On Saturday June 7th, Hillary did what she had to do. Today, I will do what I have to do. Hillary was my candidate during the back half of the primary (sic) season but she does not think for me. ‘Nuf said.
June 7, 2008
Action Memo: Remind Brazile It’s time to QUIT the DNC
Brazile: I’ll Quit DNC Position over Super Delegates
Here’s an important link:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18882087
It will show you exactly what Donna Brazile said back a few months ago. You can also listen. She said she would quit the DNC IF super delegates wound up choosing the nominee for the general election. Well, Miss Donna, it has happened. Super Delegates HAVE selected the nominee. He was not elected, he was selected. Now is the time for you to resign.
Let’s all write Donna and remind her of her pledge. After all, I’m down here in Louisiana too, and my mama said you’re only as a good as your word. I’m sure Donna’s mama taught her that too.
Donna Brazile or Brazile and Associates
or P.O. Box 15369, Washington, DC 20003.
When the phone rings at 3 a.m.
When the phone rings at 3 a.m., we better hope it is some one who knows which direction a phone should be held. The startling thing to me about this campaign is how insistent Obama supporters are about their candidate’s judgement and his qualities for president. The clear majority in this country see something else. They see a series of George Bush and Dan Quayle moments.
I’m not just referring to the “hello, Sunshine” when you’re in Sunrise, Florida moment. Nor the “Hello Sioux City” when you’re in Sioux Falls. Maybe I’ll even give him the “I’ve been in what 57-58 states now” comment. Some of these things can be written off to just plain fatigue. I cannot give him wiggle room on the major foreign policy gaffes that appear in speeches and debates.
ABC’s Jack Tapper referred to Senator Obama as the gift that keeps on giving back at the end of May, 2008. Obama heads the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee with responsibility for Nato Forces. This is a job he’s had for nearly two years and has obviously not done. He has not met the committe nor has he been to Iraq or Afghanistan recently. Jack Trapper mentions this gaffe about the language spoken in Afghanistan and the need for translators. It is also a viral video that can be found on youtube.com.
From Trapper:
“As ABC News’ David Wright and Sunlen Miller wrote, Obama seemed to either think Arabic is spoken in Afghanistan or he misunderstands the nature of military translators.”
This one is also from the Trapper article and shows a severe misunderstanding in our on backyard. This time with the relationship between Hugo Chavez and FARC.
“More recently, Obama as he traveled through Florida seemed to give some contradictory statements about Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez and the Colombian terrorist group FARC.
On Thursday Obama told the Orlando Sentinel that he would meet with Chavez and “one of the obvious high priorities in my talks with President Hugo Chavez would be the fermentation of anti-American sentiment in Latin America, his support of FARC in Colombia and other issues he would want to talk about.”
OK, so a strong declaration that Chavez is supporting FARC, which Obama intends to push him on.
But then on Friday he said any government supporting FARC should be isolated.
“We will shine a light on any support for the FARC that comes from neighboring governments,” he said in a speech in Miami. “This behavior must be exposed to international condemnation, regional isolation, and – if need be – strong sanctions. It must not stand.”
So he will meet with the leader of a country he simultaneously says should be isolated? Huh?
On Friday in an interview with the Miami Herald, Obama also used language suggesting that he’s not as positive that Venezuela is supporting FARC.
“When I asked him what he would do about the estimated 37,000 Interpol-certified Colombian FARC guerrilla computer files that indicate an active support from Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa to the Colombian rebels, Obama went farther than the Bush administration,” wrote the Herald’s Andres Oppenheimer.
Said Obama: “I think the Organization of American States and the international community should launch an immediate investigation into this situation. We have to hold Venezuela accountable if, in fact, it is trying to ferment terrorist activities in other borders. If Venezuela has violated those rules, we should mobilize all the countries to sanction Venezuela and let them know that that’s not acceptable behavior.”
“If” Venezuela “is trying to ferment terrorist activities in other borders”? Just one day before Obama had asserted that Chavez was supporting FARC in Colombia.
I’ve asked the Obama campaign for a clarification and will get back to you as to what they say.”
source: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/05/what-the-farc-w.html
I also understand that Senator Obama thinks Spanish is spoken in Portuguese-speaking Brazil.
This is a man that has not done his homework and it shows to all of us who did do our homework when we went through High School and University.
These are mistakes. There are also policy flip-flops. They are most noticeably occurring in the areas of concern to democratic voting blocs not supporting Obama. Most of you will remember Senator Obama’s disturbing lack of depth and detail during the early debates. The one stand out comment which attracted criticism from Dodd, Biden, Clinton, and Edwards was the “negotiate without precondition” with our enemies doctrine.
During Memorial day weekend, Senator Obama made his famous speech in which he once again showed lack of knowledge concerning world history and geography. This was the one with the nonexistent Uncle who freed a Nazi death camp. Of course, we know the myriad of problems with this one. However, in all of his speeches focusing on pandering to the American Jew, he is now backpedalling on the no precondition doctrine. This is the same tactic he took the very same week end when pandering to Cuban Americans who were obviously concerned with the Castro Regime. Obama has sent his advisors out to backpeddle away on this one. However, the speeches and the debate tapes remain and the RNC now has a myriad of Internet ads highlighting this big mistake.
What I do not get in all of this, is why Obama supporters will not recognize the obvious failings of their candidate. It is easier for them to call folks that question his readiness for the job with callouts of racism, bitterness, stupidity, and you’re not a real “democrat, progressive, American”. This is the kind of behavior I used to expect from Republicans. Given that I live in the ninth ward of New Orleans and I am a University Professor at a college with a huge number of black students, I find it really difficult to think I fall into their ’scared of the big black’ man insult which I’ve had hurled at me. If I did not vote for black democrats, down here in the 9th ward, 9th precinct, I’d never get to vote. Nearly ALL my elected officials are BLACK. Second, I have never visited Appalachia, I have a PHD in Financial Economics and back in the 70s I fought for all of the civil rights movement. So much in fact, when I ran for office the most frequent label I got was the women marching with lesbians in the street. So, what is the deal when I think as an American, I don’t want to see another president in need of training wheels and unvetted advisors in the white house.
Again, Obama supporters and super delegates, take a look at the candidate. Do not blame the messengers.
Our pledge to Hillary
What we can do as Hillary Supporters
I’m sure that many of you are not ready to discuss the presidential race or are still torn between being a long time democrat sold out by a short-sighted DNC. Let’s look at some of the things we can do.
First, we can hold some hope out that something will happen between now and the convention in Denver. Remember, there are not enough pledged delegates for an outright winner. This means that the super delegates are ultimately making the decision. They can change their minds at anytime. We’ve all read the Rezko news as well as the interesting announcement that Jeremiah Wright has come off the back of the milk cartoon to return to the pulpit. Obama has some really bad karma out there. We never know how fast that is going to ripen. While the Bishop of Chicago has silenced the other lamb, there appear to be more of these things out there percolating to the top of the cess pool. Let’s just hope the nasty stinky stuff ripens before Denver.
Second, there are still folks down ticket that we can support. LOOK for them and sign up for their campaign. Also make sure that any Hillary supporter in your state is not punished or on the hate hit list of the Obamatrons. Many of Hillary’s black supporters are getting nasty emails and phone calls. We can flood them with love and support. We can flood them with dollars and volunteer time. Make sure that you stand behind the folks that stood behind Hillary; even if they forced into singing party unity now.
Third, support the issues Hillary supports. Donate to her charities and interests in her name. Send her a post card and thank her! Show her that you really appreciate all the hits she took for us.
Fourth, NEVER, EVER let your daughters, nieces, granddaughters, and any young men that you may be able to influence forget the role of sexism in this campaign. We need to turn this into a learning moment. I fought extremely hard for the Equal Rights Amendment. It failed. I tried to stop laws that stripped Roe v. Wade of its power. Many of these things failed. We now have the moment to rise. I’m inspired by the words of Maya Angelou who tells us to rise. We must let the folks we can inspire know that women should not be taken for granted and must be treated with respect. We must tell our tales so that those that come after us can carry forward the fight.
We must not let any forget Hillary’s example for us. We must fight for her legacy and for the future of all young women who aspire to be more. We must enable them to be more; just as our grandmother’s enabled us to vote and to have access to birth control. We must never let Hillary’s dream die.
ACTION MEMO: Thank Hillary
As you may have heard Hillary is suspending, not conceding, her campaign. This means she is not releasing her delegates. She is not releasing her support list. This is STRAIGHT from Hillary’s HQ. She is endorsing Obama but that is not a blank check.
There is a movement afoot. A ”Thank you card campaign” has been started to flood Senator Clinton’s DC office with thank you cards.
On the front of the envelope, please write “I AM ONE OF 18 MILLION” or if your family is on board you can do it as “WE”. Ask Hillary to take every one to Denver. Let’s reach as many supporters as possible and make this HAPPEN!
THE ADDRESS:
THE HONORABLE HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
UNITED STATES SENATE
476 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC
20510-3202
