EVENING POST:  MAY 31,  2008

Posted at 7:32 p.m. ET

DEMS DECIDE

The Democratic Party's Rules Committee has come to a decision regarding Florida and Michigan.  The envelope please:

Democratic leaders struck a compromise over the disputed Florida and Michigan primaries Saturday evening in Washington, D.C., agreeing to give both delegations half their vote at the party’s August convention — despite objections from Hillary Clinton’s campaign.

A rules panel of the Democratic National Committee spent all day reviewing both states’ primaries, after they were initially stripped of their delegates for holding early contests in violation of party rules.

Clinton, who won both contests, was banking on the DNC meeting as one of her last chances to make up ground against Barack Obama’s huge delegate lead.

Though she wanted both delegations counted in full, the campaign seemed satisfied with the Florida plan. But the deal on Michigan drew sharp criticism from a top Clinton surrogate.

“This body of 30 individuals has decided that they’re going to substitute their judgment for 600,000 voters — now that’s what I call democracy,” said Clinton adviser and committee member Harold Ickes, saying the Michigan plan would be “hijacking” delegates from Clinton.

Ickes added that Clinton has “instructed me to reserve the right to take this to the Credentials Committee.”

That means the Clinton campaign may be considering appealing the decision and drawing out the dispute to the August convention, something party leaders dread.

But she might not dread it.  Remember, if Barack Obama becomes president, Hillary Clinton's presidential ambitions are probably finished...unless she's his vice president.  She can hold Michigan over his head to try to force her way onto the ticket.  But, you say, nice people don't do that.  I know, I know. 

May 31, 2008.      Permalink          

SECOND AFTERNOON POST:  MAY 31,  2008

Posted at 6:37 p.m. ET

RESIGNED!

Barack Obama has resigned from his church:

Barack Obama and his wife Michelle have resigned their membership at the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, FOX News has confirmed, after controversies stemming from the congregation created a persistent distraction for Obama’s campaign.

No further details.  Good move, if 20 years too late.  Cynical move, when you realize he's resigning just as the Democratic Party's Rules Committee is meeting in D.C. to decide the fate of the Florida and Michigan delegations.

Question:  Does he get back part of the Sunday School tuition, pro-rated?  I mean, does anyone know about these things?

May 31, 2008.      Permalink           

AFTERNOON POST:  MAY 31,  2008

Posted at 5:56 p.m. ET

TRACKERS

Actually, there's only one tracking poll reporting today. Gallup did not report any new results, which is surprising.

Rasmussen has McCain up three over Obama in the general.  He also has McCain up three over Clinton.

Rasmussen writes:

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Saturday shows that John McCain attracting 46% of the vote nationwide while Barack Obama earns 43%. This marks the fifth straight day that McCain has enjoyed at least a three-point advantage over Obama (see recent daily results). Occasionally, over the past few months, one candidate or the other has opened what appears to be a modest lead for several days. But, to this point in time, neither has been able to hold a sustained lead. Tracking Poll results are updated daily at 9:30 a.m. Eastern.

Sixty-nine percent (69%) of Americans have heard about Scott McClellan’s new book. A plurality doesn’t know whether the former White House Press Secretary is telling the truth.

McCain is viewed favorably by 52% of voters nationwide and unfavorably by 46%. Those figures include 19% with a Very Favorable opinion of the Republican hopeful and 23% with a Very Unfavorable opinion.

Obama’s numbers are 45% favorable and 53% unfavorable (see recent daily ratings). Those figures represent Obama’s lowest ratings of the year. His favorability ratings peaked at 56% in mid-February. Twenty-five percent (25%) have a Very Favorable opinion of Obama while 37% have a Very Unfavorable view.

Obama's problem with another radical cleric has surfaced in the last few days, and may be affecting his poll ratings.  He is undoubtedly praying that a video of Osama bin Laden doesn't surface in his Chicago church, endorsing him.

May 31, 2008.      Permalink           

ADDITIONAL MORNING POST:  MAY 31,  2008

Posted at 10:06 a.m. ET

THE BUSH LEGACY

Dean Barnett, in The Weekly Standard, gives a positive view of what the Bush legacy is likely to be.  Agree or disagree, he presents a strong case:

WE WENT THROUGH similar times in the early 1990's. The Berlin Wall fell, the Soviet Union crumbled and we won the Cold War. Yet it was beyond the typical liberal's ability to acknowledge that Ronald Reagan had anything to do with these accomplishments. So you had the ludicrous spectacle of bespectacled college professors arguing that Jimmy Carter could have won the Cold War or the Soviet Union would have fallen apart regardless of what we did. In 1992 after Reagan addressed the Republican convention, Tom Brokaw speculated from his national TV perch that the government debt run up under Reagan's watch would be the Gipper's principal legacy.

We're seeing something similar happen now. In the past couple of weeks, two extremely promising news stories have sprung from the war on terror.

He is referring to progress in Iraq and CIA chief Michael Hayden's report that Al Qaeda is on the defensive.  But...

Since these have been George W. Bush's wars, one would think he would receive at least a modicum of credit for any progress. Alas, if Bush is to receive credit, he'll have to be patient just like Reagan was.

And...

I've never been reticent about pointing out the Bush administration's shortcomings. Its spendthrift ways, its elevation of unqualified lackeys to positions of importance, its longtime adherence to ineffective tactics in Iraq, its inability to communicate I had better stop--I could go on all day. My point is that the Bush administration has been a flawed vehicle, and I've never shied away from saying as much.

But President Bush is on the verge of winning the big ones. It will be no small thing if he has shown and mostly secured the path to victory in Iraq and in the war on terror before leaving office. It will drive the left crazy, and, as was the case with Reagan, it will take liberals decades to admit it, but Bush will strut back to Crawford a big winner.

Finally...

Few remember that Abraham Lincoln spent years running a dreadful war effort presided over by the ineffective likes of George McClellan and Joe Hooker. And those who do remember such things view them charitably, as Lincoln got things right by the end. If President Bush does wind up also having gotten the big things right, something that seems increasingly likely, the enormous successes of his administration will dwarf the failures in history's eyes.

Barnett may well be right.  But there is one great problem with his argument:  There are those on the left who, if they get power this November, will seek to destroy, not advance, our victory in Iraq and even Afghanistan.  Their ideological ancestors did it in Vietnam, after all, cutting off funding to our ally when it was doing quite well, then declaring that the war could never be won.  It's a simple trick:  Cut off the means by which a country buys weapons, then rap it for not fighting.  And this time the left would have the presidency.  In 1975, when the Vietnam disgrace occurred, at least President Ford could call the cut-off by the Democratic Congress what it was - dishonorable.  What will a President Obama say?  You all know.  And The New York times will cheer.

May 31, 2008.      Permalink          

SATURDAY:  MAY 31,  2008

Posted at 6:26 a.m. ET

THE HOODLUM PRIEST

One thing about Obama - he's very inclusive in his choice of friends.  Any idiot can make the cut, and a lot of idiots have.

The latest to come to light, and you've seen the clips on TV, is Father Michael Pfleger, a Catholic priest whose misogynistic, anti-Clinton ranting at Obama's church is the latest source of embarrassment for the Obama campaign.  Obama has still not resigned from the church, and previously listed Pfleger as one of his spiritual mentors.  There is this:

In a statement issued Thursday, Mr. Obama, who was not at the church during the sermon, said he was “deeply disappointed” with Father Pfleger’s “backward-looking” remarks.

The Clinton camp said it had hoped for more.

“Divisive and hateful language like that is totally counterproductive in our efforts to bring our party together and have no place at the pulpit or in our politics,” said Howard Wolfson, a spokesman for Mrs. Clinton. “We are disappointed that Senator Obama didn’t specifically reject Father Pfleger’s despicable comments about Senator Clinton, and assume he will do so.”

On Friday, an Obama spokesman said the campaign had nothing new to add.

Bad move on Obama's part.  His denunciation of the hoodlum priest should have been more vigorous, and Obama should have criticized his church for inviting the guy.  The story concludes:

The flare-up was not well timed for Mr. Obama, who seemed to have finally put to rest similarly controversial remarks by his former Trinity pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr.

So many nutbags, so little time.  But the whole episode again prompts this question:  Why has Obama associated himself with so many bad actors?

I suspect the mainstream media has no intention of asking.

May 31, 2008.       Permalink              

OBAMA vs. McCAIN

There's been a new dustup over Iraq between Senators Obama and McCain.  What strikes me is how rough Obama is. Is this the change we've been waiting for?  Is this the call for national unity?  Is this the new politics?  Obama, in discussing a difference with McCain over numbers of troops in Iraq:

"Well, I don't think tens of thousands of American troops amounts to nitpicking. Tell that to the young men and women who are serving bravely and brilliantly under our flag. Tell that to the families who have seen their loved ones fight tour after tour after tour of duty in a war that should've never been authorized and never been waged."

"It's time for a debate that's based on the truth, and I can't think of anything more important than how many Americans are in harm's way. It's time for a debate that's based on how we're going to end this war -- not a debate that's based on raising a few dollars for John McCain's campaign."

It's remarkable that Obama is still telling our troops in Iraq that their struggle is a waste of time and should never have been fought.  It must be great for morale.  It's just what a trooper wants to hear, especially when he watches the nurses pick the shrapnel out of his arms. 

McCain responds:

We agree with Barack Obama about one thing -- with troops on battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan, we should have an honest, respectful debate about the best way forward. And if Barack Obama wants facts, we're happy to have a debate based in fact: the fact is Barack Obama has refused to have a one on one meeting with General Petraeus, and has avoided a fact-finding visit to Iraq for over 872 days. The fact is, Barack Obama has voted against bullets and body armor for our troops while they've been fighting extremists abroad. The fact is, Senator Obama has been critical, but failed to hold a single oversight hearing on our mission in Afghanistan despite his position in the Senate. The fact is, he fails to grasp that a reckless withdrawal, while it may elevate his political aspirations, it will lead to chaos, danger and increased Iranian influence in the region. The reality is Barack Obama's lack of action amounts to weak leadership, and shows he is just not ready to be our commander in chief.

I thought McCain got the better of that.  I'm glad to see he's fighting back each day, and not assuming that Obama will act like a statesman.  He won't because he isn't.

More later.

May 31, 2008.      Permalink