Saturday, May 10, 2008

Obama Passes Clinton In Superdelegate Lead

The one authentic claim that Hillary Clinton has voiced for months now is that she has a significant lead over rival Barack Obama in the superdelegate count, thus indicating that her colleagues and Democratic allies overwhelmingly support her quest for the nomination and would echo that sentiment come convention time.

Well, that argument, like many others she's made has now been eliminated. For the very first time in this hotly contested and sometimes combative Democratic race, Barack Obama has gained the upper edge after generating increased support and approval this week from many superdelegtes. As presently constituted, Obama holds a 5.5 lead over the self-destructive junior Senator from New York, 276 to 271.5.

Coordinator of GOP St. Paul Nominating Convention quits

Trouble for the RNC's St. Paul convention!


According to an AP story published by the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Doug Goodyear, the man picked by the John McCain campaign to run the 2008 RNC resigned Saturday after a report that his lobbying firm used to represent the military regime in Myanmar. Goodyear, chief executive of DCI Group resigned and issued a two sentence statement, after Newsweek reported online was he paid $348,000 in 2002 to represent Myanmar's junta. According to Newsweek, Justice Department lobbying records show DCI pushed to "begin a dialogue of political reconciliation" with the regime and led a public relations campaign to improve the junta's image.

Newsweek said the firm drafted news releases praising Myanmar's efforts to curb the drug trade and denouncing claims by the Bush administration that the regime engaged in rape and other abuses.



The Newsweek article also reported that some of Goodyear's allies worry that worry the choice of Goodyear could fuel perceptions that McCain is surrounded by lobbyists. DCI Group earned $3 million last year lobbying for ExxonMobil, General Motors and other clients, the report said.

Newsweek further reported DCI has been a pioneer in running "independent" expenditure campaigns by so-called 527 groups, the kind of operations that McCain has denounced in his battle for campaign finance reform.
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Chevron Ecuador Scandal - Claims That Chevron Polluted Ecuador Not True

There's a little war going on regarding Internet-based claims that Chevron was responsible for oil spills in Ecuador.

If one types "Chevron Ecuador" there's a littany of results that point the finger at the oil giant but without solid evidence. Moreover, it seem the people on the anti-Chevron side have launched an effort to block information that would protect Chevron from false claims.

But the fact is that Chevron did not spill oil in Ecuador. The State-Owned oil company Petroecuador did. But Ecuador itself, not a rich country, and influnced by Venezualan President Chavez, has launched a full-scale legal and PR assault on Chevron mainly because Texaco, which Chevron now owns, was partnered with Petroecuador.

Texaco had long ago taken steps to clean up it's matters in this issue, but Ecuador has not.

Look, I'm not a fan of big companies just because they're large, or small firms for the opposite reasons. But I do support telling the truth, and Petroecuador has not been forthcoming in this at all.

More soon.