Hil & Bam gear up for battleover Jewish vote
BY MICHAEL McAULIFF
DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU
WASHINGTON - Fresh off their battle for the hearts of black Americans, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are about to go head to head for Jewish votes.
The leaders for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008 plan dueling receptions Monday when an influential pro-Israeli lobby group, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, holds its major Washington policy conference.
The competing receptions are one more sign of the intensifying scrum between Clinton and Obama over key Democratic interest groups, highlighted Sunday by near-simultaneous civil rights speeches in Selma, Ala.
"It would be amazing if you didn't have a fierce competition," said Norm Ornstein, an American Enterprise Institute scholar who is leading a panel at the AIPAC forum.
Clinton had been counting on black support before Obama got in the race. Ornstein said she had a natural base among Jews because of her Senate work and her husband's record, but some liberal Jews favor Obama because he opposed the Iraq war.
"If you get over the bar on the Israeli issue, which I think he has, then for many people, Iraq becomes the issue," Ornstein said.
Obama got help from an unlikely source yesterday when pro-Palestinian Prof. Rashid Khalidi denied a report that Obama used to be sympathetic to the Palestinian cause and had recently shifted his stance to pro-Israel.
Khalidi spoke to the Daily News to rebut a report on a pro-Palestinian blog that was circulated by Clinton supporters. The blog, the Electronic Intifada, offered no evidence that Obama used to be supportive of the Palestinian cause, but cited private conversations, including one at a 2000 Obama fund-raiser hosted by Khalidi.
Khalidi, now head of Columbia University's Middle East Institute, said he hosted the fund-raiser because he was friends with Obama while the two lived in Chicago.
"He never came to us and said he would do anything in terms of Palestinians," Khalidi said.
Originally published on March 6, 2007
Showing posts with label Clinton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Clinton. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Hilary Clinton's compromised political perspective wastes her potential
12.12.2006
Senator Hillary Clinton: Triangulation and Institutionalization
Sheldon Drobny
Sheldon Drobny was the co-founder of Air America Radio. He is also the Chairman and Managing Director of Paradigm Group II, a venture capital firm specializing in socially responsible businesses. He has been the major force in developing Paradigm to the status it has achieved today. Mr. Drobny, a Certified Public Accountant and winner of the Elijah Watts Sells award for outstanding performance on the Uniform CPA Exam has practiced public accounting for over 30 years. Prior to entering public accounting, he had a number of years of taxation experience with the Internal Revenue Service. Mr. Drobny specializes in business and tax matters and is admitted to practice before the U.S. Tax Court as a non-attorney. Less than 200 non-attorneys have been admitted to practice before the U.S. Tax Court since its inception in 1942. Mr. Drobny received a Bachelor of Science Degree in accounting from Roosevelt University in Chicago and is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, an honorary fraternity recognizing acadamic achievement in colleges of business administration.
Senator Hillary Clinton: Triangulation and Institutionalization
Sheldon Drobny
When Hillary ran for the Senate in 2000 I attended a fundraiser for her at the home of a rich and prominent supporter in Chicago. When she asked for Q & A, I asked her a question that I thought she could honestly answer in this group of supporters. The question was: "Do your really believe in the death penalty as a deterrent?" The answer she gave me was the same that her husband gave when he was the governor of Arkansas in 1992.
You might remember that Bill Clinton was responsible for the execution of a mentally retarded murderer. However, the DLC wanted to show that Democrats were not soft on crime and Bill Clinton chose the politically expedient approach in 1992. Perhaps Hillary and Bill Clinton believe in the death penalty as a deterrent, but I suspect that many of their political positions are based upon their perception of what may be politically expedient.I strongly suspect that Hillary voted for the war in Iraq because of the same political expediency. She is smart enough to know that the war in Iraq was ill conceived. And as a Senator, there is an attitude of collegiality and civility that is sometimes contradictory to the best interests of the electorate. Many who are elected to the Senate lose their passion because of the so-called necessity to compromise with the opposition. But, how can you compromise with people who are stubborn and uninformed which represents the vast majority of Republicans in Congress? At some point, a politician needs to really fight the good fight. I suspect that Hillary has been so scarred by her experience as First Lady that she has decided to give up the good fight. Her last significant statement was her famous "right wing conspiracy" comment made in 1998. That statement was true. However, her husband's infidelity has left her with many scars that she is unwillingly to deal with. So she has become a Senator that works very hard at trying to make everyone happy. She has already served 6 years as a Senator. That legislative body in itself is enough to take the passion out of any normal person.
Remember John Kerry in the early 70's when he was so passionate about his anti-war position. Over 2 decades in the Senate took care of that. Perhaps that is why it is a rare occasion for a Senator to be elected President. Perhaps being a Senator for more than one term is a form of institutionalization. In the movie The Shaw Shank Redemption, one of my favorite quotes comes from a character called Red played by Morgan Freeman. "These walls are funny. First you hate 'em, then you get used to 'em. Enough time passes, you get so you depend on them. That's institutionalized." I believe that is the problem with being a Senator. That is why I think that Senator John Edwards was wise in not running for a second term as a Senator. Senator Barack Obama may have a decent chance to become the Democratic nominee for President because he has only served for 2 years and has for now appealed to many prospective voters based upon a perception of his honest principles and sincerity. Hillary may not be able to overcome the influence of pandering and compromise that has so impacted her political perspective over the last 14 years. It is a shame because she is a very capable person who has much potential.
READ MORE: Iraq, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton
Sheldon Drobny was the co-founder of Air America Radio. He is also the Chairman and Managing Director of Paradigm Group II, a venture capital firm specializing in socially responsible businesses. He has been the major force in developing Paradigm to the status it has achieved today. Mr. Drobny, a Certified Public Accountant and winner of the Elijah Watts Sells award for outstanding performance on the Uniform CPA Exam has practiced public accounting for over 30 years. Prior to entering public accounting, he had a number of years of taxation experience with the Internal Revenue Service. Mr. Drobny specializes in business and tax matters and is admitted to practice before the U.S. Tax Court as a non-attorney. Less than 200 non-attorneys have been admitted to practice before the U.S. Tax Court since its inception in 1942. Mr. Drobny received a Bachelor of Science Degree in accounting from Roosevelt University in Chicago and is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, an honorary fraternity recognizing acadamic achievement in colleges of business administration.
The Clinton '08 Effect in Red States
Published: Dec 12, 2006 08:09 PM
Modified: Dec 12, 2006 08:09 PM
Betting on next president
One on one
D.G. Martin
Why do North Carolina Democrats have so much at stake in the 2008 presidential nominating contest?
The easy answer is, of course, that one of their own could be the nominee. If their former senator, John Edwards, wins the nomination, it could give the party and its supporters a burst of energy that could translate into resources to strengthen its 2008 election efforts in other races.
Even more important, perhaps, are the consequences they fear from the possible nomination of Hillary Clinton, the current front-runner in the race for the nomination. Respected political observer John Davis, the head of NCFREE, recently told me that Clinton’s high negatives in North Carolina would make her candidacy a boon for the Republicans. He believes that Clinton’s presence at the head of the Democratic ticket would draw such a strong Republican turnout to vote against her that it would lead to a complete Republican takeover of the legislature and the governor’s mansion.
It would be like the 1972 election when George McGovern led the Democratic ticket and North Carolinians elected a Republican governor (Jim Holshouser) and senator (Jesse Helms) — thus ending the Democrats total domination of state government in the 20th Century.
So what are the chances for Edwards, for Clinton and for other possible candidates?
Earlier this year, not trusting the polls to give reliable guidance at an early stage of the campaign, I checked in with the betting odds as published on Intrade.com.
Back in February, the odds were stacked in favor of Clinton. To buy a contract that would pay $100 should Edwards win the nomination, the cost would be only $6. But a similar contract for Clinton would have cost $43. A big problem for Edwards, as far as the bettors were concerned, was Mark Warner, the former governor of Virginia, whose candidacy threatened Edwards’ position as the foremost southern candidate and the leading alternative to Clinton.
Things have changed. Warner has dropped out, and Barack Obama, who was not viewed as a serious possibility, has moved into the spotlight.
What do the people who are willing to put their money on the line say about the odds today?
According to the contracts at Intrade, Clinton is even stronger. A $100 contract to be paid if she were the nominee would cost $55; Obama’s would cost about $20; Edwards. $10; Gore, $8; and Evan Bayh, $3. Others, including Kerry, Biden and Richardson, would cost less than $2.
The moneymen still do not give Edwards much of a chance. Yet, some national political observers refuse to count Edwards out of the race.
One of them points out that Edwards’ qualities as a candidate and his specific strength in key states make him a viable alternative to Clinton.
For instance, Chris Cillizza, a commentator for Washingtonpost.com, rates Edwards as a leading Democratic candidate, second only to Clinton, and ahead of Obama: “Edwards is the best-known candidate in the field aside from Clinton and remains extremely popular in Iowa, the state that is currently scheduled to kick off the 2008 nomination fight. Edwards has skillfully courted the labor community over the past two years and retains a likeability and a charisma that moves ordinary voters.”
Certainly Edwards faces tough challenges in maintaining his position as the “leading alternative.” Nevertheless, Edwards has demonstrated through focused hard work that he has the rare kind of staying power that a smart gambling person should never bet against.
D.G. Martin is the host of “North Carolina Bookwatch,” which airs Sundays at 5 p.m. on UNC-TV.
Modified: Dec 12, 2006 08:09 PM
Betting on next president
One on one
D.G. Martin
Why do North Carolina Democrats have so much at stake in the 2008 presidential nominating contest?
The easy answer is, of course, that one of their own could be the nominee. If their former senator, John Edwards, wins the nomination, it could give the party and its supporters a burst of energy that could translate into resources to strengthen its 2008 election efforts in other races.
Even more important, perhaps, are the consequences they fear from the possible nomination of Hillary Clinton, the current front-runner in the race for the nomination. Respected political observer John Davis, the head of NCFREE, recently told me that Clinton’s high negatives in North Carolina would make her candidacy a boon for the Republicans. He believes that Clinton’s presence at the head of the Democratic ticket would draw such a strong Republican turnout to vote against her that it would lead to a complete Republican takeover of the legislature and the governor’s mansion.
It would be like the 1972 election when George McGovern led the Democratic ticket and North Carolinians elected a Republican governor (Jim Holshouser) and senator (Jesse Helms) — thus ending the Democrats total domination of state government in the 20th Century.
So what are the chances for Edwards, for Clinton and for other possible candidates?
Earlier this year, not trusting the polls to give reliable guidance at an early stage of the campaign, I checked in with the betting odds as published on Intrade.com.
Back in February, the odds were stacked in favor of Clinton. To buy a contract that would pay $100 should Edwards win the nomination, the cost would be only $6. But a similar contract for Clinton would have cost $43. A big problem for Edwards, as far as the bettors were concerned, was Mark Warner, the former governor of Virginia, whose candidacy threatened Edwards’ position as the foremost southern candidate and the leading alternative to Clinton.
Things have changed. Warner has dropped out, and Barack Obama, who was not viewed as a serious possibility, has moved into the spotlight.
What do the people who are willing to put their money on the line say about the odds today?
According to the contracts at Intrade, Clinton is even stronger. A $100 contract to be paid if she were the nominee would cost $55; Obama’s would cost about $20; Edwards. $10; Gore, $8; and Evan Bayh, $3. Others, including Kerry, Biden and Richardson, would cost less than $2.
The moneymen still do not give Edwards much of a chance. Yet, some national political observers refuse to count Edwards out of the race.
One of them points out that Edwards’ qualities as a candidate and his specific strength in key states make him a viable alternative to Clinton.
For instance, Chris Cillizza, a commentator for Washingtonpost.com, rates Edwards as a leading Democratic candidate, second only to Clinton, and ahead of Obama: “Edwards is the best-known candidate in the field aside from Clinton and remains extremely popular in Iowa, the state that is currently scheduled to kick off the 2008 nomination fight. Edwards has skillfully courted the labor community over the past two years and retains a likeability and a charisma that moves ordinary voters.”
Certainly Edwards faces tough challenges in maintaining his position as the “leading alternative.” Nevertheless, Edwards has demonstrated through focused hard work that he has the rare kind of staying power that a smart gambling person should never bet against.
D.G. Martin is the host of “North Carolina Bookwatch,” which airs Sundays at 5 p.m. on UNC-TV.
Will Hillzilla Crush Obambi? : MAUREEN DOWD
THE COMPLETE ARTICLE
The New York Times
Will Hillzilla Crush Obambi?
By MAUREEN DOWD
Published: December 13, 2006
Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Hussein Obama both straddle two worlds, trying to profit from both.
MANCHESTER, N.H.
So the question of the moment is: Which would be a greater handicap in a presidential bid, gender or race?
The answer will depend, of course, on how manly the woman, and how white the black.
Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Hussein Obama both straddle two worlds, trying to profit from both.
Despite her desire to seem far more experienced than her rival, Hillary’s role in high-level politics has been mostly that of a spouse — a first lady who felt that she got elected too. The Yale-trained lawyer had one pump in the “The West Wing” and one in “Desperate Housewives,” one foot in the world of hotshot alphas ruling the globe and one in the world of middle-age women humiliated by their husbands’ dallying with office cupcakes.
She won her Senate seat only after becoming sympathetic as a victim. And she still struggles with the balance between her Mars and Venus sides, sometimes showing her political steel and other times fetching coffee for male colleagues.
Senator Obama glides between the black and white political worlds. In New Hampshire on Sunday, speaking to nearly all-white audiences, the Harvard-educated lawyer looked utterly at home, dressing like a Wall Street banker on casual Friday and sounding as white as Lou Dobbs.
He quoted Martin Luther King Jr. and Louis Brandeis with equal aplomb and wryly noted that when he worked rebuilding a black community on Chicago’s South Side, people there couldn’t pronounce his name and called him “Yo Momma.”
--More--
The New York Times
Will Hillzilla Crush Obambi?
By MAUREEN DOWD
Published: December 13, 2006
Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Hussein Obama both straddle two worlds, trying to profit from both.
MANCHESTER, N.H.
So the question of the moment is: Which would be a greater handicap in a presidential bid, gender or race?
The answer will depend, of course, on how manly the woman, and how white the black.
Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Hussein Obama both straddle two worlds, trying to profit from both.
Despite her desire to seem far more experienced than her rival, Hillary’s role in high-level politics has been mostly that of a spouse — a first lady who felt that she got elected too. The Yale-trained lawyer had one pump in the “The West Wing” and one in “Desperate Housewives,” one foot in the world of hotshot alphas ruling the globe and one in the world of middle-age women humiliated by their husbands’ dallying with office cupcakes.
She won her Senate seat only after becoming sympathetic as a victim. And she still struggles with the balance between her Mars and Venus sides, sometimes showing her political steel and other times fetching coffee for male colleagues.
Senator Obama glides between the black and white political worlds. In New Hampshire on Sunday, speaking to nearly all-white audiences, the Harvard-educated lawyer looked utterly at home, dressing like a Wall Street banker on casual Friday and sounding as white as Lou Dobbs.
He quoted Martin Luther King Jr. and Louis Brandeis with equal aplomb and wryly noted that when he worked rebuilding a black community on Chicago’s South Side, people there couldn’t pronounce his name and called him “Yo Momma.”
--More--
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