April 2008 - Posts
Running on Empty :
In a campaign whose race for the super-delegates is reportedly, secretly, over...In a campaign -- the subtext of which -- has been complaint and even metaphorical martyrdom...They are words that would have sent supporters of Senator Clinton into a paroxysm of rage. That the nation needed a president quote "that has testicular fortitude." Our fifth story on the Countdown: that there is no rage and that there are no death threats tonight, explicable thusly: the gonadial reference was made by a labor leader, as he endorsed Senator Clinton, intending it as a compliment to her fortitude. CONTINUED >>
In our third story on the Countdown tonight, we heard from Jim Shank.
His wife, Deborah, was grievously injured in a tractor-trailer crash in 2000, leaving her brain damaged and in need of 24 hour care. When Jim managed to win his wife a settlement from the tractor-trailer company, her former employer, Walmart, successfully sued the Shanks for the lot, claiming that their healthcare plan mandated reimbursement if there was a settlement.
It was only after Countdown - and dozens of other national news outlets - expressed outrage at Walmart's treatment of the Shanks, that the company agreed to withdraw their claim. That was back on April 1st. Yet Deborah Shank's trust fund is still in the company's name.
Walmart says they are trying to protect her from a tax standpoint and that's why it's taking so long. They say they hope to have the trust back in Deborah Shank's name soon.
If you are interested in helping the Shanks, Jim pointed us to this website , which sells merchandise to raise money for Mrs. Shank's ongoing health care.
We covered this in our No.1 story tonight...and we are not above making our own stupid mistakes...but here is the Lincoln Douglas Debate Fox News Style.
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In The Line of Firings If that was, as we postulated here yesterday, a second chance at a first impression... It was a second first impression where the adjectives and the analogies were delivered in car-load lots. Our fifth story on the Countdown: after Reverend Jeremiah Wright's nationally televised train-wreck yesterday... Obama, in his own words today... Said he was: outraged, saddened, angry, shocked, surprised, and disappointed... At the: inexcusable, divisive, destructive, ridiculous, outrageous, and appalling... Caricature, spectacle, exploitation, performance, and rants. CONTINUED >>
This weekend marked the final RTCA dinner for President Bush, and he was ready with some swell zingers and some hilarious highlights from Bush RTCA monologues past. Of course, there were a few jokes that didn't make the cut, so here are a few sidesplitters from the 2004 event that the President felt weren't funny enough to make his list of greatest hits.
(don't let the cruddy video quality distract you from the hilariousness)
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Wright Hook :
The idealized version of that event we all learned about in a social studies class, redolent of chalk dust, was about the issues, was about the character of the aspirants, was about the struggle to divine who would best serve the nation. It was not about the candidates' girlfriends, their marrying-into-money, the things they had said 30 years before, nor their spiritual guides. And the last one of those perfect American presidential elections was... in 1792. When George Washington ran unopposed and only six of the states even had popular votes. Our fifth story on the Countdown: the Reverend Jeremiah Wright is back, not by the hand of Clinton nor the hand of McCain, but by the hand of... Jeremiah Wright. And tonight, Senator Obama has a fateful and, perhaps, decisive decision, to make about him. CONTINUED >>
The Clyburn Interview It has been Senator Clinton's strategy to make Senator Obama seem unelectable in the general election... Yet what if her plan were not just to create an illusion of unelectability... but to actually guarantee that he cannot win in November... all so that she might run again in four years? In our fifth story on the Countdown: internet speculation is one thing. Public suspicion... voiced to and now by a prominent Democratic politician and uncommitted Super Delegate... is something else all together. Congressman James Clyburn of South Carolina, the House Democratic Whip, telling Reuters, quote: "There are African Americans who have reached the decision that the Clintons know that she can't win this. But they're hell-bound to make it impossible for Obama to win " in November... a sentiment he repeated in another interview with the New York Times. Presently Congressman Clyburn, tells us more... CONTINUED >>
Tune in tonight to Countdown with Keith Olbermann at 8p ET for our interview with South Carolina Congressman James Clyburn. He made big waves today with his comments about race and the election in the New York Times ...now Keith will talk to him one on one.
from today's New York Times interview:
One of the nation’s most influential African-American political leaders sharply criticized former President Bill Clinton on Thursday afternoon for what he called his “bizarre” conduct during the Democratic primary campaign.
The black leader, Representative James E. Clyburn, an undeclared superdelegate from South Carolina and the third-ranking Democrat in the House, said “black people are incensed over all of this,” referring to statements Mr. Clinton has made in the course of the heated race between Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama .
Black leaders widely criticized Mr. Clinton after he equated the eventual victory of Mr. Obama in the South Carolina primary in January to that of the Rev. Jesse Jackson in the 1988 primary, a parallel that many took as an effort to diminish Mr. Obama’s success in the campaign.
In a radio interview in Philadelphia on Monday, Mr. Clinton defended his remarks and said the Obama campaign had “played the race card on me” by making an issue of them.
In an interview with The New York Times late Thursday, Mr. Clyburn said Mr. Clinton’s conduct in this campaign had caused what might be an irreparable breach between Mr. Clinton and an African-American constituency that once revered him.
“When he was going through his impeachment problems, it was the black community that bellied up to the bar,” Mr. Clyburn said. “I think black folks feel strongly that this is a strange way for President Clinton to show his appreciation.”
Clock the Vote : For Democrats more interested in the election than in the nomination... The distant sound of the bugle, echoing from the horizon. The cavalry is coming! Led by... Harry Reid. Our fifth story on the Countdown: asked by a reporter if he would be forced to weigh-in with undecided superdelegates... The Senate Majority Leader today replying: "I might have to." What is more... the Democratic Leader of the Senate adding that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and DNC Chairman Howard Dean... might be willing to join him. And their contemplated bold action? A letter-writing campaign. CONTINUED >>
Paul Rieckhoff, the Executive Director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America who joined us on Countdown tonight, has compiled a comprehensive website devoted to the new GI Bill.
Check it out here .
What's Changed? And the Democrats will continue. Not only continue, but commemorate. Saturday -- this Saturday -- marks exactly one year... since the first... Democratic Presidential debate. Our fifth story on the Countdown: tonight neither primary nor debate... But debate over whether any of the claims of last night's winner... are of primary and not secondary importance. CONTINUED >>
It all ends tomorrow in PA...and there's been no shortage of references to the city of Brotherly Love's greatest pop-cultural icon Rocky Balboa (Sorry Philly Phanatic, Boyz to Men). The two Senators have evoked the Italian Stallion several times ...but it wasn't either of the campaigns that used the epic films as a backdrop for the campaign. Behold "Baracky"
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The Clinton Interview This is Monday, April 21st. 197 Days until the 2008 Presidential Election. And, of course, weeks after voters last headed to the primary polls. The long interval... cloaking what happens tomorrow in Coatesville, in State College, in Scranton and other towns both big and small across Pennsylvania... with a feeling of finality. But in our fifth story on the Countdown: With the final MSNBC poll in that state showing that the Keystone State is Senator Clinton's to lose... That which began in Iowa... most likely will not end in Pennsylvania. Senator Clinton, joining us presently. First, the latest details.
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On the eve of the primary election we've all been waiting for, tonight at 8pm ET Keith will host an interview with Senator Clinton on her lead the Democratic Pennsylvania Primary (First Read is calling it Hillary's Race to Lose )...and what happens after all the votes are counted in the Keystone state. Obama over the weekend said "This is not going to be a blow-out race. We're looking for a win, and we think it's going to be close."
Whine Tasting : And if you ever wanted to kick a pollster in the privates, tonight would be your greatest temptation... A temptation doubtless agreed upon by supporters of both Senators Clinton and Obama. Our fifth story on the Countdown: reliable polling suggests Thursday's debate enabled Senator Clinton to almost completely erase Senator Obama's national leed. Unfortunately, equally reliable polling suggests Obama has pulled away by Clinton to open up a nearly-20 point lead... and that Democrats answered the questions the same way after the debate as they did before it.CONTINUED >>
Philly Phallout the rollout of the Republican campaign against " him... that came not from the G-O-P but from ABC News. Senator Clinton's campaign calling the debate "game-changing." For context, the last time they debated in Philadelphia, last October, Senator Clinton's people complained about the questioning and dubbed it "The Politics of Pile-On" and it was Senator Obama saying "it doesn't make sense... that suddenly, she backs off and says, "Don't pick on me." CONTINUED >>
Bitter Than Ever If this is the price Senator Barack Obama has to pay for his remarks about guns and religion and bitterness... He may want to go on a... guns and religion and bitterness tour. Our fifth story on the Countdown: the latest measures of the aftermath, if not necessarily the straight-line results from, those remarks: No change in the polls in Pennsylvania. He's ahead in the polls in Indiana. And two prominent Clinton supporters have held out apparent olive branches. CONTINUED >>
Guns & Bitter : As even the network newscasts, for a third consecutive day, embraced the supposed controversy over Senator Obama's "bitter" remarks... Our fifth story on the Countdown: the bracing slap of a wet blanket, felt all the way from the Jefferson-Jackson Dinner in Philadelphia tonight. If Obama's the nominee, the politician was asked, do you think he's un-electable. "No," he replied. "I believe he has a real good chance to carry Pennsylvania, I just believe that Sen. Clinton would carry it far more easily." Are the "bitter" remarks going to decide the primary there? "I think it'll cost a couple of points at the margin, but it's not a sea change. Who knows, by the time November rolls around, I think this comment will be long forgotten." All of that said tonight by... Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell... who, if not Senator Clinton's strongest supporter this primary season, has certainly been her loudest. His remarks tonight perhaps signalling that even the Clinton campaign is giving up trying to turn the Obama comments into a forest fire.CONTINUED >>
Breaking news at this hour ... Senators Clinton and McCain tonight attacking Senator Obama after the revelation of remarks he made about quote "these small towns in Pennsylvania " and how they include some voters who are quote, "bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to those who aren't like them ..."CONTINUED >>
Under Iraq : After five years and one month, President George Bush today finally made clear, his plan for our troops in Iraq. His is the discount department store of presidencies. Buy your wholesale low, mark it up to ridiculous levels of profit. Then one night, silently increase every price in the store by one third. Later, drop those prices by a lesser amount... And then... dramatically and proudly scream from the rooftops... that you are holding... a "25-percent-off sale." Our fifth story on the Countdown: last year he escalated the war in Iraq, today he announced there would be no de-escalation beyond July, yet somehow stood there with a straight face and lied about how he was "withdrawing" troops. CONTINUED >>
Yeah, But... : Weeks ago the Democratic Presidential Race became the Yeah-But Campaign. Obama ahead -- Yeah, but... what about Florida and Michigan. Clinton staves off elimination in Texas -- Yeah, but... Obama actually won more delegates. Today -- in our fifth story on the Countdown -- each candidacy now escalating the Yeah-Butness. One study looking at the Clinton belief that the caucuses have unfairly favored Obama; the scholars saying: yeah, but... if those caucuses had been primaries Obama's lead would be nearly double what it is now. And one Clinton surrogate looking at Obama's apparently-successful self-distancing from Jeremiah Wright and writing in a national newspaper -- yeah, but... we're going to keep asking questions.CONTINUED >>
Reality on the Ground The Bush Administration spent 2007 escalating the American troop presence in Iraq and laying the groundwork for an open ended occupation, all the while insisting it would "reevaluate" come September... a reevaluation that concluded: Stay The Course. The wool was so easily pulled over the eyes of much of the country, that today at a Senate hearing, the first half-General/half-Politician in this nation's history, David Petraeus, did it again... right down to symbolically using an identical calendar, only with "2007" crossed off, and "2008" written in, in crayon. Our fifth story on the Countdown: after the last Surge withdrawals in July, Petraeus says, add 45 days, and then the military will re-evaluate Iraq. July plus 45 days equals... September. Again. CONTINUED >>
War of Words of War On Saturday, Mark Penn had the singular experience of being fired... by an entire country: Colombia, to be specific. Yesterday he was fired again... this time by the woman who wants to run an entire country: Senator Hillary Clinton, to be specific. The Senator reportedly furious with Penn for taking her checks as her chief strategist... at the same time he had a 300-thousand-dollar contract with Colombia to push the very same free-trade deal... that she opposes. Today, however, in our fifth story on the Countdown... Mark Penn is back at work. Not for Colombia, but for... Senator Clinton. CONTINUED >>
Rachel Maddow in for Keith Tonight
Four McMore Years? This is Friday, April 4th... 214 Days until the 2008 Presidential Election... and 40 years to the day since the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Junior, died from a sniper's bullet in Memphis, Tennessee. The presidential candidates addressed the meaning of that event today. We'll see how, in a moment, but in our number-five story tonight, late this afternoon, Bill and Hillary Clinton released information about their post-presidential taxes, from 2000 through last year. The headline? CONTINUED >>
Backers Backing When they came forward, publicly, and said we support her, we will cast our votes for her as Democratic Party superdelegates, Senator Hillary Clinton vocally let their views be known and explained why their views should hold sway. But tonight, new comments from these two superdelegates - most likely not welcomed by the Clinton campaign - are not to be found in the headlines of their press releases. The gist: We're behind you all the way. And this offer may be withdrawn at any time. CONTINUED >>
Party Animus If you could take Senator Clinton's "3 A-M Phone Call" commercial, and multiply it by the Clintonian "Commander-in-Chief Threshold Test", the product might be the endorsement of the virtual Co-Chairman of the 9/11 Commission. Senator Clinton didn't get it today. More over, the magnetic poles of electability and non-electability have evidently switched. One Democrat is thought by Democrats, to be more likely to beat John McCain, by nearly two-to-one. One Democrat is thought by Republicans, to be more likely to beat John McCain, by nearly three-to-one. That Democrat is not Senator Clinton. CONTINUED >>
Race Back in the Race 217 Days until the 2008 Presidential Election -- and the halfway mark between the last primary, three weeks ago, and the next one. And any illusion that that Pennsylvania primary is not about Reverend Jeremiah Wright, and race, has, late today been chased from the stage by Clinton advisor Harold Ickes and a Missouri Congressman named Emmanuel Cleaver. Our fifth story tonight begins with the admission by Mr. Ickes that Barack Obama's former pastor is the topic when the Clinton Campaign tries to persuade super-delegates, and that the campaign would still pursue the nomination even if she entered the Convention behind in the popular vote. CONTINUED >>
