Please, Hillary, when you become President, clear all these stupid dicks out of the place

...if they don't take you down first, of course.

Primary Wrap Up

Chris Potter on the wins by young, progressives Erin Molchany and Ed Gainey and Matt Merriman-Preston's role in the election. Also, how this bodes well for a bid for mayor by Bill Peduto.

Sue Kerr on Brian Sims being on course to becoming PA's first openly gay state representative.

Howard Fineman on the 'Clinton Party' wins in PA.

And, kudos to the Post-Gazette for their unendorsement.

Rick Santorum Is A Hypocrite

In case you missed it, here's Lil Ricky a few days ago when asked about former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. From the Wonkroom:

Unabashed social conservative former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) is quick to condemn homosexuality or abortion, but asked by ThinkProgress at Monday’s Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition presidential forum if Newt Gingrich had credibility to lead on “social” issues given his extramarital affairs and multiple marriages, Santorum refused to pass judgment on the former Speaker. “You have to talk to the Speaker about his issues,” he said, in an effort to dismiss the question

Then there's this gentle dodge from the National Review Online:

Former House speaker Newt Gingrich is seeking “forgiveness” from voters as he mulls a 2012 presidential bid. By talking openly about his past indiscretions, and making “no bones,” as he told Fox News this week, “that there were times I did the wrong thing,” Gingrich appears to be courting skeptical social conservatives.

Will Gingrich’s redemptive tack fly in Iowa? Former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum, another potential contender making frequent sojourns to the Hawkeye State, has a unique take. He tells National Review Online that it is fair to question someone’s behavior but emphasizes that past mistakes should not preclude a candidate from being able to make a case for the presidency. In other words, you will not find Santorum wagging his finger on the trail.

For the record, Newt Gingrich is on this third wife and he's been divorced twice. He married his first wife in 1962. (He was 19 and she was 26.) He left her following an affair with the woman who, after his first divorce, became his second wife. This was 1981. In the mid-90s (during the Clinton scandals) he was having an affair with the woman who, after his second divorce, became his third wife.

And now here's Rick talking about divorce with Michelangelo Signorile:

Well, I would say that first and foremost the thing that his broken down the family is divorce, has had the biggest impact on family disintegration in America and is a huge problem. And I think you’re right in suggesting that folks who are marriage advocates don’t go out and say look, we need… John McCain, to his credit, said that his greatest failure in his life was his divorce… [divorce] hurts families, it hurts children, it hurts moms, it huts dads. It’s a destructive and coercive element in our society with respect to families.

It must've hurt Newt's former wives, then.

And again from the wonkroom:

Santorum is far less generous to those with whom he disagrees, including President Bill Clinton. Asked whether he thought Clinton was morally fit to stay in office following his affair with Monica Lewinsky, Santorum — who voted to convict Clinton — told the Dallas Morning News in February of 1998, “I would say no, he’s not.”

“I think it’s a sign of decadence and decay. Which is a threat to the fabric of this country,” Santorum was quoted as saying in the Washington Post in January 1998.

So when a Democrat is unfaithful, he is not morally fit to hold office and the infidelity is a sign of decadence which threatens the fabric of society, but when a Republican is unfaithful he gets a qualified pass ("Does he think he did wrong? He did? Ok, then he can go.")

Rick Santorum, moral relativist. Hypocrite.

Flashback Friday!

I guess I picked a bad week to start sniffing glue because I could have sworn I saw President Clinton giving a White House press conference today on my teevee.
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Dan Onorato Rally with Bill Clinton Today

From a September 13 rally in Philadelphia
What: Onorato for Governor Rally with President Bill Clinton

Where: Wunderley Gymnasium
Penn State Greater Allegheny
4000 University Drive
McKeesport, PA 15131 (map)

When: Monday, November 1st
Doors open: 12:30 p.m.

RSVP: http://pa.barackobama.com/ClintonOnorato

Latest Onorato ad:


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File Under: How do they find us?

Not one but two press releases this AM by "Local Philly Band Swift Technique" letting us know that:

1) They challenged President Bill Clinton to play sax with them at a Joe Sestak campaign rally in Philly today.

2) He will play with them (7:00 PM outside at Temple University's Bell Tower).

Bill Clinton doing double duty in PA this morning

As mentioned here, President Bill Clinton will be at an 11:00 AM Philadelphia rally for gubernatorial candidate Dan Onorato this morning, but first he'll join senatorial candidate Joe Sestak at Kaiserman Jewish Community Center in Wynnewood, PA at 10:15 AM.
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Bill Clinton to Rally for Dan Onorato

If you're already getting Dan Onorato's campaign emails (and you can make it to Philly on Monday), check your inbox. You can RSVP early to a rally with President Bill Clinton.

Rally with President Clinton for Dan Onorato
West Philadelphia
52nd and Chesnut Streets
Philadelphia, PA
Monday, September 13, 2010
11:30 am 11:00 AM (Updated)
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Statement from Joe Sestak on the White House Counsel's Report

Via email from the Sestak campaign:

Statement from Joe Sestak on White House Counsel's Report
MEDIA, PA - U.S. Senate candidate Congressman Joe Sestak released the following statement today:

"Last summer, I received a phone call from President Clinton. During the course of the conversation, he expressed concern over my prospects if I were to enter the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate and the value of having me stay in the House of Representatives because of my military background. He said that White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel had spoken with him about my being on a Presidential Board while remaining in the House of Representatives. I said no. I told President Clinton that my only consideration in getting into the Senate race or not was whether it was the right thing to do for Pennsylvania working families and not any offer. The former President said he knew I'd say that, and the conversation moved on to other subjects.

"There are many important challenges facing Pennsylvania and the rest of the country. I intend to remain focused on those issues and continue my fight on behalf of working families."

Looks like Sestak and the White House are on the same page on this (at long last).

Burns' Lie Fest

I keep seeing this ad on my teevee and it (excuse the pun) burns me up every time.

How many lies can you spot?


Moreover, the entire theme of the ad is one huge lie as PA2010 pointed out the impossibility of repealing HCR last week.

Also, meant to mention that President Clinton will be stumping for Critz in Johnstown on Sunday. Details here.

When is a quote not a quote?

Apparently when it's the journamalism practised in the book Game Change.

Like me, you may have been hearing the "quote" by Bill Clinton to Ted Kennedy regarding Barack Obama that, “A few years ago, this guy would have been getting us coffee.”

Problem is that it's not an actual quote.

How do I know this? Is it just something that Bill Clinton is claiming?

No.

It's the authors of Game Change themselves who say it's not an actual quote.

From The Plum Line:

The claim about Clinton’s explosive remarks came on page 218 of Game Change:

The day after Iowa, he phoned Kennedy and pressed for an endorsement, making the case for his wife. But Bill then went on, belittling Obama in a manner that deeply offended Kennedy. Recounting the conversation later to a friend, Teddy fumed that Clinton had said, A few years ago, this guy would have been getting us coffee.

The remark is not in quotes. And the authors’ note from Mark Halperin and John Heilemann states explicitly their rationale for choosing not to put dialog in quotes:

Where dialog is not in quotes, it is paraphrased, reflecting only a lack of certainly on the part of our sources about precise wording, not about the nature of the statements.

This is kind of amazing. By the authors’ own stated guidelines, this might not have been the “precise wording” Clinton used. Yet it has been the basis for a huge amount of media discussion all the same, with some suggesting racism on Clinton’s part.

To be clear, it’s very possible that Clinton did say something along these lines. It seems very likely that he did belittle Obama. But come on: In cases like these, when people are hinting at racism, the precise wording is everything. And in this case, the whole claim is based on an anonymous source’s recollection that someone who has now passed away told him or her that Clinton said something like this.

Amazing indeed!

A hat tip to A Spork in the Drawer for the link to The Plum Line -- but please do read his entire post on the joke journamalism of the MSM here.
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Netroots Nation 09 - Photos from Day One

Georgia Berner from http://www.whatifpost.com/ at the Women's Caucus
 
Fadia Halma, Politcal Director, Pennsylvania Democratic Party at the Women's Caucus (in purple)
 
The Other Political Junkie and Post-Gazette's Tony Norman and my camera functioning poorly
 
The Post-Gazette's Mackenzie Carpenter
 
The Post-Gazette's Tim McNulty


As always: What Digby Said (http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/)


Braddock Mayor John Fetterman and Celeste Taylor from http://pennsylvaniaequity.org/


PA Rep. Chelsa Wagner talking about redistricting
 
Pam Spaulding from http://www.pamshouseblend.com/ takes one for the blog
 
The crowd waits for The Big Dog
 
Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato running for governor talking about our region
 
Surprisingly this was taken before the heckler. Someone shouted out about Don't Ask Don't Tell. By the time that Clinton finished answering Lane Hudson, Hudson gave Clinton a Standing O.
 
This way to the party at The Warhol


Franco "Dok" Harris outside The Warhol
http://www.harrisforpittsburgh.com .

Bill Clinton at Netroots Nation + Other NN News

President Bill Clinton will be giving the keynote speech at Netroots Nation 2009 this Thursday. Those not living under a rock know that NN 2009 (formerly known as YearlyKos) is being held in Pittsburgh this week (August 13-16 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center) and that it's a national convention for progressive bloggers.

Other pols and local luminaries participating in various panels include:

Gov. Howard Dean
Sen. Arlen Specter
Gov. Don Siegelman
Rep. Joe Sestak
Rep. Jerrold Nadler
PA Rep. Chelsa Wagner
Mayor John Fetterman
City Councilman Bill Peduto
Witold "Vic" Walczak
Dr. Cyril Wecht
Rev. Janet Edwards
Khari Mosely
Celeste Taylor
Paradise Gray
Kimberly "Dr. Goddess" Ellis

Full Speaker list here and agenda here.

I am looking forward to hearing from some of the rock stars of my world including: Digby, Pam Spaulding, Marcy Wheeler, Jane Hamsher, Christy Hardin Smith, Amanda Marcotte, Amanda Terkel, Robert Greenwald, Matthew Yglesias and Gen. JC Christian. I also plan to attend the Official "Unofficial Opening Night After-party" and the mixer sponsored by Keystone Progress.

Or, I could decide to bag it all and attend the competing conservative blogger conference in Pittsburgh this week (RightOnline) and see Joe the Plumber -- talk about your star power!

If you'd like to help with NN 2009, you probably can still volunteer by contacting Eric Thut ([email protected]), but you'd better be quick about it.

Also, check out the forum in pghRoots where there are folks looking for room shares, rides, etc.
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Presidential Thought Bubble

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Around the Burgosphere

PittGirl says goodbye to blogging making it safe once more to look for love (and other stuff)on craigslist.

Sue has been selected to participate in the LGBT Blogger and Citizens Journalist Initiative in DC (CONGRATS!).

Bram gives much thought to Pittsburgh's Ethics Board.

Progress Pittsburgh reminds us that the p2 pac is hosting a Happy Hour TONIGHT at Max’s Allegheny Tavern, 537 Suismon Street, Pittsburgh

and

They inform us that for a mere $500 you can attend a fundraiser with Bill Clinton for Lil Mayor Luke Ravenstahl (I guess all those snubs of Obama were worth it for Lukey).

Gab tells us how those bloggers still left in the Burgh can get into a free showing of the Players Production Company's Pittsburgh premiere of David Lindsey-Abaire’s Wonder of the World.

Finally:

Normally I'd think that it would take some chutzpah for a Spork to make fun of a cookie cutter, but not in this case.

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Jack Kelly Sunday

You know I used to play a little game when I read Jack Kelly's columns. As I read, I'd count how long it took him to blame it all (or at least part of it) on the Clinton Administration.

Like this column where he pointed the finger at the Clinton Administration regarding 9/11:

We were reminded of the weakness of the law enforcement approach by the release last week of the executive summary of the report of the CIA's inspector general on the CIA's performance before 9/11. The CIA was hamstrung in its efforts to fight al-Qaida by severe budget cuts imposed by the Clinton administration, but then CIA Director George Tenet did a poor job of managing the funds he had, and never developed an overall strategy to fight terror, the IG report said.

Or this column where he pointed the finger at the Clinton Administration regarding 9/11:

The [9/11] commission concluded, you'll recall, that the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon couldn't have been prevented, and that if there was negligence, it was as much the fault of the Bush administration (for moving slowly on the recommendations of Clinton counterterrorism chief Richard Clarke) as of the Clinton administration.

Able Danger has changed all of that.

Able Danger was a military intelligence unit set up by Special Operations Command in 1999. A year before the 9/11 attacks, Able Danger identified hijack leader Mohamed Atta and the other members of his cell. But Clinton administration officials stopped them -- three times -- from sharing this information with the FBI.

This week, he's gotten to the bottom of the current meltdown on Wall Street. And guess what? It's all Clinton's fault (with a little help from their friends in Congress). It's in the 6th paragraph:

Ostensibly to aid the poor and working class, the Clinton administration and Congress encouraged lenders to give mortgages to bad credit risks. The combination of easy money and the expansion of the number of borrowers unable to repay their loans sent housing prices through the roof, creating the bubble whose bursting has led to this crisis.

The next paragraph should be the kicker:

Congress in 1999 repealed the law that established a bright line between commercial and investment banks. This meant bad investments by banks could jeopardize depositors.

So this was 1999. History tells us that in 1999, the republicans held majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. That means, my friends, that what passed through both houses was only what the republicans allowed to pass through both houses. Certainly in Hastert's House.

The law that Jack mentions here is the "Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act" of 1999. Introduced in the Senate with no cosponsors by then-Texas Senator Phil Gramm (more on him later), the final versions of the bill passed each chamber with veto proof majorities (90-8 in the Senate and 362-57 in the House). So whether President Clinton signed it, it was going to become a law no matter what.

Phil Gramm, as we all know by now, is an economic advisor to the presidential campaign of Senator John McCain. The guy who drafted the initial legislation and sponsored it all by his lonesome in the Senate was also once (until he called America a "nation of whiners") the co-chair of John McCain's campaign.

Curious as to why Jack Kelly omitted that part of the story.

Do I need to say any more?

Pics From Today's Clinton Rally in Pittsburgh

The Littlest Clinton Supporter at Hillary Pgh HQ
getting ready for the rally


We had the corners covered for blocks



Inside Market Square waiting for Hill and Bill




Bill Clinton takes the stage




Hillary makes her case




The long view


After the speeches --
Hillary is in here somewhere shaking hands

Post-Gazette video of the rally here and story here.

PG audio: Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker-Knoll felt slighted by the lack of an introduction at the Clinton rally today and let everyone know about it.
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Hillary and President Bill Clinton Rally in Downtown Pittsburgh

Join Hillary and President Bill Clinton for a
"Solutions for Pennsylvania" Rally in Pittsburgh!

When: Monday, April 21, 2008 at 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM

Where: Downtown Pittsburgh, Market Square, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Description: Join Hillary and President Bill Clinton for a "Solutions for Pennsylvania" Rally in Pittsburgh! Hillary has comprehensive solutions for the complex problems we face today. Join her and President Clinton in Pittsburgh to learn more about Hillary's lifetime record of results.

Host: Pennsylvania For Hillary

RSVP TO THIS EVENT HERE.

Join President Clinton in Millvale TODAY

Join President Clinton for a "Solutions for America" Event in Millvale!

When: Sunday, April 20, 2008 at 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM

Where: Mr. Small's Theater, 400 Lincoln Ave, Millvale, PA 15209

Description: Join President Clinton for a "Solutions for America" Event in Millvale! Hillary Clinton has comprehensive solutions for the complex problems we face today. Join President Clinton in Millvale to learn more about Hillary's lifetime record of results.

RSVP HERE

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Chelsea Afternoon (+ Bill + Volunteer Opportunities)

Chelsea Clinton visited Carnegie Mellon University yesterday, but first she stopped by her Mom's Pittsburgh campaign headquarters. Actor Sean Astin introduced her and spoke movingly about how happy his Mom (Patty Duke) was when she found out her son was volunteering for Hillary Clinton. (Duke is an advocate for mental health causes -- she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1982.)

Here's some pictures from the event (click on pictures for larger versions):

First came the rooms of phonebanking at Hillary Clinton's Pittsburgh headquarters and signing up to GOTV next week:

And, hanging out with "Rudy"/"Samwise Gamgee"/Sean Astin.Then, folks tried to cram into a room...


...to hear the guest of honor: Chelsea Clinton


Afterwards, they lined up to talk to her:


Chelsea takes one for the blog:


I could get used to that:

NOTE:
1) If you missed Chelsea, you can see Bill tomorrow:

Join President Clinton for a "Solutions for America" Event in Cranberry
When: Wednesday, April 16, 2008 at 5:45 PM - 7:45 PM
Where: Rose E. Schneider Family YMCA, 2001 Ehrman Road, Cranberry Township, PA 16066
RSVP: http://www.hillaryclinton.com/actioncenter/event/view/?id=13070

2) If you want to help:

There are three ways you can help starting today: knock on doors, hold signs, and make phone calls. There will be several staging locations for canvassers going door to door starting this Friday, in the South Side, the North Side, and near Shadyside.

Friday through Tuesday (4/18-4/22) are the most important days. RSVP at http://www.hillaryclinton.com/action/pagotv/?sc=2383 or call 512-565-1031.

On Wednesday:
Join the Hillary Campaign for a Debate Watch Party downtown. (It’s just a block from the office, so drop by headquarters and make some phone calls first.) Where: Steel City Bar, 110 Smithfield Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, The debate starts at 8 pm.

On Thursday:
Join in at 6:30pm at the Downtown Pittsburgh headquarters for a training session on how to Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV) and help win Allegheny County and Pennsylvania for Hillary. Please be sure to bring your calendar (so you'll know when you're available to help) and ask to take off work on Election Day. RSVP at http://www.hillaryclinton.com/actioncenter/event/view/?id=12561

If you have any questions: contact Katie Ellis at (512) 565-1031 or email [email protected]
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