Another Clinton Sex Scandal? Big Head DC Thinks So...

I just saw this over at Big Head DC ...

A major sex scandal story involving one of the leading presidential candidates is believed to be soon published by the LA Times, Big Head DC has learned. Details are slowly trickling in through people who’ve heard about the story, and with Larry Flynt saying he’s set to reveal a “huge” sex scandal story involving a sitting senator in the coming days, the rumors seem to be gathering traction.

“So I was down in DC this past weekend and happened to run into a well-connected media person, who told me flatly, unequivocally that ‘everyone knows’ the LA Times was sitting on a story, all wrapped up and ready to go about what is a potentially devastating sexual scandal involving a leading presidential candidate,” reports Pajamas Media’s Ron Rosenbaum. “‘Everyone knows’ meaning everyone in the DC mainstream media political reporting world. ‘Sitting on it’ because the paper couldn’t decide the complex ethics of whether and when to run it. The way I heard it they’d had it for a while but don’t know what to do. The person who told me is not an LAT person and knows I write and didn’t say ‘don’t write about this.’”

Several commenters on Rosenbaum’s article strongly believe that Hillary Clinton will ultimately be revealed as a lesbian, and that the recent GQ story her campaign helped kill by threatening to withhold a Bill Clinton interview may have gone into some shocking details into her sex life.Rumors of a close Hillary relationship with one of her top aides Huma Abedin, shown above, have long been swirling. Hillary has long denied being a lesbian.

Stay tuned...

Hollywood writers poised to strike over royalties

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Hollywood writers are poised to strike after their negotiating team recommended a walkout in a dispute over royalties at a Thursday night meeting of the union membership.

The Writers Guild of America board will meet on Friday to make a formal decision and set a strike date against producers. It would be the union's first strike in nearly 20 years.

Steve Skrovan, a screenwriter for the Fox show "Til Death," said after the meeting that a strike is all but inevitable.

"We've never been more united and we are willing to deal -- and our decision makers are at the table," said Skrovan. "Their decision makers are not at the table, and that tells you pretty much all you need to know about how the companies are pushing this."

Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers President Nick Counter said the news was no surprise.

"By the WGA leadership's actions at the bargaining table, we are not surprised by tonight's recommendation," Counter said in a written statement. "We are ready to meet and are prepared to close this contract this weekend."

The labor impasse concerns royalties from DVD sales -- last negotiated in 1988. Writers also want royalties from the so-called new media -- all the various places their works are now distributed, including Internet downloads. Watch how a strike could affect your favorite shows »

"The future of TV is not going to look like what it's been for the last 30 years," said TV writer Dave Schiff, who has penned scripts for "King of the Hill" and "That 70s Show."

"So, you know it's not just for us who are currently working, but writers down the line, that we make sure that we get a ... piece of the pie."

But CBS President Nina Tassler said not enough is known yet about new media revenues.

"We don't know what the pie is yet, in order to determine how to cut it up," she said recently.

Hollywood producers say the issues are non-starters.

"We want to make a deal," Counter told the writers on Wednesday, according to a written statement. However, he added, "No further movement is possible to close the gap between us so long as your DVD proposal remains on the table."

Writers accuse producers of being non-responsive.

"After three and a half months of bargaining, the AMPTP still has not responded to a single one of our important proposals," a statement from the WGA said.

"Every issue that matters to writers, including Internet reuse, original writing for new media, DVDs, and jurisdiction, has been ignored. This is completely unacceptable."

TV writer Bryce Zabel said that producing companies "have decided to force the writers into a situation of a strike."

"Our choice right now is to accept a completely unacceptable deal or to go on strike," he said. "Strike is the only option."

If the roughly 12,000 writers do go on strike, late-night television hosts like David Letterman, Jay Leno and Jimmy Kimmel, as well as programs like "The Daily Show," would feel the pinch first. Because of their topical nature, these shows are not typically written or recorded in advance.

Daytime soaps normally stockpile about 30 days in advance, and most prime time shows would likely make it through the end of the year without any impact on programming.

But networks would have to resort to reruns, news programs and reality shows to fill the schedule in 2008 if a strike were to drag on.

The film industry has also been preparing for a possible strike.

"Everyone is sort of madly scrambling to get scripts into production, sometimes a little ahead of what might otherwise be prudent," said Gavin Hood, director of the film "Rendition."

The film and television industry is responsible for an estimated 1.3 million jobs in the United States.

The union's most recent strike, in 1988, lasted five-and-a-half months. Industry estimates say a half-billion dollars was lost because of that strike.

Giants defeat Dolphins in a nail biter 13-10

By David
Kaye

If the NFL’s brain trust had envisioned displaying a sloppy and unentertaining matchup between the league’s perennial loser and one of their most pedestrian team’s, they should have thought twice last summer about marketing their brand on an international basis with the Dolphins and Giants being their spokespersons.

As unfortunate as it played out to be, both squads were relegated to the roll of showcasing their sport in front of 81,176 animated fans at London’s Wembley Stadium. Through the mud, rain, slippery conditions and uncountable forecast big blue prevailed in a squeaker 13-10. It was not the kind of performance coach Coughlin expected from his team that had averaged 33 points per game during the course of the past three weeks. Still, the Giants determined and didactic leader will take a victory whether he receives it state side or overseas as he molds his team into an elite force in the National Football Conference.

Lead by 290 pound running back Brandon Jacobs and former Miami Dolphin Sam Madison the Giants registered their sixth consecutive victory of the year. Jacobs rushed for a season-high 131 yards on 23 carries against the still-winless fins. Quarterback Eli Manning struggled exponentially and recorded his worst start in his brief football career. With 59 yards passing, a completion percentage of 36.4% and one fumble, Manning was unable to capitalize off a Miami defense that ranks towards the bottom of the league in many majors categories.

While the league did a poor job at acclimating Europeans to American football, they succeeded at increasing the attention and notoriety that the United States will receive in the years to come from interested owners who want a Super Bowl to be played outside of the hollow grounds of North America. Also succeeding were the Giants who improve to 6-2 and are now a half game back of the Cowboys for the lead in the NFC East.

American Gangster Is Amazing - Just Saw It At Metreon Premier

I was invited to see American Gangster at a special premier at Sony Metreon and I must report that I was blown away. I've seen a lot of movies, but this one hits you between the eyes from the start, and just increases the presure.

Denzel Washington and Russell Crow are excellent, especially in one interrogation scene. The whole movie is full of great actors giving awesome performances, from Cuba Gooding, Jr. , to Armand Asante. American Gangster is a must see movie that's also a social lesson in the stupidity of racism.

If the police largely paid attention to Frank Lucas, who's played by Washington, his crime organization would have been stopped as it grew. But because few could believe a Black man could generate an empire that would take out the Mafia, let alone earn $250 million in assets.

American Gangster is a treasurer.

Hillary Clinton Under Fire By Justice Department For Alledged Fundraising Coercion - AP

Hillary Clinton

in fundraising controversy

Questions raised about Hillary Clinton's big Chinatown fundraiser

The Associated Press
Published: November 1, 2007

NEW YORK: On the wall of Hsiao Yen Wang's New York apartment, a cramped, 17th-floor public housing unit, are photographs of her husband, David Guo, a cook who specializes in Fujian cuisine.

One photo stands out: Guo shaking Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's hand, a memento from a $1,000 (€693)-a-person fundraiser for the New York senator held in New York's Chinatown last April.

Last week, Wang got another memento — a calling card from a Justice Department criminal investigator. The investigator asked Wang if she was coerced into giving money to the campaign and whether she knew of anybody else who may have been forced to contribute.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Wang said she and her husband had given willingly and that she knew of no coercion. A Justice Department spokeswoman would not comment on the inquiries.

"I want to see her become the first female U.S. president," Wang, a hospital worker, said of Clinton as her daughter translated.

Today in Americas

Effort to save Florida Everglades falters as funds dwindle

Obama envisions a new approach to Iran and Iraq

Bush sees unfairness against attorney general

Still, less than three weeks after the April 9 fundraiser, the Clinton campaign's vetting operation had flagged the check and returned it. Wang's contribution, delivered by Guo, was one of a handful obtained at the Chinatown event that the campaign turned back, citing an "abundance of caution."

Clinton has tapped a vein of support among ethnic, minority and immigrant communities with vigorous outreach that has helped her become one of the best-financed candidates in the presidential field. Under federal law, donors do not have to be citizens to contribute but must be in the United States legally.

The April fundraiser, held in Chinatown's Golden Bridge Restaurant, illustrates both the pitfalls and the success Clinton has experienced with her fundraising operation.

The event attracted nearly 300 donors from as far away as Maryland. Shortly after, about $380,000 (€263,468) poured into the Clinton campaign from attendees and their families. Many were owners or managers of other restaurants. Among the rest were lawyers, business owners, real estate agents and artists.

According to reports filed by the Clinton campaign with the Federal Election Commission, seven donors identified themselves as cooks, three as chefs, three as servers, two as cashiers, one as a dishwasher and cook and one as a waiter.

Details of the event were first reported by the Los Angeles Times.

FEC records show that the campaign returned at least $8,000 (€5,547) in checks to at least eight donors, most of them at the end of June. Among those donors were four identified as cooks and one as a cashier. The campaign also returned $4,600 (€3,189) to a donor who appeared to have earlier given the maximum allowed by law.

The campaign appears to have missed some others.

In one small store, a woman said she donated to the Clinton campaign but did not have citizenship or a green card. A man living in a Brooklyn boarding house who identified himself as an artist said he also gave $1,000 (€693), but said he, too, has no citizenship and no green card.

Clinton campaign spokesman Howard Wolfson said in an e-mail response to the AP that all donors are asked to fill out cards that state they must be citizens or green card holders. "Is it possible that out of more than 200,000 donors, two may not be? It is," he said. "Of course we would refund any such contributions."

The Associated Press conducted a spot check of 44 addresses listed in campaign finance documents as belonging to donors at the April 9 fundraiser. All the addresses checked out and reporters spoke to 19 persons who said they donated.

Associates of some people listed as donors said they were in China and could not be contacted. Others did not return messages left with families.

Chung Seto, the organizer of the Chinatown event, said Chinese have a culture of thrift and it would not be surprising for workers with meager wages to make $1,000 (€693) donations. She said donors stood in line for up to three hours waiting for the fundraising event to begin. Any mistakes in vetting contributors, she said, were a result of enthusiasm, not coercion.

"Some people were very eager, and some were overeager," she said in an interview, acknowledging the returned checks.

Seto, an activist in the Chinese-American community and a former executive director of the New York Democratic Party, said Chinatown residents hold Clinton in special esteem. They particularly remember her help during the economic downturn that hit the lower Manhattan neighborhood after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Celebrities Shocked Over NYC Realtor's Murder

The news broke suddenly over the New York airwaves and the situation has only been complicated.

Linda Stein Discovered In Pool Of Blood By Her Own Daughter

NEW YORK (CBS) ― A day after a well-known New York realtor who worked with many A-list celebrities and even once managed the Ramones was found brutally murdered in her Upper East Side apartment, many stars who knew her best are speaking out.

Linda Stein's body was discovered lying in a pool of blood by her daughter on Tuesday, and the medical examiner ruled a day later her death was a homicide. She had suffered blunt force trauma to her head and neck.

Residents of the upscale and normally peaceful neighborhood adjacent to Central Park were stunned that such a crime could occur in the area, and on Thursday, some of Stein's most famous friends expressed their dismay.

"I'm absolutely shocked and upset. She's been a friend for over 37 years and will be greatly missed," said Elton John, one of Stein's earliest clients.

Police say the murder occurred sometime on Tuesday. The 64-year-old lived alone and residents say the doorman building which is also guarded with surveillance cameras would be difficult to get into without permission. Published reports, however, say a side door to the building was found unlocked.

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly says the investigation is still in the early stages.

"There was no forced entry. And we're interviewing building residents, we're interviewing workers in the building, and there are also construction workers doing work in the area who are being asked to cooperate with investigators," Kelly said.

Stein first cropped up in the celebrity scene when she managed the Ramones during the early days of punk rock. She later began her career as a realtor well-known in celebrity circles as someone who respected their privacy.

"The big thing about her was about discretion, about making sure she protected her clients from publicity," said Steve James, President of Douglas Elliman Property Management.

Stein's client list ranged from Madonna to Billy Joel, many of whom are only now hearing the news. CBS 2 ran into one of her former clients, Christie Brinkley at an event in midtown Manhattan on Thursday. Brinkley was visibly shaken and distraught over the news of her friend's murder, and her reaction showed just how Stein's relationships with her clients transcended business.

Brinkley had been so busy with appearances like unveiling the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree star that she hadn't yet heard about the murder. From all accounts, her heartfelt reaction of shock and sorrow has been repeated many, many other times by many other people.

Americans Are Unhappy With America - USA Today / Gallup Poll

This USA Today article reads:

"In all, 72% of those surveyed in a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll taken Oct. 12-14 say they are dissatisfied with how things are going in the USA while just 26% are satisfied. Not since April have even one-third of Americans been happy with the country's course, the longest national funk in 15 years."

This sparks the sign of political change. But in what direction? Could it mean victory for Barack Obama or Ron Paul? It's hard to tell from the article's comments. But here's the rest of it:

raq dominates the political agenda. In the poll, four in 10 Americans volunteer that the Iraq war will be one of the most important issues determining their vote in 2008. That's more than twice as many who cite the second-ranking issue: health care.

Six in 10 call the invasion of Iraq a mistake, equal to the highest levels of anti-war feeling during the Vietnam conflict. Despite reports of progress after this year's rise in U.S. force levels, a majority say the situation in Iraq is getting worse for the United States. Only 16% say it's getting better.

In conversations at four locales across the nation — at a farmer's market in Salem, Ore., outside a public library in Phoenix, at a shopping mall and bus stop in downtown Milwaukee and in a roundtable at the New Jersey shore — Americans struggled over what to do next in Iraq.

Not one of several dozen people interviewed expressed optimism that the next president, whoever is elected, will be able to turn things around militarily or to extricate U.S. troops without significant complications, even chaos.

"The next person coming in, it's going to take him at least eight years to clean up," predicts Geraldine Buie, 49, a food-service worker in Milwaukee who wants U.S. troops withdrawn now.

"On the one hand, people say we should pull out, but if we just pull out, everything will collapse and we'll have done nothing," says Antonio Carlos, 24, a student in Phoenix. "We've been committed for six years. Are we going to give up already? But at the same time, do we have the money (to continue)? And do we want our people over there dying left and right?"

The satisfaction divide

Not everyone has a dismal view of the future, of course.

"I think things are going along fine," said Tanya Rider, 32, a medic from Salem, though she worries about her brother and best friend, both deployed to Iraq. "The job market is going up. There's less homeless people." (The National Alliance to End Homelessness says the difficulty of counting homeless people makes it hard to assess whether their numbers are falling.)

Predictably, those who rate the economy as good are much happier with the country's direction than those who rate it as poor. Affluent Americans are more satisfied than those with lower incomes. Conservatives are more satisfied than liberals, and men more than women.

Even in the most optimistic demographic category, however, a majority is dissatisfied with the country's direction — including, for instance, 55% of Republicans. Among Democrats, the conclusion is almost universal: 84% say things are on the wrong track.

"The war in Iraq is clearly a major drag on the public's sense of how the country's doing," says Lawrence Jacobs, director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota. "And there's a kind of longer-term impact of the economy. Overall the economy is doing quite well but the sense of insecurity, the sense of anxiety of what the future might hold — that's having a downward effect."

Assessments of the current economy, while downbeat, are no worse than they were one year before the presidential elections in 1992, 1996 and 2004.

What's driving today's negative mood is pessimism about the future: Two-thirds predict economic conditions are getting worse, by far the highest number since 1992.

At a roundtable discussion in Neptune, N.J., only one of the 11 participants was looking for a job; the rest were retired or employed, most in jobs they like.

But Bob Cohen, 61, said he was "scared looking around the corner at the demographics of the country" and the pressure the looming retirement of the baby boom generation will put on Social Security.

Tish Ferguson, 48, a global recruiting manager, says she "works in a market where we're worried about a recession."

Eugene Kelsey, 82, expressed alarm about the impact of illegal immigration on American culture.

Americans are glummer about the economy than economists are. By the traditional measure — back-to-back quarters of economic contraction — the nation isn't in a recession. Yet more than one-third of those surveyed say it is. Four in 10 say a recession is likely during the next year.

For many Americans, good economic news about steady growth and low unemployment and inflation has been overshadowed by the rising cost of gasoline, turmoil in the housing market and uncertainties about health care coverage.

"I keep hearing there are positive indicators in the economy," says Dave Hendrick, 30, an Americorps volunteer in Milwaukee. "I have a hard time understanding that when I see skyrocketing foreclosure rates."

There are significant differences in views of the economy by region. The mood is brightest in the Southwest and the Rocky Mountain states, where 46% rated the economy as good in an aggregation of seven Gallup Polls taken since May.

The mood is darkest in the Great Lakes, where just 31% called the economy good. Jobs are a big reason as the region tries to recover from the loss of manufacturing plants. Michigan has the highest unemployment rate in the nation; Ohio the fifth highest.

People in the upper Midwest are "frustrated by the (national) debt, frustrated with the war, frustrated with the health care system that seems to be crumbling," says former Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson, who in August abandoned a bid for the Republican presidential nomination. "They want somebody to get something done. They don't like to see problems shunted aside, and that's what they see in Washington."

Both the president and Congress get historically low ratings, another sign of unhappiness with the nation's course and indicator of possible political upheaval ahead.

Since World War II, no party has managed to hold the White House when the incumbent president had a job-approval rating below 45% one year before the election. Bush's approval rating now: 32%.

Congress fares even worse. Its approval rating in August dipped to 18%, equaling the low point in the history of Gallup. It's now bumped up to a still-dismal 29%.

Ethics scandals and opposition to the Iraq war contributed to a Democratic takeover of the House and Senate in last November's elections, but Congress' ratings haven't significantly improved since then. Dissatisfaction is widespread and bipartisan: 76% of those surveyed say Congress has accomplished "not too much" or "nothing at all" this year. Among those, 73% blame both parties equally.

CBS' Les Moonves Gets YouTube and New Media - Wired

I loved reading this interview with CBS Television head Les Moonves as it reveals a person who gets new media and how it impacts CBS. Why can't Viacom have this view?

CBS Chief Isn't Worried About YouTube or Google — 'As Long as We Get Paid'

Frank Rose 05.16.07 | 2:00 AM

CBS President Leslie Moonves

What happens to network television in the Internet age? As broadcasters confront ever-shrinking audiences and increasingly Net-savvy advertisers, that's a big question in certain quarters of New York and Los Angeles. With hits like CSI and Survivor, CBS president Leslie Moonves is the current ratings champ, but he knows Wall Street is ultimately going to judge him on how he manages the transition to the digital world. Moonves talked to Wired about user-generated video, tiny TVs, and how those clips of his wife made it onto the Internet.

Wired: Right now, traditional broadcasting accounts for the bulk of your viewership and income. Will that change?
Leslie Moonves: I think many years from now, people will still watch television, though it will probably be 150 inches wide. What will change is the ability to get CSI not only on TV but also on the Internet, even watching it in a foreign country as it's playing in the US.

Wired: Major advertisers, including Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble, are shifting money from network television to the Internet. How concerned are you?

Moonves: We're not. There are plenty of people who are willing to pay $2.6 million for 30 seconds on the Super Bowl and hundreds of thousands of dollars for American Idol. There will be advertising dollars on the Internet. We're there as well. We win either way.

Wired: How do you feel about Google trying to get into television advertising?

Moonves: Hard to say. Right now we like selling our own inventory.

Wired: Does user-generated video pose a threat to traditional television?

Moonves: Only when they're taking content without permission. Genuine user-generated content — like the guys from OK Go dancing on the treadmills, which I liked a lot — I don't think poses any threat. A lot of it is garbage; you know, your cousin Fanny sitting outside on a swing. But there's some great amateur stuff coming out. They don't have to steal the professional stuff.

Wired: Will professional television change in response?

Moonves: It already has. We have a bunch of people coming up with ideas for original shows that are very cheap, very experimental. There isn't a lot of advertising revenue on this, so you need young people who don't want a lot of money yet. They will later.

Wired: You were in talks with Fox and NBC to join their partnership to distribute programming on the Internet — the so-called YouTube Killer. Why did you decide not to?

Moonves: What was difficult for us was the idea of exclusivity. We would have had to funnel every piece of content through that mechanism. It didn't give us the freedom we wanted to make partnerships all over the place. We're so much in the infancy of the Internet; three years from now, this is going to seem like the dinosaur age. We've got to learn about users — how much they're using, why they're using it, when they're using it — and we have to connect with them. We think we can accomplish as much alone as they're doing together.

Wired: There's a lot of CBS material on YouTube. How does that work?

Moonves: You have to look at it in two different ways. One is content that you will get paid for directly, and the other is promotional content. Our attitude is, either pay us for it or give us promotional value that will eventually lead to our getting paid for it.

Wired: How do you tell the difference?

Moonves: If there's a one-minute clip of CSI, or user-generated clips like different shots of David Caruso taking off his glasses, that's great promotion. If they were showing a whole episode of CSI and we weren't getting paid, we'd object.
Wired: Do you have your own favorite YouTube video?

Moonves: My wife is the host of Big Brother. Her name is Julie Chen, and she'll say, "Da da da, but first we do this." So they mashed together her saying "but first" a couple dozen times. Literally. In different outfits. And when you cut it together like that, it appears very robotlike. They called her the Chenbot.

Wired: Recently, you made a deal with Verizon Wireless. Do you think mobile TV is going to work?

Moonves: We think wireless is going to grow tremendously. Do I think people are going to watch an episode of Survivor on a 2-inch television set? I doubt it. But I do think somebody's going to go to a grocery store in the middle of a football game and watch that game.

Wired: Of all these new distribution channels, what's the most valuable?

Moonves: They're all good. We don't care how you get our content — over the air, over cable, satellite, the Internet, or on your cell phone — as long as we get paid for it.

Contributing editor Frank Rose (frank_rose@wired.com) wrote about 2007 Rave Award winner Michael Wesch in issue 15.05.

NFL Agent Ed Goines - From 49ers Lawyer To Player Agent

For five years, Ed Goines was the Senior Vice President of Legal and Business Affairs for the San Francisco 49ers. Now, Ed Goines has stepped over the line to become an Official NFL Players Association Contract Advisor, otherwise known as NFL Agent.

For Ed, it's a logical step. "I have corporate sponsor contacts, and know how the team organization works. I can see the player deal from both the players and the team's perspective. As the 49ers point person for business affairs I was responsible for sponsorship deals and contract structure, and have already worked with many NFL executives."

Ed also has an online show called "Ed Goines On Sports." You can check out his take on the business of sports there and contact him at 415-407-0882.

Iowa Caucus Absentee Voting Confusion - Website Says "Yes" - Sec of State "No"

I just wrote a blog article on the Iowa Caucuses and investigated the Secretary of State's website regarding Absentee Ballots and elections.

The Secretary of State's office website discusses Absentee Ballot information but does not give any words at all on restrictions of use of the Absentee Ballot. Yet, the elections specialist there says that the Absentee Ballot can't be used for the Iowa Caucuses, just the general election.

They admit the website's in error. This is what it reads on Absentee Ballots:

Absentee Ballot Information

Applications for Absentee Ballots can be obtained Online in a PDF format, or mailed upon request from the Secretary of State.

Request for ballot should be made by mail to the County Auditor/Commissioner of Elections, in the county you are registered to vote in.

If the application is received so late that it is unlikely that the absentee ballot can be returned by mail in time to be counted on election day, the commissioner shall enclose with the absentee ballot a statement to that effect. The applicant can be hand deliver the ballot on Election Day before the polls close.

In requesting an absentee ballot, state your name, voting address, the address to which your ballot should be sent, and sign the request as you are registered. Absentee votes may be cast in person at your County Election Office (County Auditor) as soon as ballots are available.

In order for the ballot to be counted, the carrier envelope must be received in the commissioners office before the polls close on election day or be clearly postmarked by an officially authorized postal service not later than the day before the election, and received by the commissioner not later than noon on the Monday following the election.

Those in the Armed Forces need not register if they vote a military ballot. The request constitutes registration, with a county address. There is additional information and application forms on the Internet through the Federal Voting Assistant Program

Any qualified elector who becomes a patient or resident of a hospital or health care facility within three days prior to the date of an election, may request an absentee ballot during that period or on election day.

Helpful places with more information

Democratic State Central Committee
5661 Fleur Dr., 50321, Phone 244-5051
Republican State Central Committee
521 E. Locust St., 50309, Phone 282-8105

Iowa Caucus Allows Absentee Voting - Great For Barack Obama and College Students

I just read an interesting Huff Post "Off The Bus" article that asserted the youth vote, which is the strength of the Obama for America campaign, would be harmed by the fact that the Iowa Caucus will be held when students are away.

I read the article and realized that the author never considered absentee voting! So I went back to see if I missed anything; nope. I did not. Here's the information and link:


Iowa Absentee Ballot Application

The Iowa Secretary of State has made the official absentee ballot application available online in a pdf format. You may print this online form and fill it out by hand, please be sure to sign the form before you send it to your county auditor.

English Application for an Absentee Ballot
Español Formulario Official Para Solicitud de Votación en Ausencia
Laotian Application for an Absentee Ballot
Vietnamese Application for an Absentee Ballot
Absentee Voting for Iowans who are in the Military or Overseas
Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) - Military & Overseas
If you would like a hard copy of any of the forms above, please call the Secretary of State's Office at 515-281-0145 or 888-SOS-VOTE (888-767-8683).

There's also information specific to Iowa college students here > Iowa College Students Vote

So if the Obama campaign works the absentee ballots, they're ok.

Actually, I learn they're not. The Secretary of State's website's in error! They're going to correct this - they say!

Hillary Clinton Still Being Bashed For Poor Drexel Debate Performance

Being the supposed front runner has the one disadvantage of having everything you do or say analyzed and taken-apart. And in this digital world, the results of that work are spread far and wide rapidly. Senator Clinton's poor performance in this debate -- so bad that it may have cost her the nomination. I say may, because she's got another chance on November 15th with CNN.

NBC went on the attack, which places CNN in a bind. If they're too nice to Clinton, they could be seen as favoring her, rather than being good journalists.


Hillary Gets Poor Grades at Drexel Debate - ABC News

October 31, 2007 9:49 AM

For the first section of last night's Democratic debate -- during the entire section on that arcane Kyl-Lieberman amendment on Iran -- frontrunner Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, held her own just fine, I thought, and her reluctance to engage in the tit-for-tat bickering served her well.

But then something must have happened during that first commercial break.

Because when we came back, she seemed obfuscatory and less than forthright.

Take the question on whether or not she would allow the National Archives to open up more records of her husband's presidency -- a pertinent one given her declaration that her eight years as First Lady constitutes "experience," not to mention her husband's request that the National Archives keep their communications sealed until 2012.

"The Archives is moving as rapidly as the Archives moves," she said. 'There's about 20 million pieces of paper there. And they are move, and they are releasing as they do their process. And I am fully in favor of that."

She was pressed on her husbands request that any communication between the two of them not be made available to the public until 2012. "Would you lift that ban?" she was asked by moderator Tim Russert.

"Well, that's not my decision to make, and I don't believe that any president or first lady ever has. But, certainly, we're move as quickly as our circumstances and the processes of the
National Archives permits."

Said Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois: "We have just gone through one of the most secretive administrations in our history. And not releasing, I think, these records at the same time, Hillary, that you're making the claim that this is the basis for your experience, I think, is a problem."

It went on like that.

Russert flatly accused her of being duplicitous on Social Security, saying to him and at an AARP-hosted debate that she would not increasing Social Security taxes, then telling a teacher -- and being overheard by an AP reporter -- that she would consider it. "Why do you have one public position and one private position?" Russert asked.

Clinton denied she did, saying -- when pressed on her private conversation with a teacher -- that "everybody knows what the possibilities are, Tim. Everybody knows that. But I do not advocate it. I do not support it."

Then came questions about the tax reform proposal offered by one of her biggest supporters, Rep. Charles Rangel, D-NY, chair of the House Ways and Means Committee. Campaigning with Rangel and his wife, former President Bill Clinton on Saturday said, "Charlie Rangel wants me to pay more taxes so you can pay less and I think that's a good idea."

Is that Sen. Clinton's view?

Clinton declared herself a "great admirer of Chairman Rangel." Then she said "I don't know all the details of what Charlie is recommending, but I certainly agree with the goal."

Then she sounded as if she was quite familiar with the details of what Rangel is recommending.

Then she said "I don't agree with all the details, but he's on the right track to say we've got to do something about" the Alternative Minimum Tax.

Her worst moment came at the end of the debate, (watch it HERE) when asked about a comment she gave to a New Hampshire newspaper that New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer's controversial proposal to give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants "makes a lot of sense."

"What Governor Spitzer is trying to do is fill the vacuum left by the failure of this administration to bring about comprehensive immigration reform," she said. "We know in New York we have several million at any one time who are in New York illegally. They are undocumented workers. They are driving on our roads. The possibility of them having an accident that harms themselves or others is just a matter of the odds. It's probability. So what Governor Spitzer is trying to do is to fill the vacuum."

Then Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., took issue with Spitzer's proposal.

Clinton then interjected -- "Well, I just want to add, I did not say that it should be done, but I certainly recognize why Governor Spitzer is trying to do…"

If you paid attention you might have felt hundreds of thousands of Americans go: HUH?

"No, no, no," Dodd said. "You said -- you said yes, you thought it made sense to do it."

"No, I didn't, Chris," said Clinton.

"Senator Clinton, I just want to make sure of what I heard," said Russert. "Do you, the New York senator, Hillary Clinton, support the New York governor's plan to give illegal immigrants a driver's license?
You told the New Hampshire paper that it made a lot of sense. Do you support his plan?"

Clinton got defensive. "You know, Tim, this is where everybody plays 'gotcha.' It makes a lot of sense. What is the governor supposed to do? He is dealing with a serious problems. We have failed. And George Bush has failed. Do I think this is the best thing for any governor to do? No. But do I understand the sense of real desperation, trying to get a handle on this? Remember, in New York, we want to know who's in New York. We want people to come out of the shadows. He's making an honest effort to do it. We should have passed immigration reform."

It fed into the meme that Obama and former Sen. John Edwards, D-NC, had been pushing all night -- that Clinton is calculating and less than honest.

So they, too, pounced.

"Unless I missed something, Senator Clinton said two different things in the course of about two minutes just a few minutes ago," Edwards said. "And I think this is a real issue for the country. I mean, America is looking for a president who will say the same thing, who will be consistent, who will be straight with them. Because what we've had for seven years is double-talk from Bush and from Cheney, and I think America deserves us to be straight."

Added Obama: "Well, I was confused on Senator Clinton's answer. I can't tell whether she was for it or against it. And I do think that is important. One of the things that we have to do in this country is
to be honest about the challenges that we face."

Clinton is still the frontrunner, and has a commanding lead. But it was shaky performance, with the grand finale of the debate being a devastating punch delivered by … Clinton herself.

Thoughts?

-- jpt

October 31, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (86)

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Here here James!

Posted by: southern_bell | Oct 31, 2007 7:08:35 PM

Smith, you wrote: "I'd rather a president, or whomever for that matter, change their stance and say "I was wrong", rather than let their pride override their better judgement." You want to impose your own ideals and judgment upon President Bush. But see that is where you have no clue.

President Bush strongly believes -- a true heartfelt conviction -- that the key to peace in the Middle East, and hopefully to the overall War on Terror, is two-fold: (1) Thriving democracies in Afghanistan and Iraq being role models for their neighbors. That eventually the populace of their neighbors will demand democracies in their own countries; (2) The two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Therefore, he will not waver from his conviction.

Now it is possible that democracy will never take hold in the Middle East. And if that is the case, then there will NEVER be peace in the Middle East. But President Bush will not give up on the Middle East. That is why he is so adamant in wanting to win the war in Iraq both from a military and a political standpoint.

A recent poll indicates that 19% of Democrats actually believe that the world would be a better place if the United States were to lose the War in Iraq; and another 20% of Democrats don't know whether the world would be better off or not. Overall, 11% of Americans believe the world would be better off if we lost the war; while 73% disagree. That's because many of you just do not believe that the terrorists are serious about wanting to end Western Civilization and destroying the United States. And you certainly refuse to believe that we ARE fighting al Qaeda in Iraq. But letting al Qaeda have a military victory in Iraq WILL OPEN the gates of Armageddon. And when that happens, losing nearly 3,000 citizens on 9/11 and losing 3,842+ members of the U. S. Armed Forces in Iraq the past 4 1/2 years, will pale in comparison.

Posted by: James Danley | Oct 31, 2007 6:24:44 PM

Millie - I'm sorry if you lost someone in the war but that doesn't make Bush a murderer.

all wars are absurd.

Posted by: southern_bell | Oct 31, 2007 5:45:10 PM

How about we issue the illegal immigrants driver licenses and when they come to pick them up deport them? You know, since they are, you know, illegal and all...

Posted by: southern_bell | Oct 31, 2007 5:22:39 PM

Jim Bob,

If your son or daugther had been killed in Iraq in this absurd war that only Bush and his cronies support, you would not hesitate to call the president a murderer. You do not need to do a lot of homework to verify this fact!! I can only ask, how can he sleep at night????

Posted by: Millie | Oct 31, 2007 5:18:15 PM

Alex - When you said, "A President - a leader - should not just do what the masses want, otherwise they'd just be a follower and not a leader." I disagree. A leader NEEDS to take into consideration what the people want. Isn't that what our country is based on? Politicians are supposed to represent their constituents' wishes. I'd rather a president, or whomever for that matter, change their stance and say "I was wrong", rather than let their pride override their better judgement. I also understand why candidates will ride the fence on some issues. It's so that they can appeal to more than just one group of people. I understand that we also need someone firm in their beliefs, but when everyone picks on every single word you say, it's hard not to waffle from time to time. Give it a rest, will ya! (And go ahead, pick on my posting too. I know you want to.)

Posted by: Smith | Oct 31, 2007 4:56:20 PM

Spock,

If you think Bush is interested in the welfare of America, please consider the close relationship between King George and the Saudi Royalty and the Bin Laden family. He is interested in the wealthy and the elite, not the US, not the US Constitution, not the US soldier, only the US military because his family makes money when the military uses ordinance. Go ahead and Google "Bush and bin Laden".

Posted by: BooMan | Oct 31, 2007 4:45:43 PM

correction - can not be that dumb

Posted by: spock | Oct 31, 2007 4:29:31 PM

Brenda - Jeff seems ideologically blinded by his hatred for Bush, See Pres Bush ran for the People of the US, not Foreign countries. Who cares if they like us or not.

Kerry did it, Gore did it, I just do not understand why they run for President here if France likes them.

President Bush can be that dumb he beat the Libs twice with the second time a record number of the popular vote, more then even Reagan.

Posted by: spock | Oct 31, 2007 4:28:21 PM

Hey Jake
I got to hand it to you, in one Blog your called a Hilary supporter, and then in this blog your called a Hilary Basher!

Got to wonder!

Posted by: spock | Oct 31, 2007 4:20:36 PM

UGOCHUKWU - Kerry served Honorable, um you forget the question purple hearts, the radio speeches in France, I guess thats honorable for you libs.

Gore? Are you kidding, anybody who Blames the US first can get a Noble Peace Prize! what in the world does his Propaganda Global Warming got to do with Peace, and it shows since they skipped giving it to that woman who saved thousands from the Nazis

Lets see your Clinton/Soros attack on a General who is a Hero

STOP READING LIBERAL PROPAGANDA!!

Posted by: spock | Oct 31, 2007 4:13:38 PM

UGOCHUKWU, I don't like Sen. Hillary Clinton. Not because she is a woman, but because she is a socialist (if not a communist). Back in May, Sen. Clinton said that what the Bush administration touts as an "ownership society" really is an "on your own" society that has widened the gap between rich and poor. She also said: "It's time for a new beginning, for an end to government of the few, by the few and for the few, time to reject the idea of an "on your own" society and to replace it with shared responsibility for shared prosperity. I prefer a "we're all in it together" society."

CONNECT THE DOTS! First she said that an "ownership society" is really an "on your own" society. Then she says it's time to reject an "on your own" society. Thus she says we should reject an "ownership society" and "replace it shared responsibility for shared prosperity." That is Marxist!

Posted by: James Danley | Oct 31, 2007 4:08:00 PM

This is hopeful and perhaps constructive criticism for I do not want to block or interfere with any one candidate at this time. I had been a “key” individual and for the public within the shadows of the U.S. government since the lost of the space shuttle Columbia, and then I became more to the forefront with my concerns over the safety issues within NASA and became a whistle blower, courtroom activist, jailed without trial, lost of family. I am a person who chose to go to Vietnam with the HAWK unit as a marine in 1965 and later became a computer scientist and if people talked with me between the years of 1986 to yesterday they would think of me as a rebel because they had not yet realized they had been so badly mislead and in a fog of marketing of professionals. Today I am very hopeful that our candidates are on both sides genuinely preparing their platform for the best interest of the United States and not for their personal agenda. I am in ill health, and have been since Vietnam, otherwise I would been much more active as a human within our social fabric, our national security is still weak, our environmental protection is much weaker, the national farmers associations will have critical problems, our health system are unfair and in disarray, the national school system is in a “Clear and Present” danger (from all classes and from birth many family‘s are disconnected with their children), etc, etc,. Currently our enemy is genuine and with terrorism, but very soon with the crisis of global environmental losses in food and resources there will be border conflicts, and foreign wars. I am very concerned over the recovery of the United States at this time in our evolutionary period, and who takes command of the U.S. Government. The world cannot function well without a functioning government within the United States, and I believe most of the world governments realize that to be true. I have combated terrorism in South Vietnam and their the street orphans constantly helped me in avoiding contact with the enemy when I was alone and vulnerable, I was under orders not to engage the enemy and not to be captured , but I was also constantly present amongst the civilians. Now decades later I am again in a deep and critical matter that requires attention by national leaders and they choose to abandon me, persecute me, and after it is determined that I am correct, they remain further in distance and only one comes forward with a recent hand shake. The next leader of this nation has a task of recovery of reuniting of rebuilding, and so far I have not seen that spirited platform appear within any of the parties. I hope my reflections and statements are of some use. Note: I use to sing and talk to my children from the day they were born, and I would talk to them about the clothing they wore, or at cafeterias I would let them pick their food even at the early age of 6 months, we had a ongoing open and friendly relationship.

Posted by: Williamwfh | Oct 31, 2007 4:04:10 PM

It is heartening to know that after all the ridicule President Reagan took from democrats for the movie, Bedtime for Bonzo, the frontrunner would only poll 46-48% against “any republican” prior to the debate and most likely only 43% against Bonzo after this debate.

Posted by: flyover | Oct 31, 2007 3:48:20 PM

ABC PULLED MY POST! Is it because I pointed out your bias?

Posted by: jim | Oct 31, 2007 3:46:15 PM

I want to ask if Jake Tapper is favors
one party 'cause every time I check on the comments,it is full of Mrs Clinton
bashers.I posted a comment at one time and went back to check but was not there
any more.I do observe that he has always
posted more of unfavorable comments about the Clinton and nobody else. WHAT IS GOING ON?

Posted by: UGOCHUKWU | Oct 31, 2007 3:45:17 PM

Why didn't she just say "sooner, rather than later," when she meant "never." It worked for the "most ethical administration" before.

Posted by: taxplan | Oct 31, 2007 3:28:54 PM

SHAME,SHAME,SHAME,there we go again folks,the right hate mongers have already started and it is not the general election yet. What are you guys
afraid of on Hillary Clinton? is 'cause
she is a woman? is it cause she is Bill's wife,is it cause you hate mongers
do not like women being in charge? what
is it cause it bugs me why some people
are so narrow minded. You guys last time
I checked went after AL Gore on many
issues like global warming ten years ago
and now he is a nobel peace prize winner
You guys went after John Kerry,a man who
served, I repeat served his country in
Vietnam,you went after former Georgia
senator Maxclelan,a disable vet who lost
both leggs and one ,calling him a liberal 'cause of his stands with the
Irag war. Where are your taugths. This
time you guys are going after her,fool
me once and the country but this time
It is not going to work. Brenda and others bashing,you out of touch right
winggers, get a life 'cause she is going
to be the next president of the united
states.

Posted by: UGOCHUKWU | Oct 31, 2007 3:27:16 PM

If Hilary were a male, this stupid sniping would disappear, and she would be considered according to her merits. Get over it, and I'm sorry... but I wanted so much to believe Obama would take the high road, but he's like a kid poking a dog with a stick. He has much less substance than I would have hoped.

BUT all of these issues are complicated. People are allowed to consider and change their minds - Geez, it shows that they THINK about things - this goes for all the candidates. We now have an administration that NEVER corrects it's views, and it' s HORRIBLE. Let's see what these folk have to offer, not who's the best at sniping.

Posted by: kcareymac | Oct 31, 2007 3:24:03 PM

This seems to be a classic example of the "good Hillary/bad Hillary" personae which, like Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde, the junior senator from New York often manifests. When Sen. Clinton doesn't respond to the political attacks and the baiting, she seems competent and presidential; when she triangulates her position and tries to be everything to everybody, she seems indecisive and calculating. The other candidates smelled her blood in the water and began to attack, most deservedly, when she seemingly expressed support for Gov. Spitzer without supporting him. It's obvious she's a follower of Lewis Carroll, but shouldn't be: "A word means exactly what I want it to mean, neither more nor less."

Posted by: chuck | Oct 31, 2007 3:21:13 PM

So everyone on all the campaigns are reading everything we (the real people) are saying and all their opionions will change tomorrow. Love this country, can't wait to read the news.

Posted by: ME | Oct 31, 2007 3:21:06 PM

I HEARD A COUPLE OF COMMENTS EARLIER SAYING THAT OBAMA AND CLINTON ANSWERED THE SAME REGARDING THE QUESTION OF ISSUING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT'S IDS TO DRIVE. OBAMA SAID THIS"I think that it is the right idea, and I disagree with Chris because there is a public safety concern. We can make sure that drivers who are illegal come out of the shadows, that they can be tracked, that they are properly trained, and that will make our roads safer.

That doesn't negate the need for us to reform illegal immigration.

UNLESS YOU WERE OUTSIDE TAKING A BREATHERLIZER TEST, WHAT DID THEY NOT UNDERSTAND REGARDING OBAMA'S ANSWER?

HERE IS SENATOR CLINTONS ANSWER:
Russert: Senator Clinton, I just want to make sure of what I heard. Do you, the New York senator, Hillary Clinton, support the New York governor's plan to give illegal immigrants a driver's license?

You told the New Hampshire paper that it made a lot of sense. Do you support his plan?

Clinton: You know, Tim, this is where everybody plays "gotcha." It makes a lot of sense. What is the governor supposed to do? He is dealing with a serious problems. We have failed. And George Bush has failed. Do I think this is the best thing for any governor to do? No. But do I understand the sense of real desperation, trying to get a handle on this? Remember, in New York, we want to know who's in New York. We want people to come out of the shadows.

I WAS JUST AS CONFUSED AS OBAMA!



Posted by: James | Oct 31, 2007 3:17:06 PM

Apparently Hillary supporters are blindsided by the fact that its Bill they really want. Let's face it..after last night's debate, its apparent the woman is an idiot with little integrity. The woman cannot answer a question without blaming someone else thinking that's the answer to the question. Too evasive and non-committal to any issue. Bad for the country not to have answers for issues in our country during a campaign.

Posted by: cbeargal | Oct 31, 2007 3:16:42 PM

I would like someone to win that has actually RAN something. Perhaps been a Governer. Even Rudy with Mayor experience is a little better than a Senator. They are all under qualified to run this country. It would be good to have run a state, money, laws etc.
so they at least have a clue. I believe a vote for Hillary is a vote for Bill. He will be President she will be his puppet.

Posted by: ME | Oct 31, 2007 3:02:24 PM

STEVEN: What the h*ll was that? First, there is a key next to the "A" key on your keyboard...it's called the caps lock key. Push it once. Secondly, are you literate? There were more sentence fragments, run on sentences and spelling mistakes than I have even seen in one location at one time! I tried to read your posting and honestly I don't know what side you are on or what you were trying to say for that matter! YIKES!

Posted by: Julio | Oct 31, 2007 3:01:12 PM

This nation DOES NOT need any more family rule. If Clinton is elected it will have been decades that we have been under the leadership of only 2 families! I thought we broke away from this $%@&* long ago!

Posted by: RW | Oct 31, 2007 2:57:41 PM

The bottom line? As much as I'd like to vote for a woman, I just don't trust Hillary and I don't think she could win the general election. She should put personal ambition aside and do what's best for the party by withdrawing from the race.

Posted by: Bob | Oct 31, 2007 2:54:07 PM

Hey I do not mind them attacking President Bush! It shows their lack of respect for the office, and in doing that shows they do not deserve to take the office. And Also they show ignorance because the last time I read President Bush unfortunately can not run again.

They out right lie, which anybody with a unbrainwashed brian can find out for themselves,

1 - Cancer Death Rates that they said were up, there was a report that cancer Death rates have gone down

2 - Social Security under Clinton was to survive to 2055 but under Bush it went to 2042, well half lie again under Clinton it was to run out in 2037, Pres Bush went up to 2042

3 - Bush Lied - Well where were the facts???

Posted by: spock | Oct 31, 2007 2:53:10 PM

Interesting that when pushed to give a clear "yes" or "no" answer she still waffled all around--even later.
If she felt her answer was not clear then she would have insisted on clearing up the issue but she did not. That indicates that she really did not want to clear up the matter--probably as has been pointed out -- because she is afraid of alienating people who diagree with her.
The other candidates and possibly her final Republican opponent will be hitting her hard with continued references like "There you go again without explaining yourself". If she does not come up with a defensive tact to dela with it then it wil be BYE BYE Hillary.

Posted by: John | Oct 31, 2007 2:49:23 PM

They were all eating crow last night about campaign contributions as well. I looked at guys like Dodd and Kucinich, and I have more respect for them now, since they stick to their principals and true to their issues. What is everyone's opinion about Al Gore getting into the race? Does he have time? The true desire?

Posted by: Alex | Oct 31, 2007 2:45:20 PM

They are all weather vanes. Their people read what everyone is saying and jump on the lastest band wagon. So far like I said before, what are they going to do for US? So far nothing. We can bash Bush til we are blue in the face but the point is to replace him, move forward. What are these candidates going to do to make it better? That is what I want to hear. Not what has been done wrong what is going to be done right. Then stick to what they say. That is what I want. But hey I'm an American and it doesn't seem to matter what I want. I am beginning to feel like the minority in this country.

Posted by: ME | Oct 31, 2007 2:39:53 PM

Look at New York. You have all the Rangels, Sharptons, Clintons, Spitzers, etc. Then people want to know why we in the South still want to seceed.

Posted by: Alex | Oct 31, 2007 2:36:43 PM

Like I heard someone say: Hillary is a weather vane and not a compass. She will go any way the popular wind is blowing. A President - a leader - should not just do what the masses want, otherwise they'd just be a follower and not a leader.

Posted by: Mark | Oct 31, 2007 2:32:15 PM

Clinton had Vince Foster killed? Riiiiiiiight. But nonetheless, Hillary is not a good choice for the Democratic nominee. She, like McCain, is too power-hungry. She should remain a strong Senatorial Democrat and let someone much more qualified - like Al Gore - run for President.

Posted by: Mike F | Oct 31, 2007 2:32:14 PM

Hillay appears to say whatever will cover the widest swath of opinion. You want to hear yes? Well, thar ya go! But with a qualifier, for those who wanted to hear "no". Got it all covered that way. Defiantly against something? Well so is she, in principle anyway, leave the "in practice" part to her, for she's far more wiley than the commoners, and you'll just have to understand she would've done what you wanted, only she's smarter than you and had to do it her way ultimately. Got that? Good. I was being sarcastic, by the way.

Posted by: Jim | Oct 31, 2007 2:28:35 PM

It was funny and revealing of her lack of character, watching her waffle all last night blame everything on Bush and Cheney. Governor Spitzer will give illegals a drivers license and hillary is blaming it on Bush. Yet she and her fellow Senators are ultimately the body that fail to create effective immigrant legislation. Last night she even sidestepped a qustion about tax increases, and blamed it on Haliburton. Hillary Bush is a fake. Spitzer looks like he wears eyeliner...blame that on Bush as well.

Posted by: New Yorker | Oct 31, 2007 2:28:22 PM

The ONE and ONLY reason I would vote for Hillary is to get BILL back in office. She's just there for show and everyone knows its true.

Posted by: JT | Oct 31, 2007 2:27:33 PM

EDWARDS ATTACK THE WOMAN A CHAUVENSITIC EDWARDS DITN GET HIGH SCORE-HE LOST. ALSO HILLARY DONT WANT TO BE IN THE BAG- THEN LATER IT BITE HER- TIM RUSSERT VERY BULL AND TRICKY GUY- HILLARY WAS SMART LAST NIGHT- ONLY THE CLINTON CAN GET BACK IN SHAPE IN OUR AMERICA JUST LIKE BEFORE; AMERICA IS GREAT-AMERICA WS GREAT UNDER THE CLINTON RMEMBER THAT TO ALL YOU AMERICAN PEOPLE OR AMERICAN PEOPLE RMEBER THE GOOD TIMES. WE HAVE GOOD ALMOST EVERYTHING AND WE HAVE SURPLUS REPUBLICAN PARTY BANKRUPT THE COUNTRY UNDER THE BSUH ADM, AND MESSY BUSH ACT LIKE HE HAS A NETAL PROBLEM AS KUSINICH ARGUMENT OR COMMNET. EDWARDS A LOSWR LIAR GEMINI BORN GUY- HE DONT GO NOWHERE. CHAUVENSITIC GUY SHOUD NOT ATTACK AWOMAN/ EVBEN REPUBLICAN- THEYR MOTHERS AND AUNT AND REALTIVES ARE WOMEN. HILLARY SI NON-INCUMBERNT CANDIATE AND WELL EXPREIENCE.55 YEARS IN CHCILDREN ADVOCATE /WOMNE AND WOEMN RIGHTS AND ETC. SHES GOOD WE NED A LADY LIKE HER- WISH ALL AMERICAN PEOPLE CAN SEE THROUGH ALL HER GOOD THINGS SHE DID DURING HER HHUSBAND TERMS. GOD BLESS YOU HILLARY UR THE EBST IN MY OPINION.
UR CARING LADY OTHER NOT GOOD. JUST TLAK NO SUSBTANCE.

Posted by: STEVEN | Oct 31, 2007 2:26:02 PM

Clinton had Vince Foster killed after she had an affair with him. This doesn't even top the list of the crooked things they have done. The Clintons are such scoundrels.

Posted by: Marlena | Oct 31, 2007 2:12:33 PM

Just a note: having an editor go through your article(s), or at the very least, proof-reading them before they're available for public viewing can go a long way.

Posted by: Rodney | Oct 31, 2007 2:05:35 PM

Brenda - Well so far Bush has only delivered the worst case scenario. Lies, deception, arrogance, stupidity, etc, etc, etc... It hard to get any worse than Bush/Cheney.

Posted by: Jeff | Oct 31, 2007 1:35:35 PM

Wow doesn't that qualify all politicians? Not just Bush. How about Mr. Clinton? Some just aren't caught yet and others don't make the news.

Posted by: ME | Oct 31, 2007 1:53:58 PM

She made many mistakes last night. She troubles me greatly.

Posted by: Dennis | Oct 31, 2007 1:53:48 PM

This article has some grammatical mistakes. Consider running it through spellcheck again.

Posted by: michael | Oct 31, 2007 1:50:21 PM

Doesn't matter unless she flip-flops on Israel ( and she won't do that. She is more ambitious than ethical).

Then they will flush her.

Posted by: Rob | Oct 31, 2007 1:48:02 PM

Given the fact that no one on this board is privy to more that 5% of the intelligence information presented to the President on a daily basis, please explain how you can determine Bush's level of intelligence. Anyone who has spoken with him will tell you he is an extraordinarily intelligent person. Yes, maybe he struggles speaking in public, but this is not an indication of his intelligence...unless you feel that you can judge a person's entire character and intelligence level by the few times a year you see him on TV... But enough about Bush, this article isn't about him.

Posted by: Brenda | Oct 31, 2007 1:47:02 PM

Jeff: This article has nothing to do with Bush. In case you don't know, he didn't debate last night. You constantly bashing Bush every opportunity you get shows who you really are...a liberal democrat with no other agenda but "hate-Bush". Let's focus on the issues at hand instead of using this as a platform to launch your agenda.

Posted by: Brenda | Oct 31, 2007 1:42:35 PM

I say we ammend the constitution and put BUSH/CHENEY in for four more years.

Posted by: jim bob | Oct 31, 2007 1:41:17 PM

Jeff: Typical liberal comment...change the subject by making a "hate-Bush" comment. 1) Bush has nothing to do with Hillary's flip-flopping. 2) Bush has remained constant in his stance (whether you agree with him or not) for seven years...he hasn't changed his values for political gain. 3) Even if you think Bush is the "village idiot", that's no reason to elect Hillary...stupidest arguement I ever heard (transparent attempt to use this article to promote your liberal "hate-Bush" agenda). 4) The reason people around the world don't think Hillary is an idiot is simply because they don't know her yet. I would venture to guess that many around the world think she's a fool for turning a blind eye to her husband's sexcapades for the past 20 years. Any femanist should think she's an idiot with no values...

Posted by: Brenda | Oct 31, 2007 1:39:45 PM

SteveW, I agree. Last night won't dissuade her voters, most of whom are, as you indicate, lukewarm to begin with. Her supporters also a progressive bunch, and she managed to stay on message with respect to progressive causes (immigration reform, alt min repeal) albeit flimsily. I think.

Posted by: cordelia525 | Oct 31, 2007 1:36:21 PM

Brenda - Well so far Bush has only delivered the worst case scenario. Lies, deception, arrogance, stupidity, etc, etc, etc... It hard to get any worse than Bush/Cheney.

Posted by: Jeff | Oct 31, 2007 1:35:35 PM

Hillary has no plans. Anything she is telling you now is nothing more than a political promise. I live in NY and when she campaigned for Senator she promised the world...so far she has delivered nothing, and I do mean "nothing". And she can't blame it on being stopped by republicans either because this state is vastly democratic, both in population and leadership. She's a power-monger who will say anything to gain more power...she doesn't give a rat's #$%^& about the people who elect her.

Posted by: Brenda | Oct 31, 2007 1:32:17 PM

Brenda - Kind-of like all the misinformed people that voted for Bush. It too late to erase all damage he has done to the US. Atleast one thing that H. Clinton has is people around the world don't think she is the village idiot.

Posted by: Jeff | Oct 31, 2007 1:30:48 PM

ME, the problem is that the political game has turned so nasty that the qualified people for president are not about to subject their familis to it. I dont blame them. Hillary is just an example of what is left over, it's sad.

Posted by: jim bob | Oct 31, 2007 1:28:50 PM

ME, the problem is that the political game has turned so nasty that the qualified people for president are not about to subject their familis to it. I dont blame them. Hillary is just an example of what is left over, it's sad.

Posted by: jim bob | Oct 31, 2007 1:28:43 PM

Millie: Calling the President a murderer is a pretty serious claim...I hope you done all your homework and you're not just jumping on the liberal "hate-Bush" band-wagon. As for Ku-sin-ich, I think he showed his true colors last night. People may not like Bush, but I think his comments were uncalled for and showed who he really is. But I don't expect anything less from a liberal...

Posted by: Brenda | Oct 31, 2007 1:28:36 PM

WE want to know WHO is in New York! WE want to know WHO is everywhere. Hillary is part of the WE! Beware of the WE! WE have plans.

Posted by: GM | Oct 31, 2007 1:24:53 PM

SteveW: That was very well put. The driver's license issue is crystal clear to me...illegals tend to favor liberals because they, by-and-large, support amnisty. Who are they going to vote for? You are correct though, she only has a handful of core supporters. Right now, she is completely beholden to the far left to sustain the support of organizations like MoveOn.org and the Democracy Alliance (aka George Soros and his money). For this reason she only has the extreme far left as her base. Once she gets the nomination, watch how fast she runs back to the middle. My fear is that her support will grow among moderates and then if she is elected, she will show who she really is, a socialist...but by that time, it will be too late.

Posted by: Brenda | Oct 31, 2007 1:24:48 PM

I am a 100% Obama suporter and think he did a terrific job last night bringing up important issues without insulting anyone. However, regarding the question asked of Kucinich, as a science teacher I must clarify that a UFO is an unidentified flying object and many people have seen them. It is just an object that does not look like an airplane or other identifiable craft. It may be a meteor, or even a piece of space debris entering the atmosphere. It does not have to be aliens! As to Bush being mentally ill, I can see no other rational explanation to all the bullying, arrogance, and plain murder he has committed.

Posted by: Millie | Oct 31, 2007 1:20:04 PM

If "illegal alian" = "undocumented worker" then does "drug dealer" = "unlicensed pharmacist"?

Posted by: Brenda | Oct 31, 2007 1:12:08 PM

I haven't seen but a few outright Hillary supporters on this blog, which is the only one I post on. Even when I go to blogs with 'liberal' or 'progressive' in the blog title, I see less than wholehearted support for Hillary-corp, as if she's the lesser of eight evils, and they want the 90's back. They don't care that she won't answer a direct question until her handlers have a day or so to do some polling and spin out a position. Many of her few strong supporters, though, like what she REALLY believes. She said last night that we should have passed the Immigration Reform Bill--it failed because a huge majority of Americans oppose blanket amnesty--but her few core supporters want that. She flip-flopped badly on the New York drivers license for illegals question--because she knows that a huge majority of New Yorkers are against it. But her few core supporters want drivers licenses for illegals, because once they have drivers licenses, they can VOTE...illegally, of course, but to Hillary supporters, a vote is a vote. She said last night that she would pare down the military by BILLIONS of dollars, yet she conceded that she would have to continue the war against terrorism for YEARS!!! That, of course, doesn't make practical sense, but her few core supporters want those drastic military cuts that the majority of Americans don't want. Her performance last night was not good--that is true. It was not good because she got caught a few times saying what she really thinks....and once the rest of America knows what she REALLY believes, it's over for her. Really.

Posted by: SteveW | Oct 31, 2007 1:11:04 PM

Her answer on the driver's license issue was stupid. How is giving an illegal a driver's license going to "bring about comprehensive immigration reform"? This was just an opportunity to take a shot at Bush. She then said that the possibility of them having an accident and harming someone is great. So...how is giving them a driver's license going to help? They will still be driving on the same roads with the same vehicles. All this does is makes the government issued driver's license a non-valid form of identification because anyone can get one. Brilliant idea!

Posted by: Brenda | Oct 31, 2007 1:09:34 PM

I am just so sick of all of this so soon. The reality is not a one of these people will do this country any good. They have not YET said what they will do for this country. Too busy bashing each other. Try that first and I may listen. If elections were today I would not vote. It doesn't matter who we get our government is a joke. They do not work together they try to upstage each other. Sad for this country. Hilary has been in NYS for a few years and all she has done for us is promote her book and her election. Do we still have to pay her?

Posted by: ME | Oct 31, 2007 1:04:04 PM

The question on UFO's was irrelevant.We all have seen strange things-especially when it comes to the political system. I have more tust in the UFO's and I haven't seen one.

Posted by: D. Kerns | Oct 31, 2007 1:02:38 PM

Jerry, if you call getting called to the carpet for talking out both sides of her mouth for political gain "ganging up on Hillary" so be it, but if people are ignorant enough to elect someone who is obviously only out for herself and power, then we deserve what we get...a socialist who wants to tax us to the gills and turn us into a anti-capitalism, socialist country. BTW, anyone will get Bush out of office in '08...it's the end of his 2nd term...

Posted by: Brenda | Oct 31, 2007 1:01:08 PM

I think they should have pushed her for a yes or no answer. I was a Clinton supporter in the beginning when she announced her candidacy, but after reading up on her position and watching her in debates, I am honestly not sure where she stands on many things for precisely the reason demonstrated in this debate; she answers questions on issues based on the political value of the answer and not based on what she actually thinks. That is unacceptable in every way. I think both Obama and Edwards are far better choices at this point. Although I have to say that the best overall candidate from either party remains the Republican, Dr. Ron Paul. All the other GOP candidates are garbage though.

Posted by: Tom G | Oct 31, 2007 1:00:41 PM

Step One: Triangulate - take all sides of a position.

Step Two: If step one fails, blame Bush (even though Congress stalled his comprehensive immigration proposal).

The most telling sentence from Hillary was "You know, Tim, this is where everybody plays 'gotcha.'" Well, as President and a leader, you have to make decisions so get used to 'gotcha'.

Posted by: Kevin | Oct 31, 2007 12:59:23 PM

Did you noticed at last night's Democratic debate that Hillary have set
aside that hyena's laugh (cuckle) despite the attacks thrown at her ? Remember how she tried to parry Tim and George's tough question with it on their shows with the prolonged cuckle ? Where was her vaunted counter punch as she bragged of decking her attackers ? I don't know if this debate will change the dynamic of the campaign, but certainly it affirms that Hillary is a very pliable candidate that in Tech hardware lingo, she is classified as a programmable chip. So, I therefore categorized the debate as a Hillary Reset. What do you think ?

Posted by: wilson | Oct 31, 2007 12:57:25 PM

Ok, according to the state of New York you must have a drivers license and valid insurance to drive in the State of New York. If illegal immigrants are driving now without a license and insurance and risking the consequences, what is a 2nd law stating the same thing going to do to stop them?

If Hillary is such an "intuitive thinker", why didn't she think of that?

Let's face it, having Hillary in office would be no different than GWB or her husband Billy. Yet another administration based on lies and only thinking about themselves.

Posted by: Michael | Oct 31, 2007 12:55:04 PM

Sorry...Hillary is the front-runner and I'm not willing to turn my country over to a flip-flopping socialist while you people hem and haw trying to make up your minds who to vote for. If you don't want to hear the truth, read something else!

Posted by: Brenda | Oct 31, 2007 12:53:01 PM

Its obvious the other candidates are getting desperate and the media wants to create some conflict so its lets gang up on Hillary time. Stiop trying to dissect every word she says into several possible meanings and get on with getting BUSH out of office. She's the only one capable of doing that at this time.

Posted by: Jerry | Oct 31, 2007 12:52:51 PM

For God's sake, everyone. WHY are you STILL picking on Hillary? Give those of us who haven't made up our minds who to vote for a chance to evaluate her and the other candidates rationally. So until we do, just SHUT UP, stop muddying her name, and let us decide in peace!!

Posted by: Veronica | Oct 31, 2007 12:46:00 PM

I was looking forward to having a women president. What we are going to get is just another politician, is as simple as that. I used to respect Hillary Clinton, but lately as I pay more attention to what she says and does that respect is gone. Calling NY State ILLEGAL Aliens, undocumented immigrants is just a playing with words. They are not entitle to driver licenses, 3/4 of her constituent's do not agree with this plan. Does she listen to them? No!

Voting yes to declare the Iranian Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization, just what Bush needs to declare war with Iran. Did she not learn from the mistake that the Iraq war has turned out to be.

Shame on her, Congress and look for nothing to change in the White House.

Posted by: A Soldier's Mom | Oct 31, 2007 12:43:05 PM

I was a democrat / Hillary supporter until earlier this year when I took a step back, disregarded all the bias and "republican hate" I was being fed and looked at the facts and what was best for our country. The results were amazing. I was blinded to the truth for so long by all the propaganda the liberal media and democrat party was feeding me. Holy crap! I can see how people can't see the truth amid the limited information that is out there, but I would encourage people to think about the level of character a president should have. Bush may not be perfect, but he has stuck to his convictions and hasn't waivered. The Clinton machine is an agenda driven organization. There is no concern for the American people, just power. Open your eyes people!

Posted by: Brenda | Oct 31, 2007 12:37:56 PM

Interesting that you don't mention that Obama also said that he could see issuing the driver's license as an issue of 'public safety' and also declined to endorse, or attack the govenor's plan. I like Hillary and Obama and they both answered the same on this issue, but, Hillary gets all the criticism. Our fine media at work.

Posted by: k | Oct 31, 2007 12:31:23 PM

What came to the surface last night is just the tip of the iceberg. She has no values, she has no principles. All she is concerned about is being popular so if that means changing her stance on key issues depending on who she's talking to, she has no problem with that. Frankly, I don't think anyone can lead a nation without values. A compass, not a weathervane will lead you forward. PS...she also has no qualifications to be president regardless of what she lies, uh I mean tells you.

Posted by: Brenda | Oct 31, 2007 12:29:20 PM

I only caught a portion of the debate last night. I found Sen. Biden's and Sen. Dodd's comments about them fearing Pakistan more than Iran very interesting. YET neither one of them -- at least during the time that I was watching -- attacked Sen. Obama for his comment from several weeks ago saying he would be willing to invade Pakistan.

Now as for issuing driver's licenses to illegal aliens, it is a huge mistake. That actually makes that individual "legal" -- at least at the state level. And then the individual is free to drive LEGALLY anywhere in the country.

Posted by: James Danley | Oct 31, 2007 12:16:32 PM

Senator Clinton is finally being confronted about her trying to preach to the croud saying what she thinks a specific group wants to hear. Not the truth on the issues that most americans want to hear. She wants to attack Bush and that is the basis of her campaign . The only problem with that is everyone agrees with her position on Bush.

Posted by: John McMichael | Oct 31, 2007 12:13:28 PM

Hillary is not the best candidate and it is not a matter of male of female. Mrs Clinton like her husband will say anything as long it gets her in power.
Why she did not ran for Senate for her own State? because she knew she will have been a sure looser period. I will never waste my vote on her.

Posted by: Franco | Oct 31, 2007 12:10:43 PM

Oh poor Tim Russert. There will be hell to pay for him now. The Clintons don't mess around. Better put up an electric security fence Tim, like Juanita Brodderick had to do.

Posted by: JRB | Oct 31, 2007 12:05:10 PM

Hillary kick off your shoes get in the kitchen and cook us something.........

Posted by: Roostercruiser843 | Oct 31, 2007 12:01:06 PM

Well, for me, I didn't go "huh" when you quoted Hillary's comments about giving illegal taxi drivers licenses and suggested it was a contradiction. (?!)

All she said is that she understood why the governor WOULD do it (i.e., to counter a flaw in the current system).

This is typical of intuitive thinkers -- they can follow various arguments and even articulate them to others, all without it being any sort of endorsement.

She was simply explaining the governor's reasoning, but she was not necessarily endorsing his solution at this time. If she had been endorsing it, she would have explicitly said so.

Shame on the others for capitalizing on this "mistake" in how she expressed herself. It's one reason I hate election season... people are more concerned with ripping holes in each other's comments rather than working together to accomplish a task.

Posted by: Jennifer | Oct 31, 2007 12:00:58 PM

Hillary showed America the true Hillary-a person with very little principles who will say and do anything for power--thoughts of Machivelli, Stalin and Lenin come to mind. She will destroy the dems if they persist in promoting her. They have good people in Biden and Obama but are obsessed with calculating Clinton and it ain't gonna fly folks.

Posted by: rockychance | Oct 31, 2007 11:53:32 AM

I think that they are trying to twist what Hillary said...the Governor is trying to do something to make sure that everyone driving in New York State is license, and insurance, is it the best plan, maybe not, but he is coming up with a plan to make the roads safer. I think she clearly stated that the Federal Government should have been doing something about the illegal immigrants, not State by State, I understood her and would vote for her and I think she would make the best President, and any one of the other men running should be proud that she is on their team and work with her not against her.

Posted by: Anita Kramer | Oct 31, 2007 11:49:15 AM

I think that driver's licenses should be considered as licenses to drive. Does that make sense? I mean, state-issued driver's licenses should not necessarily be used by the federal government to control borders. Maybe I'm just old fashioned.

Posted by: reyonthehill | Oct 31, 2007 11:20:19 AM

Gotcha Hillary! The perils of being the frontrunner.

Posted by: megan | Oct 31, 2007 11:20:01 AM

Ahh! the Gotcha point! I think Obama finally got teeth, good for him, even thou I would never vote for any of the socialists I am glad to see them standing up to Clinton.

Hilary has always flipped-flopped, worse then Kerry has ever done!

Thou you got put something up about Kuninch calling Bush mentally ill, but in the same time saying he saw little green men (UFO's)

Posted by: spock | Oct 31, 2007 9:58:48 AM