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Politics : Stockman Scott's Political Debate Porch -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: sylvester80 who wrote (76306)	1/25/2008 8:18:16 AM
From: stockman_scott	Respond to of 89467

Basu: Dear Hillary and Bill Clinton desmoinesregister.com By Rekha Basu Columnist The Des Moines Register January 25, 2008 Please take a moment to consider how your recent conduct is coming across. Before you brush this off as a resentful pitch from an Obama supporter, know that I've stood up for both of you through the cookie-baking remark and its backlash, the impeachment effort, the "vast right-wing conspiracy" theory and Hillary's Senate runs. And though Iowa's caucuses are over, there's a good chance Hillary will be the Democratic nominee, and we will again be faced with a choice. More than a couple of my readers are saying they'd rather stay home on election night than vote for you. I don't want to feel that way, but some things need to change. We all know running for president isn't for the fainthearted. Your pal Jim Carville said that on TV Thursday, calling those who cry foul "whiners." But asking for honesty and fair play isn't whining. You've said, and amply demonstrated, that you can stand up to the Republican attack machine - maybe even out-attack it. What you're missing is that years of Karl Rove have left most Americans sick of that kind of politics. Pointing out differences in philosophy, inconsistencies and compromises is a necessary part of distinguishing one's self; so fine, go after Obama's "Present" votes as an Illinois senator, or his acceptance (since reversed) of a questionable contribution. But skewing his words and using his candid self-reflections to skewer him aren't fair play. You knew how the radio ad you pulled last night distorted what he told the Reno Gazette-Journal about Republicans. He said they’d been the party of ideas for challenging conventional wisdom, but their approach had played itself out, and their economic policies now are just about tax cuts. Your statements implied he liked their approach. Then came the counter-attack (also pulled) — a harsh Obama ad saying Hillary “paid tribute” to Ronald Reagan’s policies, championed NAFTA and voted for Bush’s war in Iraq. It ended: “Hillary Clinton. She’ll say anything, and change nothing.” Is this the kind of campaign you wanted? There's always fodder, but only the other party ultimately benefits from such savagery. You've spun Obama's opposition to the Iraq war into a "fairy tale," and made even his kindergarten aspirations sound sinister. Your supporter Robert Johnson coyly alluded to Obama's youthful drug use, for which the founder of Black Entertainment Television later had to apologize. Your New Hampshire co-chairman, Billy Shaheen, had to apologize and quit for saying Republicans could claim Obama had been a drug dealer in his youth. Your supporter Bob Kerrey said that Obama's father and grandfather were Muslim (his father was an atheist) and (also incorrectly) that Obama attended a madrassa. More apologies followed. What won't your surrogates say? There were those two Iowa campaign workers who lost their jobs after circulating an e-mail saying Obama is Muslim (not true) and a potential terrorist. But what may have bothered me most was when you took Obama's honest answer to a question about weaknesses (lack of organization with paperwork) and spun it to say he couldn't lead. Remember, I asked the same question of you, Hillary, and credited both you and Barack in my Dec. 12 blog for being self-reflective. Once a smear is out, the damage is done. John Kerry, who well knows about that, calls what's being done to Obama (his candidate) "Swiftboating," and has demanded an end "to push-polling, front groups and e-mail chain smears." Maybe you're OK with how some of us feel. Maybe it's part of your calculus that you can safely sacrifice some of our votes in November. But when you're tempted to play the race card again, please remember some of us are really moved to see a black person as a viable presidential candidate, just as we are to see a woman be. And some of us have seen enough spins, smears and sacrifices of the truth to know that a win based just on strategy is no victory without a moral win to accompany it. Thanks for listening. Sincerely, Rekha Basu

To: sylvester80 who wrote (76306)	1/25/2008 8:19:07 AM
From: stockman_scott	Respond to of 89467

Djokovic Beats Federer to Reach Australian Open Final (Update2) By Dan Baynes Jan. 25 (Bloomberg) -- Novak Djokovic beat Roger Federer in straight sets in their Australian Open semifinal to end the defending champion's record run of 10 straight appearances in Grand Slam tennis finals. No. 3 seed Djokovic, who lost last year's U.S. Open final to Federer, completed a 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) victory at Melbourne Park and will face unseeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in two days. ``It's amazing,'' Djokovic said in a courtside interview. ``It's an indescribable feeling to beat the No. 1 player and one of the best this court has seen in straight sets.'' The 20-year-old Djokovic handed Federer a first defeat in 35 semifinals to join Ana Ivanovic in seeking to become the first Grand Slam champion from Serbia. Ivanovic faces Maria Sharapova in tomorrow's women's final. Djokovic dominated Federer from the baseline to maintain his record of not dropping a set at Melbourne Park this year. It was Federer's first straight-set loss in 102 Grand Slam matches, the last coming at the 2004 French Open. ``There's no doubt I've played better in my life, that's for sure,'' Federer told reporters. ``He didn't give me much. It can't always go your way.'' Federer, 26, has 12 Grand Slam titles, two shy of Pete Sampras's men's record, and was bidding this year to join Jack Crawford and Roy Emerson as the only men to win three straight Australian Opens. No other men's player has appeared in more than seven straight major finals. Chest Pumping Federer saved early break points in the match and broke for a 4-3 lead after a rally in which both players clipped the top of the net. The next two games went with serve before Federer put three forehands into the net to hand his opponent a break. Djokovic, playing in his fourth consecutive major semifinal, won the next two games to take the first set as Federer committed his 13th and 14th unforced errors under pressure from his opponent's ground strokes. Federer said his failure to close out the set probably cost him the match. A running backhand pass from Djokovic that clipped the line secured him a 3-1 advantage in the second set and the Serb pumped his chest with his fist five times in celebration. He broke again for a 5-1 lead before Federer won the next two games to make him serve out the set. Tsonga Trailing 0-40, Djokovic won five straight points to tie the third set at 1-1 and then squandered four chances to break for a 2-1 lead. Federer conjured two set points in the 11th game only for Djokovic to force the tiebreaker with an 88-mile-per-hour forehand winner, an ace and one of his 19 winning volleys. Federer, who won just two of his nine break points, surrendered a 3-1 lead in the tiebreaker with two loose forehands. Djokovic served his way to match point, which he secured at the first attempt when Federer made his 32nd unforced error by slamming a forehand into the net. France's Tsonga upset No. 2 seed Rafael Nadal 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 in yesterday's semifinal. It will be his first Grand Slam final and the only one without Federer since the 2005 French Open. ``It's great to see some new players,'' Djokovic said. ``Tsonga's been playing some amazing tennis.'' To contact the reporter on this story: Dan Baynes at Melbourne Park at dbaynes@bloomberg.net Last Updated: January 25, 2008 07:24 EST

To: sylvester80 who wrote (76306)	1/25/2008 7:40:55 PM
From: stockman_scott	Respond to of 89467

Bill Clinton's Bimbo Offensive ajliebling.blogspot.com

To: sylvester80 who wrote (76306)	1/26/2008 11:30:41 PM
From: stockman_scott	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 89467

Analysis: Bill Clinton's Lost Legacy cbsnews.com

To: sylvester80 who wrote (76306)	1/27/2008 4:07:50 AM
From: stockman_scott	Respond to of 89467

Obama racks up key endorsements big time...Wow, just after the San Francisco Chronicle and San Jose Mercury News' endorsement announcements, we learn that Obama has scored -- let's see -- the Chicago Tribune, St. Louis Post Dispatch, and Philadelphia Enquirer, and all on the same day that Obama won South Carolina! Talk about momentum!