"I Am Not Lolita!"

by: Lynette Long
Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 15:59:47 PM EDT

I am not Lolita. I will not crawl back into bed with a party that raped me. I will not stay in an abusive relationship because I have nowhere else to go. I will not be placated by a pat on the head or a worthless trinket. I will not spend the rest of my life waiting for tomorrow or listening to people tell me that today is better than yesterday.More...

I am tired of being invisible in a country to which I have given so much. I am tired of reading editorials written by men, watching male sports teams and male news anchors. I am tired of spending money adorned with images of men. I am tired of having a government and a court of men run my life. For all their arrogance, men have not done a good job of running my country. We are constantly at war, we ignore the least among us, a large percentage of our citizenry is poorly educated, and crimes against women and childen are at intolerable levels.

A country run by women would be more humane, more peaceful, and more prosperous. I am tired of waiting for my turn. I am tired of other women who are willing to wait their turn. Our turn is now. I will not go back to the Democratic Party. It is not my party. It cannot placate me with more promises.

History proves that the Democratic Party over-promises and under-delivers. Barack Obama will be no different. The Republican Party is not my home either. I will find a home. I will create a home. A home that reflects my values. But returning to an abuser, only perpetuates abuse, and then I become complicit in the abuse.

I am not Lolita. Howard Dean, do not expect to find me in your bed come November.

Video of Obama FISA & Fossil Fuel flip flops in Florida

McCain Gains Ground in Yet Another Poll!

The new Reuters/Zogby poll Highlights:

Obama loses support among his strongest demographic groups
The margin between the candidates is statistically insignificant, but demonstrates a notable turn-around from the Reuters/Zogby poll of July 7-9 that showed Obama ahead, 46%-36% in a four-way match-up that included Libertarian candidate Bob Barr of Georgia and liberal independent candidate Ralph Nader. McCain made significant gains at Obama’s expense among some of what had been Obama’s strongest demographic groups. For example:
More...

* McCain gained 20% and Obama lost 16% among voters ages 18-29. Obama still leads that group, 49%-38%.
* Among women, McCain closed 10 points on Obama, who still leads by a 43%-38% margin.
* Obama has lost what was an 11% lead among Independents. He and McCain are now tied.
* Obama had some slippage among Democrats, dropping from 83% to 74%.
* Obama’s support among single voters dropped by 19%, and he now leads McCain, 51%-37%.
* Even with African-Americans and Hispanics, Obama shows smaller margins.

Catholics, who are always a critical voting bloc, favored Obama by 11% in mid-July. Now, they favor McCain by 15%.

Answering McCain's Attacks

By Fred Hiatt
Monday, August 4, 2008; Page A11

As a week of name-calling and rapid responses faded into history, political practitioners seemed to agree that John McCain had diminished himself and his straight-talk brand with negative ads and petty misrepresentations. Yet, surprisingly, a consensus also seemed to be forming that Barack Obama, at least tactically, had not come out on top. More...

Which raises the question: How should Obama respond?

Critics of his performance last week (including some supporters) focused on his "dollar bill" comments -- his apparent invocation of race in saying that his opponent would try to scare voters because he, Obama, did not resemble previous presidents whose portraits adorn our currency.

I was more struck by the preamble to that comment: by Obama's statements that McCain and the Republican Party are so bankrupt in policies that they can win only by spreading fear .

This resonates with an article of faith among many Democratic believers that has been so long and deeply held it is hardly considered noteworthy: that Democratic policies are so obviously superior, and so much more in the interest of a majority of voters, that only some form of chicanery can explain Republican election victories.

In this view of the world, Republican operatives, from Lee Atwater to Karl Rove, are more diabolically clever, and less bound by ethical restraint, than their Democratic counterparts. They manipulate cultural symbols and issues (God, guns and abortion) to deceive people into voting against their economic self-interest. Or they inflate security threats (Iraq, terror) to frighten them into voting against their self-interest. Obama himself a few months ago said that people who vote Republican are "tricked into believing" that Democrats are out of touch.
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Whatever the substantive merits of this analysis, it seems to pose some tactical dangers to Democratic candidates. One is the risk of offending voters who may not see themselves as easily tricked or too dim to understand where their interests lie.

Middle-class voters who believe passionately that life begins at conception, for example, may find it insulting to be told that if they vote for a candidate who opposes abortion and favors tax cuts for the rich, they are being bamboozled. Even middle-class voters making their decision primarily on economic grounds may resent an assumption that they should vote for whoever promises the most tax breaks for their bracket, rather than weighing arguments about economic growth and societal benefit. This year, voters may not want to hear that concerns about Obama's relative paucity of national and international experience must stem from fear of his race or unusual name.

But a bigger danger of this faith in the superiority of Democratic policies, ironically, may be insufficient attention to making the case. Yes, this should be a Democratic year. The economy is sour, the incumbent unpopular. Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan drag on, and the cost of deregulation is becoming increasingly clear in sector after sector. But voters will still want to be convinced.

Which brings us back to the question of how Obama should respond to McCain's negative campaign. Not long ago, the Democratic candidate rejected the Republican's offer of weekly, informal town hall debates. That was the smart move, most consultants said: The town hall forum is best for McCain, a wooden speaker who can't compete with Obama on the stump, so why would Obama play on his turf?

But by questioning Obama's substantiveness, McCain has begun to diminish the advantage of Obama's skill in rhetoric; and besides, there's no reason to think Obama -- who, after all, is deft, eloquent, quick-thinking and supremely well informed -- wouldn't be every bit as skilled in town halls as McCain. The forums would return attention to the issues, where Obama believes he has a clear advantage. And if McCain sought to use them for personal attacks, he would at least have to bear full personal responsibility for doing so.

Just after Obama clinched the nomination, he received a phone call from McCain. "He called me to congratulate me," Obama said the next day. "I had called him after he had won the nomination. We joked about the fact that, if you'd asked the pundits a year ago who were going to be the two nominees, it wouldn't have been me and John McCain.

"And we pledged to have a substantive debate, a debate that's not personal but is about our respective visions for the country."

Maybe it's time to go back to Plan A.

fredhiatt@washpost.com

Florida, Three Months Out -- Sun Shines on McCain!

In an election in critical swing-state Florida for President of the United States today, 08/04/2008, Republican John McCain defeats Democrat Barack Obama, 50% to 44%, according to this latest SurveyUSA poll pre-election poll conducted exclusively for WFLA-TV Tampa and WKRG-TV Pensacola. Obama leads by 9 points in Southeastern Florida, where he takes 52% of the vote; McCain takes 52% of the vote in Central Florida, 53% in Southwestern Florida, 55% in the northeastern Florida, and 59% in Northwestern Florida. Among voters younger than Barack Obama, who turns 47 years old today, Obama leads by 5 points. Among voters older than John McCain, who turns 72 at the end of the month, McCain leads by 13. Among voters in-between their ages, McCain leads by 14. Among white voters, McCain leads by 19 points. Among black voters, Obama leads by 68. Hispanics favor Obama by 60 points. McCain leads among both men and women, among both college grads and non-college grads, among both those who earn less than $50,000 a year and among those who earn more than $50,000 a year. For more, click here.

Two NObama Books are Bestsellers On Amazon.com

"Obama Nation" by Jerome Corsi is at #6 currently and "The Case Against Barack Obama" by David Freddoso (released today) is at #20. Hopefully these will help open some people's eyes!

Numerous Questions raised on Obama Campaign's Lax Online Donation Form

Last update: 2:01 p.m. EDT Aug. 4, 2008

JERUSALEM, Aug 04, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Palestinian brothers inside the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip are listed in government election filings as having donated $29,521.54 to Sen. Barack Obama's campaign, according to WorldNetDaily's Jerusalem bureau chief, Aaron Klein.

The donations would violate election laws, including prohibitions on receiving donations from foreigners and guidelines against accepting more than $2,300 from one individual during a single election, Bob Biersack, a spokesman for the Federal Election Commission, said in response to a query.
The contributions also raise numerous questions about the Obama campaign's lax online donation form, which apparently allows for the possibility of foreign contributions.More...

Last week, the Atlas Shrugs blog outlined a series of donations in 2007 made to Obama's campaign from two individuals, Monir Edwan and Hosam Edwan. In an online form on Obama's campaign site, the Edwans listed their street as "Tal Esaltan," which they wrote was located in "Rafah, GA."
Rafah is not a city in Georgia. The Atlas blog immediately raised concerns that the money may have been donated from the Gaza Strip town of Rafah.
A WND investigation tracked down the Edwans, who are brothers living in the Tal Esaltan neighborhood of Rafah, a large refugee camp in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

Speaking to WND, the two brothers praised Obama and admitted giving the money online to his campaign. They said they are not U.S. citizens or green card holders but are citizens of "Palestine." Monir and Hasam Edwan denied their financial transactions online were actual donations to Obama's campaign. Instead they claimed they purchased about $30,000 in Obama T-shirts from the presidential candidate's online store -- a contention that did not hold up during a WND interview, when they changed their story several times.

Monir Edwan claimed he sold the T-shirts in Gaza for around $9 and that a profit was made. But it was pointed out to Edwan the T-shirts for sale on Obama's website are listed as $20.08 and that selling the merchandise for less would not yield a profit. Edwan could not explain how he managed to get shipments of T-shirts into the Gaza Strip during the months he claimed to have purchased the merchandise, since Israel imposed a tight closure of the Gaza Strip starting in June 2007 that lasted until June 2008.

"We don't want to cause any damage to Obama's campaign," was Edwan's reply.

Obama's campaign did not return WND phone calls or e-mail queries.

Media Contact: Maria Sliwa, M. Sliwa Public Relations, media@msliwa.com, 973-272-2861 / 212-202-4453

O-Force One: Your Obama campaign donations at work.

Barack Obama’s new campaign plane is nothing short of grand. Well, for the candidate that is.

Obama’s section of the plane rivals that of any first class. Recently the front cabin of the Boeing 757 was retrofitted to install four individual chairs that resemble La-Z-Boys. They are free-standing and made of plush leather with pockets on the sides. There is also a booth which seats four for a meeting or a meal. His chair has his name and campaign logo embroidered on the back top -- “Obama ‘08” on one line and “President” underneath.
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To one side is a small table stacked with newspapers ready for the candidate’s arrival. The table of the booth is always covered in snacks and cheese and is where Obama spends most of his time during flights meeting with staff and sitting for the occasional interview.

“Typically the candidate's cabin is like business class -- roomier and less chaotic than the staff and press areas, but still short of the accoutrements of a pro team's charter,” says Politico’s Mike Allen, a frequent campaign flier.

After looking at a few photos of Obama’s cabin, Allen quipped, “Air Force One may seem a tad claustrophobic.” Check it out for yourself (pictures at the top).

There are five sections on the 757, the first of which is Obama’s section, which can seat up to eight people at a time, although rarely are all eight seats taken. Depending on the destination or length of trip, Sen. Obama is joined by body man Reggie Love and a few senior staff members or perhaps a key Senate colleague. Recently, Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., hitched a ride from Washington, D.C., to her home state for a full day of campaign events.

The next two sections are outfitted with expansive business class seats for senior and junior level staff including Obama’s media team, which films all of the candidate’s events for promotional purposes.

The back two sections are traditional coach seats where the Secret Service, reporters, cameramen and some of the communications staff sit. It is a rite of passage each election cycle for the party’s nominee to retrofit an aircraft to distinct specifications. While the campaign pays for their share of the plane, the news media also pay thousands of dollars to fly with Obama for each leg of his campaign.

CBS News’ John Bentley, who's covering the John McCain campaign, reports that McCain flies in a slightly smaller Boeing 737, which has four compartments: the first class area, where he sits; the “straight talk” area for interviews; a business class section for staffers; and the back of the plane, where the press and secret service sit.

In McCain's spacious first class area, there are 12 plush leather seats for the candidate, his wife and senior staffers. The “straight talk” area features a long leather bench and another first class seat which McCain sits in when he talks to the press – or would, if he used the area.

Since they acquired the plane with its specially modified area, McCain has spoken to the press there precisely once, over a month ago. All of these sections are separated by curtains, which are always shut as tightly as possible as soon as the plane takes off in order to keep the different sections of the plane from interacting with each other.

Impeach / Expel Barack Obama!

If you do not know the real Obama, spend some time to
get the facts. The main Stream Media has done a poor job
of covering Senator Obama. Read the petition and ask questions.
You may have to do a lot of digging. The Obama Campaign has
spent millions to distort and hide information on the internet. For more information, go to this site: ObamaImpeachment.org.

Message from the on the ground 18 Million Voices Denver coordinator! !

Great News Everyone,

I just heard from the Denver liaison for parade and park permits, and we have a definite parade slot on Tuesday, the 26th, between the hours of 9-11 am.

Not only that, but due to a sudden cancellation, we now have Confluence Park in downtown Denver reserved for ALL DAY on the 26th. We’re also working with the mayor’s office to secure a spot for a rally on Monday the 25th as well.

Things are starting to come together. Let’s get the word out to everyone. E-mail our fliers to everyone you can. Let’s have a big showing for our wonderful candidate, Senator Hillary Clinton!

It’s my understanding that Will Bower will be one of our speakers either on the 25th or the 26th, as well as Cindy Sheehan. Now that we have our assembly sites, we can invite more people. Any suggestions?

Dear Barack, sorry Sweetie, it’s

Poll finds low-income voters don't think either candidate can fix economy

By Michael D. Shear and Jon Cohen
The Washington Post
updated 8:59 p.m. PT, Sun., Aug. 3, 2008

Democratic Sen. Barack Obama holds a 2 to 1 edge over Republican Sen. John McCain among the nation's low-wage workers, but many are unconvinced that either presidential candidate would be better than the other at fixing the ailing economy or improving the health-care system, according to a new national poll.More...

Obama's advantage is attributable largely to overwhelming support from two traditional Democratic constituencies: African Americans and Hispanics. But even among white workers -- a group of voters that has been targeted by both parties as a key to victory in November -- Obama leads McCain by 10 percentage points, 47 percent to 37 percent, and has the advantage as the more empathetic candidate.

Still, one in six of the white workers polled remains uncommitted to either candidate. And a majority of those polled, both white and minority, are ambivalent about the impact of the election, saying that no matter who wins, their personal finances are unlikely to change.

"It's not my main concern in life," said Mary Lee, 50, a factory worker in rural Kentucky. "I know how politics is. I really don't think it's going to matter either way."

More than disaffection drives these workers, according to the new national poll by the Washington Post, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and Harvard University.

Their politics are shaped partly by their lot in the current economy: These voters are among the most severely hurt by rising prices, and many are insecure about their finances and lack jobs with basic benefits. Nevertheless, many are optimistic about the future even as they express deep suspicion about government.

Key demographic
The new poll included interviews with 1,350 randomly selected workers 18 to 64 years old who put in at least 30 hours a week but earned $27,000 or less last year. As a group, they are somewhat less likely to be Republicans than all adults under age 65 and are also less likely to be registered to vote. As many call themselves conservatives as liberal, and nearly four in 10 said their views on most political matters are "moderate."

The group, which accounts for nearly a quarter of U.S. adults, gives the Democrat the nod both as the more empathetic candidate and as the one who more closely shares their values. And while many express no opinion about who would do more to improve the economy or health care -- or the voters' finances -- Obama has the clear edge among those who picked a favorite on these core issues.

Obama's standing with the white workers runs counter to an impression, dating from the primary season, that he struggles to attract support from that group. McCain advisers have said for months that they think the Republican can win a significant share of those voters because of Obama's performance in the spring.

The survey suggests it will be difficult, but not impossible, for McCain to increase his appeal. Whereas Obama underperforms congressional Democrats by six points among low-wage whites -- 53 percent would prefer that the party control Congress -- McCain has a seven-point edge over congressional Republicans.

A target for the McCain campaign
Sixteen percent of the white workers polled expressed either no opinion about the presidential race or indicated they would support no one, someone else or just plain not vote.

Ruth Haskins, 64, the city clerk of Billings, Mo., for one, said she is "scared about the younger generation running the country" and is solidly "on the fence" about the election.

In May, as the race between Obama and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton raged on, McCain adviser Charlie Black told reporters that the campaign would reach out to working-class white voters, in part because of Obama's difficulties wresting such voters from the Clinton camp.

"Senator Obama doesn't appear to have the ability to hold the traditional Democratic coalition together as well as Mrs. Clinton might," he said at the time.

In an interview last week, Black said the campaign still plans to target working-class white voters, particularly by appealing to them on economic and energy issues. Jobs and gasoline prices are "very big to people in that income range," Black said.

Nearly two-thirds of the white workers surveyed want the government to make lower gas prices a "top priority," something McCain pitched earlier this year in advocating for a suspension of the federal gas tax. One respondent was particularly clear on this point: "I'll vote for whoever can bring the price of gas down," said Brian Levesque, 25, a social worker from Lansdale, Pa.

But slightly more, seven in 10, say government should focus on helping people like them find more affordable health insurance, a core component of Obama's campaign. Fewer, just over four in 10, favor placing a top priority on tax cuts or the creation of new jobs through an expansion of public works projects.

Overall, the survey suggests that Obama's economic appeals have the most resonance with white workers who are under the greatest financial stress. Obama has a lead of 19 percentage points among those white workers who feel "very insecure" financially; that is more than double his advantage among those in the group who feel better off.

McCain leads among those who say they have advanced over the past seven years, but it is a much smaller group -- only 17 percent of low-wage white workers. Obama has the edge among those who say they have stayed about even over that time period.

An issue of acute importance to low-wage workers -- the impact of illegal immigration -- is one that divides workers in the poll about evenly: Forty-nine percent said illegal immigrants take jobs from legal residents, and 47 percent said they do not.

Nearly six in 10 white and black workers said they think undocumented workers take jobs away from those here legally; seven in 10 Hispanics disagreed. (Nearly half of the Hispanic workers interviewed in this poll are not U.S. citizens.)

International trade -- and its impact on increasingly scarce jobs -- is another issue that may prove a flash point for workers in the fall campaign.

Wary of trade deals
Half of those polled said growth in trade has made things worse for the country; far fewer, only about two in 10, said it has had a net benefit, and a similar percentage said they are unsure. But a majority also said trade has not changed their lives one way or the other.

As is the case with immigration, majorities of white and black workers said trade has done more harm than good, while most Hispanics disagreed.

"One thing I keep seeing is a lack of wherewithal to tackle the tough issues like health care, illegal immigration," said Stephanie Dayton, 51, a bookkeeper in Tucson. "It's sort of like overhauling the tax code. If there was an easy way to tackle it without conflict, they would have done it already. At some point it takes some backbone to get it done. Get some backbone and decide what you stand for."

McCain's biggest challenge is among minority workers.

Among the African Americans polled, 92 percent chose Obama as the candidate more concerned with their problems; not a single black respondent said so about McCain, although 1 percent said "both do." Hispanics also sided with Obama on that question, favoring him by more than 40 percentage points as the more empathetic candidate.

The poll was conducted by conventional and cellular telephone June 18 to July 7, among a random national sample of low-wage workers. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish. The results have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus four percentage points.

Polling analyst Jennifer Agiesta and assistant polling analyst Kyle Dropp contributed to this report.

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26003168/

Is Obama's $5 Million ad buy during the Olympics inappropriate, given he called for a boycott by Bush?

On April 9, 2008 ABC News' Sunlen Miller Reports:

In his strongest language to date about the Olympics, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., said that President Bush should boycott the opening ceremonies of if the Chinese do not take steps to stop the genocide in Darfur and respect the human rights of Tibetan people.

Given his position, is Obama's $5 million ad buy in the Olympics innappropriate? You be the judge. But according to the Political Machine's unscientific poll, 78% of people nationally believe it is.

VP pick may chafe Hillary supporters

By: David Paul Kuhn
August 4, 2008 04:54 AM EST

Many of the foremost activists in the women’s movement ardently believe that Hillary Rodham Clinton should be Barack Obama’s running mate — and primary wounds that are just beginning to heal may be torn back open should the Democratic nominee select someone else, as it seems very likely he will.More...

Geraldine Ferraro, a Clinton supporter who in 1984 became the first woman on a major party presidential ticket, said Obama should be “gracious” enough to offer Clinton the vice presidency, considering how narrow the race was.

Marcia Pappas, who heads the New York state chapter of the National Organization for Women, believes that Clinton supporters “would be outraged to know she was not given that right of first refusal.”

“She is the only woman in history who has ever garnered this much support,” Pappas continued. “She is the only woman in history who was able to raise the kind of money one would need to run a presidential campaign.”

Pamela Sumners, who directs the Missouri chapter of the abortion-rights group NARAL, added that Clinton “is now seen as the reigning dean of the women’s movement. It’s sort of Moses gets all the way to the mountain and doesn’t get to the promised land — and I think there would be people really
angry about that.”

About one in five voters who supported Clinton in the Democratic primaries tell pollsters that they are not voting for Obama, according to a mid-July Quinnipiac University national poll of likely voters — a number that’s only slightly lower than when Clinton dropped out and the conventional wisdom had it that support would coalesce around the presumptive nominee after a brief cooling-off period.

The split isn’t limited to women. “No matter who he picks,” said former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, “the question is going to be raised: Are you telling me that this person would be a better qualified vice president than Hillary Clinton?”

While there had been speculation that Obama might seek to mend fences by tapping another woman for the role, this seems increasingly unlikely — and it’s not clear that even if it did happen that it would help with Clinton loyalists, especially since the most-often named women all endorsed Obama in the primaries, earning the resentment of many leaders of women’s organizations.

“If he picked Claire McCaskill or [Janet] Napolitano [or Kathleen] Sebelius, I think it would annoy women,” Ferraro said.

Ferraro added that “those are women who we spent our lifetime helping run for office” and that “a lot of us are not happy with these women for not supporting Hillary because they came to us for help based in large part on their gender.”

“I would be very concerned about his judgment if he offered the position to another woman before offering it to Hillary Clinton,” Pappas said, “or any person.”

“The women who have been elected to office in this time in history are the beneficiaries of the women’s movement,” Pappas continued. “And it’s disheartening to see those same women turn their backs on another woman who is better qualified, and one can only wonder what they are getting out of their decision to turn their back.”

Any selection other than Clinton will reinforce some women’s sense that the most qualified candidate, a woman, has been passed over for the position.

Clinton has in this sense become a metaphor for the women’s movement itself.

“There are a lot of women apoplectic at the discussion of Bob Barr and Chuck Hagel,” said Kim Gandy, president of the National Organization for Women.

“It seems like the smart choice will be to pick Hillary Clinton because she adds so much to the ticket but the second choice should be a nominee who supported Hillary Clinton, to try and bring the sides together.”

Clinton’s most vocal sympathizers, like Sumners, warned that Obama cannot presume that Clinton’s supporters will return to the Democratic fold no matter who he selects.

Obama’s assertion at a closed-door meeting with members of the Congressional Black Caucus that Clinton’s supporters will “get over it,” once they consider the choice between him and presumptive Republican candidate John McCain, further frustrated many women.

“Those adamant Clinton supporters, the older, and I would say wealthier women, and some of the better known feminists from the dark ages, I think they will use his vice presidential choice, whether a woman or a man, as an excuse not to support him,” said Joan Hoff, an historian at Montana State University and a former president of the Center for the Study of the Presidency.

“There is disappointment out there,” noted Ellen Moran, executive director of women’s political group EMILY’s List. But she added that the “Obama campaign is taking important steps to reach out to and welcome and incorporate Hillary Clinton supporters.”

Part of that outreach took place when Moran and EMILY’s List president Ellen Malcolm flew to Chicago after the Democratic primary to meet with Obama’s senior advisers.

That outreach will culminate at the Democratic National Convention, where Clinton is scheduled to speak on Aug. 26 — which is also the 88th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote, a bit of symbolism that may chafe some of her supporters.

“I’m sorry to say this but I do think [the Democratic divide] is sort of significant,” Hoff said. “It could have an impact. It’s not that you need a lot of them,” meaning Clinton supporters who will sit out the general or vote for McCain. “You just need enough of them in key places.”

Hoff compared the current dynamic to the Republicans in 1976, when Ronald Reagan’s supporters never fully rallied to Gerald Ford, and the Democrats in 1980, when Edward M. Kennedy’s supporters never fully warmed to Jimmy Carter.

“Ford lost because the neoconservatives sat on their hands and didn’t turn out to vote. The real worry is that [Clinton’s supporters] are going to sit on their hands, the older feminists,” Hoff said. “I’m telling you they’re mad.

“It’s not that they are going to vote for McCain,” Hoff added. “It’s just that they are not going to get out there on the hustings” for Obama.

Against fully seating Michigan and Florida before he was for it!

Here's the Right's view of obama move to have the delegates from Michigan and Florida fully seated:

:deadpan: Oh, my. How shocking. I am absolutely stunned by this.
More...
However could this change of heart possibly have happened?

Obama says give Fla. and Mich. delegates full vote

WASHINGTON - Now that Barack Obama has clinched the Democratic nomination for president, he wants convention delegates from Florida and Michigan to have full voting rights at the party's national convention.

Obama sent a letter Sunday to the party's credentials committee, asking members to reinstate the delegates' voting rights when the committee meets at the start of the convention in Denver.

Two things. First: ah-ah-ah, AP. McCain's the only person in this race who has clinched his nomination. I understand that the Democrats like to pretend otherwise, but until they actually have the final votes and anoint his head with the sacred oil, Obama is merely the assumed nominee. He doesn't like it, then maybe he should have gone out and won California. Or New Jersey. Or Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Texas, or Massachusetts.

Second: this is yet another flip-flop for the fellow. As per the St Petersburg Times:

KISSIMMEE — Delving deeper into Florida's Democratic delegate debacle than he ever has to date, Sen. Barack Obama said Wednesday that "a very reasonable solution" would be to count Florida's disputed primary votes and cut the state's delegation to the convention in half.

Still, in an interview with the St. Petersburg Times, Obama brushed off Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's emphasis on counting Florida's primary as a meaningful indication of the popular vote. She in turn called that stance an insult to 1.75-million Democrats who voted on Jan. 29.

"In all these races if I didn't campaign at all and this had just been a referendum on name recognition, Sen. Clinton would be the nominee,'' Obama told the Times during his first campaign trip to Florida in eight months. "It's pretty hard to make an argument that somehow you winning what is essentially a name recognition contest in Florida was a good measure of electoral strength there."

That was then. As Jake Tapper notes, this is now:

"Party unity calls for the delegates from Florida and Michigan to be able to participate fully alongside the delegates from the other states and territories,' Obama wrote in a letter to credentials committee chairs Alexis Herman, James Roosevelt, Jr., and Eliseo Roques-Arroyo. "Accordingly, I ask that the Credentials Committee, when it meets on August 24 to approve the delegates for the National Convention, pass a resolution that would entitle each delegate from Florida and Michigan to cast a full vote."

This naturally has nothing to do with the fact that Michigan - a state that Obama absolutely needs to win - is currently polling at +4.3 for the last month. In July. Before the race tightens. It's merely a sign that the candidate is all about making sure that everybody gets represented at the convention.

Now that he thinks that he knows how it's all going to turn out, of course.

Moe Lane

PS: Just for the record, I don't feel any particular contempt towards Senator Obama for this exercise in applied political cynicism. I might, except that all my contempt reserves are unfortunately dedicated towards those of his supporters who seem to think that we must turn off our critical faculties and worship the man, merely because they have chosen to.