Tag: Hillary Clinton (page 17)

The Daily Pennsylvanian today endorsed Hillary Clinton over Barack Obama in the state's primary.

"We want to believe that Sen. Barack Obama can accomplish all he promises. His soaring rhetoric and compelling vision have inspired us and many other students," the endorsement said. "But while Obama's charisma far outshines that of Sen. Hillary Clinton, her public service, political experience and tenacity tell us not only 'Yes we can' but also 'How we can.' As such, we endorse Clinton for the Democratic Party's nomination for president.

"Our endorsement is not a rejection of Obama's leadership qualities. But choosing the president of the United States is too important a decision to make based on hope alone," the paper continued. "After finishing his term in the Senate and better showing us what he can do for the American people, Obama could one day be a remarkable president. Clinton, on the other hand, is ready to lead this nation now. A successful champion for change, her experience in the Senate and as first lady gives her a better understanding of how Washington works. She has the ability to turn policy into reality. And her mastery of causes central to the Democratic Party's platform makes her better suited to challenge presumptive Republican nominee John McCain."

These are pretty much the reasons I expressed earlier today. I'm glad I'm not alone. Hopefully by PA primary day, it will be the majority opinion of PA voters.

Now that you've had some time to reflect on last night's Pennsylvania debate, what did you think?

Some journalists are outraged over the the questions. Of course, the questions in this debate were no different than those in previous debates that lacked substance and seemed designed to put a candidate on the hot seat -- the difference was that this time (for once) it was Obama, not Hilary getting the heat.

I've watched the debate twice. The second time I tried to view it through the lens of a Pennsylvania voter who wasn't familiar with the nitty gritty details of William Ayers and lapel pins. (I figured even they knew about Bitter-Gate and Rev. Wright and Bosnia.)

It was unfortunate that the substantive portion of the debate didn't focus more on issues of importance to PA voters. The PA polls have shown PA voters of both parties are very concerned about immigration, the economy, health care and terrorism. They are less concerned about the war. By economy, I don't think they mean capital gains taxes for the wealthy. I think they mean creating new jobs, maintaining the jobs they have, how to avoid foreclosure, feed their families and put something away for their retirement and their kids' education, and how to be able to deal with having to take care of elderly parents.

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Here are video highlights from ABC on tonight's Pennsylvania debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

• Does Hillary Think Barack Can Beat McCain?
  George Stephanopoulos asks Clinton if she thinks Obama can win.

• Obama's Pastor Under Fire
  Clinton says you get to chose your pastor over controversial remarks.

• Should Voters Doubt Obama's Patriotism?
  Voter questions why Obama doesn't always wear American flag pin

• Clinton's 'Baggage' an Asset?
  Candidate says her past has been 'rummaged through for years'

More...

Update: Comments now closed, new post-debate thread is here .

Hillary Obama PA live thread continued.

If you're not by a tv or on the East Coast, you can watch online here.

Our first live thread is here.

I'll be putting up some polls during the debate to see how you think the candidates and questioners are doing. Big Tent's posts will say BTD and mine will be TL.

The live blog stays below the fold so that it can be a bit wider than the front page allows. Just click on the "There's More" button or bookmark the permalink to go directly to it.

If comments hit 200, we'll start a new one.

This is it. The Pennsylvania debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

If you're not by a tv or on the East Coast, you can watch online here.

Big Tent Democrat and I will be live-blogging starting just before 6:00 pm.

I'll be putting up some polls during the debate to see how you think the candidates and questioners are doing. Big Tent's posts will say BTD and mine will be TL.

The live blog stays below the fold so that it can be a bit wider than the front page allows. Just click on the "There's More" button or bookmark the permalink to go directly to it.

If comments hit 200, we'll start a new one.

There aren't too many silver linings for Hillary Clinton in this ABC News/Washington Post national poll. (Full poll results here, pdf., Washington Post article on it is here.)

The poll, out today, is a national one. It finds Democrats believe Obama should win the nomination and is more electable in November.

The silver lining: The views of those polled on superdelegates:

Only 13 percent of Democrats say superdelegates should support whoever’s won the most regular delegates in primaries and caucuses – a count in which Obama’s ahead, and seemingly likely to stay so. Instead a plurality, 46 percent, say superdelegates should support the candidate who’s won the most popular votes, a tally in which Clinton still has hopes. And 37 percent say superdelegates should go with their own sense of which candidate they think is best.

In other words, if Hillary does well in the remaining states, and she should, at least in PA, Indiana, West Virginia, Kentucky and Puerto Rico, a whopping 87% of those polled don't think it's a problem for superdelegates to vote according to either the popular vote total or their conscience instead of by the pledged delegate total.

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Speaking at a meeting of the Newspaper Association of America in Pennsylvania today, Hillary Clinton outlined the agenda, if elected, for her first 100 days in office:

Clinton’s prospective 100-day agenda included the start of a troop withdrawal from Iraq and submitting a budget to Congress that rolls back some of President Bush’s tax cuts.

She also promised to “shut down Guantanamo” and “disavow torture,” as well as sign bills Bush has vetoed to expand federal embryonic stem-cell research and broaden government-supported health care to millions of lower-income children who now go without.

She said:

In short, starting from day one, the Bush-Cheney era will be over in name and in practice.

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100 Pennsylvania Mayors today endorsed HIllary Clinton for President.

The 100 mayors endorsing Hillary today will work in the final week of the campaign to get out Hillary’s message of change for Pennsylvania and the country. Hillary understands the economic pressures of families who have lost jobs, face foreclosures, and can’t afford health insurance or college tuition. She understands what it’s like to roll up your sleeve and work hard. As president, Hillary will fight for the issues that matter to all Americans starting on day one in the White House.

Add to that 11 Indiana Mayors who wrote a letter criticizing Obama's Bitter-Gate remarks.

A new Rasmussen poll out today, taken Saturday, before Bitter-Gate dominated the news:

The new poll, which was conducted Saturday and has a 4.5 percent margin of error, shows McCain with a 53-to-38 percent lead over Obama in Florida. If Clinton is the Democratic nominee, the poll shows her edging McCain 45 percent to 44 percent in the state.

The poll's results are similar to a Quinnipiac University poll of Floridians released this month that showed McCain topping Obama 46 percent to 37 percent but losing to Clinton, 44 percent to 42 percent.

The poll finds support slipping for Obama and that his unfavorability rating is 56%.

If he doesn't stand up for the right of Floridians to have their votes counted in time to select the nominee, I suspect they won't stand up for him in November.

Barack Obama thought he was being funny with his comment about Hillary Clinton acting like Annie Oakley.

Here's the new Rasmussen poll, finding Hillary ahead by 9 in PA. (Questions and Numbers here.) Check this out:

Among voters from households where someone owns a gun, Clinton leads by seventeen points.

As to whether Bitter-Gate had an effect, draw your own conclusions from these numbers about religion and immigration, both mentioned in Obama's now infamous remark:

Clinton leads among voters who say faith and religion are Somewhat or Very Important. Obama leads among those who say such topics are Not Very Important or Not at All Important.

...Sixty percent (60%) of Likely Democratic Primary voters in Pennsylvania say that it is Very Important for the government to enforce the borders and reduce illegal immigration. Among these voters, Clinton leads by sixteen. [More...]

All three presidential hopefuls have said they will close Guantanamo. The LA Times examines how it could be done.

Officially, Pentagon officials say there are no plans in hand to move suspected terrorists to the United States if the new president orders it. No official orders have been given to Southern Command, which oversees the prison, to prepare for its shutdown. Such orders would trigger a formal planning process.

But unofficially, midlevel officials watching the campaign pronouncements have begun working on plans -- including examining other sites and estimating the work that would be involved in moving detainees -- in case the next president orders a shutdown.

Possibilities: The military prison at Leavenworth, KS and the South Carolina naval brig.

The detainees would gain greater legal rights if moved to the U.S. [more...]

Philadelphia Democrats held their Jefferson Jackson Dinner tonight. Both Hillary and Obama spoke separately.

Hillary rose above Bitter-Gate, never mentioning it, and included Obama in her praise:

"Neither Senator Obama nor myself could have dreamed we would be right here asking you for your votes," Clinton said, praising the pioneers of the civil rights and women's rights movements. "We are the beneficiaries of the work and sacrifice that so many of you and countless Americans have done over so many generations."

Obama went on the attack: [More...]