Michigan, Florida delegations to be seated at half-strength

Probably the best resolution.

Voters don't get shut out, but the DNC acknowledges that the primaries weren't 100% legitimate.

Both candidates get delegates. Clinton cuts into the deficit slightly, but Obama easily maintains a wide lead and front-runner status.

The new numbers:

Clinton: 1,876.5 - needs 240.5

Obama 2,053 - needs 64 (he previously needed 41)

Total needed: 2,117

Or, as Georgia10 at Kos puts it:

"The resolution increased the number of delegates needed to clinch the nomination to 2,118, leaving Obama 66 delegates short but still within striking distance after the three final primaries are held in the next three days."

Jeff Cohen reacts to the McClellan fallout

Cohen served as producer of Donahue, MSNBC's highest-rated show in 2003. Cohen and Donahue were booted from the air for being too skeptical of the push to war, as MSNBC internal memos show.

He has a new column up over at Common Dreams reacting to the sudden confessions of Iraq War cheerleaders like Katie Couric that the media did a terrible job during the build-up to war.

Katie Couric, whose coverage on CBS of the Iraq troop surge has been almost fawning, was one of the few stars to be candid about pre-invasion coverage, saying days ago, “I think it’s one of the most embarrassing chapters in American journalism.” She spoke of “pressure” from corporate management, not just Team Bush, to “really squash any dissent.” Then a co-host of NBC Today, she says network brass criticized her for challenging the administration.

NBC execs apparently didn’t complain when — two weeks into the invasion — Couric thanked a Navy commander for coming on the show, adding, “And I just want you to know, I think Navy SEALs rock!”

This is a glorious moment for the American public. We can finally see those who abandoned reporting for cheerleading and flag-waving and cheap ratings having to squirm over their role in sending other parents’ kids into Iraq.

And you can find my interview with Mr. Cohen by clicking here.

While the DNC meets:

The Clinton 2012 crowd has been arguing that not changing the DNC's rules and giving full status to the disputed Michigan and Florida delegations would somehow be disenfranchising (despite the fact that Hillary agreed to the rules back when she thought she was the inevitable nominee.)

Josh Marshall provides a good counter to this idea:

What doesn't get mentioned, however, is this: it was widely reported and understood in both Florida and Michigan that the results of these primaries would not be counted. And based on that knowledge, large numbers of voters in both states simply didn't participate.

If the DNC were now to turn around and decide to make these contests count after all, these non-participating voters would be disenfranchised no less than the people who did turn out would be if the DNC sticks to the rules and doesn't seat any of the delegates.

Marc Ambinder of The Atlantic is doing a play-by-play of the DNC meeting here.

Getting more interesting

McClellan says he'll be "glad to testify" before Congress.

The White House is signaling an effort to block that from happening:

QUESTION: Could the White House block him from testifying, if he wanted to testify? Or how does that work?

PERINO: Conceivably?

QUESTION: Yes.

PERINO: Hypothetically, which I'm not supposed to answer a hypothetical, yes, I think so. The law would allow for that. But by saying that, I'm not suggesting that that's what would happen or not happen.

And for you Christopher Guest fans:

Hey, Wha' Hoppened?



Photo: AP

Mollohan endorses Obama

He's not exactly my favorite guy, but remaining member of W.Va.'s Democratic Congressional delegation has made his pick.

The Gazette:

U.S. Rep. Alan B. Mollohan, D-W.Va., announced his support for Barack Obama as Democratic Party nominee for president late Thursday afternoon.

All four of West Virginia's Democratic members of Congress have endorsed the Illinois senator. Mollohan joins Sens. Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller and Rep. Nick J. Rahall.

Bringing the delegate totals to:

Obama 1,984
Clinton 1,781
Need to nominate 2,025

Bear in mind the math could change a bit tomorrow, due to the Michigan-Florida mess (if we get a resolution this weekend).

RIP: Utah Phillips

In her latest, Amy Goodman reports the legendary folksinger and activist has died:

Utah Phillips was a living bridge, keeping the rich history of labor struggles alive. He told me: “The long memory is the most radical idea in America. That long memory has been taken away from us. You haven’t gotten it in your schools. You’re not getting it on your television. You’re being leapfrogged from one crisis to the next. Mass media contributed to that by taking the great movements that we’ve been through and trivializing important events. No, our people’s history is like one long river. It flows down from way over there. And everything that those people did and everything they lived flows down to me, and I can reach down and take out what I need, if I have the courage to go out and ask questions.” On his radio show “Loafer’s Glory,” he once said, work on this planet has been to remember.”

A week before he died, Utah Phillips wrote in a public letter to his family and friends: “The future? I don’t know. Through all of it, up and down, it’s the song. It’s always been the song.”

More at his site.

I first heard Phillips through his work with Ani Difranco in the 90s, but my favorite moment of his is in the 1979 documentary "The Wobblies" in which he leads a group of surviving 80+-year-old IWW members in a sing-a-long of Joe Hill's labor anthems.

Audio, video and a transcript of an old segment with him from Amy Goodman's show can be found here.

Photo: Wikipedia

Now McSurrogate Lieberman courts Hagee

McCain may have finally cut ties to Rev.Hagee, but the Smithers to McMaverick's Monty Burns, Joe Lieberman, has decided to rush out and pander to the crazy televangelist.



AP:

WASHINGTON - Sen. Joe Lieberman said Wednesday he will address a conference hosted by the Rev. John Hagee, who was spurned by Republican John McCain for his claim that God sent Adolf Hitler to help Jews reach the promised land.

Holy Joe can't use McCain's lame "Gee, I had no idea he was like that when I spent months courting him" excuse. It's all on record now.

Republican presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., left, and Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., wave before McCain spoke to members of the National Restaurant Association on Monday, May 19, 2008, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

FAUX News standards

Another one that happened while I was away:

Remember when Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks made a little innocent joke in her stage banter and said she was embarrassed George W. Bush was from Texas?

The rightwing went nuts. She was demonized on FOX News where commentators accused her of treason.

Keep that in mind when reading about the latest antics of the FOX family of blowhards:

FOX News political pundit Liz Trotta jokingly suggested this weekend that someone should assassinate an American presidential candidate. She had first "mistakenly" referred to Obama as "Osama" while discussing theories that Hillary Clinton's recent comments about the RFK assassination was in fact a suggestion that someone "knock off Osama." When she was corrected and reminded that she meant "Obama," she then said, "Well, both if we could."

So on Roger Ailes network:

Saying you're embarrassed of the president at a country music concert = you're evil and a threat to the republic.

Making a joke about the assassination of a presidential candidate on the air = you get to keep your job as part of their political team.

Trotta should be booted off the network immediately, regardless of the fact that she issued a pathetic kind of, sort of "apology." Her rhetoric has no place on a supposed "news network."

Nor does it have any place in polite society.

Off topic Thursday

Supposedly this was Jim Henson's favorite segment from The Muppet Show

Obama says we'll have a nominee by Tuesday

That's the date of the last primaries and when a large group of the remaining superdelgates are expected to finally begin endorsing and put him over the top.

But, wait!

The HILLARY 2012 campaign has announced its post-primary schedule, in their ongoing effort to wreck things for the Democrats in 2008 and elect John McCain.

ABC News:

ABC News' Eloise Harper Reports: The press traveling with Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign received an email Thursday afternoon informing reporters they could sign up for travel through June 6 on the campaign website.

Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Barack Obama, holds a discussion on protecting home ownership at the College of Southern Nevada in North Las Vegas, Nev., Tuesday, May 27, 2008. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

File under: Well, duh!

While I was away, Former White House Pree Secretary Scott McClellan wrote a book that got the media talking about the premise that - gasp - TV news didn't do its job in the lead-up to the Iraq War!

For instance, we get this kind of stuff from Katie Couric in reaction to it:

"I think it's a very legitimate allegation," said CBS News' Katie Couric. "I think it's one of the most embarrassing chapters in American journalism.

"And I think there was a sense of pressure from corporations who own where we work and from the government itself to really squash any kind of dissent or any kind of questioning of it," Couric added. "I think it was extremely subtle but very, very effective."

But lest you think we're going to get a 5 years too late admission from the networks, fear not! Rightwing tool Charlie Gibson will still make excuses for the cheerleading.

"I think that the media did a pretty good job of focusing and asking the questions," he said. "We were not given access to get into the country … to go along with the inspectors. But the questions were asked.

"It was just a drum beat from the government, and I think it's convenient now to blame the media, but I don't," he added.

And this coming from a guy who thinks flag lapel pins are among the most important issue before the nation in 2008. Nice to see he's still on top of things.

And isn't it great that McClellan took the brave route in writing this book now, rather than actually raising these issues when he was in the White House and coming forward when he could have made some sort of difference?

Libertarians go with Barr

The former Republican Congressman from Georgia gets the party's pick for the presidential race. His main rival for the nomination was former Alaska Senator Mike Gravel, who dropped out his longshot bid for the Democratic race to run as a third party candidate.

He's considered a possible spoiler who may pick up votes from conservatives who aren't thrilled with McCain.

AFP:

Barr appeared unconcerned about damaging McCain's support among conservative voters.

"If Senator McCain ... does not succeed in winning the presidency ... it will be because Senator McCain did not present, and his party did not present, a vision, an agenda, a platform and a series of programs that actually resonated positively with the American people," he said.

Former Republican congressman Bob Barr poses for a photo before speaking with the media at University Club in Washington, on Monday. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Sunday morning polls

Experimenting with the first of a few create-a-poll sites.

Have at them.

Obama doing well in Ohio poll

Despite losing the state to Clinton in the primary.

A new poll by Survey USA shows the matchups between possible McCain and Obama tickets.

Obama beats McCain in 14 out of 17 cases. McCain wins 2. One is tied.

His best showing is if he puts John Edwards in the V-P slot. Under such a ticket, he opens up a double digit lead over all McCain tickets.

In a generic match-up with no V-Ps named, Obama beats McCain by 9.

Blast from the past

From 1999, back when gas prices had risen to a staggering $1.71 a gallon:

CBS News:

Mr. Bush was critical of Al Gore in the 2000 campaign for being part of “the administration that's been in charge” while the “price of gasoline has gone steadily upward.” In December 1999, in the first Republican primary debate, Mr. Bush said President Clinton “must jawbone OPEC members to lower prices.”

Yeah, he really followed through on that when he got in there.

AP Photo: A motorist fuels her vehicle prior to the Memorial Day weekend in Detroit, Thursday, May 22, 2008.

aMcNother McFlip-flop!

Now McCain has, also months after the fact, decided to backtrack and reject another endorsement. This time it's one from Ohio televangelist and faith healer Rod Parsley.

Then in an interview with The Associated Press, McCain said he rejected Parsley's support, too.

"I believe there is no place for that kind of dialogue in America, and I believe that even though he endorsed me, and I didn't endorse him, the fact is that I repudiate such talk, and I reject his endorsement," McCain told the AP.

McCain claims he didn't endorse Parsley, but he conveniently leaves out the part where he once called the pastor his "spiritual guide."

Sounds like a little more than an endorsement.

Parsley is the kind of guy who thinks it's the duty of the United States to use its foreign policy to wage holy war.

From his book:

I cannot tell you how important it is that we understand the true nature of Islam, that we see it for what it really is. In fact, I will tell you this: I do not believe our country can truly fulfill its divine purpose until we understand our historical conflict with Islam. I know that this statement sounds extreme, but I do not shrink from its implications. The fact is that America was founded, in part, with the intention of seeing this false religion destroyed, and I believe September 11, 2001, was a generational call to arms that we can no longer ignore.

McCain and the Rev in happier times:

Was she given too much credit...

...when everyone thought she would make a graceful exit and put the good of her party (and if you share the Democratic point of view, her country) before ego?

Despite the fact that there's no conceivable way she can get a majority of delegates, Clinton could take it to convention.

Rachel Maddow thinks so:

After the primary calendar has ended, Clinton's campaign can only justify or explain her staying in the race if she makes the case that the Democratic Party still has not chosen a nominee conclusively. Clinton needs an argument that the game should go into extra innings. Overtime. Bonus round. Detention. Whatever. Clinton has now found that argument -- she says she will not stop campaigning until the issue of the Florida and Michigan delegates is settled to her satisfaction.

The Florida/Michigan issue get settled, of course, by the Democrats' Rules and Bylaws Committee... unless of course that committee's decision gets appealed to the Credentials Committee... unless of course that decision, too, gets appealed... to the floor of the convention.

Clinton continues to insist that Michigan (where she was practically unopposed on the ballot) and Florida be included in the delegate count, despite the fact that she agreed to the rules that docked the two states' delegates for moving their primaries.

Her campaign plans to flood the meeting where the matter will be settled:

Busloads of Hillary Clinton supporters will swarm a meeting next week at a D.C. Marriott, where Democratic Party elders hope to forge a compromise over Florida and Michigan's now-voided convention delegates.

And a Clinton supporter has filed suit over Florida:

Three prominent Broward County Democrats filed a federal lawsuit Thursday morning against the Democratic National Committee, seeking to force the committee to seat Florida's delegates at the upcoming presidential nomination convention.

Interesting that she keeps using the false analogy of Florida in 2000 to justify this strategy, as the Clintons were pretty much silent on the recount at the time.

They did, after all, have better things to do then ... like pardoning Mark Rich.

Unless the superdelegates move soon and ratify the pledged vote totals, we're possibly looking at 3 more months of this...and probably President-elect McCain in the fall.

Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., speaks during a campaign rally at Maysville High School in Maysville, Ky. Monday, May 19, 2008. (AP Photo/David Kohl)

Off topic Thursday

I miss Letters to Cleo

McFlip-flop!

Three months and a string of statements offensive to Catholics, gays and and Jews later, nutjob televangelist John Hagee is FINALLY too controversial for John McCain.

Hagee had tried to protect McCain by apologizing to some Catholics, but the finding of an audiotape of his late 90s sermon in which he said God sent Adolph Hitler to help the Jews get to Israel was the final straw.

HuffPo:

"Obviously, I find these remarks and others deeply offensive and indefensible, and I repudiate them. I did not know of them before Reverend Hagee's endorsement, and I feel I must reject his endorsement as well," the presidential candidate said in a statement issued Thursday.

And, as always, don't forget that McCain actively sought Hagee's endorsement for months and that many of his controversial views were well-documented at the time.

Josh Marshall gets the quote of the day on this one:

Given that McCain has now clearly rejected Hagee's endorsement, perhaps it's time that he, a la Obama, give a speech on the topic of Republican presidential candidates pandering to lunatic fringe right-wing preachers at election time. It could start a whole national conversation.

Photo of Hagee: AP

McNeglect the troops

Today the Senate passed the 21st Century GI Bill in a landslide 75-22 vote.

AP:

A majority of Republicans broke ranks with Bush on a veto-proof 75-22 vote while adding more than $10 billion for various other domestic programs, including heating subsidies for the poor, wildfire fighting, roads and bridge repair, and health research.

John McCain, who tries to sell himself as a supporter of the military has been taking heat for his opposition to the bill.

His way out?

Skip the vote so he's not on record voting against it. He decided to do a fundraising event for his campaign instead.

Obama on McCain:

I respect Sen. John McCain's service to our country. He is one of those heroes of which I speak. But I can't understand why he would line up behind the President in his opposition to this GI bill.

I can't believe why he believes it is too generous to our veterans. I could not disagree with him and the President more on this issue. There are many issues that lend themselves to partisan posturing but giving our veterans the chance to go to college should not be one of them.

Reuters has McCain's reply:

"It is typical, but no less offensive, that Senator Obama uses the Senate floor to take cheap shots at an opponent and easy advantage of an issue he has less than zero understanding of," said McCain, who was not present for the Senate vote because he was campaigning in California.

By the way, McCain has an ally in President Bush, who has threatened to veto the bill.

Republican presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., gives a thumbs up as he drinks a coffee at Cafe Versailles on Tuesday, May 20, 2008, in Miami. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Tuesday

Primaries in Kentucky and Oregon.

Clinton's expected to win Ky. along the same lines as her W.Va. victory. Along with her wins in Ohio and Pennsylvania, it will put her well on her way in her quest to become President of Appalachia.

Obama has a big lead in Oregon and, if he maintains it, will pass the majority mark in delegates, meaning that there is no way under any scenario (even winning 100% of all remaining votes that Clinton can win).

He'll be less than 100 away from the 2,025 needed for nomination.

Byrd backs Obama

Via Yahoo News:

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Democrat Barack Obama's White House bid Monday won support from the Senate's oldest and longest-serving member, Robert Byrd, who acclaimed his freshman colleague as a "shining young statesman."

Byrd, 90, was one of five Democratic "superdelegates" to endorse the Illinois senator Monday and add new momentum to his drive to capture the party's presidential nomination from Hillary Clinton.

Byrd's statement:

As people all across this great nation know, I have been one of the most outspoken opponents of the Bush Administration’s misguided war in Iraq and its saber rattling around the globe."

With the Bush Administration's latest request to fund this on-going war in Iraq without any attempt to start bringing our troops home, the issue of the upcoming presidential contest has been weighing heavily on my heart. The loss of life continues and the sons and daughters of tens of thousands of American families remain in harm’s way every day.

This Democratic primary campaign has been tough and competitive. I had no intention of involving myself in the Democratic campaign for President in the midst of West Virginia's primary election. But the stakes this November could not be higher."

After a great deal of thought, consideration and prayer over the situation in Iraq, I have decided that, as a superdelegate to the Democratic National Convention, I will cast my vote for Senator Barack Obama for President. Both Senators Clinton and Obama are extraordinary individuals, whose integrity, honor, love for this country and strong belief in our Constitution I deeply respect."

I believe that Barack Obama is a shining young statesman, who possesses the personal temperament and courage necessary to extricate our country from this costly misadventure in Iraq, and to lead our nation at this challenging time in history. Barack Obama is a noble-hearted patriot and humble Christian, and he has my full faith and support.

That's one more superdelegate for Obama.

Bringing the totals to:

Obama - 1,913
Clinton - 1,719
Needed to win: 2,025

Photo: AP

Seder's mountaintop removal segment

On his last live broadcast, Air America's Sam Seder had a few guests of note to our region.

In addition to regular panelist, W.Va. resident and Firedoglake blogger Christy Hardin Smith, he interviewed filmmaker David Novick, whose documentary "Burning the Future" has been airing on Sundance this month (It comes out on DVD in June).

In Burning the Future: Coal in America, writer/director David Novack examines the explosive forces that have set in motion a groundswell of conflict between the coal industry and residents of West Virginia. Confronted by an emerging coal-based US energy policy, local activists watch the nation praise coal without regard to the devastation caused by its extraction. Faced with toxic ground water, the obliteration of 1.4 million acres of mountains, and a government that appeases industry, our heroes demonstrate a strength of purpose and character in their improbable fight to arouse the nation's help in protecting their mountains, saving their families, and preserving their way of life.

Audio of the interview is below.

Photo courtesy of West Virginia Highlands Conservancy
Mining at Kayford Mountain in Raleigh County, W.Va., draws some of the harshest criticism from mountaintop removal opponents.

Matthews gets a cookie for this one

I'm not really a fan of Chris Matthews. Every so often, he's good. But most of the time he comes off as an out-of-touch beltway hack.

But this was great.

The biggest problem with cable shoutfests is that it seems the only qualification to be a guest is to be obnoxious. Knowing what you're talking about is not required.

I guess after years of having to put up with this sort of lazy commentary from guests, Matthews finally had enough yesterday when it came to conservative radio host Kevin James (where did they find this guy?)

It happens around the four-minute mark.

Off topic Thursday

Your post-election recovery video.



I've been thinking of starting a Slim Whitman-based religion.

W.Va.'s' DNC blogger announced

West Virginia Blue has been named as our state's credentialed blogger at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

They'll be sending two correspondents and will be seated with the W.Va. delegation.

They've put together an impressive site over there, so it's well deserved.

More about it here.

He's so sorry

John Hagee, the nutjob televangelist whose endorsement was aggressively sought out by McCain, has released an apology to Catholics for his past remarks.

These weren't some mere slip of the tongue by Hagee. His views on Catholicism were a major focus of his "ministry." Look him up on YouTube. There's plenty of footage from his bizarre lectures - the one calling the Catholic Church "the great whore" is a classic.

But he's sorry now.

Translation: McCain desperately needs Catholic voters.

Will there be an apology from Hagee to homosexuals or to the city of New Orleans for the numerous times he's claimed God sent Hurricane Katrina to punish the city for a planned gay pride event?

Don't hold your breath.

Edwards finally making an endorsement

AP has reported tonight it will be Obama.

Sad

From Dana Milbank:

2:57 p.m., Yeager Airport, Charleston, W.Va.:/ A steep descent brings
Clinton's plane to Charleston's hilltop airport. After an appropriate
wait, she steps from the plane and *pretends to wave to a crowd of
supporters; in fact, she is waving to 10 photographers underneath the
airplane's wing. She pretends to spot an old friend in the crowd, points
and gives another wave; in fact, she is waving at an aide she had been
talking with on the plane minutes earlier*.

From Eli Saslow:

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginians may have voted for Sen. Hillary Clinton yesterday, but they needed significant help throwing a victory party. About 300 supporters gathered inside the Charleston Civic Center, and they only cheered when cameramen announced upcoming live shots. Campaign aides distributed faux hand-made signs, because few people brought their own. Clinton entered the room a few minutes after 9 p.m. and found it only about three-quarters full.

Maynard gets spiked

Oh well, at least they’ll always have Monaco…

With most of the votes in, W.Va. Supreme Court Chief Justice Elliot “Spike” Maynard has been soundly defeated in his bid for reelection.

All the pro-Maynard ads from the Chamber of Commerce couldn’t save him from the photos with Blankenship. Neither could hiring Blankenship's chief political consultant.

The result pretty much writes off Don Blankenship as an electoral force in W.Va.

The Massey CEO’s venture into politics began in 2004 when he targeted Supreme Court Justice Warren McGraw for defeat.

Under the front of a supposed children’s advocacy group “For the Sake of the Kids,” Blankenship hit McGraw with a barrage of negative and misleading ads. It worked. The $3.5 million the he put into the race elected Republican Brent Benjamin to the court.

However, Blankenship would soon become a victim of his own success.

As a result of the Benjamin victory, Political observers took notice and immediately began to profile him as a bold new force to be reckoned with in West Virginia politics.

The deceptive nature of For the Sake of the Kids, combined with Blankenship’s anonymity in the group’s message was the real reason for his success.

Blankenship was able to remain behind the scenes for the most part in the McGraw campaign, but now he was in the spotlight and his agenda was fully on display.

And voters didn’t like what they saw.

His next effort, in 2006, to deliver both houses of the legislature to the GOP failed miserably.

All of the Democratic candidates Blankenship targeted for defeat were reelected, except Margarette Leach, whose defeat was due to her ill health and not Blankenship’s ads.

Candidates who accepted donations from Blankenship were the subject of controversy and the Democrats gained seats.

Shortly after 2006, Air America’s Mike Papantonio shared his thoughts with me on why voters rejected Blankenship’s legislative campaign.

“[It was] because of his credibility. It was a character-based revolt. They said, "This guy is revolting to me," Papantonio said.


And that brings us to today.

For the Sake of the Kids is nearly defunct (the organization's Web site hasn’t been update since 2006). The W.Va. GOP has, at least publicly, rejected support from Blankenship in 2008.

In four short years, Blankenship has gone from being perceived as a powerhouse, to being viewed as an ineffective advocate to being electoral poison.

The photos of Maynard and Blankenship, coupled with Blankenship’s bizarre, thuggish behavior in an ABC News segment sealed the deal and sent Maynard packing.

At this point, not only are Blankenship’s efforts politically worthless, but the view by voters that a candidate is friendly to the Massey CEO is a surefire recipe for defeat on election day.

Photo: This 2006 file photo that has been entered into evidence as part of a court motion by lawyers seeking to remove West Virginia Supreme Court Chief Justice Elliott "Spike" Maynard, left, from hearing a case involving Massey Energy Inc., show the justice and Massey CEO Don Blankenship together in Monaco.

Another pickup for Dems in Congress

With another special election in another deeply conservative district. This time in Mississippi.

Travis W. Childers (D): 53% (54029)
Greg Davis (R): 47% (47361)

That's three in a row, following Illinois and Louisiana.

This does not bode well for Congressional Republicans in the fall.

And it's another victory for Howard Dean's 50 State Strategy.

Hillary Clinton wins W.Va.

AP called it minutes after polls closed.

As expected, it was a big margin.

But don't write W.Va. off entirely for Obama in the fall.

Carnacki of WVaBlue and DailyKos offers the following numbers:

Barack Obama with just 26 percent of the Democratic votes 87,466.
John McCain with just 76 percent of all Republican votes 83,791.

Sure, Dems dwarf the GOP in registration here, but something to think about.

Primary day

Kos has put together a good rundown on the W.Va. primary here.

Word is Clinton will give a victory speech from Charleston around 9 p.m. tonight.

We all have a pretty good idea who's going to take the state, though it will have little impact on the national results (today longtime Clinton guru James Carville said it's over).

Other races to watch tonight:

-The Supreme Court will give us an indication of whether or not Don Blankenship has any value left as a political force

-Secretary of State could be close

- And in Mississippi, a special election is being held for a Republican Congressional vacancy. If the Dems pick up this one, it could signal a national trend, as they've recently won special elections in Illinois and Louisiana.

Operation Blowhard

Rush Limbaugh said yesterday that his so-called Operation Chaos forces will deliver a landslide to Hillary tomight.

Someone needs to break it to the Dittoheads that the polls have showed a Clinton landslide here for months - long before Limbaugh began his silly little DJ stunt.

The guy is desperately trying to save face and look relevant after his all-out efforts to stop McCain and get Romney nominated blew up in his face. He can't influence his own party, so he's trying to take credit for the existing primary mess in the Democratic party.

Clinton will win big here, but Rush will have nothing to do with it.

In an unrelated note, I've decided to appeal to my readers (yes, all 3 of you) to join me in a campaign to get the sun to rise in the east tomorrow. I know it's going to be hard work, but if we're persistent, we can demonstrate the awesome power of this blog. Operation Helio Ascension will be our ultimate triumph!

McJunta!

John McCain has chosen a real class act to run the GOP convention in St. Paul.

Meet Doug Goodyear, the CEO of consulting firm DCI Group. Last year, the firm earned $3 million lobbying for clients including General Motors and everyone's favorite company as we approach 4 bucks a gallon, ExxonMobil.

But it gets better.

Six years ago, DCI was paid $348,000 to represent the totalitarian miltary junta ruling Burma/Myanmar.

As Newsweek puts it:

Justice Department lobbying records show DCI pushed to "begin a dialogue of political reconciliation" with the regime. It also led a PR campaign to burnish the junta's image, drafting releases praising Burma's efforts to curb the drug trade and denouncing "falsehoods" by the Bush administration that the regime engaged in rape and other abuses.

And as usual, we have to wonder if McCain will get questioned on this one or will he get his bazillionth pass from his beltway fan club.

I know this isn't quite as important as whether or not a candidate attaches flag-themed costume jewelry to their lapels, but you'd think the media might want to look into the fact that McCain has hired a known opponent of democracy to run the show when he gets nominated.

UPDATE: Looks like Goodyear has now resigned. Now we can all praise the maverickish departure and not question the judgment of the man who hired him in the first place.

---

Meanwhile, the junta has went on with its fake election. The rigged referendum is designed to solidify military rule. Despite the fact that the nation is reeling from a cyclone that has killed 100,000, the vote was not called off.

From AP:

Human rights organizations and anti-government groups have bitterly accused the government of neglecting cyclone victims to advance its political agenda, and have criticized its proposed constitution as designed to perpetuate military rule.

Local journalists said they saw cases of intimidation of voters at various polling stations around the country.

Photos by AP: Top: Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., laughs during a campaign stop at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, N.J. on Friday. Bottom: A Myanmar protester holds a placard showing a caricature, during a demonstration outside the Myanmar Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Saturday. Some 500 activists demanded that Yangon call off its constitutional referendum even as voting began in the military-ruled nation despite a devastating cyclone.

Obama in Charleston Monday

More info here.

MONDAY, MAY 12
Charleston Civic Center
Doors Open: 10:30 AM
Program Begins: 12:15 PM

The event open to the public, however, seating is limited and tickets are required.

McMaverick's mavericky maverickness questioned

From his home state, The Arizona Republic finds that when his vote is key, McCain most always falls in line for the GOP.

The presumptive Republican nominee arguably cast the decisive vote 14 times since 1999 to ensure Republicans got their way, and he had five other close cases where his vote may have made a difference, Senate records show. By comparison, McCain effectively handed Democrats a win on roll-call votes four times in the same period. On one of those occasions, Republicans could still have won if Vice President Dick Cheney had cast a tie-breaking vote.

Photo:AP

Campaign stuff

Obama's coming back to W.Va.

Confirmed by the Gazette.

WVaBlue has heard rumors it will be Huntington.

Until then, the campaign has announced a ton of events for the weekend.

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Following her Charleston appearance, the Clinton campaign kicked off a 15 city Veterans for Hillary tour today.

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As expected, poll shows Clinton maintaining her big lead in W.Va. Other than Arkansas, this may be the most receptive state to her campaign (or the one most opposed to Obama, depending on your way of looking at it.)

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And for your handy reference:

Barack Obama's W.Va. page:

Hillary Clinton's W.Va. page

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Recommended reading: Helen Thomas

Journalism legend Helen Thomas, yet another who got it right on Iraq in 2003 and was blasted by the mainstream media at the time, writes for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer about the continuing effort by the pentagon to shield the public from the realities of war:

The Pentagon made a command decision after the Vietnam War to get better control of the dissemination of information in future wars. That led then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to create an office of disinformation at the start of the Iraqi war. It was later disbanded after howls from the media.

More recently, we have seen the Pentagon’s propaganda efforts take the form of carefully coaching retired generals about how to spin the Iraq war when they appear on television as alleged military experts. The New York Times’ revelations about those pet generals have cast a pall over their reputations.

Too often in this war, the news media seem to have tried to shield the public from the suffering this war has brought to Americans and Iraqis.

Photo: AP file

Obama pulls ahead in superdelegates

Yet another sign that it's over.

Politico:

Obama once was behind by more than 100 superdelegates. But according to at least two counts, more superdelegates are now in his camp. Politico’s tally now shows him ahead of her by 270 superdelegates to 268.5, with 208.5 uncommitted. (Superdelegates from U.S. territories count as one-half.) ABC News shows him ahead by two.

Fireworks in Fayetteville yesterday

Feds cite Massey

MSHA has cited The Moustachioed One's company, Massey Energy, for safety violations that investigators say contributed to the death of a miner.

The accident occurred in Kanawha County when a miner fell 39 feet when a conveyor belt he was working on started up without warning.

From AP via Time Magazine:

The MSHA noted a series of problems at the mine in the report. Among other things, the agency cited Massey's Mammoth Coal Co. because the belt had inadequate startup alarms, including one that wasn't working, according to the report.

Inspectors also cited the mine after finding that the power to the belt hadn't been turned off before Neal started work and that the circuit breaker had a broken handle, making it inoperable.

A look at the Supreme Court race

Orion Strategies has released a poll on the WV court race.

Before going into this, bear in mind that only 368 were questioned and the poll has a margin of error of +/- 5 points, which covers the spread between the top 3 candidates. Also 40% are undecided.

The poll has Ketchum in the lead (apparently, heavy advertising pays off, especially when its focus is to get voters to know your name.)

Workman follows, already being a well-known name and having formerly served on the court.

Maynard and Bastress take up the rear. Bastress has nowhere near the financing of Ketchum, so that's no surprise.

Probably not a good sign for Maynard, who as chief justice is already well-known. He's also got an ad blitz in his favor going on. (and a sizeable one against him, too) If the vote plays out anything like this poll, the Blankenship photos are going to sink him.

From the Gazette:

The poll asked voters to name their top two choices for the office. Ketchum was named easily led as the first choice of 24 percent of poll respondents. Workman was named more times as the second choice than the others, with 18 percent.

Pollsters then combined the two rankings for each candidate, leaving Ketchum at 18 percent and Workman at 17 percent.

Incumbent Justice Elliott "Spike" Maynard ran third in the poll with 13 percent, just ahead of West Virginia University law professor Bob Bastress, who polled at 12 percent.

Operation Graceful Exit?

While the Clinton campaign is still going strong in W.Va. and will most likely win a landslide victory here, campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe's comments today seem to support Lawrence O'Donnell's scenario outlined yesterday for a winding down to end mid-June.

From Reuters:

"It'll be over early June," McAuliffe said. "We've all said we'll be together at the end. If Hillary doesn't win, Hillary, (former) President (Bill) Clinton, myself, we'll be over there helping Senator Obama. And, likewise, Senator Obama will come together to help Hillary if she's the nominee."


And Time Magazine's new cover probably doesn't help a continued Clinton candidacy, either.

Off topic Thursday

Thought for today: No matter what any of us may do in life, we'll never be as cool as Jerry Reed.

A note to my new visitors...

Whoever you may be - whether you're coming here via a link from a certain rapid response site started by supporters of a certain Democratic candidate or not...

If you want to take issue with anything I write, go right ahead. I welcome all feedback.

Barring massive obscenities or something to that effect, I'll gladly approve it.

However, re-posting the same, unoriginal cut-and-paste SPAM response in multiple topics will not be approved.

Just so you know.

More than 100,000

Reuters:

State Myanmar radio and television, the main official sources for casualties, reported a death toll of 22,980 with 42,119 missing and 1,383 injured in Asia's most devastating cyclone since a 1991 storm in Bangladesh that killed 143,000.

A U.S. diplomat in Myanmar said diplomats were hearing there could have been more than 100,000 deaths.

Also Reuters:

Aid officials say hundreds of thousands will have been left homeless in the vast swamplands of the delta, where mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue are endemic.

There will also be the risk of cholera and chronic diarrhea from filthy water and corpses rotting in the tropical heat and humidity of Southeast Asia.

Woman lays the cloth to dry at a market in Yangon, Wednesday, May 7, 2008. International aid began trickling into military-ruled Myanmar, but much of the Irrawaddy delta, where most of the 22,464 reported victims perished, has remained cut off since Cyclone Nargis hit early Saturday. (AP Photo)

Our turn

One week to go.

Clem Guttata at WVaBlue has a great rundown on all the details of the W.Va. primary.

It's over

Clinton needed big wins to make the case for a superdelegate coup and didn't get them.

She hasn't had a real chance to get a delegate lead since late February. The best she could hope for was that two decisive victories would have been enough to convince superdelegates that Obama had been damaged by the Rev. Wright story to the point of not being electable.

But, as the results showed (and exit polls also proved) voters didn't think the Wright flap was an issue.

The media's finally caught on to the math that the rest of us figured out way back.

NBC's Tim Russert:

"We now know who the Democratic nominee's going to be, and no one's going to dispute it."

ABC's George Snuffleupagus:

"This nomination fight is over."

CBS's Bob Schieffer:

"Basically, Maggie, this race is over."

Now it's just a matter of when Clinton gets out and how.

Lawrence O'Donnell, who's worked in Democratic politics for years and is pretty well acquainted with the Clintons lays out her exit strategy from talks with her campaign:

Everything about our conversation implied that he had already had this reality-based discussion with Hillary. He said the Clinton campaign plan is to collect as many votes and delegates as they can right through June 3, then take no more than a week or so to make their case to the superdelegates. Nothing he said indicated that he actually expected the superdelegates to move to Hillary in the week after the final election. The Clinton campaign has not lost its grip on reality. Yes, Clinton spokespersons publicly seem to be lost on gravity-free planet Clinton, but privately they know the end is near.

Further proof that they're winding things down is the fact that she canceled all of her morning show appearances today.

So expect her to keep in until primary season is over, but mellow the tone of the campaign (think Huckabee's last few weeks vs. McCain). She'll likely get a victory or two to go out on a high note (W.Va. being one of them), but there are few delegates left, superdelegates are moving to Obama (four today). The polls in most of the remaining states aren't close and he probably has more wins ahead. If things play out as expected, many expect he'll clinch the nomination two weeks from now in Oregon.

Photos: AP

Recommended reading: Glenn Greenwald

Great piece by Salon's brilliant writer up at Commondreams:

The Media, The Right and 1988: Endless Deja Vu

A large bulk of the political and pundit class are forever stuck in 1972, reflexively viewing every political conflict through its myopic prism (any war-opponent-candidate = George McGovern = loser). But as a New York Times article by Robin Toner this morning illustrates, the far more relevant precedent for this year’s election is 1988.

Death toll rising

The death toll of the cyclone in Burma now stands at more than 15,000.

10,000 are from one town alone.

3,000 missing.

The Junta is allowing some foreign aid.

After getting a "careful green light" from the government, the United Nations said it was pulling out all the stops to send in emergency aid such as food, clean water, blankets and plastic sheeting.

"The U.N. will begin preparing assistance now to be delivered and transported to Myanmar as quickly as possible," World Food Programme (WFP) spokesman Paul Risley said.

A Thai military plane carrying 9 metric tons of food is due to leave Bangkok later on Tuesday, the first outside aid package.

In this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, monks clear up roads damaged by cyclone in Yangon, Sunday, May 4, 2008. Residents of Myanmar's biggest city lit candles Monday, May 5, lined up to buy water and hacked their way through trees fallen in a cyclone that killed more than 350 people, destroyed thousands of homes and caused widespread power cuts. (AP Photo/Xinhua, Zhang Yunfei)

Hilla(R)y

Clinton continues doing her best impression of a Republican.

Politico reports that the latest of her 5 negative mailers attacks Obama on guns.

Hillary Clinton has re-opened her sharp attack on Barack Obama's position on guns, with a mailer in Indiana that seeks to raise questions about him with both supporters and opponents of gun rights.

[...]

The piece is particularly striking coming from Clinton, who has been seen for most of her career as a firm advocate of gun control, but more recently has emerged -- without dramatically shifting her stance on specific issues -- as a defender of the Second Amendment who fondly recalled being taught to shoot by her grandfather in Scranton.

Remember this bit about negative mailers from just before the Ohio primary?



Can anyone tell me where this campaign stands on anything these days?

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And a minor and maybe pointless detail: Politico also caught a gaffe in the photo used in the ad. By reversing the picture, the gun used becomes "a nonexistent left-handed model of the Mauser 66 rifle."

Val Forgett III, president of Navy Arms in Martinsburg, W.Va. said sportsmen would notice the goof.

“I find it laughable on its face,” he said. “It’s like a picture of Babe Ruth hitting right-handed.”

Crisis in Burma

The biggest story in the world Sunday is the cyclone that hit Burma (or Myanmar, as it's called by the military rulers there).

Thousands of homes were destroyed and at least 350 people are dead.

Compounding the tragedy is the fact that due to the secrecy and iron grip of the junta, international aid may be kept out.

From AP:

The Forum for Democracy in Burma and other dissident groups outside of Myanmar urged the military junta Sunday to allow aid groups to operate freely in the wake of the cyclone — something it has been reluctant to do in the past.

It would be difficult for other countries to help unless they received a request from Myanmar’s military rulers.

“International expertise in dealing with natural disasters is urgently required. The military regime is ill-prepared to deal with the aftermath of the cyclone,” said Naing Aung, secretary general of the Thailand-based forum.

In other Burma news, the U.S. Campaign for Burma has recruited several big names to star in a series of videos to run online. It's good to see attention being directed to this long-ignored situation.

30 Days for a Million Voices kicks off with Will Ferrell.

More about the series can be found here.

Photo: In this photo released by Democratic Voice of Burma, people walk past fallen trees at a street in Yangon on Sunday May 4, 2008. More than 350 people have died in Myanmar from a powerful cyclone that knocked out power in the impoverished country's commercial capital and destroyed thousands of homes, state-run media said Sunday.(AP Photo/ Democratic Voice of Burma, HO)

Dems pick up a U.S. House seat

In a special election in Louisiana.

In one of the most conservative districts in the nation, no less.

From Politico:

Democrat Don Cazayoux has defeated Republican Woody Jenkins in a tightly contested special election to replace retired Rep. Richard Baker (R-La.), according to House officials.

Democratic Congressional Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen released a statement praising Cazayoux and criticizing GOP attempts to "nationalize" the race by tying Cazayoux to Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

Yes, this is the one where the Republicans tried to scare voters with ads showing the Democratic candidate's photo beside Barack Obama's.

Didn't work.

As Guam goes, so goes the nation

OK, not necessarily.

But Obama won there.

It was close, so each candidate gets two votes in an even split. (Guam has eight delegates, but since it isn't a state, they only get a half vote each.)

Photo: Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., left, greets supporters after speaking at a park in Noblesville, Ind., on Saturday.

More straight talk

Ol' Maverick said this week that the Mission Accomplished banner accompanying the Flight Suit Landing wasn't Bush's fault.

He also said of the banner:

"I thought it was wrong at the time."

And, as we often have to do following a remark by McCain, let's cut to reality.

Here he is on FOX News defending the banner on June 11, 2003:

NEIL CAVUTO (host): Senator -- after a conflict means after the conflict, and many argue the conflict isn't over.

McCAIN: Well, then why was there a banner that said mission accomplished on the aircraft carrier?

Will the media call Saint McCain out on this one or will he be given yet another pass?

Photo: AP

How dumb does he think we are?

From Bill Clinton's appearance in Clarksburg this week. He claimed elitists support Obama:

"The great divide in this country is not by race or even income, it's by those who think they are better than everyone else and think they should play by a different set of rules," he said. "In West Virginia and Arkansas, we know that when we see it."

Why he's just a regular hillbilly! 

And if you doubt his sincerity, remember this, of course, comes from a man who moved back to his proud home of Arkansas immediately upon leaving the White House, unlike those elitist types who all flock to New York.

Is there anything more elitist than an establishment campaign trying to play Appalachian voters for a bunch of rubes?

Photo: In this April 30, 2008, file photo former President Bill Clinton addresses a crowd while campaigning for his wife. AP

ABC News is still a joke

Earlier this year, Hillary Clinton held a televised town hall meeting with voters. The event, which was basically an infomercial for her campaign, aired on the Hallmark Channel — because she bought the airtime from the network.

She's doing it again this Sunday, only this time she won't have to pay. It's being picked up as a so-called "news" event.

The show? "This Week with (Former Clinton Press Secretary) George Stephanopoulos."

The same George Snuffleupagus who co-moderated the widely-criticized ABC debate where they threw softballs at Hillary while asking Obama such Gotcha! questions as "Does Reverend Wright love the Country as much as you do?"

It took 50 minutes or so of this drivel until he and co-moderator Charlie Gibson asked the candidates about policy.

In their defense, ABC claims they've extended the offer for a town hall to both Obama and McCain. It would be interesting to see the timetable and hear their reason for giving Clinton a free ad just before two major primaries.

Grandfather takes on the coal industry

America's best journalist, Amy Goodman, recently did a good segment on mountaintop removal featuring West Virginia activist Ed Wiley.

You can find a transcript, audio and video of it at Democracy Now.

Happy Flight Suit Day

In honor of the fifth anniversary of the "Mission Accomplished" carrier landing, I'll be playing dress-up and blogging in full beekeeper gear today.

Greg Mitchell remembers how taken the media was with the whole thing.

Chris Matthews on MSNBC called Bush a "hero" and boomed, "He won the war. He was an effective commander. Everybody recognizes that, I believe, except a few critics." He added: "Women like a guy who's president. Check it out. The women like this war. I think we like having a hero as our president. It's simple." PBS' Gwen Ifill said Bush was "part Tom Cruise, part Ronald Reagan." On NBC, Brian Williams gushed, "The pictures were beautiful. It was quite something to see the first-ever American president on a -- on a carrier landing."

Media Matters also looks back at the cheerleaders.

And before you think everyone was insane at the time, here's an excerpt from Sen. Byrd's speech on the event. The media blasted him for it:

The prowess and professionalism of America's military forces do not need to be embellished by the gaudy excesses of a political campaign. War is not theater, and victory is not a campaign slogan. I join with the President and all Americans in expressing heartfelt thanks and gratitude to our men and women in uniform for their service to our country, and for the sacrifices that they have made on our behalf. But on this point I differ with the President: I believe that our military forces deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, and not used as stage props to embellish a presidential speech.

Casualties at the time of Mission Accomplished: 139

Confirmed U.S. combat deaths to date: 4,059 (according to AP)

Bush's disapproval rating today: 71 percent (according to Gallup)

AP file photo: President Bush poses with sailors and pilots aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln off the California coast after landing in a small jet Thursday, May 1, 2003.

Off topic Thursday

We all remember Woodsy Owl from growing up in the 70s and 80s.

Sadly, the Woodsy we knew was replaced by a new, slimmer version.

In one of the most bizarre government orders ever, the forest service called for all costumes of the old Woodsy to be burnt until they are "destroyed beyond recognition" under the supervision of a law enforcement officer.

I guess they feared people using the old suits to become imposter Woodsys for evil personal gain or something. Or perhaps they just want to make way for the new interloper.

Either way, the Woodsy we grew up with is down the memory hole.

Photo of new Woodsy from symbols.gov