The dream ticket - Latest obama news and views

Putting Hillary Clinton on the ticket for vice president creates a ménage-à-trois. Bill will be the unexpected roommate. Even if a President Obama can discipline Hillary and get her to play second fiddle, there is not the remotest chance that he can get the former president to accept such rules. Even if Bill Clinton wanted to rein in his newly prolific public expressions of rage and frustration, there is doubt that he is any longer capable of doing so.

Hillary, who likely desperately wants to be tapped for vice president, is going about it in exactly the wrong way. She seems to be demanding a kind of coalition government between herself and Obama, a definition of the vice presidency not likely to appeal to the president. It reminds me of 1980 when there were discussions of a ticket with Reagan as the presidential nominee and former President Gerald Ford as the vice president in a coalition government where the VP would have extraordinary powers.

Intended to reassure voters who were panicked by Reagan's "extreme" conservatism, the arrangement never came to fruition, a development which gave us the House of Bush.

Instead of conceding defeat and campaigning for Obama, auditioning for the spot of loyal teammate, Hillary insists on keeping her options open and vies for the spotlight with Obama, exactly what you do not want a vice president to do.

Last night, when Obama went over the top in delegates and could claim the nomination as his, Hillary organized a rally of all of her supporters, directly competing for airtime with the newly minted nominee.

Adding Hillary to the ticket would not bring Obama a single vote (except possibly for Bill's). Her supporters are divided into two distinct categories. The original Clintonistas were strong Democrats, party faithful, pro-choice, middle-aged and up, largely female and all white. But Hillary's recent backers have been downscale whites of both genders who were turned off by Obama's pastor, wife and other associates and were afraid he might be a Muslim in disguise. Unhappy about voting for a woman, they never really liked Hillary but turned to her when the alternative was Obama.

If Hillary had won the Democratic nomination, these latent backers of Hillary in the primaries might still have voted for McCain in the general. Their support of Hillary is purely linked to her opposition to Obama. Were she to join the ticket, they would vote for McCain anyway. After all, Obama will still be black and the Rev. Wright will still be nuts.

But adding Hillary to the ticket brings, along with her, Bill.

The public Bill Clinton has morphed over the past few months from a statesman and philanthropist to a petulant, angry, cursing, spoiled narcissist, accusing everyone of being sleazy and biased and in so doing fashioning himself as a foil for Obama. This unattractive image is not the right one for the bottom of a ticket in a presidential race. And make no mistake, Bill comes along with Hillary.

But the more serious problem is the public record that Todd Purdum, an excellent journalist, laid out in his Vanity Fair piece. Bill's relationships with billionaires, his pursuit of financial gain, his alliance with the emir of Dubai, and his acceptance of speaking fees and income from some of the least savory of types is not what you need to carry around with you in a presidential race. To put Hillary on the ticket is to confront nagging questions about donors to the Clinton Library and Bill's refusal to release them. It would be to inherit a load of baggage that Obama does not need as he tries to position himself as the candidate of change, antithetical to the corrupt and corrupting ways of Washington.

On her own, Hillary would be no bargain as vice president. She would never accept direction and never sublimate her ambition or agenda to Obama's. But with Bill in tow, her candidacy becomes even more fraught with peril should Obama be inclined to bow to pressure and put her on the ticket.

Hillary the Evil - Hillary Clinton is staying in the race in the event some nut kills Barack Obama.

SICK. Disgusting. And yet revealing. Hillary Clinton is staying in the race in the event some nut kills Barack Obama.

It could happen, but what definitely has happened is that Clinton has killed her own chances of being vice president. She doesn't deserve to be elected dog catcher anywhere now.

Her shocking comment to a South Dakota newspaper might qualify as the dumbest thing ever said in American politics.

Her lame explanation that she brought up the 1968 assassination of Robert Kennedy because his brother Ted's illness was on her mind doesn't cut it. Not even close.

We have seen an X-ray of a very dark soul. One consumed by raw ambition to where the possible assassination of an opponent is something to ponder in a strategic way. Otherwise, why is murder on her mind?

It's like Tanya Harding's kneecapping has come to politics. Only the senator from New York has more lethal fantasies than that nutty skater.

We could have seen it coming, if only we had realized Clinton's thinking could be so cold. She has grown increasingly wild in her imagery lately, invoking everything from slavery to the political killings in Zimbabwe in making her argument for the Florida and Michigan delegations. She claimed to be the victim of sexism, despite winning the votes of white men.

But none of it was moving the nomination needle, with Obama, despite recent dents, still on course to be the victor.

So she kept digging deeper, looking for the magic button. Instead, she pushed the eject button, lifting herself right out of consideration.

Giving voice to such a vile thought is all the more horrible because fears Obama would be killed have been an undercurrent to his astonishing rise. Republican Mike Huckabee made a stupid joke about it recently. Many black Americans have talked of it, reflecting their assumption that racists would never tolerate a black President and that Obama would be taken from them.

Clinton has now fed that fear. She needs a very long vacation. And we need one from her.

Say good night, Hillary. And go away.

barack obama news: Voters just don't trust Hillary

Is Hillary Clinton the victim of a Vast Misogynist Conspiracy? Have her efforts to breach the ultimate glass ceiling in the world's labour market been destroyed - as in the end we're told all women's efforts inevitably are destroyed - by a lethal combination of sneering chauvinism and locker-room clubbiness?

To the cynics this US presidential election was always going to be a race to the bottom between racism and sexism. As the Democratic party continues to writhe through the final agonies of Senator Clinton's collapsing ambitions, her people think they know the real winner. They are muttering angrily that she is the most high-profile victim yet of sexual discrimination in the workplace. A favourite theme among them now is that Mrs Clinton is a kind of sacrificial figure: the woman who so obviously should have won the presidency but was denied by woman-hatred, the one whose efforts were not enough to conquer the legions of male bigots but whose sacrifice has made it possible for future women to scale the mountaintop. Henceforth, as it were, all generations shall call her blessed.

Before ascribing this sentiment to a particularly powerful case of sore loser syndrome, we ought to acknowledge that it surely has a little merit. There are things that are said all the time about Mrs Clinton's manner, her speaking style, assumptions that are made about her motivations, even the vocabulary in which she is described, that are, shall we say, certainly gender-specific. The cultural allusions played out with tired regularity to describe her campaigning style conjure the worst female images that lurk in the darkest corners of the male brain. She's Lady Macbeth and The White Queen and Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction rolled into one.

And yet, are we truly expected to believe this is why Democratic voters have rejected her? I've no doubt that there are still some men who physically recoil at the thought of a woman in a powerful job but do people really think that there were not other - good - reasons for denying Senator Clinton her prize?


In the end the beauty of the “We only lost because people are sexist/racist/homophobic/stupid” argument is that it can't really be rebutted. The only way to deal with it is to explain patiently and with great understanding that there were valid reasons why millions of intelligent, thoughtful and tolerant Americans decided to run a million miles from the idea that this woman - this woman - should become the most powerful person on the planet.

The principal reason voters give for not liking Senator Clinton is that they don't trust her, that they sense that someone who would do or say anything to get elected is not someone who should be entrusted with the presidency. If anything has been demonstrated in the two long years in which she has been actively campaigning for the presidency, it is how right they are.

As she ratchets up her final efforts to wrest the nomination from Barack Obama's grasp, she has finally cut herself free from the frayed moorings that connected her campaign with honesty and reality. This week, as Senator Obama moved closer to securing a majority of delegates needed for the Democratic nomination, she was insisting with more urgency than ever that the votes cast in Michigan and Florida must be counted.

These states, you'll recall, broke the Democratic Party's rules and went ahead with their primaries earlier than they were supposed to. As a result the Democratic Party - not the Republicans, or the Supreme Court or the Bush Administration - decided to disqualify those states from the process. In Michigan, Senator Obama was not even on the ballot papers, yet now Senator Clinton not only insists those votes must count towards the final vote totals, but says it would be a terrible denial of Americans' civil rights if they did not.

She compared her effort to overturn the decision not only to Al Gore's controversial defeat in Florida in a disputed recount in 2000, but to the victims of tyranny throughout history - from enslaved blacks in pre-Civil War America to the cheated voters in the election in March in Zimbabwe.

This is, truly, disturbing. It matters not whether it is a man or a woman saying it. It is not only hyperbolic and cynical. It is inflammatory nonsense. But it is at least of a piece with her increasingly desperate struggle.

Mrs Clinton has received much credit for the fighting posture she has adopted of late. She has found her voice, it is said, as she fights to win votes in the remaining primary states among predominantly low-income, white voters. Yet what is this voice? It is a voice that explicitly appeals to white working-class solidarity and implicitly suggests that people outside that demographic cannot be president. It plays on the worst populist instincts of Americans, issuing threats to obliterate Iran and attacking the Chinese for poisoning Americans with toxic toys.

To see how completely Senator Clinton has changed in the course of her campaign, we have only to consider how the Democratic race was viewed two years ago as it got under way. Back then, when Mr Obama's campaign was merely a twinkle in his own eye, the question on Democrats' lips was: who could possibly beat Hillary? The assumption was that Senator Clinton would be the candidate of the elite, liberal, progressive types and African-Americans who in the end, as it turned out, flocked to Mr Obama.

Her problem, it was assumed back then, was that she would not be able to appeal to the white working class with its more conservative instincts and values. And so the discussion about potential rivals revolved around candidates who might appeal to those voters - Mark Warner, the former Governor of Virginia, John Edwards, the former senator from North Carolina. Instead, Senator Obama became her main rival and outflanked her on the Left and outranked her among the progressives. So with barely a change of step, she pivoted and turned herself into the candidate of the hardworking ordinary Americans.

Now, there is much talk that if Mrs Clinton cannot be president she must be Mr Obama's vice-presidential nominee. But in her most recent speeches and actions she has surely demonstrated how dangerously unfit she would be. It would not be sexism or chauvinism but the clear-headed decision of a wise statesman, if Senator Obama brought this particular woman's presidential hopes to an unmourned end.

How best to punish Hillary Clinton - Options for Barack Obama

After 15 months of fighting her off, as she veered wildly from bully to victim, as she brandished any ice pick at hand, whether racial, sexual, mathematical or marital (in the form of her Vesuvian husband), Obama must decide the most efficacious means of doing to Hillary what she has been trying to do to him: putting her in her place.

Her last resort is to continue to press the “Psssst — he’s a black man” tactic. She insisted to USAToday, after the North Carolina and Indiana slide, that she has a broader base, citing an Associated Press article “that found how Senator Obama’s support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me.”

So how does Obama repay Hillary for running a campaign designed both to unman him and brand him as an unelectable black? Is the most ingenious way to turn the screw by not choosing her as his running mate, or by choosing her?

It is, verily, a sticky wicket.

One top Hillary supporter who is black warns that, despite the giddy dreams of some punch-drunk Democrats, a fusion ticket could backfire because “Americans can’t handle too much change at once.”

But should Obama ignore that caution and appease Hillary fans by putting her on the ticket?

As president, he could announce that, because Dick Cheney abused the powers of his office so grievously, taking the title “Vice” literally, he intends to shrink the vice presidency back to its “bucket of warm spit” Constitutional prerogatives — presiding over the Senate and taking over if the president goes under anesthesia.

He might also neglect to give Bill (whose acronym would be SLOTUS, Second Lad of the United States) full White House access.

Aside from the delight Bill would get from living at the Naval Observatory and having a huge telescope to window-peep with, there wouldn’t be much joy in Hillaryland.

The lady-in-waiting would be surrounded by Obama disciples who disdained her for fighting dirty. And she would be miserable holding up the train of the young prince who usurped her dream, derailing the post-nup she had with Bill to trade places.

As de facto veep for Bill, she had enough leverage over him, due to his shenanigans, to co-opt huge chunks of policy and personnel decisions.

But in a return engagement with Obama at the top, could she really wake up every day in the back seat and wish him well, or would she just be plotting? (Fourteen vice presidents have ascended, after all.) Wouldn’t she be, in Monty Python parlance, the Trojan Rabbit behind the gates?

On a positive note, maybe she could bring back all that stuff she pilfered on her way out.

Obama’s other option, laid out by Teddy Kennedy on Friday, is to go with someone who wouldn’t be a big dark cloud over his sunshiny new politics.

Teddy told Bloomberg’s Al Hunt that Obama should choose a partner “in tune with his appeal for the nobler aspirations of the American people.”

That would be smart for another reason: Hillary has a strange, unnerving effect on Obama, and whenever he is around her, he’s unable to do his best. Probably, it’s because she’s furious, always shaking his hand off her arm, ignoring him, giving him the evil eye and emasculating him, and the Golden One is not used to such rough treatment.

In the last few days, as Hillary has deflated and Obama and the Democrats have dashed for daylight, he has been more like his old self, flashing his all-is-right-with-the-world smile on the cover of Time, joshing and charming Democrats and Republicans as he wooed superdelegates on the House floor, taking on James Carville for insulting his manhood.

“James Carville is well known for spouting off his mouth without always knowing what he’s talking about,” he told Terry Moran on “Nightline.”

Obama will never be at his best around Hillary; she drains him of his magical powers. She’s Jane Jinx to him. It’s a similar syndrome to the one Katharine Hepburn’s star athlete and her supercilious fiancé have in “Pat and Mike.”

The fiancé is always belittling Hepburn, so whenever he’s in the stands, her tennis and golf go kerflooey. Finally, her manager, played by Spencer Tracy, asks the fiancé to stay away from big matches, explaining, “You are the wrong jockey for this chick.”

“You know, except when you’re around, we got a very valuable piece of property here,” he says, later adding, “When you’re around, she’s no good, she’s dead, see?”

The best way Obama can punish Hillary is to reward himself. He’s no good around her, see?

Edwards slaps Hillary over racial comments

Former Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards said Sunday that Hillary Rodham Clinton probably didn't choose her words carefully when she suggested Barack Obama was losing the white vote.

Edwards also hedged on whether he might still endorse one of his former rivals, but said he thinks Obama will be the nominee. He cautioned that in Clinton's continued push for the nomination, she "has to be really careful" not to damage the Democratic Party's prospects in November.

"I know how hard it is to get up and go out there every day, speak to the media, speak to crowds, when people are urging you to get out of the race. I mean, it's a very hard place to be in. But she's shown a lot of strength about that," said Edwards, a former North Carolina senator who dropped out of the race in January.

"But I think the one thing that she has to be careful about ... going forward, is that, if she makes the case for herself, which she's completely entitled to do, she has to be really careful that she's not damaging our prospects, the Democratic Party, and our cause, for the fall," he said in a taped interview broadcast on CBS' "Face the Nation."

Clinton pledged to stay in the race after losing to Obama by a wide margin in North Carolina and barely winning in Indiana, which cemented his status as the front-runner. She touts her overall electability in a general election and, pointing to demographics, she recently told USA Today in an interview:

"There was just an AP article posted that found how Senator Obama's support among working — hardworking Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how the, you know, whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me."

Some accused Clinton of reintroducing race into the campaign. Edwards seemed to give her a pass.

"She's in a very tough, very competitive race that's been going on a long, long time. And you know, she didn't probably — I'm sure she feels like she didn't choose her words very well there," he said.

"What I think is, at the end of the day, when this is over — and I think it is likely, certainly, at this point, that Senator Obama will be the nominee — that the Democrats will unite. We'll all be behind our nominee. And we'll be out there campaigning our hearts out," Edwards said.

David Axelrod, Obama's chief campaign strategist, disputed Clinton's assertion.

Axelrod said Obama and Clinton split Indiana voters who make $50,000 a year or less, and that Obama performed better among non-college-educated voters there. He said the same was true in North Carolina.

"The words weren't well chosen, but the thesis was wrong," Axeldrod said on "Fox News Sunday.

Meanwhile, on the subject of an endorsement, Edwards said he "might" still, but "I don't think it's a big deal, to be honest with you."

Clinton may be the possible running mate of Barack Obama

Barack Obama on Thursday did not rule out selecting rival Hillary Clinton as his vice presidential running mate if he ultimately defeats her in a race in which he has an almost insurmountable lead.

"There's no doubt that she's qualified to be vice president, there's no doubt she's qualified to be president," Obama told NBC News.

In a CNN interview, he said he had not wrapped up the Democratic presidential nomination, but when he does, he will start going through the process of selecting a running mate.

"She is tireless, she is smart. She is capable. And so obviously she'd be on anybody's short list to be a potential vice presidential candidate," said Obama, who inched closer to winning the nomination by routing Clinton in North Carolina and almost defeating her in Indiana on Tuesday.

Some Democrats are saying Obama and Clinton would be a formidable team against Republican John McCain in the race to the November election.

According to a CBS News/New York Times poll released last week, a majority of both Obama and Clinton voters say they would favor a so-called "Dream Ticket" involving both candidates.

The Clinton campaign has deflected such talk. Clinton campaign spokesman Howard Wolfson told reporters on Wednesday that it was premature to discuss such a ticket and he had not heard her express any interest in the vice presidency.

Hillary Clinton eyes 2012 ticket by degrading Obama

Why Hillary contnues to fight?? It is because she's eyeing the 2012 ticket by the destruction of Obama in this election.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) is staying in the presidential race despite losing among elected delegates, facing a slimming lead among superdelegates, losing the popular vote and behind by 2-to-1 in the number of states carried. She slogs on, hoping against hope for a sudden turnaround in the race.

Apart from the psychological reasons for her stubbornness, is there a more subtle political calculation going on?

Is she continuing her race so as to have a platform from which to continue to bash Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) in the hopes of so damaging him that he can’t win the general election? Is she doing this to keep her options alive for the 2012 presidential race?

Hillary is obviously entitled to keep running until Obama has secured the votes necessary for the nomination, and it is certainly understandable that she would want to run until the last popular vote is counted. But must she run a negative, slash-and-burn campaign? Must she use her time on the platform and on television to belittle, mock, deride and try to destroy the man who will eventually be the candidate of her own party?

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) felt similarly justified in staying in the race for the Republican nomination until Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) reached the majority threshold required for nomination. He contested the Texas primary vigorously, even though his earlier losses in South Carolina and Florida made it most unlikely that he could win the nomination. But he chose to run a positive campaign. He didn’t knock McCain. He just articulated the case for his own candidacy.

But Hillary won’t avail herself of that option because it does not serve her long-term fallback position: a shot at the nomination in 2012. If Obama is elected this year, he will seek reelection in 2012 and Hillary would have to face taking on an incumbent in a primary in her own party if she wanted to run, a daunting task. But if McCain wins, the nomination in 2012 will be open. And it might be worth having. McCain will be 76 years old and the Republican Party will have been in power for 12 years. Not since FDR and Truman has a party lasted that long in power. When the Republicans tried to do so, in 1980 and 1992, they fell flat on their face.

Hillary is using white, blue-collar fears of Barack Obama to try to stop him from getting nominated or elected.

She is playing on his “elitism” by hammering him on blue-collar issues and is mincing no words in painting him as a stranger to blue-collar white America.

Hillary is attracting the votes of cops, firefighters, construction workers, union members. Are they in love with Hillary? They can’t stand her. But they are terrified of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, William Ayers and the various influences to which Obama seems to be subject. By playing on those fears, Hillary is undermining Obama’s ability to get elected.

This is not a byproduct of her continued candidacy — it is the goal. She, the consummate realist, must know that she has no practical shot at the nomination herself after her numbing loss in North Carolina and her paper-thin margin in Indiana. But she welcomes the opportunity an ongoing candidacy offers to bash Obama and to drive a wedge between him and the voters he must have to beat McCain.

The question is how long Democratic primary voters and the party leadership let her go on hitting their ultimate nominee. Will they bring Hillary up short and speak out about the harm she is doing to their party’s prospects by way of her refusal to recognize reality?

Hillary doesn’t have to pull out. She is entitled to run in the remaining states. But she should curtail her negative campaign and adopt the Huckabee strategy: Maximize your own vote share, but don’t beat up the party’s nominee. Unless, of course, that is her goal all along.

Obama wins North Carolina, Clinton takes Indiana

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton split crucial presidential contests in Indiana and North Carolina on Tuesday, pushing Obama closer to securing the Democratic nomination but keeping Clinton's faint hopes alive.

CBS News projected Clinton's win in Indiana, which preserved her slender chances in a prolonged Democratic duel that now moves to the next contest in one week in West Virginia. Other networks had not made a projection with more than two-thirds of the vote counted and Clinton leading 53 percent to 47 percent.

"I want to start by congratulating Senator Clinton on what appears to be a victory in the great state of Indiana," Obama told supporters in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Obama swamped Clinton in North Carolina, righting his campaign after a rough patch fueled by his comments on "bitter" small-town residents and a controversy over racially charged comments by his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

Indiana and North Carolina, with a combined 187 delegates to the Democrats' August nominating convention at stake, were the biggest prizes left in the Democratic race. Only six contests remain.

The two Democrats have battled for months for the right to represent the party in November's presidential election against Republican John McCain.

Obama, a 46-year-old Illinois senator who would be the first black U.S. president, has an almost unassailable lead in pledged delegates who will help select the Democratic nominee.

His win in North Carolina will move him closer to the 2,025 delegates needed to clinch the nomination and reduce the chance Clinton will be able to overtake his lead in either pledged delegates or popular votes won in the state-by-state nominating battle.

Obama takes North Carolina - Big win for Barack Obama in North Carolina

Sen. Barack Obama will win the North Carolina Democratic primary, CNN projects, but it is too early to call Indiana because not enough results are in from key areas.

As North Carolina results came in, Obama was leading Sen. Hillary Clinton by a margin of roughly 57-41.

The win will give him the larger share of the state's 115 delegates.

"Some were saying that North Carolina would be a game-changer in this election. But today, what North Carolina decided is that the only game that needs changing is the one in Washington," Obama told supporters in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Obama congratulated Clinton on what he called her apparent victory in Indiana.

Obama took an overwhelming 91 percent of the black vote in North Carolina, according to exit polls, while Clinton claimed only 6 percent.

Clinton took 59 percent of the white vote compared to 36 percent for Obama, according to the polls.

With 73 percent of Indiana precincts reporting, Clinton was leading Obama, 52-48 percent.

There are 72 delegates at stake in Indiana.

Poll workers in Indiana and North Carolina reported heavy turnout in the two primaries.

Turnout in the North Carolina Democratic primary was expected to reach 50 percent, according to Gary Bartlett, executive director for the North Carolina Board of Elections.

That figure would far exceed the 15 percent to 30 percent that usually turn out for a primary, he said.

The Indiana secretary of state's office said turnout was high throughout the day.

Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita will not release official figures until the end of the day, but said turnout looked more like a general election than a primary.

A judge ordered some polling stations in Indiana to stay open past closing time because the lines were so long.

Polling officials in Indianapolis said they had set a record for voter turnout after being open for only six hours.

A third of Clinton voters said they would pick McCain over Obama, while 17 percent said they would not vote at all. Forty-eight percent of Clinton supporters said they would back Obama in November.

Obama got even less support from Clinton backers in North Carolina where 45 percent of Clinton supporters said they would vote for him over McCain. Thirty-eight percent of Clinton supporters said they would vote for McCain while 12 percent said they would not vote.

Obama voters appear to be more willing to support Clinton in November. In Indiana, 59 percent of Obama backers said they'd vote for Clinton, and 70 percent of Obama backers in North Carolina said vote for her against McCain.

Obama on Tuesday said he didn't agree with those who said his party would not be able to unite.

"Tonight, many of the pundits have suggested that this party is inalterably divided -- that Sen. Clinton's supporters will not support me, and that my supporters will not support her," he said.

"I'm here tonight to tell you that I don't believe it. Yes, there have been bruised feelings on both sides. Yes, each side desperately wants their candidate to win. But ultimately, this race is not about Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama or John McCain.

"This election is about you -- the American people -- and whether we will have a president and a party that can lead us toward a brighter future."

Voters from both states were spilt over the controversy surrounding Obama's former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, early exit polls suggest.

In Indiana, 49 percent of voters in the Democratic primary said the issue was not important, compared to 48 percent who said it was an important factor in their vote.

In North Carolina 50 percent of voters said the Wright controversy was important, and 48 percent said it was not.

In both states, those who said it was an important issue largely broke for Clinton, and those who said it was not backed Obama.

Obama currently leads in pledged delegates and in states won, and he is ahead in the popular vote, if Florida and Michigan are not factored into the equation. Those states are being penalized for moving their primaries up in violation of party rules.

In all, only 404 pledged delegates remain to be chosen, and Tuesday's total of 187 makes it the biggest single primary day left. Clinton would need to win 70 percent of the remaining pledged delegates to catch up with Obama.

Obama news: Obama avoids media in final days of PA

It's now been ten days since Democrat Barack Obama has made himself available for questions from his traveling press corps, and it appears as though that number could rise even higher.

Aides have said it's unlikely he’ll hold an availability with reporters before Tuesday's Pennsylvania primary, but that they "could always add one." Given their track record over the past few days, however, that doesn't sound promising.

Since the start of the weekend, the possibility of a press conference has been dangled in front of reporters twice—only to be snatched away at the last possible moment.

On Saturday, reporters were teased for the majority of the day with a possible evening avail, only to be told at the eleventh hour that it would not be happening. To make it up, staffers said they were aiming to put him in front of cameras on Sunday but that, too, did not happen.

And at a diner Thursday morning, a reporter slipped in a question about former President Jimmy Carter's meeting with Hamas, but Obama responded by saying he just wanted to eat his waffle. Later that afternoon while taping an interview for "The Daily Show," a reporter tried to ask Obama about a new Clinton ad and the Obama ad that came as a response. The White House hopeful asked the reporter if she was "supposed to be" asking a question at that time and added that he might answer but that "it depends on how well behaved you are." In the end, he did not take the question.

Traveling press secretary Jen Psaki declined to comment on exactly why no time has been allotted for traveling press questions since a press conference in Indianapolis April 11. Obama did, however, make time Thursday for a few one on one interviews.

Obama news : New campaign crowd high for Obama

Barack Obama was greeted by the largest crowd of his campaign Friday night in Philadelphia. Some 35,000 people jammed into Independence Park to see the Democratic presidential candidate, four days before this state's crucial April 22 primary.

Frank Friel, director of security at the Independence Visitor Center, made the official estimate.

The crowd exceed the 30,000 who greeted Obama and Oprah Winfrey in December in Columbia, S.C.

Obama told the crowd the United States is at a crucial moment in its history, much like what the founding fathers faced in Philadelphia.

"It was over 200 years ago that a group of patriots gathered in this city to do something that no one in the world believed they could do," Obama said. "After years of a government that didn't listen to them, or speak for them, or represent their hopes and their dreams, a few humble colonists came to Philadelphia to declare their independence from the tyranny of the British throne."

The Illinois senator called Democratic rival Hillary Rodham Clinton a "tenacious" opponent but said it was time to move beyond the politics of the 1990s.

"Her message comes down to this: We can't really change the say-anything, do-anything, special interest-driven game in Washington, so we might as well choose a candidate who really knows how to play it," Obama said.

Obama news : Obama dominates Pennsylvania airwaves in home stretch

Barack Obama has spent more than $8 million on Pennsylvania campaign spots over the past month – more than twice what Hillary Clinton has – as ad spending this year continues its record pace.

The Illinois senator’s presidential campaign had spent $8.1 million in the four-week period ending April 16, half of that in the critical – and pricey – Philadelphia ad market, according to an analysis conducted by TNS Media Intelligence/CMAG, CNN’s consultant on political advertising spending.

He is spending $400,000 a day, on a pace to exceed $10 million in ad spending – more than double Clinton’s $3.3 million in ad buys.

“Senator Obama’s campaign has done an excellent job of putting their fundraising advantage to work with record Pennsylvania ad buys, forcing Senator Clinton to spend valuable time and money in a state where she had a double-digit lead in the polls only a few weeks ago,” said Evan Tracey, chief operating officer of TNSMI/CMAG.

“If her own message connects with voters and pays off, it could be a big moral boost for the Clinton campaign. If not: the Obama strategy has paid off.”

Obama is also dominating the airwaves in upcoming primary states, spending $1.4 million in North Carolina and $1.8 million in Indiana, and has ads on the air in Oregon, according to the analysis. Clinton has made smaller buys in North Carolina and Indiana, and has not yet begun airing ads in Oregon.

Obama news : Bitter Comments from our readers on Hillary Clintons new ad

Lee - Austin, TX		April 14th, 2008 12:56 pm ET HA!!! I heard about this…that's what you get for playing too many dirty politics, HRC.
YOU NEED TO KNOW		April 14th, 2008 12:57 pm ET What you are failing to realize is that Obama is fighting for the average American wheather you live in small town America or Big City. He wants to give tax breaks to those making less than 75k not the very wealthy like bush has. He wants to make sure your job where you make your salary stays in your town and does not get shipped off overseas somewhere and if it does then you'll really understand the "BITTER" part of knowing that Washington is looking out for you. Hillary and Bill are looking out for themselves and that 109 million will triple if she gets to be president because all the Rich folks that has there hands on Hill and Bill will get paid and so will Hill and Bill.
Willis, Texas		April 14th, 2008 12:57 pm ET Obama said something which happens to be true, and everyone jumped on him like he stole something!! People do turn to GOD when times are bad! Small town people do go hunting when they do not have jobs — they have to put food on the table!! There is nothing wrong in trying to survive!
Veterans for Obama		April 14th, 2008 12:57 pm ET That's right Hillary! You are in for a BIG suprise next Tuesday! PA is sick and tired of the infighting. Unions and Veterans will come out in droves for Obama!
Darth Vadik, CA		April 14th, 2008 12:58 pm ET Good for you Pennsylvanians, dont take her crap, a petty woman, who makes a windsock look like its working hard to catch the wind.
Veterans for Obama		April 14th, 2008 12:58 pm ET That's right Hillary! You are in for a BIG suprise next Tuesday! PA is sick and tired of the infighting. Unions and Veterans will come out in droves for Obama!
Tanya, Chicago		April 14th, 2008 12:58 pm ET ______________________________________________________ People…, Please send in more money now for Obama. We need more money to cover-up this latest attack on Obam's so called integrity. Obama needs to give another speech in front of my special Obama-bots again, Buy out all political analyst, radio talk show hosts and also keep pay the bloggers who keep posting praises no matter what! and for some more beer parties for our College Kid supporters. Please help Obama today. Send in more of you hard earned money now. !!! YES WE CAN !!! (Cover up this again) ___________________________________________________
Obama will be President		April 14th, 2008 12:58 pm ET I bet she cackeled uncomfortably.
Angus McDugan		April 14th, 2008 12:59 pm ET I don't know how Obama escapes it, but Hillary's true strength is her ability to make people dislike her. It may be her credibility issues or her lack of leadership concerning her campaign. She has her issues and Obama has his, but he seems to not generate the strong negative emotions that Hillary does. Angus in 08!
The Perpetual Student		April 14th, 2008 12:59 pm ET Goes to show you. Many people understood what Obama meant to say.
***AMERICAN***		April 14th, 2008 12:59 pm ET Catch a clue. Quit NOW!
DT		April 14th, 2008 12:59 pm ET Her little tactic backfired on her. Get on with the next topic!
Capt. Smash, Salt Lake City, Utah		April 14th, 2008 12:59 pm ET CNN reported that superdelegates need to consider ""bitter"" remarks They also need to consider Hillary Clinton"''s campaign problems! 1st: NAFTA Flip Flop 2nd: The war in Iraq vote! 3rd: Agreeing to sign up for the rules that were stated by the DNC in respect to Florida and Mich. 4th: Destroying the Democratic Party for her win at all cost policy. 5th: Slashing and Bashing Obama and then wanting him to be her running mate. 6th: Financial handling of campaign funds spent over 100 million during Iowa campaign. 7th: Lying about Bosnia and Sniper Fire. 8th: Not taking Obama serious as a contender for President,. She thought she had it in the bag from the beginning of her campaign. 9th: South American tarde issue with Mark Penn and her huband Bill Clinton. 10th: ONE MORE BIG ONE SHE DOES NOT PAY HER BILLS FROM HER CAMPAIGN FUNDS. The GOP and McCain will use all of this if she wins the nomination. She has made herself very, very unelectable the way I see it. She has poor judgment that is the bottom line issue for Superdelegates to examine.
hibbiejibbie		April 14th, 2008 1:00 pm ET THIS HAS TO BE ONE OF THE FEW TIMES IN U.S. POLITICAL HISTORY WHEN A MULTI-MILLIONAIRE HAS ACCUSED A MUCH LESS WEALTHY FELLOW PUBLIC SERVANT, A PERSON OF THE SAME PARTY AND VIEWS WHO MADE MUCH LESS LUCRATIVE CAREER CHOICES, OF "ELITISM"! Jason Linkins HUFFINGTON POST
Jo		April 14th, 2008 1:01 pm ET I grew up in Pennsylvania outside of Hazleton and I know the people there aren't stupid. They're able to see right through Hillary's antics and lies. Obama is the best hope we Americans have. We really can't afford more of Clinton's lies and dividing the democratics. Obama '08
mary-NH		April 14th, 2008 1:01 pm ET I'm not the only one getting fed up with your attacks on Obama Clinton. Start paying attention!
Tampa		April 14th, 2008 1:01 pm ET I guess the Key state is finally listening to their consciounce and hearing the words: Hope will always overcome fear. Can you feel PA sliiping away Hillary supporters? Your in for a BIG surprise come April 22. And if your not on board you WILL get left behind. Lets bring America back!
Greg		April 14th, 2008 1:01 pm ET She just can't help herself. She is a shameless political opportunist who will stop at nothing to try and hang on in this race Worse yet, she is a pathological liar who has absolutely no business criticizing anyone. The American people don't want Clinton (either one of them) and soon she will be out of this race.
Obama in 08, 12		April 14th, 2008 1:01 pm ET Is there video? I need a good laugh. Love to see her squirm.
Marc in DeKalb, IL		April 14th, 2008 1:01 pm ET Jeers for Clinton in "her" state… Looks like PA is realizing that Clinton's way is not America's way!
SNOBama		April 14th, 2008 1:01 pm ET Typical reaction of childish SNOBama supporters
JacknJill		April 14th, 2008 1:01 pm ET Hillary, you should take your own advice you gave to Bill. Just SHUT UP!
peter		April 14th, 2008 1:02 pm ET New poll, Hillary up 20% now in PA.
no news		April 14th, 2008 1:02 pm ET we need to wake up and see whos pushing this story its the news media not hillary
Ito, Yokosuka Japan		April 14th, 2008 1:02 pm ET Thank god some are not falling for her outright gradeschoolian tactics. Hillary Clinton has no morals and no self-respect. She is a shameless politician. Hopefully this will send a message for her knock it the bleep off.
Ben, MD		April 14th, 2008 1:02 pm ET She has become quite a republican in this race! I think McCain is pretty happy that he has Hillary to do the dirty work for him while he tries to make an independent appeal. You know how you can know she is lying? Her lips are moving. Pennsylvanians! PLEASE don't waste your votes and help McCain beat us in November.
Daniel from Kansas		April 14th, 2008 1:03 pm ET HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE FOR A PENNSYLVANIA FAMILY TO EARN THE $800,000.00 (EIGHT HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS) THAT HILLARY CLINTON RECEIVED FROM THE COLUMBIAN GOVERNMENT?
Obama 2008		April 14th, 2008 1:03 pm ET Hillary deserves a long vacation in Colombia, near an emerald mine. She is tired and stressed out and now unable to even keep her audience interested in her boring monologue. Go home - Is it NY? PA? or AK? Whatever, just go. Leave us alone.
Think - FL		April 14th, 2008 1:03 pm ET "The Clinton campaign later said the disgruntled reaction came to Clinton's remarks came from Obama supporters in attendance." More like people that aren't going to play along with your twisting of his honest words that were never intended to be demeaning or hurtful and didn't come from a bad place until they filtered through your head. Witch.
Ex-Hillary supporter		April 14th, 2008 1:03 pm ET People do turn to God when times are tough and I speak as an atheist!
Myke A.		April 14th, 2008 1:03 pm ET Hahahaha. Shame on Hillary. You remind me of how the dog bit the owner. LOL
YOU NEED TO KNOW		April 14th, 2008 1:04 pm ET What this whole country should be BITTER about is the fact that we had a contract between 40 and 100 billion dollars to build UNITED STATES AIR FORCE aircraft and that contract was sent overseas (France). NOW IF THAT"S NOT ENOUGH TO MAKE YOU BITTER, THEN WHAT IS? OR MAYBE THAT BILLY BOY HAS BEEN PAID BY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT (dont" know how much) BUT THIS IS THE SAME GOVERNMENT THAT HILLARY HAS BEEN CARRYING ON ABOUT REGARDING HUMAN RIGHTS. HILLARY'S AGAINST CAFTA, BUT ALL OF HER HIGH RANKING PEOPLE (YES BILL ALSO) ARE IN SUPPORT OF CAFTA. WHAT'S GOING ON HERE???? YES WE ARE PISSED OFF AND BITTER.
Isaac		April 14th, 2008 1:04 pm ET His attacks were way worse, but here we are again with his supporters attacking her. How can he jeer her for drinking a beer when he just did the exact same thing and has been talking about it ever since? Come on.
Skipper		April 14th, 2008 1:04 pm ET Rumor has it that Obamabots have now started showing up at Hillary's speaking engagements just to heckle her. Yeah, that's real mature there Barry. I'm still trying to figure out what's wrong with "throwing back a shot and beer?" Is there anything "American" you won't attack?
Paul		April 14th, 2008 1:05 pm ET Wow! I bet Clinton had no idea this would backfire in her face. I love it.
brad, obamaha, NE		April 14th, 2008 1:05 pm ET wow. just wow. obama08
Bitter in oregon		April 14th, 2008 1:05 pm ET Barack the truth Obama that's who I am voting for …… If the next states can't close this up. then we will here in Oregon. where are the signs I am Bitter and I want change Barack Obama 08 I'll take one, heck I'll tale two who else wants a sign????
NancyL-64		April 14th, 2008 1:05 pm ET The truth is powerful, and Obama spoke the truth. Too bad Hillary just doesn't get it. So who is out of touch and elitist?
rw md		April 14th, 2008 1:05 pm ET This is the kind of crap she has to put up with. He can attack her and say anything he want's but if she attack's him, they have to defend there little punk kid. I've allway's said that Pennsylvania has one good thing, the Liberty Bell, and that's got a crack in it.
dee		April 14th, 2008 1:05 pm ET Thank you sooo much labor crowd You have made me PROUD to be an Intellegent American Today. thank you and God bless you.
P Walters		April 14th, 2008 1:05 pm ET What a pseudo-campaign put on by Barack Obama supporters! If they yell loud enough, they think it will sway voters… It doesn't work that way! To Obama supporters, you are shooting yourselves in the foot! We're finally seeing the real Obama - and it isn't pretty or humble - it's arrogant and snide… Let's see some more!
Ron R		April 14th, 2008 1:05 pm ET There on to you Hillary!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Let Freedom Ring		April 14th, 2008 1:06 pm ET Say "No!" to the Shady First Lady!!! Hillary Clinton continues to lob spitballs at Barack Obama and try to convince the public and the media that they're cannonballs. If that's truly all the ammunition that she has to use against him, he'll win the general election for SURE. Obama '08!
Anna		April 14th, 2008 1:06 pm ET Penn people are really smart.
Nancy in Ohio		April 14th, 2008 1:06 pm ET One of the few times Hillary is right. She nails it. I have a grudging respect and admiration for the woman. Think I'd like her on a personal level, but she's too liberal.
Carol/Lansing Michigan		April 14th, 2008 1:06 pm ET She should be jeered at about taking his comments out of context. People do turn to religion and unfortunately some to crime with things get very, very bad. We are bitter, bitter to see our plants close and go south to Mexico taking the jobs with them. We can't turn to our government, they don't listen. Why do you think peoples approval levels of the Senate, House and President are some of the lowest in history. If Hillary doesn't realize that, then I guess being born into a wealthy family and living wealthy ALL her life has left her out of touch with the other 95%.
Jessica, MI		April 14th, 2008 1:06 pm ET "no news" - are you serious? did you not see how Hillary INSTANTLY came out in public and laced into Obama, calling him "elitist", etc..? To call Hillary an opportunist is an understatement…
Let Freedom Ring		April 14th, 2008 1:06 pm ET Say "No!" to the Shady First Lady!!! Hillary Clinton continues to lob spitballs at Barack Obama and try to convince the public and the media that they're cannonballs. If that's truly all the ammunition that she has to use against him, he'll win the general election for SURE. Obama '08!
Let Freedom Ring		April 14th, 2008 1:06 pm ET Say "No!" to the Shady First Lady!!! Hillary Clinton continues to lob spitballs at Barack Obama and try to convince the public and the media that they're cannonballs. If that's truly all the ammunition that she has to use against him, he'll win the general election for SURE. Obama '08!
David Smith		April 14th, 2008 1:07 pm ET I find it interesting that even though the media is jumping on Senator Obama again, and once again not reporting on the myriad of misdirections and obfuscations made by Senator Clinton and her campaign, that the people of the Keystone State are not buying her version of events - and identifying with Senator Obama. This will be an interesting week.
Walt, Belton,TX		April 14th, 2008 1:07 pm ET You would think Hillary is fighting for the last slot on the High School Varsity Cheerleading Squad, not the most important job in America. Get a grip, Girl, and grow up! A little maturity would be nice……
Jane L.		April 14th, 2008 1:07 pm ET The crowd may not have been booing Senator Clinton; they were booing at what Senator Obama has said.
Madana		April 14th, 2008 1:07 pm ET You can only create what you can articulate. Someone was able to articulate the "car" before the first car was invented. Barack articulates a future that's inspiring and promises new hopwe and he does it authentically, committedly and selflessly. Hilary could do the same if her attention was less on inflating herself. Clearly, Barack cares more about the people, us, that Hilary does - so, the choice is easy for me. Madana, Fl.
joseph Jacir, nc		April 14th, 2008 1:07 pm ET Proud of you sons and daughters of Pennsylvania………YOU are not taking the bate of the CLINTONS
FEDUP		April 14th, 2008 1:07 pm ET We need to look at the big picture. I hope people will read the full story, the title is a little ambigious. I can understand their plight. I am lucky in that I don't have to worry about myself. My children and grandchildren are another story. Neither minium wage nor unemployment, will support even a single person, much less a family. Thankfully, I am able help them on many occasions. I think the Clinton administration allowed us to secure our future. Things were good, people were better off 7 years ago. I believe they can be good again under Hillary Clinton. Obama may preach hope, but can he deliver? He appears to cave too easily, to get the job done. His nuclear bill became so watered down it was useless. Exelon benefited from his weak stance..I just don't see change, when your supporters are some of the oldest Washington insiders. Kennedy and Kerry in particular. So, my vote stays with Hillary, to the point of writing her name if necessary.
Venus		April 14th, 2008 1:08 pm ET YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Finally!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Go Obama! Keep your foot on her NECK and put the other foot on Bill's NECK!
jr		April 14th, 2008 1:08 pm ET She might have avoided the response from the crowd if she had shared a shot of Kentucy Bourbon (not Canadien whiskey) with them before she went on the attack.
Mark from San Diego		April 14th, 2008 1:08 pm ET Hillary doesnt realize it is HER that the voters reject!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She is every bit as dishonest as Bill. The Clintons just need to go away and us Dems would be better off for it.
Fed Up Democrat		April 14th, 2008 1:08 pm ET It is truly sad to see what Hillary Clinton has become. Perhaps she and Bill were always so morally corrupt throughout his administration, however I and my family gave them the benefit of the doubt throughout all of their "problems". I couldn't wait for her to be the first female president, and not because she was female, but rather a continuation of the Clinton administration. Her dishonesty with the American people and especially herself is quite frightening. If she wins the the nomination, we as proud Americans will all loose. We will lose domestically and internationally. She is not the face of "moral authority" as she claims. She needs to get out of the race before she further becomes a danger to herself and others, and the future of America.
Uncle Sam		April 14th, 2008 1:08 pm ET Sen. Obama has admitted that he was not present when those "bitter" comments were made.
Ivar		April 14th, 2008 1:08 pm ET Why do I have a feeling that I want to be sick in my stomach..Doctor help me….oHHHH yesss I saw Hillary talking her crap again….Ahhh Oh I see. I am just having the same symptoms as the rest of our country when they listen to Hillary…. GUESS Hillary is intentionally in the race after having lost so she can make some money off the health care lobby.
Al-Houston		April 14th, 2008 1:08 pm ET Hillary is the one who is unelectable!!!! —————-That's why the republicans wan't so much to see her win the nomination. The democrats are theyr'e own worst enemy, not smart enough to see reality. Keep going in this direction and McCain will be the next president.
spyturtle		April 14th, 2008 1:08 pm ET gun packing beer swigging hillary has got to dodge more than sniper fire. hillary under estimated the intellect of the blue collar. who is the elitist worth 100 million? her lies have come to bite her back.
Tampa		April 14th, 2008 1:08 pm ET THERE IS NO NEW POLL SHOWING HILLARY UP BY 20% UNLESS IT WAS CONDUCTED BY BILL. CUT THE BS PETER! NO WONDER YOU SUPPORT HER YOU GIRLY MAN LOL
Sharon from Ohio		April 14th, 2008 1:08 pm ET LIAR HILLARY & DUMB MCCAIN
Marj,Paso Robles, Cal		April 14th, 2008 1:09 pm ET Only a fool would vote for these Democratic clowns.
Rex the wonder horse		April 14th, 2008 1:09 pm ET Has any body seen a real issue lately? All this 'made up' controversy and endless counter punching isn't doing any body any good about informing people of real issues.
MC		April 14th, 2008 1:09 pm ET Thank you to the people of PA. Don't let her distract you from the issue. Let's show them we are tired of losing our jobs. We need a plan to create new ones. How many Republicans and Democrats have come to your Small Towns, promising to bring back jobs….and they haven't. At least Obama is being honest with you guys. Show the American people you are not buying it anymore. Vote for Obama and end the Drama.
Dennis		April 14th, 2008 1:09 pm ET Go Hillary Go. —- Obama will say anything just to get votes. NOBAMA for all the "WRIGHT" reasons!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
no news		April 14th, 2008 1:10 pm ET i think the "bitter" people of pa have spoken . and they are saying BYE BYE HILLARY!
Eric		April 14th, 2008 1:10 pm ET The sad part in all of this is; to much time being spent on nonsense, and not enough time being spent on the issues. Obama hit it right on the button. Old Washington poitics. Now PA is really starting to see. GO OBAMA!!!
jpowalski		April 14th, 2008 1:10 pm ET Hillary's comments sounded very elitist to me!
AJ, IL		April 14th, 2008 1:10 pm ET Oh that Hillary! Loves to take credit for the positive things from the Clinton years, but disavows the negative things from the Clinton years. Wake up Pennslyvania and Indiana, let's turn the page on divisive politics! Heck, even McCain is telling his inner circle that he wants to run against Hillary and not Obama.
kathleen retired Professional w/woman for obama		April 14th, 2008 1:11 pm ET Penn and Indiana. If she makes it, you will be voting for one of the most hated women in America. She lies, she distorts the truth. She takes one word "bitter' that Obama says and emplodes it to make us forget about her Bosnia, Canada, Columbian, Nafta. stories. She knows exactly how to take the heat of herself. She waits until a Fri. to throw in the monkey wrench. If she wins, she will continue to consort with Republicans and lobbiest.. She will never thank you for your vote and she will never look back or come back. Obama is tapping in to all of forgotten and downtrodden Americans, not just you!!! We have all felt "bitter" at times. Obama cares he will never forget you and he is not an "elitist" Hillary knows that that word is part of the reason Gore and Kerry lost.
Frank, Missouri		April 14th, 2008 1:11 pm ET That is definitely it … I would not be voting for Hillary Clinton (or any Clinton) every ! I rather would vote for George Bush to be president for the next generation! She is diverting the attention from her Bosnia-Gate and Colombia-Gate and the media is just blindly following the agenda. A sad state of a democracy … but then again, the media fell in lockstep with George Bush before when it was ordered. Bottom line, I think the Democratic Party is broken. Billary is taking it down with her eyes on 2012. The superDs don't have the guts to stand up to HillyBilly … I know Obama can lead this country in a better future .. about the Democrats at large, I am not that sure.
Pat Va		April 14th, 2008 1:11 pm ET It's time to pack it in, Hill…everyone with a shred of intelligence are taking your rants and raves about the word "bitter" with much less than a grain of salt. You're merely using this tactic to take the onus off of you and your MANY issues that will (and do) harm to the American people. You're so pathetic and entirely irrelvant at this point.
no news		April 14th, 2008 1:11 pm ET to tampa, some peoplenever come out from their rock so you have to let them say their bush like statements
Relevant		April 14th, 2008 1:12 pm ET I like how at the end, she even throws her own husband under the bus…
John Smith		April 14th, 2008 1:12 pm ET Deb, frrom another blog has been calling Obama a "creep" Deb is a "white, filty, racist" Deb is uneducated, and thus narrow-minded Deb has not done her homework or research on the Clinton lies and sins. Deb is simply a follower and must be very "gulliable." In the sphere of psychology, people like Deb are noted as "borderline personality." I could go on, but for anyone to use such a "filty" language against another human being says a lot and should not get away with it, period!
obama 08		April 14th, 2008 1:12 pm ET nomatter how dumb they sound
Jen B.		April 14th, 2008 1:13 pm ET Hillary is looking and sounding pretty bitter herself as her campaign continues to self-destruct.
Emma in CA		April 14th, 2008 1:13 pm ET Senator Clinton: You are beating a dead horse. Your shallow criticisms of Senator Obama do not invite voters to find you attractive as a person or as a President.
Casy		April 14th, 2008 1:13 pm ET I am a Clinton supporter but there is a such thing as an overkill. Instead of talking about Obama directly, I think she should just continue with her message of optimism and change for the better! As far as her getting booed—first off–I am sure they were Obama supporters—this isn't the first time she's been booed and I know it won't be the last! Oh well! All candidates get booed or have some type of heckling at some time or another. This is no biggie at all but Clinton SHOULD NOT continue to beat this thing in the ground! So hopefully, this was a wake up call to her. What CNN didn't report is how the crowd reacted to Obama! I wonder……….
Benny		April 14th, 2008 1:13 pm ET I am an independent who does not want a continuation of the Bush/Cheney administration carried out by John McCain. It is therefore very important that people stop calling for Hillary to quit. Her tactics and strategy are not working but she must be allowed to take them as far as SHE wants to so that when she does concede, then everyone will know it is because she lost fair and square. Her attempts to be a republican in her attacks on Senator Obama only makes him stronger and yes, he has avoided taking himself down to her level. He is different in that respect. She will at some point release her people to vote democratic for the sake of the country and that action is what will save her political future. For those who think Mr. Obama is unelectable you need only look at the full-blown attacks he's survived from his OWN party to see that he is the true fighter and survivor, without being a dirty "kitchen sink" fighter.
Concerned Democrat		April 14th, 2008 1:13 pm ET Obama is the Annie Oakley wannabe and he shot himself in the foot! The fact that should not be overlooked is that the "Bitter" comment were words that came out of Obama’s mouth. It wasn't anyone else's fault that he said it, he wasn’t forced to. I take him at his word, especially since he's supposed to be so honest, intelligent and poised. It did sound eliteist. He may not be rich but he sure wants to be. And if "he didn't mean it", he's just a panderer, just like he's been accused of being. Obama has had to "re-state" a lot of things in recent memory……more like had to spin a lot of things (especially that “race” speech)! Sorry Obama supporters, he brought this one on himself, with his own words. Words that sounded pretty sincere and well thought out. He obviously didn't think anyone would hear what he said outside of that room which means that they were probably more from his heart. What’s in a man’s heart is key!
BV		April 14th, 2008 1:13 pm ET "New poll, Hillary up 20% now in PA." New poll showing Obama up by 14 in New Hampshire. Wait…. Polls RULE!
Bayou Joe		April 14th, 2008 1:13 pm ET Leave this poor woman alone. She is the Democrats best chance to beat McCain. Can't you fools see that Obama is not electable. This is America. We believe in our Country. We defend it. We own guns. Drink Beer and don't apologize for it. Actually some of us drink wine, but then so do the French. Hillary is no different than me and you. She likes to have fun. Exaggerates a little about what she has done and not done. But at least she is an American that has served her country with honor and dignity. God Bless Hillary and John McCain.
John		April 14th, 2008 1:13 pm ET What is wrong with the American public? No one has questioned Senator Obama on whether he feels that the violent and destructive preachings of Rev. Wright are based on "bitterness" or not. It appears that he willing to blame small town Americans as to holding on to "guns and religion" out of bitterness, yet fails to blame Rev. Wright for his attempt to teach hatred to black Americans. Senator Obama speaks differently in private than he does in public and that causes me concern. Yes, Americans (of every color) have a right to be bitter over the loss of jobs and for economic hardship but that does give him the right to catagorize it simply as "smalltown Americans". He offends everyone with his comments.
Tobias		April 14th, 2008 1:14 pm ET Obama has been slinging mud since day one and when his back is against the wall his slings more. This time his calls to "just got past it" aren't going to work. He has proven himself again to be nothing more then a liar and a hypocrite. His chickens are coming home to roost and the super delegates are listening. He has absolutely no chance in November now so please vote smart, vote Clinton. Love her or hate her she will make a helluva president.
anthony		April 14th, 2008 1:14 pm ET boycott cnn for their bias reporting.
Homer		April 14th, 2008 1:14 pm ET When Obama gets the dem. nomination Hillary could team up with McCain. She seems to agree with him on alot of issues.
Mary		April 14th, 2008 1:14 pm ET What Obama and the rest of America are saying is that Hillary will say and do anything to become President. ANYTHING!!!
jason		April 14th, 2008 1:14 pm ET are people finally seeing hillary for what she is? consider my faith in the american populace to have increased slightly.
Finally		April 14th, 2008 1:14 pm ET Hillary stick to the issues, people are tired of the kitchen sink tactic!
Oregon IS Obama		April 14th, 2008 1:15 pm ET This woman is so clueless , she is about to get a huge wake up call. I look for her to get run completely out of the Democratic party .
Rob, Boston MA		April 14th, 2008 1:15 pm ET talking about Bill Clinton and NAFTA Hillary says: "As smart as my husband is, he does make mistakes." So does her chief strategist, apparently.

Obama news: New Clinton ad: Obama is 'out of touch'

Hillary Clinton’s campaign released a tough new ad Monday that features the reactions of some of her Pennsylvania supporters who say they were “insulted” by Barack Obama’s controversial recent comments about some small-town Americans.

The 30-second spot – which echoes several days of similar criticism from Clinton and her campaign — features a diverse group of voters reacting to Obama’s comments a week ago that some of the state’s residents were “bitter” and turning to guns and religion because of economic pressures.

Full script follows:

Woman 1: I was very insulted by Barack Obama.

Man 1: It just shows how out of touch Barack Obama is.

Woman 2: I'm not clinging to my faith out of frustration and bitterness. I find that my faith is very uplifting.

Man 2: The good people of Pennsylvania deserve a lot better than what Barack Obama said.

Woman 1: Hillary does understand the citizens of Pennsylvania better.

Woman 3: Hillary Clinton has been fighting for people like us her whole life.

Obama news: Polls: Clinton's lead down to 4 points in Pennsylvania

Sen. Hillary Clinton's lead over Sen. Barack Obama in the crucial primary state of Pennsylvania has dwindled to 4 points, a CNN average of recent polls calculated Thursday shows.

The New York senator now holds a 4 point advantage over her rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, 46 to 42 percent. Twelve percent of likely Democratic voters there remain unsure.

Recent CNN "poll of polls" suggest the race in Pennsylvania is tightening before the state's April 22 primary. A poll of polls calculated two days ago showed Clinton with a 6 point lead in Pennsylvania, and a poll of polls last Friday showed her on top by 11 points.

“Obama is outspending Clinton by better than two to one on television ads in Pennsylvania,” said Alan Silverleib, CNN’s senior political researcher. “Combine that with Clinton’s recent misstatement over her 1996 trip to Bosnia and the escalating chorus of voices calling on her to withdraw from the race, and you get a much tighter contest.”

Thursday's poll of polls included recent surveys from Time Magazine, American Research Group, and Quinnipiac University.

Obama election news: Despite $20 million haul, troubling signs for Clinton

The reluctant confirmation of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s (D-N.Y.) campaign that it raised $20 million in March is the latest indication that the stream of money flowing to the former first lady is slowing significantly, even though aides maintain that resources are not a problem.

The mere fact that the campaign was slow to release the data is already a sign of trouble. When Clinton has done well, the campaign has sometimes not even waited until the end of the month to boast of the totals, such as in February, when the former first lady raised $35 million and the figure was announced on Feb. 29. Even after its poorest showing in January, the campaign acknowledged by Feb. 4 that it had taken in only $13.5 million.

Clinton is in a politically difficult position. While her fundraising numbers would be record-shattering in any other cycle, the former first lady has consistently been second best in this year’s Democratic primary. The millions she has raised often appear to pale in comparison to the contributions Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is raking in. When Clinton announced her February haul, the Illinois senator’s campaign subsequently pointed out it raised $55 million.

Now, also running behind Obama in the delegate count, Clinton has to play catch up with an opponent who appears to have near unlimited resources to counter any attack.

The figures that are publicly available suggest that Clinton is facing a steep uphill climb — despite the fact that she raised about $20 million in March, making it her second best month to date. The Clinton campaign confirmed those reports to several media outlets on Thursday after refusing to do so earlier this week.

“Our cash flow is good. Bills are being paid. We are continuing to raise a considerable amount of money,” said Clinton communications director Howard Wolfson this week, adding that the campaign has enough money to do what it wants to do. In addition, Clinton also announced Thursday that she would buy her first TV ad in North Carolina. Her absence on the airwaves in key states like North Carolina and Indiana had been seen as another indication that money woes were plaguing the campaign.

The $20 million estimate for March, however, shows that the flow of contributions to Clinton is clearly slowing, as it was earlier this year when she loaned her campaign $5 million.

After winning primaries in Texas and Ohio at the beginning of the month, the New York senator’s campaign announced that it had raised $6 million in the first six days of March.

That means Clinton raised $14 million throughout the rest of March, for an average of less than $600,000 per day. That is about half of what she has raised per day over the previous 40 days.

In comparison, Obama has raised more than $1.4 million per day this year.

When the Clinton campaign proudly released its figures for early March, Peter Daou, the former first lady’s Internet director, said, “Hillary’s supporters have come through every time we’ve needed them, and they are setting a record pace now as we move ahead to the upcoming contests.”

The numbers, along with reports that the campaign is not paying all of its bills -- which Clinton aides have disputed -- appear to indicate that the New York senator’s donor base might not be able to stem the Obama tide.

Obama news : The real Clinton mistakes

A post-mortem on the Clinton campaign is premature, but it’s never too early to learn from mistakes. While everyone agrees mistakes were made, the nature of those errors remains a matter of debate.

• Early States vs. Many States — Some have opined that the Clinton campaign spent too much time and money on Iowa and New Hampshire at the expense of later states. I would suggest she dedicated too little to Iowa and the optimum to New Hampshire.

By the end of December, Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.) had each raised just over $100 million and, in principle, both had about the same number of campaign days. Yet the Clinton campaign allowed the Obama team to outspend them on Iowa TV by 40 percent and to have about the same advantage in campaign events. If she had done more events and more TV in Iowa, would Hillary Clinton have won? Impossible to prove the counterfactual, but it couldn’t have hurt, and there is no doubt that had Clinton won Iowa, she would be the presumptive nominee today.

Alternatively, had she not won New Hampshire, Clinton would have been forced from the race months ago.

So while some of her Iowa spending could have been misdirected, the truth is Clinton spent too little on what matters in Iowa and about the right amount in New Hampshire.

• Micro vs. Macro — Readers of Mark Penn’s Microtrends argue that his micro-messages failed against Obama’s macro-message of change. That too is not quite right. Clinton did have a macro-message early on — experience. It was just the wrong message. Every poll for two years demonstrated that Democrats prefer change over experience by 2 to 1. Good campaigns have both macro- and micro-messages, and in the very best, the two are inextricably linked.

• A Message vs. A List — While Clinton did develop a macro-message, for too much of the campaign she merely had a list of popular proposals. A strong message beats a good list.

• Big States vs. All States — To all appearances the Clinton campaign operated from the theory that only big states count; “small” states didn’t, and that was an error as big as they come. Clinton won more than twice as many states with over 100 delegates, while Obama won nearly three times as many states with under 50 delegates. Yet Clinton’s net advantage in those big states amounted to just three delegates, while Obama’s massive victories in the largely uncontested small states gave him a 55-delegate advantage over Clinton.

Put differently, Obama got a greater delegate advantage from his win in Idaho than Clinton did from her Ohio victory, and he generated a bigger delegate lead in Kansas than she wrested from New Jersey.

• Big Money vs. All Money — In the money chase, too, the Clinton campaign played by old rules, apparently unaware of just how much this game had changed. Through Feb. 29, Clinton had a nearly $7 million advantage with the big donors, though Obama led the money race overall by a staggering $39 million. The entire difference came from donors who gave $200 or less — the fruits of Obama’s effective Internet strategy.

By its own admission the Clinton campaign left this very profitable stone largely unturned until she was forced to lend her campaign money. Not everyone can turn the Internet into a gusher, but the simple fact is that her campaign did not work the medium nearly as hard as Obama did, and it paid off for him. That’s why he is once again wildly outspending her on TV, this time in Pennsylvania, putting a once-sure Clinton win in jeopardy.

Lots for everybody to learn.

Obama News : Obama Moves to 9-point Lead Over Clinton

Barack Obama has gained support in the latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking report for April 4-6, and now leads Hillary Clinton by a statistically significant margin, 52% to 43%.

Obama's current 52% support level matches his highest of the year, although his margin over Clinton was slightly larger, at 52% to 42%, in March 27-29 polling. So far this year Obama has been unable to sustain a significant lead over Clinton for more than a few days. (To view the complete trend since Jan. 3, 2008.

Obama had a particularly strong showing in Sunday's interviewing, and it will remain to be seen if he is able to enlarge and sustain a margin of victory in the days ahead. Two events have been in the news in recent days that, in theory, could affect Democrats' support levels for their two candidates. Bill and Hillary Clinton released their tax returns for the last eight years on Friday, reporting that they made over $100 million during that time period. Sunday Clinton's chief campaign strategist, Mark Penn, resigned his position after reports that the public relations firm of which he is president had a conflict of interests with the Clinton campaign.

Obama remains tied with presumptive Republican nominee John McCain when registered voters nationally as given a hypothetical November general election matchup between the two. McCain retains a slight two percentage point margin over Clinton.

Obama news : Obama skeptical of poll numbers

Presidential hopeful Barack Obama believes that Hillary Clinton's lead in Pennsylvania is actually much larger than the polls will have you believe, the Illinois senator said in an interview Saturday with the Courier Times.

Obama also said that his fierce contest with Clinton for the nomination will not cause any long-term damage within the Democratic party, that Clinton should not be forced out of the race even if she loses Pennsylvania's primary and that voters are not as concerned about racial issues as the media might have you believe.

This week, several polls were released showing that Obama had closed a once-formidable lead by Clinton in Pennsylvania's April 22 primary. The polls had Clinton up by an average of nearly 7 percentage points and one even had Obama leading by 2 points, but Obama said he had no faith in those numbers.

“I don't believe in polls when I'm up and I don't believe in polls when I'm down,” Obama said in a phone interview shortly after a campaign stop in Montana. “I still think we're losing by 20. I'm joking a little.”

Obama, who sees himself as an underdog in the Pennsylvania primary, said Clinton should stay in the race even if he won that contest as long as she has support.

“I think that Sen. Clinton should be able to continue for as long as she wants to,” he said.

Obama added that the tight contests in states such as Pennsylvania, where voters have not had a say in the presidential nomination process in a generation, were, ultimately, beneficial to the party.

“It means that we're getting our voters engaged and interested,” he said.

He said he saw no lasting rift in the party caused by his battle with Clinton and said all Democrats would come together once the nomination was settled, which might not occur until the Democratic National Convention in August.

“I think that we will unify fairly quickly once the convention begins,” he said. “Whatever differences that Sen. Clinton and I have pale in comparison with the differences that we have with John McCain.”

Obama, who delivered a major speech on American race relations last month in Philadelphia, said that the race issue may be overly hyped by the media.

“I don't think it has been a big issue throughout this campaign,” said Obama, who pointed out that he has won in predominately white states like Idaho, North Dakota and Wisconsin. “I think that race was bound to have some relevance given that I'm the first African-American candidate to have come this far, but I have to say that the vast majority of Americans are much less concerned about race and gender than they are about [other issues].”

Those issues include rising gas prices, insufficient health care, job security and the war in Iraq, Obama said.

He said that the media has tried to make race a predominant issue in the campaign, trying to figure out who black voters or white voters might favor in this campaign.

“The press is absolutely trying to push and peddle this agenda,” he said.

Obama declined to comment extensively on recently released tax returns that show that Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, earned more than $109 million over the past eight years.

“There's no doubt that most of the candidates for president are better off than average Americans,” he said.

Still, Obama said he and his wife, Michelle, might better understand the financial struggles facing average Americans.

“We do have a pretty good feel for the day-to-day struggles that people go through,” he said.

Obama also declined to comment on whether Bucks County Congressman Patrick Murphy's, D-8, support for his campaign might lead to a spot for Murphy in the Obama administration if he is eventually elected president.

“Patrick Murphy is an extraordinary talent and he will always have a spot in my heart,” he said.

He said he was “looking forward” to working with Murphy, an Iraq war veteran, on veterans' issues and war policy if he is elected.