Redstate

Posted at 5:33pm on May 6, 2008 Indiana Primary Results Semi-Open Thread.

McCain should win the GOP nomination, by the way.

By Moe Lane

[UPDATE: At 78% it's Clinton/Obama 52/48; clearly CNN is waiting for a couple counties before risking calling the race (CBS already has, for Clinton). There's going to be a lot of excited Obama supporters about this, the poor fellows.]

[UPDATE: With 20% of the vote in, it's 57/43 Clinton. This number will go down, too: urban votes will almost certainly eat into that. Given the exit polls, I'm thinking a high single, possibly double digit victory for Clinton.]

[UPDATE: The first results are in, and with a whopping 3,700 votes counted Clinton is meaninglessly ahead 66% - 34%. That will undoubtedly shrink. - Moe]

As always, results here. Polls close at 6:00, but it's going to apparently be a while before we get actual results - so here's a bit for your amusement until then:

Clinton needs to win, but any win will suit her needs.

Posted in 2008 | 2008 Democratic Primary | Indiana — Comments (21)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 10:41am on May 6, 2008 Change we can believe in

By Kevin Holtsberry

Obama is wrong about so many things I don't have the time to begin to list them. But I will say this, he does seem to know James Carville:

"Well, you know, James Carville is well-known for spouting off his mouth without always knowing what he's talking about," Obama told "Nightline." "And I intend to stay focused on fighting for the American people because what they don't need is 20 more years of performance art on television. And that's what James Carville and a lot of those folks are expert at ... a lot of talk and not getting things done for the American people."

Can we all agree that less James Carville on TV would be a good thing for America?

Posted at 11:30am on Apr. 30, 2008 A conversation with Jim Geraghty

By Kevin Holtsberry

I spoke with blogger extraordinaire and author Jim Geraghty today about the 2008 election - how we got to this point and where we are headed - over at the Stop Her Now Blog.

If you are enjoying the Best. Primary. Ever. and want Jim's take on it click on over and listen.

Posted at 3:01pm on Apr. 28, 2008 Hillary: outsourcing like the Holocaust

By Kevin Holtsberry

Posted first at the Stop Her Now blog.

Did she really say that? Well, not exactly. But her choice of imagery showed a remarkable tin ear given the historical connections:

At the union hall in Gary, she grew so animated in describing the plight of old-line industrial workers that she described them in language from the oft-repeated poem, attributed to the German pastor Martin Niemöller, about the victims of Nazism. “First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out, because I was not a Socialist,” goes the version inscribed on a wall at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington. After coming for the trade unionists, it continues, “they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out, because I was not a Jew.”

Posted in 2008 | 2008 Democratic Primary | Hillary Clinton — Comments (0) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 1:31pm on Apr. 21, 2008 God and Hillary Clinton

By Kevin Holtsberry

Faith and religion has become a hot topic in the Democratic primary of late, but the focus has been on Obama's controversial pastor and his comments about bitter voters. Today I spoke with Paul Kengor, author of God and Hillary Clinton, about Hillary's faith and its impact on her politics.

We spoke about Hillary's lifelong Methodism, her abortion extremism, the way the media ignores how Democrats politicize religion, and more. So click over and listen if that interests you.

Posted at 10:44am on Apr. 18, 2008 The Hillary Lie the Media Missed

By Richard H Collins

Wednesday’s Democratic debate forced Hillary Clinton into yet another lie. No, this wasn’t one of her serial exaggerations about her time in the White House. Nor was it a deceptive answer about the scandals that seemed to occupy so much of her time there. In fact, I doubt anyone in the media will challenge the veracity of this particular statement.

When George Stephanopoulos pressed Hillary on whether she thought Barack Obama could win in November she responded “Yes. Yes. Yes.” Now it may be that Hillary felt she had to give that answer or face even more backlash from Democrats who feel her continued attacks on Obama are a huge gift to the presumptive GOP nominee John McCain. It may be that she is being a good partisan by refusing to say that Obama can’t win out loud in such a prominent forum.

But does anyone really think Hillary believes this? Her answer undercut her arguments that night and, in fact, the very rationale for her continuing campaign.

Posted in 2008 | 2008 Democratic Primary | 2008 Presidential Campaign | Barack Obama | Hillary Clinton — Comments (1) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 10:54pm on Apr. 16, 2008 Democratic Debate: Who won?

Was John McCain the biggest winner tonight?

By Kevin Holtsberry

I had to watch the Democratic debate in Philly tonight for work. Did you watch or did you find something better to occupy your time?

For those who watched, who do you think won? Did Hillary actually help her campaign? Will all these gaffes and scandals start to hurt Obama? Was John McCain the winner as the Ds went after each other?

I guess this is a modified open thread.

Posted in 2008 | 2008 Democratic Primary | 2008 Presidential Campaign | Presidential Debate — Comments (39)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 6:06pm on Apr. 16, 2008 Live blogging the Democratic debate in Philly

By Kevin Holtsberry

It has been a while since we had one of these, but I will once again be live blogging the Democratic Debate tonight in Philadelphia.

I can see how these things would drive one to drink, but unlike Stephen Green I won't be drunk blogging . . .

This one might be interesting: How will Obama respond to Rezko, Rev. Wright, Bitter-gate, etc.? Can Hillary take advantage of these miscues/scandals without coming off as nasty or desperate? How will the moderators frame the state of the race? Stop by tonight starting at 8 PM.

Posted at 11:17am on Apr. 11, 2008 Super Rich Clintons continue to bleed taxpayers

It's not about giving so much as taking.

By Kevin Holtsberry

Not content to have parlayed their public service into great wealth, the Clintons continue to cost the taxpayers money. It seems that, despite having written a book on it, former President Clinton feels more comfortable getting paid for charity than giving it:

The Clintons have made a $100-million fortune since leaving the White House, but a Politico analysis found that hasn’t kept Bill Clinton from taking full advantage of the publicly funded perks offered to ex-presidents.

In fact, his presidential retirement benefits cost taxpayers almost as much as those of the other two living ex-presidents combined.

The price tag for Clinton’s federal retirement allowance from 2001 through the end of this year will run $8 million, compared to $5.5 million for George H. W. Bush’s and $4 million for Jimmy Carter’s during the same period.

Since 2001, Clinton has received more of almost every benefit available to former presidents — from his pension to his staff’s salaries and benefits to supplies. His $420,000 phone bill and $3.2 million office rent tab both nearly surpassed the totals rung up for those purposes by Bush, Carter and the late former presidents Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan combined. As a group, they spent $484,000 on telephone service and $3.8 million on rent in the same span.

For why this is emblematic of the Clintons see below.

Posted in 2008 | 2008 Democratic Primary | 2008 Presidential Campaign | Bill Clinton | Hillary Clinton — Comments (17)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 5:10pm on Apr. 2, 2008 Hillary tries 3 AM ad again

By Kevin Holtsberry

Cross posted at Stop Her Now Blog

UPDATE: I see Brandozilla posted this ad earlier and had some similar questions.

This time its economics:

Posted in 2008 | 2008 Democratic Primary | 2008 Presidential Campaign | Hillary Clinton | John McCain — Comments (1) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 9:59am on Mar. 28, 2008 Hillary's Inconvenient Truth

The problem with Hillary's experience claims

By Richard H Collins

The combination of the release of Hillary Clinton’s White House schedules and the mini-scandal over her Bosnia sniper story has reignited the debate surrounding her presidential experience.

What the media seems to be missing is that the schedules and other historical records do not shed much light on the question.

What many on the right seem to ignore is that Hillary was not your typical First Lady. She did play a unique role in her husband's administration.

But her larger claims of experience are problematic in important ways beyond just exaggeration or lack of clear evidence.

To understand why, read on.

Posted in 2008 | 2008 Democratic Primary | 2008 Presidential Campaign | Barack Obama | Hillary Clinton — Comments (6)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 3:30pm on Mar. 24, 2008 Obama the Show Horse

Senators Come in Two Types: The Workhorse and the Obama

By Mark I

The Washington Post has an interesting article today that takes a look at the Senate records of accomplishment of the Democratic candidates for president. While both candidates are given rough treatment by the Post, Sen. Barack Obama, the Senator from H.O.P.E.™, appears to have made a particular reputation for himself in his three plus years in the Senate: Obama is a credit monger.

After weeks of arduous negotiations, on April 6, 2006, a bipartisan group of senators burst out of the "President's Room," just off the Senate chamber, with a deal on new immigration policy.

As the half-dozen senators -- including John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) -- headed to announce their plan, they met Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), who made a request common when Capitol Hill news conferences are in the offing: "Hey, guys, can I come along?" And when Obama went before the microphones, he was generous with his list of senators to congratulate -- a list that included himself.

"I want to cite Lindsey Graham, Sam Brownback, Mel Martinez, Ken Salazar, myself, Dick Durbin, Joe Lieberman . . . who've actually had to wake up early to try to hammer this stuff out," he said.

To Senate staff members, who had been arriving for 7 a.m. negotiating sessions for weeks, it was a galling moment. Those morning sessions had attracted just three to four senators a side, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) recalled, each deeply involved in the issue. Obama was not one of them.

The article goes on to describe two other instances of Sen. Obama swooping in after all the work has been done to sign onto an idea or a piece of legislation, or otherwise coming late to the party.

Read on…

Posted in 2008 | 2008 Democratic Primary | Barack Obama | Credit Where it's Due | Liberals | Obamafiles | senate — Comments (16)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 11:54am on Mar. 21, 2008 Dem Division Continues

By Kevin Holtsberry

The "Pass the Popcorn" mood continues for GOPers watching the Democratic Primary:

In a sign of just how divisive and ugly the Democratic fight has gotten, only 53% of Clinton voters say they'll vote for Obama should he become the nominee. Nineteen percent say they'll go for Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and 13% say they won't vote.

Sixty percent of Obama voters say they'll go for Clinton should she win the nomination, with 20% opting for McCain, and three percent saying they won't vote.

Good times, good times . . .

Posted at 11:32am on Mar. 21, 2008 Obama Attacks Hillary on Honesty

I guess character may be an issue after all

By Kevin Holtsberry

I posed the question yesterday if Hillary's penchant for exaggeration and her scandal plagued past was going to be an issue in the campaign. Obama has answered my question with a loud yes.

It is true that he isn't going after the old scandals, but he is taking the issue of character head on. Mark Helprin has reproduced a scathing memo from the Obama campaign hitting Hillary hard on the issue of honesty.

Details below the fold.

Posted in 2008 | 2008 Democratic Primary | 2008 Presidential Campaign | Barack Obama | Hillary Clinton — Comments (7)/ Email this page » / Read More »