquist behind these Muppets is Bill Clinton.

A lot of people took a lot of sips from the Clinton Kool-Aid, pushing and hawking this "dream ticket"

Not Al, as you can see.

Now, it is my speculation, that, even before the Hillary foot-in-mouth RFK gaffe, it was the absolute longest of possibilities that Barack Obama would select Hillary as his running mate.

Really, we're talking here the "If Barack and Hillary were the only two people left on earth, he would still pause and think very hard and long on it" kind of chances.

I have to imagine, if Hillary's name was on some kind of list in the Obama camp, long or short, there's a line running through it this morning, and, after the next print-out of it, the name "Hillary" will not even appear on it.

And the news gets grimmer for Camp Clinton.

“The Cardoza 40″: Exodus of Clinton Delegates Begins"

The Field has learned that Cardoza is the first of a group of at least 40 Clinton delegates, many of them from California, that through talking among themselves came to a joint decision that all of them would vote for Obama at the convention. They have informed Senator Clinton that it’s time to unite around Obama, and that they will be coming out, one or two at a time, and announcing their switch between now and the convention if Senator Clinton doesn’t do the same.

Ouch!

There's a breach in the dike and, on top of not winning new delegates, she's losing the one's she already had!

Finally, for a breakdown of the Superdelegates, check out Al's "Undeclared Superdelegates: The Gang of 165 (+ 32 in Limbo)"

All of the Cardoza 40 should, now, just come over to Obama, en masse.

There's no need for subtlety, no need to position it.

It's over.

"Back, and to the Left ... Back, and to the Left ..."

One flew east, one flew west
And one flew over the cuckoo's nest.

Well we wrote it, a while back ...

Hillary Clinton is smelling burning rubber!

We had a running inside joke, a former girlfriend and I, that whenever someone said something impossibly outlandish, way off the charts, something totally crazy, we would ask them if they could smell burning rubber, the acrid odor being the tell-tale signal of their complete dementia.

Christ, from her antics the past few days, she's got a mountain of Goodyears' wafting up her nostrils.

Just on Wednesday, she did a Randle Patrick McMurphy (okay, granted, she is far more in the mold of Nurse Ratched), citing nearly every conflict known to man, short of the Hatfields-and-McCoys, to beat her Michigan and Florida drum.

And she follows that up with this, today;

"My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. I don't understand it," she said, dismissing calls to drop out.

Say What!?

She should stay in the race, that she is losing, and will lose, because, in June, as Donny "Snowflakes" Rumsfeld would say, "stuff happens"?

Like, who knows, some one might assassinate Barack Obama?

Needless to say, the WWW and Blogosphere is afire with this with this.

And, Keith Olbermann did a Special Comment on this, just a short time ago.

Oh, yeah, they pushed Hillary out in front of the cameras to offer an apology;

"I regret that if my referencing that moment of trauma for our entire nation and in particular the Kennedy family was in any way offensive. I certainly had no intention of that whatsoever," the former first lady said.

"I was discussing the Democratic primary history and in the course of that discussion mentioned the campaigns of both my husband and Senator (Robert) Kennedy waged in California in June in 1992 and 1968 and I was referencing those to make the point that we have had nomination primary contests that go into June. That's a historic fact," she said.

"The Kennedys have been much on my mind the last days because of Senator Kennedy," she added, referring to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's recent diagnosis of a brain tumor. "I regret that if my referencing that moment of trauma for our entire nation and in particular the Kennedy family was in any way offensive. I certainly had no intention of that whatsoever.

"My view is that we have to look to the past to our leaders who have inspired us, give us a lot to live up to, and I'm honored to hold Senator Kennedy's seat in the United States Senate from the state of New York and have the highest regard for the Kennedy family," she said.

Aside from the hardcore Clintonistas, the most generous would say, as I believe Hillary attempted to upchuck in her non-apology-apology, was that she was making a "time-reference", citing how past primary races extended into June (and, let's face it, a politician of Hillary's level, having been through two Presidential campaigns, knows that, in the past, that was largely attributable to California's primary was in early June, and that's where the pot-o-gold-load of delegates sat).

That may be ... I know, whenever someone asks me the time of day, and it's 12:30PM, I always add on to it "that was the time JFK was shot".

"Back, and to the Left ... Back, and to the Left ..."

Right? ... Just something you automatically go to?

For whatever reason she said it - a warning, or wishful thinking, or a just-the-facts statement for a historical campaign reference - it was a GIGANTIC GAFFE! ...

HUGE! ...

FAUX PAS DELUXE! ...

If this isn't a reason for the Superdelegates to declare earlier than expected, I don't know what more they need.

This wasn't mumbled, with sleep in her eyes, at 3AM.

Nor, did she shout it, franticly running across a tarmac, avoiding sniper fire.

This was stated by Hillary in an interview with the Argus Leader (Sioux Falls, SD), their editorial board, where judging by the video, it was during daylight hours, and no sound of gunfire from snipers in the background.

Here's the video of it;

Here's What Does RFK's Assassination Have to Do with It?

Superdelegates, do your job ... Now, please!

Do not subject us to two-more-weeks (maybe longer, if Hillary aims on burning down Denver), of this inane, out-of-control, power-hungry, win-at-all-costs, Clinton Campaign.

End the suspense now and let these last two-weeks be the mop-up of what's left, if anything, of the Clinton Legacy.

Do it before she, perhaps at here next campaign stop, remarks about that town's theatre, and reminds the voters, pointing out their great, old downtown theatre, and that's the reason she's still running ...

Because, we all remember, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in a theatre...


Bonus Burning Rubber Hillary Links

Wonkette: Our Greatest American Draws The Line

Oliver Willis: Hillary Clinton Says She’s Staying In Because Someone Could Assassinate Obama Like RFK

Barry Crimmins: Abraham, Martin and Clod

Ana Marie Cox: See, I Told You She Wasn't Interested in Veep (UPDATES)

Marc Ambinder: Get Ready, Get Set.... Parse!

John Cole: Like Three Little Fonzies

Al Giordano Handing Out Campaign Sheepskins ... To Hillary Supporters

This may come to be viewed as a valuable, unselfish, public service.

Al Giordano, of his ON-THE-MONEY, TAKE-IT-TO-THE-BANK campaign blog, The Field, is announcing his "tough love" program, euphemistically titled "No Chicken Little Left Behind";

The Field is pleased to announce that our “tough love” program for the Chicken Littles among Obama supporters can now hand out virtual diplomas to so many graduates. Some may still have to enroll in our summer school program as the general election campaign - and a new set of challenges - gears up, and they’ll have some new classmates from the ranks of Clinton supporters, for whom the challenges are steeper because, well, that sky has fallen.

It is therefore my great honor to introduce The Field’s No Chicken Little Left Behind program, employing the same “tough love” techniques that turned so many worrywart Obama supporters into confident warriors, workers, commentators and Field Hands for their cause.

And, later in the post;

Look around you, evolving Clinton supporters. The sky did not fall. Rather, sometimes heaven comes down to earth and we find ourselves in it… even if by accident.

It's a good read ... In-between laying out his program, Al gives a good come-uppance to Taylor "All Hillary-All-The-Time" Marsh, who, come November, may be in need of some carpal tunnel treatment, for holding her nose so long in supporting Barack Obama

For the ride of the General Election campaign, you'll be well served, and rewarded, by bookmarking Al Giordano's The Field!

Bonus Links

Today's Must Read: Al Giordano's "Damn you, Barack Obama" ... It Lays Out What We Are Seeing Now

Barry Crimmins: Welcome Fieldhands

Top Ten Cloves: Reasons Rush Limbaugh Bragged About Success of Operation Chaos

News Item: Rush Limbaugh urges vote for Obama

10. Simply a matter of he's so delusional, he bought his own hype and now is, legitimately, backing Obama

9. Wanted to get it in the news cycle, before the wide release of 'Speed Racer'

8. Still positioning himself to incite riots in Denver

7. Ratings are dipping

6. Feeling itchy, he wants to get back to racially smearing Obama

5. Dittoheads were becoming confused on who they are supposed to vote for

4. Now that his crush is out in the open, he's trying to woo Hillary

3. Running out of material ... Wants to recycle his Donovan McNabb comments and apply them to Obama

2. Pad the resume, for when he lobbies - again - for the Nobel Peace Prize

1. What! ... Oh no, he's popping the pills again ...


Bonus "A Cheeseburger That Sweats" Riffs

Sourcewatch - Rush Limbaugh

Media Matters: Limbaugh joins other media in whitewashing Swift Boat Vets' falsehoods, claims "nobody has disproven anything they claimed"

Crooks and Liars: Limbaugh At It Again - Mocks Voice Of 12 Year Old Graeme Frost

Jon Soltz: So I'm a "Phony Soldier," Rush?

We Wonder If Rush Lobbied For This, The Way He Did For The Nobel?

Al Giordano: Let Operation Anti-Chaos begin!

Probably, the one true voice writing about this years' presidential election, Al Giordano has another gem today.

Operation Anti-Chaos: The Narrative on "White Voters" Is Fiction

Al, for one, is not getting fooled by the Clinton Machine's sniper-dodging, 3AM, and Day-One-Ready, Fool's Gold candidate.

They've swallowed the Clinton racially-obsessed spin, hook, line and sinker. Some, because they are gullible, haven't an original idea in their little pea brains, and follow the pack of what everybody else is talking about. Others, because they like to toss around knowing falsehoods. Nary a superdelegate can go on Fox News without being berated by an anchorperson screeching (this is pretty close to an exact quote): "But your duty as a superdelegate is to select the most electable and that's Hillary Clinton!" That these anchorpersons are Republican partisans openly cheering for Senator Clinton is our first clue of the game afoot.

What, where does this man get, if he's not drinking Hillary's, this clear, untainted, Kool-Aid from?

So imagine my pleasant surprise this morning to see a New York Times columnist, Charles Blow, who did what none of these chattering lunkheads have done. He looked at the hard data of how voters, white and black, view the two Democratic candidates - favorably or negatively? - and how those views have progressed over time.

Wait. The numbers show that the cynical effort to turn the 2008 campaign into a race riot has hurt the popularity of one candidate among an important demographic, and it's not Barack Obama:

Those facts won't stop many media (and Internet) talking heads from continuing - whether out of gullibility or intentional dishonesty - to prop up the "white voters" narrative, but it ought to inoculate you, kind reader, from believing it.

Read all of Operation Anti-Chaos: The Narrative on "White Voters" Is Fiction and get hip to Al Giordano


Bonus Link

Today's Must Read: Al Giordano's "Damn you, Barack Obama" ... It Lays Out What We Are Seeing Now

Wolcott: Nixon in a pantsuit

Last month, The Village Voice gave us a look at the Right-Wing Blogosphere ("A confederacy of dunces", along with their headshots from Tom Tomorrow).

This month (actually, for the June issue), in Vanity Fair, James Wolcott pulls back the curtain to take a peek at the Liberal Blogosphere, warts and dirty laundry included, as well as a ton of snark.

When Democrats Go Post-al

Subtitled "The vicious Clinton-versus-Obama rupture at Daily Kos, the most activist site in the liberal blogosphere, reflects a party-wide split. What really rankles, as Democrats tear at one another, is the free pass they’ve given McCain—and the White House."

If you are already hip, than this is a pleasant stroll through the familiar, smiles and chuckles along the way ...

If you have never ventured off your AOL or Yahoo homepage, or looked beyond the boundaries of MySpace or Facebook, you're in for a loud, crashing, rollercoaster ride, that will leave you either shaking your head and running for the hills, or, or "Oh Boy, where do I sign up" ...

One passage I especially liked, for it nails HRC in a manner that seems so obvious, yet we missed it up until now;

For them, Hillary’s time had come, she had paid her dues, she had been thoroughly vetted, she had survived hairdos that would have sunk lesser mortals, and she didn’t let a little thing like being loathed by nearly half of the country bum her out and clog her transmission. Not since Nixon had there been such a show of grinding perseverance in the teeth of adversity, and Nixon in a pantsuit was never going to be an easy sell contrasted with the powerful embroidery of Obama’s eloquence—his very emergence on the political scene seemed like a feat of levitation. Hillary’s candidacy promised to make things better; Obama’s to make us better: outward improvement versus inward transformation. With Hillary, you would earn your merit badges; with Obama, your wings. Hillary’s candidacy was warmed-over meat loaf—comfort food for those too old or fearful to Dream.

Nixon in a pantsuit ...

Oh, how rich that is ...

If John McCain is the new Bob Dole, it makes for a wonderful yang to that ying that Hillary be the new Nixon.

Oh My!

Can't wait to hear her Checkers Speech.


Dissenting views, and non-Wolcott fans, here, here, here, here, here and here

This from Dan Collins (and be sure to click the link when he was in Wolcott's spotlight)

And one Bonus Link: Tinkerbell Meets Norma Rae - The Daily Kos Strike