Campaign 2008

Old Dentist Joke

2008-06-27T13:43:00.000-07:00

Sitting in the dentist chair waiting for the novacaine to take hold I thought it was a good time to tell my dentist my favorite dentist joke:

What's the difference between a dentist and a sadist? The sadist has better magazines.

My dentist was wearing one of those surgical face mask things when I told it so it's possible he was laughing under there. But it sure didn't seem like it. It's also a lame and very old joke. My dentist is a patient patient man. I wouldn't put up with me, that's for sure.

Tim Toman is his name, if you are looking for a talented dentist. And a patient one.

Not Unity Everywhere

2008-06-27T13:36:00.000-07:00

There is no Unity among my jaw, teeth, lips, cheek and tongue today. My superdose of novacaine from the dentist is lingering longer than expected. I will not be broadcasting the 5 or 6pm news tonight. I expect to see you back here for the 11.

My daughter is enjoying it, however. She keeps giving me difficult sentences to say and then laughing at how they sound coming out of my mouth. There's no doubt she's my daughter.

The Bermuda Triangle

2008-06-26T13:42:00.000-07:00

Emailing with my brother today he brought up an interesting question: Whatever happened to the Bermuda Triangle? Is it still a thing? Do ships still go missing? When we were kids it felt like there was a Bermuda Triangle TV Movie of the Week every year or so. There was even a board game.

If you can shed any light, email me.

The Barack Obameter

2008-06-25T11:58:00.000-07:00

I will admit that my taste in music is much more in line with Obama than McCain. (You can refer to an old post when I interviewed McCain about his taste in music. I can't find that entry, FYI. But I know I wrote it.)

In an upcoming Rolling Stone article, Obama lists the following as favorites on his iPod:
Bob Dylan, Yo-Yo Ma, Sheryl Crow, Jay-Z, Rolling Stones, Elton John, Earth Wind & Fire, Stevie Wonder.
Senator Obama's playlist also includes about 30 songs from Dylan's "Blood on the Tracks" along with Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Charlie Parker.
The AP quotes from the article:
"Actually, one of my favorites during the political season is 'Maggie's Farm,"' Obama said of one of Dylan's tracks. "It speaks to me as I listen to some of the political rhetoric."

For me, that scores quite high on the Barack Obameter. I've been looking for an opportunity to use that phrase.

I am also reminded of something my now 8-year-old daughter said when she was two. She was riding in the back seat of my Volvo, stuck in traffic south of Boston and blurted out, "Charlie Parker plays alto sax."
And while this was certainly true, how did she know? I hadn't told her. My child rearing plan didn't call for covering Charlie Parker until she was four.

Cool/Not Cool

2008-06-25T11:51:00.000-07:00

Letterman's Late Show started a great ongoing bit called "Cool/Not Cool." And save your comments about this being proof I support Obama. It's not. As I've told those of you who accuse me of supporting McCain and those of you who are convinced I'm a die-hard Obamaniac, none of you and no one in my newsroom has any hint of my political direction. I'm directing you to these clips simply because I think they are funny:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=o-fOdbB3ESU
http://youtube.com/watch?v=-P20ivRVIRs

Nothing's Afoot

2008-05-08T13:12:00.001-07:00

No Deal.

I just got off the phone with the FL Dem Party. Mark Brubriski said the AP story that has been circulating today about a deal reached to settle Florida's delegate problem is inaccurate. He said there is no deal. No plan. Period. Like most everyone else, they are all hoping all the delegates will be seated and are waiting until the DNC meeting at the end of the month which promises to find a solution.

Something's Afoot

2008-05-08T12:22:00.001-07:00

There is a buzz today about a deal in the works to settle the Florida delegate problem. I'm working the phones to Tallahassee and will let you know what I find out.

And this letter was just sent out:

Senator Barack Obama

Obama for America
P.O. Box 8102
Chicago, IL 60680

Dear Senator Obama,

This has been an historic and exciting campaign. Millions of new voters have been brought into the process and their enthusiasm for the Democratic Party and the principles for which you and I have fought and continue to fight is unprecedented.

One of the foremost principles of our party is that citizens be allowed to vote and that those votes be counted. That principle is not currently being applied to the nearly 2.5 million people who voted in primaries in Florida and Michigan. Whoever emerges as the Democratic nominee will be hamstrung in the general election if a fair and quick resolution is not reached that ensures that the voices of these voters are heard. Our commitment now to this goal could be the difference between winning and losing in November.

I have consistently said that the votes cast in Florida and Michigan in January should be counted. We cannot ignore the fact that the people in those states took the time to be a part of this process and to make their preferences known. When efforts were untaken by leaders in those states to hold revotes to ensure that they had a voice in selecting our nominee, I supported those efforts. In Michigan, I supported a legislative effort to hold a revote that the Democratic National Committee said was in complete compliance with the party's rules. You did not support those efforts and your supporters in Michigan publically opposed them. In Florida a number of revote options were proposed. I am not aware of any that you supported. In 2000, the Republicans won an election by successfully opposing a fair counting of votes in Florida. As Democrats, we must reject any proposals that would do the same.

Your commitment to the voters of these states must be clearly stated and your support for a fair and quick resolution must be clearly demonstrated.

I am asking you to join me in working with representatives from Florida and Michigan and the Democratic National Committee to arrive at a solution that honors the votes of the millions of people who went to the polls in Florida and Michigan. It is not enough to simply seat their representatives at the convention in Denver. The people of these great states, like the people who have voted and are to vote in other states, must have a voice in selecting our party's nominee.

Sincerely,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

###

NC 115, IN 72

2008-05-06T12:47:00.000-07:00

Indiana and NC today. 187 total delegates up for grabs. This is the last of the big vote states. Starting May 13 we have West Virginia and then Oregon and Kentucky the week after that followed by Puerto Rico June 1 and Montana and South Dakota June 3. None of those states (territory) has more than 55 delegates.

Both Obama and Clinton have said they will still be campaigning into June regardless what happens today.

Can you imagine?

2008-05-06T12:38:00.000-07:00

I am just getting back on my feet after an extended illness. One bout of high fever brought on hallucinations. I thought that we were already in May at didn't yet have a Democratic presidential nominee.

McCain-Pitt

2008-04-08T12:31:00.000-07:00

Apparently the buzz grew loud enough that Sec State Rice felt she had to say something. So she did. And she said she has no plans to run as McCain's VP.

There of course is no indication the source of the McCain-Rice speculation came from anyone other than professional speculators. But this is the time in the race when such speculation is expected to be spectacular. The moment McCain announces his choice, the game is over. So get your guesses in quickly.

I speculate that McCain will look outside of politics for a running mate. Brad Pitt might be a strong choice. Of course he loses the vote of those still angry about Angelina over Jen.

Tim Tebow would secure him the North Florida vote, but I think he's already in pretty good shape there.

Drew Carey would've been an interesting choice had he not just gotten the Price if Right job.

Steve Carell can do no wrong right now. He actually might be a pretty good pick. And I have a great photo of him with my wife at a reunion. I could probably parlay that into a private tour of the White House.

Byron Leftwich seems to have some free time right now. Though, I have no idea if he's a Republican.

Alright, I have to get to work. Please feel free to post your own choices. Weirdest choice wins.

A Happy Accident

2008-04-08T12:14:00.000-07:00

A pollster calling random voters on their positions on the presidential race, randomly called PA Gov. Ed Rendell. Rendell is PA's chief Clinton supporter.
Asked if Ed Rendell's endorsement had any impact, Rendell said, "Absolutely." The pollster obviously had no idea he was talking to Rendell.

The pollster then asked whether Sen. Casey's endorsement of Obama made him more or less likely to vote for him. Rendell said, "No difference." Rendell beat Casey for the gubernatorial nomination in 2002.

My wife calls such things Happy Accidents.

Clinton is Doing Worse But Doing Better

2008-04-02T12:05:00.000-07:00

Hillary Clinton must be swirling. Most all polls are in step showing that her once large lead over Obama in PA has shrunk. But, and this is a big but, Quinnipiac today has Clinton doing better in key swing states than Obama against McCain and in fact has her beating McCain in these states.

Florida Clinton 44 McCain 42
Ohio Clinton 48 McCain 39
PA Clinton 48 McCain 40

Now, will this change the minds of Superdelegates when they see how Clinton is stacking up in the general election?

And Clinton's Response...

2008-04-02T11:37:00.001-07:00

Clinton Campaign Reaction to DNC Meeting on Seating Florida Delegation

Deputy Communications Director Phil Singer issued the following statement in response to the DNC’s meeting with the Florida delegation today on seating its delegation:

"We have long maintained that pretending the voters of Florida and Michigan don’t exist is not fair in principle and unwise in practice. This morning’s Quinnipiac poll out of Florida reflects the urgent need for Democrats to get behind our effort to count Florida’s voters and seat its delegation. Chairman Dean is clearly committed to seating the Florida delegation and we urge Senator Obama to join us in calling on the rules and bylaws committee to make this a reality."

###

And this means what, exactly?

2008-04-02T11:30:00.000-07:00

Emailed to me from FL Dem Party.

Joint Statement from Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Karen L. Thurman and Florida’s Democratic Congressional Delegation on Seating Florida’s Delegates

WASHINGTON, D.C. – After a joint meeting today among Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Karen L. Thurman and Florida’s Democratic Congressional Delegation, the participants issued this joint statement:

“We are all committed to doing everything we can to ensure that a Florida delegation is seated in Denver. We all agree that whatever the solution, it must have the support of both campaigns.

“While there may be differences of opinion in how we get there, we are all committed to ensuring that Florida’s delegation is seated in Denver. We’re committed to working with both campaigns to reach a solution as soon as realistically possible.

“We are also laying the groundwork to ensure we win in Florida in November and spent time here today talking about how to do just that. We will continue to work towards a solution to ensure delegates are seated and logistics are in place for a Florida delegation in Denver.”

###

Every Right But Not a Good Reason

2008-03-28T12:40:00.000-07:00

Safe to say the Clinton Campaign has been fearing the big shots in her party calling for her to step aside. Well, it may have just begun.

BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) -- Senator Patrick Leahy is suggesting it's
time for Hillary Rodham Clinton to admit defeat in her presidential
bid.
The Vermont Democrat says Clinton "has every right, but not a
very good reason" to remain a candidate. He says it's not in the
interests of a Democrats for Clinton to draw out the Democratic
nomination battle.
Leahy has endorsed Barack Obama for president, and he says
Obama's lead appears insurmountable.
The Senate Judiciary Committee chairman told Vermont Public
Radio that Clinton ought to withdraw and back Obama. But in a
statement today he also says that it's a decision only Clinton can
make.
Pennsylvania Democrats vote next. There are 158 delegates at
stake in the April 22nd primary and recent polls show her with a
lead there.

Much Too Pretty for an Inside Interview

2008-03-28T12:11:00.000-07:00

I just stopped by Congressman Crenshaw's office for a brief interview. By the way, I'm going to institute a new rule: Any time the sun is out, the humidity is low and the temp is between 70 and 80 all interviews will be conducted outside and lemonade will be served.

We started the interview on the Mayport study. He said he made a pitch to Pres. Bush for Mayport to be home to the next nuclear carrier. Crenshaw said he tried to make the president see how great for him it would be to have a carrier named after his dad (the next carrier will be the George HW Bush) in the state in which his brother was governor. He said the pres. made no promises but seemed to like the idea.

Crenshaw, who was a Romney supporter, says he thinks the early Florida primary was worth all the ruckus it caused.

We also take up the Fed's bailout of Bear Stearns, Congress's role in helping homeowners in trouble with mortgages, gasoline prices and a running mate for John McCain.

Don't Reid Too Much Into It

2008-03-26T11:54:00.001-07:00

I just got off the phone with the DNC press office (again) to try to get some clarity on remarks Harry Reid reportedly made to a Las Vegas newspaper.

MSNBC carried the following quote by Reid: "...Michigan and Florida delegates are going to be seated. They're going to be a part of the convention. It's a question of whether anything can be worked out to change this prior to the 2,025. They're the ones causing all the problems. No one else did. And so they will be seated. They're big states. They represent 29 million people. We want to make sure their delegates are part of the convention that takes place in Denver."

The perpetually stoic DNC press officer said (imagine a younger Ben Stein's voice) "There are two ways for the delegates to be seated. Have a do over vote. Or through the credentialing committee."

He said he didn't know what newspaper article I was talking about and that nothing at all had changed. And that Reid had attended a meeting that was nothing more than routine.

I write this because I had not seen anyone of Reid's pay grade make such declarative statements about the delegates being seated. Perhaps I read it more optimistically than he said it. For a second there I was actually hopeful something was being done.

Please Watch Corrine Brown Interview

2008-03-21T18:11:00.000-07:00

Congresswoman Corrine Brown stopped by the FCN studios today. I challenge you to find a livelier interview.

Regardless of what you think of her politics you cannot say Brown isn't a colorful, candid, passionate lawmaker who seems to love representing the folks in the Florida 3rd.

The bulk of the interview takes up the various issues of DeleGATE. And man, is she mad at Howard Dean. She tells me that he should fix this mess or resign. She also kicks Bill Richardson right in the character for endorsing Obama.

Many politicians I interview seem so scared to say the wrong thing they end up saying nothing or at least nothing worth reporting. Congresswoman Brown doesn't have that problem.

My thanks to Corrine Brown for her time on a gorgeous day off from work.

The story airs in about an hour and a half, at 11. And as soon as it airs, the whole unedited interview will be posted on the web site. Please watch. It's terrific fun.

Quote of the Day

2008-03-20T12:29:00.000-07:00

Quote of the Day

"He's a man who's worked for everything he's achieved. That's
something I can't say." -- West Virginia Sen. Jay Rockefeller,
joking as he introduced Barack Obama at the University of
Charleston. (from ap)

DeleGATE

2008-03-20T12:04:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to sell the idea of calling our Florida Delegate Debacle coverage "Dele-GATE" - as in Watergate, Troopergate, Monicagate...etc. It doesn't seem to be catching on so I'll just use it myself here.

As you can see by the AP story below, the race to solve the delegate problems in Michigan and Florida still seems to be being run on ice. Tomorrow afternoon I am going to interview Congresswoman Corrine Brown. She has been an outspoken opponent of a revote of any kind. I'm excited to get her insight into the proposals and her solution.

As usual I'll have a portion of the interview on our 11 o'clock news and post the entire interview on the web site. Also, as always, let me know of any questions you'd like for me to ask her.

DeleGATE

2008-03-20T12:02:00.001-07:00

Here is the latest volley:

(AP) Barack Obama's campaign said Thursday that
evenly splitting Michigan's delegates with rival Hillary Rodham
Clinton would be a fair way to distribute them, now that the
chances of a do-over primary are essentially dead.
The Michigan Senate adjourned Thursday without taking up a bill
for a June 3 repeat primary. While there still is a possibility a
last-minute deal can be reached, lawmakers' lack of enthusiasm for
a second election paid for by private donors means that's unlikely.
Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut, an Obama supporter and former
presidential candidate, promoted the idea of splitting the
delegates 50-50 in a statement Thursday. "The best outcome is to
come to an arrangement where the delegates are apportioned fairly
between Senators Obama and Clinton, so the Michigan delegation can
participate fully in the Denver convention," the statement said.
Obama spokesman Bill Burton said Dodd spoke to campaign leaders
about an even split. Burton said they agreed it would be an
equitable way of handling Michigan, where Obama's name wasn't even
on the ballot in a renegade Jan. 15 primary.
The Clinton campaign immediately rejected the idea of splitting
the delegates. Clinton told reporters while campaigning in Terre
Haute, Ind., that Obama's nomination could be tainted if he
achieves it without a second Michigan contest.

FL House Dems Hate Plan

2008-03-12T12:14:00.001-07:00

As you can see the outside world is starting to pay real attention to the Florida delegate fiasco that we've been wading around in for some time now. Late last night it seemed a compromise was perhaps at hand. Sen. Bill Nelson was taking the lead to get this ironed out once and for all possibly by a more cost-effective mail-in ballot re-vote. He met with Florida's congressional Democrats last night to talk about it.

The House group hated the plan. Just after that meeting I spoke with the press secretary for Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D - Florida's 20th) who was in the meeting last night. The House group is 100% completely without reservation opposed to a mail-in vote or a re-vote of any kind.

Clinton Campaign Letter to Obama Campaign

2008-03-12T12:04:00.000-07:00

And here is the letter Hillary Clinton's campaign manager sent to Obama's campaign manager:

March 12, 2008

David Plouffe

P.O. Box 8102

Obama for America
Chicago, Illinois 60680

Dear David:

The 2008 primary campaign has been a spirited contest that has resulted in record voter turnout. Both of our candidates can proudly boast of bringing new people into the process and energizing our Democratic Party.

With the campaign now entering the final phase of the nominating contest, it is vital that both of our campaigns come together to ensure that the delegations from Florida and Michigan be seated to reflect the will of the voters.

In Florida and Michigan, nearly 2.5 million Americans made their voices heard and participated in primary elections. We think the results of those primaries were fair and should be honored.

Over the last few weeks, there has been much discussion about how to ensure that the Florida and Michigan delegations are seated. We think there are two options: Either honor the results or hold new primary elections.

To that end, we are in active consultation with all of our supporters in Florida, including Members of Congress. In Michigan, we are in active consultation with the committee appointed by Governor Granholm.

We hope that your campaign will join us in our efforts to ensure that these votes are counted.

Sincerely,

Maggie Williams
Campaign Manager

Clinton's new Florida statement

2008-03-12T12:01:00.000-07:00

Hillary Clinton Statement on Seating Delegates from Florida and Michigan

Hillary Clinton made the following statement at the Hispanic Chamber Of Commerce earlier this morning:

“If you are a voter from Florida or Michigan, you know that we should count your vote. The nearly two and a half million Americans in those two states who participated in the primary elections are in danger of being excluded from our democratic process and I think that’s wrong. The results of those primaries were fair and they should be honored. Over the last few weeks, there has been a lot of discussion about what we should do to ensure that the voters in Florida and Michigan are counted.

“In my view there are two options: Honor the results or hold new primary elections. I don’t see any other solutions that are fair and honor the commitment that two and a half million voters made in the Democratic primaries in those two states. Whether voters are clamoring for solutions to the challenges that we face or not, or whether people are coming out in droves to be heard, we have a basic obligation to make sure that every vote in America counts.

I hope that Senator Obama’s campaign will join me in working to make that happen. I think that that is a non-partisan solution to make sure that we do count these votes.”

Kicked to the Curb

2008-03-07T18:46:00.002-08:00

There finally seems to be a respectable head of steam behind finding a solution to the Florida-Michigan Delegate Debacle.
I spoke today with Bryan Dooley of Hamilton Campaigns and he thinks there will be a second vote. And James Carville today said that both Clinton and Obama campaigns can surely come up with enough money (the $15 million figure was thrown around) through supporters to foot the bill for re-votes.

Apparently the country finally woke up to the fiasco that has been going on here for some time now. And now perhaps the ridiculousness of 1.7 million voters being kicked to the curb will be recognized.