US 2008 Presidential Campaign/Debate Discussion Thread - Part Catorce!

[MrsSpringsteen]

This is Senator Obama's open letter that I read on Andrew Sullivan's site



I’m running for President to build an America that lives up to our founding promise of equality for all – a promise that extends to our gay brothers and sisters. It’s wrong to have millions of Americans living as second-class citizens in this nation. And I ask for your support in this election so that together we can bring about real change for all LGBT Americans. Equality is a moral imperative. That’s why throughout my career, I have fought to eliminate discrimination against LGBTAmericans. In Illinois, I co-sponsored a fully inclusive bill that prohibited discrimination on the basis of both sexual orientation and gender identity, extending protection to the workplace, housing, and places of public accommodation.

In the U.S. Senate, I have co-sponsored bills that would equalize tax treatment for same-sex couples and provide benefits to domestic partners of federal employees. And as president, I will place the weight of my administration behind the enactment of the Matthew Shepard Act to outlaw hate crimes and a fully inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act to outlaw workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. As your President, I will use the bully pulpit to urge states to treat same-sex couples with full equality in their family and adoption laws. I personally believe that civil unions represent the best way to secure that equal treatment. But I also believe that the federal government should not stand in the way of states that want to decide on their own how best to pursue equality for gay and lesbian couples — whether that means a domestic partnership, a civil union, or a civil marriage.

Unlike Senator Clinton, I support the complete repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) – a position I have held since before arriving in the U.S. Senate. While some say we should repeal only part of the law, I believe we should get rid of that statute altogether. Federal law should not discriminate in any way against gay and lesbian couples, which is precisely what DOMA does. I have also called for us to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and I have worked to improve the Uniting American Families Act so we can afford same-sex couples the same rights and obligations as married couples in our immigration system. The next president must also address the HIV/AIDS epidemic. When it comes to prevention, we do not have to choose between values and science. While abstinence education should be part of any strategy, we also need to use common sense. We should have age-appropriate sex education that includes information about contraception. We should pass the JUSTICE Act to combat infection within our prison population. And we should lift the federal ban on needle exchange, which could dramatically reduce rates of infection among drug users. In addition, local governments can protect public health by distributing contraceptives.

We also need a president who’s willing to confront the stigma – too often tied to homophobia – that continues to surround HIV/AIDS. I confronted this stigma directly in a speech to evangelicals at Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church, and will continue to speak out as president. That is where I stand on the major issues of the day. But having the right positions on the issues is only half the battle. The other half is to win broad support for those positions. And winning broad support will require stepping outside our comfort zone. If we want to repeal DOMA, repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and implement fully inclusive laws outlawing hate crimes and discrimination in the workplace, we need to bring the message of LGBT equality to skeptical audiences as well as friendly ones – and that’s what I’ve done throughout my career. I brought this message of inclusiveness to all of America in my keynote address at the 2004 Democratic convention.

I talked about the need to fight homophobia when I announced my candidacy for President, and I have been talking about LGBT equality to a number of groups during this campaign – from local LGBT activists to rural farmers to parishioners at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where Dr. Martin Luther King once preached. Just as important, I have been listening to what all Americans have to say. I will never compromise on my commitment to equal rights for all LGBTAmericans. But neither will I close my ears to the voices of those who still need to be convinced. That is the work we must do to move forward together. It is difficult. It is challenging. And it is necessary. Americans are yearning for leadership that can empower us to reach for what we know is possible. I believe that we can achieve the goal of full equality for the millions of LGBT people in this country. To do that, we need leadership that can appeal to the best parts of the human spirit. Join with me, and I will provide that leadership. Together, we will achieve real equality for all Americans, gay and straight alike.

[MrsSpringsteen]

John McCain, liberal?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfxIvd6x1dM

[diamond]

he was on blue crack at that rally.

[U2isthebest]

Originally posted by MrsSpringsteen
John McCain, liberal?

Freudian slip?

[phanan]

There's a new Clinton ad featuring Jack Nicholson out there.

It's kind of funny, although I don't think it's going to make any difference in the end.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/0...f_n_89356.html

[verte76]

I'm glad Obama is for gay rights.

[verte76]

So Jack Nicholson is supporting Hillary?

[U2isthebest]

Originally posted by verte76
So Jack Nicholson is supporting Hillary?

The over 70 crowd is sticking with Hillary.

[unico]

i've nothing constructive to add, but you all need to slow down. bono didn't tell us what comes after catorce.

[Vincent Vega]

So, according to her ad Clinton is better suited to be President because if the phone rings at three o' clock in the morning she already knows the world leaders, from her time as First Lady. Ok, let's take a quick look at some of the countries she would probably contact in a state of emergency:




Hm, did she think nothing happened in the rest of the world since she left the White House? Or is she trying to tell anyone that she knows today's leaders who have been opposition leaders at best back in 2000? I seriously doubt she knows too many of today's world leaders.

[U2isthebest]

I found the ad Vincent referred to as ludicrous. Talk about Rovian tactics! If you showed me that ad and took out the name, I would've thought it was a Bush campaign ad from 2004. I'm surprised she would do something like that.

[verte76]

Originally posted by U2isthebest



The over 70 crowd is sticking with Hillary.

OK, gotcha!

[verte76]

Originally posted by Vincent Vega
So, according to her ad Clinton is better suited to be President because if the phone rings at three o' clock in the morning she already knows the world leaders, from her time as First Lady. Ok, let's take a quick look at some of the countries she would probably contact in a state of emergency:




Hm, did she think nothing happened in the rest of the world since she left the White House? Or is she trying to tell anyone that she knows today's leaders who have been opposition leaders at best back in 2000? I seriously doubt she knows too many of today's world leaders.

Maybe she's been calling them.

[anitram]

When I saw that ad, I swear the first thing I thought was "does Hillary sleep in a pantsuit?"

[U2democrat]

Originally posted by anitram
When I saw that ad, I swear the first thing I thought was "does Hillary sleep in a pantsuit?"

I literally LOL'ed at that one.

[deep]

Originally posted by anitram
When I saw that ad, I swear the first thing I thought was "does Hillary sleep in a pantsuit?"

depends

[XHendrix24]

Originally posted by deep


depends

Nah, I don't think she's THAT old.

McCain I'm not quite as sure about.

[deep]

Florida Democrats gather to select delegates

By Anthony Man

Political Writer

March 2, 2008


Thousands of Democrats turned out Saturday to support their candidate and, perhaps, play a role in picking their party's presidential nominee.

In Plantation, hundreds of people stood outside the party caucus site in late-morning sun waiting to vote. At Spanish River High School in Boca Raton, the crowd was buzzing with enthusiasm before the cafeteria doors opened.

"It says to me that they want a Democratic president. They're tired of the lack of leadership and lack of direction," said state Sen. Nan Rich, D-Weston. "People have had enough. Eight years of Bush-Cheney with the prospect of more of the same is too much for these people."

Like Rich, state Sen. Ted Deutch, D-Boca Raton, is a Hillary Clinton supporter. He said Democrats are ready to send one of their own to the White House.

"We have two historic candidates and the opportunity to move the country in a new direction — forward," Deutch said.

Party leaders estimated 800 Democrats came to Plantation and 500 to Boca Raton. Each congressional district had its own location, and other Broward and Palm Beach County residents caucused in Parkland, Fort Pierce, Miami and Palm City.

No one liked the wait, but many said it was important.

"It's my duty," said Minnie Pearl, 97, widow of the late Sunrise Mayor Dan Pearl. She said she's never missed an opportunity to vote — even in her condominium board elections.

The voters in Democrat-rich South Florida and throughout the state came together to pick 121 delegates they hope will represent Florida at the national convention Aug. 25-28 in Denver. Final results won't be compiled by the state party until at least Monday, but no matter who wins, it won't affect the outcome.

The number of delegates going to Hillary Clinton (61), Barack Obama (14) and John Edwards (13) was determined in the Jan. 29 primary. So the large turnout of Clinton voters for the 20th Congressional District caucus in Plantation didn't get her any more delegates than she was assigned at the beginning of the day.

Whether the delegates picked Saturday will be seated in Denver is still uncertain. When Florida moved up its primary earlier than Democratic rules allowed, the national party punished the state by revoking its convention delegates. Party leaders hope a delegation will get seated, but no final decision has been made.

Anne Castro, a Dania Beach city commissioner, was seething about the national party's decision. "I'm just hoping we're not here for nothing," she said.

Castro favors Clinton but said she'd vote for Obama if he's the nominee — if the Florida delegation is seated. If not, she said, she would abandon the Democratic Party and vote for Republican John McCain for president. "I'm not going to get disenfranchised by my own party," she said.

National Republicans punished their state party, too, taking away half the state's delegates. But the state Republican Party used Saturday's caucuses to issue a press release taunting the Democrats:

"You may be asking why anyone would waste his or her Saturday voting for delegates who will play absolutely zero role in the Democrat nominating convention. But a better question is this: who wouldn't want to be a Democrat delegate? You'll get out of the Florida heat and humidity and get to spend a few days in lovely Denver, Colo. You won't even have to worry about attending the convention — there is no seat for you inside anyway. But that is just as well — you'll be out in the fresh air, rather than the smoke- filled rooms where party bosses will choose the nominee."

Despite the delegate controversy, the atmosphere was electric at the South Florida events.

Any registered Democrat could vote but most had a reason to be there, likely a friend or political ally running for a chance to become a delegate to the national convention.

Newcomers brought friends and neighbors. Political veterans bused in groups of supporters. Candidates for delegates worked the line of party loyalists, supplying them with snacks, coffee and water — then requested their votes.

Broward Democratic Chairman Mitch Ceasar likened it to a carnival or circus atmosphere.

The presidency wasn't the only political essence in the air Saturday.

Candidates for legislative and county offices knew that anyone who showed up for the Democratic caucuses is a likely voter in the August primary.

Adriane Reesey, who's seeking to unseat Broward Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes, arrived hours early to get a prime spot for the table she used to distribute coffee and doughnut holes from Dunkin' Donuts.

When a voter wanted two-thirds of a cup of coffee with just a little sugar, Reesey made sure that's just what the voter got.

[yolland]

Congressional incumbents on shaky ground in '08

Activists target lawmakers in Congress who cooperated with the opposition party.


By Gail Russell Chaddock
Christian Science Monitor, March 3

WASHINGTON -- It's shaping up to be a perilous election year for members of Congress, even in primary season when the iron law of incumbency typically prevails. The defeat of two longtime incumbents in Maryland primaries last month stunned official Washington. It's a rare event for members of Congress to lose, but the new element in these races is the role of activist groups on the right and left in defeating incumbents deemed too conciliatory to the other side.

Meanwhile, the 2008 campaign is producing unusually high numbers of credible primary challengers. Reps. Ron Paul (R) of Texas and Dennis Kucinich (D) of Ohio curtailed their presidential campaigns to shore up support in Tuesday primary races--and the congressional primary season, unlike the presidential primary period, is just beginning. "We've already seen as many incumbents knocked off in primary elections so far this year as were defeated in all of 2006," says David Wasserman, who analyzes House races for the Cook Political Report. "It's a 'change' election, so primary challengers have more leeway to establish viability through fundraising and through messaging."

In recent history, members of Congress have rarely faced credible primary opponents. Since 1980, the number of US House members defeated in a primary election can be counted on one hand, except when an incumbent faces an incumbent, as often happens after a decennial census and redistricting. But the number of incumbents with viable primary challengers is rising: In the first 12 months of the 2008 election cycle, 21 House members--9 Democrats and 12 Republicans--face challengers who have raised at least $50,000. That's double the levels of the 2002 and 2004 election cycles, according to the Campaign Finance Institute (CFI) in Washington. "Many of these are not just individual challenges to individual incumbents, they are challenges supported by organizations that are engaged in battles for the soul of their respective parties," says Michael Malbin, CFI executive director. "While the absolute numbers are small, the percentage increase is significant because it's part of a larger story."

Nine-term Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R) and eight-term Rep. Albert Wynn (D) were both supported by their respective party leaders--the national party campaign organizations don't take sides in primaries--but alienated key activist groups. Mr. Gilchrest, one of two House Republicans who voted for a timetable to withdraw US forces from Iraq, fell afoul of the Club for Growth, an antitax group, over his votes on taxes, spending, and regulation. "He was a big-government, tax-and-spend liberal, and it caught up with him," says former Rep. Pat Toomey (R) of Pennsylvania, who is president of the Club for Growth. His organization spent $700,000 on advocacy ads in the race and bundled an additional $430,000 from the group's members for challenger Andrew Harris, a conservative Maryland state senator...At the same time, labor unions and netroot activists on the left are mulling over whether to target other so-called Bush Democrats, after defeating Representative Wynn in the Feb. 12 Maryland primary.
.................................................................................
But the key primary races this week are in Texas and Ohio. In Texas, Representative Paul raised $32.9 million in his presidential run, but since January he has faced an unexpectedly strong challenge from Friendswood City Councilman Chris Peden in the GOP primary. "We have a great deal of admiration for him as a man, but he just doesn't vote with his party," said Mr. Peden, in a phone interview. "It's time for Republicans to be Republicans again." While conservative talk-radio hosts cited private polls last month putting Paul 11 points behind the challenger, the first public poll by Public Policy Polling in Raleigh, N.C., released Feb. 28 shows Paul leading Peden, 63 to 30.

In Ohio, Representative Kucinich abandoned his presidential campaign in January to campaign to save his seat. A Feb. 27 poll, also by Public Policy Polling, shows Kucinich likely to win his first serious primary challenge in a race against four Democratic rivals on March 4. "It looks like Dennis Kucinich made a prudent choice...when he decided to go home and campaign for reelection right before the South Carolina primary," said Dean Debnam, president of Public Policy Polling, in a statement.

[MrsSpringsteen]

NY Times

March 4, 2008, 10:16 pm
Mike Huckabee’s Next Stage: Television?

By Brian Stelter

How does “The Mike Huckabee Show” sound?

As Mr. Huckabee’s campaign plotted a concession speech on Tuesday, some analysts suggested that viewers would see the longshot Republican presidential candidate on television again very soon.

On the MSNBC program “Morning Joe,” the Republican strategist Mike Murphy predicted Mr. Huckabee would “suspend his campaign, hire excellent agents, and begin negotiations for a cable TV talk show, all within the next 10 days.”

“We’ve got a chair here he could fill,” the co-host Mika Brzezinski remarked.

Later in the day on MSNBC, the anchor Contessa Brewer joked that the jovial Mr. Huckabee could join the cast of the VH1 pop culture show “Best Week Ever.”
“I’ve got a feeling the call’s already going out,” the “Best Week Ever” contributor Chuck Nice responded.

On Fox News Channel, the actor Stephen Baldwin said he would be reaching out to Mr. Huckabee to serve as a spokesperson for an organization called the Christian Values Network. It was unclear what network Mr. Baldwin was referring to, but it will apparently launch on the Internet soon.

“The Web site launches on Friday, so Mike, I’m going to be calling you soon,” Mr. Baldwin said, putting his thumb up for the camera.

There is some precedent for former presidential candidates to become television personalities. Pat Buchanan hosted “Crossfire” on CNN before, in between and after running for the Republican presidential nomination in 1992 and 1996, and now appears on MSNBC. And Alan Keyes, who mounted Republican presidential campaigns in 1996 and 2000, hosted “Alan Keyes is Making Sense” on MSNBC in 2002.

Mr. Huckabee will need some work after his campaign ends; unlike the sitting senators who are the leading candidates, the former Arkansas governor does not receive a taxpayer-financed salary. He flew to the Cayman Islands last month to deliver a paid speech.

The normally media-friendly Mr. Huckabee was largely swept to the side during Tuesday night’s primary coverage, partly because he did not conduct any of his usual TV interviews. Glenn Beck, a conservative host on CNN Headline News, bluntly said he didn’t know why Mr. Huckabee was still in the race. Jokingly, Mr. Beck asked, “Is he expecting God to come down and part the heavens?”