The John McCain for President, Hillary Clinton for Vice President War Party Fusion Ticket
BUZZFLASH EDITOR'S BLOG
Mark Karlin
Editor and Publisher
March 11, 2008
When it Comes to the Vice-Presidency, Should Hillary Run on a McCain Ticket?
It is the one inviolable rule of party politics; don't promote the other party's candidate at the expense of your own.
In the past couple of weeks, Senator Hillary Clinton has violated that cardinal rule again and again as she personally vouched for the readiness of John McCain to assume the presidency, while belittling Barack Obama as nothing more than a speech.
Here is perhaps the most devastating gift she gave to the Republicans as she patronizingly dismissed Obama:
"I think that since we now know Sen. McCain will be the nominee for the Republican Party, national security will be front and center in this election. We all know that. And I think it’s imperative that each of us be able to demonstrate we can cross the commander-in-chief threshold,” the New York senator told reporters crowded into an infant’s bedroom-sized hotel conference room in Washington.
“I believe that I’ve done that. Certainly, Sen. McCain has done that and you’ll have to ask Sen. Obama with respect to his candidacy,” she said.
Calling McCain, the presumptive GOP nominee a good friend and a “distinguished man with a great history of service to our country,” Clinton said, “Both of us will be on that stage having crossed that threshold.”
Clinton couldn't stop herself from praising McCain: The pro-McCain comments were quickly and widely panned — so Clinton repeated them.
James Fallows reported on Wednesday, "In a live CNN interview just now, Sen. Clinton repeated, twice, the 'Sen. McCain has a lifetime of experience, I have a lifetime of experience, Sen. Obama has one speech in 2002' line. By what logic, exactly, does a member of the Democratic party include the 'Sen. McCain has a lifetime of experience' part of that sentence?"
Eric Zorn, a normally low-key columnist for the Chicago Tribune, reacted with uncharacteristic alarm: "Last week, I posted twice on a statement by Hillary Clinton that struck me as one of the lowest and most destructive things I've ever heard one candidate say about a rival candidate in the same party."
Former Senator Gary Hart was one of the many long-term party activists who was appalled by Clinton's pumping up of John McCain while patronizingly dismissing Barack Obama. He decried her comments:
By saying that only she and John McCain are qualified to lead the country, particularly in times of crisis, Hillary Clinton has broken that rule, severely damaged the Democratic candidate who may well be the party's nominee, and, perhaps most ominously, revealed the unlimited lengths to which she will go to achieve power. She has essentially said that the Democratic party deserves to lose unless it nominates her.
Former presidential candidate and Senator Bill Bradley was quoted in a London newspaper:
Bradley believes that Clinton will stop at nothing to tear down Obama even if it boosts John McCain, who was confirmed last week as the Republican nominee: "The Clintons do not do long-term planning. They’re total tacticians and right now their focus is on Obama, not McCain."
Bill Clinton presaged the strategy of his wife when he noted a few weeks ago that Senator Clinton and Senator McCain had deep respect for each other and would run a civilized campaign.
We don't know what Senator Clinton's criteria are for the crossing "the commander-in-chief threshold." The Chicago Tribune pretty much debunked Clinton's scant claims to foreign policy and military experience, and McCain wants to bomb Iran and continue the war in Iraq for a hundred years. What allowed McCain and Clinton to cross that threshold? It appears to be poor judgment in foreign policy as far as their Senate careers are concerned.
We'll be further exploring the Clinton-McCain connection in foreign policy and D.C. establishment ties in tomorrow's BuzzFlash Editor's Blog, "Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Barack Obama and Judgment Day."
Oh, and if you'd like to print out the McCain-Clinton for President and Vice President campaign button, just click here and print. We'll also have another campaign button for you, this one for true progressive Democrats.
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This would scare the crap out of me
If they won or were installed
Who would Hillary Clinton be
Charge Condi Rice w/Mann Act violation & Perjury 9/11 Commission
Spitzer stays for now and maybe for another couple of terms...
There's more than just sex in the Spitzer scandal
Spitzer's troubles are far greater than just a sex scandal. In addition to his illicit contributions to a high-priced prostitution ring, he may have violated the Mann Act, as well as a federal law that prohibits moving money around in an effort to disguise its use for illegal purposes.
Whether Spitzer will be prosecuted for these offenses may not be the point. They may be more than enough pressure to force his retirement.
Republican lawmakers in NY demanded Spitzer's resignation in 48 hours or he will be impeached. Spitzer's attorneys may now be looking for a deal with federal prosecutors not to pursue charges if the Governor goes quietly.
Does Spitzer have friends and allies in the NY legislature who will stand up and defend him against impeachment? Considering the Governor's mind-boggling arrogance and recklessness in this affair, I suspect he'll find himself as lonely as Larry Craig. And that man of wide stances was only charged with a misdemeanor.
NY Republicans despise Spitzer. Spitzer has led an effective Democratic resurgence in New York that has left Republicans in dismay. The last thing NY Democrats want is to help Spitzer drag this political disaster out one minute longer than necessary, and throw all their gains away.
So Spitzer is a gonna.
If there's a bright side to Spitzer's resignation, it's this: Clinton will drop one more delegate behind Obama.
An interesting reverb
Here's an interesting reverberation from the Spitzer scandal. He's certain to resign, and when he does, Hillary will lose yet another super delegate. (Lt. Gov. David Patterson, who would take over as governor, is already a super delegate supporting Hillary).
Silver linings in every cloud.
No room for race-baiters in this party
Another reason the Republican Party is looking so attractive to Hillary, may be its scarcity of black people who would dare get in her way to "represent" black people.
To help white voters understand how an upstart darkie like Obama could successfully challenge a Clinton, Hillary's surrogate and campaign committee member, Geraldine Ferraro, dropped this bomb shell of an explanation: He's only gotten as far as he has because he's black:
"If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman (of any color) he would not be in this position," Ferraro said. "He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept."
Clinton surrogate's racist attack
Could you imagine the outcry over any Obama spokesperson saying, "Hillary's only gotten as far as she has because she's a woman?" Hillary would be organizing lynching parties over such an outrageous sexist slur.
But asked to denounce Ferraro's racist and nonsensical attack, the Clinton campaign declined. The campaign spokesperson would only say that Clintong does not agree with her finance committee member's statement.
The Old Man and the She
Not Just Someone Who Crosses The Commander-In-Chief Threshhold
Poor Judgement
Wanker of the 1st quarter of 2008
He told you, Cal. You're just not listening
Mark told you why. You're just not listening. You've got your fingers in your ears and you keep going, "Wah, wah, wha, wha, wha, I can't here you."
And actually Cal, I'd like a Democrat like Grover Cleveland right now. Cleveland won the Presidency with the combined support of Democrats and reform Republicans, the "Mugwumps," who disliked the record of his corrupt opponent.
Definitely could use a strong White House cleaner like that.
Birnam woods comes to Dunsinane
Mark, a few days ago here, I speculated on the sinister possibility of Clinton setting herself up for a jump to the McCain ticket, if the Democratic leaders don't give her what she thinks is her entitlement:
http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/carpenter/005#comment-23356
http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/carpenter/005#comment-23369
Her Rovian strategy has forced the Democratic Party into an awful Sophie's choice. Either they override the primary results and persuade super delegates to choose her or she'll kick out the tent pole and, like Lieberman, she'll join the "true Americans" working for McCain.
There's little doubt in my mind such a Rovian tactic would give McCain and Clinton the White House. I see little chance for the fractured and demoralized Democratic Party to recover -- especially with both Clintons leading fellow Republicrats in the effort to destroy Obama and any others who dare to stand in the way of their Macbethian ambition.
Think back to the summer of 2006. What Democrat or political analyst would have believed Sen. Lieberman (who would be the Democratic Vice President today, if the Supreme Court hadn't prevented all the votes in Florida from being counted) would abandon the Democrats and join the Republicans in trying to keep the White House in their bloody corrupt hands?
As insane as the scenario of Clinton joining McCain's ticket is, it's hard to deny that our country has become insane.
Either Democratic Party leaders bow to First Lady Macbeth's efforts to steal the nomination or she will join McCain. Either way, she will wreck the Democratic Party for a long time to come. Karl Rove will have achieved his dream of one-party rule, with the help of the Clintons. How ironic.
I'm sure this was not Clinton's original plan. She clearly thought she'd have the nomination in hand by Feb. 5, without breaking a sweat.
She should never have listened to those three witches who flattered and assured her how how easy it would be to take the crown. But now that Obama has come with Birnam woods to Dunsinane, First Lady Macbeth's egomania leaves her no option but to fight to the tragic end.
Exeunt I.
You called it!
We want only good conspiracies
As much as I love a good conspiracy, this is not one. Spitzer is a super delegate who has endorsed Hillary Clinton.
While there's no gain for Clinton to destroy Spitzer, there are some negatives. For one, the press now is distracted from her message on how thoroughly inadequate Obama is.
For another, it's shoved one of the nation's top Democrats into the spotlight of hypocrisy and sexual crimes -- which until yesterday, seemed exclusively reserved for Republicans and their Bible-thumping shills.
FOCUS
Time to Emmigrate
John H
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time,
and your government when it deserves it. --Mark Twain
No Love Of Country
Rabid partisanship
I'm With You Patricia
Thanks
Used to visit Talk Left a while back and forgot about it. You may also want to check out Bartcop, Dailyhowler and the Ostroy Report.
Thanks again
Hillary is no great prize, but to pretend that Obama is some kind of great saviour is also the height of illusion. Remember, this is the guy who has called Joe Lieberman his "mentor" in the Senate and went on the stump to promote Joe over Ned Lamont.
When all is said and done, I'll enthusiastically support either Obama or Clinton - but really, setting the campaign rhetoric and the marketing aside, they are both pretty much cut from the same cloth.
Gotta agree ...
... with pretty much everything you said, although (apart from the trolls) I think there's a significant group on the left that genuinely hates Hillary. I'll be voting for whichever one wins the nomination, but the Clinton-haters make it more difficult than it should be, and I wouldn't be surprised if some people stay home because of it. If Obama wins the nomination but loses the election, you can bet they won't blame Obama or the right-wing smear machine - they'll be pointing their shaking fingers straight at Hillary.
As for BF, they've alienated a significant portion of their readership. They'll do fine with their fundraising for a while (probably a couple months after the general election - while interest is very high), but it'll be a very tough slog after that.
BTW - For anyone who's interested, found this list of blogs that haven't jumped on the Clinton-haters express
http://tomwatson.typepad.com/tom_watson/2008/03/the-few-the-pro.html
Patty, you'll be missed...
Perfect!
War Team
Nadering the Democratic Party
Hillary started the mudslinging...
Hillary started the mudslinging...
Hillary Doesn't Know What a Kitchen Is
Not so
"That hillbilly princess couldn't find her way to a kitchen."
Sorry, but this Chicago-suburban Yalie is no hillbilly. A Hilliarybilly, maybe, but she grew up wearing not only shoes, but expensive shoes.
And she certainly does know how to find her way to the kitchen.
How else do you think she finds Bill when he's not in the maid's bedroom?
Hillary sucks worse than Monica (but better than Cindy)...
Norm's infatuation
When you got it...
GET SERIOUS, THIS IS CRAP!
How we let our own prejudices destroy ourselves
Say what?
damage done
My dear Mr. Jones:
Al Gore and more
Reality check
What is "clap-trap" is your deceptive use of electoral votes from the states that Obama and Clinton won. No one but Hiliary's hatchetmen are saying that Obama won't win those blue states. You guys ought to be ashamed spouting such transparent falsehoods.
What we need, and what Obama has shown he can do, is to turn out large numbers of voters in the red states and take them away from the Republicans in the November election. That's something no reasoned person believes Hillary will accomplish.
Also:
"Because the primary and caucus voters do not have to be active members of the party..."
In almost half our states, you have to be a registered Democrat to vote in their primaries/caucuses.
Remember the Unity '08 Party?
In 2006 the now defunct "centerist majority" poltical movement posted the following on its Web site:
Goal One is the election of a Unity Ticket for President and Vice-President of the United States in 2008 – headed by a woman and/or man from each major party (emphasis added by me) or by an independent who presents a Unity Team from both parties.
Sounded like a Clinton/McCain ticket to me then and it still sounds like a Clinton/McCain ticket to me now.
The meaning of defunct
Sounds just as you said it is, "now defunct."
And the person who did all the defuncting is First Lady Macbeth herself.
Hillary is defunct. Long govern Obama.
PLEASE GOD LET IT BE TRUE.....
This ticket exists only in the mind
It may be as simple as
I'm Not Laughing
Experience. Bah.
Break on through to the Other Side