Saturday, March 15, 2008

15 Mar 2008 07:35 pm

The Delegate Lead Grows

Iowa's final deliberations hand Obama a bigger lead. The AP now gives him 1,610 delegates to Clinton's 1,496.

15 Mar 2008 04:13 pm

Quote For The Day

"If there's a single theme to Obama's intellectual achievements, it's been his ability to sieze upon powerful words and themes, lifting them out of their original context and reframing them to be inclusive and uplifting. Thus, Rev. Wright's fiery sermon on "The Audacity to Hope" in a racialized world becomes the title of Obama's serene meditation on the possibilities of transcending political and racial polarization. That seems to hold true more broadly. It's how Obama is able to credit the honorable motives of his opponents even as he disagrees with them. It's how Obama took the best of what Reverend Wright had to offer - community, inspiration, rebukes for his congregation's shortcomings - and set aside the anger and divisiveness that seemed to him relics of an earlier time," - TPM blogger, Fly.

15 Mar 2008 03:54 pm

The View From Your Window

15 Mar 2008 03:44 pm

Saddam And al Qaeda

15 Mar 2008 03:28 pm

The Obama I Know

A gripping, powerful testimonial from Cass Sunstein.

15 Mar 2008 03:22 pm

Face Of The Day

A Christian pilgrim lights a candle at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher during Palm Sunday vigil on March 15, 2008 in Jerusalem?s Old City, where according to Christian tradition, Jesus Christ rose on the third day following his crucifixion. Christian believers across the world will mark the Holy Week of Easter which celebrates the Resurrection of Christ after his crucifixion on Good Friday. By Gali Tibbon/AFP/Getty.

15 Mar 2008 02:41 pm

Hillary In Da House

The most painful campaign chant yet.

15 Mar 2008 02:33 pm

My Double Standard?

Ed Morrissey says I have one standard for religious criticism for Mormons and another for black Christians. This is so patently unfair that Glenn Reynolds links. Here's my allegedly incriminating statement on Romney and the Mormon church's history of institutional racism (worse, I'd say, than ugly words from the pulpit):

The awful history of the LDS church’s treatment of African-Americans requires an accounting by any leading Mormon …

Here's my statement on Obama's need to address Wright:

It's nutty, offensive and paranoid stuff. And it is perfectly legitimate for reporters and voters to ask questions... Obama needs to be much more forceful and candid in explaining his relationship with Wright... like many people, I wouldn't sit through one of these sermons, let alone come back for more. And it would be helpful, to say the very least, if Obama told us more candidly why he did and does.

Can someone tell me where the double standard is? And is it legit for a blogger to accuse another blogger of a double standard and not actually link to the current post he is citing? How can a reader fairly judge whether Morrissey or Reynolds is being fair when they deny the reader the chance to read the full context? Or was that the point?

I should add that the record is absolutely clear that I never argued that Romney's faith should be used in any way against him in public life, and in fact repeatedly, strongly argued that it should not. I opposed him because he was one of the biggest phonies to run for president in my lifetime. And even partisan Republican voters agreed.

15 Mar 2008 02:08 pm

Abortion And Torture

The debate continues. A reader writes:

"Many women believe they are acting out of compassion (however mistakenly); is it possible for a torturer to hold similar beliefs?"

In fact, it is possible. During the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions, the primary purpose of torture was to get the victim to convert to Catholicism. Those doing the torturing believed that the conversion would save the victim's soul. So they did, in fact, consider torture to be an act of compassion (the ultimate act of compassion, actually). And often the victim would be killed after the torture, but that was okay because the soul had already been saved.  How compassionate.

15 Mar 2008 02:01 pm

Educated-Guess Reviews

15 Mar 2008 01:38 pm

Obama On Wright

The candidate responds to the controversy by writing about his faith and church at the Huffington Post:

The pastor of my church, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, who recently preached his last sermon and is in the process of retiring, has touched off a firestorm over the last few days. He's drawn attention as the result of some inflammatory and appalling remarks he made about our country, our politics, and my political opponents.

Let me say at the outset that I vehemently disagree and strongly condemn the statements that have been the subject of this controversy. I categorically denounce any statement that disparages our great country or serves to divide us from our allies.

Continue reading "Obama On Wright" »

15 Mar 2008 01:12 pm

Obama Talks About Wright

He spoke with CNN, MSNBC, and Fox. Fox didn't treat him with kid gloves: in fact, I've rarely heard a more inquisitory interview with respect to someone's pastor. But Obama seemed as cool as ever:

15 Mar 2008 12:51 pm

Elections In Iran

It was a relatively big turn-out, and with a depressingly large - and pre-ordained - majority for the most extreme. Anecdotal evidence beforehand suggested little genuine enthusiasm:

"I have voted once in 30 years, and that was for the creation of an Islamic Republic" says an old gentleman who deals in real estate. "I'm not going to get [expletive] again."

Driving back to the hotel late at night, my taxi driver is clearly drunk. As we careen along the near-empty expressway, he belts out made-up lyrics to "Old McDonald", ending in a refrain that has something to do with getting a visa to France and drinking viski. Pointing at a billboard of a senior bearded cleric he shouts, "Shaitan!" (Satan) and draws a finger across his throat. Somewhat timidly, I ask in my limited Farsi about the elections. He cackles with laughter, then clutches his head in mock-dismay.

(Hat tip: FP)

15 Mar 2008 12:30 pm

The Paparazzi

15 Mar 2008 11:47 am

There Will Be Bud

15 Mar 2008 10:43 am

Clinton and A Michigan/Florida Re-Vote

Not necessarily the best short-term news:

What would happen if an agreement were announced today that there would be re-votes in Florida and Michigan? Immediately, the previous primaries in those states would become dead letters. Instead of being 200,000 votes down in the popular vote (by her campaign's count), or 500,000 down (by my count, which gives Clinton her Florida votes), Clinton would be down in the popular vote by almost 1 million. And 193 delegates that they are currently counting would suddenly disappear.

Friday, March 14, 2008

14 Mar 2008 09:29 pm

Two Wright Decisions

It's a smart thing for Jeremiah Wright to quit any official role in the Obama campaign; and, I'd say, following Larison, that it was right for Obama to make the following distinction:

“I strongly condemn” Wright’s statements, but “I would not repudiate the man,” Obama said. “He’s been preaching for 30 years. He’s a man who was a former Marine, a biblical scholar, someone who’s spoken at theological schools all over the country.

“That’s the man I know,” Obama said. “That’s the man who was the pastor of this church.”

But Obama acknowledged that “there’s no doubt this is going to be used as political fodder, as it has been in the past.”

“What I hope is [that] what the American people will trust is what I believe,” he said, that “my values, my ideas, what I’ve spoke about in terms of bringing the country together will override a guilt by association.”

This won't end the debate, and shouldn't. But it's a classy move. You don't disown a man this close to Obama's spiritual development over the years for political reasons. Obama's not a Clinton. But a more forceful explanation of why and how Obama rejects Wright's most inflammatory sound-bites would be helpful at some point. A bigger speech reiterating his own rejection of racial resentment would be even better - soon. Why not in a black church?  Obama's more developed explanation for his membership of Wright's church and closeness to the man is in his first book. A critical passage can be read here.

14 Mar 2008 08:11 pm

Comparing Abortion And Torture Ctd.

A reader writes:

I don't see what the difficulty is in trying to decide which to prioritize when making a voting decision, abortion or torture. Here's the bottom line if you're against both. If we vote an anti-torture candidate into office, the torture will stop. If we vote an anti-abortion candidate into office, abortion will most likely continue unabated. Moreover, the only way to stop torture is to put someone who is against it in charge of the military and intelligence services. You can work to stop abortion (and succeed) regardless of who is running the country.

It is perfectly reasonable to believe that stopping millions of abortions is more important than preventing the torture of a few hundred prisoners. But that's really not the choice now, is it?

14 Mar 2008 06:34 pm

Petraeus: The Surge Has Failed

14 Mar 2008 05:30 pm

Women And Hillary

14 Mar 2008 05:08 pm

Face Of The Day

14 Mar 2008 04:28 pm

Dealing With Wright

Rod thinks Obama needs a Checkers speech. He quotes Larison:

Obviously, I don’t share Wright’s views, and Obama claims not to share all of them, but I have to ask seriously what kind of man Obama would be if he disowned his spiritual father for the sake of the approval of others (who may not give their approval even if he did what is being demanded). No one that I would want to entrust with any office of importance, that’s for sure.

14 Mar 2008 04:18 pm

Clinton On Michigan

"It's clear. This election they're having is not going to count for anything."

14 Mar 2008 03:33 pm

Obama Cracks 50 Percent

In both Gallup and Rasmussen.

14 Mar 2008 03:30 pm

Is Wright Actually Good For Obama?

I'm dubious, but Al Giordano has a point:

Given that some public opinion polls say that as much as 13 percent of the electorate still thinks Barack Obama is a Muslim, the more focus on his Christian pastor the more that smear gets permanently erased.

14 Mar 2008 03:23 pm

What Obama Saw in Wright's Church

A reader says that we cannot know what is in Obama's heart, and to a certain extent, that's true. My reader believes therefore that Wright's racist anger is what Obama truly believes - and is now concealing. All I can say is that very, very few public figures have been so candid about why and how they found the message of Jesus so compelling, or have explained their faith journey so pellucidly (certainly not our spiritually inarticulate current president). The appeal of that church to Obama was not anger or racism or the ugliness in some of Jeremiah Wright's tub-thumping. What Obama discovered - as a previous atheist - was the spiritual power of Christian hope.

Here's the relevant section:

"And in that single note - hope! - I heard something else; at the foot of that cross, inside the thousands of churches across the city, I imagined the stories of the ordinary black people merging with the stories of David and Goliath, Moses and Pharaoh, the Christians in the lion's den, Ezekiel's field of dry bones.  Those stories - of survival, and freedom, and hope - became our story, my story; the blood that had been spilled was our blood, the tears our tears; until the black church, on this bright day, seemed once more a vessel carrying the story of a people into future generations and into a larger world. 

Our trials and triumphs became at once unique and universal, black and more than black; in chronicling our journey, the stories and songs gave us a means to reclaim memories that we didn't need to feel shamed about, memories more accessible than those of ancient Egypt, memories that all people might study and cherish - and with which we could start to rebuild.  And if part of me continued to feel that this Sunday communion sometimes simplified our condition, that it could sometimes disguise or suppress the very real conflicts among us and would fulfill its promise only through action, I also felt for the first time how that spirit carried within it, nascent, incomplete, the possibility of moving beyond our narrow dreams."

My italics. I don't know how you can read Obama's writing or listen to any of his speeches and believe that Wright's ugliest messages are what Obama believes or has ever believed. He wrote these words long before he was running for president. They struck me powerfully as I read them; because they helped me understand how hard hope can be for the very poor or those from broken families or gripped with addiction. I don't see how the impulse to listen to, bond with, and help those people is an ugly impulse, however ugly the anger that can come from those places sometimes is.

(Photo: Jeff Haynes/AFP/Getty.)

14 Mar 2008 03:10 pm

Clinton's Pennsylvania Negatives

On a par with Santorum's.

14 Mar 2008 03:06 pm

Obama's Pork

The Chicago Tribune blog does its job. It's never pretty but I don't see this list as anything worse than usual. Where's Clinton's pork list? And where are her tax returns??

14 Mar 2008 03:06 pm

A Voice-Less Phone Call

14 Mar 2008 03:04 pm

Ugly Out There

Clinton fans take it out on a HuffPuff blogger. My email in-tray isn't as rough. Have I scared them all away? C'mon. Give me hell.

14 Mar 2008 03:02 pm

Waiting For The Worst

JPod on the Clintons' strategy for staying in the race. They're hoping for more Wright stuff.

14 Mar 2008 02:57 pm

What's Up With Tibet?

Even Fallows is unsure.

14 Mar 2008 02:45 pm

The Dish At Number One

In one study, this blog is the most read by other media sources:

14 Mar 2008 02:39 pm

Obama In Pennsylvania

Rendell thinks he could beat McCain. A new poll suggests Rendell's on to something. Losing to Clinton in the primary doesn't mean anything about the general.

14 Mar 2008 02:34 pm

McCain And Guilt By Association

A typically sane post from Ambers.

14 Mar 2008 02:29 pm

Obama And Unions

Continue reading "Obama And Unions" »

14 Mar 2008 02:24 pm

Slumming As Literature

14 Mar 2008 01:32 pm

Bill Or Hill?

Their spinning ability is looking increasingly threadbare. Fallows:

Listen to the clip to hear for yourself, if you haven't already done so -- but it came down to a "how stupid does she think we are?' argument that it was Obama's own fault that he obeyed the party's rules (as other candidates did) and took his name off the unauthorized Michigan ballot. "We all had a choice as to whether or not to participate," she told Inskeep. "Most people took their names off the ballot, but I didn't. And that was a wise decision, because Michigan is key to our electoral victory in the fall."

My point is not really the merits of this argument. It is the Clinton-v-Clinton contrast. Am I right in remembering that in his prime, Bill Clinton didn't -- or didn't have to -- do things quite this bluntly and ham-handedly? Are we seeing a demonstration during the campaign of a talent gap in basic political skill between the two members of the household? One reason not to think so is that Bill Clinton is presumably involved in these very strategies, which seem so much clumsier than he was in 1992. Another is that he himself has struck same of the same off-notes this year.

14 Mar 2008 12:50 pm

The View From Your Window

14 Mar 2008 12:42 pm

Clinton And S-CHIP

Another exaggeration?

14 Mar 2008 12:34 pm

Uh-Oh

Somewhat worrying:

The three people selected to head the Democratic Convention credentials committee that could have a final say on Florida's presidential-delegate controversy are all former Clinton administration employees.

14 Mar 2008 11:56 am

"A Fighter"

A reader writes:

One thing that both Hillary Clinton and her supporters say is indisputably true:  she is a fighter.  Clinton and her supporters believe that she will fight her opponents to accomplish her goals.  But what does that mean?

Right now, her opponent is a man with whom she agrees on nearly every issue; a man she says she respects and is honored to campaign against.  Despite the undisputed stature and dignity of her opponent, Clinton "fights" him with the most divisive and negative methods she can find.  Instead of simply convincing the American people that she is the better candidate, she feels compelled to throw every possible negative charge against him and see what sticks.

Now, imagine this "fighter" in the White House, attempting to actually achieve the goals she says she'll fight for:  universal health care, bringing troops home from Iraq, etc.  If these are the methods she uses to "fight" an honorable opponent with whom she generally agrees, can you imagine what she'll do as president to opponents with whom she disagrees?

If this is the level of negativity we see when she fights a supporter of universal health care who wants us out of Iraq, just try to envision what she'll throw at anyone from any party who actually disagrees with her goal, or her method of accomplishing her goal.  If this is how she treats someone with whom she is "honored" to campaign, imagine how she'll behave with someone she thinks is wrong, or evil?

Nothing meaningful will get accomplished if she gets back to the White House.

(Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty.)

14 Mar 2008 11:55 am

"Yes We Can"

It occurs to me that the Clinton campaign have finally come up with a rival slogan:

"No She Didn't."

14 Mar 2008 11:50 am

Ike And Hoover

Brief footage of a barbecue in 1954. I love these little video nuggets; but they're not for everyone.

14 Mar 2008 11:29 am

The Poignancy Of Memory

14 Mar 2008 11:05 am

The Wright Stuff

It's nutty, offensive and paranoid stuff. And it is perfectly legitimate for reporters and voters to ask questions. It is not much nuttier than Falwell and Robertson, however. And I don't think it's racist to understand that the black church has a different cultural style in its preaching and activism style that helps add some dimension to Wright's record. If you read Obama's books and listen to him speak about his church, it's clear that he was not drawn by Wright's more inflammatory and offensive language. His engagement with the Church was an attempt to connect with the life and feelings of a black urban class he had never truly belonged to and whom he intended to represent. We can forget what an outsider Obama was when he first came to Chicago.

Nonetheless, Obama needs to be much more forceful and candid in explaining his relationship with Wright. I'm a little leery of getting in between a man and his minister - it's not unlike the lawyer-client relationship in some ways. And, goodness knows, I have had many a priest with whom I have disagreed or even found offensive. But like many people, I wouldn't sit through one of these sermons, let alone come back for more. And it would be helpful, to say the very least, if Obama told us more candidly why he did and does.

This, however, seems to me to be excessive:

Much as most of us would appreciate the symbolism of a black man ascending to the presidency, what we have in Barack Obama is a politician whose closeness to Mr. Wright underscores his radical record.

The media have largely ignored Mr. Obama's close association with Mr. Wright. This raises legitimate questions about Mr. Obama's fundamental beliefs about his country.

Everything we know about Obama's racial politics and rhetorical style - and we know a lot about both - reveals the enormous gulf between him and Wright. This notion that somehow Obama harbors some ambivalence about his own country is not borne out by any facts or any record. The total record of Obama shows a very shrewd but compassionate and engaged rejection of identity politics, not a celebration of its most paranoid and bigoted emanations.

More explanation of the relationship is important. But guilt by association - especially uttered in the dark, McCarthyite tones of this op-ed - says more about the paranoia of the writer than the patriotism of his subject.

14 Mar 2008 10:48 am

Obama Does Not Love America

Does Mona Charen really believe that?

14 Mar 2008 10:38 am

Obama's Next Pastor

A congregation of 6,000 is not exhaustively defined by one minister, and some context helps:

14 Mar 2008 10:32 am

The Damage Done

A reader writes:

I was in a good mood as I walked to the subway this morning -- it was sunny out and I was enjoying my coffee.  As I crossed the street I past a woman wearing a "Hillary" cap, and I became overwhelmed with anger.  I caught myself, and felt stunned and ashamed by what I had just experienced.   This morning I realized my opinions on how much damage would be left in the wake of Hillary's march to the White House were no longer the product of some abstract political conversation I was having in my head.  No, I too was going to be one of those Americans torn apart by the Clintons' divisive and dishonest brand of politics.  What other conclusion could I draw when a baseball cap (and not even a Yankees cap) can fill me with irrational rage towards a middle aged woman who looked like everyone's favorite 1st grade teacher.

One small moment: I was leaving the theater last night and two twentysomething Obama volunteers grabbed me to praise the blog. At the same time, a handsome young man on a date turned around on the sidewalk and told me to go easier on Clinton. Three minutes later, as he drove by in his car, he yelled "Your blog sucks." Emotions are high. They may get higher.

14 Mar 2008 09:51 am

The Logic Of The Math

If she's losing the super-delegates race, and is extremely unlikely to win a majority of pledged delegates, and is behind in the popular vote by over half a million, remind me how she gets to offer Obama the veep slot again?