Per Huffington Post, Clinton will be conceding tomorrow night.  We have all heard rumors and also read tidbits from Politico about her shedding her staff. There seems to be some correlating reports now and an article on HP confirms that this is more than a mere rumor...as far as we know (for all of you "I'll believe it when I see it").

I do hope this is true, not because I look forward to the disappointment of her supporters, but because we can truly start working on the GE with John McCain.  I cannot wait until we actually have a united Democratic Party against him at this point.  McCain has been allowed way too much time to stew in his stories filled with half-truths.  The media, though slowly waking up, is still slow to call him out on a lot of his "missstatements" and lack of knowledge regarding...well...just about anything.

As we have seen within the last 24 hours, a firestorm of controversy surrounds the statements that Senator Clinton used to describe the reasoning behind her staying in the race.  I personally was appalled, not for the mere silliness of mentioning the assassination, but for the lack of political gracefulness she used and of course her non-apology apology did little to appease my sensitivities.  However, I also believe that all her years of service to this country do not deserve to be washed away due to one statement (although as it turns out, she has used this example before, numerous times).  As we on Daily Kos debate as to why she used this poor example, we also need remember the candidate that some of us support, Senator Obama.  

For the longest time I have been trying to summarize or pinpoint my largest issue with Senator Clinton as my presidential pick.  I could point to some of the major gaffes that her campaign has done, however to be fair, no candidate is without mistakes or campaign blunders.  I think however, I just realized when my blood pressure (usually quite healthy and even on the low side) seers to new heights. No, it's not her voice or even faint sounds of sniper fire, no...I just realized when reading another article of her statements today, that my main reason for not supporting her run for presidency lies in this...
...the 5 year school yard stance of pointing fingers and hardly holding herself accountable.

See example below:

The Tennessee GOP party has come out with a statement and video attacking Obama's wife, Michelle for the now well know snippets of a speech given a few months ago "for the first time...I am REALLY proud to be an American...blah blah blah.".  Now I'm not naive, and I know that the GOP is going to fight hard, but really....is this the type of ammunition they have?  Seriously?  They are going after his wife..a very gracious and warm lady who just happens to be slightly inexperienced on the stump...and this is what they bring?

...I can't wait for the General Election to start...they have no idea whats coming to them.  If they think this type of garbage is going to be widely accepted as effective campaigning, they are seriously misjudging the mood of the American people.

All I have to say is "NOT THIS TIME!".

I just read another quite interesting article on the Huffington Post.  I have to say, their wide reporting open to both the likes of Taylor Marsh(don't roll the eyes, some people love her) and also Sam Stein(a fairly obvious Obama supporter I believe) makes this a place I like to dwell.  Basically, you get your fill.  

This particular article delves into the Media.  I know we all here have been decrying the media when it drenches us with the latest in gaffes or "misstatements", or participates in the guilt by association stories (especially when those stories concentrate on the candidate of our liking). I have come to call the media, our Media DJ's.  They just spin the stories around and around and around until the public gets tired of dancing to the tune.

This is utterly disgusting. I have for a few weeks tried to soften the rhetoric regarding Clinton and her Campaign, arguing that they have every right to fight for the nomination.  With information such as this, how are we supposed to filter through this garbage with hope that somehow a Clinton presidency will be any different from the Karl Rove-esqe presidency of George Bush

An article on Huffington Post-by Peter Dreier (Off the Bus)

I still believe,

I still believe that our country has not seen its best years.  I still believe that regardless of which Democrat wins, it will be a far greater improvement then that of our current administration.  These last couple of days have been frustrating to say the least.  Although I do agree that the Wright issue is indeed NOW an issue, it is not a mind changing subject.  In fact, it allows me to gain even deeper insight as to the type of person Obama is.  I have seen, I have heard, I have read and I still come to the conclusion that he is the better candidate.  I make the charge that the Media has used this merely for their ratings, however, even as Obama stated today in Indiana, this is merely a part of politics and he recognized the ups and downs when he decided to run.  If he can stick through this, then so can I.

I am sure by now there have been many diaries reporting the reaction to Reverend Wright's recent media plays. I am not going to debate whether this is good or bad for Obama, because I think as we all are figuring out, that no matter what, the future cannot be read in this primary and out of good comes the bad and vice versa.  I have given up trying to predict the outcome of any gaffe or controversy because we are playing right now with two very different Democratic candidates.  Both candidates have attributes that I admire and certain political characteristics that give me pause...but that's for another diary, not today.

The one thing I will agree on is that you cannot judge one individual upon what another individual (no matter the closeness of the relationship) states.  I can no more hold Wright against Obama, regardless of his more controversial tone, than I can hold Bill Clinton against Hillary Clinton regardless of his dismissive rhetoric.

And this is why....

Why hasn't Clinton denounced the NC GOP attack ad?  Seriously, when the Republican candidate publicly denounces the ad, why isn't Clinton, a fellow democrat, denouncing this?  How much does she really want Obama to lose?

Drip Drip. Look, I do think that we should give credit where it is due.  Clinton won last night...so congratulations to her and her supporters.  

But now I think we need to report reality as well.  Her gains last night were about +12 delegates at best I believe (it may go up to 15, however her margin of victory was less then 10.  So nope...regardless of the MSM, it was not double digits.

Today however, we have an endorsement from an Oklahoma Governor and now this: (Please let me know if any of these are superdelegates.  I am at work right now and don't have time to do the research.)

I haven't even seen this yet on the west coast...but good ole you tube and Huffington post already are reporting in.  This will be a short diary, but I hope you all enjoy!

Well, you have convinced me...I will register Democrat.  Although my more sensitive side had been coerced by my immediate reaction to the debate on Wednesday, I will not support John McCain or any other Republican in the Fall.  I cannot....even if it means that my vote will go for Clinton. For as much as I support Obama, I know that she will be a huge improvement over the Bush years or the impending third Bush term.  Clinton is a strong, patriotic and diligent competitor.  In fact, if she does win, I look forward to her running against the Republicans.  Payback is a bitch and I look forward to the political smackdown that she would serve them. I don't know if I can take another 6 months of this political process, but gosh darn it, if it means a Democrat will take the White House, then I will grit my teeth and fight along.   As an Obama supporter, my immediate gut check moment for the democratic party came tonight, as I listened to his speech at the Independence Hall in Philadelphia.
More below...

I have heard one too many times about how Obama supporters must be drinking the Kool Aid.

Well, after tonight,if you are a Clinton supporter and you truly agree that this Debate was non-biased and non propaganda filled, then my dears, you must be drinking the "Kruel-Aid". If you feel that somehow, after the revelation that George S was speaking with Hannity yesterday regarding the very questions he asked tonight, and used the Ayer's question, somehow is the new standard that represents the Democratic party....then you are drinking the "Kruel-Aid"

In the last weekend, Senator Clinton's urgency to hoist herself up on the swiftboating of one of her Democratic colleagues earned her the loss of not only my vote if she wins the nomination, but also any lingering respect that I had for her.  

Okay, I just changed the title because I wanted to place more context in what the subject was about.

Thanks!

I've just about had it.  I was really struggling to not fall into the trap of denouncing Hillary Clinton, as I felt that it just demeans the type of candidacy that Obama has been trying to run, but I've had it.  The mere fact that her campaign has now used Republican talking points to continually strike at his comments, instead of using the uproar as an opportunity to discuss her sincere plans for the economic woes of this country shows me exactly what it is that we will get with her presidency.  She shows no restraint, no discipline, certainly no "compassion" and no class at this point.  Had Obama sent out an ad in Pennsylvania regarding her sniper fire comments, I would have been disenchanted as well, but he chose to step away from the issue and not persecute her as she is now doing to him.

And then this...

Uuugghhh, if only CNN and Politico could actually add context to their observations.

Obama's actual words in context at SFO fundraiser

When did journalism stop reporting the facts, not just tidbits and subjective

Did you know that he was part Irish?  In fact, when Clinton attends two Irish parades, Obama takes the time to discuss with the Irish prime minister  the future of it's relationship with America.

I think it's important to see how each candidate chooses to spend their time, chooses to place their platform.  Do you want a candidate that attends parades, or do you want a candidate that talks to the reason for the parade.
My fiance is fiercely Irish, born in Galway (came here when three) with ties to Limerick.  He is also a blue collar, tea drinking, doc martin wearing, 69 Chevy truck driving advocate of Obama. He has not voted since the 2000 elections because he was disillusioned by the Florida mess but will muster up the effort because he actually believes in this guy and believe you me, if anybody knows a full blooded Irishman, they are not easy to impress.

I was just reading the Huffington Post and I read an interesting blog, in fact so interesting that it really struck me how much the MSM is letting us down.  I think that if America actually received more than a 30 second sound bite off of Reverend Wright's now infamous speech, they might take pause on their judgments.  In fact, it the MSM, now disappointing me more so then ever, did their homework, and actually aired the entire speech, they might have uncovered what Reverend Wright actually did say.

In fact, the MSM fruitfully forgot to air what Rev. Wright said right after "God Damn America..."

Per Ben Smith - POLITICO,

Wright leaves Obama campaign

Spokesman Tommy Vietor emails:

"Rev. Wright is no longer serving on the African American Religious Leadership Committee."

That cuts Wright's only formal tie to Obama, and answers what was sure to be a question in Obama's interviews tonight: If Geraldine Ferraro had to leave the Clinton campaign, why is Wright different.

I hope for the sake of both Clinton and Obama alike, that we can get past some of the snarkiness that we have seen as a result of their surrogates.  Whether it be G. Farraro or Rev. White, I think that we can all admit that  we all have characters in our lives who do not speak for us.