…because we live blog everything else these days.

Obama press conference, Monday December 1st, 2008
10:40 am EST
9:40 am CST
8:40 am MST
7:40 am PST

9:40 – hmmm… still looking at Dana Parino’s face on CNN. Obama must be running late (or perhaps it’s Clinton that’s running late??)

9:43 – Here we go. Obama preambles his announcement of Sect. of State with hot words like “destiny” “terror” “economy”… etc.

9:45 – India proves how uncertain the world is. uh huh.

9:46 – Hillary looking very stately behind Obama right now.

9:47 – Is it just me or does everyone look like they’re dressed for a funeral? Also, VERY somber faces.

9:49 – Sect. Gates will continue in his post. He’ll end the war. yay. I’m still not sure about this choice.

9:50 – Eric the Attorney General. Either my computers CNN feed skipped past this guys details or Obama quickly mumbled through him.

9:50 – Janet Napolitano, Homeland Security. Yeah, nothing new there. More about Hillary, yo!

9:51 – Susan Rice, UN Representative. She doesn’t look to be more than 19 years old!

9:52 – Gen. James Jones, National Security Advisor. “Generations of Jones’ have served…”. Is Obama seriously using that as a valid reason to choose this man? Might as well be Gen. Smith!

9:54 – Obama: “We are not Republicans, we’re Democrats. We’re Americans.” uh…

9:55 – Hillary speaketh. “Thank you, blah blah…” Musing if Hillary would have given Obama an appointment if she had won the Presidency. Probably not.

9:57 – I wanted more Hillary but she’s sorta making me zone out now. Lesson learned: Be careful what you wish for.

9:58 – She’s quoting JFK. Blesses the world. And fin for Hillary.

9:58 – Sect. of Defense Gates speaks to us through his nose. I don’t think I’ve ever heard him speak before. Does he always sound like he has a cold?

9:59 – Gates’ speech was approximately 25 seconds long. Eric Holder (Attny Gen) will jabber on a little longer, I suspect. He is a lawyer, you know.

10:02 – Janet Napolitano gives her acceptance speech. My natural reaction, “Whow. She scares me a little.” Perhaps that’s exactly the type of woman we need as our National Security leader?

10:03 – Susan Rice gives her acceptance speech (UN representative). She must be 5′ 2″. She BARELY comes over the podium! How cute.

10:05 – Gen. James Jones acceptance speech. Not in uniform. Shouldn’t he be in his Class A’s with all that flashy wallpaper?

10:07 – Here comes VP Biden! He really is like that cool Uncle that sneaks you beer on your 20th birthday.

10:09 – Biden pressing the idea that the Obama team is bipartisan. “We are in an extraordinary time”. Amen Uncle Biden.

10:10 – Here come the press questions to Obama. Liz: About India. Grrr. It has NOTHING to do with the press conference. Thank you dumb question lady.

10:11 – Obama says that he has spoken with India’s Prime Minister Singh. Isn’t that President Bush’s job?

10:13 – Carrie: (Obama likes the ladies, eh?) “How can you make this “team of rivals” work?” At least the question is on target. Obama: “It just will, dammit.”

10:16 – I’m getting really annoyed with Hillary’s CONSTANT head nod!

10:17 – Jake: Another question about how his team will agree with him on foreign policy when they have clearly disagreed in the past.

10:18 – Obama: “During the campaign season, differences get magnified more than what they are. Our core beliefs are the same.”

10:19 – Peter: How can you choose Clinton when you said before she is not qualified in foreign policy?

10:20 – Obama laughs at the press who are “pulling old quotes” from him. The room laughs with him except the questioner, Peter, who can barely be heard saying “It’s a valid question”… or something along those lines. That, it and of itself, is hilarious.

10:22 – John: Tell us the story or time line of how you chose Clinton.

10:23 – Obama doesn’t give any new information about the process of choosing Hillary (or a “juicy story”, as Obama says).

10:24 – Obama talks about Iraq and withdrawing troops. He’s basically going to do whatever Gates says to do.

10:26 – Done and done. It’s all official now. Let the blogosphere explode.

Well, the way I see it is Hillary still has a vagina and Barack still has a penis. So, how is it a shock that Hillary loyalists still aren’t voting for Barack?

DENVER, Aug. 26 — Hillary Rodham Clinton’s most loyal delegates came to the Pepsi Center on Tuesday night looking for direction. They listened, rapt, to a 20-minute speech that many proclaimed the best she had ever delivered, hoping her words could somehow unwind a year of tension in the Democratic Party.

But when Clinton stepped off the stage and the standing ovation faded into silence, many of her supporters were left with a sobering realization: Even a tremendous speech couldn’t erase their frustrations.

There are far too many voters hell bent on electing a woman president. It has nothing to do with Obama or McCain or any other Presidential contender.  They can argue otherwise all they want but let’s be honest with each other here:

It’s all about Hillary’s vagina.

Yikes. Imagine that as a campaign slogan.

At least that’s what he’s saying.

Looking to further discredit Obama, and attempt to increase a rift that’s being tenuously bridged by the Democratic Party between Obama’s supporters, and those who feel burned by Clinton’s not winning the party nomination- John McCain’s campaign has released a video criticizing Barack Obama for choosing Joe Biden as his VP rather than his closest competition for the nomination, Hillary Clinton.

[video]

The video states that Obama “passed over” Clinton for “speaking the truth” during the Primaries when she criticized him, saying Obama “didn’t like it”.

Whether or not Obama liked the criticisms, the two obviously went too far for too long during the Primaries, and as bitter as the battle got, with attacks getting personal from both sides, there really was no chance that Obama and Clinton would wind up on a ticket together, regardless of who was at the head.

It would be like McCain deciding on Ron Paul as his running mate.  Same party, but would never work as a pair.

Or if not them, the folks they surround themselves with. 

Hillary Clinton (who’s resignation I missed due to being away for a 3 week military engagement, but I still delighted in the knowledge once I received it) is obviously no longer in the race- but staying in as long as she did, she destroyed herself financially to the tune of nearly $10 million in debt.  So now she’s asking all her supporters that gave up their money for her failed campaign bid to pony up some more dough, because she’s now drowning in her own over-spending.  Well Hill, on behalf of the American public, welcome to how the rest of us are feeling in the current financial state of the union: debt as a way of life.

Barack Obama has made his own minor political gaffe in the past few days by using a mock-up of the Presidential Seal as an emblem on his lecternduring a meeting between himself and Dem. state Governors which drew some criticisms over the weekend.  The Obama campaign has said it was a one time only appearance for the emblem, with some members saying Obama himself felt a little embarrassed by the whole thing.  The emblem was comprised of the same eagle holding arrows and olive branch that denote war and piece as seen on the Presidential Seal, and also carried the words “Vero possumus” or loosely translated from latin: “Yes, we can”.  Presumptuous?  Perhaps, but really a very minor snafu in the great context of things. 

The Republicans are not off the hook in terms of embarrassment, as one of John McCain’s aides made a statement that McCain has found himself apologizing for, and that his opponent Obama’s campaign has already jumped on.  The statement in question being made by Charlie Black, a top advisor to McCain, said that the McCain campaign would benefit greatly from another terror attack taking place on American soil.  McCain went into damage control, telling reporters “I cannot imagine why he would say it. It’s not true. I’ve worked tirelessly since 9/11 to prevent another attack on the United States of America. My record is very clear.”  However, one has to look at the validity of the statement, with McCain’s major platform being his aggressive stance against “global terror”, he’d probably do well to have some of that terror brought back to the front of people’s minds, leading to the same style of voting that saw George W. Bush re-elected (or just plain elected depending on who you ask) in ‘04, thinking only a “War President” could carry us through the strife of a continued war against “threats to our way of life”. 

But that’s just me riffing…

Hillary Clinton has found herself under intense fire from all sides now after a comment made Friday during an interview which some say suggests she’s waiting to see if perhaps something bad might happen to Barack Obama.
And by something bad we’re not referring to scandal, illness, or even a change of heart, nope-
She has (and not for the first time) invoked the assassination of RFK in June of 1968 after he had won the California Primary.

Now, is this comment unfortunate?  Highly.  I can recall numerous occasions of sitting around with co-workers who speculated that if Obama were to be elected, there would be more than enough loonies hanging around ready to shoot him for not being a white man.  Powerful, influential, well spoken, politically active, socially conscious black men have a rough history in this country.  As do young, change invoking, crowd rallying political figures.  Obama is both of these.

Is Hillary really suggesting that she might just be waiting for great tragedy to strike so she can step into the position?  We all know that the Clintons can be cold, calculating power-mongers.  But I would greatly hope this is just another verbal misstep by a candidate for whom the fight has been long and hard and is nearing a weary end.

Then again, to keep an image like this is the minds and on the tongues of the American public during such a high charged election season is foolish at best, reckless and dangerous at worst. 

Race, Gender, Party Affiliation, War, Failing Economy, Global Disasters- all of these heated topics are major parts of this election.  Extreme violently personal responses are not unheard of when it comes to any of these issues.

“We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California.” She said to the LA Times. 

Yes Senator, we do.  It’s the very reason that Obama has had Secret Service with him since last May, 18 months before the election, and earlier than any candidate before him.

For your viewing pleasure dear reader- I leave you with Clinton’s comments in their full context, followed by one of the more heated responses she’s recieved from the news media.  Make your judgements for yourself.

Hillary Clinton won in Kentucky, won big in fact.  But Barack Obama won Oregon, and with it- more delagates, which puts him solidly in the majority delegate count, regardless of how the next contests pan out.  He’s less than a hundred shy of the needed 2,026 to be handed the nomination, barring the sudden jumping ship of a vast percentage of super delegates already pledged to Obama, this thing is over, but as we’ve learned Hillary will not quit.  Ever.  She’s so solidly into this whole Primary thing that she’s spent herself into debt to the tune of $31 million in debt.  Let me repeat that, because it takes a bit to seep in.  Hillary Clinton and her campaign owe $31 million that she’s spent over what she’s brought in either through fund raising, or from giving it to herself.  In a nation that is struggling financially due to over taxing it’s resources whether economically, ecologically, or militarily- someone arguing that she’s the one to get us back on track is sending herself steadily into potentially unrecoverable debt to keep a lost campaign in all appearances- viable.

Obama on the other hand continues to be a money making machine, though to a lesser degree now than earlier in the year, with his April earnings rounding out at about… wow, get this… $31 million.  Maybe if Hillary asks nicely Obama will lend her the money to stay afloat after the DNC tells us what we already know- that he is the Presidential candidate.  Wouldn’t that be a nice gesture?

And the Primaries continue, as they are likely to do until the very end (the DNC). Clinton brutalizes Obama 67% to 26%. Of course, Obama is still well ahead in delegates, and has a lead in super-delegates as well.

What is of note of this primary as told in the New York Times is that 8 out of 10 people polled said race was a factor in their choice, showing that in some parts of the country it is still hard for people to accept a black man in the top position in the country, and easier to accept a white woman. Also of note is John Edwards who is no longer even in the race still getting 7% of the vote. A white man not participating gets about a quarter of the votes of a black man who many are considering the nominee with the rest of this just being a technicality.

So while the race factor in all of this is a touch disheartening, in reality, this Primary changes very little in the grand scheme of things… other than it continues on still…

AP- During a speech in Oregon Obama mentioned the states he has already visited on the Campaign trail. Hawaii and Alaska were excluded because his campaign managers said no, however he has gone to “57″ and will be visiting one more.

Ms. Missives response: All politicians say stupid things… like this quote from Hillary Clinton during a campaign stop in West Virginia, “All the kitchen table issues that everybody talks to me about are ones that the next president can actually do something about, if he actually cares about it.”

Doesn’t SHE want to be the next President?

Anyway, back to Obama. How harsh should we react to his “57 states” miscount?

Here are some reactions from the right and pro-Clinton blogosphere. I’ll ask those with weak stomachs to please look away:

TheCleverCynic.com:
“Just when the democrats probably thought that things couldn’t get any worse in the Democratic contest for the 2008 Presidential nomination, Barack Obama totally loses any shred of credibility he might have gained during his campaign…if any.”

newsbusters.org:
“Old Media’s treatment of the story thus far indicates a strong likelihood that Obama’s arguably dumber gaffe has not found its way into the primary web sites or print editions of most newspapers, and that it never will.”

hollywoodgrind.com:
“What excuses are Obama supporters going to make for him now?”

harshopinion.com:
“Here’s the problem.
There are supposedly 57 Islamic States!
Read that again. 57 Islamic States!
Slip of the tongue? Why did he mix up THOSE TWO NUMBERS?”

www.funnybonevideos.com:
“Slip of the tongue while on the stump? Could be, but then again, given this guy’s track record of late (i.e. the whole fiasco with the Rev. Wright, etc.) it may be exactly what he thinks, that the U.S. has at least 57 states.”

Give me a break.

George Stephanopoulos speculates that Clinton is staying in the race in order to place a stronger bid for the vice president spot. hmmm…. that gets the brain cogs working:

Is Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., staying in the race to get the vice presidential slot?

George thinks so.

CHARLES GIBSON: George, she puts on a brave face in public. What’s going on behind the scenes?

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, I think it’s fair to say … that everyone’s waiting for a signal from her on how to go forward. Today, the signal was very clear — we’re staying in — [according to] the Clinton campaign. And it’s based on the hope that anything can happen. And that every Democrat deserves a vote. That’s the principal they’re running on right now. The arguments against, inside right now, are you may be spending a lot more money in [a] futile effort. You may also be dividing the party the longer you go on. You heard (California Sen.) Dianne Feinstein say that as well, but the math just doesn’t work.

Think of her like Jason Vorhees or Freddy Krueger; you can keep putting bullets in them, but somehow they just won’t die. Clinton is much the same. She’s lost the delegate race- even if not by the margin needed to solidify. These past two primaries have basically made it one step from impossible to win. She’s losing her argument against Obama’s electability as the thing she wants super-delegates to look for in her.

It’s over for Hillary Clinton. But she won’t stop.

Obama’s camp has even come out to say they’d feel comfy giving her the majority of the delegates she’d have won in Michigan and Florida had those two states not been being boycotted by the Dems for moving their primaries ahead of schedule. So why continue?

Some look at her as a Rocky Balboa figure, refusing to stay down, wanting to go the distance- which is great for ego and all, but does nothing of benefit for the Dems themselves. In fact, it does more harm than good. Which is why I find the comparison to the stars of the slasher/horror flicks more fitting. But then, ego and quest for personal glory and gain has always been a big motivator for the Clinton’s. We really shouldn’t be surprised by all of this. What is surprising is that no one seeks to stop her. Of course, that likely has to do more with party members watching their own backs and doing their best not to piss off Clinton’s loyal followers, which could have adverse effects on their positions.

Chicken Shits.

I would love the chance to sit down with her, just for myself, and ask her- why? Why do you honestly keep this up when you’re tearing your party apart? Even with controversy and scandal and speculation nipping at his heels, Obama can beat you. Why do you go on? Of course, I know I’d only get spin and rhetoric in response, so maybe it’s just not worth it.

Someday this will end. That’s what I have to keep telling myself to keep from going clock-tower climbing. (kidding, I’d never do such a thing… do you hear me Homeland Security, I’m joking. Ok?)

*sigh*