Year: 2008

Polls: Obama’s Double Digit Lead in North Carolina Vanishes

Jon Ponder

Clinton Comes Within 7 Points in Average of Six Polls

In the wake of the Wright controversy and despite — or because of? — the trashing Hillary Clinton is receiving in the media and on the web, the RealClearPolitics poll of polls shows that, with four days to go before the North Carolina primary, the double digit averaged lead Barack Obama once held in the state has disappeared:

Poll Date Obama Clinton Spread
RCP Average 04/26 – 05/01 48.3 41.3 Obama +7.0
Rasmussen 05/01 – 05/01 49 40 Obama +9.0
Zogby 04/30 – 05/01 50 34 Obama +16.0
Research 2000 04/29 – 04/30 51 44 Obama +7.0
Mason-Dixon 04/28 – 04/29 49 42 Obama +7.0
Insider Advantage 04/29 – 04/29 42 44 Clinton +2.0
SurveyUSA 04/26 – 04/28 49 44 Obama +5.0

Quote du Jour

Buck Banks

What a country calls its vital economic interests are not the things which enable its citizens to live, but the things which enable it to make war. Gasoline is much more likely than wheat to be a cause of international conflict.

— Simone Weil (1909-1943), French philosopher, Christian mystic and social activist

General Accuses Bush Admin of ‘Gross Incompetence And Dereliction of Duty’ in Iraq – ‘Liberal’ Media Yawns

Jon Ponder

In just the last month, the “liberal” media has studiously ignored two revelations of extreme malfeasance by the Bush administration: First, that George Bush admitted that he and his most senior advisers willfully violated U.S. and international laws by drafting torture guidelines for CIA interrogators, and, second, that retired senior military officials hired as on-air “analysts” for television news organizations during the run-up to the invasion of Iraq knowingly made false statements during news broadcasts in order to bolster the administration’s bogus pretexts for war.

Now, in new book set for release next week, the former commander of U.S. forces in Iraq has accused the administration of the most serious possible charges short of treason in its handling of the occupation: gross incompetence and dereliction of duty. Unfortunately, if the past month is an indicator, there is no chance this dire allegation will lead the news on cable for even a single hour, or that it will be mentioned, even in passing, on the Sunday political shows this weekend.

In his new memoir, “Wiser in Battle,” which hits the shelves on May 6, retired Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez offers this blistering assessment of the Bush administration’s handling of its misbegotten occupation of Iraq:

“Hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars were unnecessarily spent, and worse yet, too many of our most precious military resource, our American soldiers, were unnecessarily wounded, maimed, and killed as a result. In my mind, this action by the Bush administration amounts to gross incompetence and dereliction of duty.”

The quote comes from an excerpt from the book published in Time Magazine. And here is a clue of what’s (not) to come: Raw Story points out that Time has chosen not to highlight the accusation, which was buried three pages into the story.

The fact is, “gross incompetence and dereliction of duty” are apt descriptions of everything the Bush administration has undertaken since it took office — from its horrendous response to Hurricane Katrina to its bungling of the U.S. economy, its ham-fisted international diplomacy, its blockheaded approach to domestic politics and on and on.

In fact, as cynical as it sounds, the truth is that the Bush team’s only real competence is in lying about its activities and smearing its opponents. That’s why, in the unlikely event this story were to find legs, we can expect loyal Bushies to flood the airwaves to remind viewers that Gen. Sanchez was their fall guy for the early failures in Iraq and, especially, the torture regime at Abu Grahib prison.

Right now, the White House political shop is undoubtedly working up a rigorous smear campaign against Sanchez. Luckily for him, the corporate media is bored with the Bush administration and the odds this story will get any notice lies somewhere between slim and none.

Spike Lee: Who’s Paying Rev. Wright?

Trish

Director Spike Lee questioned the timing of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s press conference this week, and the statements he made.

Lee hinted at a political conspiracy behind the Chicago pastor’s recent, contentious attempts to justify his remarks. “It looks like he’s being paid to keep talking,” he said…”I’m starting to wonder whether somebody has been contributing to the building funds of his church. Seriously.” Lee, whose films have frequently tackled the issue of race relations in the US, believes that Obama had hoped to survive the presidential contest without talking about race: “But now he’s been forced to – by a combination of Jeremiah Wright and the Clintons.”

Is Lee on to something? Is someone exploiting the split in Obama’s relationship with Wright? And are they paying — in money, favors, or future promises — for his continued high profile?

Clinton Campaign Manager on Board of Group That Made Robocalls

Trish
Clinton campaign manager and board member of Women’s Voices, Maggie Williams

A whole bunch of African-American registered voters in North Carolina recently received a strange automated phone call. Suddenly they were registered and confused, which investigators think was most likely the purpose of the calls.

“Hello. This is Lamont Williams. In the next few days, you will receive a voter registration packet in the mail. All you need to do is fill it out, sign it, date and return the application. Then you will be able to vote and make your voice heard. Please return your registration form when it arrives. Thank you.”

In fact, the deadline to register for the May 6 Democratic presidential primary had already passed…The call and follow-up mailings left many wondering whether they were registered for the primary or not.

This sounds like a classic example of voter suppression — sowing confusion in order to drive down turn-out. The calls seemed to be aimed at African-American communities…

The calls were traced back to a group called Women’s Voices, Women Vote. And that’s where it gets interesting. Among its board members is former Pres. Clinton Chief of Staff John Podesta and Hillary Clinton’s campaign manger, Maggie Williams.

A “Lamont Williams” robocall ran in Ohio last fall. In Virginia, robocalls days before the February primary caused voters to flood the board of elections with phone calls, in turn triggering an investigation by the state police.

Among Billaryland’s inner circle, Maggie Williams is renowned as the ultimate Hillary loyalist, fierce and unwavering in her devotion for nearly 25 years…

A Kansas City native, Williams, 53, was a central player in the Clinton damage-control machine during the White House years.

In 1995, a uniformed Secret Service officer swore under oath he saw her leave White House lawyer and Hillary confidant Vince Foster’s office carrying documents after Foster committed suicide. Williams denied it.

She ran up more than $100,000 in legal bills defending Hillary in various investigations.

The North Carolina calls aren’t the first, or even the first to receive complaints and investigations.

The Institute [for Southern Studies, which is investigating] turned up other complaints about the group as well, in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin. A “Lamont Williams” robocall similar to North Carolina’s ran in Ohio last fall. In Virginia, robocalls days before the February primary caused voters to flood the board of elections with phone calls, in turn triggering an investigation by the state police.

[Institute Director Chris] Kromm says this shows at least five months of a “deceptive tactic, illegal in many states.” He notes, “Each time this group is criticized for this activity, they apologize for the confusion.”

The North Carolina attorney general says the robocalls are illegal. State law requires that automated phone calls identify the sponsoring group and give the recipient a phone number or other means of contacting the group. The Lamont Williams call did neither.

It’s easy to apologize when you’ve already achieved your objective. “Whoops, our bad. Now where’s the next primary?”

Palfrey is the Second Suicide in D.C. Madam Case

Trish

Jon posted earlier about the apparent suicide of Jeane Palfrey, convicted of running a prostitution ring that served such clients as Sen. David Vitter (R-La.). He ended with the invitation, “Let the conspiracy theories begin…”

In fact, digging a little deeper might be a good idea. This is curious.

Brandy Britton committed suicide in January before she was scheduled to go to trial

One of the escort service employees was former University of Maryland, Baltimore County, professor Brandy Britton, who was arrested on prostitution charges in 2006. She committed suicide in January before she was scheduled to go to trial.

Palfrey said last year that she, too, was humiliated by her prostitution charges, but said: “I guess I’m made of something that Brandy Britton wasn’t made of.”

Whoa. And there’s also this, from her mom.

Blanche Palfrey had no sign that her daughter was suicidal, and there was no immediate indication that alcohol or drugs were involved, police Capt. Jeffrey Young said…

Palfrey apparently hanged herself with nylon rope from the shed’s ceiling. Her mother discovered the body.

Even though the trial was over and a lot of powerful men, including Vitter, were mopping their foreheads in relief at having not been called to testify, Palfrey made it clear she did not want to go to prison. Did she threaten to reveal things not discovered during trial if someone didn’t intervene?

Michael Moore Doesn’t Like Any of the Candidates’ Health Plans

Jon Ponder

Michael Moore recently endorsed Barack Obama but on Larry King’s CNN show last night, he said, like Clinton’s healthcare plan, Obama’s doesn’t go far enough:
You have to remove profit as a motive, just as you — it’s one of those basic services. We wouldn’t have a police department that had to show a profit every year — or a fire department that had to show a profit every year. We shouldn’t do that with our health care system, either.
— Michael Moore

KING: In January, you posted a website letters that had good things about Obama’s win in Iowa. But you also wrote this: “Barack, you can talk all you want about let’s put the partisanship aside, let’s all get along, but the other side has no intention of being anything but the bullies they are. Get your game face on now and if you can, tell me why you are now the second largest recipients of health industry payola after Hillary.”

Are you saying he — that’s what he’s getting, the industry…

MOORE: Yes. And I believe, actually, in that time since I wrote that in January, it’s flipped and he’s now number one, at least with — she’s…

KING: In funds from the healthcare…

MOORE: She has one — she’s number one, I think, with the pharmaceutical companies and he’s number one with health insurance. Or vice versa, I can’t remember what. But they’re one and two in terms of…

KING: Do you think if you take, you must be beholden to them?

That’s what Ralph Nader used to say.

MOORE: Well, you…

KING: If I take too much, then I’m beholden to you.

MOORE: Well, yes. I think that’s — I think that — I think anybody understands that that’s the way the game is played… [That’s] why neither Senator Obama or Senator Clinton’s healthcare plans will bring real universal coverage to this country, because they both allow the insurance companies to still control what’s going on. You have to remove the private profit-making health insurance companies, because as long as they have to make a profit, that means they can’t take care of everybody in the same way or they won’t make the money they need to make.

You have to remove profit as a motive, just as you — it’s one of those basic services. We wouldn’t have a police department that had to show a profit every year — or a fire department that had to show a profit every year. We shouldn’t do that with our health care system, either. And no other Western country does that.

KING: You mean health is a right?

MOORE: Well, absolutely. Yes, it’s a human right. And it is everywhere else, except, unfortunately, here.

DC Madam – Deborah Jeane Palfrey – Apparent Suicide

Jon Ponder

RIP Deborah Jeane:

A woman who apparently committed suicide in Florida is believed to be Deborah Jeane Palfrey, convicted last month of running a high-end prostitution service in Washington, officials said.

Authorities were called at 11 a.m. today to a mobile home park in Tarpon Springs, Fla., where they found a body in a residence belonging to Palfrey’s mother. Few other details were immediately provided.

Palfrey, 52, was free while awaiting sentencing June 25 on federal racketeering charges. A federal jury convicted her April 15 of running a Washington-area call-girl ring in the guise of “a high-end erotic fantasy service,” rejecting her argument that she was unaware for 13 years that female escorts she employed were performing sex acts with clients for money.

Authorities said the body was found in a small storage shed on the west side of the home. They found handwritten suicide notes, they said, and there are no signs of foul play. Tarpon Springs police said they are working with the sheriff’s and medical examiner’s office to determine the cause of death.

Let the conspiracy theories begin…

Quote du Jour

Buck Banks

A man who is good enough to shed his blood for the country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards. More than that no man is entitled to, and less than that no man shall have.

— Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919), 26th President of the United States